The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1903-03-12
MAIL COMES HIGH.
Ten Dollars to Send a Letter from
Cooks Inlet to Nome.
Mas 20 IL Carried $500 Miles and
Must lie written ON oll-skin
Paper-Dimcuities of the
Route.

"Through sMow and ice, $500 miles,
Ia the trim of an Alaskan mail carrier"
w. v. Sullivan, son Of former sena-
tor Sullivan OF Mississippi, made TINS
abatement, recently, reports the b.
Louis Republic. Mr.. sullivan had just
returned from two years cruise IN
Alaskan waters on board the United
States revenue cutter Rush
"This trip" he continued, is from
Cooks Inlet to Nome, and by the route
travelled Is 500 miles.
'sThe last boat leaves Nome about
November 3, and it carries down
mighty precious cargo gold dust, dis
couraged miners, escaping wives, the
soubrettes who come up IN the spring,
marry the successful prospeetors and
then desert when the winter shuts up
the town from the rest Of the world,
and the last mail sack Uncle Sam
brings through the Alteutiau islands
for six months.
aThen, while you people down here
In the big cities are squabhling for one
cent local postage, the men up in Nome
are getting ready TO pay the heaviest
postal rate IN the world. by the 2sth
Of December they've got the Christmas
hunger for home news, and New Years
dgy they'd give n side Of bacon for
SIGHT of familiar handwriting ON an
envelope. Bacon Is still about 80 cents
a slice Ia the eating houses.
"But Just about The first OF January
the uidwinter Alaskan mail starta
north from Seattle. II Is carried up
bv the owner and operator of the en-
terprlse, who runs a private mail SER
! vice not recognized or promoted by the
( United States government He col
n iects letters from Seattle to Cooks
I Inlet, making the trip on any vessel
I that Is scheduled to stop 81 sitka
T Douglas Island. Juneau and all the
: points Of any Importance along the
Z coast.
q aoniy letters are carried and thes'
; must be written on onion-sl<in paper
t for bulk is the chief consideration, and
e besides, the rate Is 50 much penny
weight.
aWhen Cooks Inlet Is reached thl
letters are packed in Tin boxes mad
= 10 conform to the carriers body au'
2 2 at into the lining Of higcoat. The car
!. rier's costume. from the fur cap 70 th
! Mozinsld boots, Is exactly like thai 0
s the EsquImaux. and the principal item
= IN his outfit are matches, gun and am
: munition.
: aFrom Cooks Inlet 20 Nome tn
= trail runs i.s00 miles and touches n
mans hut or dngout. The carrier ca
make 20 miles day on snowshoes. II
has studied the country 50 thorough
r that ho kno' then he shoots bir
and cooks ID sor dinner Tuesday, oye
fire Of scrubby brush, where,
miles ahead he can find more gam
and fuel for the cooking Of Wednel
days supper. After supper he crawl
into q fur sleeping bag, dropping o
into cory snowhank for a snoog
through the darkest hours Of the Ion
night.
'.The greatest obstacles are the to-
rents that flow TOO rapidly to freez
The crossings are at the narrowsl
places and the carrier strips, makes
bundle Of his clothes, throws Il aero
or carries ~ on his head. and. wadir
= and swimming. reaches the opposii
!. shore aud acrambles into his furs.
a. aIn his tln pockets he carries TO
~ tune the thiunert letter taken {
~ the route costs the sender so. L
~ ually bui one trip Il made each winte
d'e but last season he broke the reeoi
Or By making two rounds. doing this
ed using dogs and a sled part way Il
: winters work netted him over sz.0l
Ii to be blown II on the Fayeiies Of Non
end Seattle