Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-25

as If nothing had happened, and then
went home and had fever.
He was in the hospital for two
months, and had to have his toes ampu-
tated. Yet he Is still in the same bus
mess, and really enjoys Its hazards.
George Little, one Of Downing's car
riers. was travelling through slush ice
and got badly wet. He pushed on to
reach the bunk house, but night over
took him.
After collecting wood along the river
bank and making fire, he found that
while he warmed on one side he was
chilling on the other, the thermometer
registering 64 degrees below zero. So
he spent the night climbing up and
down the hill to keep his blood in cir
culation.
Two mail carriers on the short run
to Atlin did not arrive last winter, and
q search party was sent out. They
found the tracks Of the sled leading to
what had been hole in the ice. That
was all.
In the same district the frozen body
of a mail carrier was found and iden-
titled by his watch. He had been lost
three years previously.
Harry Frayne, a mail carrier from
Valdes to Eagle, started out last Januai
ry with the expectation of meeting the
carrier on the next stage. He found
the dogs and the sled. The carrier,
Tuffin, had abandoned them when the
dogs were exhausted, and had star
ted off with the idea Of carrying the
mail on his back for the rest of the
distance.
Some Indians found his frozen body
six miles from the summit Of Mentasa
Pass. He had plodded with the mail
until he fell in the snow, frozen to
death.
From the lower end Of this lonely
trail of 1000 miles to Nome, there is
often in the local newspapers brief
mention Of the disappearance of a.
mail carrier. It Is an episode Of daily
life, exciting no more comment than
a runaway horse does in big city.
The United States has behaved IL
berally to Alaska In the matter OF
mails. Mail matter In some parts OF
this vast territory pays the govern:
ment about 80 cents pound for trans
portation and costs about 81 to carry
to It's destination after 1t reaches the
seaboard Of the territory. Costly as
this policy is, 1t places the lonely pros
pector in touch with civilization and
tends to keep him civilized in a larger
degree than any other agency could.
Leaving all danger and adventure
out Of consideration, the calling Of the
Arctic mail carrier is rough and hard.
Do not imagine the carrier reclining
at his ease, covered with warm robes
while the dogs lope along over a
smooth surface.
He has to guide the sled from one
side Of the river to the other to miss
the heaped-up ice, the soft places and
the snowbanks. Where the trail Is
good, he grasps the long handles at
the rear and at continuous jog trot
guides the sled along. In fairly smooth
places he jumps on a narrow board,
resting a good part Of his weight on
the handle bars.
In a temperature Of go degrees below
zero, which is common, he has to keep
warm, and yet he must not perspire, or
the moisture will Immediately freeze.
His greatest care Is as to his foot
wear. He has two or three pairs OF
woollen socks and over them pair
of moccasins made Of deer hide.
Should these get wet his feet freeze
and he is little better than a dead
man.
After he has made his distance for
the day he arrives at a lonely cabin
under some feet of snow. He has to
put on his snowshoes to break trail
to 1t for the dogs.
The cabin contains rusty stove
and some provisions for himself and
the dogs. He has to chop wood after
his days work and must first cook the
supper for his dogs.
Then he cooks and eats his lonely
meal and lies down in his clothes TO
sleep. There is no furniture. In q
country where fuel is scarce the temp
tation to chop it up for stove wood
would be too great.
Only men of iron frame can stand
the hardships Of such life. The 9TH
ers are weeded out after two or three
trfps.-New York Sun.