The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-07-24
MEN Who CARRY
THE DAILY MAIL

SPOKANE, July 22.-'Tn erecting
monuments to our heroes, our SOL
diers. our sailors and our firemen,
we should not forget the army of
men which supplies us with our daily
mall"
G. ID. Linn, inspector in charge of
the Spokane division, which includes
in its jurisdiction the states of WASH
ington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.
and the territory of Alaska, said
this while going over the official re-
ports in the Spokane postoffice. He
added:
In the territory covered by the
Spokane inspection offices the United
States mail is carried in every con-
ceivable manner. In Alaska rein
deer have been brought into service
because of the necessity to cross
great barriers of ice and snow. Es-
kimo dogs are used on the long cross
country runs. BY railway, steam
boat, electric lines, stages, on horse
back and in every other manner ex-
cept that of being transported in
airships, the mails are taken to resi-
dents and dispatched all over this
continent, the Orient and Europe.
THE United States government
has recognized Spokane as one of
the strategic places in this country
from postal standpoint, and it is
fast bearing out the convictions. Sew
eral years ago one of the Is inspec-
ton stations of the mail service was
placed in Spokane, and the Northwest
and Alaska was allotted to this sta
ton as the field to be covered. Four
teen inspectors are employed in the
territory.
I'm the Buffalo Hump district and
Thunder Mountain country in Idaho,
south of Spokane, the horses and
their drivers and riders are equipped
with snowshoes in the winter, while
in the northern parts of the terri
tory all means of conveyances are
employed. Mail carriers in the Rocky
mountains and in the wilds of Alas
ka pass through the most rugged
parts of the country superintendent
by the Spokane offices. Feats of
heroism enacted by carriers in these
wild districts are frequent, but sell
dom recorded.
of this office, the driver of one of the
dog trains in the Yukon country
stopped during the night at one of
the cabins on his route and while
bathing the feet of one of his dogs
to prevent them becoming sore in
crossing glaciers, the candle he used
was knocked over, setting fire to the
can of alcohol he carried for emer-
gency.
IAN explosion followed, the result
being the destruction of the cabin
and the pack of mail, the carrier
barely escaping with his life. His
dogs were burned to death, and the
man was forced to walk miles to the
nearest settlement. Both legs were
frozen off, and the carrier was dead
when found by party Of 'mushers. ;
people in eastern, middle west
ern and southern states, clamoring
for their mail and demanding that
| 1t should arrive on time, little real
ize the heroism often displayed by
the men in getting 1t to them. Car
riers have lost their lives in the
mountains of Idaho, Montana and
Oregon, some being carried away in
snowslides, others drowned in cross
ing turbulent streams in Washing
ton, but seldom is a case reported
where the mail has been deserted
by the carrier.
"In our cities and more or less
densely populated rural districts, the
problem of transporting the mails
is not so difficult to solve. The uni
formed carrier is a familiar figure
in the cities, and of late the rural
carrier is becoming almost as familiar
on our country roads. OF the latter
class 10 per cent are women. In the
State of Washington there are more
than 200 free delivery routes and
the time is not far distant when prac-
tically every farmer will have his
mail delivered daily at his door the
Same aS his city cousin -