Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-10-15
MOUNTAIN MAIL-CARRIER.
Girl of Fifteen Makes Daily Trips
Over Rough Route.

Floe Brown, q bright girl fifteen years
derson, little village In Baxter county,
Ark, to Bakersfield, In Ozark county, Mo-,
distance of fifteen miles and return.
She Is one OF seven sisters, daughters of
Asa Brown and wife, and all have gradu-
sted off the mail route. II has been part
OF their education, and has helped them in
more ways than one.
Fioe, VINO carries the mail, Is now a
small girl, but what she lscks in size she
makes up in nerve and ability to get over
/ the road In all kinds OF weather. The
route lies over some OF the toughest conn
try In the Ozark mountains. The roads
are rough, and over a great part OF 1t the
houses are few and far between. On
stretch of Ave miles there Is no dwelling
at all, being all over the mountains and
through the woods. Thought OF fear, how
ever, never eutefS Ger mind. There are no
Wild animals In the woods, and the birds
and squirrels are her friends and keep her
company.
Most OF the time she carried the mail
on horseback. AT times, in good weather.
however, when the roads are worn down
hard and smooth, she uses single buggy
Besides Henderson and Bakersfield, she
serves two other towns en- route-Gamsliel
and Custer The most dreaded part OF her
trip at times Is crossing the North Fork
river, a mountain stream which at times
gets to be 4 raging mountain torrent. The
stream Is fordable at low water, but when
il goes ON rampage it is dangerous even for
a terryboat to cross. One time when it was
past fording she swan her horse across in
order TO get her mail to its destination
that night. She came out on the opposite
bank with dripping skirts, but with mail
high and dry on her shoulders.
In the spring and summer the route is
pleasant to ride, as some OF the finest
scenery In the ozarks lies along the way.
Wild flowers and grass cover the woods
fOor, and the hills are mass OF green,
with the rocks OF the river bluffs stick
ing out in bare splendor. In autumn, too,
il IL beautiful, when the woods present an
ever-changiug color, but when the winter
| winds begin to blow and the days OF fall
| ing snow and binding, biting sleet come,
IL would try the nerves and spirit OF
man, but Floe sticks to her post. The
winter season is short and the warm
spring days to come buoy her up.
The family live few miles north OF Hem
derson, and in the worst weather her sis
ters, Pearl and Hannah, help her out.
Hannah or Pearl goes after the mail at
Henderson in the morning and brings 1t
to the house, where Floe picks it up and
carries 1t on to Bakersfield and brings
back the morning mail from that point.
They take 1t then to Henderson for her,
letting her get of and rest.
The parcel post has made the daily load
great deal heavier for the girl, and many
times the horse Is loaded down with all
he can carry. Sometimes the load Is more
than can be carried on horseback, and
then the single buggy is pressed into SER
vice, good roads or bad. She is very pop
uIar, and does many iavors for her patrons
in the way OF bringing things from the
stores for them when they are too busy to
go to town.
Asa Brown, her father, is an old man.
The family live on farm, and he special
ICES on fruit. He says he is glad his chill
dren were girls, and that he could not get
along without them. Boys, he says, are
always making the old folks trouble.
The girls have generally arranged the
carrying of the mail so that all got
chance at the district school, going from
there to the academy at Mountain Home
and from there into more profitable EN-
ployment or to make happy homes OF
their own. Those that are married are
happily married, and the others who are
not at home are holding lucrative BUSH
ness positions.