The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1913-04-28
SOMEBODY FALSiFiEO.

When We investigated We found
hat only three mails per month
reached Cordoya from Seattle" so
said the News Miner in its editCrla
of Wednesday evening trying TO rid;
Guile the plea in our last issue that
something he done toward lettering
our mail serv &c for next winter.
The News-Miner obtained Their in
formation from the Orr Stage Co.
o they state Well. the statement
of The Citizen week ago was no
April fool joke. as suggested. but
straight facts. and the NewsMiner
is deeply in error in regard to the
matter. or their informant Is for
We say there are more than three
mails a month to Cordova. for the
Sampson and the Yukon carry all
mail that has accumulated at Seattle
from the me of the departure of The
Northwestern. the Mariposa or the
hlilllfiti, ulilll tllt NlIllt vi tilt ut
parture of these Independent boats
We have been accused of unfair
service that to use a slangy but eX,
pressive word. has been rotten" for
the last six months
The News Miner states that imme
diately upon the arrival of a boa
at Cordova first class mail Is for
warded right through without delay
We are a LONG way from Cordova
and might be induced to believe
that story if it had not happened
that many persons. returning al
various intervals from the States
We're held up at the sea coast town
anywhere from one 10 eight days
This was not during the tie-up of s'>
weeks. for which there is no excuse
offered but since. and even as late as
'hree weeks ago Can the Naws.
Miner or the Orr Stage company
or anybody else deny that fact?
When last week we tried to urge
the people to take up the mail ques'
ton with the hope of lettering our
condition for next year. we meant no
reflection upon the Orr Stage com,
pany as they have at all times
dur ng the winter pushed their stages
through with the greatest possible
speed. for which they We're duly paid
according to the bids that they them
selves made. They did their duty
by the people so far as they were
able in carrying the mails through
1t was a business matter. something
that they We're compelled 10 do
and not personal favor to anyone.
They did not do their duty. how,
ever. and are not doing it in trying
to shield the other parties who.
by commission or omission, have fail,
ed to do their part toward giving us
the best mail service possible.
We don't care how our mail gets
in here whether It comes by Cor.
dova, Valdez or by Falcon Joslin's
proposed aero line. but we would
like to get last years papers some
time within the coming six months.
The News-Miner states that the
first class mail comes through on
the first stage after the landing Of
the boat, and implies that the sec.
ond class follows on the next.
On April 18th or 10th we received
first class mail from the Outside.
On April Gath we received very
small second class mail In the in
term, however. several stages arriv-
ed from the coast without even the
sign of postage stamp. What be-
came of that second class mail dufine
all that time?
Five years ago Fairbanks was al
lowed fair mail allowance; today
we have practically the same al
lowance divided up among this camp.
lditarod. Ruby. Tanana and all the
downriver points. The Orr Stage
company is not to blame for this
but the people of Fairbanks are If
the matter was taken up in the prop
er manner, through our city council
through our Commercial club. and
through our delegate there is no
doubt that something would be done
to remedy the conditions.
The Citizen was not, mistaken in
its statement of week ago regard
ing the mail, as it was fully aware of
the facts. as is its custom, before
making the statement; nor did The
Citizen, like the News Miner. go to
an interested party for one-sided
story that sounds we'll but VIII not
hold water.