The Detroit times., 1913-07-26
|l5-YEAR-OLDCIR
A MAIL CARRIER
in MOUNTAINS
Little FlOe Brown is Plucky, Re-
sourceful. Always Equal to
Emergency
ONCE SWAN HER HORSE
ACROSS SWOLLEN RIVER
One of Seven Sisters All of
Whom Have Performed the
Same Service

HENDERSON. Ark. July 25.-Floe
brown. a bright girl, 15 years Of age.
carries the daily mail from this little
village In Baxter county. Ark. 10 Bak-
arsfield, in Ozark county. Mo, a dis
lance of fifteen miles, and return. She
is one OF seven sisters, daughters or
Asa Brown and wife. and all have
Graduated OF OF the mail route, each
having had her turn at It, II has been
a part of their education, and has
helped them in more ways than)one.
Floe, who carries the mail now. Is
n small girl. but what she lacks In
Size she makes up In nerve and abil-
Pity TO get over the road In all kinds
Ipf weather. The route lies over some
r. the toughest country I'm the Ozark
mountains The roads are rough, and
over great part OF II the houses are
few and far between. On a stretch
pf FIVE miles there is no dwelling at
Ball. being all over the mountains and
through the woods. No thought of
fear, however, ever enters her mind.
Rrhere are no wild animals In the
woods, and the birds and squirrels
are her friends and keep her COM
pany Most OF the time she carries
the mail on horseback At times In
good weather however. when the
roads are worn down hard and smooth,
she uses a single buggy Besides
Henderson and Bakersfield, she serves
two other towns en- route, Gamaliel
and Custer. both roadside villages, but
with large postoffice patronage. The
most dreaded part OF her trip at times
Is crossing the North Fork river. n
mountain stream nearly as large as
the White river, which at times gets
10 be raging mountain torrent. The
stream Is fordable at low water, but
when II goes on a rampage IL is dan
gerous even for a ferryboat TO cross.
One time when IL was past fording
she swan her horse across In order
10 get her mail TO It's 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
|nnest scenery in the Ozarks lies along
Me way. Wild flowers and grass COW
err the woods floor and the hills are
IA mass OF. green, with the rocks of the
river bluffs sticking out In bare
splendor. In autumn, too, IT Is beau
XtifuL when the woods present an ever
changing color. but when the winter
winds begin to blow and the days OF
falling snow and binding, biting sleet
come II would try the nerves and spir-
liz of a man, but Floe sticks 10 her
host. The winter season Is short ana
the warm spring days to come buoy
her up
The family live few miles north
of this place. and I'm the worst wealth
er her sisters, 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 II up and carries II on TO Bak
erafeld and brings back the morning
mail from that point. They take It
then to Henderson for her, letting her
get off and rest
The parcel post has made the daily
load a great deal heavier for the girl
and many times the horse is loaded
down with all he can carry. Some
times the load Is more than can be
carried on horseback. and then the
single buggy is pressed into service,
good roads or bad She Is very pop
ular and does many ravors for her
patrons In the way OF bringing things
from the stores for them when they
Ore too busy TO go TO town.
Asa Brown. her father, is an old
man. The family live on farm and
he specializes on fruit. He says he
is glad the children were girls. and
that he could not get along without
them. BOYS, he says. nre always max
ing the old folks trouble.
The girls have generally arranged
tie carrying of the mail so that all got
chance at the district school. going
from there 10 the academy at Noun
tain Home and from there into more
profitable employment or to make nap
nv homes of their own. Those that
are married are happily married ana
ne others who are not at home are
! oIdipo lucrative business positions.