Iditarod pioneer., 1915-09-18
INCOMING MAIL IS JUGGLED ABOUT
 ON RIVER

Appointed to the position of postmaster of Iditarod in the face of the almost unanimous opposition of the patrons of the oftice prob ably in payment of political or personal ob- legations on the part of the governor of the territory; serving in that position for more than 8 year, with apparent satisfaction, and in such accommodating manner as to sur prise even his opponents, who apparently had no word of complaint as to his conduct of the office; .resignng when the classified ton of the office was reduced and the pay consequently made almost nominal; and i then, after appointing substitute to act for him pending the qualification of his sue cessor, to commit an error of judgment such as would seem to justify all the harsh things said of him prior to his occupancy of the ottice-such is the record of Albert Vile, whose successor as postmaster of this city has just been appointed.
 When the mail from the Outside arrived here last Sunday morning the way bill called for sixty-fve sacks and three pouches Upon inspection of the consignment by Acting Postmaster Claude Baker 1t was found to be short to the extent of three pouches of first class matter Inquiry brought out the fact that the missing mail pouches had ar rived at Dikeman, where they were to be transferred to the launch Sea Wolf but that the transfer had not been made.
 Later developments brought to light the details of a rather queer transaction which took place when the mail reached the down river point of transfer.
 Postmaster Vile, who was on his way to ] Fairbanks, where he intends to locate, ar rived at Dikeman from ldtarod on Satur- day last, and while waiting for the Wash | burn, on which he was to be a passenger, the Idtarod mail arrived, in charge of Mir Wulff, the carrier The outgoing mail was on board the Sea Wclf, and the two launches were tied up alongside. According to state ments made by men coming here from Dike- man, MT. Vile, wishing to secure his per | sonal mail from the consignment billed for 1 lditarod, took the mail pouches to the Dke- man postoffice and there opened them and presumably took therefrom his mail Then so the accounts go. he returned the sacks to MT. Wultf's launch. But in the meantime fho ohp l,I | tween the two launches. and shortly after wards Mir. Wulff departed for the Yukon with the frst-class Iditarod mail aboard his craft When about fifteen miles down stream he discovered the blunder and re- | turned to Dlkeman. The Sea Wolf had al ready left and the missing mail was brought here by the Prairie Bell, which arrived Mon day afternoon.
 To say that the incident created sensa tion is to state the case mildly. The near approach of the close of navigation and the consequent suspension of mail service until the winter contract should be oper ative, caused consternation among mer chants and shippers who had important transactions dependent on the arrival of the mail and when it was learned that the missing mail was on its way down river again the feeling was intense. As it hap pened, no serious delay was occasioned
 There seems to be difference of opinion as to the responsibility for the incident, but it appears to be generally agreed that no one is authorized to open mail pouches prior to their arrival at their destination That an investigation will result there is little doubt, and that Mir Vile will be called upon to explain seems to be conceded It is pos sible that others than Vile may be involved in the responsibility.