The Nome nugget., 1959-03-13
Alaska's First Free Mail Delivery Service

building material and labor caused boats to be pressed into service for business purposes The Quickstep Restaurant and Hotel conducted on board boat attached to the shore by gangplank The Pacific Cold Storage Co., employed the steamer 'Lotta Talbot as their place of business.
 The appearance of uniformed letter carrier delivering mail calmly in the midst of all the confusion though at home was sight that stopped traffic almost as quickly as fight would have done. Men bent beneath the weight of heavy pack would stop moment shift their pack straps and look at That is the most natural thing I have seen since I left Denver" said one onlooker Blamed if it don't make a man feel if he in Gods country, and that Alaska part of the United States. Uncle Sam is brick. I always did think so, now I know t.' They would give approving nod and then 'mush on' out over the trembling tundra in search of the elusive gold.
 Before had gone block we were sur rounded by eager throng, giving orders to deliver their mail to this and that place. We had to establish rule that only those actually gagged in business, either proprietor or poyees could have their mail delivered would have had half the population giving orders to have their mail left in of different business firms I afraid that the rule more honored in the breach than in the observance however, for would deliver mail at saloons for persons. When I inquired if they were all employees the answer would be, "Oh, yes. They are working for us all right, but just now they are out on one of the creeks"
 You often read of the postrnan being welcome visitor. I never knew what that meant before. Welcome is very mild term for the thusiastic reception frequently received. One man on my route was worried by not hearing from home that he was almost ready to pull up stakes and leave. He had not heard from his wife since his arrival, and he fancied some with similar name was receiving his mail. I took his name and next day handed him five letters from his wife. Welcome Well, rather
 Speaking of persons with similar names minds me of Peter Peterson There were three Peter Petersons who had middle initial and several of that name having middle initial, each of whom thought his correspondents might by ac- cident have omitted his middle initial When any of the many PeterSons called for his mail he had to tell the place from which he expected it. If he could not tell the posmark of the office of dispatch, he had to wait until the various other Petersons had had opportunity of identifying it. This rule led the various Peter Petersons to do wild guessing to where their letters might have come from.
 The general delivery said to be the largest in the United States, and presume it was, as in large cities most of the mail is handled through carriers, boxes sub stations. In the Nome gen. eral delivery the alphabet was divided into over 700 divisions. For example, it required 70 boxes to case the letter 'B.' The most common names were assigned one or more boxes The "Johnsons' required five separations, being divided on their initials; box consisting of Johnsons whose in- tials between A and J; the next j and M; M to- P; to s; and to z. Some names there which not apt to be duplicated for example, such names as these, which I copied from letters in the general delivery: Ole, Yonassen, Stensfjedt and G. E. Tyszkcwcz
 When the system of free delivery had been in operation several weeks were looking through seven pouches of letters just received on the steamer Roanoke" from the outside" as Gods country" was always termed. After looking through five pouches took rest to get our supper. During absence the inspector and acting post master counted the letters had gotten from the mail for my patrons. There were 1O74, and from the remaining two pouches I got several hundred more! Upon several steamer days I had taken out on my first trip than 1,2O0 letters, get ting from the mail 100 or 200 additional in going through the general delivery cases looking up my patrons name by from my route book.
 The postoffice was open to the public from am. until midnight each weekday, Sunday having somewhat shorter hours. As we could not look