The Nome nugget., 1959-03-18
Alaska's First Free Mail Delivery Service

guard at the door of the postoffice. Night and day one of Uncle Sam's eboys in blue" paced back. and forth guarding the office.
 It speaks well for the service that so little mail went astray lost Great care was taken to prevent loss delay. We received lot of letters which had occupied several months in tran sit from the States. They were in damaged con- diton, and were endorsed delayed and damaged by accident at sea-" Upon another occasion re- ceved several pouches, the contents of which water soaked. The pouches of letters had been drenched by the surf in coming ashore The letters most damaged were laid by the stove to dry. The stamps slipped from most of them and many of the envelopes unsealed Many of the ad- dresses dim and almost illegible. Those that partially obliterated in danger of becom- ing so, were rewritten. Letters which were about to part company with their envelopes had rubber bands placed around them
 To give an idea of the amount of business trans acted l will quote few statements from the in- spector's report for the month of July:
 Twenty three clerks were employed. This includes the day and night general delivery force at the postoffice proper as well as at the paper tent. Also the register and money order depart ment and the carrier force.
 "A trifle over $136OOO in money orders were issued during the month, the largest days busi- ness being July 23, when $9,252.65 represented the cash received from money orders.
 Fifty y-one pouches of letter mail, 14 pouches of registered mail and 372 sacks of papers were received during the month.
 eve dispatched 46 pouches of ordinary and registered letter mail and Is sacks of papers.
 ,230 registered letters received and 1,29O registered letters dispatched.
 "$1 ,051.50 worth of stamps were sold and $1,293.91 represented the amount of cancellations during the month'
 In addition to the unusual sights of Nome, the sounds, also were very different from those of an ordinary city Probably the most insistent sound was the pop, pop pop of the gasoline launches and tugs which were always in evidence on the water front Then the ceaseless high-drawn vail of the Eskimo dogs was never lacking from the medley of sounds Day and night one could hear the cry, Cigars, gents, two for quarter Here's your fresh kay-ows milk, only four bits quart; ''Mince pies hot mince pies' Here's your latest outside paper, the 'P.-I., only quarter"
 One who wandered down the street with his eyes open would across many famous people: Lucky Baldwin with his strong bronzed face Cap tain Jack Crawford, the poet scout with his long gray locks and fringed buckskin Across the street Stampede Kate, famous throughout Alaska, with her short skirt and high laced boots
 Though the daylight during June and July continuous, being little if any brighter than midnight, yet the sun out of sight for a few hours, setting about II p.m and rising at half-past in the morning. find this note in my journal for June 3Oth:
 "At 13O faint tinge. of pink appeared in the north Gradually the tinge deepens to salmon and rose. At 227 the north is suffused with trembling play of colors, and the sun rises over the low-lying hills lighting up the anvil Anvil Mountain. Now it floods the whole scene with prodigous profuson of natures gold sunshine The Boring Sea responds to it's caress, trembling and sparkling in it's robe of sea green and molten silver The stately ships nod and bow as they ride at anchor in the offing. Far out can be seen a plume of smoke made by a steamer bearing dis appointed treasure-seekers whose motto, dust or bust has turned out to be the latter and who are now as anxious to sight home few short weeks ago they were to sight Nome.'