Alaska’s' First Free Mail Delivery Service
By FRED LOCKLEY
(Third Installment)
When more than one mail steamer arrived, as
they frequently did, on the same day, or within a
day or two of each other, we would put in long
hours. For instance, we reported one morning at
4 o’clock at the paper tent, for after the first few
weeks a large tent was put up near the postoffice
in which the papers were cased toy a night crew,
a day force being on duty to hand them out. We
worked out several sacks of papers from the cases
between 4 a.m. and 6- We spent the forenoon in
making a letter and paper delivery; at noon the
mail was landed from a steamer which had ar
rived from Seattle. We worked all afternoon look
ing through the newly arrived mail. Before we
had finished all the pouches of “outside” mail, the
Dora from St. Michael arrived with several sacks
of local mail, that is, Alaska mail, including Daw
son and other Yukon River points. By the time
we had completed the Dora’s mail it was supper
time. The acting postmaster took both carriers to
his boarding place, and served a regular banquet,
including ice cream made from condensed milk.
We went back'to the office, routed our mail in
the paper tent, and at 10:30 p.m. we started on
our delivery. We were through by midnight. It
did not seem so out of place to be making a
midnight delivery where the daylight was con
tinuous, and where the streets were as crowded
at midnight as at noonday, as it would seem at
home where night-time implies darkness. From
4 a.m. until midnight — a work-day of 20 hours.
Of course this was exceptional, although on several
occasions we worked 18 or 20 hours. Usually,
however, from 10 to 12 hours constituted our
day’s work.
Whenever we had leisure on account of the
non-arrival of mail steamers,, we would go to the
paper tent and work out papers. We built a de
livery wagon from a pair of bicycle wheels mounted
on a narrow steel axle, surmounted by a large dry
goods box. Putting several hundred pounds of
papers routed in bundles of convenient size, we
would make a paper delivery several times a week.
I remember one day when the rains had conr
menced and the streets were knee deep in mud.
We were both pulling the cart when it got in a
mud hole up to the hubs. We were tugging away
to extricate it when a man, probably a newspaper
correspondent, came up to us and said, “Hold on
just a moment, boys, I want to get a picture of
Nome’s free delivery bogged down.” He called to
the proprietor of the Arctic Pharmacy who took
a snapshot of us.
We often wished our comrades in the service
could take a glance at us as we routed our mail.
As there was no room in the postoffice we took it
to our tent across Snake River. In lieu of a table
and case we sat cross-legged on the sand and
gravel floor of our tent, and would use gold pans,
boxes and other makeshifts as substitutes for a
case. For a routing table we would use our cots.
If one made an inadvertent move the carefully
laid piles of letters would, with one accord, slide
toward the center of the cot, and I would find
the mail for the Customs House genially frater
nizing with that of the Gold Belt Dance Hall, or
the S.Y.T. Co., gravely intermingling with the
mail for the Yukon Saloon.
It took but a day or two for the knowledge
that a free delivery had been established to be
come known and appreciated. Orders for the de
livery of mail poured in by the score. We had to
“book” them, place each new name in our route
book, alphabetically arrange and verify the address
given so as to place it in its proper position on
our route map, and then get their mail from the
general delivery. We soon had about 1,200 patrons
apiece, and, in addition to remembering their
names so that we could take the letters for them
from the incoming mail as we rapidly glanced at
each letter before we passed it on to the box clerk,
or casing clerk, we had to keep track of the
changes of address which were constantly occur
ring. What added materially to our work was the
fact that not only the individuals and firms were
in constant motion like the bits of glass in a kalei
doscope, but the places of business themselves were
likewise not exempt. Tents gave place to frame
buildings overnight. When we presented ourselves
With mail for the mining broker whose office on
the previous day had been a tent, we found he had
folded his tent like the Arabs, and quietly stam
peded to some newly discovered district or likely
creek.
One such instance comes to mind out of dozens
of similar experiences. My comrade in the service
received orders to deliver the mail for the Red
Cross Pharmacy. It was a canvas and frame-work
affair located on the north side of Front Street
near the Alaska Exploration Company’s store. He
booked the order, delivered the mail a few days,
then the whole thing disappeared. Next day I found
it on my route near the “Gold Digger” office. We
made the necessary corrections on our books,
and I took his mail, when he again disappeared,
moving to a new location on my comrade’s route,
and taking his house with him like a snail. My
partner booked the order and I erased it from
my book. We soon lost him again and found that
he had discovered a more favorable location on
my side of the street, and resumed his residence
there. Where one would see a tent on the forenoon
there might be a building site for sale in the
afternoon. That night a large force of carpenters
would be put to work, and by next day a frame
building would be almost ready for occupancy,
cloth tackers and paper-hangers following the car
penters closely. At best the season was but short
and every moment must be utilized. Most of the
stores were open day and night, being run by two
shifts of clerks.
A man called me into his tent one morning and
asked me to deliver his mail. Next day I re
turned with mail for him. Imagine my surprise
when I could not even locate the place where his
tent had stood. I rubbed my eyes, looked up the
order, got out my route map, and found the place
where the tent should have been; but in its place
was a frame structure upon which the carpenters
were still at work. A grocer was arranging his
stock. I asked him where his predecessor was.
“Oh, he has mushed on,” was his response. “But
he told me to bring his mail here,” I said. “Well,
that is all right, but that was yesterday,” he an
swered as though discussing ancient history. “I
bought him out yesterday afternoon, hired a gang
of carpenters and ran up this building last night,
and we put our stock of goods in this morning.
The man you are looking for pulled his freight for
Council City this morning. I guess you had better
forward his mail there.” I could multiply in
stances, but I will only cite one more.
I delivered the mail for a second-hand man at
his tent opposite the North American Trading &
Transportation Company’s store. As I passed along
the street opposite the Barracks one forenoon
someone hailed me. It was my second-hand man.
He said, “Leave my mail here after this, I sold
my business out last night.” He had put in a stock
of fruits and fancy groceries, changing not only
his location but his business overnight. That same
afternoon I passed his way, when he again hailed
me. “Hold my mail for a few days,” he said.
“What’s up now?” I inquired. “I got a lease on
this business site for $50, he answered. “This
noon the Babcock Undertaking Co. offered me
$150, so I sold it and am $100 ahead of the game.
I am going to auction my stuff off this evening,
as he takes possession tomorrow morning.” He
had owned and disposed of two business enterprises
within 24 hours, and made money on both trans
actions. Needless to say he was a “Down East
Yankee” and would rather swap than eat.
It was remarkable what absolute confidence the
public reposed in us. I entered a saloon one day,
delivered the mail to the barkeeper and to the
men who were running the various games, such as
“Black Jack,” “Stud Poker,” “Roulette” and
“Craps” and the “Wheel of Fortune.” An old gray
beard, a stranger to me, called to me. I went over
to see what he wanted. “Here, son,” he said, as
he pushed over a pile of $20 gold pieces. “I have
started a little game here that is panning out
pretty well. Get me a money order for one hundred
dollars to send my wife in Los Angeles.” I wrote
down her name and address, pocketed the gold and
next morning brought the man his money order.
This is not an isolated case. I suppose I have
bought a dozen or more money orders for men who
were too busy to attend to it themselves. They
would hand me 50 or 100 dollars, throw down a
silver dollar and say, “That will cover the cost of
the order and pay you for your trouble.”
While on my way to the postoffice one day I
went up a side street not on my regular route. A
man came to the door of his tent and motioned
to me. He tried to speak but was too sick. A spell
of coughing seized him so that I tried to support
him to keep him from falling. His eyes were un
naturally bright, and I could see that he was a
very sick man. As best he could, interrupted con
stantly by severe spells of coughing, he told me
that he had not been able to get his mail. He was
sick and alone. He had taken his place in the line
and, after keeping it half an hour and having
gotten nearly to the delivery window, he had be
come weak and fallen down, and thus lost his
place. No one was allowed to ask for more than
one person at a time. If he wished to ask for two
persons he must take his place at the foot of the
line and work up again. The sick man had no
friend whom he could ask to stand in line fdr him,
and was very anxious for his mail. Poor fellow, I
felt very sorry for him. Sick, alone, possibly dying
and unable to hear from home. I went back to the
postoffice and got him his home letters of which
there were more than 30. When I returned he was
in bed'and in a high fever. He did not seem to be
able to realize what I wanted. I propped him up
in bed, showed him his letters, told him they were
from home and left him. Much to my surprise and
pleasure he lived to get back to the States.
(To Be Continued)
THIS WAS NOME'S POST OFFICE. Building in 1900; situated on
B Street between First and Second, just south of the old ANS School.
TDM Bulletin Provides Miners With
Up-To-Date Information from Juneau
(from the Territorial Department
of Mines Bulletin for March)
Mining Access Roads
The only bill introduced so far |
in the State Legislature that is;
intended to assist prospectors and :
miners is H.B. 79 by Representa- '
tive Bob McCombe. -The bill would I
direct the Highway and Public |
Works Department to build access j
roads to inaccessible mineral areas j
as determined by the Commis-!
sioner of Mines. This act was in- !
troduced because present policy |
restricts road construction to the i
approved road net and to stan*!
dard construction specifications.
It will not be effective, of course,
without an appropriation. H.B. 92
would appropriate $100,000 to the
Highway and Public Works De
partment for the first year of
operation of this act. H.B. 79 was
passed by the House with only
one dissenting vote, has been re
i ported out of the Senate Finance
l Committee with a “do pass,” and
| is now in the Senate Commerce
j and Labor Committee. H.B. 92
■ was reported out of the House
j Resources Committee with a “do
1 pass,” and is now in House
Finance.
Other Bills of Interest
H.B. 13 — Would establish a
new Workmens Compensation
Board and set new rates which
are estimated by one mining op
erator to indicate a cost increase
of 17 per cent for the average em
ployer. Presently in Senate Com
merce and Labor Committee, then
to Judiciary Committee.
S. B. 41 — Would extend the
time of redemption of delinquent
lands under the Land Registration
Law beyond the present limit of
one year after court award of the
land to the State. Proposal is to
allow original legal owner to re
deem delinquent land (including
patented claims) at any time up
until the State disposes of the land
by lease or sale. Still in State Af
fairs Committee, then to Judi
ciary.
Oil News
We believe that if all goes well,
Fairbanks consumers will be
cooking with gas by the fall of
1961,” said the president of Alas
ka Propane Company of Fair
banks recently. Alaska Propane
was the lucky bidder for much of
the Gubik gas structure on the
Arctic Slope and also has ob
tained a pipeline right-of-way
i from there to Fairbanks. In a sur
prise move, Colorado Oil and Gas
Company purchased the Alaska
Propane leases and right-of-way,
giving more strength to the pro
posal. However, early exploration
of the Gubik field and construc
tion of the pipe line (cost: at least
42 million) is contingent on two
things: <1) release of the with
held buffer zone between the
leases and Pet 4, and (2) a firm
commitment from the military for
use of the gas at Ladd and Eiel
son Air Force Bases. Proposed
price of gas to Fairbanks con
sumers has not been mentioned.
Property Tax On ; Claims
Some of our readers have been
getting tax bills on unpatented
claims lately and are wondering
what goes on. The Territory-wide
property tax that was collected in
1949 and repealed in 1953 was
fought from the time of the first
attempted collection as illegal and
carried all the way through the
courts. A recent U. S. Supreme
Court decision held that the tax
was valid. Since then, the State
Department of Taxation has been
sending out new notices to all
who were on the tax rolls during
1949-53 and who did not pay.
Unpatented claims were valued
by the tax law at $500 and the
rate was set at 1 per cent, making
the tax $5 per claim per year.
Anyone who held claims during
that four-year period is apparent
ly liable, according to the law. A
court case in the Stale of Wash
ington resulted in a decision that
an unpatented claim can be taxed
as personal property rather than
real estate, and that only after* a
patent is issued does the claim
become real estate.
New Book for Alaskan Prospectors
o “Introductory Prospecting and
Mining” by Leo Mark Anthony
is the title of a book just off the
press at the University of Alaska
School of Mines. It is a 90-page
bulletin written othe fundamen
tals of mineral identification, geo
logy, and mining, and covers
about the same ground as the
mining extension courses taught
throughout Alaska each winter.
It may be obtained from the
School of Mines, Box 498, College,
Alaska for $2.50 per copy.
HOT LUNCH MENUS
Monday — Rice cheese lunch
eon meat casserole, green beans,
cake custard pudding, bread, but
ter, milk. ,
Tuesday — Baked beans, spin
ach, fruit jello, bread, butter,
milk.
Wednesday — Vegetable soup
with meat, peanut butter sand
wiches, peaches, milk.
Thursday — Spanish rice, sliced
beets, pineapple upside-down
cake, bread, butter, milk.
Friday — Baked seafood, peas,
cherry cobbler, bread, butter,
milk.
MAZONNA STORE MOVES
TO CENTRAL LOCATION i
The Mazonna Store ha? moved
upiown, to the building in back of
The Glpe Pot, facing EirstrAven
ue. Manager Alfred Mazonna,
whose store stock is>ipw at thi«?
time, is anticipating full shelves
when the first boat arrives.
Fine Job Printing At The Nugget.