The following news story appeared in an out-of-state newspaper on September 5, 1947.
"Mule Postman Loses Contract In Remote Area
The lonely existence of the scattered families living in the remote fastness of Siskiyou national forest no longer will be relieved by periodic visits from the mule-driving postman.
The mule-pack postal route between the isolated towns of Illahe and Marial, near Grants Pass, has been terminated by the government because the carrier, who has a monopoly on mules, submitted too high a bid.
Residents of the remote mountain areas served by the mule routes do their shopping through the mail order catalogues and depend upon mule packs for everything--clothing, accordions, rifles, even food according to Fred H. Twohy, railroad mail district superintendent who has spent 10 years traveling the mountain regions to check on his mule postmen.
'One winter not even a horse could get through the heavy snows,' Twohy recalls. 'The residents were shut off from the world, and there was quite a squawk.'
Obliging postmen resorted to sleds to reach the isolated areas, Twohy adds, 'and the first thing people ordered by parcel post was several cases of beer.'
The Marial route was typical of the involved carrier setup required to get mail to secluded areas. Mail went 34 miles up a river in a flat bottomed river boat from Wedder burn. Then it was transferred to mule for an additional 16-mile trip.
It was 'kind of expensive,' Twohy admits, costing about $400 a person to keep the route open. 'The stamps don't begin to pay for it,' he adds.
'I have a hard time convincing them back in Washington that these routes are worth the expense,' Twohy says."
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