| Show Rider Spent Month on First Mail Route Through Moab of western Colorado and meant 1 much in the settlement of this area One Oue of 01 the most dangerous mail mall routes in pioneer history was the route between Salina Utah and Ouray Colo which passed through Moab The route established in la 1879 Is described In a manuscript left by the late Frank rank Silvey which now is In the possession of the Grand County Camp of 01 the Daughters Daugh Daugh- of f Ut i s This mall mail route started 1 at Salina Sal Sal- ina inn Utah thence to Green River thence to Moab La Sal Paradox Naturita Placerville thence on to Ouray a distance of 01 about three hundred and fifty miles or seven leven hundred miles the round trip The first mail carrier was a aman aman aman man by the name of Howard who carried it several months Then I Tom Brewster was the regular carrier for lor about two years I This mail mall route had no regular schedule but a sort of go as you please schedule Sometimes it took a month sometimes six weeks to make the round trip The mall mail carrier had a saddle and pack horse loaded with witha a a light bed some flour Cour bacon coffee and a canteen of water and anti would camp whenever the horses began to tire As there was no change of horses along the way great care was taken to favor lavor the horses as much as possible The mail mall carrier can Silvey pointed out had hild to ford or swim the Price Green Grand Dolores and San Miguel rivers all dangerous in time of high water The La Sal divide could be difficult in winter and th the carrier kept on the lookout for hostile Indians Over this entire route of of miles said Silvey there were perhaps less than one hundred people to serve Rather small leather mail sacks served for all mall mail along the route as few lew people wrote letters in those days and few took even one small news news- paper But it is said that thousands of dollars In currency was sent over this route bj by registered mailand mail mall and safely reached its destination t Silvey points out that this mail maU route was the first tobe tobe to to- be established in southeastern I Utah and a considerable portion |
