Show Mule Postman Loses Contract In Remote Area PORTLAND ORE The The lonely existence of the scattered families living in the remote fastness ol oj Siskiyou national forest no will be relieved by periodic visits visit from the mule-driving mule postman The pack mule-pack postal route between be tween the isolated towns of Illahe and Marial near Grants Pass has been terminated by the government because the carrier who has a s monopoly on mules submitted to tot high a bid The action leaves only one route served the year around by mules although 12 others are served by mule and horse during dur dur- ng ing the stormy winter months Residents of the remote mountair areas served by the mule routes d de dc their shopping through the mail order order or der catalogues and depend mule packs for everything everything cloth cloth clothing ing accordions rifles even food according to Fred H. H Twohy rail ran railroad railroad road mail district superintendent who has spent 10 years traveling the mountain regions to check or Ot Othis his mule postmen One HOne winter not even a horse hors could get through the heavy snows Twohy recalls The residents were wen shut off from the world and there ther was quite a squawk Obliging postmen resorted to sleds to reach the isol isolated ted areas Twohy adds and Hanel the first thing the people ordered by parcel post was several cases of beer The Marial route was typical o 0 othe othe the involved carrier setup to get mail to secluded areas Mai l went 34 miles up a river in a flat bottomed river boat from Wedder burn Then it was transferred t ti te mule for an additional mile 16 trip It was kind of expensive Two Twohy Twohy hy admits costing about a person person person per per- son to keep the route open Thi liThe stamps dont don't begin to pay for it he adds I HI have a hard time convincing them back in Washington that these thes routes are worth the expense Two Twohy Twohy hy says |