“I hope that you will never go to Alaska, papa,” said Edith, when her mother had finished reading the letter.
“Because we should have to wait so long for letters from you,” replied the little girl. “I don’t see how people can get along without having mail once a day at least. The postman comes here three times a day, you know. Uncle wrote his letter on July fourth, and this is August second.”
II
EARLY MAIL CARRIERS
“Perhaps,” said grandpa, taking Edith upon his lap, “I can tell you a story about the delivery of mail.”
“Oh, please do!” said Edith.
“The custom of sending messages from person to person has been followed for thousands of years,” began grandpa. “We read in the Bible of a letter which King David wrote from the city of Jerusalem to one of his generals named Joab. This letter was placed in the hands of a messenger who carried it to the general.
“There were no trains in those days and so all letters were delivered by men on foot, men on horseback, or by carrier pigeons.”
“By carrier pigeons!” cried Edith. “How could a pigeon carry a message?”
“The birds were trained when young,” replied her grandpa. “They were taken a short distance from home and then set free. The pigeons would of course fly home. The next time they were taken a greater distance. This training was repeated many times, the distance always being increased.