A Medora mail carrier faced some unexpected delivery conditions on this day in 1911. It was neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night that stayed postal carrier Ray Wood from his daily rounds on that day, but a flooding river and an angry, half-broken bronco. Add to this combination an old and tired stage coach, and you have the makings of a comical postal situation.

Wood began his day by loading the mail stage with the day’s deliveries. He attached a team of two horses to the wagon, the two animals of quite differing disposition. Wood’s familiar steed was hitched next to an inexperienced wild horse that was only half-broken and rearing to go. It was hoped that the more faithful of the animals would counteract the negative behavior of the other. With his team ready, Wood set out to cross the Little Missouri River. When Wood reached the river, he noticed that the current appeared to be slightly stronger than usual, but did not think that his first crossing would be met with misadventure. As he began to cross the river, the high water tide lapped over the side of the coach and took off with the mail sacks. The sacks followed the current downstream and Wood was unable to retrieve it, fearing that the coach would be overturned or bogged midstream in the river. An observer to the fiasco rode to town and informed a group of horsemen. The horsemen, Gip Jones, Hal Corkery, and Charles Will, rode to Wood’s rescue. Along the way, the men succeeded in securing the mail bags from the river.

When the men arrived on the scene, a wet and weary Woods greeted them on the edge of the river bank. He had made it out of the river, but not without struggle. Woods decided that the mail run would have to be abandoned for the day, and decided to turn back. On the return crossing, the stubborn bronco halted midway and refused to budge. Eventually the horsemen, who had remained on the bank to watch the rig’s return, were forced to enter the river and try to persuade the team to carry on. The men were unsuccessful, and thoroughly soaked, before they decided that the team would have to be unhitched from the wagon. The wagon was then dragged out of the river by the men, saved for another day.

And we thought modern postal workers faced harsh elements!

Source: Fargo Forum and Daily Republican, May 23, 1911: p. 2.

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