Elie Berreau
Elie Berreau was one of mail carrier Ben Downing’s employees, and he took the mail from Dawson to Eagle every two weeks. Downing had a contract to deliver mail between Dawson and Nome for four years starting in 1898, and between Dawson and Eagle in 1903. He created a trail system and hired about forty men. Berreau was French Canadian and trained for river travel. On one trip he lost the mail under an ice jam at Coal Creek. One sack was found the following spring 180 miles down the river nearly buried in the sand and gravel. One of the pilots for the Northern Commercial Co. found the sack and slit it open to see what it was. He reported the find and was promptly arrested for breaking into the United States mail. There was a long debate before he was let go.1)