The Milwaukee Road Trail received this  Hiawatha Days envelop with the telegram inside from our esteemed contributor, Mark Borleske, the Hiawatha Days Event Chairman. When we thanked Mark for thinking of us, this was his reply:

"I enjoyed sending out the telegrams...I composed the text and the messages were actually transmitted from the Cle Elum depot ("CM" office) to a receiving telegraph on the depot grounds, where out operator, LR Keith received the messages and typed them out on his trusty message typewriter, (all CAPS) following telegraph protocol. OF course sending the telegrams by US Mail was just something special for the event, with the commemorative postmark.
     Our Hiawatha Days was a very popular event. The telegraphers really enjoyed it on Friday June 29th, when there were four different telegraph operations at the depot. On Friday we dedicated the Renslow Trestle diorama (Renslow Trestle is still standing, crossing Interstate 90 near highway Milepost 120 (distance east of Seattle) between Kittitas and the Columbia River."

TMRT is proud to support the Cle Elum Project, and hopes that their example will motivate other communities to conduct similar events, to promote their Milwaukee Road historic traditions in their area.

Thank, you, Mark.

The Milwaukee Road Trail

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