Carl Bertholm Flags Train To Stop At Malakwa For Large Mail Pickup

Items that would not fit in the outgoing mailbag that was picked up by a moving train required the train to be stopped for pickup.  Here Carl Bertholm flags down the train to stop at the Malakwa crossing for an oversize parcel to be picked up.  The flag was also used to stop the passenger trains to pick up passengers during the day.  At night, lanterns were used to signal the train to stop.  The engineer would acknowledge the flag or lanterns by the number of whistles it blew.  If large parcels were destined for Malakwa residents they went to Taft to pick them up as the trains made regular mail stops there.

Photo Courtesy Carl and Shirley Bertholm