Blackie The Mail Dog

“Blackie” or “Rex”, which ever you preferred to call him, was as faithful on Palatka’s City Route #1 as the blue clad mail carrier he followed for several years.“Blackie, as I called him, was just a plain mongrel, but seemed to have as much sense as some humans I’ve known.“Blackie” didn’t really belong to the regular carrier on that route, Mr. Max Musgrove, whom he followed year after year. His ownership was questionable at times, especially when it was learned that the police were looking for him, for at times “Blackie” did get into mischief.The Letter Carriers at the Palatka, Florida Post Office had been told that the dog origionally belonged to an old black woman, but at the time we knew him best, it was understood that he belonged to a white man who lived a few blocks from the Post Office.Though Mr. Musgrove claimed no ownership of “Blackie”, he probably gave him the better care that anyone else . For instance, each day as Max ate his lunch at a little grocery on his route, “Blackie” got his usual can of dog food, and some where along the way for a snack he was sure to get an ice cream bar.For all this generosity from Max. “Blackie” would perform as an exellent body-guard and dogs along the route, who had the idea of putting the ‘nip’ on the mail man, were quickly discouraged by faithful ole “Blackie”He also liked to have a little fun on his daily trek around the route with Max and as dogs will be dogs, he had a dislike for cats. As soon as they saw him coming you would see them scampering up a tree or scooting under a house. This dislike for the FELINE species was what almost got him ‘put away’, before his time. We never knew who reported him. It must have been some sweet little lady who treasured her cats dearly. Anyway, it seems that one of the lady’s cats was disposed of and “Blackie” got the blame. &nbs p; On hearing that the police were on the look out for “Blackie”, someone who loved him, got him out of town until the heat was off!!!But not much time had passed before “Blackie” was back on the job. Every morning , “Blackie” would plop himself down right in front of the entrance to the Post Office, for that is where he always waited for Max , rain or shine. He was a familiar sight to patrons calling for their early morning mail. They had to either walk around him or step over him to get in the door. And, the amazing thing about this is, that no matter how many people came in or went out the door, “Blackie” never followed anyone else away. Other mail carriers used the same door, but he only gave them a wag of his tail as if to say ‘Good morning’ and would immediately train his head back on the door where his daily friend would soon be coming out.When Max finally did come out the door heading out on his route, “Blackies” ears would perk up, and his tail would wag like a palm frond in a Florida hurricane. Then, you’d see a greeting between friends that looked as it they had not seen each other in months. After the greeting, off they would go on their daily trek, Max carrying his load of letters, magazines and such, and “Blackie” at his job of keeping the dogs at bay and the cats up a tree.Not that he was lazy by any means, “Blackie” was a very smart canine, for he knew how to get his rest and conserve energy along the route. At certain relay boxes, he would lie and relax underneath in the shade and wait while Max would deliver the mail up one side of the street and back down the other side, resting all the while, with one eye opened and one ear cocked, for any action he might have to take. Then as Max proceeded on to another street, up “Blackie” would hop and follow along.After years of carring a “foot route”, Max transferred to a mounted route and said good bye to “Blackie” as he would be delivering mail on the other side of town. Sadly he willed his good canine friend to his successor to City Route 1, Mr. Dave Broadway, but Max never lost is love and interest in “Blackie”Right away Dave and “Blackie” became good friends also, for Dave was no stranger to “Blackie”, having ‘subbed’ for Max on the route for some two years. It might well be said here that “Blackie was as faithful to the ‘subs’ on the route as he was to Max. When he was sure Max wasn’t coming out, he would catch up with whoever was making the rounds that day and take up his duties.After several months of companionship with Dave, the sad day came. We had missed seeing “Blackie” for about two weeks. A plea was published in the paper as to his where-a-bouts. But nothing came of it until I myself, was subbing on that route one day and was approached by an elderly black lady who had been fishing down on the river bank o f the St, Johns River. She inquired if we had located “Blackie” yet, and I said no that he was nowhere to be found. It was rather shocking at first and I didn’t really want to hear what she was about to tell me. She said that she was pretty sure she had seen the ‘remains’ of “Blackie” down on the banks of the river.After working my way around the route, I went down to the river to see for myself… It was true!! I had no doubt, there before me lay the tired old bones and collar of our friend “Blackie”. How he met his death will probably remain a mystery, for this life at least. His last known owner was notified and the rites for "Blackie” the Mail Dog”were taken care of there on the banks of the St. Johns River, only a few feet from where for years he had started his daily rounds with Max, Dave, and others that carried the mail on City Route 1.
Written in the 1970’s By mail carrier Billy S. Crenshaw