# WHO carried the mail through Death Valley? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865 "2015-03-12T22:06:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/1 "2015-03-12T22:06:54Z")
When my dad and uncles would meet, a common greeting would be ‘_Who_ carried the mail through Death Valley?’ Since I’m working from home today, I have the TV on in the background. _The Rifleman_ episode ‘The Most Amazing Man’ is playing. Lucas is reading a letter that starts out ‘Who [did something amazing in Montana]? Who killed two rattlesnakes with one shot?’ etc. I’m guessing that this was a familiar meme in the '50s and '60s, so it probably originated earlier. So where did it come from? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/2 "2015-03-12T22:15:53Z")
Who put the ram in the ram-a-lam-a-ding-dong? Who rocked the cradle of love? Who put the underwear in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder? ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/3 "2015-03-12T22:20:08Z")
Who moved my cheese? No, seriously, I’ve been looking for it for years! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/4 "2015-03-12T22:20:20Z")
Who’s on First ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/5 "2015-03-12T22:25:15Z")
There’s only one answer to these questions: Chuck Norris. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/6 "2015-03-12T22:32:25Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Who put the underwear in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder? [“Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy’s Ovaltine”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2WJqnK3gAY) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/7 "2015-03-12T22:34:14Z")
I appreciate funny answers, but _five_ and no serious ones? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/8 "2015-03-12T22:38:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I appreciate funny answers, but _five_ and no serious ones? Sorry, didn’t notice it was GQ. You might ask Mr Owl. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/9 "2015-03-12T23:01:46Z")
Who are you? -The Caterpillar ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/10 "2015-03-12T23:07:45Z")
Just a way of saying “Chuck Norris.” I was around back then, and I’ve never heard anybody say anything even close to what the OP describes. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/11 "2015-03-12T23:32:59Z")
As someone who was a kid in the 50’s, this all reminds me of the “Who’s your friend?” deal. If my sister was going to share her candy with me, she might ask, “Who’s your friend?” and if I didn’t answer, “You!” then I didn’t get the candy. Or a bully might start torturing you and ask, Who’s your friend?" and if you didn’t answer, “You!” then the pain would continue. So the whole “Who” thing is just a setup for a pre-packaged answer. So the only reason to ask the “Who” question is to elicit the expected answer, whatever that may be. “Who’s the best shot?” Why the Rifleman is, of course. “Who carried the mail through Death Valley?” Some bad-ass cowboys, I’d say… it really doesn’t matter what the answer is as long as everyone asking and answering knows the drill. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/12 "2015-03-12T23:37:10Z")
Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me? ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/13 "2015-03-12T23:38:53Z")
I’m with **Ornery**. Say Allen is talking to Bob. Both Allan and Bob know that in 12th grade, Bob had his way with 14 virgins. You’d get a conversation like this: Allen: Are you sure you can pull off this bank job? Bob: Absolutely! Allen: I don’t know . . . Bob: Hey, who had his way with 14 virgins in Grade 12? Knowing smiles. Allen and Bob shake hands, in that 1950s era way where there is just one exaggerated pump up and down. Allen is convinced Bob will come through. Is that what you mean? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/14 "2015-03-13T01:32:14Z")
**Moderator Note** Please note that in the General Questions forum, you should hold off on the less serious answers until the question has been addressed factually. I know you are all having fun, but let’s try to get at least one factual answer in here before we continue on with the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/15 "2015-03-13T01:45:15Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Is that what you mean? Dad and the uncles only used one, or maybe two questions. But I think the… schtick? involves a series of extraordinary claims. On the TV show today, there were at least three or four. (I was working, so I wasn’t really paying attention.) Just making things up, ‘_Who_ carried the mail through Death Valley? _Who_ dug the Grand Canyon? _Who_ charmed a bear out of his skin and et him for dinner and wore the skin as a robe? _Who_ packed all the snow up into the Rockies? _Me!_’ I’ve seen variations on the theme in mountain man movies, but usually those are declaratives instead of questions. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-carried-the-mail-through-death-valley/714865/16 "2015-03-13T01:55:41Z")
[Woody Guthrie knew the score.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QZTNbyA4zk)