Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16

here the trail leads over another range
of mountains and crosses another divide
and comes down into the valley of the
Tanana river, to what the men on the
trail call the Hole in the WALL, where
there is roadhOuSe.
Leaving the Hole in the Wall there is
nine miles Of very dangerous trail to go
over, for here the traveller follows the right
fork of the Tanana river, and there are
many hot springs coming up from the bot
tom of the river which, even in the coolest
weather, cause an overflow of water on the
ice. At the end of this nine miles of dam
gerous trail is Casey's Cache, about three
hundred miles from Valdez, and the second
dog station, where teams are changed
again.
The Tanana river is followed to Fair
banks run of $50 miles. This point is the
entrance to the most prosperous gold-mn-
ing camp in al Alaska. Changing teams
again the carrier follows the Tanana down
to where it empties into the Yukon at Point
Gibbon. This is run of about 24O miles.
The main Dawson and Nome trail on the
Yukon is followed to Kaltag. $50 miles be-
low the mouth of the Tanana, the teams
having been changed but twice since leav-
ing Fairbanks. From Kaltag the trail runs
to Cnalf.klast. where the last change is
made the trip to Nome.
From Unalaklast the route follows the
coast of North bay and Gollivan bay, pass
ing several little mining camps on the way
to Nome, the most important town in Es-
kimoland. BY this route the carrier has
With a new team to haul it, the mail
starts on the long journey to Point Bar
row. Passing through several small camps
on the north and east of Nome the mail
carrier reaches Council City on the Nuk-luk
river and from here drives to Candle Creek,
an important mining camp on the coast
of the Arctic ocean in the kotZebu sound
region. Here is the last change of team
distance OF 100 miles, the journey is made
with the same man and sled and dogs.
Long Day and Night.
From Point Hope the trail follows the
coast to Point Barrow. The trip from
Valdez to Point Barrow has taken more
than 100 days-the time varies greatly &C
cording to the weather conditions. At
Point Barrow one Is so far north of the
circle that during the summer the sun
shines continuously for something like four
months. while in the winter there is q
corresponding period during which the sun
does not rise even at noon. Here during
the long cold winter night there is no more
light at noon than at midnight but the
darkness Is relieved by the stars the
marvellous aurora. and the beautiful arctic
moon which for weeks at time does not
rise or set. but circles in plain sight around
the pole, flooding the limitless wastes of
ice and snow with such moonlight as is
never seen in the temperate zone.
AS has been indicated on that part of the
lIdiI DelWeeu NdlUeZ ana Nome there are
changes of dog teams, sleds and drivers
every 200 miles or so. but north of Cape
Blossom the same man and dogs and sled
must continue day after day over the long
trail to Point Barrow. On this part of the
trail there are no roadhouses and the lone
traveller must camp in his little canvas
tent or, wrapped in his robe of fur he
must lie down upon the pure white snow to
sleep beneath the brilliant stars, his faith
full animals gathered around to protect
him from the arctic cold.
Must Endure Terrible Conditions.
1t may readily be surmised that the mail
carrier service for Alaska requires men
possessed of great physical strength and
extraordinary powers Of endurance Hut
the carrier must also possess other quail
ties than these. He must be able to adapt
himself to the terrible conditions Of the
trail. He must Withstand the loneliness
Of the northern soitudes while journeying
day after day with no companions but his
dogs. He must have the courage conf
through the storms and blizzard that rage
around him in the uninhabited wastes
where there are no landmarks visih.e s.d
where in the darkness he can scarcely see
the 'wheelers." He must get himself inro
the state of mind to calmly aci patiently
resist the depressing effects of the long
arctic darkness during the weeks when on
the trails of the extreme north the sun
does not appear even at nool. This is q
mental condition comparatively few pr.ii-
nary men are able to maintain, 1t without
this quality one would be of little use a.
a mail carrier in Alaska. He must be an