The Washington times., 1912-04-15
BOUNDARY SURVEY
COMMISSION GETS
READY FOR TRIP
Experts Going Into Arctic
Circle This Summer to
Mark Line.

The Canadian-Alaskan Boundary Sur
vey Commission of the Coast and Geo.
detic Survey is outfitting at Seattle.
preparatory to the summer work in
north Alaska The commission. with
twenty men, seventy pack horses, food
supplies, and little aluminium boundary
monuments, will arrive on the Arctic
circle just about July 4. They will
leave Seattle by steamer in about two
weeks. This steamer will take them to
Skagway, from which point they walk
Another steamer will take them to
Fort Yukon, and thence up the Porcu-
pine river, after the ice Is out, to Ram
part House, the northernmost trading
post. From that point the party will
walk another 140 miles over last year Q
route, to the point where work was left
off, when the midnight sun set last
year.
Organized By Riggs.
The expedition is being organized In
Seattle by Thomas Riggs, jr., chief OF
the survey.
Micajah w. Pope. a society and club
man of Baltimore, Is now on his way
to join the survey party in Seattle.
Before leaving his home, with a rifle,
moving picture machine, razor, and
no valet, he declared that he would do
his summer seashore bathing in the
Arctic ocean, providing the ice was not
too thick. He said he was looking for
ward to the swim with pleasure.
In describing the work of the survey
party, Mr.. Pope said "Our little alum
mum monuments have to be planted
in concrete every three miles, and they
must be In straight line even on top
of the mountains, some of which are
5000 feet high. They are all on the 14lst
meridian of western longitude, and
manys the time I have travelled fifteen
miles around to get one mile farther north
on that line. The moving picture machine
and Indians in that country. am TAX
ing It to shoot some of the herds of
caribou and other animals we might
meet.
"There are sometimes 10000 caribou In
one herd. but there are not many other
living things there except rabbits, birds,
black flies, and mosquitoes. New Jersey
has nothing on the Arctic Circle In mos
quitoes in size or ferocity, and for six
weeks we have to wear wells and gloves.
/ might try to get a picture OF one in
attack to prove the assertion.
Specimens for Smithsonian.
'I will collect few animals for the
! Smithsonian Institution. 1t wishes only
the skulls and teeth, and they need a
few of the caribou and mosquitoes. The
midnight sun will be a great help in the
but it makes the hours of retiring al
| night very uncertain. You would never
know when night is due except by your
watch and that tired feeling
After telling of letter he received
yesterday, which was mailed two
months ago at the Rampant House and
brought by dog sled, pack train, steam
boat and express to Baltimore, and OF
how 1t contained the news that ninety
two cases OF smallpox had decreased
the Indian population of that com.
munity, Mr.. Pope started back upstairs
in his luxurious home to See that his
razor was safely packed in his travel.
ing kit. With a smile on his face, ht
told of how he would be far from tht
land of the valet and the ballet and
other luxuries of an effets civilization
until the next theater season opens. He
will be gone until about October, and
his position will be chief murderer
for the camp, as he is an excellent
| shot and can hit a caribou on the
| right snot at q resnectable distance.