Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-07-19

Kokrines Alaska June, grid 1912.
EDITOR, Mt. VERNON SIGNAL,
Mt. Vernon, Kentucky.
DEAR Mr.. ALBRIGHT
Having been asked by some of
the readers OF your paper to write
through it's columns, concerning
Alaska, and it's natures. which is a
very interesting subject to write
on, by a person capable of same.
But / will try very short letter
hoping it escapes the waste basket.
| am a member of the United
States Signal Corps, which main
tains, and operates the Washington
Alaska Military Cable & Telegraph
System, which consists of zoos
miles of submarine cable, 1925
miles of land line, and 9 wireless
stations
This system is maintained and
operate under the direction of the
Chief Signal Officers of the Army,
by the officer in charge, who is
stationed at Seattle, Washington.
For purposes of ad ministration
and supply, the system i, divided
into four sections, with officers of
the Signal Corps in charge. This
system was built by the United
States government, for the open
ing, and advancement of Alaska.
Communications can be had with
any part of Alaska of any impor-
tauCe.
1t is Uncle Sans intentions to
keep men on this duty, two years,
relieving half the force each We r
ard replacing new men. This
gives the system, sufficient
amount of old men to break in the
new men each year.
Alaska has several gold mining
Camps, which has proved to be very
rich, viz: Fairbanks, Rampant,
Nome, Iditarod, Ruby City, and
several others. Dawson, which is
i'm British Columbia, on the waters
of the Yukon river, is one of the
richest camps ever struck in this
country, it is known as the Klon-
dyke region. Ruby City being
very new camp. where gold was
discovered in the early spring of
1911. the camp now has a popu
lation of approximately 5000 in
habitants.
We have the Indians, known as
the "Siwash", who are very pc.
cuiiar in their way of living. Dur.
ing the winter months, they live in
little log cabins, we'll chinked with
moss, and covered with dirt. These
cabins are very seldom used during
the summer months, as they be-
gin to leak as soon as the thaw .up
comes in the early summer, and
the Indian leaves his winter quar-
tiers and finds some little side
stream, where he can catch enough
fish to keep him in subsistence
during the breakup of the rivers,
which is very dangerous to be on
the river, except on a very high
point. on account of ice jamming
and piIeing up. which generally
ries out p ortion of their viii
lagos. After all danger of
ice is past. they resume their
summers fishing points On the
river, where the squaw catches
the supply of fish, by means of a
wheel, which the current keeps
revolving. This wheel has basket
like devices, which picks the fish
out of the water and when elevated
to a certain height. drops them in
box on either size of the wheel.
The fishing season lasts about
three months, when the tribe is
compelled to return to their win.
ter quarters. The whole tribe is
together during the winter months,
in small village of cabins. In the
early winter, they have great, pot
latches, where all the neighboriug
tribes gather, and where they
bring their collection Ct blankets to
distribute 10 the different tribes.
When a member of the family of
one of these Indians die, he has to
get large collection of blankets
and food, which he potlatches to
the dead one, which he is supposed
to get somewhere, In the new hunt