The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-11
LAKELAND MAN In
SERVICE IN ALASKA, WRITES
OF THAT COUNTRY
CONTINUED from Page g.

CONTINUED from rage o.
adelphia, Pittsburgh Chicago, Butte,
Seattle, then Seattle to Ladysmith, B.
C. Thence along a curving line north
ward and through Unimak Pass
which is just between where Alaska
sticks into the sea and the island OF
the Unalaska--from there to Nome
and back to St. Michael, where that
old Russian fortification is still
standing.
From St. Michael to Ft. Gibbon is
nine hundred and one Of the longest
miles / ever rode--took us ten days,
travelling day and night to make the
trip. Alaska is a rather dreary, bar
rem sort of country, especially up
this way in the northern part where
there Is little or no timber. The
ground never thaws in the summer
even. There is no soil at all-.simply
a messy kind of rooty stuff which is
inclined to quake when you walk
across it.
1t thaws down about two feet dur
ing summer, but that's all and you
can poke a sharp stick down to ice
any time. oh, it's classy all right.
but I am getting used to 1t. During
the summer, the sun does not go
down at all. While I was at st
Michael it used to be sunny and nice
at 1880 p. m, then 1t would go
down to a sort Of twilight for about
an hour and come right up smiling
again about 1870 a. m.
In the winter, about Christmas, the
sun does not show up until about IL
a. m. and sets at p. m.-about
three hours of light and for the rest
of the time they have to burn lamps.
The thermometer goes sneaking
down around go degrees below zero
and-well. it's not what one would
call a picnic either.
This army life is absolutely the
finest thing man could get into.
That is as far as being good for his
health and it's been a great help to
me. | have been treated excellently
at every post they sent me to-Ft.
Screven, TT. Wood, TT. Lawton, St.
Michael and Ft. Gibbon-and besides
Just see what an education it's been
to me. Often | have wondered how
they did this and that which seemed
almost impossible-now I know. I
have been shown those things and
then some-have learned how to be
even more patient than imagined an
ordinary individual like me could be.
And Furthermore, Cowden, since
they have taken me away and isolat-
ed me from. might say, civilization
I have learned that lesson we so often
fail to learn-the real appreciation OF
our friends. When I was back there
with you all I thought that 1t was
nice to have friends, and always, ]
guess, took a great deal for granted
which is natural, maybe.
At any rate | did not realize what
real friendship meant until lately; 1t
is dawning upon me, and when | be-
gin looking back upon my life when
| was with you and all my friends, it
almost hurts to think of the unappra-
Ciative way in which | took lots OF
things for granted.
It will be two years of Alaskan SER
vice for mine unless we whip Ger
many; in which case, of course, I'll
get back perhaps little before that
No chance for furloughs-cant get in
or, | should have said, out, much be-
tween September and May.
There were six of us left New Yorl
to come UP here and out of the six
there was only two of us who passed
the examination after we arrived .
Your old pard made the rifle and now
l am detailed to work trick in the
commanders Office here.
| also work one day out of four in
the governments big Radio" station
It's swell outfit, too, and very pow
erful.
The day work over there | have
full charge of the big power plant
too, although am not classed as Al
electrician and l should worry-they
haven't stumped the old man as yet
The tower at the plant is a stee
one about fifty feet square at the bass
and about 21O feet high, and the,
have got German messages from Der
lin before the Germans doctored theil
instruments they sent them with 81
they would not reach US.
We have good food and lots of II
very nice place to sleep and plent.
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