The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1918-12-23
LINE INSPECTOR
PASSES THROUGH
TO FORT G|BBCN

Signal Corps, who left Circle on a
line inspection tour some time ago
and was on his way to Fort Gibbon,
via Fairbanks and Cinema, arrived ut
the quarantine camp on the river,
last Wednesday, December 18th,
which was at the time, in charge
of Shetland. A few miles beyond
the quarantine camp, on the Fair
banks side. Fitzwillams, who was
travelling by dog team in company
with Lineman Smetka from Cinema,
was met by Quarantine Officer Steve
Foster, who was on his way up
stream on business. On learning
that Fitzwilliams had been at Cinema
and had also stopped at the road
houses on the trail and thus come
into contact with travel, Foster told
him that he would not be allowed
in Nenana without special permits
sion, and got Fitzwilliams to give
his word of honor that he would
not go beyond quarantine. In the
meantime Lineman Morris of the
local Signal Corps detachment with
horse and sled, had gone to the quar-
antine station on the river to meet
the line Inspector and take him
through Nenana.
On arrival of the dog team from
Cinema with Fitzwilliam and Smetka,
they were met by Shetland, who was
temporarily in charge at the quar-
antine station. A pass which had
been issued by the secretary of the
Board of Health, permitting Signal
Corps men to travel for the purpose
of repairing the line, which was in
possession of Lineman Morris, was
shown Shetland, and the right to
pass quarantine, on the strength of
the pass, was claimed by Morris and
Fitzwilliams. Lineman Smetka, who
brought Fitzwilliams from Cinema,
returned to his station. Shetland
having full knowledge of the fact
that Fitzwilliams came from Cinema
and possibly had been at Fairbanks
and that he had been at a roadhouse
on the trail, declined to honor the
pass and permit him to go through
with Morris.
The pass referred to fully covered
the requirements of the Signal Corps
and permitted men of that service
to go out on the line,, both east and
west of town as often as it was
necessary to do so, for the purpose
of making necessary repairs and to
keep the line in working order; there
were absolutely no restrictions as
to the number of men, duration of
the period of absence from town,
distance to be traversed, etc, always
provided that the men so employed
do not come into contact with travel
in the full acceptance of the term
and thereby render themselves quar-
antinable.
On the refusal of the quarantine
officer Shetland to honor the pass,
Morris and Fitzwilliams cut in on
the line and sent a message to the
local Signal Corps office, apprising
them of the fact. Messenger Taylor
from the local office was despatched
to see DR.. More and get the neces-
sary permission for the men to come
in. Taylor told DR.. More Eve have
two men on line duty and they want
to come i'm, and on being further
questioned, Taylor said that he did
not know whether or not they had
been in contact with travel. Dr.
More was under the impression that
the men for whom the permission
to return to town was requested,
belonged to the local Signal Corps
detachment and on further question
as to when the men went out was
told by Taylor that the men went
out that morning, and the permits
sion asked for was readily granted.
Fitzwilliams came into town with
Morris on the evening of the 18th i;
remained over the 10Th, and left at
about noon on the goth for the re-