The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1918-04-08
COMMISSION MEN
ARE STARTING A
100000 POOL


Backed up by many of the most
ardent sport lovers of the commun-
ity, the edict has gone forth that the
going out of the ice in the Tanana
this spring is to see revival of the
custom of making a pool on the
exact -iinute of the breakup. 1t is
the intention of the hackers to sell
at least one thousand tickets at a
dollar each and the total amount
taken in to go into one royal prize
to the lucky man, woman or child
whose guess is the closest. All tick
cts to be filled in and turned over
to the committee at the Commission
retail store not later than the 18th
of April
The following regulations have
been decided upon as being official
A post will be frozen into the ice
at the middle of the river and this
will be connected by wire with the
whistle in the Commission engine
room. The regulated clock IF VIM.
Taylor, the jeweler, has been &C
cepted as the governing timepiece
From this the clock i'll the engine
room will be set twice each day
after April 18th. AS the ice moves
in the river it will pull the taut wire
| leading to the whistle, the blowing
of which shall decide the winning
! time.
The custom of pooling guesses on
the exact time of the breakup in
the larger rivers is almost as old
as the white mans tenure of the
territory and dates specifically from
the spring of 1899, when the break
up at Dawson occasioned the first
pool. After the repressed, confined
life of the long winter, the restless
fever of doing things that had origi-
nally brought the men into the
; North, broke out afresh with the re-
turn of the sun. The drive of the
desire to take chance hit the ad-
venturers again and some wag con-
ceived the idea of celebrating in a
| fitting manner the movement that
proclaims to the world that once
more the tremendous rivers of the
North are open highways to the
travellers of all races and that again
the long ice-bound inhabitants of
the northern territories have free
access to the great Outside. Be-
cause of the interest the event has
for every inhabitant of the country,
it's proper celebration has become
a thing dear to all that have winter
ed in the North.
Closely following the ice down
river comes the mail boat, with
greatly improved service. Travel
by launch and river boats offers
tremendous advantages over the dog
team and snowshoes of the winter
trails. And the oldtimer in the
country knows that the way is open
again for the shipping in to him
of green truck from the gardens.
fresh fruit and the thousand and
one delicacies he has been denied
by lack of rapid transit
Likewise, the event has an appeal,
aside from that of commercial i'm
portance, to those who love the
spectacular. 1t presents one of
! Natures most interest compelling
displays and has been recognized as
a thing to see even by the people
of the Outside. In stories of the
North, the spectacle has been used
repeatedly as a background for in
cidents in the life of make believe
characters that have become house
hold names and the expectation of
seeing this and similar wonders of
nature has added, among travellers
of all lands, to the charm and
glamour that surrounds the name
of Alaska.