Douglas Island news., 1919-01-17
UNSUNG HEROES
 OF THE TRAIL
Signal Corps Boys Annually Perform Deeds of Heroism Far Echpsing
 Those of Mounted Police

been mentioned .u song or story. are Che members or Che Signal Corps the boys iu khaki who look after Che vast artery ot communication reaching from Valdez Co che interior and thence Co Che farthcst confines of Che Territory. ending above Nome In thc great white waste ol Che sub Arctic. says Che Valdez Miner These men have performed tcats ot cndur- ancc and hcroism which outrivai those of Che Canadian Northwest Mounted Police. and which are uu- bcucyablc if tbc facts did not sub- stauuatc their deeds.
 The Northwest Mounted Police keep a record ol Che achievements of Che men of Che Canadian constohu- lary: Che Signal Corps has none Tho Mounted Police are men sub. icrtcd to rigorous test for bravery and endurance. che mon ot thc Sig nal Corps are equally us brave. but are recruits from oll walks ot life. from Mauc.Ncw York. Texas. Mis- aouri Nebraska. and various other states iu Che Union. not especially pirkcd tor courage. strength or en- duraurc. but finding their way into Che service through au abundance of red corpuscIcs. which pcrmcotc thc blood of every genuine Amcri- can lad. bc be giy-raiscd or from Che h.utcrlauds or Kentucky
 Tho great PaciGc-Alasko cable. Che only artery of quick commuui- cation between Che States and the Territory. first reaches the coast at Valdez after leaving Seattle. Here the messages are transferred from thc cable code into Morse by a corps of operators. under Che direction of thc War Department, which has charge or che cable and telegraph lines iu thc Territory These men work cieht-hour shifts. % hours a day. speeding che happenings ot thc . world Co thc far places of Che North land They are liable Co bc trans fcrrcd at any time to some remote station ou Che trail. or to other sta- . lions on Che line From Valdez Che copper wires stretch through almost imprnctrablc forests. and through !. tundra and morass. over towering mountains. and through beautiful . prairies Go Che interior town ot Fair . banks. where it is continued down Che Panama river Co Fort Gibbons. down che Yukon Co St Michael and from tbis place Go Nome.
 The telegraph stations are the ! most lonely spots In Che world in winter. Tho mercury ot many places . drops from 5U Co Nf degrees below . zero and fierce gales blow almost necessarily TO these stations u winter or m summer Che Signal Corps men arc sent. many or them being forced to walk hundreds ot miles u an kinds of weather Co reach their posts some of thc sta- tions arc situated iu small hamIcts. . and these are tbc coveted positions . Others may bc ot thc tops ot lonely mountain. as is tbe case with che station at Che Summit. about 3u miles north of Valdez oH che Fair banks trau Many operators and sole . dicrs stationed at this place have become crazcd with loneliness and . Che mouot0uy O, their surroundings. . and hayc either committed suicide or boon taken out Go recover their faculties u places more bah.tohlc.
 The Summit .s nearly two thou sand fcet .u che aIr. and Che station is maintained for Che relief or mush- CTS who may bc caught In the sud- den storms which sweep down from Che north. bringing bliudiuE clouds of snow. and fairly rocking Che huge bowldsrs on Che mountain top In their fury The occupants of Che small telegraph station are often compelled Co remain in their cabin for weeks at a time. forcing their fires Go keep from freezing and with no other communication with their comrades than Che slender wires haIf buried ln the huge snowdrifts. In summer time this is @ scene Of great loyclincss, but operators are not needed there iu the summer. lt .s Che grim winter season with its low temperatures and fierce gales that tax Che nerve and energy of the men of Che Signal Corps.
 Trails must be broken to other stations. Che daily reports made. lines repaired, trees removed from Che vicinity of thc wires. and the careless traveller looked after Many times thc men are reused from their oarm beds to dash out into a storm oi wind and snow Co rescue some man who has been reported as leav- ing The roadhouse either side of the station and who has failed Co show up iu reasonable length Of time. Many days are spent in che bitter cold and deep snow pulling thc wire tcrcthcr and patching them SO the tiny spark can carry Che message of good cheer Co the ouposts Of civili-