The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-07

IVlmOl LOhNlOliU NA0H
Writes Entertainingly
From PARKWAY Alaska
Mr.. George B. Walker, who lived
here for short time near Lake
Parker, has written his friend, Mr.. E.
G. Cowden, the following interesting
letter from Alaska, where he has been
the past year in the radio service OF
the army. He says:
Port Gibbon, Alaska.
Dec. Is, 1918.
Dear Cowden:
AS I am frozen in for the day-the
temperature being fifty-five degrees
below zero Slightly warmer than
I usuaD--have considerable spare time
"a portion of which will devote to
letters.
The other evening to my surprise,
I was handed a copy of the Telegram,
and, after reading most of it, discov-
cred reproduction of my last letter
to you.
When I wrote it I did not imagine
the contents would be very interesting
to anyone, to say nothing of publish
ing it. However, although you have
not written to me yet, it is evident
that you do not consign my literary
attempts to the fireplace. So you are
excused all around. I received nice
letter from the Mrs. the other day
in which she gave me the lineup
there-that aided your cause consid
erably, and you're forgiven.
1t certainly is a good thing that
you are not trying to farm in Alaska.
In the summer time, where there
is no night at all you would
be inclined to work yourself
to death before you called it day.
1t is not summer right now though;
everything points to winter; in fact,
I'm perfectly safe in declaring 1t is
winter. Now 10 a. m. and it has
only commenced to get day light. The
sun will heave into view in o few
minutes maybe II It's not misty.
A little after two o'clock in the at
terno0n 1t will be shutdown and all
lamps lit. to be kept burning steadily
for about twenty-four hours or more :.
The cold is intense and for Florida
Cracker you can imagine how I feel
or course 1t is not a damp cold like
we have there-it is perfectly dry;
the moisture being completely frozen
and deposited in the form Of frost.
Night before last one of the boys
here and myself went on a hike to
freshen up bit and get the creosote
gas out of our lungs-(this green
wood we burn just floods everything
with creosote, running down the
stove pipes in stream all the time)
1t was about eight p. m. and the
moon was beautiful. I did not nut on
anything in the way of coat except
a light mackinaw-this left me with
nothing between my body and the cold
hut medium underwear, army shirt
and the mackinaw. Just between you
and there were two buttons off the
shirt.
We trotted up through the village
OF Tanana and out along a trail to
wards the foothills, each breath we
inhaled making us feel better. Sew
oral times my nose was frosted, but
by rubbing 1t with a little melted
snow I could renew circulation and
start all over again. We got off the
trail in places, floundering about in
the deep snow. You see where the
dogs run in the trail 1t becomes
packed and as snow after snow falls
the trail gradually gets higher and
higher.
One has to keep on this high place
or else take swim in the snow.-and
as said, we pulled off the swim,
stunt by way of a change. COMING
back, there was light wind in our
face which blew off the Yukon and
talking about cold-brrrri Just or
our faces, however. Our bodies were
in glow and our feet, encased il
good old moose hide moccasins anf
several pair of wool sox were very
comfortable.
(There is one thing up here tina
makes me homesick every time thinl
OF tits "moccasins". What would
not give to have the opportunity o