New Britain herald., 1919-07-22
ID SNAPSHOTS RECRUITING RES| MINING REGIo

StlNk into my boots. l haQ served m many places in the world, including Hawaii, the Philippines and China, and wanted to see more of the globe, but 1 did not banker for q trip to Alaska.
 Il was a private then in Go. l of the 18th infantry which was stationed at Fort Crook, near Omaha, Neb. There were other glum ones besides myself on the trip to the Pacific coast. We left Seattle on the trans port Budford and a ee-days trip brought us to SkagWay, where we dis embarked. Here we took another boat and after a tWo-hours journey were at Ilaines, where we left one company designated to serve at Fort William Seward. This is the farthest south Of the Alaskan military posts After two days and two nights more of cOastWiSc sailins, during which we covered 600 miles, we arrived at Val dez, d mining town. Across the bay we could see the barracks and build ings of Fort Liscum where Go. I was to serve. A little launch carried the four miles across the bay to the post. The climate was a surprise to us. It was really warm. l figured, though, that it might be warm there in summer, but that we would be frozen when winter set in.
 Summcring in Alaska Is One Long
 Delight.
 That summer in Alaska was one of the most delightful iii my life. Rev. ellie was at o'clock after which we had an hours target practice and an hours detail work. Detail work in- cluded cleaning up the barracks and grounds, helping the cook prepare food, unloading boats and such work. Ordinarily only three men were on guard duty. After the two-hours work the rest of the day was our own. In the winter an hour of drill and setting up exercises in the post gymnasium replaced the target prac- tice. Also in the winter snow shovelng about the post became a part of detail work.
 "But-to get back 10 the summer We would go berrying afternoons, gathering huckleberries and salmon twice the size of the largest one I have seen in the states. The salmon berry resembles a red raspberry very much and is twice as large as a gar den strawberry, It takes no time to pick a basketfull of them.
 Another diversion was salmon fishing. The season began about the first of July and lasted until the end of August. 1t was one of our fla vorite sports to troll for them from a roWboat, using a large hook baited with a piece of red flannel. We fre- caught them from five to six feet m length and believe me- they gave us some battle. It required all our strength to get them into the Eoat. They ran up the rivers to leaping over high waterfalls In the middle of the season they would often be Wedged so thicl1ly in the river that one could had they not been so slippery, used them as a living bridge to traverse the stream from one bank to the other. The heavy runs of salmon invariably take place every other year.
 Those long summer days were a. wonderful playtime for all of us What little work there was to do was evenly divided between us and some of the so-called army duties might be called vacation pleasures Among the latter were the two three-davs' hikes that we took during the sum- mer. Taking tents and all camp ing apparatus we hiked through the woods, through wilderness trails through awe inspiring mountain can- ons, and under towering trees some times near tumbling cataracts. The target. shooting on the range ! was begun as soon as the snow had , melted sufficiently in June. Durin Q l the first shoot summers it was neces- 1 sary to shovel away a great deal of snow which gathered in drifts about 1 the targets during the winter An l other summertime occupation was l rowing a boat to passing ice bergs to 1 chop from them sufficient supply l ot ice to keep our meat. The meat 1 would have otherwise spoiled very l quickly during the warm weather.
 Duties in Winter Reduced to Min. ] imum.
 | There was a large Hume built O, l wood and extending 30 miles LID into l the mountains to carry water dowr to the post for the running of the 1 lighting plant. We would tramr
 along the Hume for miles up into tht 1 mountains-its top making a verita b1, | board walk on stiltS-and we would
 sit on the Hume edge where if nasset
 over trout stream and pull out som,
 beauties. Those Alaskan summer
 days were almost intending. It neve
 really became dark in the summer
 time. Summer nights were dim twi | light.
 "The winters, of course, were diff
 terent but it was not so very colo
 Far inland it grows very cold, bu
 the coast is washed by the warr
 Japanese current. The coldest da
 during the two winters I soldiered i