Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-20

welcome to their festivities-gave US the town, in
fact.
1.-THE principal meat supply of this region is it's
wild game, chiefly the moose and the caribou
We were there at the season of the caribou runs,
as they are called 1t seems that, autumn ap-
proaches, the caribou begin their annual migra-
tion or run. The herds bunch together under a
leader, apparently, and, to the number of 100000
to 100000 begin their run that stops at nothing,
that never turns aside, and that leads nobody
knows where. The method of hunting is quite
simple. The huntsman selects a spot that is as
near to the trail as he dares to get, takes his
stand, and picks off his game as it passes on the
run. As it is purely pothuntng-the game being
killed for feod-the biggest and latest bucks are
usually thf3 ones killed by the gunner. Nature
has provid% lampie cold storage the meat is
easily kepGesF,dl>
THE fiR nE Earbanks the northernmost point
reached, WI 7pSer the most desolate region of the
entire course For miles there no sign of
trail, not even an Indian trail. Then suddenly we
picked up trail that appeared here and there
along the route, quite clear and weldefned. We
afterwards learned that Gen. William Mitchell Of
the air service had led an expedition into this
country and cut this trail 20 years ago in making
a survey for the purpose of establishing tele-
graph line to connect with cable to Siberia
which project later abandoned
Fairbanks, with population of 2,OOO is the
largest town west of Alberta, and the whole
town, reinforced by the mining camps OF the vi
entity, was out to meet us. The route to Ruby
was over low hills and swamps. There no
maps of the country, because there has been no
survey. 1t has been impossible to make one. In
winter the country Is covered with snow and ice,
and the only means of travel is on skis. In sum-
mer It lis tundra, and travel is impossible.
"At Ruby we landed on a sand-bar which con-
venently appeared in the river at the right time,
and proved better for our purpose than the land
ing field first selected by. Captain Douglas.
1--WE made the hop to Nome, skirting the Boring !
sea, with weather conditions changing every hour;
keeping in touch by wire with the wireless at |
Nome, as soon as we got flash reporting the !
weather clear, we jumped in our boats and !
hoped off. We flew at an altitude of 1000 |
feet zig-zagging our way to avoid transforms. !
When saw a fairly clear spot ahead we steered
for 1t; but for the most part it just steady
pushing through black clouds. !
90 AT Golovn bay we saw a herd of reindeer.
and in Bering we spotted a number of white
whales and long-haired seals
"Our only actual hunting on the trip to
bag hundred or more ducks, and to kill black
bear We might have killed caribou, moose,
goats and sheep, but there was no rea-
son for 1t, as had no means of carrying the
game
"At Fairbanks and Nome we were given many
in the way of gold nuggets, and so on.
Each of presented with reindeer
hide parka such as the Eskimo wear. Most in
however, of the gifts our Alaskan
dogs. My two were given me by Ben Derrick of
Ruby who has carried the mail In that part of
the world for years. The dogs are cross be-
tween the gray wolf and the Alaskan husky
Captain Streets dogs were presented to him
Dy Sepalla. one of the Laplanders. who came to
Alaska with the reindeer which inc government
imported from Siberia about twenty-five years ago,
md have multiplied and become numerous in
Alaska"
Captain Douglas to whom is due the credit of
making all preliminary arrangements for the
light confined his remarks TO expressions OF APP '
,reclation for the cooperation and courtesy eX-
ended throughout his journey, and that of the
expedition, by the Canadian government, by the ,
igna corps and weather bureaus of both coun- }
rles by municipalities and individual citizens
rom one end Of the route to the other
"Wherever went" Captain Douglas said, 81
OF acquainted with everybody. | know them
hey are my friends At Dawson the entire party h
ere made honorary members OF both the Yukon Il
loneers and the Alaskan Pioneers, and at White h
orse the same distinction was conferred upon us a
y the 'Suuaw MopN Union" a