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

who had some wonderful spruce timber. He
framed up the wing for us, built ribs and spars
for the stabzer and the aeron. OF course each
of us had a piece of linen for patching; we
pooled supply and covered the wing The
dope Lieutenant Kirkpatrick, the only chemist we
had in the party, was able to concoct from cellu-
lose nitrate. unrefned banana oil, and several
quarts of amy acetate, proved not very eff
CacOuS the linen about fiabby when it
dried it had been before wetting. But, we took
a chance on the new wing anyhow Still another
delay held us at Prince George however for al
most ten days in ALL and got our first ac-
quaintance of a real frontier town. We got &C
quainted with hard-boed miners of the old type,
with lumberjacks- tall Scotchmen and little
French Canadians, who came in about twice a
week for the fun of spending their money.
"Our next stop was to be at Hazelton, at the
head of navigation the Skina river and at one
time the main point of distribution for the region
beyond Hazelton is right in the mountains, and
these are covered with high timber. Due to the
frost, even when the timber is removed and the
land plowed level and cultivated. during the SUM
mer when it thaws out again next springs it is
as rolling and rough the waves of the sea-,
Knowing of these conditions, went on by train
to inspect the landing field before making the
jump in our planes. Finding it's dimensions in
adequate, Captain Street arranged to have the
grain cut from a field adjoining to make room
for us to alight with safety. ~
"Our next jump was to land us in United States
territory again, but to reach Wrangel we had to
Jump over the Coast Range mountains at least
that is what thought we had to do from our
maps, which showed the trend of a river or of
mountain system, and depicted everything else as
perfectly smooth level country. In point of fact,
the region has never been explored or surveyed.
Fortunately we had a clear day for our take-off.
When we began to ascend for our hop over the
mountains. found that the mountains rose too,
and higher than we had. Instead of being 5000
and 1000 feet shown on map when we
reached a height of 1000, found we needed
5000 more to get the top and when we tried
to skirt the range, found it wasn't really a
range at all with valley on the other side, but
just close packed mountain peaks filled with snow
and ice between. These glaciers looked like level
seas Of dark green water. At Wrangell, the only
landing field available, was little island in
the Stickine river, which, at high tide wasn't an
island at all. We landed in about six inches of
water which had grown to a foot before we took
off. .. 10.
"From Wrange We went by way of Chilkoot
Pass and Skagway to Whitehorse. This is the re-
gion made so famous in the early days of the
gold discovery. Formerly 1t took about three
months to make the trip; in winter, travel was
by dogsleds; in summer, on foot or by pack-train
The once famous mines Of this region are now in
iCtlNe. lneT surface veins nave been stripped,
md high-grade mining in this country is too ex-
,ensive because of inadequate transportation ia
,ities. ..
"From Whitehorse to Dawson flew over the
quite patrolled by the Canadian mounted police.
The trail runs in almost airline that shows up
all Of the way, dotted with the neat
title road houses at intervals of 40 to so miles
part The police In full Observation-Disclosures
ackets and blue trousers-are snappy looking
elbows, well disciplined and giving wonderful
ervlce to the country. They of tremendous
to us wherever we encountered them
We crossed Lake La Barge, well known to read
RS of Services poems which breathe the very
Dul and spirit of this far northern region. This
Ike Is at once the basin of the White river and
he source of the Yukon, unless, indeed, II be
ne and the same river with different names in
lfTerent localities
"Crumrine had blown out tire at Whltehorse
Ut filling his casing with rope packed tightly, he
raped the outside with rope taking Off with
, to Dawson, and landing safely despite the hard
III from his mended tire We arrived nj Daw-
m, by chance, August II, the gala day of the
ountry. discovery Day" II Is called for just
years before, the first Alaskan gold was dis
'vered on Bonanza creek The people made us