The Red Cloud chief., 1921-01-27

welcome to their festivities-gave US the town, In
fact
'"The principal meat supply Of this region Is its
wild game, chiefly the moose and the caribou.
We were there Mt the season of the caribou runs
as they called. II seems that autumn APP
proaches. the caribou begin their annual migra-
ton 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 n spot that Is ms
near to the trail as he dares to get takes his
stand, and picks Off his game as it passes on the
run. Az It is purely pOt-hunting-the game being
killed for fOod-the biggest and latest bucks are
usually the ones killed by the gunner. Nature
has provided ample cold storage so the meat Is
easily kept.
"The flight to Fairbanks, the northernmost point
reached, was over the most desoate region of the
entire course. For miles there was no sign Of q
tra not even an Indian trail. Then, suddenly we
picked up trail that appeared here and there
along the route, quite clear and well-deined We
afterwards learned that Gen. William Mitchell Of
the air service, had led expedition into this
country and cut this trail 20 years ago in making
a survey for the purpose of establishing a tele-
graph line to connect with a cable to Siberia,
which project was later abandoned
Fairbanks. with population of 1000 !, the
largest town west Of Alberta, and the whole
town, reinforced by the mining camps Of The vi.
cnty was out to meet us. The route to Ruby
was over low hills and swamps. There are 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 skis. In sum
mer It is tundra, and travel is impossible.
AT Ruby we landed on a sandbar which con-
vencntly appeared in the river at the right time.
and proved better for our purpose than the land
not colo bod hx,[ 'n.,ta tpn nnsrl
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 Mt
Nome as soon as we got flash reporting the
weather clear we jumped In our boats and
hoped off. We flew ut an altitude Of 1000
feet, zIg-zaggng our way to avoid transforms.
When we saw a fairly clear spot ahead we steered
for It, but for the most part II was just steady
pushing through black clouds
AT Golovn bay, we saw n herd Of reindeer.
and In Boring sea spotted a number Of white
whales and long haired seals.
sour only actual hunting on the trip was to
bag a hundred more ducks. and to kill black
bear. We might have killed caribou moose,
mountain goats and sheep, but there was no rea.
son for Il, as we had means Of carrying the
game.
"At Fairbanks and Nome given many
souvenirs, In the way Of gold nuggets, and on
Each one Of us was presented with a reindeer
hide parka, such as the Eskimo wear. Most In
terestng, however, of the gifts are our Alaskan
dogs My two 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 hin
by Sepalla, one Of the Laplanders who came Ia
Alaska with the reindeer which the government
imported from Siberia about twenty-five years ago
and have multiplied and become numerous ir
Alaska"
Captain Douglas, to whom is due the credit o,
making all preliminary arrangements for the
flight, confined his remarks to expressions Of ap
probation for the cooperation and courtesy ex
tended throughout his journey. and that Of the
expedition by the Canadian government by tht
signal corps and weather bureaus of both coun
tries, by municipalities and individual citizens
from one end Of the route to the other.
"Wherever went" Captain Douglas said. %
got acquainted with everybody know them
they are my friends. At Dawson the entire party
were made honorary members OF both the Yukor
Pioneers and the Alaskan Pioneers, and at White
horse the same distinction conferred upon vi
by the 'Squaw Mans Union'"