The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-01-27

welcome to their festivities gave the town. in
fact.
1.-THE principal meat supply of this region is its
wild game chiefly the moose and the caribou.
We were there at the season of the caribou runs
as they called It seems that as autumn ap-
prOaches, the caribou begin their annual migra-
ton or run. The herds bunch together under a
leader, apparently, and, to the number Of 2OOOOO
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
to the trail he dareS to get, takes his
stand, and picks off his game as it passes the
AS 1t is purely pot-hunting-the game being
killed for food-the biggest and latest bucks are
usually the killed by the gunner. Nature
has provided ample cold storage, the meat is
easily kept.
1.-THE fight to Fairbanks, the northernmost point
reached was over the most desolate region Of the
entire course. For miles there 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 welldefned. We
afterwards learned that Gen. William MitchelEof
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 a population of 2,0OO is the
largest town west of Alberta, and the whole
town, reinforced by the mining camps of the vi
cinity 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 on skis. In sum-
mer it is tundra, and travel is impossible.
cat Ruby we landed on a sand-bar which con-
veniently 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, zfg-zaggng our way to avoid transforms
When we saw a fairly clear spot ahead we steered
for it. but for the most part it was just steady
pushing through black clouds.
"At Golovin bay, a herd OF reindeer.
and in Boring we spotted number OF white
whales and lOng-haired seals.
"Our only actual hunting the trip was to
bag q hundred more ducks and to XIII a black
hear We might have killed caribou. moose.
mountain goats and sheep, but there was no rea-
son for 1t, as had means Of carrying the
game.
"At Fairbanks and Nome we given many
souvenirs in the way OF gold nuggets, and so on.
Each one Of presented with reindeer
hide parka such as the Eskimo Most In
tarestine however OF the gifts are our Alaskan
dogs Ny 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-
fXrpo
Captain Streets dogs presented to him
nv Sepaila one Of the Laplanders who came to
Alaska with the reindeer which the government
imported from Siberia about twenty-five years ago.
and have multiplied and become so numerous In
Alaska"
Captain Douglas, to whom Is due the credit OF
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 the
signal corps and weather bureaus of both coun-
tries by municipalities and individual citizens
from one end of the route to the other.
~Whereyer went Captain Douglas said, 81
got acquainted with everybody. know them
they are my friends. AT Dawson the entire party
were made honorary members of both the Yukon
Pioneers and the Alaskan Pioneers, and at White
horse the same distinction conferred upon us
by the 'Squaw Mans Union"