Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-10-11
Fairbanks, Alaska,
August 10, 1922.


Dearest Mother
We are in Fairbanks at last and
sure are feeling bum today. We had
a wonderful trip over the trail, but
we got awfully tired. The road is
pretty rough and bad in some places
but nevertheless this end of it was
just as good as a paved road. We had
over so miles of level good road and
it sure seemed good to get some place
where we Wern't jolted all to pieces.
We had some trip on the boat
alright, but both got sea sick as soon
as we got out in the ocean. You
know there is only about a SO hour
ride in the open ocean, the rest OF the
way is an inland passage. We were
both good and sick Saturday night.
Felt better Sunday but if we sat up
we would get so dizzy-headed that 1t
was almost as bad as being sick.
We sure met nice bunch of people
on the boat, too and of all the people
that were headed for Fairbanks. They
are starting up new mining college
here in the fall and four of the facul-
ty came on the Alameda with US.
Three new teachers and a girl year
older than myself.
While we were down to the steam
ship office trying to get passage for
the car we found out that man by
the name of Mr.. Morgan had wired
from Kansas to get passage for his
car to Valdez. We got to inquiring
around after we got on the boat and
found out that he was one OF the
teachers and was going to drive in
over the trail. That sure tiCkled US,
because you know it's nicer to have a
crowd going over the trail like that
than it is with just two or three.
There was Mr.. and Mrs. Morgan and
son, Boyd, and Miss Kirkpatrick. And
it sure made the trip much more
pleasant. Miss Kirkpatrick is the girl
teacher.
They are sure nice people too.
Then along with us was Jack Nile.
You remember that Clarence said
there was a young fellow going in
with us, and then there was a young
fellow by the name of Clarke Hamil-
ton from Idaho, that came in with us.
He is just a tourist though out for
his health. l now think we had a nice
bunch to travel with as we'll as a nice
time. 1t took us four days to make
the trip from Valdez. The first day
was over the mountains and bad road
so we only made 81 miles, but the
next day we made 100 miles, so you
see from that that the farther we got
inland the better the roads were We
sure saw some wOnuo.Iul scenery too.
1t has scenery in the states beat all
hollow.
We camped out for dinner every
day but STAYED at the road houses
nights.
We didn't get to see any bears but
you should have seen the Caribou we
saw yesterday. They are an awfully
pretty animal too. Sort of a mouse
grey with greet big horns.
On, yes! | didn't tell you about the
great big glacier we saw on the way
up on the boat. Monday morning
about two hours before we landed at
Valdez, the captain took us five miles
out of his way to show us the big Co
lumbia glacier and believe me it was
a sight alright We got up quite close
to it, then they blew the whistle of the
boat and cracked the ice. And when
it was cracking it sounded so much
like thunder storm that if a person
didn't know what it was they would
think it was thunder alright The
glacier was a beautiful sight now, be-
lieve me.
We are both feeling fine only
awfully tired from our trip, and
think that Fairbanks is just fine, what
! have seen of it and the weather here
is just as warm and nice now as it is
down there in the summer time.
VIII close now with lots and lots of
love, from us both.
Win. and Clarence