The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-10-10

tobV6'efbSi - WIN -
I(Prspared by the National Geographic g.
ciety. Warrington. d. CO.
Alaska. with Its other superlative
has as its principal eastern boundar
one Of the longest surveyed lines In tn
world-a line straighter than any GRO
could dy. extending for more than &c
miles over mountain and gorge, glacie
and marsh and meadow, from With
sight Of the Pacific ocean In the souti
straight north until 1t cuts the ice
crusted beach Of the Arctic ocean. o.
the west Of this imaginary line lie
Alaska; on the east, Canada and unit
about a decade ago no one knew exact
1y where the one ended and the othe
began. The surveying Of this line II
the years just preceding the WorlC
wharf.-the literal placing of Alaska OF
the map-constitutes an epic Of ad
venture amid innumerable difficulties
as well as notable engineering
achievement.
The southern end Of the boundary Is
snow-topped Mount Saint Elias, the
giant among all nearby mountains
A ridge Of this mountain Is cut by the
141st meridian which the treaty be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain names as the eastern boundary
line Of the greater part Of Alaska, and
the problem was to extend this merid-
Ian on the ground through the country
to the north. From It's southern start
ing point the line hurdles for 60 miles
over the craggy ranges and the great
glaciers Of the Saint Elias alps. Then
1t strikes the White river in whose
broad valley prospectors have lived for
years tunneling into copper and gold
ores and hoping for the coming of the
railroad, still 40 miles away to the
west at Kennlcott.
The boundary line, in its northern
early leaves perpetual snow
behind. Mt Natazhat, just south of
the White river, Is the last stand Of
summer snow; and from there north
ward, even to the edge Of the Arctic
ocean, there Is season annually dur
Ing which no snow or Ice is In evil
dence.
Regions Full Of Game.
The White river marks a definite
change In the character of the country.
Just north of the stream are low,
rolling hills. the favorite habitat of
Wild sheep. Farther one encounters
ow. lake-studded muskeg marshes. the
home of numerous moose. These re-
yions make up paradise for hunts
men; caribou, sheep, moose and bear
nay be found at almost any season;
md the streams seem alive with fish.
rhe line passes the headwaters of the
ranana river, the Yukon's chief Alas
tan tributary. and then passes on to |
he Ladue river which also flows to |
he Yukon, but In the opposite direc-
ion, through Canadian territory.
At Forty Mile river the line passes
through the first important gold dig
fngs" on the Alaskan side In the
'ukon region and then a few miles
arther on strikes the great Yukon
liver. "the Mississippi Of the North"
he town of Eagle, on the Yukon, lies
nst beside the line, barely within
Inited States territory. This, though
ut a small town. Is Alaska's most I'm
ortant community on Its meridian
-Ontier.
North Of Eagle the boundary climbs
,e Yukon's abrupt northern bank;
-osses the Tatonduk hills, also a IA
pred stamping ground for wild sheep;
averses the Nation river and the bar
n hills and ridges beyond; and strug-
es through the bottomless marshes Of
10 Big Black river. Now 1t Is getting
to country that really deserves the
anne Of wilderness. At the Porcu-
ne river It again, and for the last
me, crosses q navigable stream and
e beaten path. There, as close to
% line on the Canadian side as Eagle I
on that Of the United States, Is
ew Rampant House, one Of the most ]
'rthern Of Canadian trading posts. II
From Rampant House the line ex-
nds $50 miles more before 1t comes
salt water 1t passes through the
Ike country Of the Old Grow river, {
er the American. Davidson and Brit
\ mountains, and then down to the I
rminal monument on the bleak shore {
at looks of toward the North Pole. {
Marking out an International boun- {
Try line through an inaccessible will
,rness is not such simple matter as s
might appear to the engineering stu q
mt mapping the college campus or /
aking out an imaginary railroad line. J
he problem involved astronomical OBJ S
rvations and electrical signaling as @
ell as the use Of finely adjusted in t
in the extension Of straight t
nd. The correct time--correct to g