The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-09-19

opo0rapner AZ work AT
I(Prepared by tho National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d. c.
Alaska, with Its other superlatives
has as its principal eastern boundar.
one of the longest surveyed lines in thu
world-a line straighter than any crow
could fly, extending for more than COX
miles over mountain and gorge, glacier
and marsh and meadow, from within
sight Of the Pacific ocean In the south
straight north until 1t cuts the Ice
crusted beach Of the Arctic ocean. On
the west of this imaginary line lies
Alaska on the east, Canada; and until
about decade ago no one knew exact
ly where the one ended and the other
began. The surveying of this line In
the years just preceding the World
wharf.-the literal placing Of Alaska on
the map-constitutes an epic Of adj
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 its 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 Kennicott.
The boundary line, in It's 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 a season annually dur
ing which no snow or Ice Is In evil
dence.
Regions Full Of Game.
The White river marks a definite
In the character of the country.
Just north Of the stream are low,
rolling hills. the favorite habitat Of
wild sheep. Farther one encounters
low, lake-studded muskeg marshes, the
home Of numerous moose. These re-
gions make up paradise for hunts
men, caribou, sheep. moose and bear
may be found at almost any season
and the streams seem alive with fish.
The line passes the headwaters Of the
Tanana river, the Yukon's chief Alas
kan 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
rings" on the Alaskan side In the
Yukon region and then a few miles
arther on strikes the great Yukon
liver. "the Mississippi Of the North"
| u0 lVWA VI magic, VA thO uAOhs AASc
ust beside the line. barely within
United States territory. This. though
tut small town, Is Alaska's most i'm
'ortant community on Its meridian
rontier.
North Of Eagle the boundary climbs
he Yukon's abrupt northern bank;
rosses the Tatonduk hills, also IA
ored stamping ground for Wild sheep;
raverses the Nation river and the bar
en- hills and ridges beyond; and strug-
les through the bottomless marshes of
he Big Black river. Now it is getting
ito country that really deserves the
anne Of wilderness. At the Porcu-
inc river 1t again, and for the last
me, crosses a navigable stream and
ne beaten path. There, as close to
ne line on the Canadian side as Eagle
on that of the United States, Is
ew Rampant House, one of the most
orthern Of Canadian trading posts.
From Rampant House the line ex-
.nds $50 miles moro before it comes
salt water. 1t passes through the
Ike country Of the Old Grow river,
yer the American, Davidson and Brit
h mountains, and then down to the
rminal monument on the bleak shore
at looks off toward the North Pole.
Marking out an international boun-
Try line through an inaccessible will
,rness Is not such simple matter as
might appear to the engineering stu
mt mapping the college campus or
aking out an imaginary railroad line.
he problem involved astronomical OBJ
rvations and electrical signaling as
ell as the use Of finely adjusted in
in the extension Of straight
nd The correct time correct to