The Kusko times., 1929-06-15
RUBLI CRECEPTIO NACCORD- ED COLONEL EIELSON UPON
 HIS RETURN TO FAIRBANKS
{Eairbanks News-Miner.)


 and puklic reception in his honor At the reception as token of esteem from the citizens of the city, Colonel Eielson. was presented with a watch fob i'm the shape of a golden heart. suitab ably., inscribed
 Over sixty persons were present at the banquet, which was given by the Fairbanks Commercial Club at the Model Cafe. A splendid dinner was served by the management of the cafe and it was not until aftee' o'clock that adjournment was taken to the Masonic Temple where the reception was held. At the banquet there were no forma talks but Robert E. Shel- den had the diners laughing heartily with his impromptu sallies.
 Paul J. Rickert, president of the Commercial Club, , introduced the speakers at the reception. An ad- dress of welcome to Colonel Eielson was made by Mayor F., de la Vergne, who sketched the Coloneps exploits since he carried the first air mail from Fairbanks to. McGrath and smoke of the. honors that have been accorded him. in his aerial achieve ments.
 Presentation of the. testimonial to Colonel Eielson was made by John A. Clark, who welcomed the fier. back to Fairbanks not as high ranking otfi- ger in the army air corps nor man to. who mfame has come but simply "as one ofsthe family. There will al- ways be "a. warm spot in Fairbanks heart for him., MT. Clark said,. "and we want him to come back as often as possible"
 Colonel Eielson was asked by Mr. Rickert to tell of some of his experl- ences since leaving here last year and in responding. the Colonel said that the best way he could express the way he felt about Fairbanks wasssto- ooint to, the number of times he had come back He thanked the people of Fairbanks for the foh that had just been given to him and said 1t would always be one of his. treasured pos sessions
 In telling about his experiences o1 she. last year Colonel Eielson dwelf h,it little upon the history-making, flights in which he participated, pre- ferring to- deal with. some; of the hu- morous happenings in Europe after the RarroM-S -Spitzbergen flight. 0n one occasion he and Captain Wilkins were met at the railroad station in. a Norwegian town by band and. the assembled population. but as 1t, was the dead of night and they knew they would not have time to dress before the train pulled out. they persuaded an American travelling salesman with whom they haK become acquainted on the previous night and who happened to be still up to nepresent them- h rfe rola of. Captain Wilkins the sales man went out on the rear platform of the train and made rapid-fire speech on his Arctic flight, to the. great enjoyment. of" all. -
 The Colonel told more about, the Barrow-Spitzbergen flight tf.an any of his other trips. The heavily oad- ed plane,. which carried 3,Aso pounds and weighed only 1900, was. not. able to. take to- the air from tlse lagoon where a runway three4quasters of mile long had been built. Che set of skiis had already been broken and if anything happened1 to- the semaining. set the flight would have to be called of.
 Bog teams were. called into service to haul the. plane to larger lagoon six miles away. A runway mile and quarter, long was built, and on