davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-02-27
Possibilities of Aviation Appreciated When
1t Is Known That Region Awaits Great
Development Under Its Growth.

against the cabin ceiling. Also, your
neighbor was liable to be almost any,
body. Nowadays you ride in a warm,
comfortable seat, very proud Of the
fact
Speaking Of travelling companions,
Joe Crosson told me a story of a
flight Of his when he had been called
upcountry somewhere to village
where murder had been done. The
murderer had almost succeeded in
cremating the corpse when he was
caught. The witnesses sewed the re-
mains up in canvas and Mr.. Crosson
arrived in Fairbanks with the United
States marshal, the witnesses. said
remains and thoroughly repentent
murderer all in one ship.
HOWEVER, bizarre situations are
commonplace because pioneer
living is too close to grim essentials
to "sidestep for trifles." The thing
is to do the job, anyway you can get
it done, and above all, not to let the
other fellow down.
But so far, in spite of the truly mag
nif1cent work these men are doing to
develop country, we here outside"
have let them down. They ask for
very little-just better radio for
weather information and a few de-
cent landing fields. Over hundreds of
miles of territory now the charter
flyers must go in without specific
knowledge of visibility and winds.
Harold Gillian, on his way to Point
Barrow as was coming out to
Juneau, was forced down for this
reason. He and his mechanic bunked
in the plane in their sleeping bags,
ate emergency rations, hunted nearby
with their rifle-all standard pro-
cedure under the circumstances, until
help arrived. If it hadn't come they
would have walked out"-that's s
standard, too.
They name their children for pilots
in Alaska-not for movie stars and
Presidents!
I talked with Gov. John w. Troy
in Juneau when my own aerial trek
was finished, and I was still pretty
breathless from what I had seen. The
Governor said: "The possibilities for
aviation here are limited only by the
money that can be spent. The de-
velopment of the country is far enough
advanced to justify the $3,000,000 for
which we have asked. We need so
much that is already functioning in
the States. Alaska's growth from
now on can only keep pace with her
growth of air transportation"
Various Government programs are
now under consideration" he added,
"and Pan-American's fine, stubborn
faith in the future, In spite of the
continuous red ink on the ledgers,
coupled with the equally valiant work
of the smaller companies, Is at last
beginning to tell"
(Copyrisht, 1e3eJ
Evening star., 1938-02-27

Journeys Into Arctic Skies, Where Alaskan
Wilderness Is Viewed From Aloft, Lead to
Fabulous, Incredible, Growing Nome.

whose handful of inhabitants are few
er in number than many small cities. a
last frontier-Alaska. And in its $780,
and mountain, of fertile valley and
golden seashore, a drama is taking
place that for sheer valor and BREATH
taking intensity loses nothing by COM
parison with the trail-breaking of the
parent domain.
Its most startling fact is that it Is
our latest form of transport which
has set itself to end isolation in the
wild northern reaches.
The airplane is Alaska today I
mean that literally. Without wings,
there would be in many cases, an end
to achievement. even to life. I can
give you proof.
IN THE dead Of winter, with the
thermometer at As degrees below
zero, have just flown to Nome and
back, to the edge of the Bering Sea,
less than 200 miles from Siberia. To
be sure, it was the Alaska Steamship
Co. that helped me span the present
gap between Seattle and Juneau, as
it has been spanning that gap for a
good many years, and will continue
to, even after the last threads in the
shining groove Of the sky fall into
place when Pan-American Anyways
begins its scheduled plane service
there. But for the rest of the way I
flew.
To the Alaskan, the extension Of
that service means adding to his life
line. What lies beyond. whether over
ocean circle route north to the
Orient" or trans-Russian land route
into Moscow and London. interests
him very little just now. What does
interest him Is to get some small
measure Of recognition from the rest
Of us in the form of help in the job
he is doing.
It's a whale of q job!
In '98, when they muShed ana
slogged into Dawson, when the "hu-
man chain" went over Chilkoot. the
b6A0ANC Va 41OAld41 Clluul dA1CC 06OAAAS~
the country was very great. Times
have moved. There are thriving cities
today along the sea and Fairbanks in
the interior. But beyond that, in the
tiny, holed-in villages, where four or
five white families live with hun
dred or so Eskimos or Indians, WIN
ter shuts down with its pitiless. blind
ing white silence, and they are as lost
to the outer world until the spring
breakup as they were on another
planet.
Except for one thing. Wings IN
the sky-a motor and man. Doing
incredible tasks as casually Is taxing
out the family car to the corner gro
Gerry. Only instead, this Is ootn car
and grocery, too. The invisible u1e
line with civilization.
Watch this scene from our plane
Evening star., 1938-02-27

ceiling and walls above the walnut
paneling are finished in special
sound-proof board or composition
that assures perfect acoustics. The
long, French easement windows, ex-
tending from high ceiling to floor,
of the room.
Directly above this hearing room,
and also overlooking the east terrace,
is the magnificent courtroom where
the commission will hear cases. The
bench will be placed within the curved
portion of the room. lighted by the
long, French windows and, as in the
hearing rooms, the semi-circular
construction of the chamber lends
much dignity and architectural
charm. Here, too, the walls are pam
eled IN walnut and the draperies and
rugs will be in accordance with the
dignity of judicial traditions. Open
ing from the court are the small
rooms used as ante-chambers by the
commissioners, and from which they
will file to their places on the bench.
On the upper floor of the building
is the space allotted to the excellent
library of the Federal Trade Com
mission. This library, which is
known far and wide for its value and
completeness in specialized subjects,
is freely used, not only by the COM
mission itself, but by other Federal
departments and Libraries, as well as
by writers and attorneys from every
part of the country.
ITS FINE collection of books on law
and relevant subjects will be suit
ably housed in these new quarters,
where ample floor space and lighting
facilities have been provided. Raised
above the library floor level and lighted
by skylights, so that studies may be
pursued by daylight, are the reading
alcoves.
On the eastern side of the building,
commanding sweeping view of Penn
sylvania avenue and the Capitol be-
yond, the cafeteria of this new building
is bound to prove one of the most
popular spots in the building for pass
ing an enjoyable hour. Occupying
the semi circular curve that rises up
the eastern facade from the third to
the seventh floor. the cafeteria opens
onto promenade that encircles the
entire building. Tall French windows
give entrance to this high-walled roof
promenade and from any angle one
Evening star., 1938-02-27

shelved In this case we will assume
it is fiction. These tubes are operated
by compressed air which shoots the
short, Pinch -in-diameter leather case
containing the slip to its designated
station, in this case the Fiction Deck.
These tubes run from the reading room
to each of the decks, or stack rooms,
in each stack.
We will go to the Fiction Deck for
the next step in locating the book.
This deck is as ship-shape as its name
implies. Putting ones face close to
the book shelves and looking down
through the narrow crack between the
deck floor and shelves, one sees what
looks like bottomless pit of books;
the same applies when one looks
upward-books, books, books! Look
ing to the side. ones vision is caught
by what appears to be reflection of
the book shelves and aisles, but upon
close observation, not seeing ones own
reflection, one finds it to be window
! through which one is looking at still
another part of the fiction deck.
Looking at all of this fiction, one
wonders how it all came about. The
answer is that, according to law. the
deposit of two copies in the Library of
Congress is a condition of copyright
registration. 1t is not uncommon to
see four books of the same title and
author. two from one publisher with
one type cover, and two from differ
ent publisher in another country with
still different cover. An average of
$50 volumes arrive daily. Looking at
all of these filled book shelves. it is
not so hard to believe that it has been
accurately estimated that if all of the
book shelves in the Congressional Lii
brary were put end to end, they would
measure 165 miles of books There
are four sections in the library and in
all more than 5,395, ,044 books.
NOW to get back to our call slip. Il
has arrived and is still in its case
which has popped into the metal
stripped box alongside the carrier shaft
(Which looks like screeened-in eleva-
tor shaft. The stack attendant re-
moves the slip, locates the book, REIN
serts the slip with the desk number
showing. and places it upon the car
rier rack. Of the book cannot be 10
Gated. or is in the bindery, the reason
is checked on the reverse side of the
slip and returned to the reading room
Evening star., 1938-02-27
By Malinche Macev0y.

w YORK which will modernize
n the present book carrying
wv system in the Nations
Congressional Library is
now going forward. the new machinery
at present in the process of construc-
ton. But in order to comprehend just
what these changes will mean brief
psketch of the present system is neces-
sary.
There are no doubt writer's, stu
dents and visitors frequenting the
reading room who wonder about the
great round structure that dominates
the center of the room. With proper
fittings it might, at least to modern
mind, suggest a cocktail bari With
its necklace Of round brass mouthpieces
that recall to ones mind the house
phones of grandmother's day, it is a
curious sight. Over the mouthpieces
appear deck numbers. Here We learn
that decks" are floors" and that a
tier of decks is called stack"
Let us go with an attendant in order
to see what happens after one has
looked in the card catalogue, found
and written on the cali slip the
authors name and the title of the
desired book. together with desk
number When the book arrives via
the carrier it will be placed on that
desk. The slip of paper thusly in
scribed is handed across the counter
The attendant places it in timing
machine where the exact time. unto
the minute. e.g-"l938, Feb. 81, pm
4:32" is stamped upon it. This is to
folestall a situation where "a might
rush up to the desk all aflutter, de-
manding her book and stating that she
had been waiting for half hour or
possibly longer.
The desk attendant says nothing, but
looks through the slips. locates hers
finds that she has waited 10 minutes
tthe average wait is Is minutes, some
times less), and that the reason foI
non-delivery of the book is because
"a had neglected to write desk
number on her cali slip. "A" is
properly embarrassed. takes the book
and silently wends her way to her
desk
A FTER the slip Of paper has been
duly timed, it is placed in Gather
pouch WHICH is carried by pneumatic
tube to the deck on which the book is
Evening star., 1938-02-27

of the building, and the other from
Constitution. The main lobby and
minor lobbies. opening from the
boundary streets. are finished in par
ticularly beautiful gray marble, quar-
ried in Vermont, with Dashboard of
verde marble in a soft shade of
green. The utmost simplicity marks
the design of these entrance lobbies,
only the handsome marble and intri-
cately designed motifs of the elevator
doors striking a decorative note. The
lower lobbies are floored with marble,
while other corridors are uniformly
tiled with terrazZo in soft shade of
gray.
AS one comes upon the building
from that point where Pennsylvania
avenue and Constitution avenue meet
and cross, he faces the semi-circular
sweep of the colonnade Beginning
two stories from the street, the mas
sive, classical pillars of granite con-
tirue to the cornice. while recessed
behind them, after the second story,
are the long easement windows OPEN
ing from the court and hearing rooms
that occupy the circular portion in
teriorally. Below this colonnade the
metal grillwork protecting the first
story windows add decorative interest.
The whole overlooks the formally
Handicapped least terrace" and this
approach will be nanked, when fin
ished, by the striking equestrian
groups that recently won the award
in Nation wide contest among sculp-
tors
Inside the building the stairways
are inclosed, broad and sweeping in
their gracious, modernistic curves,
with chromium handrails and two
other fiat rails of chromium running
parallel to the handrail, af1ording SIM
pie but effective decoration.
The private suites of each of the
five commissioners will be finished
in accordance with the individual
tastes of the occupants. Each of
these suites occupies strategic posi-
ton in the building with respect to
spaciousness. lighting and impressive
views. Each commissioners suite
consists of three rooms and private
Evening star., 1938-02-27

aloft, takes hitch in his belt and
says, briefly, Lets CO."
Down in Juneau, this same Jones, a
week earlier has Cancelled out a trip
for a plane full of passengers be-
cause there was a broken overcast
half way in. 1--WE fly when it's SAFE"
he says there, with a leisurely grin.
He won't mind having this hypo-
thetical story hung on him. He's
done plenty of real ones. They all
have-Joe Crosson of course. Noel
Vein, Frank Pollack, Bill Lavery, AL
Monsen, Harold Gillian, Alex Holden.
Johnny Lynn, Bob Ellis, Sanis Rob-
bins, Shell Simmons and a score of
others. Ben Ellison started that roll
OF honor, and it ranks with the best
in the entire story of aviation.
IT TAKES from five to six years to
learn flying up here. You may be
a rattling good flyer when you come
Il, but you'll rattle differently, if you
don't know, for instance, about "willie-
wogs" and what they can do to you
If you get caught on the lea side of
mountain in certain sections. Or
If you're careless by couple of min
utes or so over the bitter Bering
when an icy fog sweeps in. You have
to learn to hunt holes in an over
cast, to hedge-hop in the best tradi-
tions (of the old days., to refuel from
gas drums stacked by the side of a
frozen river, to land a good ship on
field" no self-respecting pilot in
the States would set kiddie car down
on. You have to be a favorite son of
Old Mother Necessity, because your
inventiveness must be of a superla-
tive order.
For example, too many ships were
being washed out" at Anchorage by
pilots trying to take of flying boats
in a waterway too short by far. Some
body dropped casual remark one day
that set AL Monsen thinking. He
figured . new procedure and then went
Evening star., 1938-02-27

out and tried it. Everybody said he
was crazy. but the rest were soon try
ing it, too. Now, the routine take
off on winding rivers. or small water
areas, is to lift one pontoon just off
the surface, skid around the corners
on the other. until you have flying
speed and then take her of the step.
The president of the company which
makes the pontoons wouldn't believe
it could be done until they sent him
a motion picture. Then he sWeled
with pride and advertised.
You have to be able to tuck your
plane up for the night in most
places-hangars being largely notice
able by their absence. First, the oil
drained and the battery removed.
These are stored indoors in a warm
corner. Then, ice bridges are
chopped under the outer tip of each
wing, and ropes are run from metal
eyes on these tips down through the
opening under the bridge and up to
a second eye Each wing is anchored
this way. A heavy canvas hood goes
over the motor and equally heavy
frost covers on the wings. Sometimes
gas drums are piled on the skis.
Your ship will stand 70-mile gale
now.
GETTING her untucked in the
~ morning is the rest of the story.
With winter daylight so precious, you
are up good three hours before the
sun. Taking your plumbers stove and
a fire extinguisher, you ensconce your
self under the motor cover for a nice
long stay. The husky little iron pot
casts up a pleasant stencil along with
it's glowing warmth. 1t is necessary
for the human occupant to emerge for
air every so often, but don't take too
long and don't mislay that extin-
guisher, or your ship is liable to go
to glory in a twinkling. If you're
lucky, two hours may see that motor
warm enough. Then all you have to
do is to put back the battery and the
oil; get your passengers to do q snake
dance on the skis while you pour on
the coal' until they break loose, and
away you go.
They've been flying for 16 years in
Alaska. There is still no night or in
strument work being done, because
there are no airway aids as known
down here. Such radio as there Is Is
used for weather information, and
there's precious little Of that. You
fly contact" by your knowledge OF
the terrain, or you don't fiy-at least
with passengers. Rescue work, as in
dicated, is another thing.
Conditions have improved, it's true,
since the days when 1t was necessary
to pile the passengers in horizontally
on top Of the mail sacks, as sardines
are packed in tins and just about as
tightly. These air-minded gentry
were lucky II they didn't get stin
necks from being jammed too closely
Evening star., 1938-02-27

window. We are eircling to land at a
settlement just south of Nome, where
some of the Lomen reindeer herds are
kept. The sea ice below is suddenly
alive with running, gesticulating fig
ures. We swing into q humping,
sliding stop, our skis riding the small
pressure ridges under the snow. The
flight mechanic opens the door, and
there is an excited babble of voices.
Eskimos of assorted ages and sizes
stand solemnly and gaze, the children
smiling with shy friendliness. A bus
ting little woman thrusts up let
ter to be mailed and calls out greet
ings. gay and excited. How is Mary?
And is Pete's rheumatism better? And
please will AL (the pilot bring her
the new mail-order catalogue next
trip"
THE door is closed. The plane
swings around swiftly, humping
and sliding into the wind. The sim
gle motor roars, and we lift into the
air again. The receding figures on the
ice turn, antlike, toward their hill.
Pacific Alaska Always Zone Of Pan
Americans many branches) has just
completed its scheduled stop.
Back in the radio Office in Fair
banks Pacific Alaska's records are
opened to me. No more poignant
manuscript can be imagined. Here,
for example, the school teacher, a
young man Of ~, at a Northern trad
ing post, asks, "Tell doctor man has
swelling and intense pain in right
side. Am using ice packs. Send full
instructions and plane to bring him
in."
1t is IS below outside. Jerry Jones.
blond-haired, stocky figure in heavy
blue uniform and sealskin cap (set at
q jaunty angle), comes in to look
over the weather. mot so good" he
comments, briefly. where's this guy
located? Let's see that message" He
reads It through, turns . wise eye
Evening star., 1938-02-27
By Alice Rogers Hager.

THIS is tale out of an Alaskan
Nights Entertainment, sharp
with cold. frosted with too
a brilliant stars, shimmered over
with the ineffable color of the Aurora.
Told in broad daylight.
Three weeks ago I flew to Nome
and back. Safely, comfortably, with
out even frostbitten nose to show for
it. In Juneau, Pacific Alaska Airways'
two Electras (tops at the top of the
world picked us up, Alaskans all, ex-
cept the pretty young bride from Texas
and this other "Cheechako" from
Washington, and with two famous
pilots, Jerry Jones and Al Monsen. at
the controls, took us high into Arctic
skies. Over Skagway, with its glaciers,
over the Chilkoot (snow "plumes"
afloat over the gold traiD, into White
Horse, up the Tanana to Fairbanks.
Then on above tundra and dunelike
hills with sunrise on Mount McKin-
ley) to the far, forbidden Bering Sea
and Nome. A decade ago Nome ceased
to exist, outside" for six months each
year. Now, twice each week the planes
60 in.
It is an epic thing that men have
done with wings in the Far North.
Alone, practically unaided, they have
stretched a lifeline of transportation
over a savage wilderness. On skis, on
pontoons, on wheels, they take their
ships wherever they are needed, rescue
the sick, aid the law, like Charon, ferry
the dead. Or shop for package OF
hairpins-and deliver them!
They need radio aids, landing fields,
more weather information-but they
aren't waiting until Uncle Sam gets
around to seeing about 1t. Too many
lives depend on them.
THE North Pole is Just about to start
looking over Washington's back
fence, complete with reindeer, polar
bears and Eskimos. In q very few
months now you will be able to ride
out to the airport, lay your money on
the counter and buy yourself ticket
with Nome, Alaska, written on it, and
your Observation-Disclosures, incredible
Nome-will be less than two short days
distant, winter or summer.
Because the cavalcade of trans
portation that made America is BEGIN
ming new chapter. It took better
than a century to open up the West,
to push out the caravans of rib
shrouded wagons, to widen the stage
coach trails, to tighten the flashing
hooves of the express ponies, to tie At
lantic and Pacific together with thin
bands of steel. Now our speech spans
the continent in q space Of seconds,
and We move ourselves from coast to
coast between dawn and midnight.
But we still have unconquered terri
tory land full OF mysterious riches,
The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-11-10
Annual Football
Classic to be Held
Here This Year

Kennewick's stores will be closed
all day tomorrow, Armistice Day.
when the big feature will be the an
nual clash between the high schools
Of Kennewick and Pasco. The game
viii be played on the Kennewick
field starting at two O'Clock.
Because of its outstanding
strength this season, the Pasco
coach announces that tomorTow,S
game will be started with second
string players to make the match
more interesting and to- save the
first string men for their final game
with Ellensburg. Pasco has lost
but one game this year and a win
from Ellensburg will give that city
the undisputed championship Of the
velley conference.
Kennewick, on the other hand,
due to loss of almost the entire
first string this year, is the only
team in the league with no victories
and is the only team which has
not experienced the thrill of cross
ing goal line.
A short patriotic address by Rev.
Friedrich Schilling to the high school
assembly will be the only other pub
lie observance Of the day.
The Kennewick courier-reporter and the White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1938-1939, 1938-11-10
Pomona Election
to be Held Sat.
at Benton City

The Benton County Pomona will
meet at 1:30, Saturday, November
IL at Kiona Benton grange with
election of officers a special order
at 3 o'clock.
The Burial Association Commit
tee will make its. final report for
Benton County with q report from
committees In Franklin and walla
Walla counties. The committee on
Cooperative Medical attention Will
make their report as to the advis-
ability Of starting this movement in
Benton County.
Fred Wilson, ex-chairman Of the
County Soil Conservation Commit
tee viii speak briefly on the 1899
program and make suggestions as to
how the program can be modified SO
as to benefit both irrigated and dry
land farmers In this county.
J. r. Ayers. grange delegate to the
Inland Waterways Association, VIII
discuss the association.s meeting ut
Lewiston. The officers are called
for eleven O'Clock 20 as to practice
for the annual meeting tn Decem-
Der. The local grange lecturer win
be In charge Of the evening enter
ment and the usual interesting and
instructive program can be expect
ed.