Evening star., 1940-07-06
around Fairbanks and form the

around Fairbanks and form the
chief industry of the area.
One of Fairbanks. noteworthy
citizens is Alaska Moody, worlds
| farthest north airline traffic man.
ager and probably the only woman
in the world holding such a post
Mrs. Moody-AlaSka is her real
name-is comely young woman
who already has become we'll known
throughout much of the Territory
She is a widow by reason of ar
airplane crash some years ago and
is supporting son. Her father was
one of the real pioneer gold pros
pectors in Alaska. He came over
the famous Chilkoot Pass in 1896
two years before the beginning OF
the gold rush which made that diff
cult pass world-famous, and struck
gold.
Alaska Stewart was born in Sc
attic, but has spent virtually all her
life in Alaska, most of it in Fair
banks. She attended the Univer-
sity of Alaska, began a nursing ca
reer and then applied to the newly
organized Pacific-Alaska Airways
seven years ago for a job as air
stewardess-but added that she had
studied Stenography and could do
office work. Pacific-Alaska has not
yet adopted the stewardess plan, but
Alaska was given an Office job and
quickly took over not only the Office
at Fairbanks but the whole traffic
job as we'll.
Humble lamp-black helps Alas
kans whip Old Man Winter. 1t
was found, possibly by accident, that
lampblack spilled on snow absorbs
the heat of the sun and hastens
melting of the snow. The spring
thaw is critical period for Alaska
Airplanes cannot land on skis on
melting snow or on the rotting ice
on lakes and rivers. The snow is
still too deep or the ground too soft
for wheels and the ice ice too heavy
for flying boats and seaplanes. It
also is too heavy for boats, but not
heavy enough for dog teams.
Used on Runways.
Anything that will hasten the
breaking up of the ice enough for
boats to break through is valuable.
A little lampblack judiciously ap-
piled in the right places has been
known TO help considerably. Some
airport managers use it to help clear
runWays.
Another stunt is employed at Lake
Laberge-the Lake Lebarge" of
Robert w. Services poem about the
cremation of Sam MCGEE. Lake
Laberge is near the head of naviga-
ton on the Yukon River and an
early breaking of ice is most de-
sirable, since villagers scattered all
along the Yukon depend upon
steamers for summer supplies.
So the Alaskans built a dam above
Laberge at Marsh Lake. They plug
the dam in the fall and build up
good head of water. When the first
sign of the spring breakup begins in
Laberge the dam is broken and the
rush of water precipitates the break
up, making possible steamship
navigation as much as three weeks
earlier than in the past.
OF such Importance is the spring
breakup on the rivers that an an
nual ice pool" is held at Nenana,
on the Tanana so miles below Fair
banks. ma" is the Indian for river"
and "Tanana," obviously is the Tana
River. This important stream is
tributary of the Yukon and is the
waterway for much summer traffic.
Alaskans for hundreds of miles
around place bets in the pool on the
date of the spring breakup at
Nenana. They draw slips showing a
day, hour and minute for the break
up. A cable is made fast to the ice
of the Tanana at Nenana and at
tached to a time clock. When the
ice goes out it stops the clock and
the lucky man collects. Last year