The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-08-06

beach and thought we'd have no need for guns there but we had our minds changed and from then on we carried them wherever we went We got up on bluff and a little ways into the timber for a little while that day It wasn't long before realized bear was stalking us
 We never did see it but the way it tram pied down the brush it sounded close 20 or 25 feet through the thick underbrush at times. Of course, we weren't afraid, but after seeing pictures of some that have been killed here and hearing about the one that batted mans head 40 feet from his body I think our feet could have moved pretty fast if they'd had to. Though we have run across a good deal of bear and moose since then we have never been quite so close since then nor felt uncomfortable.
 One of the base camps occupied by Private Downeys gang was the Beluga River. It was there that he ran afou of Alaska's Public Enemy No. l.:
 Tt was at our Beluga camp that we got our first real initiation to that Alaskan form of torture and the biggest worry and pet grieve of every man in the company-the mosquitoes. At first you laugh at them and listen without believing to the weird stories the old timers tell about them Then you try nets and Sta-way and smoke and dozen other professed remedies.
 But finally in the middle of some night you'll find yourself jumping out of your bunk swinging wildly at all parts of your body running in crazy circles, and yelling at the top of your lungs-then you're initiated
 "The nets never work at night no matter how many thicknesses you use. And the Sta-way just makes them stick to you when they light We thought the head nets would be O. K till they got thick on the nets we actually couldn't see through them. only hope Hitler takes try at Alaska-well match a mosquito blizkrieg against any he produce"
 Jacks crew later was camped in swamp, where they found the air surprisingly free of mosquitoes It was wading through this swamp daily on the way to their tower building work that the boys learned about another branch of wldlife in the Territory:
 And here's story that may sound lit tie ta but as I've said, everythings differ ent in Alaska. In a country chuck full or moose and bear, you'll laugh when say we found ourselves attacked by sea gulls. And, believe it or not, they got vicious. Our route to work was through their nesting grounds. It would sound little awkward to explain to a game warden that we shot guls in self-defense, we saved our ammunition and batted them eown with clubs. l think that was more effective, anyway but they still gave us some pretty jttery moments. It seems like everything in this darned country figures it's got to be vicious"
 Besides serving interesting report for Senator's the letter may point out to Alaskans that they stand to receive lot more than just defense bases protection in case of war and army pay war rants spent with Alaskan merchants, from the move ment of troops into the territory.
 Letters from the boys, telling of the wonders of Alaska, outlining their adventures and bragging about the game bags brought back to camp after hunting fishing expeditions are probably being every week to friends and parents in the states The boys in khaki may prove to be the best publicity crew the Territory could employ.