Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-10-16
MONTANAN NOW
IN INDIA TELLS
OF LIFE THERE
KALISPELL MAN AN EXPERT ON
INSECT POISONING AND
MALARIA CARRIERS

DR.. William Jellison, F1athead
county boy who Is now in India, tells
some interesting things about the war
and the inconvenience one puts up
with in the land of Mahatma Gandhi.
Bill" as he is familiarly known
among his many friends. left Kalispell
some two years ago, in company with
other specialists, for Burma, where
they we're building a new road to
China through a malaria ridden dis
trict in Burma.
He is specialist on insect poison
and malaria carriers and established
laboratories in the heart of the Burma
jungles. Last year he was driven out
of Burma by the Japs and then To-
Gated in the Indian jungles to carry
on his work.
He now has the rank of major and
appears to enjoy his work. even though
conditions are most difficult.
Letter to Brother
Major Jellison corresponds with his
brother, Charles, at kalispell, and
writes as often as he can, and his let
tiers are exceptionally interesting. In
a letter from India August 5 he said:
over here when they need another
airport about 5000 Indian laborers are
put to work on it. Excavations are
made with hoe and the dirt car
ried away in a basket on somebody S
head. Stone is hauled in 60 to 80
miles by railway from river beds and
crushed by hand for the runways.
This is a most interesting sight; to
see several thousand Indians lined up
with hammers breaking rocks while
squatted on their launches. Men
women and kids big enough to swing a
machine hammer. The babies &C
along with their mothers, tied to them
with cloth sling, or if big enough
playing around the lot.
Building Airfields
Somehow the fields grow. Tar Is
spread by garden sprinklers on one
part while modern oiler is working
on another Always there is contrast
or mixture of the ancient and modern
Antique bullock carts plod along with
great air transports overhead.
st have had to make four fairly long
trips by air since arriving at Rangoor
and still would prefer to go on good
Pullman. On one freight transport
rode most of the way in the pilots
cabin and could see where we were
and Bramaputra, two of the great
rivers of India. Miles of the trip was
over rice paddles, freshly planted and
pale green, then over dense forests
and jungle.
Our present work is mosquito con-
troll and an attempt at sanitation
Both are difficult problems. Oul
Americans have had their sanitation
dished out to them on a silver platter
so long they have no more practical
sense of sanitation than the Chinese
which is a serious criticism. The in
difference, mixed with lot of native
cooks, makes a situation.
Few have lived in a bad malaria
area before and are inclined to dis
count the necessity for mosquito pro.
lection. In spite of this the health
record is good.
FORTUNATELY johnson and founo
a generous stock of high grade Screer
in storage here and put it to use, per-
sonally screening every window pos
sible in places occupied by Americans
Oldtimers Scott
1--WE have had a little opposition tt
the control program from oldtimers
in the area who lived here Is years
without screen and have enjoyed tht
keen pleasure of seeing several d
them in the hospital with maleria.
1.-THE tropic heat is bit devitaliz'
ing to all of us but otherwise I am In
good shape. Food is good but moi
fancy and I get about nine hours sleer
a night. Have not missed meal or
nights sleep since leaving home.
1--WE know little of what is going or
in other places. February and March
magazines are reaching us now. In.
dian newspapers are weeks old wher
received and not much to read.
Some planters nearby have gooc
radios and at times relay news notes
to us. I expect to be in this genera
vicinity for the duration. 1t is prob
ably as good as any other station anc
much better than some in India"