The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-09-16
Much Activity on
Alaskan Highway
Continued from Page -


! wondered as to whether or not
would be able to orient myself TO
the surroundings, but after two days
OF personal contact with the camp
personnel and the tremendous ilb
they are doing it helped to dispcll
my misgivings | might have enter
tanned as to the value of the work
being done. In order to understand
tins. first of all, | would like to
draw word picture for the benefit
of you gals and guys of the country,
and Just what US "Constructio /
Stiffs' are doing.
To start with, you are imbGcd
with spirit of wanting no tight
ing. to see the road built and tn 5
spirit emanates from our boss, WHO
in my mind is the perfect construc-
ton man. To talk with him is
enough, but to see him in action fills
you with pride that he is at the
head. He may grumble, cuss ar d
rant, but he is in there pitching ard
fighting, giving his whole heart
out and believe me, it is heart
enough to carry his men with him.
He is out there from dawn into the
late hours in the morning, up and
down the road, fighting, planning,
and literally shaking his hand at
nature, and you feel that if he needs
a mountain to get rock for his fill,
equipment or no equipment, he
will have that mountain Through
hells fire and high water, he gets
through somehow
You get up in the morning scan
ming the skies and testing the 1T
mosphere to see, not for your physi-
cal comfort, but hoping, praying for
a good break, so that maybe few
hundred more feet of road may be
laid, or that the water may rece lc
in order that you can get that bridge
across. The very setting of the 10
Gale, in all its vastness, its desola-
ton, ruggedness, fast and swift
changing streams, issues challenge
to man, so every foot gained is
compensation for what hardships
one might run up against.
This camp is located amidst tow
erlng mountains, and in order to
set it up, it had to be cleared down
to the ice, where gravel and hard
rock fill was put in to replace
the muskeg as insulation 1t was Lii
orally marsh, and they had to use
dozers every inch of the way, push
down trees, and build approaches,
bank the river which flows along
side the camp, and out of the will
derneSs sprang barracks, machine
shops, mess hall that is now serv-
ing over 1900 meals day, a COM
lmissary for the mems comforts, a
warehouse for parts and food, a gas
supply depot, both for airplane and
other motive power Out of the
darkness light plant was estap-
lished to bring civilization to tins
wilderness, and from miniature city
traffic flows 20 hours a day, cats
| shovels, cherry pickers, motor pa
trolls, and the steady pounding OF
trucks, back and forth, mile after
mile, over roads that you wonder
how they can be transversed, but
give these men four wheels and the
power to turn them and they vii,
1 get there.
Amidst this can be heard the
steady pounding Of the carpenters
hammers building, replacing, that
the comforts. of the men may be
looked after We have no modern
fuel to heat the buildings or fire
tine ranges, but we take it from
nature. Truck after truck of native
timber is cut, dragged into the
MILL heWed, sawed, and fashioned
into lumber for new buildings, or
is cut and chopped for fire wood
in order that heat and food be given
SO these men can exist and carry