The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1952-09-25
Holiday Beyond The Arctic Circle Provides
Labor Day "Spree" For Former Blufftonite

If Alaska, since the completion of
the Alcan, is becoming a popular
vacationland for ''statesiders", where
do Alaskan residents go to spend
their vacations and holidays?
Many of them, of course, go ex-
ploring the hinterland beyond the
Arctic circle, making their hops by
plane, so at least it is indicated by
an interesting letter from a former
B~lufftonite now making her home in
the far north.
Mrs. William Heilman, the former
Miss Malbea Ann Lauriat, writes hei
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. F. T. Lauriat
of an interesting Labor Day excur-
sion to Kotzibue and Nome from her
home in Anchorage.
While Mr.. Heilman took the holi.
day to go caribou hunting, Mrs
Heilman joined a group of other civil
service office workers at the Anchor
age Air Force Base to make the
jaunt further north.
Her account of the trip follows:
Mrs. Heilman's Letter
"The trip to Kotzibue and Nome
was wonderful! We took off on Sun
day morning in the dripping rain or
a two-engine plane of the Alaska
Airlines. We stopped off at Nome
only to refuel, then off to Kotzibue.
The landing strip at Kotzibue ex'
tends on a peninsula out into the
water and from the plane it looked
as if we were going to crash land IL
the sea.
"On the way to Kotzibue, we
crossed the arctic circle and the plane
made a terrific climb and then dove
downward. We all received little
cards certifying we had crossed the
circle.
Greeted by the Mayor
"Upon landing VIZ were greeted by
the mayor and two Eskimo girls in
beautiful fur parkas. They were
gorgeous.
"There was no transportation in
town so we walked along the path
by the sea. The Eskimos live in
white canvas tents with no electricity
and oil stoves for heat. All along
the shore was garbage, tin cans, fish
CUTS, ETC., and about twelve dogs
staked out in front of every tent.
The Eskimo children came out and
trailed us. l do not think there was
one without some sort of sore on its
face. and every child had a running
nose. They are the dirtiest people
I've ever laid eyes on!
There were racks and racks of
drying fish. There are no plumbing
facilities for the Eskimos so you can
imagine the stencil along this coast
settlement. There is only one path
along the sea stringing out for about
two miles, and that makes up the
town.
"We walked and walked until we
came to the hotel. There are two o.
them and about 10 white falnilie:
living in town.
Eskimo Ivory
ave went into a tent and watched
the Eskimo men and boys making
ivory trinkets. The drill they use
for boring into the ivory is very
clever. We asked why they didn'
get electricity and use it from drill
ing, but they claim the electric drill
burns the ivory giving it a scorchec
appearance.
The drill is on the order of a bow
and arrow. The man holds a claml
with his teeth and fits one end of tn,
drill into the clamp. Then he take
the bow and winds the string aroun'
the drill twice. BY pulling the bow
back and forth he can regulate it
speed as he sees fit. With thes
crude tools they turn out some beau
tiful jewelry and / wished l had tn,
money to spend on it, but my mail
reason for the journey was to ge
mukluks.
after a little sightseeing il
Kotzibue we had a reindeer steal
dinner at the hotel. 1t was delicious
meat and they served a wonderful
dinner.
"That hight we watched the Eski