By GAIL FOWLER
EDMONTON. Alta., March 30—(/V)—If you’ve been thinking you’d
bundle the wife and kids into the family jallopy this summer and take
a leisurely 1,523-mile jaunt up the Alaska highway from Dawson
Cree.i, 13. C., to Fairbanks, Alaska—well don't.
i \s no place for a cheechako, even yet, and only the hardier civil
ians who know the ways and the wiles of the north country will be
permitied to travel the war-born road through mountains and muskeg.
T.ie Canadian army took over the road April 1, but Defense Minis
ter D. (’. Abbott at Ottawa declares the highway “still has military and
strategic angles’’ and consequently the military will continue to have
the priority on what materials and supplies are available along the
route.
“I don’t think we can open the highway to general civilian travel
this year’’ Abbott said. “There is a possibility it may be done in 1947,
depending on our experiences this year.
•The Army is the only department having the facilities and per
sonnel to handle it now. This year we will see how difficult it is to
get supplies and repair materials along the way, and on the basis of
ou - experience we later will advise another department—perhaps the
Ministry of Transport of the Ministry of Mines and Resources—which
eventually will operate it.
“We will have to work it out on a trial and error basis this season.
We will facilitate the travel of
prospectors and other qualified
civilians whom we know are able
to take care of themselves.
“The army cannot maintain gas
oline and repair facilities for gen
eral traffic and just how this will
be done before civilians generally
can travel the road will have to be
decided by another department
taking over the road. The air force
also is involved with its staking
route and landlines.”
Not Yet Self-Sufficient
There is little along the high
way to contribute toward making
it self-sufficient. Most of the sup
plies trucked over the road after
its completion in November. 1942,
served to service the road and its
limited facilities themselves. No
figures are available as to what
percentage of freight was used to
maintain the road, and what per
centage went “through” to feed
the Alaska war machine—original
purpose of the highway.
The highway was authorized in
the spring of 1942, and while tem
peratures still were flirting witlj
zero the first engineer troops de
trained at the Dawson Creek rail
head 500 miles northwest of here
in the rolling hills of eastern Brit
ish Columbia. The railroad had
been a two and three times a week
route before the energetic Ameri
cans piled in with their equipment,
and the old roadbed took quite a
beating as supplies were funneled
in.
Crews were distributed along
the highway route. Many worked
three eight-hour shifts during the
long summer days. Slowly the sec
tions inched together. Far ahead
of expectations, a ceremony was
held in November of 1942 where
by a ribbon was cut and the north
ern and southern sections were
joined in the vicinity of Kluane
Lake on a particularly vicious
cold day.
Originally the road was contem
plated as a tote road, but as work
went ahead it was decided to
w'iden it into a serviceable high
way. In winter it was a frozen
ribbon which wound through
breathtaking mountains and val
leys, then charged across reason
ably flat stretches of barren land.
There were construction camps,
both army and civilian, at 50 to
100 mile intervals.
Engineers had warned that the
spring thaws would knock the
road out. Accordingly, the army
moved in materials and placed
them alongside bridges which
were expected to go out with the
ice. When the bridges went out,
engineer troops systematically re
— ■■ ii 1 - >+rr voa 7 — — — ——j j T ~ , ..A
ALASKA HERE WE COME—Maybe in 1947, say the engineers, but until then the Alcan High
way shown here will be only for the military and experienced north men. At the top is a
finished section. Views below show construction work with corduroy log bed over muskeg.
placed them with more sturdy
spans.
Miles of the road simply van
ished into the muskeg from which
it had been carved. These stretch
es had to be dynamited and filled
with rocks, trees, soil, anything to
afford a firm base on which to put
the graded road.
Even Burma Benefited
Experience gained by the army
in blasting through the highway
paid off when cadres of engineers
were formed for the Lcdo Road in
lndia-Burma.
Americans had been granted
the right to build the road in those
dark days of early 1942 when it
appeared an inland route would
be needed to supply Alaska in its
fight against Japanese encroach-,
ment. The Japs hit Dutch Harbor
and took over Attu and Kiska in
June of 1942, four months before
the road could be finished, while1
the army was desperately trying
to fortify its northern territory
against invasion.
Few of the troops, who sweated
it out on the highway, had much
idea of the overall value of their
efforts.
A. J. KINSMAN OF ALASKA
AIRLINES. VISITS NOME
A. J. Kinsman, of the Seattle
traffic office of the Alaska Air
lines, made his first trip to Nome
on an orientation trip for the com
pany. Mr Kinsman was formerly
with the Northwest Airlines.
Phone Local News to Main 125
2 Liquor Firms
Must Pay $64,670
SEATTLE, Apr. 3—U. S. Dis
trict Judge John C. Bowen has or
dered the K & L Distributors to
pay $42,861 and Alaska Distribu
tors to pay $21,809.89 in an OPA 1
case charging the firms with over
charges in liquor sales in Alaska.
The defendants argued they1
were doing an import business not
subject to OPA relations.
LESTER BRONSONS RETURN
FROM VACATION
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Bronson
returned home from their vaca
tion in the States last Monday
evening with the Pan American.
The Bronsons, with their son,
went to Clear Lakes, Calif , the
home of Mr. Bronson’s parents.
While Outside Mr. Bronson add
ed up some flying time and now
has his private license. The Bron
son’s stopped in Juneau on their
way home and had dinner with
Governor Gruening, and visited
the Legislature. Lester states they
were really working fast.
Mr. Bronson reports the death '
of his grandmother. Eva Geary,
who lived in this vicinity for 18
years, and was a resident of Nome,
White Mountain and Kotzebue,
where she was a missionary and
teacher. She died at her home in
Long Beach, California.
Jones—Loan me five bucks will
you,
Smith—No!!
Jones—Oh, I was only fooling.
Smith—I wasn’t.
FAIR NOTES
PERSIAN PRINCESS
ARRIVES
Augmenting an all-star cast of
spectacular talent at the Follies,
the Persian princess arrived yes
terday, via dog team from Cape
Prince of Wales. Her exquisite in
terpretation of the exotic dance as
performed among royalty is un
surpassed or unequalled. Make a
date to see her at The Northwest
ern Alaska Fair—April 10, 11, 12,
and 13.
In all previous Fairs the Chil
dren’s Parade has always been an
enjoyable feature, and we hope
that as much interest will be
shown in this one and the children
can have an EVENT in their lives
and the adults have pleasant mem
ories from their naive actions.
Memories last a long time.
We are still hoping that the
weather man can use his influ
ence and give us good weather for
the Fair, commencing Sunday for
the Ski Meet.
There has been a bit of delay
in getting the booth space in shape
to allot, but by the end of the
week we shall know and be able
to assign space to every one of the
divisions.
The board requests that all con
template entering home movies
contact Bud Richter as soon as
possible, so that we can have some
idea of the number we will ha vi
and arrange for their showing
The superintendents of all the
divisions are requested to attend
a meeting with the board Friday
evening at « p.m. at the City Hal..
It is desired that as much infor
mation as possible can be given as
it will probably be the last time
wt can all get together.
GEORGE BEACOM RETURNS
HOME FROM SERVICE
Mr. and Mrs. Duke Mitrovitch
welcomed home their son, George
Beacom, last Monday evening. He
has been in service in the Aleu
tians. George took a trip to Cali
fornia to visit relatives before re
turning home.
Phone Local News to Main 125
WHITEY’S CAB
Under New Ownership and Management
24-HOUR SERVICE FROM NOW ON
Established Rates
Phone Black 141 - Black 37
MINING, CONTRACTING
And INDUSTRIAL
EQUIPMENT
LOMEN
Commercial Co.