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MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 37
SEWARD, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1926.
PRIC^.TEN CENTS
‘MOOSE PTARMIGAN’ EILESON HEADS
HUGE AVATION COMPANY COMPOSED
ENTIRELY OF MULTI-MILLIONAIRES
Anticipates Securing Interior Air-Mail Contract fiom the
United States Government—Has Organization
Plans Completed—Ready Operate 2 Months
BIDS SENT TO WASHINGTON ON DECEMBER 1
Left This Morning for Fairbanks Where He Will Await
Arrival of Captain Wilkins—1Will Pilot Main Flight
Plans Seeking New Lands for United States
Having conclusively demonstrated the feasibility
of air mail service in Alaska, by reason of his former
flying in the Interior of Alaska up to about two years
ago, Lieutenant Carl B. Eileson, Alaska’s first air
mail pilot, who left Seward this morning for Fair
banks where he will await the remainder of the Wil
kins’ exploration party, stated the company he re
cently formed in the East and of which press dis
patches were published by The Gateway some days
ago, anticipate being awarded contracts from the
Government for carrying of mails, by airplane, in the
interior.
Eileson’s name was on the tongue of all newspa- j
per readers a few years ago at the completion of the
first airplane flight from Fairbanks to McGrath, car
rying the mail which it would have taken a dog team
three days to deliver. He made the first round-trip
flight in nine hours flying time but later reduced the
time of the trip to five hours and forty-five minutes.
Ten times, once every two weeks, Eileson made
the Fairbanks-McGrath flight without serious mis
hap except on the first trip when he became lost for
a short time and flew ninety miles off his course.
Many tales have been told of Eileson’s daring in
Alaska—tales of whom the lives of several sick men
were saved by the crew—quick transportation to hos
pitals in the mail carrier’s private plane, of reaching
inland points impossible of access by river or trail
and similar feats.
.Known as “Benny” to the white residents, Eile
son was christened “Moose Ptarmigan” by the Indi
ans of the McGrath district who still tell at their
pow-wows of the first appearance of the man-bird.
He was taken into the Yukon tribe.
In Alaska today, one of the greatest
problems is that of transportation.
The sea coast towns as far North as
Seward are served all the year around
by boats from Seattle. From Seward
to the North, the ports are frozen in
about half of the year. Until the last
few years, travel into the Interior
could only be accomplished by dog
team in the winter and boats following
the winding rivers, or by foot, in the
summer. To relieve this situation the
United States government built a rail
road from Seward to Fairbanks (4G7
miles). This railroad, which was com
pleted about two years ago, has cost
the government to date about §100,
000,000.
The Alaska Railroad is like the
main artery which has sub-arteries to
feed it. There are no feeding lines
running into the adjacent territory.
There are a handful of single wagon
roads leading from the railroad out.
Taking these things into considera
tion the Alaska field is therefore an
ideal situation for airplane transpor
tation. With these facts in view, Lt
Carl B. Eileson, in the spring-of 1923
engaged in commercial flying in the
Fairbanks district. At that time he
operated with a Curtis JN-4 airplane
with an OX-5 motor. This plane hac
only a carrying capacity of one pas
senger besides the pilot and a flying ra
dius of less than 200 miles. Neverthe
less, the plane and all expenses were
covered before Lieut. Eileson hac
flown twenty days. The United States
Post Office department maintained
at that time, a dog team mail service
to all the mining camps. It was the
wish of the department, at that time
to conduct an experiment to see if it
were practical to fly all winter in Al
aska. Lieut. Eileson then received a
mail contract.
The route selected was from Fair
banks to McGrath, a flying distance
jL
of 300 miles one way. The cheapest
the dog mail teams had ever made this
return trip was said to be $1,022 per
trip, and they claimed there was no
profit at this price. The dog team
schedule for the trips was 22 days.
| When the air mail service was started
in February, 1924, the schedule was
cut from 22 days to seven hours. No
trouble was encountered in the air
mail service and that it was a suc
cess was attested by letters of con
gratulations from President Coolidge
and Col. Henderson, chief of the Unit
ed States Air Mail. Though Lieut.
Eileson received no more per trip than
the dog teams, he gave 100 per cent
better service and made a profit of fif
ty percent better service, as well as
in gross receipts. No trip was ever
postponed on account of weather con
ditions.
When the experiment was complet
ed, the Postoffice department asked
Congress for a law permitting the per
manent use of airplanes in Alaska at
the discretion of the Postmaster Gen
eral. ,This Bill was passed in the last
session of Congress and last Decem
ber the Department called for bids
for the operation of these routes by
airplane or dog team.
The company which Lieut. Eileson
has organized entered their bid on six
of the most desirable routes. The com
pany’s income will not be from mail
contracts, as it is their purpose to
carry passengers and express, but the
mail contracts, alone, will pay all ex
penses and still show a substantial
profit per year with the passenger
and express business extra.
THE ROUTES BID ON WERE:
Nenana to Tanana, from Oct.
25 to April 3. To take care of this
contract 46 trips would have to be
made.
Tanana to Unalakleet. Landings
Send the Gateway to friends.
also be made at Kokrines, Ruby,
Koyukuk, Nulato. The scheduled
trips would be 49 trips from Tan
ana to Ruby and 46 trips from
Ruby to Unalakleet.
Unalakleet to Nome—Landings
would be made at Golovan, Solo
mon and Nounce. Twenty-three
trips would be made between these
points.
Route No. 11—Summer trips,
Nenana to Flat. Twenty-six trips.
Landing to be made at Tokotna
and at Flat.
Route No. 3—Nenana to Flat;
Stops made at Roosevelt, Mc
Grath, Tokotna, Ophir, Iditarod
and Flat. ..Twenty-two trips.
Route No. 4—Fairbanks to Cir
cle, to Eagle, Ft. Yukon, Beaver.
Other landings would be made at
Miller House and Deadwood.
Twenty-six trips.
Circle to Ft. Yukon, 13 trips;
Ft. Yukon to Beaver, six trips.
Route No. 5—Tanana to Wise
man, landing at Betties, Coldfoot
and Wiseman, seven trips.
Route No. 6—Nenana to Dunbar
or Livengood, 19 trips.
Compared with most of the air mail
routes in the United States, flying con
ditions in Alaska are ideal. The snow
covered rivers and lakes provide prac
tically continuous landing fields al
ways within gliding distance. On the
most difficult route, from Nenana to
Circle, landing fields can be found on
the bare tojDs of the snow-covered hills.
On the summer route, pontoons will
be used for the entire route is studded
with lakes and rivers, providing an
excellent aerial highway. During last
•summer numerous summer landing
fields were constructed thruout the
Interior region, by the Territory.
Lieut. Eileson stated to The Gate
way yesterday the company’s plans
call for seven planes, spare parts and
motors, and as it is their intention
to have a series of heated hangers,
five new hangers will be built.
In a comparison of weather condi
tions, Lieut. Eileson said there is but
one-fifth as much fog in the Interior
of Alaska as there is around New
York. The temperature is not as cold
as one might imagine and airplanes
have been successfully operated by the
Air Mail and Fairchild Aerial Sur
veys (of Canada) at much lower tem
peratures than that found in Alaska
The Interior routes, are shielded tc
the south by the Alaska Range (high
est mountains in America) and to the
north by the Endicott Range, so there
are no serious winds or storms. The
weather, flying the year around, is
much better than New York w'eather
because the interior port of Alaska
does not have the fog and storms than
are common in the East. Nome is
about the only part of the Territory
where storms may be encountered,
Generally the weather is remarkably
clear the entire year around.
In the middle of the winter when
light conditions are the wmrst, fail
daylight is enjoyed for five to sis
hours'a day. Also, during the rest oi
the day and night the light is good
enough for flying, because of the light
from the moon, stars and the snow
In the winter, many dog team drivers
travel at night because the light is
good and the trail much better than
during the day. In the month of Feb
ruary, Lieut. Eileson has flown as
much as 7 1-2 hours per day within 9(
miles of the Arctic Circle and withoui
any lights on the plane or at landing
fields.
The average person has an exagger
j ated horror of Alaska wreather unti
! he or she visits the country and see:
for themselves. Along the Aleutiai
Islands, it is true, the storms are quit*
severe at times, as was attested b:
the World flyers. But flying in th<
Interior has the protection of the bi<
mountains, stated previously. Whei
the World flyers were encounterini
bad storms in the Aleutian Islands
Lieut. Eileson was flying under idea
conditions, 700 miles north of them.
Gasoline afid oil supplies may h
procured from the large Standard Oi
plant at Seward, and from other dis
tributing stations at Nenana, Fail
banks, Tanana and Nome.
The company believes, Lieut. Eile
son stated, that with the carrying o
the Alaska mails by airplane, will b
but another step forward by the Post
office department and will give bette
ADVANCE PARTY
HIT TRAIL AGAIN
NENANA, Alaska, Feb. 15. (/P)—The
Malcolm Smith advance party of the
Wilkins’ North Pole explorers are un
derway again, and are now traveling
over the flozen Tanana river. They
are making less than three miles per
hour. The trail is fine and the weath
er is clear, with the temperature stand
ing at fifteen below zero.
Leave Minto Roadhouse.
The Wilkins supply party left old
Minto early this morning, but return
ed. They made no further attempt to
proceed northward and covered only :
eighteen miles in twelve hours yes- i
terday on the Tanana river. The trail
is very good but fears are expressed |
that they cannot negotiate overland
to Barrow successfully. The weather
is clear with the temperature at ten
below this morning at seven o’clock, j
G. N.PASSENGER
TRAIN WRECKED
BELLINGHAM, Wn, Feb. 15. (JP)—
The Vancouver to Seattle Great North
ern passenger train was wrecked near
here when three coaches party turn
ed over. The train failed to negotiate j
the switch. No passengers or members
of the crew were reported injured.
CLOUDBURST
HIT KENTUCKY
PIYVILLE, Ky., Feb. 15. (ff)—Five
persons were killed when a cloud
burst struck the Cornwall mining vil
lage. The lfood through the narrow
valley and during the electrical storms
which followed many homes were
wrecked. It is approximated that ten
thousand dollars damage was caused
by the cloudburst.
NOME, DRIEST SPOT
ON THE MAP
SEATTLE, Wn., Feb. 15. (JP)—0. O.
Weaver, manager of the Alaska Tele
phone and Telegraph company and
of the Alaska Industrial Mining and
Power Company, of Nome, declared
“Alaska is a law abiding Territory.
Nome is the driest spot in the United
States possessions.”
LIBERAUZEPULP
INDUSTRY ALASKA
SEAATLE, Wn., Feb. 15. (£>)— In
charge of the Juneau district, Chief
Forestery Flory announced today the
Department of Agriculture had elimin
ated the provision in the Forest Serv
ice plans, whereas Alaska pulp timber
contracts have been permitted. The
Secretary of Agriculture has hereto
fore cancelled contracts without the
consent of the courts. The new policy
• permits either the Government or the
: purchaser to close out a contract, but
only through the Federal courts.
This is the third time since Novem
1 ber, the Government has liberalized
! the Alaska pulp timber policy.
s COUNCIL MEETS TONITE
, The Seward town council will meet
, tonight in regular session this e^en
{ ing at 8 o’clock in the council cham
, bers.
[ service from the start with the pro
bability of lower cost in the future.
3 Alaskans will have better and cheap
1 er transportation than by the present
- method and the airplane will prevent
- the re-occurrence of such incidents as
the Nome diphtheria crisis. The com
- pany feels that the dog team is as
f antiquated in Alaska as the horse cai
3 is in New York. Ample operation in
- Alaska will also cut down the cost oi
r passenger travel.
SOLDIER FREED
ONCHARESOF \
DIGGING UP BODY t
EL PASO, Tex., Feb. 15. (^>)—Emil|
Holmdahl, American soldier of for- j
tune was exonerated today, with Al-;
berte Corral, Indian, in the exhuma
tion and decapitation of Villa’s body.
Following their arrival from Parral,
Mexico, Holmdahl said: “The looting 1
of the grave caused a greater stir in j
Parral than Villa’s slaying.”
CGPPERN9LL SS
ELATED OVER
NOMINATION
ISSUES FORMAL STATEMENT AS
TO CONDUCT OF OFFICE IF
HE IS CONFIRMED
Regarding the Associated Press dis- j
patch of today from Washington, an- i
nouncing the nomination of Wm. D. i
Coppernoll, Seward attorney, for Unit
ed States District Attorney of this Di- ,
vision, Mr. Coppernoll had the follow- j,
ing to say:
“Naturally, I am elated over the an- ,
nouncement from Washington that my'
name has been submitted to the Sen- j
ate by the President for the position
of United States attorney for the Third
Judicial Division of the Territory of
Alaska. If confirmed, I trust to meas
ure up to the standard required by
those whom have honored me in this
appointment. If inducted into office,
I shall endeavor to conduct myself
and the affairs of the office in a man
ner conducive to the welfare and well
being of the Territory and the Federal
government.”
Children At Jesse Lee
Home Issue School Paper
The pupils of the sixth, seventh and
eighth grades of the Mission School
!are publishing a monthly paper con
taining interesting stories, news items
and clever poems. Volume 1, No.
1 appeared January 29th. The
paper is called ‘‘Ku eu it,” an Exqui
maux word meaning Northern Light.
| The staff includes Caroline Nielsen,
Editor; Mary Larson and Emma Bal
amatoff, news editors; Nellie Carlson,
story editor; Harriett Lange, joke ed
jitor, and Charles Nelson.
SOLDIERS ARE NEXT
The Seward basketball champs re
turned home Saturday from the An
chorage invasion where they captur
ed two of the three games played,
losing the last game by the narrow
margin of one. A fine itme was had
by all, and now they are waiting for
the Anchorage soldier team to come
over the early part of next month.
Southbound Reservations
On Steamer Northwestern
The southbound list of reservations
on the S.S. Northwestern which de
parted Saturday night was as fol
lows :
For Latouche—L. C. Maring, Gust
Enwall, Oscar Anderson, James Stew
art, V. Gordon.
Cordova—W. A. Sumanay.
Ketchikan-L. F. Hebert.
Petersburg—M. Wladell.
Seattle-Mrs. P. M. Ogle, Harry Z.
Rust, A. F. Davis, Etta E. Jones, I.
Koslosky, Dr. Jno Ventors, R. Klee
man, Mrs. Max Wagner, Henry Wag
ner, N. Kitzmiller, J. O. Larson, J. E.
Holmes, Matt Regan and Mrs.
Gordon Harding and baby and Cal M.
Brosius.
A1 Davis, Seward business man, de
parted ' for Seattle Saturday night on
the steamer Northwestern.
C. M. B. was an outgoing passenger
on the S.S. Northwestern. Mr. Bio
sius expects to return to Seward in
three weeks.
WASHINGTON, D. C. Feb.
5. (AP)—William B. Cop
lernoll, prominent Seward at
orney was nominated United
States Attorney for the Third
)ivision of Alaska.
Frank Foster of Cordova is
tt the present time filling the
mexpired term of Sherman
Juggan, the latter resigning
rom public life in Alaska and
altering into the private prac
ice of law in Ketchikan.
SURTAX RATES
ACCEPTABLE
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 15.(/P)
-House leaders announced they would,
nsist upon the restoration of some of
he Federal taxes which the Senate
viped out during the recent session.
A conference between the Senate
tnd members of the House of Repre«
>entatives plan to iron out the differ
ence, but have been delayed until
oday. It is indicated that a 23 mil
ion dollar reduction in the surtax
'ates which the Senate voted would
do acceptable.
BELLAIRE, Ohio, Feb. 15. (/P)—
One person was killed and nineteen
hurt, one critically, in an explosion
at the Powhatan coal mine. Six hun«
dred at work in the mine at the time
escaped uninjured.
JOHN D. DONATES
ERECTION MUSEUM
NEW YORK, Feb. 15. (/P)—It is an
nounced here that John D. Rockefel
ler, jr., has offered the King Fund,
and the Egyption nation, ten million
dollars for the purpose of erecting
and maining a museum at the Archae
ological institute, Cairo. Professor H.
Breasted, of the University of Chicago
will be made chairman and one of the
trustees.
SLIGHT TEMBLOR
REDONDO, Calif., Feb. 15. (jP)—A
slight earthquake was felt here and
at Los Angeles. No damage was re
ported.
TRAINMEN DIE
MEADSVILLE, Pa., Feb. 15. (/P)—
Trainmen were burned to death when
a freight train on the Erie Railroad
hit another.
OLMSTED WILL
NOT TESTIFY
SEATTLE, Wn„ Feb. 15. (^—Sat
urday the defense announced that Roy
Olmstead would not testify.
Inlet Basketball Team
Arrives Here Wednesday
The Anchorage H. S. girls basket
ball team will arrive in Seward oi
Wednesday’s train in an attempt t<
win two games out of a three-game se
ries from the local high school team
The remaining games will be playe<
off on the succeeding nights. Th
local lineup will be published in tc
morrow’s issue of The Gateway.
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