GUEST
EDITORIAL
Operates'
Longest
Mail
Route
"And
now
that
the
Hart
High
vm.r.pnsTl55
Alaska
Hinh.iroad
sets
Dretty
busy,
many
Yukon
Forgets
Past.
Looks
to
Big
Future
By
THOMAS
BAIN
way
from
Prince
George
is
way
Thirty-two
hours
and
764'times
the
traffic
that
we
have
in
the
winter,"
said
Bill
Ander
miles
ago,
bus
driver
Donald
i
i
open,
I
t'uess
we'll
land
right
smiirk
In
the
middle
of
city
traffic."
Hut
Anderson
doesn't
mind,
for
The
more
that
come,
the
more
business
he'll
do.
imenouus.
Th.
iw,
.
son
who,
with
his
wife,
opera-es
a
lodge
and
dining
service
at
Blueberry,
Mil"
Post
101,
where
the
bus
stopped.
Ferguson
hud
looked
at
the
thermometer,
at
his
watch,
then
at
his
few
hardy
passengers,
and
said
aaHakar,
Tka
Whllakarsa)
Bla
s's
have
.w
''W
The
tourist
visiting
WhltrvPuhlirly
that
tha,
ihorse
today,
comes
with
the
"Pend
close
tn
tV1
jhope
of
seeing
evidence
of
th?
th
Vuk
.'Mo
a
(Yukon's
past
history.
The
peo.nd
mining!
SurlTi?
p0
i.
4"..
.
.aalir
pie
oi
tne
Yukon
and
cartlru.
"arterl
and
ir,H,
.:vin
larly
Whitehorse,
ire
endeavor-iing
lowly
'Hi
ing
to
wine
out
the
oast
and
gather
noeerf
..
.
"
1
'
(
if
1
.
f
Tie.
wiiiik
mmui
m
rnrmprn.
sanitary'
community
by
intallint
sewar
llSh
eries
Ton
"Let's
go!
We've
got
this
thing
on
the
road."
Whitehorse,
Yukon
Teritory,
fell
away
in
the
white
distance
and
ahead
lay
919
miles
of
the
famous
Alaska
Highway
and
at
Mile
0,
Dawson
Creek,
B.C.
But
besides
wheeling
passengers
winter
and
summer
along
that
mightiy
road,
Ferguson
also
tends
to
what
he
believes
is
the
longest
rural
mail
delivery
route
in
the
world.
At
Mile
Post
155,
he
ground
the
bus
to
a
stop.
Only
two
passengers
were
still
with
him,
headed
for
the
outside.
"Fer-
ana
water,
clearing
away
the
log
snacks
built
no
year
acn,
paving
streets
!n
place
of
a
mix-
7
A
'
,
-Lf
it,
h
f
i
ture
of
gravel
and
volcanic
ash
Columbia
"),,,,,
With
its
billowing
dut.
snrlini.,.,
CWali
k
I"
'
i
.!
V.T.
;.
bring
the
north
up
to
a
Mndardw
fihmhL";,f
m
found
in
out
hern
cities.
iUnd
I
n
d
e
mnttv
ew,
modern,
well-planned
I
Th-
rw.r
.
.
jhomes
are
now
being
built,
con-
announced
h(,r.
Jf
gie,"
as
the
driver
is
known
along
the
Alcan,
rifled
quickly
crete
mninings
are
being
ererti'd
that-
lst
v
and
modern
oil
heating
tmiu'Sil.OO,
wnnh
i
T3
through
a
mail
pouch,
picked
out
a
couple
of
letters
and
The
thought
of
a
fast
utake
ls
$i
n.iri
-nark.
1
F8
hopped
to
the
snow-packed
road.
Nearby
was
an
oil
drum
where
he
deposited
the
mail.
Then
he
righted
a
long
pole
with
a
flag
1
1
'
hi'
vanishing;
people
are
coming
toJ
Total
prntwiior.
lor
f-the
Yukon
with
a
different
out-1
is
52,7no.utio
0
mt
f-
look
on
the
north;
they
nowlis
suhscrihed
by
NewW,'?'''
want
to
settle
In
an
area
thevl
In
B.C.
mor.
i'k,
J
know
will
prosper
and
still
offcrl're
Insured
aj.Jrm
vast
outrttfor
valleys
and
lakes
ge
under
tht
arham-
on
the
end.
There
was
no
dvielinig
lu
hydro
potential
of
the
mineral-rich
far
north.
Alford's
main
instrument
is
the
Hydrometer
which
is
seen
packed
on
the
dogsled
as
he
begins
his
mush
over
snow
and
ice.
"WATER
DOCTOR"
is
what
natives
of
.Yukon
call
hydmrictric
surveyor
Monty
Alford
who
uses
dog
teams
in
the
winter,
canoe
and
planes
in
the
summer
to
gather
needed
statistics
of
the
sight
from
the
road,
but
Fergiaj
said:
Fisiierles
ri
-.
,
.
for
recreational
purposen,
Bflti
f
-t,
found
In
the
cities.
searchers
now
are
'
..
There'll
be
somebody
along
The-Nort
Iv,
on
the
other
hand
on
Kr.v
cod
to
rwom
"
th,-
JJ
is
looking
for
people.
The
Yu-'k1'''"".
pretty
soon
when
they
see
the
flag."
The
bus.
which
makes
one
return
trip
a
week
between
kon
population
could
double
and'
the
populace
would
still
have
an
abundance
of
spare.
As
mining
'WATER
DOCTOR'
USES
DOGS
Year-Round
Search
for
Hydro
Whitehorse
and
Dawson
Creek
is
developed,
more
and
more
HIGGSI
Jobs
are
created.
More
jobs
bring
people
and
the
people
de
V
Electric
Motors
in
the
winter
and
two
in
summer,
makes
42
regular
mail-stops
to
serve
the
1,000-odd
residents
along
its
route.
Most
of
the
people
along
the
highway
are
members
of
the
Northwest
Highway
System's
tfauaat
mand
services,
and
as
the
ball
rolls
the
strength
of
the
Territory
gradually
becomes
Rieater.
Keeps
Yukon
Surveyor
Busy
Built
,n
Britain,
hish
quality
molon
mat
2..'
icsa
than
mmped.
Uve
makei.
Contact-
New
cities
are
built
and
facilities
extended.
trialists
who
look
upon
the
ter-
'maintenance
crews.
Tha
sta
ritoiy
as
a
latent
source
of
This
is
not
a
dream,
for
the
CR0SSMAN
I-OXGKST
RI'RAL
MAIL
route
in
the
world
is
serviced
by
Don
Ferguson,
driver
of
the
VVhitehors
to
Dawson
Creek
stage
along
more
than
900
miles
of
the
Alaska
Highway.
Actually,
thf
rural
mail
route
is
still
longer,
stretching
beyond
Whitehorse
to
the
Alaska
border,
which
is
serviced
also
by
bus,
but
on
another
schedule.
Whether
by
canoe,
packhorse
their
widely-publicized
10,000-1
cr
plane
in
the
summer
or
in
mile
voyage
at
Baton
Rouge,
the
winter
by
snow-shoes
or
Louisiana,
in
November,
"after
mushing
behind
a
dog
team,
the
137
campsites
and
43
portages
work
of
Yukon's
"water
doctor":
that
almost
oroke
our
backs."
is
a
year-round
"must"
assign-1
On
the
Yukon
job
lor
three
ment,
I
years
now,
Allord
records
are
tions,
located
about
every
100
miles
along
the
route,
are
operated
by
the
Canadian
army.
Near
these
sites
also
are
located
telegraph
and
telephone
MUHINU!
N.
ITI.
04
HACK
AVL
bal!
ts
starting
to
roll
and
Kvlthln
the
next
10
years,
if
wars
I
do
not
interfere,
the
development
In
the
Yukon
will
be
tre-
mineral
wealth.
But
principally
Interested
recently
has
been
Frobisher
Ltd.
fn
their
survey
of
the
AUin
Lake-Yukon
River
watershed
for
a
proposed
multi-million
jVNCOUVU
I.I.C
I
re
interest
to
in.
leoerai
Much
of
the
Yukon's
future
I
I
TrL
Z
thJ
government
and
to
major
Indus-1
horse-power
hydro
development,
may
depend
on
the
fmuinjs
t
nf
ol
"
,
-.-,--
-j
mm
.m
repeater
stations
where
operators
maintain
the
only
direct
communication
between
Yukon
and
northern
B.C.
with
the
rest
of
the
world.
Monty
Alford
who
Is
lookmg
continuously
for
sources
of
Others
getting
mail
are
the
'
'
-
-
a.
homey
folk
who
operate
tourist
cabins,
hotels,
restaurants
and
other
highway
services.
All
of
them
anxiously
await
the
weekly
mail.
"But
besides
delivering
and
:
.
-.?!.
.
.
.
.
-
."
.
-
."-
.
i-
i
picking
up
mail,
I
also
sell
money
orders,
stamps,
collect
for
COD
and
express
parcels.
i
-j
r
.
v
.
m
if
,
Utten
I
carry
messages
on
paper
or
by
word
of
mouth
from
one
party
to
another,
or
send
and
deliver
telegrams.
I
dont
mind
doing
these
1
things.
I
know
that
any
of
these
people
would
do
anytning
for
me
anytime."
Fergie
loves
the
Alaska
Highway.
Hg
knows
about
every
inch
of
its
surface.
He
turned
to
point
to
a
line
of
embanks
to
the
east.,
"That
used
to
be
the
way
the
:
V
i
-
:
hvdro-electric
power
throughout
this
mineral-rich
territory
of
207,076
square
miles.
Hydrometric
surveyor
for
the
water
resources
branch
of
the
federal
department
of
northern
affairs
and
national
resources,
Alford
has
been
labeled
the
"water
doctor"
by
native
Indians
and
prospectors
who
have
watched
him
for
the
last
three
years
working
the
rivers,
creeks
and
lakes
with
his
instruments.
As
a
personality,
Allord
himself
is
unique
a
buoyant,
effervescent
Englishman
of
30
whose
love
for
the
rigorous
outdoors
causes
him
to
boom:
"I
wouldn't
trade
the
Yukon
for
anywhere
on
earth.
I
jolly
well
love
this
country
as
well
as
my
work.
"We
get
nipped
around
the
edges
a
bit
now
and
then
when
the
bottom
falls
out
of
the
ther-momerer
but,
by
Jove,
that's
living!"
Basically,
Alford's
job
is
to
keep
a
summer
and
winter
record
of
the
amount
of
water
which
flows
through
the
hundreds
of
streams
and
rivers
of
the
Yukon
which
may
hold
a
potential
source
of
hydro-power.
He
considers
it
a
lifetime
project.
His
chief
instrument
is
the
hydrometer
which
measures
the
speed
of
water
current.
These
measurements,
he
explained,
must
be
taken
at
about
20
intervals
across
a
given
river
at
different
seasons
of
the
year.
In
the
winter
Alford
moves
around
the
country
on
skis,
snowshoes
and
by
dog
team.
With
an
Indian
assistant,
highway
first
ran,
just
after
it
was
built.
Btit
the
hill
was
too
steep.
Many
a
trucker
lost
his
life
on
that
hairpin
turn
They
called
It
Suicide
Hill."
Winter
traffic
is
slow,
yet
an
average
of
200
vehicles
will
be
found
on
the
highway
dailv.
They'll
probably
be
about
50
trucks,
passenger
cars
bearing
license
plates
from
any
state
of
the
U.S.,
and
the
balance
a
SO
DEEP
it
will
almost
hide
the
digger
is
the
ice
at
times
covering
Yukon
rivers
and
lakes.
A
series
of
holes
have
to
be
dug
through
the
ice
cover
in
order
to
take
the
necessary
measurements
of
the
flow
of
current.
Digging
here
is
a
native
helper.
mixture
of
Alaskan
and
Canadian
cars.
But
in
the
summer,
this
RIMROCK
RANCH
atch
bto
Jr..
f
tk
Wk't
!
rlbrUi
ymmallUra
btr
hit
took.
"Gran
eVe4
h
MMtauliit."
pntillfh4
tew
vri
kt.
permtol
tb
klrrt
rmneh
1
lh
irn,
Klmmk
Ranfh.
(Hbtn
n4
htm
partnw
ptnneerc
rancblnl
In
(h
CbllMtla
Villrr
I
the
a4tn
tB
the
IK,
thn
mca
rth.
Fallowing
1
BArn
eam-ba1
an
hi
rsnch
hy
HatwaH
a
lwa
Irleiia,
Dr.
Harry
Dltlrlrb
af
HalKwaKs.
Or.
Dietrlck
reeantiy
cajvlrM
taM
aropertr
af
hia
avi
bl
tha
Nrraaia.)
B.C.
Is
Third
Province
In
Canada
The
Canadian
Gazetteer
is
usually
the
owner
and
driver
of
the
dogs,
he
digs
holes
through
the
ice
to
get
his
publication
which
contains
the
names
of
all
populated
places,
the
names
of
coastal
features
and
the
names
of
rivers,
lakes,
mountains
and
other
topographical
features
presently
listed
At
times
the
ice
is
very
thick
up
to
seven
feet,
and
much
physical
energy
is
needed
to
in
the
records
of
each
Canadian
province.
reach
the
water,
even
with
specially-made
ice
chisels.
"It
keeps
us
in
shape,"
Monty
sounds
off.
This
was
Alford's
first
job
in
Of
British
Columbia,
the
Ga
the
Yukon,
but
he
came
better
equipped
than
most
cheekakos
who
press
north
to
find
a
zetteer
says
that
"it
Is
only
80-odd
years
since
British
Columbia
became
the
sixth
province
to
join
the
slowly
evolving
Dominion
of
Canada.
"The
intervening
years
have
wrought
tremendous
changes.
B.C.
Is
now
the
third
province
future.
Although
he
had
only
the
Civil
Engineer
and
FAIRBANKS
-MORSE
of
Canada
not
only
In
terms
of
$100
in
his
pocket
and
a
wife
straight
out
of
Paris,
France,
both
had
a
background
of
mountaineering
in
the
Alps
of
Europe.
Besides,
Alford
also
spent
two
years
facing
the
outdoors
in
area
but
also
interms
of
popu
lation
(an
increase
of
40
per
cent
in
the
last
10
years
alone).
Canada
and
the
U.S.,
and
felt
and
In
per
capita
wealth,
purchasing
power
and
production
It
leads
the
nation.
'That
so
much
of
Its
develop
ready
to
"take
whatever
the
Yukon
could
dish
out."
Five
years
ago,
the
young
Englishman
turned
to
his
chum
working
with
him
in
an
aero
ment
has
taken
place
within
relatively
recent
years
makes
it
knowledge
nd
in
so
doing
contributi
to
a
better
way
of
living.
Fairbanks-Morse
has
been
privileged
to
work
with
tht
engineer
ia
Canada
for
ovef
50
years.
This
is
chiefly
due
to
the
engin-eering
products
and
services
available
l
Canada
1
1
1
our
sixteen
branches
across
equipment
such
as
Fairbanks-Morse
Diesel
Engines,
Generators,
Pumps,
Scales,
Machine
Tools
and
Materials
Handling
equipment,
as
well
as
t
wide
range
of
supplies
for
contractors,
railways
nd
general
industry.
The
Civil
Engineer.
..builder
of
roads,
railways,
bridges,
dams
.
.
.
builder
of
t
greater
Canada.
Through
his
skill
and
knowledge
Canada's
power
and
transportation
facilities
are
constantly
expanding
pushing
back
our
frontiers
in
the
development
of
a
great
treasure
chest
of
natural
resources.
Ia
the
twentieth
century's
mechanization
the
engineer
is
a
key
figure
.
.
.
member
of
profession
that
is
working
steadily
and
successfully
to
extract
the
greatest
value
from
our
natural
resources
to
improve
manufacturing
techniques
to
increase
difficult
sometimes
to
establish
nautical
tool
designing
plant
in
a
sense
of
its
history."
Plymouth:
Far,
far
to
the
fabled
north
Where
"frontier"
rightly
names
a
line
that
can't
exist
Where
strong
men
lightly
mouth
the
names
Of
Batnuni,
Vanderhoof
and
old
Quesnel,
There
is
a
valley
as
few
valleys
ever
were
.
t
Hard
rock
hills
around
it
rim.
And
then,
as
if
relenting,
into
its
bowl
they
dip
Permitting
at
their
feet
green
spruce
and
pine
and
birch,
To
shelter
deer
and
moose
and
bear.
The
valley
floor,
a
thousand
acres
more-Flat
and
green
and
fertile
A
melting
pot
of
grains
and
grasses
Of
Timothy
and
reeds,
or
red
top
clover,
brome
and
oats,
Enlivened
timidly
by
flowers
wild
In
small
bouquets
of
Yellow,
blue
and
white
and
red
and
Patchy
purple
fire
weed.
Threading
through
this
verdant
bottom
land.
Clear,
cold,
and
trout
infested,
Willow
lined
and
leisurely
amove
Greer
Creek
flows
...
Snug
cabins
send
their
blue
grey
smoke
aloft
To
test
the
wind
And
on
that
wind
Is
softly
born
a
symphony
.
.
.
A
symphony
of
sound
to
stir,
yet
quiet,
restless
man.
A
crow's
most
strident
chiding
The
jackass
bray
of
penned
up
Lionheart
bull
The
mowers,
binders,
tractors
working,
The
whirr
of
grouse,
mosquitoes
buzz
The
munching
of
contented
cattle
The
mournful
moo
of
mislaid
calf
The
ducks
and
geese
aloft
that
call
Without
the
answering
crack
of
guns;
The
loony
cry
of
spooked
up
loons,
The
busy
bark
of
dogs,
These
sounds
bewitch
the
ear
of
man
Till
suddenly
a
crescendo
of
silence
-
So
pure,
so
absolute,
That
mortal
man
must
bow
his
head
in
reverence.
But
"this
is
Paradise"
you
say
And
in
all
truth
it
may
now
be
If
Paradise
be
sweating,
stinking
years
of
work,
Of
too
soon
frost
and
too
much
rain
Of
crackling,
snapping
bone
ache
cold,
Of
ice
and
snow
and
raw
edged
wind
Of
Killer
wolves
and
frozen
calves
Of
love
of
land
and
hope
And
deepest
pits
of
black
despair.
This
may
be
Paradise
indeed
...
'
No
scales
are
known,
nor
yet
devised,
To
measure
keenly
as
they
should
The
size
of
beauty
or
of
guta.
As
puny
man
I
cannot
judge
But
only
see
..
.
For
this
is
Rlmrock
Ranch,
B.O.
"How
about
nipping
over
to
CORDILLERA
REGION
Most
ol
the
province
of
Brit
Canada
lor
a
bit
of
a
trip?
His
friend
agreed
and
the
pair
landed
in
Halifax
a
month
later.
ish
Columbia
lies
within
the
region
of
mountains
and
plateaux
After
several
government
sur
known
as
the
Canadian
Cor
dillera,
which
is
a
part
of
the
vey
jobs,
they
found
themselves
in
the
Rocky
Mountains
of
B.C
where
a
novel
idea
was
born.
It
culminated
in
a
daring
un
dertaking
unpara'leled
in
his
great
system
of
mountains!
forming
the
western
border
of
North
and
South
America.
The
northeastern
corner
of
the
proince
lying.
east
of
the
Cordillera,
is
part
of
the
Interior
Plains
region
which
drains
into
the
Arctic
Ocean.
tory.
With
a
16-foot
canoe,
the
THE
CANADIAN
Fairbanks
-Morse
pair
set
out
from
Castelear,
B.C.,
in
March,
1950,
and
ended
COMPANY
UMITED
4
Rise
in
Cost
Of
NHA
Houses
1
1
1
Indian
place
names
are
one
of
m
precious
heritages
of
British
Columbia.
Not
only
are
they
usually
pleasantly
sounding
and
musical
but
Invariably
they
describe
with
peculiar
aptness
the
geographic
feature
to
which
OTTAWA
(CP)
The
average
.iff
cost
of
homes
purchased
under
the
National
Housing
Act
increased
by
four
per
cent
last
year,
the
Central
Mortgage
and
they
are
applied.
rf.Tl
In
order
to
protect
forests
of
Housing
Corporation
has
reported.
Tn
it
annual
review
of
mort
British
Columbia
adequately.
greater
attention
must
be
given
M
PartaW.
ttealrk
""
to
this
phase
of
the
problem,
PalftMafc
CMrlfl
Wwmw
mt
watrk
la
lata
Titer
(.
I
Teelt
fr
entitle.
ae1
ietrc1l
rrk
vara
tneJavtrlal
'Malrif
according
to
forest
officials.
gage
lending
in
Canada
CifHC
said
the
average
single-famuy
home
financed
under
the
act
cost
$11,768
last
year,
compared
Comprehensive
forest
insect
surveys
are
urgently
needed
and
must
be
made.
With
$11,304
in
1952.