IN THE YUKON

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 160, 19 April 1949, Page 2

IN THE YUKON

Life of Telegraphist

LETTER TO ASHBURTON RESIDENT

Many stories have been written concerning the Yukon, mainly dealing with the gold days, but jn the following letter, received by an Ashburton resident from a fellowtelegraphist, many interesting facts connected vyith his work and the country are revealed.

“This station, Lower Lake* Lebarge, is one of four maintenance and telegraph between Whitehorse and Dawson City, a distance of approximately 4G5 miles of land line. This line is a single strand of No. 8 galvanized iron wire, grounded circuit, with generator power at each end. We use arouifd 200-250 volts for main line current. We also have at each station an emergency power source consisting of three 45 volt extra duty dry batteries, that we can switch in to communicate between stations, in the event of a main line power failure or cutoff. Each station also Has a high tension composite ’phone, that is tapped on to the line and grounded through a condensor; in this way it does not ground the line. “This Whitehorse-Dawson City section is the last land line link left of the original Creek, 8.C., and Atlin B.C. Radio has gradually crept in to replace tlie old morse line, especially up in the Yukon. Also, in. the more settled places, and larger centers, both teletype and automatics’ have taken the place of the old-time morse operator. “Our ratings, at these intermediate offices are agent, operator, lineman,

and of the three, the lineman one is most predominant. We have to be quite self-sufficient in every respect. Competent morse operators, of course, able to maintain and repair all our own equipment, then in the event of any wire trouble, such as a break, or ( a very heavy ground, we have to get out after it, sometimes with a helper if one available, more often alone. This lifie runs through the roughest and toughest of timbered mountain country, badly broken up with sloughs, creeks, rivers, swamps, and what have you. No such thing as a road kind, very few trails even. Travelling is done by gas boat, which, by the way, we also have to operate and maintain,

and hiking it ashore wherever necessary. Trees For Poles “Very few set poles are used to carry the wire. Wherever available, vve just take the top and a few limbs down on the nearest tree and use it for a pole. These trees, green if possible, will last for at least 15 years, against set poles lasting only about five years in most sections. We also do all this topping, limbing and climbing ourselves, using trees from 16 to as high as 65 feet in heighth, the higher the better, as it saves cutting so _ much heavy brush, which is continually

growing. “During the six to-seven frozen winter months, we rarely have to go out for trouble. In fact, in the nine years I have been here, .1 have never had a winter trip yet. A winter trip means going out with a clogteam and a helper, if available, and just; ploughing through the snow, testing once in a while, until the trouble is located and repaired. Also means making a camp under a large spruce tree overnights, sometimes at 30 below zero, using a, very heavy eiderdown sleeping bag and campfire. “Not so hot.” “In the course of the six months or so winter, there’s always a heavy accumulation of fallen timber on the line, as there’s practically no right-of-way, and when the thitw commences early in May, the line gets, about 90 per cept. grounded, and is just hanging on a hair. This entails a lot of relay work to move business, often from station .to station. Sometimes, even, we can’t even use the Morse, but use the high tension ’phone buzzer in a pinch to get business through. Repair Work “Along about the first week in June, I generally close this office; there’s no one here but myself anyway, go up to Whitehorse with my gasboat, pick up

four or five men, and commence going over the line from Whitehorse North, cleaning it up. We make camp wherever day’s end may find us, on river bank or lake shor,e,_ using tents and a campfire to cook with. My own section extends from Whitehorse to an abandoned station called Big Salmon, a distance of 127 miles, but nearly every season I generally go on to one or another section, with the re 4

pair work. “My 1948 repair season di<i not end until I returned from Whitehorse on my last trip at the end- of October. Was only 10 above zero, and, on account of the 42 miles of lake being so rough it took me well over two days to get over it. Sneaking along a few miles at a time-, with my gasboat, and camping on the beach beside a fire, waiting and watching xor another chance to move on a few more miles. “We really get some weather up here "during winter. For instance it commenced to go down in mid-Novem-ber, finally reaching a low of 60 below

zero, and never was above 46 below for over three weeks. Up and down a lot since this time, with another low dip a week ago to 46 below here for a few days. Has warmed up to-day, and is now 8 above zero, almost summerlike:. Had a snowstorm ..vermght, 100, and six inches of fresh snow this morning. We have had close to six feet of measured snowfall so far, anti there’s about 2) feet on Ihe ground now. “Our. mid-winter days are terribly short, hardly four hours daylight tor six or seven weeks, necessitating using a lamp most of the day. However, the da vs are stretching out now, over 11 hours of full daylight, and over five hours of sun. In mid-summer there s practically no darkness ait all for about two or three weeks, just an hour’s twilight. and in some places, the sun can be seen above .the horizon for the whole 24 hours.

“During the short open season on lake and river a fleet of flat-bottomed, stern-wheel steamboats operate between Whitehorse and Dawson, carrying passengers, freight, mail, and so on, and -also serving the few settlements in between. First boat down usually around May 25-27, after the ice is out of the lake, and the last one up around October 15-18. They pass up and down right in front of this place on the river, about GOO feet away. Often tie up here Tor an hour or so, loading on some cordwood which they use for fuel, and I go aboard for a bit of chin-chin and a mug up with he crews, most of whom are old friends of mine. * **

“During the closed navigation sea-

son, planes operate between Whitehorse and Dawson City, twice weekly on schedule, and oftener if necessary. They also serve the intermediate points; but, right here there’s no landing strip, and I have no official winter mail service. I depend on a bag being dropped from a low-flying plane once in a while, and on the few travelling Indians that pass up and down after a freeze-up, to take my mail out.

Big Correspondence List “I do an awful lot of writing during the winter, too. Have close to 120 names on by corresponding list, almost all over the whole world. Lots of fun and also a lot of downright enjoyment. This winter I have had' over 200 letters in, and have sent out over 250 so far, and have over 50 more piled up awaiting the next chance to go out. “This station is a three-roomed log cabin, pretty well fixed up, comfortable and warm, even during the coldest spells. The Government supply me with 12 cords of four-foot wood, which I have to buck into stove lengths and split; also supply gasoline for lighting. One has to do one’s own cooking, baking, washing, and everything else. There’s absolutely nothing here except the telegraph station, so one cannot pop into a shop round the corner for anything.

“For my winter supplies I have to lay in seven months’ supply of every last thing I need, generally having it come down on the last boat of the season. Around a couple of tons of stuff usually. The greater part of the grub is staples, such as flour, bacon, beans and tinned stuff, although I can keep spuds all winter in my good cellar, and oranges on into February sometimes. No chance to get any fresh stuff, as it would all freeze on the trail, Whitehorse being 67 miles from here, and three days’ travel for a dog team and sleigh. Practically no game here, and anyway I have no chance for hunting. We have to stick around pretty close to furnish weather reports for the planes. They call for them at any minute.

“I commenced work for this outfit way back in February, 1910, when I left Vancouver, 8.C., to come up +o their northern network, and have worked for them ever since, at 22 different stations, nine years here now. We are allowed two months’, vacation with full pay every three years, which is pretty good. Howevei*, I’ve let mine pile up until I shall have six months’ coming next June, and I’m going to take it all during next winter.”