Northwest History. State History. Aeronautics, Continued Airports, Commercial Service. Air Route Surveys.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1937
• Subjects: Spokane; Ted Hudson; Vermont; Alaska mine; Fairbanks; Alaska; Felts field; Air travel; United States; Ice carnival; Seattle; Northwest History > History > 20th Century; United States > Aeronautics; Continued Airports; Commercial Service > 20th Century; Alta; Great Falls; Hudson; White Pass; Nome; Huskies
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/141682

Spokane Route Alaska Favored: Air Outlet From Fairbanks, Placer Operator - Says Wants Inside Highway. SPOKANE ROUTE ALASKA FAVORED Air Outlet From Fairbanks, Placer Operator Says— Wants Inside Highway. A ruddy man of the great outdoors looked on this city with friendly eyes from the lobby of the Spokane hotel a few days. He was Ted Hudson, Alaska mine operator, returning in spirit the friendly greeting received when he passed through here decades ago possessed of little more than a strong aspiration to obtain something worthwhile for himself. He had given his boyhood strength for a living in Vermont, ridden the range from Lewistown, Mont., and on the Musselshell in the middle '80s, heard the call of the Klondike in '97 and of Nome in '99, and answered both. He owns a placer mine on Olin creek out of Fairbanks, from which he took 1000 ounces of gold in this year's 100-day season and will multiply the "Production by 10 with a dragline installation next year, he said. Nuggets Like Silver Dollars. He is bound for Kokomo, Ind., that Mrs. Hudson may view the scenes of her childhood, and for his native Vermont. He had not been out of Alaska before in the last 18 years. "There was not a nugget in my take this year worth more than $1 or $1.50," he said with modesty. But from under his vest he drew a watch fob of gleaming, flattened nuggets, each as large as a silver dollar. He has owned the placer since 1914. Per capita, Fairbanks probably travels more by air than any community in the United States. It is served by a well-managed railroad, but there are many directions that the railroad does not go that the planes do. Mr. Hudson exhibited a copy of the Fairbanks Daily News- Miner containing two columns of air transportation advertisements. Inspects Felts Field. Spokane is being boosted by the News-Miner as the best way out of Fairbanks, said the guest. Some are favorable to Great Falls, Mont., arid Edmonton, Alta. Hudson passed a day at Felts field, met every one, was shown everything and carried away an impression favorable to its landing facilities for Alaskans. An inside route highway, such las espoused by big "Slim" Williams and his team of huskies a few years ago, is a general need, Hudson held. It would make accessible many great mineral areas of British Columbia and Alaska, undeveloped for lack of transportation, he said. In Rush to Klondike. "Did you know Scovill, a New York reporter?" he asked. "When 1000 miners and more horses were stalled on the White Pass in '97, he told them to stick and he would open a way. With the contributions of the mass, he brought enough powder to blow out the winter obstruction, a rock as big as this hotel, and the rush to Dawson was resumed. Scovill had chartered the City of Seattle and brought the explosives from Juneau." "We will be back in Alaska for the ice carnival and the dog races the first week in March," he promised.