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University Daily Kansan Friday, Nov. 30, 1951
Arctic Slopes Resemble Rolling Plains Of Western Kansas, Two Grad Students Say
By DON PRINGLE
James W. Bee and Knox Jones, zoology graduate students, spent the past summer 350 miles "inside" the Arctic Circle at the northernmost point of U.S. soil—a botanist's, artists' and fisherman's paradise. The region is the Arctic Slope of northern Alaska.
Under the auspices of the office of naval research and directorship of Dr. E. R. Hall of the Museum of Natural History, Bee and Jones did field research at 10 localities on the Slope. Their home station from June 26 until the second week in September was the Arctic Research lab at Point Barrow.
In some ways the Arctic Slope reminded the zoologists of Kansas. The gently rolling, treeless tundra has somewhat the appearance of our Western prairie land, they said. However, the tundra is soft and near the coast dotted with thousands of lakes, most of them smaller than our lake Shawnee.
"No established roads cross the region; only rarely did we see an Eksomi village on our field trips. To traverse this emptiness in winter the Army and Navy use landing vehicle tanks, caterpillars and boats, but most travel both summer and winter is by plane," said Jones.
The zoologists always flew to their locations taking along 1,000 pounds of equipment. They took to the field at ten scattered points in an area somewhat smaller than Kansas, usually landing on a lake or river. They never knew whether they might hit a sandbar, or if the lake were too small or shallow or
if there were submerged objects ready to tear at the pontoons.
Generally the scientists would stay about a week in the field. Once they were isolated for three weeks while on location near a lake in the lower reaches of the Brooks range. The weather closed in and the plane scheduled to pick them up was delayed.
Bee and Jones adjusted their menus, went on with their research on mammals and plant life, and at night rolled up in their warm sleeping bags.
The zoologists noticed a strong tendency to work longer hours due to the perennial daylight. Even when they left in September the nights were moderately light.
"Probably the major adjustment we found necessary on the field trips was to become accustomed to 24 hours of daylight and the absence of both moon and stars," said Bee.
"Our major annoyance on the trips was the swarm of mosquitoes which covers most of Alaska until the first frost. The insects are not so tenacious as Kansas mosquitoes, however." Jones said.
he beauty of the Slope made up the discomforts, the zoologists
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"To the botanist and artist the Arctic Slope would be a paradise. The brilliance and color of the area with the many spring flowers or fall colors is hard to describe," said Bee.
"Grasses, lichens and mosses are the dominant vegetation of the Slope. The mosses give the rocks a sort of greenish-brown cast, while cottongrass, which covers much of the tundra during the summer, creates the illusion of fields of snow. As for real snow, of the five or six inches of precipitation annually, only a small part is snow," said Jones.
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The zoologists saw many mountain sheep in the Brooks range, and evidence of bear, wolf and fox. A day never went by but that they saw a wolf track, they said. The caribous, however, of all the animals inhabiting the Slope, is the one found in largest numbers, they noted.
They are glad to be back from the "frozen north," although the temperature at one time during the summer was 82 degrees. Just as the zoologists were leaving, however, the ice pack closed in Point Barrow and the Arctic Ocean, the Mediterranean of the North, was again one big—but rough—skating rink.
Bee and Jones were especially
Despite civilizations inroads the Eskimos are healthy and happy people the zoologists believe.
impressed with the area as a fish "stockpile."
Although the modern-day Eskimo may own a washing machine, he does not own a refrigerator, the zoologists declare. This is mainly because he doesn't need one. He simply digs a hole in the ground down to the permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, and catches his food. He has no power shortage, cramped space, or spoilage to worry about.
"The thousands of lakes which dot the coast are a fisherman's dream come true. They are crowded with lake trout, two foot long on the average, swimming at all times right before your eyes," said Bee. "We caught all we wanted using only small pieces of bright-colored cloth for bait."
"Besides a washing machine, many of the Eskimos own a Montgomery Ward catalog, which has become their book of by-laws," said Bee.
As all adventures must, Bee and Jones at last had to conclude their Alaskan life and fly back to Lawrence. However, they have been encouraged by the Navy to return to the Arctic Slope and they would like to. They feel that far too little is known of this area.
"Eskimos take advantage of the quantities of fish in the lakes. They will work one lake until it is almost fished out, move on to another one, and finally come back to the first lake five or six years later," he explained.
At present they are both working on advanced degrees and continuing research in the Museum of Natural History on the collections brought back from Alaska.
Besides, they had the best food in the world up there, they report. The Navy was generous with T-bone steaks. For water they simply drank from the many pure, clear streams and lakes.
The States have some advantages they discovered. In Alaska oranges cost 20 cents each and coins smaller than a silver dollar are seldom seen.
Perhaps as a result of the more difficult struggle to live there. Alaskans appear to have a strong code of ethics. Honesty is very evident, the zoologists noted.
"One white man at Bettles, south of the Brooks range, does not even fix prices on his goods," said Bee.
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