When you hear a nickname like "Mudhole," you just know the
person behind it must be something special. And so it was with
Merle Smith He was a bush pilot supreme, one of that special
breed of hearty individualists who overcame all the obstacles to
make air transportation a reality in the remote reaches of
Alaska in the early days. Born near Colony, Kansas, Smith began
his flying career as a barnstormer in the Midwest. At one time
he had his own flying circus. His first job flying in Alaska was
with Cordova Air Service, and he continued to serve the town and
its people throughout his 43-year After being offered the job by
Cordova's president M. D. "Kirk" Kirkpatrick in 1937, Mudhole
hitchhiked to Seattle and boarded an Alaska Steamship vessel
bound for Cordova. His first assignment was to fly to McCarthy,
about 150 miles northeast of Cordova. "You can't miss McCarthy,"
Kirkpatrick assured him. "Just follow the railroad tracks."
Smitty did just that, until the fog closed in. Then he went on
instinct. Bob Reeve,