AIRWAYS PIONEER

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 154, 25 March 1939, Page 12

AIRWAYS PIONEER

Wellington-Born Man In Honduras JUNGLE FLIGHTS Founder Of Progressive Service Lowell Yerex is one of the bestknown names in Honduras, Central America, for it is very largely through the enterprise and courage of this man that this jungle-covered tropic State has become air-con-scious.

Mr. Yerex was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and is first cousin to Mr. K. E. Luke, city engineer, Mr. Arthur J. Luke, and Dr. Eric Luke, Wellington, his mother having been a sister to the late Mrs. C. M. Luke. Lowell (“Date”) Yerex was the sou of the late Mr. George Manly Yerex, an American who was in business in Wellington 40 years ago. His son, Lowell, was born in Wellington in 1895. But as a youth he travelled far, for he received his education in Wellington, Tauranga, the Valparaiso University and a college in Indiana. He taught in a school in North Dakota, and was fledged in the Royal Flying Corps in Canada, England and France. After the war he controlled an air circus on the Pacific Coast of the United States, lost all he had, and took over a motor-car agency in Sante Fe in 1929. Then he operated an air service to Mexico.

During the great depression he turned up in Honduras, a jungle-faced country between Yucatan and Panama, having only his own little plane and 25 dollars. With such assets he incorporated the Transposes Aeros Centro-Americanos, the object of which was to give Honduras an air service. Today that company is one of the largest carriers of aerial freight in the world, known now by its initial letters, Taca. Where Cortes forded his horses over the San Pedro River, on his march into Honduras, this Welling-ton-born man during the first six months of 1938 carried 7,000,0001 b. of freight, 88,4001 b. of mail matter and 12,300 passengers, to say nothing ot their 143,0001 b. of excess baggage.

Help for Chewing-Gum Industry.

During its brief life Taca has carried 40,000,0001 b. of mining machinery, rice, gold, mahogany logs, tractors, coffee, and refrigerators. Mr. Yerex has taken all that is newest and most helpful in present-day civilization in the United States to the most backward and least-developed country in the world, and that without the benefit of any subsidy from any Government or agency in the world —surely a feat worth chronicling in the city of Lowell Yerex’s birth.

One of the articles of commerce that plays a part in the success of Taca’s operations is chicle, for inland Pelan is one of the few places in the world where grows the sapota tree, . from whose sap chicle is made. Without chicle the chewing-gum industry would lack an essential element. Only 10 years ago a string of pack mules might, with luck, make the jungle journey from Petan to Puerta Barrios, on the coast, in a fortnight, but in the rainy season the journey could not be made at all. Yet today Taco thinks nothing of picking up 40001 b. of Hie commodity and landing it in the coast port in an hour and 40 minutes. A landing field lias been made at the foot of the palace and temple ruins of Uaxaxtun, in one of the most inaccessible portions of Potan, a place formerly reached by explorers after mouths of hazardous struggling through the dense forests of this region. The return journey from the coast is made with galvanized iron, lard, soap, foodstuffs, and gewgaws, with an occasional Diesel engine thrown in . This field has been in existence only 12 months. Another landing field is now being made at Paso Caballos.

Wounded in Revolution,

One could not very well live in one of these Central American States without becoming embroiled in revolutionary activities which afflict such countries in much the .same manner as does yellow lever. Mr. Yerex was caught in the last revolution, amt for his pains lost the use of an eye. He, in association witli a certain “General'’ Maloney, took sides and, having manufactureu bombs by hand, went forth to present them to the enemy insurgents. Unfortunately something went wrong, and Mr. Yerex was wounded hi the eye. With that member shot to pieces, he Hew back over the mountains with Maloney holding a wad lo the eye. Handicapped as he was. he landed the plane safely in a Government field. Lowell Yerex’s mother is a resident of Lower Hutt. Mesdames A. J. Park, Knight’s Road. Lower Hutt, is a sister of liis. as is also Mrs. A. I’m'k, Wellington. Mr. Yerex was actually born at Loehaber, the residence now occupied by Mr. D. A. Ewen in Lower Hutt. His father was senior partner in Wellington of lhe firm of Yerex and Jones. He once contested the Hutt seat in Parliament against Sir Thomas M Ilford, and lie was the man who founded the ••Hutt and I’elone Chronicle.”