THE KUSKO TIMES
VOL. L NO. 40
TAKOTNA. ALASKA, FXI DAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1937
TRICE 25 CENTS
PILING WILL BE
DRIVEN FOR NEW
HOSPITAL SOON
The Bureau cf Indian Affaira Den
ul L ireetor. Dr. T. J. Pyle,- on a
our of inspection of the Interior
r nts of Alaska, arrived in Takotna,
Thursday morning, accompanied by
i_r. E. W. Wcrbel who is stationed at.
Akiak.
The doctorsplan on remaining here
two or three days and then contin
uing on their circuit to Flat, across
to S’eetmute and down to Bethel.
Dr. Fyle wi.I then leave the company
ot Dr. Wcrbel and go on down the
,'oa.' to Bristol Bay, from there to
r..h:rage, Fairbanks, Nome an<j
cak to Juneau.
Dr. Pyle does very- little actual
■;ntai work, contracting that,to local
ntists of which he now has fifteen,
wn. do the work for~the natives.
Lr. Pyle arranged with Dr. O. A.
T rr.afiadt, who is now located here,
to do the native dental work for the
Bureau in this district.
The doctor stated that me money
had already been appropriated and
a Jotted for the new $180,000 govern*
?nt hospital to be built at BetheL
The driving of the piling-will be done
his coming spring, but work wont
tart on the construction of the pro
ject until the following spring as the
piling must be allowed to freeze in
one winter before starting- of the
work proper. _ !
Ihe new building will contain 60'
beds, 40 bids for tuberculosis pa
tients. The hospital at Mt. Village
w ■’ continue to take care of the pa
ri 3 cn the Yukon side but as it is
c. sed as only an 18-bed hospital
am r om is limited, the surplus of
it-bcr.ulosis pati.nts from that dis
trict wi 1 flow into the new Bethel
hospital. <
“At the tine I left Juneau, we had
15 va ancles to be filled for nurses.
Dr. Pyle stated. “We can get plenty
of hospital nurses but the qualifica
lons to pass the civil service exam
' notions requires that the applicant
‘ r,'. two years of college, and as a
alt of this requirement, we find it
ec.reedingly hard to fill the posi
rions,” the doctor informed. “The
position of traveling mirse oir the
Kuskokwim is also vacant and to
date, we have had no eligible appli-?
rants,” Dr. Pyle added.
Dr. V erbel, successor to Dr.
George, who is stationed at Point
Borrow, just recently entered the
service, arriving at Akiak Sept. 1,
r.ing from Chicago. The doctor
s that he has no means of tak
- rc of ca es at Akiak. “Patients,
that can’t be treated in their homos
and require hospitalization, muss be
sent to Mt. Village, or. incemergency
as:s, to Anchorage or Fairbanks.”
Dr. Werbel is making a Tour of the
bools of the Shskokwimr district
a d treating the children, for a skin
disease which has become quite prev
alent and is spreading rapidly up the
rivers, having started down the ifus
kokwim.
Dr. Wert el came up from Bethel
with Pilot N.ut Brown, joining Dr.
Fy’e in McGrath where they remain
ed for two days before coming here.
Hangar, Plane
Are Destroyed
By Fire, Report
ANCHORAGE, Nov. 23—A Are
broke out in A1 Jones’ hangar at
Morrill field, wiping out the hangar,
a six- place Fairchild plane and the
fuse’age of the stndmt training ship.
The fire was reported to have
started with gasoline. The flarae3
reached a tank of gasoline exploding
it and making it impossible to save
any ~f the contents, three men work
ing in the hangar barely escaping
w'th their lives.
The Fairchild, owned by A! Jones,
had just been completely overhauled.
One motor belonged to Pi'et Bert
Ruoff and tia other to Pilot Leo
Moore. The-fuselage of the training
ship belonged to Merle Burton.
The damage was estimated at $25,
000.
FIRST SNOW AT ANCHORAGE
Two and one-ha’f inches of snow
fell in Anchorsce Wednesday morn
ing. This was the first snowstorm of
the season in that area. While it con
tinued to snow and rain along the
rail belt at Anchorage and south*,
the weather remained clear and cold
on the west side of the Pass, and a
cold northeast wind was blowing in
WHAT’S DOING IN McGRATH
By Special Correspondent
| OrernigVt Visiters—
Mr. and Mrs. Arvid Larson were
■ overnight visitors at McGrath. They
poceeded the folowing day to An.h
orage with Pilot Ralph Savory.
Heard Game Warden Visits—
Warden. Jack O’Gonnor of the Alas
ka Game Commission, at A-cbor^ge,
who has been in McGrath about a
week on business, returned there the
23rd.
Leaves for TrapITne—
Dick Culliton Left with Pilot Good
man for his trapline r.ear Medfra.
Takes Passengers—
Pilot Estoi Cali t.adc a trip fr—;
Anchorage and returned with passerr
gers from Goodrews Bay, picked up
at McGrath
Brings Crew from Bear Creek—
Pilot Oscar Wine hell arrive.
McGrath with nine passengers
Bear Creek and went hack fer *t ‘e
er load.
I I.earcs for School—
Hal “Bud” Hansen, son of N. G.
i Hrn-en, former N. C. Co. a<rent at5
I i'cCruih, passed through McGrath,
enroute to Seatfe to school. He has
n in the employ of the Clara
7r'e!; Tl'n'ng Company, in the Gcod
vrs T uy platinum r: gion, during
i he summer. N. G. Hansen, who1
-ened a larg? store at Platinum this
pring, cEir.e through a few days la
ter, nroute to Folger.
Wceding Cells Ring—■
T.’cdding bells rang again in Mc
ra.h last Saturday nig.it when Wil
liam D: rr, - m ieff, of Holy Cr S3, and
Ar ia W loon, daughter of Mr. a~d
I,. N. Wilson, were married by
. Commissioner W. J. Wiuman.
room mas working in the capa
cecl nand on the SS Wallace
y d .■ rg last summer. The
Triii live at the home cf L. N.
n about 30 mi.es down river
ANCHORAGE IS
SYNONYMOUS
FOR PRQGREi
“The past season in Anchorage hi
been one of the busiest in nan;
years,” says W. A. How see. scLc ar
rived in Taotna last wt a ass.
the duties of business manager v.,..
bookkeeper for E W. Miller's river
freighting and sawraul enttrpis *.
“The railroad had the largest, ex
ansicn program since the cons.r-c
ion days,” he continued. “The Lucky
Shot, Fern and the Independ- nca
mines all worked fall crews. The
building of new homes was at its
highest peak. Over 40 building per
mits were issued in Anchorage this
past summer. At present there are
no houses that can be rented. Apart
ments are hard t-o find. This winter
there is an acute housing shortage.
Rents are reasonable, but there’s
nothing that can be rented.
“With the winter shutdown of
work,” Howard went on, “many men
have stayed on hoping to find em
ployment, others coming into town
from the Interior with the same idea
;n mind. This has caused a serious
ious unemployment problem. Anch
orage has the CCC for single men
fr:m 18 to 30 years of age. Many of
the unemployed are over the age lim
it or are married.
“The past season has seen the elec
tions for the school and paving
bonds. In the first election the street
bonds were defeated. A second spec
ial election was held on the paving
proposition with the result that it
passed.
“The school plans were awarded to
an Outside architect, a Mr. Naramcre
from Seattle. This caused much local
friction. Mr. Sedille, one of Anchor
age’s architects, circu’ated petitions
for the withdrawal of Mr. Naramore.
Fo a while it looked as though Anch
orage would lose the PWA grant,
but the city council and Mr. Nara
more finally won out.
People on the Outs id are finally
beginning to believe that Alaska has
auto roads. The reason for this
statement lies in the fact, that this
last summer there were TO cars in
Anch crape bearing the following li
cense plates; Arizona, California
Minnesota.’Montana, New York, Ter*
as. Washington, Oregon, Utah a*.d
Mississippi,” Howard concluded.
SFNDS FIRST GOLD
ABROAD IN TWO YEARS
WASHINGTON— Secretary Henry
Morprnthau of the treasury depart
ment, announced today poM will be
exported from the United States to
morrow for the first time in two
years.
He *r'd $10.25? 000 will leare N w
York on the liner Normandie f~r
France. The pold was purchased by
the French government's stabilization
fund to prerent the franc from fn
creasiny -orer the dollar too sharply
ATthouph' declininp to say whether
other countrtes contracted to buy
some of the LT. S. reserre, the secre
tary lefr the impression that ether
sums will cross the Atlantic this
week
lie explained the nrire of paid in
Louden readied $35.22 an (rarre,
maklmr it profitable to tsanaoert:
gold from this, country to Europe J
LONAI.D STAHFE SUFFERS
Cii .aKEii FINGERS
ihe P.A.A. Pilgrim landed here
n. wi.n an .Qjured man,
. t, who was being ta
- hunks ior medical atun
thr^e lingers off one
,-ru-ng a drill on lower
... a. rla., .or Dave Strand-,
-*r lllscovich was also a pas
. . .at tnroute to Pair
t v Ji known Fiat mining
„. kfcialn in Fairbanks for
t:. f j .r weeks before returning
hs tie sta: ping ground at Flat.,
It .fc-ptr j a very successful s^a
n cn Juiiaa creek.
Zi F CLARK OPTIONS
CLAIMS TO CIIAST HOLKY
Jeff niarV recently gave an option
.o Charles" Holky for ten p.acer
claims adjo'ning the Holky Dredging:
Company ground cn Ganes creek. The
purchase price named in the option
was $15,000.
DRILLING OPERATIONS
ENDED FOR THE WINTER
Drilling operations on the ground ’
being worked by the Savage & Math"
eson dredge on Gneas creek, have
ceased for the winter. The two op
erators hiked into Takotna from the
creek, arriving here late Wednesday
aftenoon.
EPIDEMIC OF THE “ITCH”
AMONG LOCAL CHILDREN
Cn account of an epidemic of the
“itch” circulating around town, es
p.cially among the school children,
the par nts have been keeping their
children ernfinod home. This result
ed in the school attendance being
pu'te lew; in fact, just “par.”
TRAPPERS CCME IN
*~CR BIG TURKEY FEED
Trappers came in from far and
near to smack their lips around tur
keys on Thanksgiving' Day, winding
up the treat by attending the hcuse
wrrming dance which lasted well
n o the morning.
Frrnk Mackey and his partner, A.
McDonald, came in fr-m their
- Vine and joined the long list of
•; t? a* the Takotna Roadhouse.
r.conaH Wantck, who is trapp n; in
c 1 wh Butte section and E. Hegg,
■r. Yankee creek, were also visitors.j
r'ln TeUr n, who has been «m-j
p’-yed on ‘he drill crew at the Srv-1
age r TTetheson dredge on Gancs
S' ■ t. »i.- also an if. ■.>'
N. C MEN VISIT HERE
William Kokko and Jack FerguSbn,
M. C. agents now stationed at ?Ie
'"rsth, arr:ved in town yes'erday af
t rro— t- jo:n in the festivities and
r ~ v- oV a—rc:ntan~rs. Both were;
rr 'V an'at- of the Its! N. C.'
s‘ore Fer—ns?n is leaving shortly
for the States on a well-earned raca
tirn.
mix UN TO FA TR VIEW
Our v-ry able correspondent, Chris
t-‘an Bolgen. made a business visit to
Takotna Tuesday, returning home
the sgnue . day. He info-rued the
T-'m~s- -Hat he was leaving for Fair
r'w*He mrt dav to take iuvoiee of
the. p-s,i#siasis of the late Max Sira- *
d am would be gone for several
days
YOUNG SON OF BOB
STONE PASSES AWAY
(By Special Correspondent)
Word was recently received that
Bobbie, nine-year-eld son of Bob and
' Dcra Stone, living at McKinley Fork,
I had died about two months ago. The
cause is unknown.
Word was sent by the bereaved
parents by dogteam, via Telida,
Nicho’.ai to Medfra. From there it
was telephoned to the Nixon mine,
who delayed it by radiophone to Mc
i Crath.
; Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Konig, the par
ents of Dora Stone, made arrange
ments with Pilot Savory,.who flew
Mrs. Konig and Edward, to the
Stone’s place and returned them to
McGrath a few days later.
The Stones plan to bring the body
to McGrath sometime in February
for burial.
NOI.LETTE AND NAUTTS
SELL MINING GROUND
It is reported that Mr. Douglas,
Wm. O’Neill and Robt. Winbauer,
representing Fairbanks capital, have
purchased the Golden Heart Placers
option on Ed Nollette’s and Casimir
Nautts ground on lower Yankee
creek.
The five men left-for Fairbanks by
plcn: Tuesday.
Report further has it that the
company will install a dragline this
coming season. Douglas, O’Neill and
Winbauer have been drilling the
ground during the past few weeks,
getting satisfactory showings.
MRS. ALBERT ANDERSON
RETURNS FROM HOSPITAL
Mrs. Albert Anderson and baby
returned frcm Anchorage Thursday
where she has been undergoing med
ical treatment in the Anchorage hos
pital. She is much-improved from an
attack of pneumonia.
Bob Vanderpcol also returned from
Anchorage where he has been visit
ing for the past few weeks. Bob re
ports that Joe Oates, Jr., plans on
returning to Takotna w'ilhin the
next few days.
ELL KNOWN DENTIST
ARRIVES IN TAKOTST"**' *
Dr. O. A. Brasil adt, one of the
best known dentists in Interior Alas
ka, arrived in Takotna early this
week irorn Ophir where he spent the
past month.
He has set up his equipment in
Owen Gray’s house and will remain
here as long as his services are
needed, he said. He -will then pro
ceed to McGrath after which he will
continue down the Kuskckwim to
Bethel.
Dr. Braafladt comes of a hardy
breed, there being hardly an outpost
or settlement in the north, including
the Arctic wastes, on which he has
not left his tracks. A great part of
his traveling to far plates has been
dene by dog teams. He tells many
interesting stories and anecdotes of
harptrrngs during his travels, and
has promised to give the Times an
’nteresttog story -for next issue,
MRS. HALLSbN VISITS
_
Mrs. Oddie Hallson dropped in on
Takotna yesterday to take in the big
: Thanksgiving dance, rtturning to her
home in McGrath this morning with
Pilot Barnhill. This was Mrs. Hall
son’s first visit to Tak tna in a year
~r more and she found herse’f hard
pressed for time to get around the
; town to meet her many friends. She
enioyed herself hugely, she said. Mr.
Hallson was unable to make the trip,
but sent his regards to everyone and
nlans to make a visit here in The
near future.
MAX SIMEL DIES
FROM FREEZING
ON OPHIR TRAIL *
(By Special Correspondent)
On Monday the 22nd, Alf Green
berg and John Kepo, on their -way to
Frank Beckman's place on Esperanto
I creek, found Max Simel laying unoon
! scious on the trail in front of his
dcgteam, at a place a short distance
from Frying Pan cr.ek cn the Ophir
. Tolstoi trail, with both legs frozen.
They immediately loaded the un
conscious man on the sled and speed
ily returned to Cphir, arriving at
about 6 o'clock, where, after all pos
sible efforts being made to revive the
unconscious man, he died in about an
hour. Dr. O. A. Braafladt, who was
in Ophir at the lime, directed the ef
forts to revive the stricken man.
The deceased was an oldtimer in
Alaska, coming to the lewer Yukon
as a young man and was in business
for himself in Anvik ar.d other places
on the Yukcn, coming to the Innoko
section shortly after the discovery of
gold on Ganes creek about 1907. He
established trading posts at Diskak
ket, Cripple and Ophir and later on
; at Tolstoi, in the innoko district,
where he had a store at Fairview, on
ute innoko at the time of his death.
For a number of years Simel had
the contracts carrying the mail to
Ophir and Holy Cross and Ophir and
Tolstoi. Mr. Simel leaves his widow,
and a daughter. Mrs. Cramer, living
' in Seattle ana two stepchildren, Sam
; Haraish and Miss Ida Harnish in
New York.
Holiday Dance
Is Best Staged
In Many Years
“The best dance staged in Takotna
in several years,’ was tne statement
frequently heard during and after
me nig uanee ce.eorauon sponsored
by L. K. rtoberts and f rank Larson
last (i nanasgivTiig j n.gnt’ at me
ci-y haii.
tkipie came to town from al!
points of tne compass to join in the
sthkiVlllcS.
And refreshments! Eesides the
bean tanner, there were sandwiches,
salad, cake and coffee—plenty ioi ev
eryone. me sponsors w,sn to taank
me lames who so a...my assisted in
many ways malting cages, salads,
and sandwiches arm tor ass,sung .a
serv.ng.
line music was contnouted by th<
one-man orchestra, .saatew .»l;i..r,
whs played a guitar, w.,k a harmon
ica aemcaeu. me les.ivmts tasted
Ulieki XdbC .21 a lie li.OiOial<r
MARITIME STRIKE SElleED;
os \lKOi> LhAVtS TOMORROW
SEATTLE, .Nov. zb—The SS Yu
kon, the first Aaska-bound boat to
leave ,or Aiaskan waters since the
threatened maritime tieup, is sthed
uled to sail from the Seattle dock,
destined for Scwara Nov. 27.
With the ending of the agreement
made last year between owners and
workers, the par-ms have Dem unaole
to come to a new agreement. AH
boats plying in A.askan waters have
been t.e-d up at tne bocks on arrival,
the workers reiusjng to continue un
til a new sa-os.act.ry agreement was
reached and signed by both parties.
RETURNS TO OPHIR
Arvid Larson returned to Ophlr
Thursday from a business trip to
Anchirage.
t
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Takotna, Alaska.
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