THE KUSKO TIMES
VOL 1. NO. 23
TAJiOTNA. ALASKA. FRIDAY. JULY IS, 1937
PRICE; J6-'€**YS
FOUB CAMPS
PLANNED ON
NIXON ROAD
Hawley Sterling, assistant itunjef. en
gineer for the ARC, ihrctMbr.aun AJ
a-ka, arrived in Takotca-Jaf’ Satur
day on a tour of inspection of the
roads already built - and checking
over the construction of . the new
projects started in this xtcea
Mr. Sterling, in company with Mr.
Spach. made a trip owr the Ophir
and creek roads last Sunday.
They spent Monday in the local of
fice checking over matters and going
over reports. On Tuesday, they left
Takotna. following the proposed
route pf the Takotna-Nisor Forks
. road, continuing on to McGrath. Af
ter lining out the work «n the Mc
• G’-ath airfield. Sterling left for An
. chorage and Spach for Bethel.
1 he ARC has eight men employed
. at McGrath on the :^»nstructi«i of
the new landing field-on .the old loca
tion.
Two camps are now ' ■working on
the Nixon Forks road with an addi
tional crew of four men working out
of Takotna. graveling this-end of the
road. Another camp- will be estab
lished ear)y next week at -Bridge
Creek and a fourth camp is being
planned for the ctlret ac.d) of the road
at .a little later-1 date.
Worked is being rushed an the Nix
ar Forks road as fast . as . possible.
The ARC is short of aq»i4»nem- »nd
will be .unable to start approvements
on the Takotna .and Xiphir landing
fields until later on in .the summer
m early in the fall. Frank Guskey
has bec-n placed in charge of the work
being carried on out of Two-Mik
camp. Ham Ash is .acting foreman
a: IJeCrath in the absence of. Mr. j
Adams.
WIN BAUER TO FAIRBANKS
ON SHORT BUSINESS TRIP
B 'b Winbauer, who recently-teased
the large placer holding? of Ed Nol
le! on lower Yankee Creek, left Sat
urday with Pilot Jimmy Dodson -in
a W*ien Alaska Airline . plane for
' Fairbanks where he will spend a few
days conferring with officials of the
mining company he represents. He
expects to return to Takotna by the
2tih of this month.
Billy Bruce, Lee Lamprecht and Ed
Nolle are nut on the newly leased
ground sinking holes and prospecting
in g neral. Equipment may be ship
ped in on the last boat this fall,
and then this promising group of
claims will be listed among the. aro
ducers of this section.
GANES CREEK DREDGE
WORKING GOOD GROUND
The Ganes Creek dredge has worked
its way into what is believed to be
except onaliv good ground and the
operators expect to.have a few good
dcan-ups in the near future. Alaska
Egan was a visitor at the dredge
Tuesday, making the trip with War
ner Alford. He reports the chuck put
out by Jim Salon, one of -the ; best
known among the old-time chefs, is
excelled by none; the cojpDajiy...spar
ing no expense in the kitchen, living
no to Abe. old aayipg Ahat “Nothing
is tod good for the; .working man.”
MRS. ERIC HARD DONATES
TYPEWRITER TO 1 THE TIMES
The Wandering. Rep rter maae Act
rounds last Tuesday and. sampled all
of the cooking at the various camps
on the creeks and ended up by eat
ing a lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Erie
Eard in Ophir thatc -venirg. ^
Mrs. Hard now has a nice new
typewriter and very kindly doaated
her old one to Tha^Cifeko Times; who
greaply appreciate'keep gif;.
Mr. Haid’s.newr-warehouse isr.uow
finished. It is. a corrugated iron-cov
ered two story bdildigg with: a spiral
stairs inside. The first story contains
very neatly built and arranged cup
boards and pigeon-holes for bolts,
nails, and various and; sundry hard
ware and; pans. The second story is
for larger pieces.fnr .storage. It is
large and rooigy. bare of Sins and
shelves.
SPENBiTWAY' ON CREEKS
'Martin Jorgenson, Alaska sales
representative for the Standard Oil
Company, visited most of the creeks
Tuesday, eswrthd by The Wandering
He porter.
~TAKES~OUT SUPPLIES
7. J Pach, accountant for the Ganes
C- ek dredge, took out two truck
.<■ f i.od supplies bo the camp
auesdjiy.
MRS. SCHXEIRLA DIES AT
HER HOME IX MICHIGAN
Mrs. Ira Sehneirla, former resident
of Little Creek, passed away recent
at her home in Clinton. Michigan.
Mrs. John Rietk was informed of
her death in a letter recently receiv
ed by her from William Sehneirla, a
son of the.deceased.
Mrs. Sehneirla will be remembered
by the old-timers of the Ophir district
and surrounding country as residing
on mining property on Little Creek
15 years ago. Mrs. Sehneirla went
Outside at that time and has not been
back since.
The menfolk remained here work
ing the claims far several years, af
terward selling out to Waino Puntilla,
who is now dredging the ground.
Mrs. Rieck has bee/a receiving a
letter and package from Mrs. Schneir
la every- Christmas since she left Al
ask3 until last Christmas when she
missed getting the present. probably
because of Mrs. Schneirla's ill health.
BUST STRIPPING GROUND
OUT ON SPAULDING CREEK
Vibe & Schwalsdall are taking ad
vantage of the extremely low water
and are stripping additional ground
ahead.
By the time the overburden is
stripped ■ off of sufficient ground,
they hope the rainy season will hnvc
set in and the water supply in
creased.
Terrific Rain
Storm Startles
.Local People
Takotna experienced one of the
hardest rain storms ever known . in
this part of the country, last, evening.
The storm was purely local being
in the nature of a cloudburst. The
rain started suddenly and came down
in torrents swelling the small streams
and. sending the. numerous smalL riv
ulets tearing toward the Takotaa-Riv
er. The storm lasted only for, a lit
tle over an hour, but it.was followed
throughout the _night by surma!
showers, raising the water in-the riv
er an inch or two, which will be
of some benefit to the kickers whoS
of some benefit to the river men. who
are bringing freight up the river
in small boats equippedvwitb kickers.
The storm was at least a break in
the long, dry spell, and it is hoped it
is a forerunner of a rainy season.
Those "mining men- who have been
going around with Jong faces
for the past week or two, are
now smiling once more. With this
break in the "weather, they see _a
chance of a successful season ahead.
OKLAHOMANS ARRIVE TO
PROSPECT IN THIS AREA
Messrs. Rpy andlKid Tolliver from
Oklahoma City, arrived in Takotna
Tuesday, from McGrath with Andy
Miller on the barge Mudhen.
The two big strapping Oklahomans
have been working for the past "three
months at Juneau. They left the dry
state of Oklahoma for the sunshine
of California. On arriving there, all
they could hear was “Go to Alaska,
young man, go to Alaska.” Being
footloose, and nothing real urgent on
their minds, 'they let their feet drift
farther northward and landed in Ju
neau early last March. The old-timers
in Juneau pointed their fingers still
westward: and said, “Go to the K as
kokwim, young man, go to the Ku^
kokwim.”
Now: they are here in the Kusko
kwim wanderings what to do next.
The twoyyonng1 huskies are anxious
to try the propsecting game. They
are out lot'king for Alaskan adven
ture add romance and want to try ia
little btr everything before deciding
whether nr" not they are in the coun
try to stay.' Well, there's romance in
Alaska too as well as adventure.
Watieh out boys or one of our "pretty
dusky Alaska maids will find favor in
your eyes and then it will be “Good
by Oklahoma.”
CREW MOVES TO TOWN
TO START GRAVEL WORK
With the moving of four men from
the ARC two-mile camp to town, four
new men have been added to the al
ready large crew on the Deep water
road.
The "four -employes who are * now
stationed in town are frea Dubois,
Joe'Clark, Curley Anderson and Dal
started graveling the new road from
lie McRoberts. They have already
this end. The newly hired men were
sent out to the Two Mile camp this
aft r-man
HOLY CROSS
HAPPENINGS
BY MISSES ANl'TKA and ANGELA
DEMI EXTEEFF
(Special Correspondents)
Mistakes Landing Place—
APRIL 27—Pilot Hans Mi»n» — a
stranger here, arrived this afternoon
making two landings, one at AnviV,
the other at tihost Creek, mistaking
both places tor Holy Cross, bringing
two boarders for the Mission. The
girs were accompanied by their step
father, Mr. Nabelle of Unalakleet
and a younger step-sister. Mr. Na
belle is enroute to Anchorage for
medical treatment.
Party Held l*p for Week—
MAY 27—Mr. Hitt accompanied by
his wife and two daughters, an elder
sister, and a crew of seven men, ar
rived here on the Star’s tri-motored
Ford piloted by Chet Brown. The
party was held here for a week be
cause of the break-up. The Mission
boat brought Mr. Hitt to Stuyuhuk.
Brother Feltes. the engineer, took his
crowd of 30 school boys for a trip
making it their annual garden and
school picnic.
Sister® Leave for Quebec—
JUNE 8—The arrival of the find
boat causing the usual excitement
occurred today. The boat carried
three barges and was loaded to cap
acity. The boat docked on the Mis
sion front instead .of at the near
end of town because of the high wa
ter. Mr. Boy Hunter., was one of the
passengers on the boat, -returning to
Marshall after a three. months visit
to the Outside. The return rtrip-nf
the boat from Marshall brought Rev.
Father O'Connor. S. JT. superior- cf
Akulurak Mission, here on a business
trip. We were ail glad to welcome
our forme’ .parish priest-back. Sis
ter Mary Perpetual Help, Superior
of this Mission, accompanied* hy Sis
ter M^rv Gustave, took nix# boat. -
ginning, a journey that will-have. Its
destination, a1- fai ^ast as Quern-,
Canada. Sister Mary Gustave has
been suffering from her spine all the
past winter, and Holy Cross pupils,
old as well as ne» . were- all terry -p
see Sister , go as she was much loved
and appreciated by alL Sister spent
almost SO years here at .Holy-Cross
with just a short visit out in '22.
Miss Rost Ray Leaves—
JUNE 18—Pilot Savory landed bere
answering a call sent by Fr. Endal
for a plane, to take a pretty 13-year
old Holy Cross Graduate, Rose Ra\,
to .her. sister. Mrs. Da Hey dark, of
Bear Creek. She is the youngest
daughter of Mr. Charles Ray of Flat.
Brings First Mail of Season—
JUNE 22—The “Nancy Belle," a
mail and f re: git launch, own
ed by Ira Woods, plying between
here and Flat, arrived this p. nt- Ta
tiana Demientieff was on board com
ing on a short visit. Mr. and Mrs.
Mark Christo were also on - and are
now visiting their aunt, Mts. Luc>
Whitley. This was the second trip of
the boat and, incidentally, it brought
us the first mail of the season, but
we consider ourselves lucky when we
remember Marshall is still waiting
their first, since ApriL
Gets Steel " Sliver in-Eye—
JUNE 2S—Brother Geo. Feltes, has
been suffering from a steel sliver in
his eye for the past fw. days. How
ever, the sliver has ’worktoc itself out
and Brother seems relieved.
Good Ron of Salmon—
In spite of the high -water the -an
nual run. of salmon if prac tically as
great as other years.
High Water Reaches Peak—
JUNE 2S—The high water Here,
now lasting a month, reached it* peak
today measuring at the lower part of
the town eight feet above the normal
level of high water. The water came
gradually, thus giving time to every
one to save their property. Three
families atone remained in their
homes, Mrs. Lucy Whitley, Mr. and
Mrs. Ivan Demientieff. and Mr. and
Mrs. Nicholas Demientieff and fam
ilies. Others remained as long as pos
sible, finally taking refuge in tents.
The gardening done by all this spriag
was useless work.
Nenana Makes Second Trip—
JUNE 29-=The •'Nenana” arrived
here on its second trip this "morning
bringing Rev. Father Prange. Sopt.
anchfer- McElmcel iff Mtffakto
ROAD BUILDING IS BEING
RUSHED AT CANDLE CREEl
• Candle Creek is concentrating a1
efforts on completing a road througl
12 miles of timber lo the Kuskokwin
.River to brir.g in its- dragline, equip
ment
Strandberg and Sons, op-ravers
plan to re-mine the old dredge tail
ings with the dragline equipment
The company will also mine virgii
land in other nart* of the valley.
Twenty-three men are workinj
here, divided into two gangs Tor thi
purpose of r.iad building.
Work is also going anead on i
landing field abnnt four miles fron
anding field about four miles fron
the main camp- Airplane landing
at present are made -with seaplane:
on a slough
Ted Strarsdberg is in active chargi
of operations and L. C. Doheny i:
engineer and metallnrgist
Bl'SY PUMPING AVI) CALKING
PUNTJLLA DREDGE ON GAVE;
Pat Savage. has a crew of m* n bus
v iy,«ngaped munoing out and calkin
the old Puntilla dredge on Ganei
Creek. Mr. Savage x*>po*-is the hiil
in finp shape -and expects tc havi
the dredge in order within a shor
time. Mr. Savage came into tovn
Tuesday night to pn-cure a cectrifc
gal pump for use in pumping out t><
dredge.
Platinum Enjoys
-Real Fourth of
July Celebration
PLATINUM—Several - residents- o;
Anchorage played prominent role:
here on the Fourth of July in thf
biggest celebration ever staged -here
Stampeders to the platinum country
gatheied on the bleak shores 01
Goodnews Bay and conducted a ful
program, of races, speeches and othei
events.
-The main event was a thrilling
kayak race over a half-mile cours*
and Eskimos from this vicinity had i
great time. The race started -25 yardi
from shore. At the sound of the gut
the Eskimos dashed to the water’s
edge carrying their kayaks, aunchec
them and dashed -along ever the half
mile course.
The holiday program opened with
a parade from the Alaska Traders
St,ore to the airfield. Prizes were
awarded for the best dressed Eskimc
woman, best dressed Eskimo man ana
best dressed stampeder
\\ alter Culver, well known baritone
fronj Anchorage, led the singing anc
patriotic songs. Addresses were by
George Campbell, also of Anchor
age, and Mrs. Walter Culver, depart
ment president of the American Le
gion Auxiliary.
Separate races were run for white
men, ladies boys and girls, and Es
kimo men, ladies, boys and girls.
During the afternoon there was a
long .string of events, including - a
women's rolling pin throwing contest,
nail driving contest, potato race, egg
carrying race, crab race, shoe and
mukluk race, pie eating -contest, and
spear throwing contest.
Unique events included a panning
contest in which the stampeders
gathered around a creek and panned
out platinum. -There was also - a
stampeders' footrace and a claim -
■ staking contest in which he stamped
| ers dashed to a given point, placed
their stakes and wrote out the for
mal descr.ption of their claims.
A baseball game started a 6 o'clock
in the evening. The holiday ended
with a big dance
ADEPT AS FiSHERWOMAN
Vibe & SchwalsdslTs cook, Mrs.
Rasmussen, has been keeping - her
camp supplied with fresh grayling
: caught by herself during the ever
l -lags out fit. Upper Ganes Creek.
Mrs. Rasmussen-has the reputation
of being a first class fi&herwoman as
well as an A Mo. 1 cook. - She • says
: the fishing is swell and that they *a
' sist on biting better as the night
progresses: so much so that - it is
hard for her to quit fishing in time
to get a little shut-eye before facing
breakfast and a long day's work
FREIGHT BROUGHT UP
TOR THE OPHiR STOKE
H. A. Twrtcbell and Harr. Dulab
hauled two loads of perishables and
1 much needed supplies np from -the
MJ?. Alaskan aBd M.S. Sea Wolf for
Mike Myntti of the OjSur Star* thi»
week. The big boats are down -rpe
| low Takotna waiting Tor. it t-sw. «.a
a -rise in-water. i
B.GOODPASTEP
PASSES A WAT
AT ANCHORAGE
Bert Goodpaster. an ^old-timer •;!
Takotna and <otfe r camps- of the
North, passed away in the Anchor
age Hospital 8:00 e'clock- this <Pri
; day) morning, according to a- tele
gram received here this afternoon by
Wm. K-okko, manager- of the V C
store.
Mr. Goodpaster had beer ailing
for some time, and getting steadily
worse, friends finally prevailed or
him to go to the Anchorage Hospital
f'-r expert medical dare. He--- rad
been at the hospital for four weeks
prior to his death
Mr. Goodpaster was an old sour
dobgh of the -N* rth. riadSne com* • tr
Fairbanks in 11*00. He spent some
time in Nome daring the boom days
’ of that camr ar.o then vec back
south to Cache Creek where he did
some mlfiir g. He ame to thb sec
, tion about 1010 where he has since
resided, engaging in mining to some
' extent and working for the ARC _i.
til the was compelled tc- rettre from
, active life a few years ago on ac
count of ill health. He spent the last
few yearsof his life doing ode jobs
for tbe N. C. Co. and rat-h g one of
: the finest gardens m town from
i which he derived some income.
The deceased nad many friends it
this district and was highly respiarted
1 by both young and old. They are all
saddened tc the new s t>f tis passing
when they fulij expected u «-.* bin
. :ibck~ ih his gander.' -within a sho”t
, time.
He is survived by a sister, Mrs
John Cochran of Lebanon, Ohio. He
i i* oeievedl 'ti' i* about 7l years
is believed to have beer, about 7>
.'years old.
SUSPEND H Yt)Ra UL1C
MLNING LITTLE CREEL
Larson & Larson have suss*ei»de
.'operations on Little Creek during the
present dry spell.
Although a shrrtage of water is
reported throughout this dfetrset
there is ar ample supply of water
for the big-operators, -who are mak
ing good progress with the season’*
work.
The small, independent • operators
-who depend on a pentiful suupjy. of
water for theu Juicing and hybrau
icing operations are tbe ones serious
Iv affected by the eontirued dry^soel,
MINING AT POORMAN
as AT A STANDSTILL
Leonard Zaiser of Poorm'an, is a
new arrival r nTakotna, cratirg here
from that place with Pilot Osear
Winchell \\ ednesday.
Mr. Zaiser s w ife, daughter of Mi
ard Mrs. Johr Rieck, have- beer dr.
T&k-na for several weeks. THt
young couple will make their - home
in the 'ruse recently: purchased by
Martin Clancy.
Mr. ZaiStr reports that peratibr-s
- at Poorman are <prac$caily at *
itandstill now. due to a sht-ftuge -of
water. Being no creeks or springs it
that district, the miners have to take
advantage of the spring run or arte
- summer rains.
NEW ARRIVAL BERE
B. L. Lyons, who arrived here fron
Fiat fast rattrdax and has been step
ping with Capt. McLean, went tr
work for the ARC today. Lyons was
sent out to the Two-Mile camp aka.t
with three other men. They were
the two Tolliver brothers ard CHu'
Jklgen.
BRING IN -CLEAN-I'P
Prank Speijack and Pete M^st 1fc
partners in the Gaaes Creek dredae
were business visitors “h Takoth*
this afternoon. They brought in th»
second clean-up of the season fro»r
• the dredge.
WILL WORh tor"\Re
01 uf Bdgen, brother -of ur Ot*
cbtrespondect, Christian Boigen.- ar
rived in Takotna yesterday with Qit
Blind helm. Oluf will enter the 'e*c
ploy of the ARC and expect-? *.v'• be
stationed at. the new -camp no*’- be
. mg established at Bmdge Crefci.
OATES KEEPING Bl^Y
-Jed Oates has-been '"gefc.g -dkU
i and - day -this past week *1 auHt*;
tfvdt^it-aad-tpaasengtTs to the creek
-He is-begiar. to look forward *t
id allied -^ajght" and a little -sleet