TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF
ESTABLISHING PAPER DESCRIBED
BY T. R. McROBERTS
fCo-publisher of The Kusko Tiroes).
“When it rains it poui s.”
Our party waited ten days in r.n
chorng»or flying weatnor. Suruay
n. >n. ,'aniiary 10, the weather
broke ted we w re off for Tuk na and
"The Kusko Times.” The weather re
mained good until after crossing the
A.aska ..age, v here we ran into a
rainstorm. Pilot Estol Call at
tempt d to go around the storm, but
it grio.ua'ly closed in. We were
caught over the Kuskokwim riv-r
About ten miles below McGrath. The
pl^ne started to Ice up and we were
forceed flown in the middle of the
river. On .aiding, everyone piled out
only to s.r.k in to our waists in soft,
wet snow.
We had only one pair of sr.owshoes
ari.b us. John Beaton, prorr.i~.ent
mining man of Flat, broke a trail to
the bar.k where we cut poles to place
tinder the skiis to kegp them from
freering down. By th.s time we we:e
soaking wet and hungry as bears. Mr.
Beaton then started up the river on
snowshoes to locate shelter for the
party. Pilot Cali, Ted .McAdams,
-Alaska Egan and the wilier got busy
falling trees along he bank for fire
wood. This was quite a task as w;
had only one hand axe and most of the
Available wood was gre.n and so wet
it would hardly burn. However, we
finaLy got a small fire started and
Ate some food from the emergency
.rations.
tiy i.-ts time it was quite aarx ana
the *;orm hsS quit. A few stars
were strung and a light breeue blvsr
ing. We made it hack to the plane
.and proceeded to make our beds un
der one of the w.ngs of the plane.
Everyone was wet and cold and we
lay in bed for "hours shivering. Fin
ally the shivering ceased and sleep
•crept in. Some hours later we awoke.
The wind was howling and a driving
rain was beginning to trickle around
■our beds. The rain finally penr
trated through the bedding and the
gang started coning alive. By this
time wo were laying in a pend of ice
•water. There was nothing to do but
.’get up and crawl into the ship which
was loaded with luggage and bedrolls.
Was that a m-serable nigh? I’ll say
.it was. We sat all night huddled -ar.d
cramped up like a bunch of wet rats
The wind kept getting worse and e~
ery minute we expected to feel the
plane take off of its own accord
with the break of day. the wind had
-increased in velocity such ar. extent
we decided that our chances out
side in the storm were considerably
better than sitting in a plane pilotec
•by the elements, s© we turn! led ou;
land headed for the bank of the river
In the timber once more, we rigged
up a crude shelter with a piece cl
tarpaulin and eventually managed tc
get a fairiy good fire going on which
I we set a pot of he old sourduugt
standby—beans. The storm final.j
•died down and the thermometer be
gan to drop. We were unable to dry
-out by our smoldering fire. tbe were
i somewhat worried because of the pos
■sibility of the temperaure dropping tc
an extreme degree wihin the spa.e ol
a few hours. Wet as we were, such
a change might possibly endanger ouj
lives. We decided to try to b cak the
:pLane loose and taxi up the river t
the shelter of a cabin. w< could se:
a considerable distance up the river
About this time one of the boys
spied Beaton coming down the rivei
carrying several pair of extra snow
ahoes. We waited at the fire until he
arrived. Johr. informed us that the
cabin up the river was inhabited by
:* native family (Pete Gregory)
.Although they were short of grocer
ies and the menfolk were away, they
we were welcome to stay at the
i -place for shelter until the weathei
permitted us to continue our journey
We hurriedly tore down our make
ahift camp and reloaded everything
Iij the plane. After considerable
stopping and shovelling away of snoa
u.id ice, we finally trike the ship
loose and she tauied successfully up
the river. Tne pilot tai.ied close to
• he bank in fr.»nt of the cabin and
oar party followed along in the
tracks made by the skiis. On arriv
ing at the cabin, we ut some polsr
which we plr.ed uncV the skiis to
• prevent them freezng down. We alsc
! cut some heavy logs to vhch we fas
tened the plane by means of i opes so
that in the event of a strong wind or
blizzard coming up, the plane would
not upset.
When everything was shipshape, we
grabbed the partly c, ked pot of
beans and the ratic n can and went up
to the cabin. The Gregory family
moved into the kitchen and allowed
us to use the front room. Vithin a
few minutes, our wet clothes were
hanging aii around the stove, the pot
of beans was boiling merrily and we
were sipping hot tea. Verily, it
seemed g «od to be alive
H e slept on the floor that night in
s haphazard arrangement using .vhst
jdry bedding we had besides some
skins which were kindly loaned to us
by Mrs. Gri gory.
It turned cold during the night and
by morning the snow froze enough
■ to enable u !■* take off with the com
plete load. We bade goodby to the
Gregory's and within twenty minutes
from the time we took oT. we were
landing on the river in front of Ta
Lkotna, our destination.
■*■'**'-'* *•*.» aunuig, z.gan ana i
looked up E. A. Adams who had
chaise of the Kusko Times printing'
plant. We arranged living quarters
in the Kusko Times building pending
the outcome of a deal for the pur
! chase of the plant. On the day of
our arnva.. about half if the print
ing plant was about twe and one-h.alf
miits from Takotna on the McGrath
trad. Pete Michels, tee 11 known road
‘hs.use proprietor of McGrath, had ac
quired the plant from Mr. Adams a
short time before and was havng it
freighted to McGrath by Joe Oates
by means of caterpillar and sleighs.
The elements conspired to defeat this
move, however, when winds and ex
tremely mild weather set in, making
it impossible for the outfit to be ta
| ken through. A fe wdays later we
were able to contact Mr. Michels and
make the necessary arrangements for
j the purchase of the Kusko Times
plant.
A. H. Twitchell then came to our
aid by offering to bring hack the
| printing equipment from the stalled
i sled. We are certainly grateful to Mr.
Twitchell for his assistance in getting
equipment back, as quickly as
i he did. W ithout his prompt assis
tance, we would probably been delay
ed another week or more ing-tting
the paper under way
Takotna s machinist, R. E. L wrie.
also contributed a great deal t< ward
makng it possible for the publication
of this issue. He worked all hours of
the day and night making ci tain
parts which were missing fron the
plant.
The foregoing article is merely a
chronic.; if events which indie.t« a
few of the trials and tribuktions
leading up to the reopening of the
Kusko Times.
The difficulties encountered in re
establishing tne are lore
than offset by ality ana
the friendly t ^oper- He*
shown by practi. . . citizen in
Takotna.
DuRand’s Cafe
Good Clean Food.
Everybody Welcome.
FLAT, ALASKA
i TAKOTNA*]
| SCHOOL NOTES !
• The followng nrws notes wtre sub
ratted by the pupil* of the Takotn*
' public school. We hope to have a
i fair budget of news from our young
! folk in each issue. Miss Ethyl M.
j Deasgood is the teacher this year,
1 Her home is in North Dakota.
We arc just ‘one dozen’ now. This
is an increase of five over last year,
j There are sis grades.
We have had a short prog: am the
| last two Friday afternoons. Henry
and Arthur played the accordion for
, us and others sang songs, read s'ories
lor recited poems, learned during the
1 week
—Vesta O’Halloran
Every day at recess time we climb
the hill by our little log sehoolhouse
I and slide <_ wn on cardboard. Frc-ddie
sides down on skiis, jumps about six
feet into the arr anti ofter\ lands on
one point ns lead of two.
— Henry Miller.
We have some new shelves in our
school, in which to keep our supplies.
Mrs. Adams visited us last Friday
I. afternoon.
Adeline Larson.
I ■> Freddie and Henry have beer put
ting the flag up and taking it down
i this week..
Vi e have ■health inspection every
morning. \\ e tala- turns in being
the inspectors. Those passing inspec
tion receive stars.
—Martha M. Miller.
V e have been making Valentines
j this week and we are very anxious
lir February 14 to come.
Freddy and Henry are going to
make the Valenine box and Vesta is
going to help them.
—Velma O’Halloran
We have been having stars for good
a nduct and good work. Freddy,
Vesta and Henry are ahead at pres
et t, but the rest of us are hoping to
ratch up soon.
Nobody has beer, absent or tardy
' ft is mouth.
—Jean Alford.
"From January 18 to the 23. we ob
I served Thrift week. We wrote and
; read some stories about Thrift and
i memorized many of Eer.jamr. Frank
I lin’s wise sayings.
The pupils received letters from
Miss Orah Dae ''lark, and s<. me of
CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY
ALONG WITH PRESIDENT
E. A. Adams of Takotna and
President Roosevelt celebrated then
151st and 55th birthday anniversaries
respectively, Saturday, January 30.
Dances were held in more than
.■-•even thousand large cities and . mall
| communities throughout the nation in
jhonor of the president. The proceed?
' from the dances are to he turned
over to the Warm Springs Founda
tion at Warm Springs, Georgia for
j the benefit of .those afflicted with in- i
! fantile paralysis..
Although his anniversary was not
observed on such an .elaborate scale,
! a fine time was enjoyed nevertheless i
'at a party arranged by Mrs. Adam?!
•in honor of the event. An ,ng those
j prerent were: Mr. End Mrs. Wm.
Gregg, Joe Oates and George Christo.
WOLVES KILL DEER
To the decided increase of wolves
and coyotes, coupled with heavy
snow in the uplands, is attributed
j the cause of the roigra of deer
1 in larc» numbers to sea b« acne? and
lake shores rear Cordova, resulting
1 in the slaughter of the animals by
1 domestic oogs.
The Cordova Chamber of Com
merce is seeking permission f r the
, shooting of predatory animals ir
Lake Eyak Game Preserve in ore
; to protect planted deer.
her pupils. We are answering them I
for language.
I
—Frederick Oates.
;
i
Kl SKO TIMES REPORTER
INTERVIEWS TEACHER
While the repc-ter for the i.
Times was nankin)? the rounds
town in quest of new? any c
last week, he d - t?
I" casg'od, tr • ,e~
op • .. - . . .
9n his a;r.v«... he ’h: el
through several doors ir- . c
before entering into a hrigh , •
setting. Ye newshound th
-erved that he was not th
►tor. Miss Ellen Reidy v.
*>gag«.d instructing: Miss I
in th- art of preparing wr
Ci.r.siaera'-1< news of ir.'
obui-.ed conceminr sehoo
local activities which will b.
another r' rt of this i.ss.,
tea*-’.-, graciously Agreed to p.
a bu <get of news per aining .o
school and other activities a. reg...
interval.-. This .ill be a great he
to the paper in its efforts to cov
-ll local happenings possible.
~ci.be for T>~ Kitsk.1 Times.
- Remember the Adviartisers
Fred King
Notary Public
McGrath, Alaska
LOUSSACS Dm s
Anchorage, Alaska.
Drugs Rubber Goods RCA Rad
Liquors of All Kinds. Oh rea ec *
Special, Prompt Attention Giver A 1 M r
VJK
HEWITT’S PROTO
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA.
SHOP
directs your attention to their am. e : g o, •♦Jr.«r.t to
gether with their 24 hour service.
Carrying a full line of standard and !\ .. ph;
ough and Victor adding machines.
Battery radios for those living ir. unwired
batteries at ail times. M \IL ORDERS SOLICIiED.
|g
Kmj&jts 7 i' .iirjwsj
IKE
NORTHERN COMMERCIAL COMPANY
Wishes the New Publishers of the
!¥
TIMFS
I Wm
* *
m yy*
■ i
***
Every Success in Their efforts Toward Reestablishing
The Kuskokwim’s Only Newspaper
NORTHERN COMMERCIAL COMPANY
McGRATH
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