Russian Massacre
On Coppf r River
The following story told by Ni
colia Offmarninoff, who was of the
party of Russians which was almost
annihilated by the Copper Riv r
Indians over seventy years ago, is
c' interest to all old-timers. The
ory has been verified by the form
Chief Stickwan, who was one of
the attacking parties.
Iri 186? a small party of Russians
were sent out by the fur company,
then operating in this section, to
explore the interior country adjacent
to the copper River. There ware 24
men in the party and they reached
the mouth of the river early in the
spring while it was still frozen.
They had plenty of food and cloth
ing for years but bad no dogs or
animals of any kind fur hauling their
sleds.
They travelled up the open delta
of the river, against frightful storms
and with great hardships until they
passed the glaciers and then the
river began to show signs of break
ing tip. The men realized that if they
succeeded in making their journey
it would be necessary to increase
their rate of travel.
A short distance above the rapids
they struck the first village of In
dians. It was only a small tribe,
and the Russians pressed every
abkbodibd man in the camp into
servi e as draft animals. Soon after
lea\ ,ng this village the sleds had to
be abandoned and the Indians were
forced to take enormous loads n
back. In this manner the outfit was
moved to Taral, where more Indians
were forced into the service and as
the party moved up along the river,
recruits were picked up at each vil
lage.
They treated the Indians as slave..,
often beating them and subjecting
them to all manner of indignities.
Pven though the Indians greatly out
numbered the Russians they could
make no resistance, for they had
been forced to leave their only
weapons, bows and arrows, behind
them, and were in great dread of
the jari , s ca-ried by the Russians.
They boro evesy indignity heaped
upon them, apparently with res’gm
tion, but they were really looking
for an nppr '-n'tj to retaliate on
the RussianTnis opportunity f!n
ally presented .tself.
After one particular hard day’s
revel ;Uc pact.t v.-e Into •••am; ■
rone bctwe.n he muiths of ti e
i". t- nrl r.a Rivers.
Rvsdrr.3 were very 'red and the
men they placed on guard .all asle.p.
During the night the 1: dans aro
ami attacked the Runs;a ' h . 1’b
and axes. They killed 21 L. re the
Russians. real.zed what was happen
ing. The vc:. ii'ning vhree escaped
and started down river.
They i. d on .-• eh roots nr' be.
os r.s ‘.buy could find and at one
of.' the v 'lages stole a eru: e boat .’.i
which they made good progress un-,
:il they were passing by Child's
Giacier, when a large piece of i e
fell and the waves caused by t
brew them high on the rocky bank
and b. oke their boat. Here they got
their first food in the form of sal
mon, which had been thrown up on
the shore by the high waves.
They stugglod on foot until they
found same driftwood out of which.,
they made a raft to cross the river.
They finally reached Eyak, where
they were clothed and fed by he
roast natives. Eventually the men
married into the native tribes and
never left Alaska. Since then tv.
of them have died and the only sur
vivor was the old man at Tatitlik.
who passed away several years ag .
■ For several years travellers who
thanceJ by the scene of the massa
cre saw an old gun leaning argai ' d
a tree, but going inland were forc' d
io leave it go. Later Joe Bourkei
paid a man to go out of his way and J
pick up the old gun and bring it to
Valdez. It is now among the cur it s
in Moose Hall.—Valdez Miner
A good steak and French fried
potatoes are the best crime prevent
ative I know of.—Mayor LaGuardia,
New York City.
The soft headed man who allow*
himself to be cheated is just as bad
as the man who cheats him.—Hen ■
Ford.
NUGGET ROADHOUSE f
AND BAKERY
--"
Best «f Meals and Beds.
Everyone Welcome.
Good Dog Bams.
Mrs. John Eieck : Prop.
TAKOTNA’S PIONEER SHOP ,
Robert E. Lowrie - Prop.
i
Blacksmith, Machine and all kinds of Sheet
Metal work. Stoves, Safetys, Tanks.
Drills and Boilers and all kinds of Prospect
ing Equipment.
4 h. p. Gasoline Drills
AUTOMATIC HAND1 DRILLS
Light in weight and Hercules in strength. Can be
operated by one ' mat, if necessary, and reaich bedroc k in
shallow ground .and getaeealte. •
;
Origin of Polka
Told in Feature
In Old Sitka Post
(from; Farthest-North Collegian)
mim-ng the many items of eur.ous
to be round in the files of
i>. £utka Post, now in the keeping
i the College, is the following
tern.:: a, in the number of January
it', to" >, of ;he origion of the Polka.
.. >n lias an added interest be
ause the old dance is being revived
...e of the College students who
nee i.i, t :..cs, unofficially, displayed
able skill in manipulating
... graceful movements i.i impromptu
e .vo ,a tlu gymnasium.
r. bout 1830 a peasant girl, being
.a cei-Vice ,n a tradesmans famiij
at CiiDestcinitz, in Bohemia, beguiled
one Sunday afternoon in
her kitchen by endeavoring to in
. en_ a new step, which she tried to
uuatt to a village song. V, h^e thus
ilsporting herself, she was surprised
by her employer, who' quite inter
-sted, mutie her repeat the experi
ment the same evening .in tne par
ior, weiire Joseph Neruda, an em
a.eut i.-us.ciaii, happened to be
i resent, who noted the air and step.
Not long item.aid the new dance
as uiuiccu at a citizen c ball in the
.own, and in 18.15 c,ame into fashion
m Jrague, where in corse uence of
.hi h-if step which occurs in it, it
... .alien the iulKa, which m ns
rcimque, naif, four years InNr
mt.a of crague musicians bi ■ t
lice to Vienna, where it had
zeat success, and in 1849 a daric
ig master of Prague, named Raab,
.ar.ced it for the first time in Par's.
The Sitka Post gives the “Alige
eine f^milien Zeitung” as the
cource of its information.
In the Probate Court of Ophir,
Innoko Precinct, Fourth Division,
Territory of Alaska, Before Jessie
M. Howard, U. S. . Commissioner
and ex-officio Probate Judge.
In the matter of the Estate of
Anna Miller, deceased.
Notice to Creditors.
In the matter of the Estate of
Anna Miller, deceased, notice is here
by given that the undersigned has
been duly appointed administrator of
.he Estate of Anna Miller, deceased.
AH persons having claims against
aid estate are required to present
the same fully verified with proper
vouchers attached, to the undersign
ed, at my store in Ophir, Alaska,
within six months from the date of
this notice.
Dated at Ophir, Alaska, on Oct
-ber 29, 1934.
P. W. CARLSON,
Administrator.
Date first pub. Nov. 10, 1934.
Date last pub. April 27, 1936.
Frank J. Guskey
Notary Public
. Takotna, Alaska.
Fred King
Notary Public
McGrath, Alaska
ODD FACTS AND FIGURES.
American airmen brought down
357 German planes during the World
War.
The first vaccination against small
pox was performed in 1721.
Paper bags were introduced in
18C7 by Luther C. Crowell.
-By introducing coloring matter in
their food silk worms can r.ow be
made 10 spin threads in any color
desired.
The U. S. printing office in Wash
ington is the largest book and .job
printing shop in the world.
Monkeys emerge from the jungle
and meet ali tiains that stop at
stations near Udaipur, India.
The average human body contains
from 4 to 5 quarts of , blood.
Kissing in public is unlawful ir.
Italy except for the purpose of
bidding goodbye at railway stations
or ships’ docks.
IN THE PROBATE COURT FOB
OTTER PRECINCT, FOURTH
DIVISION, TERRITORY OF AL
ASKA.
In the matte'r of the estate of John
0. Johnson, deceased.
Notice of Final Hearing
Notice is hereby Tnven that the
administrator of the above entitled
estate has filed his final report in
the Prohate Court above named, and
that said report will be heard before
the said Probate Court for Otter
Precinct at Flat, Alaska, on Wednes
day the 16th day of May 1936, at
two o’clock P.M. of said day, at
which time and place all persons
interested may appear and show
cause, if any they have, why sail
rt should not be approved,
allowed and confirmed.
Harry Donnelley,
■ Administrator.
Date of first pub., I)ec. 23, 1934.
YZ E SrRE TO STOI* AT T’IE LITTLE STORE ON THE
•ii.-” TRAIL Tp McGRATH. We have Shoes for all ages and -sizes.
\\ c specialize in Children’s Clothing . Everything .to wear and
good thirgs to eat. We will he glad .to see you. Mail orders
given special attention.
| Mrs. Thomas H. McLean
McGRATH, ALASKA
mm INSURANCE
\cu should carry a liberal . amount of fire insurance
for the sake of your credit and your peace of mind,
Needless to say this insurance should be of the very
highest quality.
That’s the Kind Written By
Alaska Insurance Agency
FAIRBANKS. ALASKA
Inquire of Kusko Times.