THE KUSKO TIMES
A. X. Grant, Publisher, Sole
■Owner and Editor.
Published Every Saturday
$1 Per Month
Application for entry ns second-class
matter is pending.
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/Entered as second-class matter Augustj
29th. 1923, at the Post Office at
Toaotna, Alaska, under the
Act of March 3, 1870.
TOKOTNA, ALASKA. JAN. 20, 1924
geological survey Ke
port Speaks of Mining
Conditions of Alaska
Washington. - The Department, of
ithe Interior has announced by the ad
vance statements of the Geological Sur
•vey that mines in Alaska produced
$2 0,300,000 worth of minetals in ]923
as against $19,500,000 in 1922. The
total value of the mineral output of
Alaska since 1880 is $518,000,000. These
figures are taken from the annual re
port of Alfred H. Brooks, chief Alas
kan geologist, now in preparation. The
source of this mineral wealth and its
value, for the years 1922 and 192:’., are
approximately as follows:
■Gold
CopDer
Silver
Lead
Goal
iPetroleum._
ble, platinum,
gypsum, ete__
1922.
$7,423,307
10,525,055
729.945
41,477
430,039
mar
1923.
$6.150.000
12.500.000
GOO. (00
GO 000
000,000
_ t 35$,282
310,000
$20,300,000
gold min
Totals $19,506,365
Measured by production,
ing declined during the year, while
the output of copper and coal increased
about 20 per cent over that of 1922. In
-APite of the abatement of placer mining
because of an unusually dry season, t he
ivalue of the mineral production of the
regioa tributary to the Alaska railroad
iin 1923 was $2,100,000, which is greater
than that of 1922. This increase was
fiue to the larger production of coai
.and lode gold, and proves that cheaper
itransponation has already stimulated
the mining industry. With the rapid
(exhaustion of the bonanzas successful
.alluvial mining necessitates a greater
.use of power-driven machinery to har
vest Alaska s very large reserves of
llow-grade auriferous gravels, but this
work is possible only in easily accessi
ble districts. Lode gold, copper and
uoal can, of course, be profitably mined
only at localities served by steamers,
.railroads or highways, and the expan
sion of mining is possible only in dis
tricts where freight rates are reason
able. Twenty years ago 60 per cent of
Alaska’s mineral output came from re
mote districts, not reached by well or
ganized transportation, whereas in 1923
only 5 per cent came from similar dis
tricts.
4 he Alaska gold miner shares with
bis colleagues in the rest of the world
the disability produced by disrupted
economic conditions, which cause very
high operation costs, while the value
of his product remains fixed. Were it
not for the improvements in trans
portation furnished by the railroads
and wagon roads that in certain dis
tricts have reduced costs the Alaska
gold output would have been far less
than it has been.
In spite of the adverse economic con
ditions, the search for and develop
pf pt pf anrifprous jodes -.nowai decid
ed progress during t.he year. Though I
no new projects for the exploitation of
large gold-beoring .quartz deposits are
in view, it has come to be realized that
Alaska affords many good opportuni
ties for the development of promising
rich auriferous lodes. Most of the pro
jects based on such opportunities are
too small to attract capitalists having
large resources, but they give oppor
tunities to small investors; yet they
should be undertaken only with the
guidance of sound technical advice.
Many an experienced miner becomes
so hypnotized by the sight of a speci
men of rich gold ore that he mistakes
a promising prospect for an ore body of
proved value. He may then spend
money for the e obstruction of a mill to
be supplied from a lode that is only
superficially explored, instead of devot
ing it to the blocking our, of ore. The
majority of such ventures fail, and
many an Alaskan mining district has
been discredited by, such a policy.
Trapper Missing in
Minchumina District
That Nels Stole, pioneer resident of
the Interior, hus met death somewhere
in the wilderness of the Minchumina
country, is the belief expressed in a
letter recently received bv the office of
the district attorney at Fairbanks, says
the Fairbanks News-Miner.
E. Seroka, writer of the letter, states
that during the summer a dog was
found which was identified as Stole’s.
A visit to his camp in August disclosed
that he had not beeu there for some
time, although his guns and outer e
maioed untouched as he would leave
them only while in camp. Two of his
dogs Jwere found dead at ihe camp.
Evidence indicated the recent visit of
a bear, as some of the belongings had
been ransacked. On December 10 an
other party visited iris main camp, but
could find no trace of him.
Nels Stole v one of the earlv oper
ators on Clear y creek, at one time hav
ing taken out a sia|;e on 5 above dis
covery. In later years he has been
trapping and trading in the Lake Min
chumina district. Last spring he es
tablished a new camp at Castle Rock,
about fifty miles bevond the lake.
Mr. Kammisgard, proprietor of the
roadhouse at the lake, has been asked
to form a searching party, which will
be sent out under t.he fund for tracing
lost persons.
Deaf Enabied to Hear
By New Sound Device
Chicago.—Successful progress is re
ported in experiments at North estern
University in perfecting a hand device
that will enable the deaf to “hear” b.y
impr essions of oral speech.
Work on the device started more
than a year ago, when George and
Frank Crane, of Fort Wayne, Ind., stu
dents at the university, were able by
means of a metallic tube to converse
irom different rooms. The receiver
merely held his band over the muffled
end of the tube and received the actual
impressions of what the other brother
was saving in another room.
From the begiDDing the device has \
been amplified and perfected until an
nouncement is now made that, with the
aid of the present, appliance, totally
deaf persons cud feel the sound waves
and clearly translate them into speech.
Hangman Quits Job;
Sees Ghost Parades
_
San Quentin Penitentiary. John E.
Kramer, hangmau at the San Quentin
prison, quit bis job after ten years, Fri
day. because he said he could see in his
dreams the men he had hung.
“I got afraid,” hetteaid, “anti I shall
nevor spring a trap again
“Each night the seveaby-ffive men L
have hung would parade before me in
ghostly array.” i
Delegate Sutherland
Introduces Bill to
Amend Mining Law
Washington.—Delegate Dan Suther
land introduced a bill in Congress to
day seeking to amend the Alaska min
ing laws by providing that "No placer
claim hereafter located in Alaska shall
be patented which shall contain a
greater area than is fixed by law now
in force, which is longer than three
times its greatest width, provided
"here any isolated parcel of placer
ground lies between and adjoins pat
ented c'aims on all its sides and is not
over 1320 feet in length this diminution
restriction shall not apply.”
Probably many religious sects rest
on just as trivial differences in belief.
Two men, prominent in church work,
were traveling through a sparsely set
tled community when they noticed two
churches immediately opposite each
other. Stopping a native, they in
quired why there were two churches
for so few people.
‘‘Well, it's like this,” he replied, j
‘‘The church members on the right
believe that Eve tempted Adam, the
ones on the left believe that Adam was
a rascal from the beginning.”—Colum
bus Dispatch.
The Swedish maid was sobbing as if
her heart would break, and her mis
tress, coming upon her in tears, asked
what was the matier. '
“My husband bane got put in jail.”
wailed Hilda
“In jaii? Oh, isn’t that too bad! But
there’s a cheerful side to everything. T
understand they |give prisoners splen
did educations there nowadays.”
“He bane got all the education he
needs,” answered Hilda through her
tears. “He bane there ten years be
fore.” American Legion Weekly.
Notice of Marshal’s Sale.
United States of America, 1
Fourth Judicial Division, >ss.
District of Alaska. )
Public notice is hereby given that,
oy virtue of a writ of fieri facias (or
execution), dated October 25th, A. D.
11)23, issued out of the District. Court
for the Territory of Alaska, Fourth di
vision, on a judgment rendered in said
court on the 17th day of October, A. D.
1923, in favor of Miners & Merchants
Bank of Idiiarod. Alaska, a corpora
tion, and against C.eorge Phillips and
John itandley. I have, on this 13th day
of December, A D. 1923, levied upoD
the following described real estate,
situated in the Otter Preoinet, Fourth
Division of Alaska, to wit:
All of the right, title and interest of
the defendants George Phillips and
John Handley in and to the following
described placer min’ng claims, to wit;
The “Hope” Association; One above
Ray Fraction; Two above Ray Frac
tion, and One below Ray Fraction; all
of said claims being situate on Happy
creek, in the Otter recording precinct,
Fourth judicial division. Territory of
Alaska, together with all improve
ments, ditches, mining tools and equip
ment on, in and abou' any of the above
described mining claims and used in
the operation and working thereof at
the time of the giving of the mortgage
foreclosed in this action: also all the
gold and gold-dust, gold-bearing earth,
rock and gravel the-ein contained; and
that I will, accordingly, offer said ’’eal
estate for sale, at public vendue, to the
lvgh> st and best bidder, for cash, on
the 28th day of January, A. D. 1924, at
2 o’clock p. m. of said day, at the front
door of the office of the United States
Marshal at Flat, Alaska.
Dated Flat, Alaska, December 13, A.
d. 192::;
G. B. Stevens.
U. S. Marshal, Fourth Divi
sion, District of Alaska.
Albrecht and Taylor,
Plaintiff's Attorneys.
PROFESSIONAL
Albrecht and Taylor
Iditarod, Alaska,"
LAWYERS
Practice in all Courts
IP
J. H. HcLEAH ■ TOKOTNA
Yes, We’re Handling
McMillan Clothing
In Both Suits and Pants
Tokotna Pool Hall
Best of Everything in
Fruits Candies Cigars Tobaccos
All Fresh Goods
Jack Mutchier - - Proprietor
Larson Roadhouse
(Formerly The McLean, Tacotna.)
Jj
Best of Home Cooked Meals. Prompt Attention' l
New Dog Houses
Mrs. Frank Larson - Proprietor
Geo. W. Hoffman
Pioneer Trader of the Kuskokwim Valley
Napamute, Alaska
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
Good Prices for Your Fur
ALASKA RIVERS HAVIGATION
COKPAKY
Operating Light Draught Steamers
On the Kuskokwim.
Capt. Wallace Langley, Manager.
Arrange to Spe d the Night at the
Big River Roadhouse
Best possible meals. Private grooms
New dog kennels, and the best of lower river fish
for dog feed.
Diamond Dick - - Proprietor