THE KUSKO TIMES
VOL. L NO. 26 TAKOTNA, ALASKA, FRIDAY ALXI.ST 6, 1S37 PRICE, 25 CENTS
i
AIRFIELD IS
BADLYNEEDED
AT NAPAMUTE
Sam Voich. -who operates a trad
ing post at Xapamute, is a business
visitor in Takotna and Ophir, coming
over from McGrath with Pilot Dai
Goodman yesterday noon..
Mr. Voich made the trip. up~ frou
Xapamute on the steamer Langley it
five days. The Lug ley. carried ret;
ord cargo of 600 tons, mostly foe.
oil and machinery, cleaning on at:
the upriver freight left in Bethel by
the steamer Tupper with the exeep
tion of 200 barrels of fuel oil.
Sam stopped off long .enough ir
Sleetmute to raid Xick Meil'tk';
greenhouse and clean it bare of r:pt
tomatoes.
Tells Activities Along-Kuskokwim
When asked about the activities
along the Kuskokwim River, San
said:
“Gur part of the Kuskokwim is
looking up.’ Fishing this year was
unusually good, lots of fish and of a
fine quality. The lower Kuskokwiir
is starting to come to the front ii
mining. Gus Wilson, on Marvel creel
is going places with his hydrauliemg
and has taken out considerable pa>
so far this season. Jack Brink, hy
draulicing on Bear creek, has alsc
been doing fine.
Jack Handley Dies
“You know those two fellows that
I sent out last spring to prospect or
the Holina? WeB, I made a trip up
re the 14th of July and found
nly one of "the partners, Jim Kvam
me alive and on the job. His partner
Jack Handley had been dead since
the 17th of May and of course Jim
had been unable to do .much prospect
ing alone. Both men were old-timers
in Xapamute, having lived along the
river since the early days.
Schoolhouse Remodelled
“Xapamute can now-boast of hav
ing a fine schoolhouse since an ex
tensive remodelling job was complet
ed recently. Fine hundred and fifty
dollars was spent by the Territory
in the overhauling and rebuilding the
old school. The work was done by
Paddy Marshall, and he certainly did
very fine job,” Sam added.
Oldest Trading Post
Napamute has the oldest trading
post on the Kuskokwim, the first post
to be established between Takctna
and BetheL The Post was built there
by George Hoffman in 19ti7. Mr
Voich has owned and operated the
store for the last- five years, supply
ing Marvel creek, besides a number
of natives and whites up and down
the river.
Xeed Good Landing Field
“5> are very much in need of a
•d landing held,” Mr. Voich in
i' rated tne Times. “At present, the
n.y landing field we have is a large
. ar out in the middle of the river
This time of the.- year, for four or
five weeks, we have a very fine field
but as- soon as the rivet
rtr.rts to rise, our- field becomes
flooded. Ice piles up-on it in the win
er. making it too rough to land on.
“Tlie ice starts running early it
the fall and the current is strong
nere thus preventing the landing or
pontoons in the falL Of course, i1
is even worse in the spiring, thereby
leaving us without a: landing fieli
about 11 months out of the year ex
cept at certain rare times. We have
an ideal spot for a landing field or
the same side of the river as th<
town which can be made ready foi
use with very little work.” said the
trader. “It is a large, natural fielc
drained by a creek on either side anc
the river in -front. ATI It needs is th<
clearing of smai! brush and going
aver and smoothing down, and ther
we would have a field large enougl
to land on from any direction anc
surpassed by none on the river. Mor;
freight goes out of' Narpamute thai
out of any other po t along the riv
er, I am informed. During the time
planes are able to land on the haz
ardous field, we keep tne air full oi
ships out tc the surrounding mining
country.’' said Voich.
Mr. Voich expects to remain hen
several days taking orders for dog
fish. He plans on making a- trip t<
Ophir today and see if be can stn
up a few orders as well as meet «
few old friends.
This is Sam’s first trip to Takotm
and vicinity in-26 years.
SPELJACK AND ZAISER VISIT
Frank Spelyack and Clarence Zaisei
were arrivals in town Monday' fron
Ganes Creek, Speljack returning the
same evening. ZSiser. who is one ol
the drillers, remained in town for i
couple of days waiting for the dril
to be repaired.
FORD PICKLP ARRIVES—
The T&kotna office of the Alaski
Road Commission has become thi
one and only proud possessor of i
brand “spankin' ” new 1937 For<
“pick-me-up.” Smith & Lang arriv
ed here with the car - last Saturday
bringing it up from McGrath on i
•mall barge along with some othei
freight for the N. C. store.
for The
I
WHAT’S DOING IN McGRATH
By Mrs. Edna Hallson—Special Correspondent
Erecting Log Building—
Peter Michels is employing Hermai
Hansen to assist him in the erectioi
of a log building (formerly the oh
McGrath school house). It will b<
20x30 feet.
Mrs. Cendry Out of Hospital—
Mrs. Joe Condry of this place, wht
has been in the Anchorage Hospita
for some time, is now out of the hos
pita] and expects to return heme it
about a month.
.Mrs. Anderson Visiting Aunt—
Mrs. Oliver Anderson arrived 01
the steamer Langley from Bethel
She is visiting her aunt, Mrs. Laun
Ericksen. Mr. Anderson is expectet
later on t business trip.
M'ning Men Pass Through—
Pilot Jimmie Dodson of Wien Air
ways, passed through McGrath wit!
Sam Cotton, mining engineer, LouL
Erown. driller and Clare Quist, en
route to the Goodnews Bay plat inun
region. They have a drill coming ii
on the steamer Latocche and plai
extensive drilling operations on theii
ground. Mr. Cotton stated that th<
ground on the bay side of Red Moun
tain is extremely deep. Some of thi
hales being down over 100 feet with
out reaching bedrock.
FORD LASHES TYCOONS
IN MAGAZINE ARTICLE
DEARBORN, Mich.—The Ford A!
manac. official publication of the Fort
Motor Company and edited by Henri
Ford personal! y accused unnamec
financiers of attempting to form
! Ford to accept a "“wage dictator” s<
they could slash the pay of worker!
throughout the country.
PUXTILLA TO McGRATH
Wains Puntiila made a husinesi
‘ trip to McGrath Monday evening wit!
: Pilot Leo Moore, coming back witl
■ Don Goodman Tuesday.
RETURNS FROM McGRATH—
Bill Kokko. N. C. store agent here
arrived back from McGrath with Pi
lot Don Goodman Tuesday right. Ko
kko spent four days in McGrath look
ing after N. C. business. In his ab
scnce, the Kusko Times reporter tool
charge of the store—taking in am
giving ont news, besides selling a feu
necessary articles.
NEW HOSPITAL OPEN
The new Columbus Hospital is no*
ready to receive patients, according
to recent arrivals from Anchorage
It is operated by Drs. J. H. and How
ard Romig and is 1 coated on Fiftl
avenue.
REFUSE TO LAY IDLE
Smith & Lang, owners and opera
+ tors of the M. S. Sea Wolf, have re
fused to lay idle and wait for a ris<
in water. They have rigged up a
small scow and boat, propelled bi
kicker*, and are busily engaged run
. ning freight up from the large:
scows at the end of deep water d
Takotna, carrying a mixed cargo.
Twenty Men Are
Laid Off; Nixon
Work Ends Soor
Corresponding with the diminish in)
' funds appropriated for the construe
’ - ion of the Nixon Forks road, the A1
_ uska Road Commission started lay
ing off the crew the first of thi
,, month. Twenty men were laid of
at this time.
The original crew of 45 men wil
be cut to 20 by the last of this week
it was stated. The balance of thi
-?0,000 appropriation is expected tj
'ast until the first of September
whe t, if no further money is procur
onrtruction on the Road to deej
» at_r. wrl cease until next season.
Working Two Shifts
Two shifts are being worked on tb
: McGrath landing field and construe
tion of the field rushed. Mr. Spac!
states that they hope t<- finish ther
t by the first of September. The eras
;i will then be moved here to star
work cutting and levelling off thi
hil! where the Takotna field Is sit
uated.
With the ending of the work 01
‘he Nixon Forks road for this sea
on, the equipment will be moved ti
Ophir where improvements will b<
made on the airfield at that place
Repairs Needed on
The road to Ophir and the creek
; are badly in n-jed of improvement
due to the heavy recent rains, bn
. the ARC is short, of equipment am
owing to the nuroerons jobs to b
done this seasotum which work is be
1 ing rnshed as fast as possible, eael
job must wait its. tum.
Returns From Fairbanks—
i I)an McRae recently returned from
i a trip to Fairbanks.
. Busy installing Stock—
W. J. Widrnan is busy installing
his stock in his new liquor store mov
ed from his sawmill location and set
up near his mercantile establishment
> by Jack Stewart and Einar Carlsen.
■ Work Progressing Rar-'dly—
i Vvork on the’ McGiath airplane
landing field is progressing rapidly.
Seven men are employed. F reman
Harry Ash and Bernard Ivey are each
driving te new diesel tractor with
' bulldozer .at eight hour shift, ripping
• out slur s and leveling hummocks
j with apparent ease.
New Roadhouse Going Up—
Dave Clough’s new roadhouse is
progressng nicely. Four men are
busy on it. Wide sidewalks leading
from front street bo the door, roof
covering the building, w:ndows and
sashes put in. already begin to lend
an hospitable app-arance to the
•^lace. Mr. Clough has turned the
management of ti. culir.. :y depart
ment into the capable han - of Mrs.
Laura Eric risen. Mis. Ericks ~n came
from Gocdnews Bay where she had
been acting in the same capacity in
Mr. Berg’s new roadhouse at Piati
GOCDNEWS NOT
o
m yo
n “a
wm
m? IN FULL
The following article is a resume
; of activities in the Goodnews Bay
| area compiled by the Anchorage
Daily Times for their special “Prog
,; ress Edition" issued recently.
The Good nows Bay stampede is
L only a vest, patket edition of the roar
ing days in Dawson, Nome and Fair
j banks, bnt backers of he region pre
I diet it will become one of the fore
most mining areas in Alaska in years
, to come.
Not the yellow glitter of the
• Northland’s gold, but the white lure
of platinum is the cause for this de
velopment — Alaska’s first platinum
stampede.
f Somewhat over-publicized by over
' teal ous editors in the states, anxious
for something like the old days of
glamorous Alaska, the stampede has
perhaps been painted as much larger
than it really is. The little post of
Platinum has been pictured to Out
’ side readers as a roaring mining
■ camp of 500 people, when persons
returning from there and those ac
1 quainted with the situation, have nev
er placed it above 50.
The platinum possibilities of Good
news have already been proven. On
.: the south and east side of Red Moun
tain are the established platinum
, workings of the Goodnews Bay Mm
t ing Company, composed of the Olson
. brothers and their associate;,, and the
Clara Creek Mining Company, oper
.. ated by Strindberg and Sons. These
, are both dragline workings.
Most of the staking in the new
taken place south of
Red Mountain and d wn toward the
sea coast. It started last fall when
four men struck pay dirt on what
they believed to be a second beach
M-ne. similar to the Nome formation,
on the north side of Red Mountain.
The men were Pete Brevik, John Har
[ o'dson. August Wiek'and and Gus
| Berness. They are c ntinuing their
j prospecting in the region his sum
, mer.
! Word of the discovery spread and
. men flocked in from Flat, Bethel and
. other points. The ground in the im
; mediate vicinity of the little post of
r Platinum was soon staked up, includ
ing the streets of the town, but .o
I less an authority than E. P. Har
t wood, in charge of the trading post
, there, writes that there is still plenty
, of ground further away from camp
that has never been prospected."
•j Staking went forward last fall, dur
) ■ ing the winter and continued this
spring. A roadhouse was constructed
by A! Berg and the little post of
- Platinum began to grow.
The largest development program
i yet to go forward in the region is
‘ that of the Goodnews Bay Mining
r Company which secured a $550,000
t an from the RFC and are consiguc
f t:ng a large dredge on their opera
- tions this summer. Mining men point
this oat as one of the best evidences
i of the area’s promise. The loan was
■ awarded after government engineers
► had thoroughly checked the ground,
■ and mining authorities claim this is
. ample proof that the country’s possi
bilities justify great expansion and
i development.
i Two local men, A. A. Shonbeek and
t John Beaton, are among those intcr
I ested in the new ground. Mr. Shon
> beck shipped a drill to the region on
■ a recent voyage ad the *iotorship
i Fern.
He M’Rae interests at Fairbanks
VIBE & SCHWALSDALL
HAVE GOOD CLEANUP
Nels Vibe was an overnight busi
ness visit or at the Nugget Roadhouse
Tuesday, leaving Wednesday for
Spaulding creek.
It is reported that they had a very
satisfactory cleanup a few days ago.
The pay seems to be getting better
as the dragline moves on up the
creek, i: - -'.a' d. The bucket on the
dragline was or, ken the other day
and they were compelled to change
buck?'? and put the old one back on.
Joe Oates went out today to pick
up the damaged bucket and haul it
down to the Garv.-s Creek dredge to
be repaired.
KOSLOSKY IS QUITTING
BUSINESS IN ANCHORAGE
I. K s’ sky. who has operated a
clothing st: r; at Anchorage for many
yea. , is el ling out his ?t ek on ac
count of T1 health and p ans on re
tiring. The Palmer branch of the
tore will continue operating under
the management of his sons.
ROGER SPACH ARRIVES
TO SPEND VACATION HERE
RegwSpaeh. young son of Fred
Spach, ARC superintendent, arrived
in Takotna from Anchorage with Pi
le: Don Goodman Wednesday. This
will be Roger's third season spent in
T rkotna w:*h his father. He missed
?st summer, remaining in Anchorage
but spent the two previrus summer
■vacations here with his popular
parent.
are also interested in the Goodnews
country. The Walter W. Johnson
Company of, California is another
large concern cp: raying in the region,
This c.: _r.- has started prelimin
ary drilling.
Platinum is the main interest in
Goodnews at ..he present, .ur g Id is
also fotmd in the area.
According to Mr. Harwood, it is
m stly patinum on the south side of
Red Mountain, with the gold on the
east side, alhongh :he platinum op
erations of Stgandberg and Sons and
the Go -^news Bay Mining Company
are on *h. south ar.d east sides.
Several small gold mining opera
tions are located north of Mumtrack,
a little naive village and trading post
across Goodnews Bay from Platinum.
At Mumtrack. otherwise known as
Goodnews. Joe J.ar, manages "he Fel
der and Gale trad'^g post.
The G odnews Bay region has un
dergone fur stampedes, three for
gold and the present one for plati
num. The first gold strike was early
in the century, the second about 1910,
the third in 19:» and the present one
which begat, ast fall.
Newc-mers into the area are not
expected to do any actual mining
this summer. Pr speeding will b? the
main activity. It is problematical
whether the new Gooonews Bay Min
ing C mpany dredge will get into
operat or during this season. Only
the established operations, which' be
gan work as soon as possible this
spring, are actually mining.
Two V. S. Geological survey par
ties recently entered Goodnews region
to map the area. A reconnaissance
topographic and geologic map of the
reg;on lying north and northeast oi
Goodnews Bay was made by the Geo
logical Survey in 1919. The two par
ties now in the region will m$ke de
tailed 1 poPTaphic and geologic maps
of the a. south of the Goodnews
Bay, where mining is now in pro
gress, and will also prepare a recon
naissance topographic man of the
country still further to the south
and east.
The bedrock source cf the platinum
metals is one of the matters to which
special attention will be given, be
cause a knowledge of :he !■ !e mater
ial from which the placers have beer
derived, may lead to the discovery
of new rlatinum placers, and possibly
tr the 'oeation of platinum lode de
posits.
A liveiy business its buying, selling
and even trading darns is now under
way among met} at Platinum. With
most of the nearby area staked up
veteran of th- stampede, who have
claims spare, are selling some ol
then, to the newcomers. In many
rases, p r;ente-re mtercsts in cla'ms
are be "g purchased.
Receni pres.- iispat'hes indicate
the town of Platinum is being sur
veyed.
The largest platinum region in the
world—this is what rr.anv claim foi
the future of Goodnews Bay.
BUSY HAULING LUMBER—
Joe Oates, Jr., is busy hauling lum
ber from Miller's sawmill and freight
for the N. C. store here, and for the
Blindheim store at Ophir.
Send in your Subscription to The
KUSKO TIMES today.
PROSPERS
ENQQUR&SING
1 ATGOODNEWS
J. W. Felder, of Felder & Gale, ar
rived in Takotna Sunday night, com
ing up from Goodnews Bay with Pi
lot Ray Peterson.
Platinum Has Future
Mr. Felder reports Platinum as a
booming little camp with promise of
a real future. He informs us that
the Kusko Times has been getting
good straight news in recent issues
concerning the Goodnews district and
verified the articles and items we
have been receiving from that camp.
Haven't Reached Bedrock Yet
The mining man states, that al
though bedrock hasn't beer, reached
as vet on Pierce Point, that Joe Jean
had sunk a hole to the depth of eight
feet and found gold all the wav down
with the exception of an absence of
pay n the six foot level, but again
showing up at seven feet and contin
uing. If grid is found to be on bed
rock. the camp of Platinum is made,
but even if it doesn’t there is a pos
sibility that it will pay, worked with
machinery, at a depth of eight feet
or more with pay all the way down.
Felder and Gale haw- a large store
at Platinum and sty ply the various
mining camps besides outfitting tr.e
stamped;rs. Mr. Feller went on cut
to the Feldfr & Gale dredge on Yan
kee creek Monday evening where he
will look over operations and visit 'or
t short time.
McADAMS AND GCRTLEP,
WILL FREIGHT ON RIVER
A. H. TwitcheU and Ted McAdams
made a trip down river to Miller's
sawmill Sunday after some boat lum
ber with which McAdams plans on
widening his boat.
The boat has been widened four
feet, converting the boat into a
barge. E. O. Gurtler of Fairview, is
help’rg him wit1- the overhauling and
rcmouvlllng -f the brat. Gurtler has
a DS-foot boat tied up at Oph;r on
the Ir.noko river, powered with a
2' hp. motor which he and McAdams
will trSh'ttrpushr the newly construct
ed barge.
The two men expect to be ready to
start nlying *he Takotna river load
ed with much-needed freight with;n
a week and will keep going—come
high, come low—water.
FISHERMEN RETT RNING TO
ANCHORAGE AS SEASON ENDS
At least S50 men have already ar
rived or were enroute to Anchorage
frem Cock Inlet and Bristol Bay
points as the season ended, according
t» late arrivals in Takotna.
It is reported hat they had only
five days f fishing a; a result of a
late ck hr order issued by the Bu
reau of Fisheries because of a light
run of fi:h this year. The men had
expectid to fish until August 1. but
the fi=h commi'sionrr clewed the sea
son July 20. ten days early. !t is
believed by many that the activities
of the Japanese fishing boat- in tha
Bristol Eay region, had con. Tenable
to do with the premature el: sing or
der.
FORMER V. S. MARSHAL
THREATENS ROOSEVELT
BOSTON, Mass.—A retired depnty
U. S. Marshal who at one time served
in Seattle was a rested here for al
legedly threatening to kill President
Roosevelt.
The former deputy marshal, whose
name is Morton Wainwright, served
in Seattle from 1916 to 1920. Ke is
alleged to have admitted writir.v and
sending abusive and threatening let
ters threatening to kill Roosevelt.
The letters were unsigned. Wain
wrigi.t is al- suspected of sending
threatening letters during the past
year to Ethel du Pont, who married
E anklin D. Ro svelt. .Tr., recer’ly.
The arrest climaxed a 16 months in
x'estieation.
BABY GIRL ARRIVES
A bed y girl was born to Mrs. An
drew Miller at the Miller sawm '1
last Saturday mornmg. The baby
we -bed 6 1-2 pounds and both the
mother and babe are reported a- do
ing nicely.
BREAK DRILL AT CANES
■J ukn Repo arrived in town Tuesday
and reported that a drill was broken
th day before, causing a suspension
■ of operations until Wed... day when
.the ntr ssary repairs were made.
GOODMAN BRINGS FREIGHT
Pilot Don Goodman landed here to
day with freight and meat. After
unloading all consigned to TakoTna,
he continued or. to Ophir and way
i points, distributing the balance of
his load.
ED NOLLKT IN TOWN
EM Nolle! arrived in town today
I from Lower Yankee creek. Ed is
J still residing on what was formerly
his ground which he recently sold to
the “Golden Heart Placers Company"
of Fairbanks.