THE KUSKO TIMES
TAKOTNA, ALASKA, FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 24, 1937
VOL. L SO. 33
PRICE, 26 CENTS
BEATON SAYS
GOODNEWSOK;
GROUND DEEP
Although the showings on then
ground in the Goodnews Bay arts
were rather disappointing to date
they will continue prospecting in tha!
district, according to Jahm Beaton
who passed through Takotna last
week on his way to his home in An
chors.
Mr. Beaten, who with A—A. Sfcan
te ck, prominent Anchorage business
man, installed drills and com
plete prospecting equipment in Good
news. asserted fcis confidence in the
district despite the failure of the
first hole tests to yield pay- He said
the area is huge and is highly min
eralized, but. of course, it is wet
ground and the holes mast be sunk
ceep to reach bedrock which makes
progress in prospecting very slow.
Mr. Beat or. is a successful mining
man of wide experience in far wes
tern Alaska and the opinion has been
voiced by local o3d-tirae mining men
that if any one makes a success in
the platinum area, it will be Mr.
Beaton and his associates.
The publishers of The Kusko Times
are well acquainted with Mr. Beaton,
they having come to Takotna with
Mr. Beaton from Anchorage last Jan
uary when the plane was forced
down by fog and sleet on the snow
in the middle of the Kuskokwim Riv
rr, about 60 miles below McGrath
for two days.
Mr. Beaton dropped into the office
curing his stay here and renewed
the acquaintance; He said he feels
fine now after a serious illness which
kept him in the hospital for several
months last winter and spring. He
expects to remain in Anchorage a
few weeks and then make a nap. to
the States.
PRIVATE SHIP CRASHES
INTO TREE AT FIRE LAKE
Mem Caros miraculously escEr^i
injury recently -when the Taylor Cub
plane which he was piloting struck
a tree near Fire Lake, half way be
tween Anchorage and Palmer on the
fcighway, fell 75 feet and crashed on
the mountainside.
The accident happened when Bur
ton became lost in a fog bank -while
en route to Palmer wlh three other
private planes. Burton said he cros
sed Fire Lake and upon finding his
course blocked by fog. he turned back.
The fog had closed in behind him
“I tried to get altitude and go
over it, but if seemed to get worse.”'
Burton said. “I flew lower hoping to
find a break in the fog; A high tree
seemed to come up to meet with the
ship."
Burton said he banked to avoid the
tree but the tip of a wing struck
the tree and Turned the ship upside
down. It fell on its back to the
ground 75 feet below.
Dared from the experience, Bur.is
started the hike down the mountain
to the highway. He met a bear that
showed its teeth and “scared me
worse than the plane wreck," Burton
said.
The pilot said one wring was torn
from the ship. The other was bent.
The fuselage was damaged only
slightly and the tail and landing
gear were in perfect condition. He
said he would rebuild he ship this
•sinter and continue using it as a
ti ainer.
A trail of cloth from the ship
marks the route from the highway
to the wreck on tie mountainside
and Burton said this furnished the
oc'y possible way of locating the.
wreck.
“I tore off a large piece of the cov
ering when I left the ship after the
wreck, and every hundred feet or so,
tied some bo a tree. We followed
this trail to -he wreck yesterday af
ternoon.” '
Accompanying Burton on the ex
w lition yesterday were John C ok,
Jim Richardson and Bill K”!p. With
the aid "f Richardson and Kulp. the
pilot went to the -wreck today plan
ning to cut a trail down the moun
tainside and bring the plane to Am
cfcorage.
FREIGHTING BRIDGE STEEL
FOB ARC TO THE CREEK'S
Mike McRoberts and Albert Ivey
have been busy this last week freight
ing bridge steel out to the creeks
for the ARC. h
There is approximately SO tons
of steel winch is being hauled by
“cat”" and two trailers. The mater
ia' will be used next season for the
consruction of three steel bridges
across Yankee. California and Ganes
creeks.
SEA WOLF BRINGS ANOTHER
LOAD OR ARC BRIDGE STEEL
The MS Sea Wolf arrived Wednes
day night with 25 tons of bridge
steel for the ABC. They re
turned to the ARC camp down river
to pick up a barge loaded with the
Sfc’ance <A the ARC equipment.
DeLAXE MAT PUT IN
HYDRAULIC EQUIPMENT
Jack DeL&ne and his wife arrived
■ in- town from Little Creek last Mon
day. Jack has be«c employed as en
■ gineer on the Little Creek dredge for
Waino Pnntilla this summer whOe
Mrs. DeLane did the cooking- for the
crew.
The young couple will leave here
for Anchorage, remaining there
for a time before going Outside for1 j
i the winter. 5
Mr. DeLane has staked some ground <
near Ganes Creek which he may work ; c
by hydraulic methods next year. J1
GOEBEL VISITS OVERNIGHT i:
Charley Goebel was a visitor in j
town this week. Charley has been ,
doing a little sniping on Gene? this }
summer and reports his ground as j
. going about one dollar—an acre.
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Larson & Larson
Close Hydraulie !
work For Season
_ t
Frank Larson of Larson & Larson, ,
' operating a hydraulic proposition on t
Little Creek, arm red in town the first j
of the week and stated that work t
has been suspended for the season. «
His partner. Arvid Larson remain
ed at the camp to start putting the
equipment away for the winter. ,
Frank will return in a day or two 1
and assist in the work.
-"rank reports they have had a very
satisfactory season and the pay was
getting better toward he end.
“We could have worked a while *
; longer, but as it became necessary :
• to move the plant, to the next loca- c
tioa. we decided that by the time we
get set up. the free-eup would be 1
on and we would have to prepare the s
plant for winter,” Larson stated. s
The operators are going right t
ahead prospecting, however, this fall s
and winter. t
CHANDLER LEAVES c
Will: am Chandler, assistant to 1
: Supt. Fred J. Spach of the ARC here. 1
left for Anchorage with Pilot Ralph *
Savory last Saturday. Mr. Chandler
will be leaving for Washington State g
University the last of this week to i
, launch out an Lis senior year of coi- a
NEW ENGINEER
Clarence Zaiser has taken Jack i
De Cane's place as engineer on Pun- c
tiila’s Little Creek dredge. r
PILOT VICTOR
TELLS STORY
FATAL CRASH
Fog that dosed in around his air
•lane and trapped it in g valley o1
he Ksakokwim mountains was Warn
d today by Pilot Dan Victor for th<
rash last Thursday that took th(
ife of one man and injured two otbei
assengers. says a recent issue ol
he Anchorage Times.
Pilot Victor, who sustained a bro
:en nose and numerous bruises anc
cratches, sa d he had the choice oi
lying blind in the narrow vallej
.nd perhaps hitting a mountain head
in, or else making a forced landing
n the trees.
Meanwhile a party of about 2(
men went to the scene of the wrecl
•day from Moore Creek for th<
•ody of E. G. Morton. The firt res
ue party was unable tot carry th<
wo injured passengers and the body
“It was about 4:30 Thursday af
era&on when we were in the fog,’
’ilot Victor said. “The weather wa;
losing in and I planned to land al
Joore Creek, a mining camp. Th<
irport at McGrath was flooded anc
he weather toward Takotna appear
d unfavorable.
“I followed the creek up the vallej
nd found it impossible to get ovei
o Moore Creek. So I turned around
nd started back. The weather clos
n and I was flying blind.
“The valley is very narow there
nd the ridges high on both sides
f I continued. I would have to 9j
lind and I knew we would probablj
rash into the mountainside.
“We came down in the trees. 1
eaded in between two trees and
beared off the wings of the plane tc
low it up. We h:t other trees and
hey broke the fall. We plunged onlj
few feet to the earth after hitting
be first trees."
Pilot Victor said he spent Thurs
ay night ministering first aid tc
lilhe Harding and George Kriebel,
is passengers. Morten was dead
rhen the plane hit the ground.
“I moved the two injured passen
ers under some trees and put them
j sleeping bags. Then I built a fire
nd kept them warm. cooking _tbem
ome food now and- them” the pilot
aid.
Victor said he had little fear of
eing stranded for a long period be
suse the accident occurred on a
sate followed regularly bj' airplanes.
(eastern prince runs
!AGROUND AT UNALASKA
The steamer Eastern Prince, load
ed with 700 tens of freight, was re
ported to have run aground some
where near Unalaska on the lower
side of the Alaska Peninsula.
The MS Alaskan. Capt. E. W. Mil
ler, was to have met the steamer at
Bethel and load 80 tons of freight
'consigned to Lew Laska. McGrath.
• j Through the failure of the arrival
‘' of the steamer, the Aalskan. loaded
■ with diesel oil and N. C. merchandise.
■ left Bethel the loth and is due to
' arrive in McGrah Saturday or Sun
f da> -
The delay in the arrival of the
Eastern Prince in Bethel will possi
bly result in the bulk of the freight
consigned to McGrath being caught
• n the freeze-up and be tied up in
j Bethel until afer the break-up next
| spring.
Newest Star
Airways Plane
Destoved by Fire
Fire razed the newest airplane of
the Star Airways fleet one morning
recently while it was being serviced
at Lake Spenard. No injuries were
sustained but the flames menaced
other planes and structures near the
lake.
The ship, a Skyrocket Bellanca of
the latest type, was on the ramp
north of the picnic tables at the lake
when the fire broke out. Officials
were at a loss to explain how the fire
started.
Adolph Olson said the flames last
ed less than five minutes. They strip
ped the ship of its covering, burn
ing some of the structure.
Star Airways officials said the
damage to the structural part of the
ship was slight. New parts wij] be
installed and a new cover placed-over
the ship at the hangar at Merrill
Field.
Mr. Olson dashed with a fire ex
tinguisher to the ship when he sew
the flames. He turned the extinguish
er on the engine to prevent damage
to it.
The flames enveloped the ship for
a short period as gasoline burned on
_ the water. Workers jumped from the
' ship when the flames started.
"Pilot Kenneth Neese purchased
the ship for Star Airways during
his recent trip to the States.
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LATE NEWS ARTICLES FROM OPHIR
By Christian Bolgen—(Special Correspondent)
»
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Make Trip to Takotna—
Mrs. Eric Hard and Mrs. Thos.
Shaver made a trip to Takotna this
Wednesday morning, going over ■with
Gus Uotila in the track.
Water Getting Slack—
John Twomey came in from Hard
and Johnson’s camp on upper Ophir
Creek this morning. He reports that
verything is going fine up there;
that the water, however, is getting
a ’ittle slack on account of the cold
spell; and that Carl Olsen, the new
slack-line operator is doing fine and
nutting lots of dirt through the
boxes.
Reeovering From Burns—
Waino Puntilia and Frank and
Arvid Larson from Little Creek were
in town yesterday. Arvid reports
that Mrs. Larson, who last week
sustained severe burns to her arm
while in the steam bath, is almost
well again. After getting burnt she
came nto town and had Eric Hard
dress the burns after which she got
great relief from the very painful
accident. Frank and Arvid has new
;; sed down operations for the sea
son, as it was getting too late to
move the pipe line and get started
again.
WiD Spend Winter Prospecting—
Ora Lav is, who has been wait
ing for the Alaska Road Comm.s
! sictn this summer, and his partner
Orin Goodrich, who has worked for
►■rank Speljack oc Little Creek, ar
rived in town a couple of days ago.
They were on their way to
Dome Creek, in the Lone
sow River section of the lower Im
noko River, where they intend to
■pend the winter prospecting; also
'•erform the annual labor on the
Frank Speljack property on Dome
Creek. 'When ihey learned that Surl
ier had built himself a boat out of
lumber, they decided to go him one
better and construct a steel vtsseL
' so, to that end. they got together
> five empty ga* tanks, lashed them
together wit* aaywire, put a deck
or th*r contraption, and gayly set
! off'down the river this Wednesday
vr, -rrm Tg: Ha vis's dog-pup being on
the hack barking loudly to dear the
wgyu Everybody said; God help
them- if they ■^rik* a iMtgm..
I Closes for Season—
The work on the Speljack ground
; on the Bonanza Group on Little
| Creek has also closed for the season,
i as the water was getting low on ac
! count of the recent cold spell, and it
| being rather late o start a rrew open
I cut.
Builds Boat in Two Days—
E. O. Gurtler, who has been
! freighting on the Takotna Eiver
part of the season, came over to
Ophir the end of last week, built
himself a boat in two days and start
| ed down the North Fork, where he
1 intends to spend the winter trapping
| and prospecting. Later he will be
joined by his youngest son who is
now working for Olson & Company
on Happy Creek, in the Otter Pre
cinct.
Uotila Visits Holdings—
Gas Uotila, after making a visit
to his mining camps at Moore and
Slate Creeks, returned to Ophir yes
terday. He came over with Pilot
Peterson in Peterson’s plane, which
landed nicely on the Ophir field. With
the same plane also came Dan
Lhemon, a machinery salesman for
the X. C. Company, who left again
on the plane after a short stay in
Ophir.
Moving Into New Store—
Mr. and Mrs. O. E. Blindheim are
new moving into their new store
building, which is seme building, be
lieve me. They hive now about
completed moving the stock of goods
from the Jesse Bauch cabin into
their new building and are ready to
do business in their new auarters.
The big building is n< t finished yet,
but fit enough for occupation. Alf
Greenberg and John ColVne have re
cently been assisting Eiindbeim in
the work of putting the finishing
touches on the interior of the store
and living quarters.
AHC Doing Fine Work—
The Boad Commission has been do- ‘
ing splendid work for the past week
graveling the road from U >tila A
Hard’s workings on Four Below on
Ophir Creek into town Two trucks,!
driven by Dallis McRoberts and Rudy
Kransi. hauling and dumping the
grwvei on the road, and two men,'
Albert Chappee and Gus Olson do
loaded from tie tailing pile on the
Uotila & Herd ground by the big
dragline. It takes just two dippers
full o make a truckload and the load
ing is d ne in less than four minutes.
The road is already graveled half
way to town. Mr. Adams, the road
foreman, comes in about every other
day to oversee the work.
Leaving For Fairbanks—
Charles Holky. who together with
A If Gre.rberg has been drilling cn
the Ophir Development Company’s
ground on the Innoko Flats, left in
Mike Myntti’s car for Takotna Tues
day morning. Holky is on his way
to Fairbanks on business.
BRINGS IN CLEANUP
Waino Puntilla, operator of tie
Little Creek dredge, arrived in town
Tuesday evening with another satis
factory cleanup. He reports every
thing going along fine at the dredge
and anticipates working later than
usual this fail.
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RECORD PLANE
FREIGHT HAUL
IS COMFLETED
What is believed to have been the
largest movement of freight by air
plane in the history of Alaska was
completed recently when the tri-mo
tored Ford plane of the Star Air
Service came to its home port after
being in service most of the summer
between Ruby and Folger, says the
Anchorage Times.
Pilot Chester Brown reported that
220,142 pounds of freight was deliv
ered to the Cripple Creek Mining
Company at Folger in 76 trips of tha
plane.
In moving the freight the ship con
sumed 5,850 gallons of gasoline and
traveled a total distance of mora
than half way around the world,
12,320 miles.
The freight included all sorts of
heavy machinery, groceries and a
variety of other items used in the
mining camp of Dave Strandberg.
There were tractor parts, dragline
parts, caterpillar tracks weighing
&00 pounds.
Pieces of iron 20 feet long, eight
inches wide and a half inch thick,
used as tracks at the mine, were
stowed in the cabin of the ship and
moved from Ruby to Folger. Two
hundred drums of diesel oil were also
moved.
The freight, totalling 110 tons 142
pounds, was shipped from the States
to Seward. It went over the Alaska
Railroad to Nenar.a and hence down
the Yukon River to Ruby.
From Ruby, it was tak^n 85 miles
south over the rolling wilderness to
the mine property. The S:ar Air
Service ship made three trips daily
during good weather.
Pilot Brown made the trips with
either* Jack Carr or Walter Brown,
Jr., as his aide.
Local aviation officials said they
have never heard of such a large
movement of freight in Alaska be
fore. They pointed out. however,
that larger shipments have been
made by air in other parts of the
world anc pointed particularly tc
New Guinea where .e' ra! dredg
were moved by airplane.
RESIDENTS MISS FAMILIAR
FIGURE AND MEET NEW ONE
“What1 No Santa Claus?”
A husky young-looking gentleman
■walked into the Kusko Times office
Wednesday, stepped up U> the re
porter in a very businesslike, but
familiar manner and extended his
hand, accompanied by a hearty
“Good morning.” For a few mom
ents the reporter was stumped. Fin
ally the ring of that familiar voice
sank home.
Mr. Twitchel! had gone through
Th. shearing pens and emerged
forth with a 'Lining face—ou :ward
ly a changed man
FEED MARKS IN TOWN
Fr- _ .'-If! s. wr.o has be=n work.ug
for Lar;on L Larson in their hy
drauic operations on Little Creek,
arrived in Town Tuesday night. Op
erations have been suspended for
the season.
AMBITION KILLED HER
YORK, Neb.—M. Woodward's cow
had a liking for nails, hits of w re,
glass and odd pieces of brass. But
a three-inch nail proved too much.
She died after the nail worked
through the stomach wall and pierc
ed the heart.
LEAVING FOR ANCHORAGE
Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Lyons are in
town from Ophir where Bill has be‘n
in the employ of Hard i Uotila as
“cat” driver. They are planning on
leaving for Anchorage by the first
available plane.