——W—
- ADVANCE REPORT ON
TATONDUK^NATION DISTRICT
WASHINGTON.—The U. S. Geo
logical Survey, Department of the
Interior, announces the completion of
a manuscr pt report on the Tatonduk
» Nation district, Alaska, by J. B. Mer
tle, Jr. This is one of the reports re
suiting from field studies carried on
^ during the season of 1930. The com
plete report will contain a drainage
R - and geologic map of the district, but
inasmuch as considerable time will
5# * elapse before it can be published, a
v brief summary of the principal re
- suits of the investigation is given in
the following abstract.
The Tatonduk-Nation district is a
triangular area of about 600 square
miles that forms the southern part
- of the Yukon-Porcupine region, of
east-central Alaska. The Yukon-Tan
ana region contains numerous towns
and mining camps and in earlier years
•. has been completely covered by recon
na:ssance topographic and geologic
surveys. The Yukon-Porcupine re
gion, on the other hand, is almost un
inhabited and as yet unsurveyed.
The Yukon-Porcupine region com
mands attention at the present time
for several reasons:
1. It includes some of the best
trapping country of Alaska.
2. It is contiguous to important
mineral district and may itself have
possibilities of mineral production.
3. It presents diversified geologic,
biologic and scenic features of great
scientific and popular interest.
4. It lies between two navigable
rivers, the Yukon and the Porcupine,
and is therefore relatively easy of ac
For these reasons this region is
being visited more and more every
year by trappers, prospectors, tourists
and naturalists, and both topographic
and geologic maps of the region are
much in demand. The Geological
Survey is primarily interested in the
mineral development of Alaska, and
this necessarily involves an under
standing of the regional geology. The
study of the Tatonduk-Nation district
may therefore be considered the start
on a systematic geologic investiga
tion that will eventually be extended
northward to the Porcupine river.
Geologically, as well as geograph
ically, the Yukotv river in this part of
Alaska forms an important boundary,
for south of the river are great gran
itic batholiths of Mesozoic age, where
as north of the river such intrusive
bodies are absent. Moreover, south
of the river the pre-Cambrian rocks
have been, profoundly,metamorphosed,
and even rocks as young as Devonian
have locally been rendered schistose,
but north of the river rocks as old
as Algonkian are found practically
unaltered. Conditions1 of sedimenta
tion have also been different north of
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the river, for the lower part of the
geologic section is characterized by
pre-Cambrian dolomites, red beds, |
and laves and Cambro-Ordovician
limestone that have no known coun
terparts elsewhere n Alaska. In ad
dition, sedimentary rocks of every j
geologic system except the Jurassic
are found in the same general vicin- ;
ity, so that the Tatonduk-Nation dis- j
trict afFords an unusual opportunity |
for compiling a complete geologic
section. Carboniferous and younger
rocks also occur in this district, but
they have been rather fully described
in other recent reports.
The oldest rocks in Alaska, known
as the Birch creek schist, are not
present i nthis district. The oldest
rocks exposed are an assembligage of
sediments and lavas called the Tindir
group, which on stratigraphic grounds
are regarded as of earlier than Mid
dle-Cambrian age. The Tindir group
is divided into seven units, as follows:
A. Principally thin-bedded lime
stone. Top of sequence.
B. Principally siliceons dolomite
and shale, with dolomitic conglomer
ate near the base.
C. Upper red beds, consisting of
hematitic dolomite, shale, flint, tuff,
and lava, with a red basal conglom
erate.
D. Amagdaloidal lavas of green
stone habit.
E. Thin-bedded dolomite, shale, ar
gillite, and quartzite with a few beds
of more massive dolomite and quartz
ite. Also basic dikes, sills, and flows
and qj prominent zone of red beds. j
F. Massive magnesian limestone!
and dolomite.
G. An incompletely differentiated i
group of thin-bedded dolomite and ar
gillaceous rocks, with notable lava
flows and red beds. Some of these
rocks are believed to overlie unit F.
Unit A underlies early Middle Cam
brian rocks without any recognizable
discordance in structure. Open fold
ing, modified by later fault displace
ments, characterizes these upper beds.
The lower beds are more intricately
folded, but this may be a matter of
local variation rather than an indica
tion of greater metamorphism. The
total thickness of the Tindir group is
estimated to be between 20,000 and
25.000 feet.
The Cambrian section is divided
into four parts, as follows
1. Upper Cambrian limestone,!
which grades upward without any
noticeable strathographic or lithologic
break into Ordovician limestone.
, 2. An upper plate of Middle Cam
brian limestone.
3. A thin formation of slate and
quartzite.
4. A lower plate of Middle Cam
brian limestone.
The noteworthy fact relating to the
stratigraphy of the Cambrian brought
out in this study was the recognition
of the Middle Cambrian which was
proved both by sthatigraphy and by
fossils. Both the Middle and Upper
Cambrian rocks of Tatonduk river lie
in an anticline that plunges south
eastward to the Yukon river. The
Middle Cambrian rocks are believed
to have a thickness of 1,300 feet, and
the Upper Cambrian limestone about
2.000 feet.
The Ordovician rocks ionsist of
about 1,000 feet of limestone, essen
tially similar to the underlying Upper
Cambrian limestone, underlain by 250
feet or more of grnptolitic shale.
The Silurian rocks have not been
well differentiated in the Tatonduk
Nation district, but fossibls that were
collected show that both Middle and
Upper Silurian are present. The Mid
dle Silurian limestone is correlative
with the Skagit limestone of North
ern Alaska and with the Middle Si
lurian limestone of Wife I .White Moun
tains, south of tile Yukon
As a result of studies in this and
other parts of Alaskuj .ule* Devonian
section appears tovbe composed of
four groups of rocks,-of;! which three
are found in thisi thkiaact.. A gen
eralized summary of the sequence is
us follows:
L.-.Upper - Devonian, characterized
by Spirifer disjnnctus .and other ma
rine invertebrates. These rocks are
found in the Brooks Range, and an
Prince of Wales and Chichagof
isle” douthenstern A'asku.
2. High Middle Devonian, siliaeousb
and slaty beds in the Xetonduk-Na
tion district and Woodchopper volean
ics farther do.wn the Yuk* ■
3. Middle Devonian 4hin-bedded
limestone and shale, found in jqany
parts of Alaska, includinggthi Taton
duk-Nation district,
4. Low Middle Devonian limestone
-—the .Salmon trout limestone, whose
type area is in the Ponsopine fiver
district and which is also recognized
in the Tatonduk-Nation -district.
Five -carboniferous formations, to
gether with Triassic, Cretaceous, and
Tertiary rocks, and Wuatenary uncon
solidated deposits, are also present in
the district.
The principal igneous rocks of this
district are the pre-Ca*ibrian lavas
and intrusives. These -are for the
most part normal basaltic rocks rang
ing in granularity from thoroughly
crystalline to glassy. Some of the in
trusive rocks contain a small percent
age of orthoclase and quartz. Un
differentiated greenstones that form a.
part of the-highly altered rocks south
tered than the pre-Cambrian Lavas,
of the Yukon, though much more al
are prohably of Devonian age.
A scientist reached the conclusion
that the grasshopper heard through
its legs. Wishing to support his theory
with absolute proof, he put a grass
hopper upon one end of a board and
rapped on the other end. The grass
hopper jumped. This -being affirm
ative proof he was not satisfied but
determined to prove his theory also
nagatively. He pulled the legs off the
grasshopper and repeated the ex
periment. The grasshopper did not
jump. Therefore he had established
absolute proof of his theory.
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Dr. Rich—Why, is your.business ^0
good ns all that ? *■
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ROSICRl'CIAN MYSTERIES —A^J
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In the Probate Gmirt for the Bethel
Precinct, Fourth 4) i vision. Territory
of Alaska.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS.
Notice is hereby given that all cred
itors having claims against the estate
of Andrew Johnson, deceased, are di
rected to present them, together with
the proper vouchers, to the under
signed, at Bethel, Alaska, within six
months from the date of this notice.
OSCAR tiAMUELSON,
•Administrator.
Dated at Bethel Alaska, January 6,
1932.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS.
In the Probate Court for the Innoko
Preeinct, Fourth Division, Terri
tory of Alaska.
In the matter of the Estate of
Thomas P. Bare, deceased.
Before Christian Bolgen, 'Commis
sioner, ex-officio Probate Judge, and
administrator of the estate of Thomas
P. Bare, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that the un
dersigned Commissioner is acting as
administrator of the estate of Thomas
P. Bare, deceased.
Notice is hereby given to the cred
itors and all persons having claims
against the said deceased or his es
tate to exhibit them, with proper
vouchers, for approval, within sixty
days from the aate of this notice, to
me, as administrator, at my office at
Ophir, Alaska, the same being the
place for the transaction of the busi
ness of the said estate in the Terri
tory of Alaska.
Dated at Ophir, Alaska, February
lft, 1932.
CHRISTIAN BOLGEN,
* Commissioner, and Administrator
for the Estate of Thomas P.
Bare, deeaased.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.
Notice is hereby given to F. W.
Carter, A. B. Ferguson, George C.
Friend, and E. Coke HiU, and their
heirs and assigns, that their portions
of the assessment work for the years
1924 to 1931, inclusive, done on the
iBonanza Association placer mining
claim, situated on Flat creek, tribu
tary of Otter creek, in the Otter Re
cording Precinct, Fourth Division,
Territory of Alaska, must be paid
Within ninety (90) dayB from date
hereof, or forfeit all right and title
to said placer mining claim.
PATRICK SAVAGE.
1 Dated Flat, Alaska, Jan. 16, 1932.
.First publication, March 5, 1932.
In *the Probate Court for the Innoko
Precinct, Fourth Division, Territory
of Alaska.
In the matter of the Estate of John
E. Edwards, deceased.
Notice of Hearing of Final Account.
Notice is hereby given that the ad
ministrator of the above estate has
filed his final report in the above
named Probate Court and that the
said report will be heard before the
said court at Ophir, Alaska, on Fri
day, the 8th day of June, 1932, at 2
o'clock p. m. of said day, at which
time and place all parties interested
TABLE OF DISTANCES BE
TWEEN NENANA AND PLAT
Miles
Nenana ____00
Tavern Roadhouse_17%
Knight’s Roadhouse ___28%
Nineteen-Mile Roadhouse_58 _
Diamond Roadhouse__ 76
Roosevelt __ 89
Lake Mirtchuntica__115
Trappers’ Cabin _ j._ 132
Lone Star Roadhouse . u. 160
Telida .Roadhouse . :... 169%
Slow Fork Roadhouse..187
East Fotk Rbadhouce_xjfc) 206 I
Berry's Landing Roadhouse_ 227% ;
Big River-Roadhouse._... 241 I
McGrath .... 263 C
Takotaa ... 280 •
Bill Goss^ Roadhouse__ 291
Ophir __800
McCafferty .. SQ6
Brown Creek shelter cabin_818 •
Fritz shelter cabin ..... 388
First Chance shelter cabin _ 846
Schermeyer &. H....860
Iditarod _____ 378
Flat _ : 884
Boitanzza ebeie? cabin, 12 miles
from Flat.
Crooked Creek '■*» shelter - oabin, 19
miles from Bonanza
may appear and show cause, H mUj
they have, why said report should DOt
be approved and eonflrmed
HENRY NICHOLSON,
Adtoieirtwtiic
First pabHcatino April Ift.__
la the Prohate Out Car Other Fu>
timet. Pmmrth Pi Mian. Territory
tl Alaska.
Ia the matter of the Bslote aS
Edgar Ryder, dacaanad.
Notice of Hearing of Final itoant
Notice is hereby given that the ad
ministrator of the above estate has
filed his final report la the Prohate
Court above named and that said re
port will be heard -before the said
Probate Court for Otter Precinct si
Flat, Alaska, on Wednesday, the lStt<
day of May, 1932, at two o'cloak p. m
of said day, at which time and place
all parties interested may appear and
show cause, if ar»y they have, whj
said report should not be approved
and confirmed.
BARRY DONNELLEY,
Administrator.
First publication. Mar. 19, 1932.
Pioneer
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Blacksmith,
Machinefanc
all kmds' of
Sheet Metal
Work
Stoves
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