THE ONLY NEWSPAPER
PUBLISHED IN THE
KUSKOKWIM COUNTRY
EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE KUSKO TIMES
THE KUSKO TIMES
COVERS ALL PARTS OF
THE RIVER COUNTRY
<Tht ^.usko iLimem
• > _*
T. R. McROBERTS and ALASKA E. EG AX,
Publishers
Published Er#*^ Friday, at TakcXna. .Aimaks
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“Entered ss second-class matter February 1, 1987,
at the post office at Takotna. Alaska, under the Act of
March 3, 187* “•
Represented Nationally by
J. W. GREELY and ASSOCIATES
603 Stewart Street, Seattle, Wash.
FRIDAY. OCTOBER. 15* 19£7
THE KUSKOKWIM NEEDS
MORE MEN LIKE STRANDBERG—
Dave Strandberg & -^ik have just completed*- very
highly successful season in all parts of the Kuskokwim.
The- results of the season's operations with dragline
equipment on the Strandberg holdings at Folger were
far beyond expectations, work is. still being carried on
in the Good news- district with, the end of a satisfactory
season in sight. Dragline- equipment was moved in
on the newly purchased St rand berg property on Candle
Creek this summer in time to make several cleanups and
everything is- ready for a long and prosperous season
next year.
We sincerely wish to see Dave Stranjberg and his
sons continue to be successful in their various mining
ventures. Dave is capable of doing more to develop the
mining resources of the Kuskokwim than any other one
man we konw of. As. fast as he makes money one. place
he puts it back in at another, prospecting and developing
new ground, new country; taking over claims of ths old
prospectors who are unable to realize on their holdings,
and shouldering, their responsibilities and enabling these
old-timers to realize their dreams
When Strandberg makes money, we all make money
or benefit by it. He its firm hfliiever m keeping his
money working—a plunger, a gambler—and a good one
His type of a man is? the type use want and need. W*
should encourage and. get behind Strandberg and helf
him help .us?.
CONTROL OF GAME AND FIR—
(Juneau Empire)
Alaska-’s proposal presented through Delegate Or
mond to obtain Territorial control of game and fur has
met with strong opposition from the Department of Ag
riculture which now has full control of these Alaska re
sources. And there is considerable sound argument in
the statement of the Department against the hill, as
published in yesterday’s Empire. Especially it is stres
sed that.the Territory itself is not financially able to
handle fur <«ri game, froen its own. resources. There is
considerable to that point. There is also something to
the argumea that the Department, through the Biologi
cal Survey, is attempting ta carry forward a worthwhile
conservation: program and has the more adequate finan
ces to do so. The work the Department is doing is in
most res peats: c<uamenriabl».
Bur tosre is one angle of fur and game control which
does nst set wall" with' most Alaskans. A clue to it is
found in* the following - paragraph' taken-fro* the De
partment's statement in..opposing the Dimond bill:
“The Terriory of Alaska contains the last great
stand of wild life under the jurisdiction of the Govern
ment of the United States, and many people in various
section*- at. the- country, ncl i-i ng sportsmen, convjrva
tionista, and lovers of wild life are deeply interfaced in
its proper and adequate conservation.”
It is a happy situation that such people are interest
ed in Alaska wild life. That is as it should be. But what
sometimes galls- Alaskans is the- apparent attitadfc that
in rests of u—v* sportsmen and conservatiaaiats in the
States come beio.-i the interests of the residents. 9t At
A typical example -of the {joint is duck shooting Me
son. There are not enough duck shooters m Alaska ts
wad a shotgun in comparison with the hordes that sally
forth, after migratory fowl in the States. Stv-ertheieaa
Alaskans are forced to be bound by the same strict
shooting rules and regulations which pertain to the Mis
sissippi valley, for example. Alaskans feel that U»ej
are being penalized unnecessarily in order to protect
waterfowl for the sport«men of the States. The view
point may be exaggerated at times, but it is something
for the Department to consider in its management at fm
and game in the Territory. Surely, the interaata at the
€0,000 persons who make up the population ef Alaska,
reed not be sacrificed in order to make a much larger
number of sportsmen and conservationist* in the Statss
happy.
The Department ha3 an excellent setup in the Ten
ritory at the present time. The Game Gomzniaaion is do
ing good work. If more of its recommendations were
adopted, the Department would hear less protest, oat the
part of Alaskans.
-«
Russia has started building that 1300-foot Moscow
skyscraper. Those fellows just won’t be contented uati
have made all the Americas mistake.
SIXTEEN YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(TAXHN FROM THE FILES OF THE KUSKO TIMES)
Joe Keen and Harvey Williams, on
the launch Snookie, returned to Mc
Grath today from a trip up the Kus
kokwim.
John Heino came down from the
Forks yesterday afternoon.
i _
J_ M. Berry', in his launch Caille,
arrived irr. McGrath Monday evening
from Bis headquarters up the North
Fork. M. F. Murphy, K. P. Lind and
Rudolph Hula were passengers from
Berry Landing. Mr. Berry departed |
this morning up river, expecting to
reach home before the freezeup.
Frank Fox, in his Salmon River
Flyer, and Fred Beaulieu, after a
stay of several weeks up Salmon ]
Eiver way, arrived in McGrath this
| morning.
Tom Conley arrived last night
from a trip up river, departing this .
morning for a trip to Candle Land- (
ing.
Aleck Giasson arrived in McGrath
! yesterday- from Candle, departing,
again for home this morning.
SEATTLE—Because he had failed
to invent a pencil sharpener and
eraser, F. K. Butler, a former Alas
kan. suicided here today by putting a
bullet into his heart.
Captain Charles Nicolet and Chas.
Smith arrived in McGrath yesterday,
• hiking it from the Forks.
W. D. McGowan arrived from Nix
' on Monday evening, coming overland.
Rudolph Rula arrived Monday
from N’ixcm Landing.
R. M. White left yesterday for the
Nixon Mines.
! Charles Ronig, in his launch Helen,
left McGrath yesterday afternoon
for Nixon Landing. Going up on the
Helen were W. D. McGowan, R. M.,
White, K. P. Lind and Pete Connelly.
i _ I
] SAN FRANCISCO — That Roy'
’ Gardnen McNeil prison convict, in
' his-third spectacular prison escape
; from the minions of the law, has suc
) ceeded in gaining the mainland, whilb
i penitentiary officials believed hrm to
be trapped on McNeil’s Island, is now
' positively known, through a letter j
: written by Gardner to George L.
North, assistant managing editor of
the San Francisco Bulletin. The Mc
; Neil's prison authorities have no
trace of Gardner’s present where
. abouts, neither do they understand
how he made his escape from the is
land, following its close surveillance
after itis escape through prison walls.
;
It is generally believed, however,
that he made his escape to the ma:n
land by swimming the channel,
though others contend that confeder- ]
ates aided him and are stlil giving
him protection. In his letter to North
Gardner admits that he was shot by
McNeil's prison guards, receiving se
vere flesh wounds. He also encloses
a letter addressed to President Hard
ing in which he asks for a presiden
tial pardon.
Joe Oates, m the go-devil, arrived
from Takotna late Thursday evening,
the ice of the two previous days hav
ing disappeared. Also coming down
on the Devil were Mrs. Oates, Miss j
Rose and Master Joe Oates, James
Downey, Mike Blanusha, Vivian How-1
ard. The Go-Devil returned o Takot
na yesterday.
The work of repairing and putting
into winter quarters the boats of the j
Alaska Rivers Navigation Co. is pro
gressing rapidly, under the direction
of Captain George Green. New cyl
inder timbers have already been plac
ed on the Quickstep, and other re
pairs made and she will be put, on
the ways as soon as the stage of wa
ter permits.
Joe Wills, who returned Thursday,
night from a trip up river, had a pe
culiar experience sne- night just be
fore breaking camp. During the
night, several inches of snow having
fallen, Joe was suddenly awakened by
a crash outside the corner of the
tent, which he thought was a moose
about to run over his bed. Investiga
tion proved tbe noise to have been a
birch limb, six to eight inches in di- ,
ameter, about seven feet long, which
had fallen with such force as to
have been driven several inches into
the ground within about 18 inches
from his head. That was one narrow
escape.
OPHIR—Johnson, Bolgen & John
son are preparing to run a bedrock
drain this winter. They are said to!
have tapped good pay in the deep ‘
channel.
News Items from the
Lower River
Georgetown is fairly well deserted,
as there only George Fredericks and
Joe Young and their families and a
few natives left.
Shorty Woods and family, Hans
Halvorsun constitute a new colony
eight miles this side of Georgetown.
Mr. and Mrs. George Hoffman, of
Napamute, were the proud parents of
daughter on September 18, this lat
est one making their 12th child, af
ter a married life of 15 years.
! FIRST NATIONAL
BANK
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Capital and Surplus $100,000
i WILL ADVANCE MONEY ON GOLD
AND
Ship Gold at Very Reasonable Rates
OATES FREIGHTING
SERVICE
We Haul Anything
Heavy or Light
Where You Want It
«UU LOCAL DISTRIBUTORS FOR LUMBKR FROM THE
MILLER SAWMILL
JOS OATES, FREIGHTER
TAKOTNA, ALASKA
Passenger Service
TIMELY EDITORIALS
Culled From Our Exchanges
THE UBIQUITOUS MOSQUITO—
(The Valdez Miner)
Now that the New Deal and the Territorial Legisla
ture has regulated everything that lives, moves, breathes,
to be or will be, why not pay attention to the increasing
swarms of mosquioes. Some of the old Sourdoughs lay
the increase to the tourists, claiming they are more fer
tile breeding grounds than the old-time, leathery-necked
Alaskan; others lay it to the railway management and
Secretary of Interior Ickes. We have seen too man/
tourists arrive here who were bitten from Maine to Flor
ida, and points west, so both diagnoses may be wrong.
It may be true that the tourist provides T-bones and the
finer cuts for the mosquito than the chuck steaks and
brisket the average Alaskan dishes out, but one great
fault with the present system is the New Deal waste of
meat.
The present day mosquito will fly down, take a piece
out of his victim, fly up on a limb, chew on it a time
and then deliberately kick the tidbit overboard, the taste
being not to suit him. The West coast tourist appears to
provide better and tastier meat than the East coast, and
the Southern tourist is just plain waste for some reason,
the anopheles probably disliking the corn whiskey and
rum taste, preferring some of the higher proof prod
ucts. They also appear to have likes and dislikes in their
taste for tobaccos, as the man who chews snoose is im
mune, whereas the user of Blue Boar or PA is literally
devoured. Many a mosquito will fly a mile to get to nib
ble on a Blue Boar addict.
There should also be restrictions as to the length of
the bill used. Fairbanks is wasting time trying to regu
late the length of trucks and busses on the highway. Why
not devote its efforts to the length of a mosquito's bill
Busses do not gnaw their victims, nor do they drive them
insane from scratching. The regulations should read
chat every mosquito with a bill over six inches in length
should be barred from the highway.
The Board of Health, which has thrown the book at
the dishwasher who wipes his nose on his wrist, is in
different whether or no a mosquito washes and sterilizes
its bill before seeking a new victim. Our children are
not allowed to work after that, but the mosquito's pro
geny starts boring as soon as they are born, without re
gard for union hours. The CIO and John Lewis are
overlooking a fertile field for organization, but probably
would not accept blood money.
The size of the mosquito also is increasing. It is
embarrassing to a Valdezan to point out what he thinks
is a robin and fiinds upon closer inspection, that it is
a mosquito. We must either have more tourists or fewer
mosquitoes. Unless something is done there will be more
room for them in the air.
It is fortunate for Alaskans, on account of their
numbers, that mosquitoes cannot vote If they did, they
would be New Dealers and have their bills into every
thing.
POLAR FLIGHT MISHAP—
(The Fairbanks News-Miner)
Deep regret, over the mishap to the Russian polar
plane enroute from Moscow to Fairbanks will be wide
spread.
Fairbanks has particular reason for regret. As the
scheduled American terminal of the Arctic flight, Fair
banks was brought into world eminence and had every
reason to hope for the success of the daring undertak
ing. The chief pilot and the navigator had been here be
fore and had many friends here.
Success of the flight would have speeded the destiny
of this place on the round-the-world and inter-hemis
phere aerial traffic of the future.
But there is no reason to be discouraged even in the
face of such adversity attending a great and dramatic
exploit such as this.
Pioneers in other great adventures have met with
reverses, but the forward march has not been stayed.
Where mishap besets one, another steps in to carry on.
Doubtless the great dream back of this flight will
not vanish. The determination to conquer Arctic regions
and to set up communications of the old world and the
new will prevail.
The Russians have gone about their Arctic explor
ations in no casual way. Advisedly, and with elaborate
preparation, they have laid the foundation. The several
preliminary Arctic flights of the last few years and the
establishment of a polar exploration camp together with
the trans-Arctic flights this year are but a part of their
comprehensive program.
America is especially concerned in these undertak
ings by a great and friendly Northland neighbor. This
is revealed in the courtesies and cooperation extended
by the United States government.
The search for the missing planes, has started by
the Russians and is snoher evidence of their alertness
and aggressiveness.
Doubtless they will push the search with all vigor
and will have full cooperation of Alaskans and the
American government and all who can lend their aid.
and the sincere hope that the missing men be found
safe.
Presidential hopes for lb40 are about to bloom, says
an edditorial. That makes us gloomy because, as always
before, they’ll all turn out to be weeds except one.—Col
umbus, Ohio Dispatch.
-•
Since they put Joe Louis’ voice on a phonograph Tec*
oni, the eternal doubters will be checking up to .see bam
he acts when he is going around in eirds.