THE KUSKO TIMES
tol. 1. no. n
TAKOTNA, ALASKA, APRIL SO, 1S37
PRICE, » CHTOi.
GOOD PROGRESS
MADE INSTALLING
DIESELS AT GANES
The Gares’Greek Dredging'Xlora-■
pany made its last trip with the
“cat," hauling the diesel equipment
and other freight from Takotna last
Sunday, according to John Repo, who
supervised the work.
The work of installing the new
diesels is going ahead smoothly and
without difficulty. Repo sMted. The
crew, under the direction of Charles
Anderson have the old engines al
ready out of the dredge and part of
the new equipment already installed.
Anderson, it is understood, will be
engineer on the dredge this summer.
He is rated an expert diesel man,
having worked a number-of years m
that capacity w ith the fF. E. Company
at Fairbanks.
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND.THE
YUKON TERRITORY TO MERGE
VICTORIA. B. C., April 27—Plans
for the taking over of Yukon Terri
tory by the province of British Col
umbia have been reached in an agree
ment between the British Columbia
government, which has its capital in
Victoria, and the Canadian Domin
ion government, which has its capi
tal at Ottawa. T. D. Eattallo, pre
mier of British Columhia, announced
today in Victoria.
The adlition of the Y ukon Territory
to British Columbia would make the
latter province the second largest
province in the Dominion and would
extend .he province’s boundaries to
the Arctic Ocean.
Under the agreement the Dominion
government would pay British Col
umbia SI25.000 year!}' for the next
five years as a special grant to "’meet
expenditures necessary for the In
dian population in Yukon Territory.
The agreement must receive the
approval of the British Columbia
parliament.
ANCHORAGE GIRL HA'S
PART IN NEW MOVIE
HOLLYWOOD —'Climbing another
step on the ladder to film fame,
Charlotte Lee Thompson, daughter of i
A. G. Thompson, prominent attorney
of Anchorage, has won an important
dancing role an "This I Is Mv Affnifi*
co-starring Robert Taylor and Bar
bara Stanwyck. I
Charlotte came V . Hollywood .iwlith
her mother about two years ago to,
seek a career in motion pictures. AI-;
though she' has had several minor
roles rn films, she considers' her part
m “This Is My-Affair,” one of 20th
Century-Fox’s most important 1337
productions, her biggest ss <rr et n,
chance yet. j
The dancing sequence is built
around a dramatic phase Of this story
about an important but little-known
historical episode during President
' William MtEinlgy’s term in i*he
White House.
—
DRAGLINE WILL
BE SHIPPED I*
BN FIRST BOUT
' F. M. Awe and .Henry 'DuRand,1
who organized a company this win
ter, known as Awe & - Co., are instal-'
, ling a dragline on upper Flat Creek
this season.
They plan on working ground just
below the Famous Slaryetti, The
sluice boxes are already and the
company expects to begin operations
within two weeks after*kbe arrival Of
the first boat, on which the new
dragline equipment is to be shipped.
MILTON ROPER ENTERS
EMPLOY OF FLAT FIRM
_ t
Milton B. Roper recently entered
the employ of DonxicHy & Sheppard,
large general nrurchandiee store at,
Flat.
He will be in charge of the bank
»department along with his duties in
the store.
Mr. Roper is a former resident of
Nome, but has been living in 'Cal-,
ifomia for the past few years. He
just returned from the south to take (
over his new duties in Flat.
business visitor in flat ,
Harold Strandberg arrived in Flat
with Pilot Jack Elliott Friday even
ing. After attending to some bus
cv ss, Mr. Strandberg left for Fol
ger with Pilot Dan Victor Sunday
morning. I
MAY VOTE DC 193S ON
ONE-HOCSE LEGISLATURE
WASHINGTON. April 27—Wheth
er the Alaska Legislature should be
comprised of only one house, irsead
of two houses as at present, is a
question that will be decided at the
election in September. 193$, if Con
gress uasses the bill that was intro
duced m the House today by Dele
gate Anthony J. Dim end. hi respect
to the measure, the delegate said:
“I believe the legislators should
consist of only one house, but I also
believe the people *f Alaska should
be permitted to say through a refer
endum what they think about it."
At present the legislature is com
prised of two branches, a House arid
a Senate. The House is composed of
16 representatives, or four from ev
ery one of the four judicial divisions
in the Territory. The Senate is com
prised of eight senators, or twc'from
every one of the divisions.
PATENT ON INVENTION
GRANTED FAIRBANKS’MAN
WASHINGTON, D.'C.—A pneuma
tic machine base is the invention
upon which Victor Hugo De Bolt of
Fairbanks was -granted a patent this
month.
The Fairbanks inventor filed his
tent application February 8, 1936,
and has waitdd a Titf le over a year
•while patent exanrtners compared his
claim* with the record of all similar
patents previously issued. The final
decision of the examiners, was that
D# Bolt was entitled to credit for
one completely original idea.
The Fairbanks man‘has not as
signed his invention for manufacture.
Here is the official description of
the patent, as published by the patent
dffiee:
“A machine base comprising, up
per and lower flanged base "elements
having their-’flanged edges in tele
scopic engagement, a pneumatic bag
substantially filling the space ’ be
tween said base elemefrts. arid ad
justable means extending bet-won said
base elements to vary ' the compres
sion of said pneumatic ' bag, and
thereby vary the sound deadening
characteristics'.”
Crew OfkSeven Is
Employed ftfThe
Golden Horn Mhre
The Gblden Horn quartz -mine is
working a crew of sever, men and
have already taken out a lot of high
grade ore which will be shipped by
boar to Nenana after the * break-up,
from there by railroad to Seward and
thence by boat. The Golden Horn is
the only quartz mine -pperatdd in
the Flat district.
WORK IS FINISHED TIN
SAN FRANCISCO BRIDGE
SAN FRANCISCO,/April 2T—Ac
tual completion of the $35,00CT,00t.'
Golden Gate Bridge over San Fran
cisco Bay, the ’• longest suspension
bridge in the world,-was celebrated
today • with the driving - 6f the last
rivet—a golden rivet. ' The driving
of the golden rivet was witnessed’ by
a huge throng. One hundred thous
and tons Of steal -were required to
build the 9.000-foot bridge. The mail,
span is 41200 feet. Four years have
been spent in the building of the
structure.
Official opening of-the’ bridge will
take place’ May 28.
TOST BUTS INTEREST IN
THE BRANCH POOL HALL
Charlie "Yost recently effected a
partnership with Andrew M-scovich
:n the Branch pod hall at Flat and
is acting manager of the "place. A1
Otto is at present -working over the
Fiat residents, holding down the bar
ber, chair in the front -end of the
pool hall.
AND IN SUCH A PLACE, TOO!
SARGENT, Neb.—Robert Spooner,
undertaker, can’t even get away from;
business by going to a hospital. V hen I
he awoke following an operation in
a Sioux City. la., hospital, he found
N. C. Gray, Blencoe, la., undertaker
and Henry Fitzpatrick, Danbury, la.,
undertaker in rooms on either side
of him.
GETTING DREDGE READY
A crew of men ar« busily engaged
in thawing pumping out and repair
ing the Riley Investment Company
dredge in preparation for the com- \
ing season's work. A small crew is
also engaged in overhauling and re
miring Hie North American dredge
MILLER PLANS TO
OPERATE SAWMILL
HERE THIS YEAR
E. W .Miller purchased the sawmill
at Takotn* and a Fordson tractor
from the Ganes Creek Dredging Co.
last week.
Miller, who is a well known river j
freighter and operator of a sawmill
at Crooked Creek, on the Kusko-1
kwim, -will operate the mill as regu-1
iarly as possible tins summer, he
said. Several large orders for lum
ber have already bean placed with
Mr. Miller by local mine operators. ]
He plans on hauling logs, which
will be cut at some point below Ta
kotna, with his boat and barge to the
mill. The Fordson will be used for
skidding the logs and for power in
operating the mill.
The freighter is contemplating the
moving of the sawmill at Croked
Creek to Takotna and merge with
the present equipment sometime this
summer.
Operations will be in full swing
during the time the water is too low
for freighting activities on the
Takotna River, when Mr. Miller will
be able o devote his full time to the
sawmill.
.' Between freighting on the river
and operating the sawmill. Mr. 'Mil
ler expects to keep himself busily
engaged during the coming season. ,
PLANE TRAFFIC
IS IKCREASIKG
AT NAPAMUTE
The following: is the first budget
of news articles to be received by
The Kusko Times from Napamute,
on the tower.-Kuskokwixr, which is a
distributing point for miners and
trappers up and down the Kusko
kwim ; River. The articles written
under the dale of April . 21, ware
sent in by. Sam Voieh, veteran trader
of that, place.)
Much Plane'Activity—
There has been quite.- a' bit - of air
plane activity -.at . Napamute this
spring. During the; past week Piled
Savory took Tony and Jack McDon
ald to the. former’s trading station
on the Holitna River. t
Takes Outfit To Bear Creek—
Pilot Dan Victor took. Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Brink and Mrs. Edward Hoff
man to Bear Creek with a summer’s
outfit to work his lay at that place.
After the summer's work there, they
plan to return to continue the drill
ing of New York Creek, near here,
that they have carried on this winter.
Visits Schoolteacher—
“Gy” Ingalls, a' young • man from
Skagway, spent two weeks here
visiting the schoolteacher. Miss Wil
fred Goding. He went to Flat with
Pilot Savory after hs stay, where he
will’ be employed this season.
Three Planes In 15 Minutes—
On the afternoon of the 19th, we
had three pianesnhere within 15 min
utes, all enroute-to Anchorage. .Leo
Moore arrived with his Thrush and
at the same itime -“pilots M. W. Sas
seen and Nat Browne arrived, to re
fuel with two Pilgrims owned, by the
former. They had about 10 ..-passen
gers for Anchorage, from Bethel.
Takes Prospectors Out—
This afternoon Pilot Dan Victor
brought Mrs. Mary Vreeland from
Sleetmute and had three other pas
sengers for down river points. He
expects to return in the morning to.
-ake Jack Handly and Jens Vvammej
Into the Holitna for a prospecting
trip. They expect to be out until the
mHille of July.
NEW DRAGLINE
IS GOING IN ON
DISCOVERY CK.
Pete Miscovieh is going to install
a dragline on Discovery Creek, in
the Flat area, this coming s.ason, it
was stated last week.
The new equipment and a bulldoz
er will be shipped in on an early
boat.
Miscovieh is also installing a drag
line on his ground in the Circle dis
trict out from. Fairbanks.
WORK WILL STA
_SUMMER
Uotilla And OgTii
Freighting Supplies
To Moore Creek
Gus licit ilia and John Ogm *re
busy hauling freight by “cat” to
Moore Creek, near the town of Flat
They have a crew of seven met
wording *n the creek, getting things
in readines for the season's opera
tions.
The freighting is being rushed a?
thawing weather will soon end
sleighing. The freight was to have
been hauled out by plane, but they
were too busy otherwise with the un
precedented spring rush and were
unable to get to the job until tec
late for weather conditions to per
mit iJane traffic to and from Moore
Creek.
ALASKA HAS STRONG
WINDS, HIGH ALTITUDE
FAIRBANKS—A southwest w:»d
■was blowing at the unusual velocity
of 100 miles per hour at an altitude
of 29,000 feet over Fairbanks at
noon one day recently.
The velocity was determined by the
use of a pilot balloon by R. L. Fro$t,
assistant meteorologist of tie federal
weather bureau.
While the .air was moving at the
rate of 100 miles per hour aloft, the
ground wind speed was only two
miles per hour . The high wind was
blowing from the southwest; the
ground wind from the south. Pre
vail ir - winds aloft are westerly.
Although the velocity of the mov
ing air at high altitudes usually is
greater than on the ground, the rate
at 2‘.‘,00b feet seldom is more than
50 miles per hour, Frost said. The
100-mfie blow is extraordinary. The
average wind aloft blows at the rate
of SO.Oo JO miles per hoar from the
west.
Matheison Building
Large Modern Home
In The Town Of Flat
A. Matheisen is building * new
and modern dwelling house in Flat.
Tie new house if to he equipped
with a hot-air furnace located in a
full basement, At the present time,
only one room will he completed up
stairs.
Mrs. Matheisen expects tc> "start
keeping house in the new home with
the arrival of furnishings on the boat
sometime in July.
THE TIMES HOPES TO CARRY
BETHEL NEWS REGULARLY
In a letter received by Mrs. Frank
Lott of Flat last week from - Mrs.
W. D. McVeigh of Bethel, the latter
said, “I see by The Kusko Times
where Frank Lott went to McGrath
to operate the P.A.A. radio -Staiior
temporarily.’^
It seems as though the residents
*>£ Be theU are reading The Times. We
want to represent Bethel *r.d the
Lower Kuskokwim as well as the
Upper river wunta-y. in - fact, w e
are striving to represent this whole"
Westward area, and hope to include
in oar pa per. a large amount of ne^s
from Bethel m nn early issue and
at regular intervals' thereafter.
W. D. McVeigh operates a large,
up-to-date roadhouse in Bethel.* They
report doing a fine business, almost
double that of a year -ago.
McVeighs are former residents- of
Flat and very close friends of Mr.
and Mrs. Lott. They left Hat two
years ago to operate the i present
roadhouse in Bethel. Mr. McVeigh
was formerly engineer on the
Mathieson dredge.
WOULD PLACE TAX ON
ALL FREIGHT AT SEWARD
SEWARD—The Seward city coun
cil made its first decisive move to
collect tonnage tax of 10c per ton
on all freight inbound and outbound;
government, freight excepted.
A measure drawn up by City At- j
torney L. V. Ray, appealing to con
gress to confer on the district court
of the Third Division jurisdiction to
issue court order making such col
lection effective, was read. This wOl
be fallowed by adoption of a resolu
tion by the council approving auek
act.
RT THIS
ON NIXON ROAB
■Confirmation of the radio repoit
last week of funds being allotted fer
the construction of the road firm
Nixon Forks to Takotna and for the
improvement of the airfields at Mc
Grath and Takotna, was received w
yesterday’s mail by E. A. Adams,
who has charge of Alaska Rode
Commission activities is this district
The funds were appropriated by
the Territory and construction work
will be started on the Nixon end this
summer, Adams said.
It is not definitely decided just
what -route the road will follow, bat
survey work and slashing of the
nghtaway will comprise most of tne
activity-this season.
Funds were also appropriated at
the same time, for the improvemen:
of the landing fields at Takotna and
McGrath, .and at Bethel.
Considerable other work will be
carried an ir. this district this year
besides the construction of the new
road, by the Road Commission. Three
new steel bridges will t<so be*built
an the road between Takotna and
Ophir across Yankee. California-and
Genes Creeks and regular- main.en
ance work wiH go ahead.
The construction of a road tb dftep
water from Takotna has been long
-sought after by the mining opera
tors and business men in this section
The completion of this road wili-stim
nlate Che .mining activity it the T-a
kotna and Ophir districts to * great
er degree than ever before.
The road will ruear cheaper freight
rates, and, more important, a surer
means of transportation from -deer
water to the numerous -creeks. .Tit
. main obstacle that has been tending
to hold back the development oi this
district will have been removed with
the -completion of this highway,
WILL OPERATE STATION, FLAT
Mrs. Prank Lott made .a trip tc
McGrath via P.AA plane last. Wed
nesday, returning the same way Fri
day in company with ber husband
Frank Lott. He has been taking care
of the P-A.A. radio station at Me
ilrath. The P.A.A. is msbaHirg a
radio station at Fiat which Mr. Lott
■will operate, he brought hack the
necessary equipment with him for
the installing of the station. The new
station .will be based, in Mr. Lott’s
home.
RENEWS ACQUAINTANCES
Paul Loo mas arrived ic Flat Sat
urday from his property on lower
Chicken Creek, where he -has been
prospecting and doing assessment
work. He has been out of towr all
-winter. Pau lplans on renewing old
acquaintances before entering or. the
summer season’s work. When a man
stays out all winter, he earns a lit
tle pleasure. “Step on it Paul, ant
enjoy life while the enjoying is gone
It soon will be all work and no play "
DRIUIK6 CHEW
ARRI VES TO START
WORK AT 0AN01.E
Nine men are now employed on the
Strandberg property at Candle
Creek, repairing bunkhouses, getting
up wood and doing work in general
in preparation for the corn.ng sea
son.
A drill crew arrived from Fair
banks recently, and drilling opera
tions with a Keystone drill will start
immediately.
DUFFY WILL. USE BULLROZE*
W. M. Duffey is preparing w of
erate bis sky-line with a huUdezex
on Chicken Creek this season. Chick
en is located over the summit at the
bead of Flat Greek.
ALLISONS RETURN HOME
Mr. and Mrs. F. Allison returnee
to Flab via the P-A.A. plane from
Fairbanks last Friday. They just re
turned from the Outside where they
have been visiting for the past Tu
tor. Mrs. Allissa is the poatasutmt
at Flat.
WWTCHER VISITS-FLAT
Fred Whitcher arrived in Flatnattt
Pilot Dan Victor last Friday.«TL-iet
employed at the Bureau of Intel
Affairs School at Kalstag, ef aim.’
his wife is teacher. Mr. Whitebr
plans on remaining in Flat for-a fm
days looking after some bus me* ifin
will-then xeturn-umJCalaw?