THE KUSKO TIMES
VOL. 1. XO. 15.
TAKOTX'A. ALASKA. FRIDAY. MAY 14. 19,17
PRICE. 25 CBXTS
SIX TRAPPED IN
SLIDE;RESCUE
WORK IS HALTED
A snowslide swooped down a thous
and feet on the mountainside and en
tombed six men at the Cooper gold
mine in the vicinity of Moose Pass -
near the Alaska Railroad out from
Seward. The slide occurred sometime
Wednesday.
On account cf further danger of
more slides, the forest supervisor re
fused to allow a crew to start digging
in an attempt to rescue the six men.
• Little hope was expressed on :he pos
sibility that the men were still alive.
Five of the crew were Outside rr n
from Seattle, and one, Inar _ Peterson
who is from Anchorage. Nine men
were employed at the mine doing pre
liminary work in preparation far the
opening of the season s work. During
part of the summer the mine employs
lfe men, bat only half a crew were
working at the time cf the slide.
Ferguson Is Well
Known N. C-Man;,
Had Many Stores
Jack Ferguson, who relieved Wm.
Greig as acting manager of the local
N. Cr. store until the permanent new
manager arrives sometime after the
first cf June, will then relieve Lew
Lasiia of McGrath while the latter
takes a long-planned vacation on a
trip Outside.
Mr. Ferguson was employed by the
N. C. Company at Fairbanks for the
pas; three months. Previous to that,
he was in the store at Manley He*
Springs far two months. Ferguson
was also employed in the N. C- Store
at Eagle and from there he was moved
to Nenana where He served as agent
for about a yean
OI.DTIME BRIDGE MAN ""ILL
WORK HERE THIS SI MMER"
Dan Lee, an oldt;mer in the Terri
tory, arrived with Pilot L>on Goodman
Tuesday morning -
He went to work for the road com
mission the next morning under E. A
Adams. With the star. o\ construc
tion of the steel bridges, the.-oldtimer
will be transferred over to the bridge
crew where h ■ will work as bridge
carpenter which he has.:followed for
many years both with the Alaska
Ruilr*>ad and the r ad coanmission.
CNDFRGOES OPERATION
Robert Geehtn. bookkeeper for the
St ran .berg operations at Cripple
Creek, underwent an operation last
week at the Anchorage Hospital fol
lowing his arrival in the railroad, city
by plane from Folger:.
ARC WILL EMPLOY 225
MEN ANCHORAGE AREA
Ap proximately 33m lies of road and
four bridges will be constructed in the
Anchorage division with, funds front
tie spseial territorial allotment of
$450,000 for roads ana. airports
eently made ai Juneau.
Thu- Anchorag-c division’s share of
the program for roads will. comprise
seven projects, employing n the
neighborhood of 100 men this sum
mer. Most of the work is expected to
be completed this season- Some of it,
* n acnly 'graveling, will probably be fin
ished next summer..
All new construction, with- excep
tion of one section, wifi he into min
ing areas and will aid immeasurably
in development of these-sections.
Will Aid Mines
The largest project cf_ those con
templated from the special allotment
for it*- Anchorage div-sion w.ll be
construction of a 12-mue road and
three bridges leading fr. m Colo rack)
on the railroad westward to a large
mine holdings of W. E. Dunkle and
associates. Other projects planned
construction of a four or five-*: tit
road and a bridge to connect Pile Bay
on Iliamna TaV** with the present
road from Iliamna Bay and Cook In
let; abcut five or six miles of road up
Peters Creek, extending the present
Peters Creek road; about one and one
half miles of road at the head of »Vil
low Creek; approximately four m ’es
of road leading from the Lucky Shot
mine to the head of Craigie Creek;
graveling of existing r<>ads at Homer
and construction of a half mile of
road farther up onto a bench, thus
opening ap more land to settler*; con
struct on of about five miles of road
from the boundary of McKinley. Part
K.nji to ICar-TirknM
FAIRBANKS MAN WINS NENANA
ICE CLASSIC: ALSO CKEf'A POOL
Gasoline Gives Out
At McGrath; New
Supplv Due On Boat
--
The supply of airplane gasoline at
McGrath was entirely exhausted last
week, the Northern Commercial Coro—I
pariT announced. The company is the
only firm selling airplane gasoline at
McGrath.
A new supp’y at MG rath will not
be available until the steamer Tupper
arrives the middle of June or the first
pan of July.
Increased airplane travel through
McGrath and in the Kuskokwim area
curing the vast year was attributed
by some pilots as the reason for the
exhaustion of the supply.
Local pilots pointed out that Mc
Grath is a central refueling station
for planes flying in the Kuskokwim
area. A plane en route to Nome from
Anchorage usually refuels at McGrath
and the same for one traveling to
Bethel via McGrath. Planes flying to
the Kuskokwhr and return usually re
fuel at this point also.
TWITCH ELL GIVES UP GHOST:
GOING IN FOR BOATING
The Wanderm Reporter saw A. H.
Twitchel! out with his degteam Tues
day hunting sn.w.
He finally gave up and decided it
was past season for Jr a decision
that others less optimistic had reach
ed sometime ago.
Anyway, the reporter found him la
ter, over in his little store sitting on
the bed eyeing a Johnson motor which
was ’ving b*- the stove. From the
looks of the river he worn be ground
ed long. You can't stop the passage
of time; neither can you stop tins vet
eran of Alaskan trails.
OHLSON AND STRAXDBERG
SUED FOR WAGE PAYMENT
In tie recent session of the district
court at Anchorage, the court took
under advisement a sp>ecial demurrer
filed by the plaintiff in the case of
Harry Dion,.plaintiff, vs. O. F. Ohlsoir
and David Strandberg. defendants, do
ing busines as the Cripple Creek Min
ing Company. Mr. Dion is suing Mr.
Ohlson rnd Mr. Strandberg for SS51
70 he alleges is due him in wages for
cutting wood during the fall of’ 1735
and the spring of 1936. He also seeks
S150 attorney's fee. L. V. Ray of
Seward is representing Mr. Dion and
Warren N. Cuddy is representing Mr.
Ohlson and Mr. Strandberg.
Work on the projects will begin the
middle and latter part of this month
and road commission officials expect
to have work underway on all of them
by the end of the month. Deep snows
will delav the start in some sections.
Total Of 225 Men
With the regular maintenance crews
throughout the division and the new
'■onstruction forces, a total of about
225 men will be employed at road and
bridgework in the Anchorage division
this summer.
The 32-mile road to be constructed
frt t,. Colorado t<r tie Dunkle holding'
will cross three rivers, the middle fork
of the Chulitna. Bull Eiver and the
west fork of the Chulitna. A bridge
of about 120 feet will be necessary
for the middle fork, about 150 feet
for Bull River and 3.500 feet for the
west fork of the Chulitna. The type
of the bridge construction has not yet
been decided.
'rwetny-five cr 30 men will be am
ployed on this road during the sum
- • It is expected at least the grad
the road, which wiQ average
about 32 feet in width, will be com
pleted this season.
I* is planned to gravel about the
first tight miles of the stretch. A
trail formerly existed where this road
will be built! and last year was con
verted into a tractor road by road
commission men and a crew furnished
by Mr. Dunkle.
Extension Cgm Peters Creek
The present Peters Creek road Trill
be extended five or six miles up Pe
ters Creek, reaching several import
ant mming operations including the
P -cr.- Creek Miring Company and the
Alaska Continental operations on Bird
(Conteuned an Page i>
ICE JAM MOVES
AT 8:04 P. M
ON WEDNESDAY
The 1937 Ncnana Ice Classic is now
history, the huge ice jam jarring loose
at 8:04 par. Wednesday.
The winning ticket was marked 8:02
two minutes away, and was held by
Buster Anderson of Fairbanks.
At 8:04 the ice started moving and
Mr. Anderson became richer by $72.~
<00, less the deductions for expenses
and taxes. The nearest ticket to Bus
ter was T7 rolnut : s off The winner
is a young man andwell known in the
Interior, having been raised and re
ceived his education in the college
town.
A telegram was s- nt out early
Wednesday stating that the river had
raised, ten feet and the ice was ready
to move any minute.
The ice also went out on the Chora
slough at 11:31 am. the dav t>-: fore
and Anderson also won half of this
pool amounting to approximately
$4,000. (The little pot should pay
the expen ses toward celebrating the
big winnings).
Just what system Anderson used in
determining the w'imrng number, was
not yet made knov.-n (but we don’t be
lieve he called in the moon and the
stars to help him work it out a« did
the Anchorage man who, with all this
le!p. was days off).
There is at least one man in Takot
r.a who feels pretty lucky. He is Joe
S’bona of the Takotna Lio.uor £ Ci~ar
Store. He had two tickets on the day.
both around the noon hour. He only
miscalculated about eight hours. Any
way it is consolation to hit the day.
This is the second time in three
years that a Fairbanks man has been
in the money- arid b-th times the win
ners copped the entire amount. B. B.
Berrlgan. a drug clerk at Fairbanks
guessed the right minute in 1935.
NEWS BRIEFS FROM
P00R3&N
BY MRS. ELSIE ZAISER
(Special Correspondent)
Arrives With Mail—
Scotty Clark, arrived here recently
with the April 20th mail- Scotty says
by the looks of the trail he may be
able to make four more trips.
Brine Freight From Ruby—
Albert Yershonic and Ole Romen
stead arrived here recently bringing
freight for Poor-man and outlying
creeks. He plans on return ins: to Ruby
in a couple of days.
Cooking For Billy Yuicieh—
Misses Mildred and Dolly Fisher ar
rived recently and went out to the
ground owned by Billy Yuicich where
they will cook this summer. Th: girls
have been vacationing in Fairaanks
and Anchorage this winter since giv
ing up the roadhouse and postoffire at
Ruby last January.
Fire Destroys Equipment—
The boiler house, £tt:n~=. boiler and
hoist, owned b- Calvin Anderson and
Jade Shropshire, opera: rs on upper
Poorman, was wiped out by fire the
other night. It is not known just how
the fire started. IS hen discovered
about midtrlght, the £ji was well out
cf hand. However, the owners bar?
obtained another hoist and boil.r and
will continue operations as soon as
thev can get it hauled t their ground.
MOTHER
M is for the million things she gave
me.
O means only that she’s growing old,
T is for the tears she shed to save me,
H is for her heart of purest gold,
E is for her eyes with love light
shining,
R means right and right she'll
a’ways be,
Put them all together, they s^Il
‘Mother,’
i The word that means the world to me.
ALASKA DUE THIS MORNING
The Steamship Alaska was dee to
dock at Seward at 10 am. this <Pr»
dav > morning.
New N. C. Manager
Arrives For Takotna
S ore; Greigs Leave
Pilot Goodman arrived Saturday
from McGrath with Jack Ferguson
who will be acting agent relieving
Wm. Greig.
Mr. Ferguson was sent from Fair
banks to relieve L w Laska in the N.
C. store at McGrath. Greig. however,
was very desirous of being relieved
immediately to return to the States
where he plans resuming h s old job
in the bunk in Wenatchee. Washing
ton.
Considering Greig's need for rebel.
Mr. Laska decided to postpone his va
cation until the break-up and sent his
relief man to Takotna to assume the
duties of the retiring ag;nt.
Mr. ar.d Mrs. Greig will be missed
by their numerous friends in Takotna.
The young couple were well liked in
the store, being always courteous and
pleasant and going ut of their way
to accommodate tie customers.
We with them the best of luck in
their future undertakings and hope to
hear from them from time to time
when the y get established in their
home in the States.
TIMES FORCE COES INTO
THE DO., TEAM BUSINESS
Now th3t the ice is ready to go out,
the Times force has gore into the
dogteam business and acquired two
big sled dogs and sled.
Anyway the dogs were acquired in
time to get one day’s work out of
them l>ef:re the season completely
ended. Tgie crew was busy ear.y Mon
day haifling a few poles lor ilie con
struction of a swing at theTakotna
school. With two dogs in the lead. Bill
Nelsen gushing on the rear and Dallis
Me Robots at the gee-pole, it took
more thdM mud to hah the progress
of the work. The boys finished the
job, but decided against any further
sledding until next fall.
MRS. MQRLEY ILL
In answer to a letter stating that
his wife was very sick, Jeff Morley
took passage with Bon Goodman for
An-horage Sunday morning. Jeff ex
pects to return to Takotna about the
20th of May, or after the break-up.
PETERSON EACH TO YANKEE
John Petersen left for Yankee
Creek by dog team Thursday morn
ing wnth a sup of groceries. John
is prospecting on Yankee.
“JUNGLES" SPRING UP
IN CITY OF ANCHORAGE
--—
TTie “jangle”—that traditional re
' treat of hoboes and trail.'—has
invaded Anchorage, says the Anchor
age Times.
i Down along the Ship Creek b Ttom
are five tents, housing p rhaps c
, score of men, part of the transient
| drift which is arriving on every boat
from the states.
The “standing room only'’ sign is
j figuratively being oosteo on th se
! days, ready to hang out on the c ty s
• portals. as*the drift show? no signs of
i letting up and hotels are ns: '
i their capacity limits. Cabins and
cheap housing accommodation« arc at
a premium and he miniature tent c:ty
along the Ship Creek bottom, ■■ '
s-.tnt f ! th< early days of the c;:v
w>fii a rent town mushroom .ti along
be ere ,’s Links, is an ov. rn •w ft m
the mer, who cme and keep coming,
‘looking for work. Mary are turn'd
!» •/..> fio.-u • <*t is which i‘.v«' Tilled
j :r capacity rtter the arrival f ■ ’b
J boat.
The “jungles” of Anchorage, how
I ever, are considers> y !
tial than th e in the states. Many
• of the tents are new, and the shelter
[must be adequate against em>! A’as
f kan springs and t'a--hes of winter
. weather rc April, something which
1 reenis to be et rnally surprising ih
! rans’er.*. who brvps the Pac.fi* Coast
in balm y spring weather ani expects
to find the same thing wh n he comes
north.
More ftn Each Beat
They are oerenied b> men who have
i 'he ingenuity and desire to live cheap
ly in this manner. even though the
. ’cte springs sometimes make it uny
i .hing but pleasant. Others occupy
‘ them from necessity, when fimdeWf
TAKOTNA RIVER
OVERFLOWS; WILL
BREAK FEW DAYS
The Takotna River broke open
in front of The Times office Wednes
day morning.
The water is boiling np through the
ice on the riffle ana running over the
top as far as the eye can see below.
The days until the ice goes out are
numb. red. Until the ice goes out and
the snow leaves. Takotna wiil be prac
•lcally isolated from the res; of the
world" and neighboring towns. All the
planes flyine from Anchorage are
charging over to wheels and pon
toons. Pilot Don Goodman was the
last one cf the Star Air Service fliers
to change over, having : ft here Tues
day for Anchors'*" on h.s last trip
of the season with skis.
LATER—Since the above article
was written, Takotna residents wire
surprised to see two Star planes land
here last (Thursday! night equip;...d
with skis. We understood that the
Star pianos were changing over to
wheels and pontoon and that Pilot
Goodman was to ..e the last to
change. Goodman was also due here
las: night but failed to arrive. Res
idents are locking for him to land to
day.
Road C ommission
Giving Equipment
Annual Overhaul
The Road Comm:: sic-n started a
crew of four men to work Monday
morning. They were, Mike McR. bertc,
George Crist Johnny McClung and
Ed Former. The men are busy re
pairing the trucks and cettinc other
equipment ready for the start rf ths
season's work, arid doing general
clean-up work.
Mrs. E. A. Adam? has resumed her
old duties as cook for Cue crew, and
do those boys eat after living on slim
bachelor's tare all winter,
HARRY ASH AND Rl'SS BOYD
AP-RIVE WITH PILOT VICTOR
Dan Victor landed in Takotna late
Thursday evening with two passen
gers, Russell Boyd and Harry Ash.
Boyd wrked for Puntilla last
year. He went on to Ganes w.th Pi
lot Victor.
Harry Ash stopped off in Takotna.
Mr. Ash has been driving bulldozer
“cats” ,.r the other side for the past
two years, and has the reputation of
being one of the best bulldoter men
in that country. He expects to re
main ;n Takotna for awhile; possibly
until after the break-up.
rapidly dwindling after even sterragu
passs.-;? r ith to Seward and pe>liaps,
;f iKvy>( ivckj tirugb to jet ‘•••ay
with it. a free ride bum” ing f’-eicht,'..
Every boat brings more of them,
for the" most part young men, “just
looking around,” hunting work b t
also hum.ng adventure. Seme c rr.e
with more or ie^s accurate real zv
of what they'll find. Many others -r
lured by fantastical tales in the states
of work in abundance, high wag s,
and the chance of finding a gold mine.
Probably most of them don’t cr .:
very heavily on the latter, "“but T'ou
can never tell what might fcatp.n ..
there.” they say.
Some Have Work
Anchorage police officials estimate
there are now perhaps zGO transient
men in Anchorage. The r.ur ber a_s
been ereatlv lessened in the past
week or two by heavy airplane tragic
to the .nterior and - rist 1 Lay. This
latter group is usually composed of
rcer>. who have been ir. Alaska bef ore,
fishermen and miners who have suffi
.. to i
or sufficient credit with the a rplans
crrus to get them in and to allow then
to pay for their passage out of th.
summer’s eamir.gs.
These art the men who k ow
where the jobs are and how to z-t
to them, or who already have ;obs be
fore they leave the- Stat.s. They of
fer no p.xit’em to city ofh" als because
they can take care cf th< mselves.
Many “Broke”
It is the Outsider, the chechako,
without a job and with little or no
money, who finds Alaska isn’t thy f • *
of the rainbow. He usually ino
eaougb money to get him here, amu
Ir.irtrnued on page three)