! NEWS ITEMS FROM OTHER ALASKAN TOWNS j
• Gathered From Our Territorial Exchanges • ]
Oldtimer Succumbs—
Cyrus William Harrington. .2
year-uld pioneer, died of a heart at
tack recently at Se’devia. He _ was
guard at the Seldovia federal jail the
past four years. He once operated
ai: assay office at Valdez and later
lived at Anchorage.
Receives Eskimo Dip Net—
An Eskimo dip net made from the
smew of seal spun into thread and
hr. tied into the net has just been
received by Earl X. Ohmer of Fet
eiiburg from Frank Williams. Alas
ka G; ne Commissioner at St. Mi
chael. The net was made 30 years
ag . In- an Eskimo in the Kotzebue,
a* .3 these nets are now no longer
being made. “The Shrimp King is
delighted to add this bit of Eskimo
lore to his collection of Alaskan cur
ios in his "ffice of the Alaskan Gla
cier Sea Foods Company.
Steamship Lines Sued—
The United States government re
cently tried to collect tonnage tares
from steamship lines engaged in in
terstate commerce and plying be
tween Territorial ports for the first
tin e since 1899. In the federal court,
th. U. S. sought $1,800,000 from the
Alaska Steamship Company shippers
for the year of 1934 and from the
Northifoid Transportation Company
for 1935. The g vernment claimed a
$1 tar on ec:h ton from the vessels
running to the States. Attorneys for
th: Alaska L;ne said both companies
will have to curtail their inter-port
travel if the U. S. Senate fail* to
pr ss a bill repealing the tax on ship
pinc.
Agriculture Taking Hold—
Old-time residents of Kodiak are
rejoicing at a revival of interest in
gardening and animal husbandry
which will, they predict, make the
r-is't let far less' dependent upon in
f 'n-ent arrival f fr-.-'r. vegetables,
eggt, meats and milk. A herd if 100
1 d 1 ■white-faced Heref d cattle
was recently brought in from Mon
tens. Five large greenhouses are now
ir. operation, grow ng plants which
w 11 fill the gardens in the late
erring. Impetus to the movement is
given by the report that the Kodiak
r rv- - may not operate this sea
son ether at Kodiak or at their new
t- a on at, Dry Spruce bay. Labor
t-oub’ = among cannery workers are
blamed for the imminent shutdown.
(lit Unique Service—
The Ketchikan fire denartment is
the only volunteer fire fighting unit
ir. the United States known to op
erate a fi’e boat or to have an am
bulance f- r free service to residents
of the cuy. This information, it was
stated by volunteer firem-n in Ketch
ikan. was revealed after a compre
hensive search of records of other
depatnoents. Tb city purchased an
old tug boat in 1928. After a year,
during which changes were made, it
was put into commission as a fire
boat in June, 1929. The boat has a
100 horsepower pump engine. The
150 horsepower pump engine can de
liver 1.000 gallons of water a minute.
In additions to a stream from the
monitor, six lines of hose can be run
from the boat. The volunteer depart
ment itself purchased the ambulance
in February’, 1932. and it responded
to the first call February 25. Sinee
then the ambulance answered 1,300
calls, transporting 900 white patients
and 400 Indians. It is subject to call
night or day and is operated by vol
unteer firemen who receive no pay.
No charge is made for its regular
sevices.
Alaska Metal Prices Boom—
Tremendous increase in Alaska
p Id, silver and copper mining will
result in $5,000,000 to $6,000,000
worth of mining machinery and food
supplies being shipped from Seattle
this year, P. C. Stoess of the West
Coast Mineral Association said re
cently in Seattle, after a survey of
the Alaska mining situation. Stoess
said the increased mining operations
are a result of a 100 per cent in
crease in the price of copper and a
75 per cent increase in the price of
gold, both induced partly by world
rearmament. Gold is worth $35 an
ounce, compared to $20 three years
ago, and copper is worth 16 cents a
round, compared to 7 and 8 cents less
than a year ago. Prospecting in
Southeastern and Southwestern Alas
ka also has increased because of the
rise in precious metal prices, Stoess
said. “Not only are Alaska’s big
mines operating at capacity,’’ said
Stoess, “but hundreds of small op
erations are under way. Idle or once
abandoned mines have reopened.
Small concentrators have been put
back to work- “As a result, mining
machinery firms in Seattle are en
joying a heavy sales volume an! ship
ment of food supplies to Alaska is
increasing.”
Life Is Not Dull
In Kuskokwim
Avers Teacher
BY OLAF HALVERSON
(Reprinted from the Anchorage
Daily Times)
West where the east almost begins
finds me in the remote western part
oi Alaska not far inland from the
During Sea. -Ever seeking to find the
western frontier of history which has
been pushed farther westward with
each succeeding generation. 1 have
finally caught up with it in Western
Alaska. Four hundred miles by air
plane from the closest point or. the
Ala. ka Railroad, remote and isolated
finds me with a primitive race, the
Eskimo.
Beyond The Mountains
It was on September 1 after nav
ing completed over a year of survey
ing work in the Matanuska Valley
that 1 was on the Anchorage airfield
ready to leave for the unknowns.
S;-af«d snugly in a Bellanca plane
pointed by Oscar Winshell, the fly
ing cowboy and one of Alaska's most
noted fliers, we were abotft ready
to take off. Mr. Winehell brought
the aii plane to on? end of the field,
wiped the windshield, ran the engine
vigorously for a test period and
finding no trouble we raced down
the field, left the ground, flew over
Anchorage waving farewell, then
across Cook Inlet, over forests,
plains, rivers, and lakes all in one
beautiful picture. I took numerous
pictures refilling many times. We
encountered a strong storm in the
Rair.;, Pass district coupled with a
fog. This made the trip thrilling
every moment. We tried to go under
the storm and above it but neither
way brought us out so we flew right
Through it. We followed rifts through
the fog. whirled about mountain
peaks, climbed high altitudes over
the Alaska range, then falling into
sensational dead pockets across the
mountains to the rolling plains. We
saw distant Mt. McKinley looming up
high above the storm, wild bear run
ning below startled by the noise of
the plane, mountain sheep and moose
crossing rivers. A paradisic of j>eauty
below made now by meandering
streams.
Holds Brick Worth $19,000
At Flat, a refueling station, I was
initiated into Uie nugget seeking
land by being permitted to hold a
819,000 gold brick in my hands.
Bethel.' the metropolis on the Kus
kckwini River and center of the Mor
avian Mission, was finally reached
where I am now teaching in the ter
ritorial school. Far to the northward
stretches the level tundra unbroken
save where an occasional small lake
or stream may be fringed by a few
low bushes. A lure of the north lies
in these far reaching tundras, a
charm never to be forgotten. Rein
deer herds may here graze unmolest
ed. There are no fences here to con
fine them neither herdsmen to guide
them in their struggle for existence.
A Winter in Typical Alaska
This is the land of the Eskimo,
the land of the reindeer and the
home of the dog teams. It is a land
of isolation, but still a land of prom
ise. It is a land of unexplored na
tural resources and the Utopia of the
prospector who seeks to find the hid
den treasures.
Winter set in early and brought an
accompanied pleasure of skating on
the great river, the Kiiskokwim. An
ever interesting sight is the intense
activity of dog teams. In every di
rection whether on fhe bleak tundra
or the frozen Kuskokwim you may
see the present day caravan of the
north mushing in' radial lines to
Bethel, the metropolis of the Kusko
kwim country. They bring furs, fish
and Eskimo articles and wend their
way homeward from the local trad
ing posts with food supplies and oth
er necessities. The chief furs are
cross foy, otter ermine and mink.
Dog sleds and dog teams are still
the pride and talk of the local people
and they are justly proud of them.
Dogs Still Reign Supreme
In the early days all mail came out
here by dog teams, a service now
performed by airplanes. In those
days long teams would relay the mail
down the Yukon River by way of
Ho'y Cross and Russian Mission.
Bethel is a distinct dog team town.
Dog teams are tied up at almost ev
ery home in Bethel awaiting anxious
ly for their drivers to release them
and be on the happy Wail. Some of
The dogs are of the malamute type,
half dog and half wolf. Others are
Siberian huskies. What a chorus they
make sometimes on lone, quiet, moon- 1
light evenings. They yelp out like
wolves in one end of town, and the
1 No Grubstake Available—
An erroneous report that Alaska is
grubstaking prospectors op to $1(4
which has been emulated in the states
has resulted in a deluge of requests I
for assistance to the Governor’s of
lce from all parts of the country. The
unfounded report is said to have been
given in a radio broadcast in the
states. “The Territory is "not grub
staking prospectors far $150 or any
other amount,” said Gov. John W.
Troy recently. “The report is abso
lutely unfounded.” The Governor ex
plained that Alaska was glad to have
prospectors, but no grubstake induce
ments were being offered to the Ter
ifytry.
strain of chords is relayed wonder
fully to the other end and H forms
part of the weird music of the North.
It is truly marvelous at times how
'.heir notes blend, noticeable enough
for any casual observer.
Wood Runners On Dry Days
Well designed dog sleds are ■part of
the equipment seen in front of every
Eskimo home. Years of experience
narurallv has developed a dog sled
very adaptable to the country. Long
runners with interchangeable wood
and steel runners are used. Wood
runners are used on cold dry days
and steel unners for moist days. The
sides ar? lightly latticed, increasing
in height from front to back, termin
ating :n arch in back and a foot
brake behind.
The land of the Eskimo still holds
its own; a charm of the northland
wherever you roam. In closing may
I leave two Eskimo words, "chami"
for hello and “doyintmaduck” which
means till we meet again.
Settle* Going In To Homer—
With the assurance that the three
canneries at Seldovia will be in full
operation the forthcoming season,
the people are looking forward to a
busy year, and fishermen are getting
boats and gear read} . The outstand
ing thing noted in Seldovia was the
movement of incoming settlers for
the Lower Cook Inlet conn try. Homer
seeming to be the chief Mecca for
prospective settlers. Hardly a *>oat
comes to the dock but that brings
anywhere from three to five new
people from the states, headed for
Homer.
Plan War On Wolves—
With an intensive campaign direct
ed against wolves and other preda-i
tory animals mapped out for spring
and summer, Harlan Gubser. district
agent for the Game Management Di
vision, of the U.S. Bureau of Biokigi
cal Survey, who arrived in Seward
recently enroute to Anchorage, Fair
banks and the Kuskokwim oountry.
He will set- in motion the predatory
animal program beapg undertaken
co-operatiTely by the Territory and ■
the Biological survey. Bis depart
ment, said Mr. Gubser. will cooperate
closely with local hunters and to that
end. a limited supply of traps will be
sold to outlying points at a mkihnsm
cost. Only combination of traps and
firearms can do the work, he biieves.
Modern (.old Rush—
Stampeders and prospectors are
moving into the Goodnews 'Bay sec
tion on the southern Bering Sea
coast by plane and a tent city has
sprung up. The rush has created a
food shortage. There aTe no pota
toes, flour, sugar or beans, and no
place for more men unless they bring
their awn tents and supplies. The
first boat of the season does not ar
rive until the middle of May and ev
erything is at a standstill until then.
The rush is based on the original
strike of last year which showed val
'oes up to $3 a yard in platinum ar.d
fold in the area just north of Good
news Bay. The Watamoose and Acr
lic districts, 20 to 30 miles inland,
are the objectives of most stamped
ers and it looks like bigr development
: and extensive prospecting- will be
done here.
Had Fortune In Hand—
John Davis, of Davis & Son, boat
builders of MetTakatla, while in Ket
chikan on business, recalled that he
•was worth $2,500,000 for about a
minute. It was several years ago
when he was present m Washington,
D. C., as a delegate from Metlakatla
for changes there. He was invited
to visit the printing office where Un
cle Sam’s money is printed. One of
the attendants shoved into his hands
two packages with the remark. “You
are now holding two million and a
half dollars in United States curren
cy.” Is any one watching the door,”
asked Davis. Speaking of the exper
ience Davis said: “They thought I
was an ignorant Eskimo from the
wilds of Alaska and took me places
and showed me things not usually
shown any visitor. I manifested the
proper surprise and astonishment a no
enjoyed every minute of it."
FARMER PRESENTS MCE
DEAD SKUNK TO SOLON'S
DES MOINES, la,—The most tel
ling protest against the legislature's
action in voting a closing season on
skunks in Warren County came from
a farmer who wouldn't leave his
name.
He left instead a dead skunk on
the statehouse steps.
“I just wanted the senators to get
a smell of one of them dirty vsr
mintsi" he said.
The only Newspaper and Job
Printing establishment in the Kusko
kwim area. Subscribe NOW.
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