KUSKOKWIM ON THE
COMMERCIAL MAP
' ‘l
On the eastern shore of Bering sea,
from Nunivak island to Nushgak,
stretches what is perhaps Alaska's
most unfrequented coast line, touched
i
by waters leading into an even less
frequented river. For the past rive
seasons a steamer of the United States
coast and geodetic survey, of the de
partment of commerce, has been en
gaged on the field work connected with
the charting of the approach and en
trance to the Kusklkwim river, a work
just completed during the past season
by the steamer Yukon.
As a supplement to the coast work,
a reconaisance survey was made In
land from Bethel, the head of deep sea
navigation. This was carried for 550
miles to McQrath, the main settlement
on the upper river, from where, on a
clear day. Mount McKinley can be
seen, 150 miles to the eastward. A
river steamer can ascend beyond here
lor 200 miles, while the river, with its
tributaries, offers 1,200 miles of navi
gable waters.
Two Trips to Bethel Each Season
The Quickstep is the only steamer on
the river. She draws four and one
half feet and can push a 300-ton barge
up stream. She averages two trips
from Bethel to McGrath during the
open season, which extends from about
the middle of May, to the middle of
October. This steamer afforded the
first means of taking good astronomi
cal Instruments up the river, and the
usual fair weather afforded opportun
ity for the first good determination of
positions along the river’s course. As
some previous positions were found
as much as fifty miles In error, a new
map of tho river will fill an aurgent
need in future developments in this
region.
For the first 100 miles the river
winds through the low lake country
peculiar to the territory eust of Bering
sea; for the next 200 miles It cuts
through mountains where the rapids
have a six to eight mile current and
the banks in places rice 1,000 foet|
directly from the water. The upper
river flows through an Immense bastm
over which are scattered solitary peaks
and the horizon of which is a ring
l
of distant mountains.
Channel Now Charted.
Second only to the Yukon in size,
the Kuskokwim Is visited yearly by
but two or three small steamers, which
ascend as far as Bethel; but the re
cent publication of charts has made
it possible safely and confidently to
navigate the channel through the vast
area of mud Hats which lie off the
river’s mouth, a feat formerly extreme
ly hazardous and requiring sometimes
weeks to accomplish. The comparison
of present with previous freight rates
tells the story of putting the Kusko
kwim on the commercial map.
For the present the river is still
given mostly to the Indian and the
squaw man, and the rifle, the trap and
the fish wheel still furnish the mainj
necessaries of life. But the prospector
and the homesteader have already
visited the valley and will here, per
haps, repeat the story of the Yukon
and the Tanana. Three creeks. Candle.
Bear and Canon, give promise of long
and profitable hydraulic development,
rich cinnabar claims have been stak
ed upon the very banks of tho river,
vast ranging areas for reindeer are
available and the native Irish potato
Is the equal of any grown. The time
Is no doubt coming when a steamer
on the river will be no unusual sight, i
when settlements will spot tne river’t
course and the country will be a home
for the white man.—Seattle Times.
ALASKA NOTES
It has been reported from the Can
adian Yukon that much road repairing
has been done in the Dawson district
this year by the Dominion government.
Some roads, it has been stated, have
been widened to 24 feet, others to 30
feet, and made with a good raised
crown in the center.
In answer to an Inquiry from a
Michigan subscriber we can truthfully
t state that Valdez has 1269 citizens, 422
good sled dogs, 128 pretty girls, and a
large bunch of accommodating and
obliging officials. We have had no
time to take a careful census of the
bachelors, but we believe they out
number of citizens by 25 per cent.—
Valdez Miner.
Delegate James Wlckersham Is
quoted as having said: “I am here to
tell you that the Valdez Fairbanks
trail Is a regular mud hole in summer
4
and can only be used to advantage
after the ground is frozen in the winter
It is no better than as if the trees and
brush had been cleared out along it,
i and no other work done, although
nearly $2,000,000 has been spent on it."
News of the first decision favorable
,o a claimant made by the land de
partment In coal claim cases in thej
Bering river anthracite district in
Alaska was received in Seattle recently
when the Alaska Petroleum & Coal
Company was notified a patent had
been granted on its Fremont claim. Al
report of government mineralogists,
who surveyed the claim, shows it con
tains 4,960,000 tons of coal. The com
pany, which is a Seattle concern, will
proceed at once to develop the prop
erty and expect to repopulate the town
of Katalla, which was once the home
of almost 3,000 persons
Ernest B. Hussey, a civil and mining
engineer of Seattle, formerly of the
Bering river coal district and Copper
river valley, Is opposing any further
appropriations for the government
railroad In Alaska. He says that the
Seward railroad will cost nearer $126,
000,000 than $26,000,000 as estimated
WHISKY CRAZED NATIVE
RUNS AMUCK
John Rankin, a native of Unalaska,
who run amuck with a knife at thej
home of Mike Zharoff, Is In the Valdez
Jail, and Mike hZaroff and hl3 daugh
ter Mary are under the care of a
physician, suffering from severe knife
wounds.
It appears that Rankin, who is a
distant relative of Zharoff and had
been a frequent caller at the home
called there while under the influ
ence of whisky, and despite the pro
tests of the woman he continued to
NOTICE OF EXECUTRIX.
I
In the Probate Court In and for the
Saint Michael Precinct, Second Divis
ion, District of Alaska.
In the matter of the estate of Frank
lin Moses, deceased.
Notice Is hereby given that on the
17th day of January, 18H, the under
signed executrix of the said estate
duly (Hod her final account therein
In said court, and also her petition
asking that said account be settled
and allowed. And said court has or
dered that the hearing on said petition
and objections to the settlement and
allowance of said account be had be
fore Charles J. Koen, United States
commissioner and exotficlo judge of
probate at his office In St. Michael
Second Division, District of Alaska, on
Monday, May 1st, 1916, at l o’clock p
m- of said day.
ELLA E. MOSES,
KxaaatrU.
I
get still further under the Influence',
of liquor.
Becoming quurrelsoine, he Insulted'
Mary Zharoff and received a slap
the face, which turned him for the
Ime being into a wild beast with the
desire to kill or maim all who cairn
within his reach. Drawing his pocke
knife he slashed the girl across the
left arm, making a deep and uglj
wound. The girl's cries brought hei
father and brother George to her as
sistance, when Rankin turned upon
them with the knife, cutting Zharofi
In the right shoulder. He struck with
full force, and the blade sank to the
depth of two Inches Into the flesh
but fortunately did not touch a vital
spot. In attempting to save his fathei •
George had grabbed Rankin's hand and
received a slight cut in the palm ol
his right hand.
After being forced from the house
through the front door, Rankin at
tempted an entrance through the real
door, but was scared away when Geo
Zharoff fired a shotgun through the
door with the Intention of warning
him. He continued to terrorize the
family for fifteen minutes until United
States Marshal Mossman who had
been summoned by the neighbors, ar
rived and took him In charge.
The knife with which the cutting
was done Is an ordinary pocket knife
the blade of which had been worn tc
a thin atrip of ateel with an edge like
a razor—ChitLoa La&dsjr
i -J
The Seward Post is authority for the
statement that high officials of the
Alaska engineering commission have
admitted that the roads through tha
tundra country, where the heavy clear
ing must be done, on which $3,000 to
$3,600 per mile has been spent, and
which la still uncompleted.
Banker Hayden a multimillionaire
it Boston, who holds vaBt mining In
terests in all parts of the world, states
that more money than ever will be
put Into development work in Alaska!
this coming summer and that the
northern country will receive attention!
from mining Investors. The certainty j
that after the present war the demand
[or metals will be heavy and will con
tinue for many years is so certain
that bunkers and mining men are
planning to make heavy Investments J
in mines.
_ !
A NORTHERN HEROINE
Away off in the wilderness, as a
matter of fact the place is known to
all Alaskans as "St. John's in the
Wilderness," there is a woman who is
devoting her life to the natives of
Alaska and Is doing for them what
she believes will be for their best
Interests. No one after reading this
dory can deny that Deaconess Mills
The HILL PHARMACY Sells the Famous
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•Dr. Delaney'** immediately
, A Distemper Remedy that is doing wonder
i tul work among the dogs in the .‘Mates.
A better Mange Remedy titan you've pro
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A mighty good Liniment for rubbing down a
running dogs ar.d keeping feet in good condi-jj
lion. :
Many other Vermilax Reinetiies and se-1
ouiarte*—see them all at the
HILL PHARMACY
SPECIAL THIS WEEK
IERI WN
SEE WINDOW DISPLAY
THE EMPORIUM
KRISTAN BROS.
AT NO OTHER TIME
IS OUR STOCK OF
j PHOENIX HOSE
| as completeas now
00c TO $2.00
Special prices per bon
P. A. Peterson Shoe Co.
performed an act that, entitled her to
much thanks from every one in that
part of Alaska. Hist summer, accord
ing to advices that have Just been
received here, a native wandered into)
the mission at sit. John’s in the Wild
erness, in un awful condition. He was !
suffering from smallpox. The frightful
toll of this dread disease lg to well
known to need comment. Am epidemic
of smalipox would nave praeticatiy
w.-lpod out the Indian settlements along
the Koyukuk river. Deaconess Mills
Isolated the patient. Then she sent
to Fort Yukon, the nearest mission
hospital, for vaccine. Traveing up and j
down tlie river with a lot of bichloride
and vaccine she made the natives wash j
all their clothes in boiling water in:
which she had dropped a bichloride;
tablet, and then she vaccinated every
Indian on the Koyukuk river. So ex
cellent was the work of this lone!
woman that the one caes that wan
dered into the mission was the only
case that was heard of. An epidemic
was avoided. The patient got well.
Deaconess Mills did wonderful work.1
Had she not acted as she did it is
probable that the diseuse would have
spread. An epidemic would have re
sulted, and many might have perished.
It is acts of this kind that those who |
question the sincerity of those good j
women who are devoting their lives to
the education of the Alaskan native
think, and it is acts of this kind that !
bring to the missions In this norhern
country assistance from tHe great “ut
side.—Cordova Times.
SUBMARINE
CONTROVERSY STILL
THREATENING
A P. A- Service.
Washington. Feb. 26.—what has
all tho appearance of being an armis
tice in connection with the controversy
between the president and congress
over the German submarine question,
was in effect today, but both sides are
busy and there are many indications
that a battle royal will shortly develop.
Both the administration and congress
are depending on the Ston Wilson let
uts to strengthen their position
Speculation Is now rife as to the
possible action of congress in the
event of the president persisting in
his view that Americans should not be
warned away from armed vessels.
CATARRHi
Land |
DISCHARGES*:
Relieved in ;[
24 Hours;!
Each Cap- ✓ n, 4 >
»ul. beMSihe (mIDYI < J
name tw V_/ < ’
Beioar* of counterfeits < ^
_ wqw>*vwww
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E 3
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I General hardware & ;
MINING SUPPLIES \
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'• 4
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£ For prompt service f
% Phone W hite 90 f
t* +
t Wm, Pangman!
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t t
[no (VIE i
! COFFEE HOUSE i|
: AND BAKERY j:
J Recommend its clean and who'e >3
[ som* bread and pastry of all <’
» kinds. %
> ]>
J We cater to family trade
3 Orders for entertainments 'J
J promptly filled. i[
' 'W^fWWyWAWyVv*AiV w
I Save Money by !>
Purchasing your <3
good*, at ![
F. J. KRIGEK STORE l
: Wittenberg \
3 Manager.
► .
3 Our Big Sale is 3;
always on ]'
.V^^AA/VkiVS^yVt/VVvVVVe/VVVV
Chris. VV. Reed !
t
Machinist ft Blacksmith j
»
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(ia.Miline Engine#. Iluis-t# j
Boilers, Pipe and Pipe 3
Pitting# 3
No. 5 Front St. ■
* i
+44444 IUH< MI'»M
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j Restaurant j
and %
f LUNCH COUNTER ii
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+ ;;
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|
I The I;
LOBBY
Wettergren & Bergfren <1
Proprietors «!
WVWA/W>AAA/VWV»WVWVW
■
iVWvVvV>AWvW/AW.V»VWS
I The I
ij Angeles i;
I A. 0. OLIVER i;
prop. «:
Phone Main 44 ;>
.V,W/'.*AW/YAVSAVWvWW
Horseshoe -
Geo Hall <& Albert Hartman
Proprietor* t
PHONE MAIN 112 J
■ LEWIS HUNTER RYE AND *
ATHERTON BOURBON !
■| Direct from Bonded Warahou**
RAINIER DRAUGHT BEER J
Fineat Brand* of Wine*. Liquor* *
and Cigar*. I
' "'L ’.TT.T: »'■
I
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First Game \
: Married L adies vs. Single L.adies j
Sscoml Game j
Fort Davis vs. All Star
• t
j Thursday March 2nd, Eagle Hall ;
ADMISSION 50c
. RESERVED SEATS AT ROSE’S CANDY STORE |
* QAME STARTS »>«0 SHARP.
f
J. . . •
* 5 ' • :«3fcMB—
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Compounded from the private formula* of Dr. T. Delaney, veter
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HILL’S PHARMACY
Headquarters Fine Writing Paper
_ _
.rvx-n-r-nirriwirrirMniiiw
advertiseTn the nugget