THE
1tome Daily Hugget
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPt*
Published Dally Except Suuday by
THE NOME PUBLISHING CO.
E. C. DIVINE, ■
GEO. 8. MAYNARD,
Sole Owners and Publishers
City Official Paper
p, ■■■■
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NUGGET MINING AND DREDGING
MAGAZINE
Issued Annually in October.
Price per copy .
I’rtoe per copy mailed.'e*.
Rates (or advertising space In any
ot the above publications will be made
known on application.
PHONE MAIN 46.
Entered as second class matter Feb
26, 1807, at the post office at Nome,
Alaska, under the Act ot Congress c(
March 1S7S.
Copy (or regular advertlsments
must be in by 10 o’clock on the day ot
publication.
NOME, ALASKA, MARCH 16, 19U.
The ptarmigan mystery will get
cleared up after a while. Which is to
say that when all the facts are in
the a verge woodsman will be in a fair
position to determine wby these Arc
tic auail are not to be found in th ter
accustomed haunts this winter.
That there are practically no ptar
migan on Seward peninsula is now
beyond cavil. It is likewise beyond
dispute that the Norton bay country,
lower Yukon, Iditarcd, Innoko, and
Koyukuk regions have no great flocks
this winter as has formerly been the
case with the exception of one year
somewhere about 188S. Other sec
tions are also reported to have been
deserted by these birds.
Several explanations have been of
fered by natives and white men of
the disappearance of these birds. It
has been said that many of them
perished in the big storm of a year
ago that the heavy and early
snow of a year ago killed
them off, that last sum
mer was not favorable for breeding,
that they were blown out to sea and
that they had migrated. It has also
been proposed to ask somebody or
other in Washington to explain the
matter which in our opinion is an ut
terly useless procedure unless there
is somebody there who knows more
about ptarmigan than we have seen
printed so far In government bul
letins. Knowledge of ptarmigan can
be obtained only by observation on the
part of someone und there are more
people in Alaska qualified to speak
with authority on the subject of our
ptarmigan than there are in Wash
ington so far at least as their habits
are concerned.
Now, as for the reasons urged to
explain the dirth of ptarmigan in the
districts mentioned, it may be said
that they are all without value ex
cept one. The big storm did not kill
many, nor did the severe cold nor
the deep snows. The ptarmigan pro
tects himself in the snow from the
wind, the cold and the blizzard. He
burrows in, having filled his craw
with willow buds or twig ends, and
stays there sometimes for two or three
days. Seldom does he get caught In
a place where the snow piles up In
drifts so as to bury him too deep to
crowd his way out. He seems to have
an Instinct that leads him to select
a spot where the snow settles in nor
mal quantities It is certain that only
a few ptarmigan perish in the worst
storm because of this ability to se
lect a favorable spo*. to burrow into
the snow.
Professional Cards
Dr. A. P. Heimlich
OVER HILL'S DRUG STORE.
Hours 2 to S and 7 to 8 p. m.
Phono Moln 7.
. Near Bering sea ,a certain number
have been last every year because
they are foolish enough to fly over
the water anil ultimately to settle
there and drown. This tragedy has
(been observed frequently between St.
Michael and the mouth of the Yukon
But Is Is a regular thing and results
In only a limited loss annually. Last
summer was bad for breeding, to be
sure, but this does not account for
the absence of the old birds this wln
[ ter even if no young at all were
hatched.
The probable explanation of this
winter's lack of ptarmigan is that
they have migrated. News has been
received from Dr. French on Bristol
bay that this winter there are mll
( lions and millions of the birds there.
|
I He writes that never have natives or
) whites seen so many In that section
and every body is living high as a
consequence.
It is plain from the doctor’s letter
I
I and from previous knowledge of the
j Alaska peninsula that this enormous
host of birds is hot normal to that
section. They have gone there from
1 other parts of Alaska Just as about
j 30 years ago they deserted the lower
I Yukon country absolutely, ns is tes
! tilled to by white men who lived
| there then and kept a log. There are
j no available records of Seward pen
! Insula and the other sections men
j tioned above but there are native
! traditions of years when no birds
were to be found.
No explanation is going to be of
fered here as to why ptarmigan should
all of a sudden take a notion to mi
grate. It would be as idle as to try
to explain why locusts make their ap
j pearance every seventeen years. But
| the fact is that the ptarmigan Is a
migratory bird. It breeds in one place
and spends the winter elsewhere, J
sometimes hundreds of miles from j
| his breeding place.
There are two kilpds of ptarmi
gan, those that breed on barren lands
and those that breed in the moun
tains, at or near the tops. The lat
ter are often called rock, or mountain
ptarmigan, and are more widely dis- j
tributed than the former as they are I
found all over the nor'.hland and way j
down in J.he states. Those that are '
hatched on the barren lands are call
ed tundra ptarmigan and while not
so widely distributed aro'moro plenti
ful in the sections where they do
abound. They are larger than the
rocks and lack a mark on the head
which the latter have.
When the snows of winter come !
the broods Join together in flocks and
seek places where they can find wil- j
lows, birches end cottonwoods to feed
op. Those on the mountains are
forced to seek the valleys or draws
where fc»od can be found. Those
on the tundra must seek spots where
at least willows grow. That is why
the edge of the timbered section from
Norton buy to Cook's Inlot has had
such an abundance of birds year after
year. They have bred on the tundra
und in winter have soug it the wil
lows and birches. Some vines enor
mous flocks have gone sc far inland
as (o Koyukuk. At other seasons
few have been found the re.
That these hardy and wary birds
have all been killed off is absurd.
That they have, for some reason or
other, left their customary haunts
and gone to the Alaska peninsula is
reasonable though it is as Inexplica
ble as many other animal phenomena.
Thirty years ago there was Just
such a scarcity. Near Anvik a half
dozen natives limited for days to get
a tarmigun, rabbit, or grouse for the
Christmas dinner of a government
scientist who spent tie wlr;er there
and not one could be found. And
the.e were none in the whole sec
tion either. The next year the game
came back in fair quantities and the
following year there was a super
abundance. And all the adtffce and
uHl of bureau officials In Washing
ton will not help matters a bit. We
do not need any more restrictions
placed on us by Washington than we
now have.
HOLT’S CASH STORE.
Moved to me large Alaska Store,
first door east. We are in position
to till your orders in any quantity
large or small at money saving prices.
Nome largest store.
Telephone Main 86.
VERY SPECIAL OFFER.
From now until April 1, we offer ]
first class tailor made sutis and over
coats at outside prices. Some extra
tine black and blue serge and wor
sted. Besides 300 of this season’s
latest patterns. All wool material,
tit and workmanship guaranteed.
Please bring us your cleaning, pres
sing and repairing.
Yours to pioas.e
NOME TAILORING CO,.
Next door to Segerstrom & Hagen.]
FOR SALE CHEAP.
2 4 H. P. BOILERS.
1 12 H. P. BOILER.
1 16 H P. BOILER.
2 6 H. P. BOILERS.
ALL UPRIGHT BOILERS.
DARLING 4l DEAN CO.
WE CAN DO IT.
«
For first class worlPand prompt de
livery phone Main 161 and the Peo
ple’s laundry will send and get yaur
hiundry. W. J. WILLIAMSON, Prop.
New laid eggs at Prosser’s Harness
Shop, $t.00 per dozen. Phona Black 5.
COMPARATIVE
’ TEMPERATURES
Following are the mwest recorded
temperatures for this year and last
on the days tesignated. The minus
sign before a number means below
zero.
U. S. Weather Bureau.
1916 1917
March 1 . —14 30
Alarch 2 . —11 30
Alarch 3. —4 33
Alarch 4 . —14 12
Alarch 5.—16 0
Alarch 6.—19 —16
Alarch 7.—19 — 8
Alarch 8. —17 20
Alarch 9 . —17 22
Alarch 10. —17 16
Alarch 11. •—25 8
Alarch 12 . —14 22
Alarch 13. —19 28
March 15. —It 10
in the home *r in the camp, there
is no commodity so extensively used
as meat, therefore it ie upon that
commodity that you should look to
tor economical buying. Following are
a few of our prices:
Beef by the sioe.$.19
Round st«ak. 2b
Sirloin steak. '’O
Pot Roast. .22
Stsw . 20
Mutton by carcass . 19
Mutton chops, snoulder . 2b
Mutton chops, loin and rib. 35
Mutton legs..' ..30
Pork loin chops. 30
Fresh Reindser from the Lomen
herd, dres*ed in a skillful and sanr
tary mannar.
Sweet Briar Butter 40c per pound
by the case.
PACIFIC COLD STORAGE CO.
«-nons White 17.
Advertise In The Nome Nugget
FIRE MU MILS
12 .Standard Oil Co.
13 .Carstens Cold Storage
14 .J. J. Season Co, office
15 .Headquarters Saloon
21...The Lobby
24.Pioneers Igloo
26.Catholic Church
SI.Discovery Saloon
32.Yorkey’s Cigar Store
41.opp. Webb's Alarket
Engine House, Phone Main 97.
7 whistles water. 3 fire out
] A Clean, ome Paper |
For the Entire Family
A Daily and Weekly paper published in
the interests of Seward Peninsula and its people
—that is our aim. It will be readable, clean and
wholesome. The news of the day in condensed
form, giving all important happenings of the
world at large, together with local doings and
briefs from all over Alaska.
—
11
Firms advertising in the Nugget are reli
able, and we are sure you cannot go wrong by
patronizing the home merchant.
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Dally and Weekly Nugget
Published At Nome, Alaska
i
i
f w. J. ROWE ]
\ TRANSFER MD FREIGHTING
| Dealer in all kinds of Lumber
] Horses For Sale i
00000000000000000000000000003000000000000000303
| Rose Candy Store and Arctic Bakery |
c Good Lunches and Quick Service 8
o Home made and Imported 3
8 Candies and Chocolates 2
3 Augustine & Kyer Goods always fresh 2
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOO DO
NORTH POLE BAKERY
ANVIL BAKERY
BEGINNING MONDAY, JUNE 7TH, THE PRICE OF BREAD
ILL BE 10 CENTS PER LOAF OR THREE LOAVES FOR M
CENTS THE SIZE OF LOAVES HAVE BEEN INCREASED
WHICH INSURES MORE AND BETTER BREAD FOR OUR
PATRONS
CHAS. CAVEY, Prop.
i i
I I
! Board of Trade r
Established June 1900
Alaska Banking aim
"Site Deposit (ompaay
AUTHORIZED CAPITAL ....«12M00
PAID UP CAPITAL. NJMO
A Ganaral Banklnf BwImw Tran*
aaotad.
p al a: J Hlsf aMBai
t »
C1RLET0N t COIPMY
' LANG AND MOORES MER
! IT 8T0VES AND RANGES
I COLE’S HOT BLAST HEAT*
; ERS.
; FULL LINE OF MINING SUP
PLIES AND HARDWARE
310 Front St. Phone (lain II
♦>ii>iTnTBmpppnwiP
Miners & Merchants
Bank of Alaska
«OMe. ALASKA
Capital • - $100,000
Gold Dust; Purchased
and Assayed
I Few Copies Left j
of the 1915 edition j
Nugget flagazine
! (-1
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