Capt. Dankert, Old
Arctic Seafarer,
Dies At 85
Captain Charles Dankert, one of
the few surviving skippers of arc
tic sailing-whaling days, has
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sailed away—called on that inev
itable last voyage from which
there is no returning. He passed
away at his Los Altos home July
4, thus ending a full life of four
score and five years.
His life was a saga of the sea.
Bom of sturdy Nordic stock in
Buffalo, N.Y., May 17, 1868, young
Charles attended public school
and in his early teens responded
to the “call of the sea.” Before the
mast he sailed the seven seas; his
spare time was applied diligently
to the study of navigation, and
when 22 years of age he became
third mate of a full-rigged ship.
In the early ’nineties his ship
was wrecked off the southwestern
Alaska coast. Shortly after, he
served as first mate on one of 40
odd ships of the Bedford, Mass.,
whaling fleet. Success attended
his whaling efforts until the dawn
of the century when steel sup
planted whalebone and whaling
was no longer profitable.
Captain Dankert then estab
lished a lighterage business with
headquarters in Kotzebue Sound.
His operations extended from
Nome to Point Barrow. Despite
hectic wTeather conditions in those
treacherous waters he never failed
on his mission to deliver supplies
and provisions so necessary to
sustain life—to those who lived
beyond the pale of civilization.
Two years after World War I,
Captain Dankert decided to quit
the Northland; he disposed of his
interests, came to California,
where he went “from sea to soil.”
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GUESTS AT ROTARY
Rotarian were entertained at
their noon luncheon yesterday by
a picture entitled “History of
Bread-Making” through the cour
tesy of Ernie Gustafson.
Many guests and visiting Ro
tarians included: D. Schuster and
Ralph Ryder of Milford, Conn.;
Ralph Lomen, R. V. Titus of the
American Heart Society; Asst.
District Attorney Lynn Kirkwood
and his secretary Mary Smith, of
Anchorage; C. A. Johnson, U.S.
Smelting official from Salt Lake
City, Utah.
ALASKA AIRLINES
To Anchorage: Ruth Jones, R.
C. Means, Paul Kempf, Mrs.
Kempf, Robert Titus, Dick Ball,
J. C. Thackery.
From Anchorage: A. Sanders,
E. Smith, R. O. Sommers.
From McGrath: Capt. Tom Al
len, P. Farmer, Maj. England.
From Unalakleet: Wm. Ullrich,
Allen Soosuk, Frank Frey, W.
Rose.
He purchased a large orange grove
at Whittier, also a greenhouse and
plant nursery at San Gabriel. Sun
shine and roses!—Quite a con
trast from Arctic wastes.
With Walter W. Johnson of
dredging fame and Andy Ander
son, old-timer of Nome, he be
came interested in a mining enter
prise in Idaho. This venture
proved successful. Later he dis
posed of his Whittier interests,
de'cided to retire, so built for him
self and family a comfortable
home in Los Altos, where he en
joyed in full the happiness he
richly deserved, until the Master
called him.
Among his fast friends of arctic
days were U.S. Captains Healy,
Tuttle, Henderson and Cochrane,
alternately in command of reve
nue cutters Corwin and Bear,
stout-built ships wThose annual
sea patrols in arctic waters added
much to early, colorful Alaskan
history. Included in his circle of
close friends were such outstand
ing explorers as Roald Amundson,
Viljamer Stefannson, Sir Hubert
Wilkins, and Bob Bartlett, for
years skipper of the Peary Arctic
exploration, as well as many sci
entists of the Smithsonian Insti
tute.
Captain Dankert desired that
his funeral services be private.
Rev. Ralph Fisher of the Luther
an Church officiated in the chap
el of the Spangler Mortuary at
Mountain View. In attendance
were his sorrowing wife, his
daughters Joan and Irene, also a
nephew, Mr. Larry Prices and
wife of San Francisco, and Mrs.
Bertha Lund. Also surviving him
are two sisters, Mrs. Louise Pries
of Chicago and Mrs. Pauline Stel
la of Buffalo, N.Y.
Final interment was made at
Whittier, California.
Houselnvestigators
Will Call Minister
For Questioning
WASHINGTON, (A—The House
un-American Activities Commit
tee Thursday voted to call the
Rev. Jack McMichael, Methodist
pastor at Upper Lake, Calif., for
questioning next Thursday. It has
received testimony he was a Com
munist party member.
Chairman Velde (R-Ill) told re
porters a subpoena for McMichael
was approved by a unanimous
vote. He declined to say whether
next Thursday’s hearing would
be an open or closed session.
Velde said the committee de
ferred action regarding Dr. Harry
F. Ward, a former Union Theo
logical Seminary faculty member.
It also has received testimony
that he was a Communist.
Rep. Clardy (R-Mich) disclosed
Tuesday night, while the group
was questioning Methodist Bishop
G. Bromley Oxnam, that McMi
chael and Ward had been de
scribed as Communist party mem
bers in secret testimony received
by the committee earlier.
McMichael denied to reporters
that he had been a Communist.
Ward could not be reached. His
home at Palisades, N.J., said he
was vacationing in Canada.
Oxnam was questioned for
nearly 10 hours. The committee
adopted a motion then that there
was nothing in its record which
showed the Bishop was affiliated
with Communism.
NOTICE
Sales Tax Reports on retail
sales and services for the quarter
ending June 30, 1953, must be in
the City Clerk's office by Thurs
day, July 30, 1953.
Carrie M. McLain,
City Clerk
Publish July 20, 24', 29
Make mealtime
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#| M'
(i i I
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