Miners & Merchants Bank
IDITAROD, ALASKA
Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Business Transacted Gold Dust Bought and Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT: SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN BANK
OFFICERS:
Chas- Ross, President
T. J. Nestor, Vice President
.John Holmes, Cashier and Assayer
MERCHANTS CAFE
Caters to Large and Small Parties
PRIVATE DINING ROOMS
Popular Prices Everything First Class
CHAS. E. MILLER, PROP.
PREDICTS BUSY SEASON
FOR IDITAROD DISTRICT
—
Speaking to a representative of the Seward Gateway while j
passing through Seward on his way Outside, Harold Seddon, the
well-known claimowner of Flat and Willow, spoke in a very opti
mistic manner regarding future prospects in this district. While
space forbids reprinting the whole of his remarks, the following
extracts will indicate their tenor:
“The output for the season just closed in the Iditarod district
has exceeded all expectations, and the coming season bids fair to
be even better, both in point of production and general conditions.
“The new power plant projected by the Yukon Gold Company
will provide a large amount of work next season, both in the in
stallation of the plant and ditch building for the conveyance of
water power, by which the plant will be run. Practically all the
ground suitable for dredging on Flat creek proper has been ac
quired by the company, so that there is plenty of ground for future
working, warranting a large equipment. The dredge left off work
this fall at the head of the Marietta claim, and in the spring will:
turn and work down stream. The dredge averaged $8 per cubic
yard for the entire summer’s run, which. I believe, approaches
very closely to the record of production for dredges in Alaska.
Although the dredge displaced a great many men on the creek, it
has provided employment in cutting wood for fuel—using about
37 G cords a day.
“Some hydraulic work will be done on the bencn claims on
Flat next summer. Aitken & Riley will work the W ildcat bench
on the right limit, and Dave Stranberg will operate the Link claims
on the hillside. J. Gedd will also work bench ground.
“Otter creek is practically all controlled by Riley & Marston.
They will work their own ground again next season. Also they
have leased a great deal. They did not close the deal which was
pending with the Yukon Gold Company. I think they wanted two
millions. They plan to install a dredge themselves next year, pro
vided they do not sell for their figure.”
Mr. Seddon also recently has visited Takotna, Ruby and Aniak
on the Kuskokwim, having acquired property in the latter camp.
Takotna, he believes, will furnish the next quartz excitement, hav
ing pinned his faith in its future after examining the prospects
which have been uncovered to date. Joaquin & Co have taken an
option on Gaines creek, near Discovery, and plan to install a
dredge next summer. The Independence quartz property, bonded
by Commissioner Vinal, of Ophir, Mr. Seddon regards as a most
encouraging proposition of proven value. At a depth of 180 feet
the ledge of telluride ore is three feet wide and assays $1,000 to
$1,300 on an average- The ledge can be traced on the surface for
about 10 miles. __
JURY DISAGREE 1 SECOND
TRIAL OF CLARENCE DARROW
Los Angeles, March 11.—After deliberating 38 hours and 40
minutes the Darrow jury announced their inability to reach a ver
dict. A poll was taken and each juror stated that he could not be
induced to change his vote. They were discharged.
It is understood that the verdict stood eight for conviction and
four for acquittal.
Darrow immediately moved that a date be set for the new
trial, which will begin March 30- It is possible that a motion to
dismiss the case will be made.
^ White Seal
WILL GIVE
Regular Service
BETWEEN FAIRBANKS AND 1DITAB0D
First Sailing May 15th
For Information and Rates Write to Owner:
CAPTAIN G. P. SPROUL, FAIRBANKS
BUDGET OF NEWS
FROM BEAR CREEK
Returning from Bear creek with Charles Stanford last Saturday,
G. F. Kilroy brings news of considerable activity in that district; and
while he asserts it is not a country to stampede to at the present time,
yet it is his opiuiou that the Tuluksak country is the biggest thing in
the North today, and will eventually be worked by companies on a very
large scale.
Mr, Kilroy went to Bear creek on private business, but took ad
vantage of bis trip to size up the country, and as a result is enabled to
throw considerable light upon matters that before were imperfectly un
derstood in the Iditarod district.
Bear creek and the Tuluksak has been the Sleepy Hollow of Alaska.
For the past five years a bunch of men have been in the district, min
ing in'a primitive way, and taking out enough gold each year to meet
their scanty needs. They governed themselves with laws of their own
making, just as the early pioneers of the Yukon did before the advent
of courts and the impedimenta of civilization. One of their laws regu
lated the amount of ground a man could hold—none beling allowed
more than one claim at a time—and there were other regulations o(
a like nature.
The Tuluksak district has been roughly prospected by these pio
neer miners; but with the primitive equipment at their disposal they
rarely reached bedrock, and one after another gave up in disgust, leav
ing only a few of the more stubborn to continue operations.
The country is a vast one, and there has been enormous water ac
tion. This has had the effect of concentrating the gold deposits princi
pally in the bedrock, which is a shattered quaitzite. Another effect
from the same cause is that gravel deposits have been left high in the |
benches, giving evidence of old high channels. Colors can be obtained
almost anywhere.
The formation is totally unlike that found any where else in Alaska,
being similar to that which prevails on the Outside: in California and
Montana, lor example. Where the oldtimers have been mining the
pavstreak is very wide, but low grade; but this is compensated for by
the fact that it is only from 6 inches to 6 feet to bedrock.
The greatest drawback to the Bear-creek region from a mining
standpoint are the lack of grade (only i per cent.) and the nature of the
bedrock, which has to be taken up by hand at present. The alternative
is dredging, and most of the prospectors are working with a view to
turning over their holdings to companies.
Freighting charges from the Kuskokvvim to Bear creek are reason
able, the Indians charging but 5 cents a pound from Bethel, hauling j
with reindeer. Reindeer meat sells for 15 cents a pound, and has been
as low as 12'j cents.
The climate of the Tuluksak is much milder than Iditarod, the j
rivers already running open for miles, while snow has completely dis j
appeared in many places.
Personal Paragraphs
Capt. Anderson, representing a Minneapolis syndicate, conducted!
operations on a small scale on upper discovery, Bear, last summer. A
Baggerly scraper was brought in in the fall, and is now being freighted
up to the diggings. A large amount of ground will be stripped this
summer.
On 2-a. Tondeau and Keiser will open up this summer. This is
the claim from which they took $r,ioo in two mouths last year, work
ing in n most crude manner.
Price, Sanderson & Thorns have large interests on Bear, having
secured an option on about 14 miles of ground from i-a. discovery to
lower discovery. The ground is now being prospected with the aid of
a steam drill. The drill is on new lines, being the idea of A! Thorns,
who will take steps to patent the invention when he comes out. It is
doing great work.
Pete Jensen, Harry Nogaki and associates, known as the Nippon
ese Mining Company, are prospecting on the ground owned by J F.
Baird and partners, but despite all their efforts cannot get to see bed
rock.
Gordon Betties now claims the proud distinction of being the chain
pion rabbit catcher of the Kuskokwim valley, and that is saying a good
deal. Rabbits are so plentiful that they can be shot by mushers with
out leaving the trail, and when a roadhouse is reached a rabbit is
thrown to each dog in the team.
Tommy Forrest and Dominick Soraci have acquired many promis
ing interests on Bear, and are busy prospecting and representing their
holdings. They are planning to bring in a Keystone drill on the first
water.
Emil Johnson and McConnachie are prospecting on the benches of
Bear, and later will represent their holdings on Cale creek, a tributary
of Bear,
Cinnabar McDonald, Gordon Betties and several ot ttie otatimers
are prospecting on various pups tributary to Bear creek.
Harry Johnson, of the Little Guggs, is taking in the sights on
Bear. Incidentally he has been wiseing up the oldtimers about the in.
tricacies of the new law. In fact his decisions have become known as
“Johnson’s Law,” from which there is no more appeal than there would
be from Roberts’ rules of order. Fearing for their holdings, some of
the owners of ground have scurried off miles and restaked their prop
erty in smaller claims.
Charley Craig rented a dogteam from George Hoffman, and has
gone to the Kisaralik stampede. He has been gone a mrnth. Old man
Schmidt and Keller, both of Bear creek, also have gone to the Kisaralik.
Duke F. Stubbs, who already has more trades and professions than
are usually acquired by one man, has taken to studying the heavens.
He received a bunch of charts from Washington dealing with the
clouds, and is deeply interested therein. Mr. and Mrs Stubbs run a
roadhouse at the point where the Bear creek trail crosses the Aniak,
and it is a good cue.
Johnny Bennett is hoisting good pay on Marvel creek, Aniak. His
claim is known as the Whitehorse.
Gordon Betties and Pete Jensen have improvised a hand pump
from corrugated iron, which is said to work very well considering.
Mr. Berglaud, who runs a roadhouse at the month {of Crooked
river, has taken up a homestead there. He raised all kinds of vegeta
bles last year.
Bob Hart, Dan McKenzie and A1 Goslow have secured several
miles of ground on Crooked river. They went over towards the end of
February and took full advantage of the staking powers granted under
the new law, which permitted six claims each for February and six for
March.
Judge Jimmy C Moody, former Iditarod lawyer, is down the
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Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pars
N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska
Groceries,
Provisions
and Hardware
IDSTAROD
Let Us Figure on Your Outfit Highest Prices Paiil for Raw Furs
Ball Band Rubber Boots and Paes
N. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska
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Tuluksak. He has been “waiting for something to turn up’’ in that
district, hut now talks of returning to this camp for a bit.
It is reported that the N. C. Co. will install a post at Duke I',
Stubbs’ place on the Aniak, where miners poling up the river can pick
up supplies.
The policy to be pursued by Secretary of State William Jen
nings Bryan was clearly outlined by a close personal friend of his
in Washington recently, when he said:
“We shall bring about an era of good will and peace by being
the Big Brother to our smaller neighbors, and not bluster as Roose
velt did or try to take away the prerogatives of the Senate, as Taft
treaties would have done. Bryan will be in toucli with every na
tion. lie knows the great diplomats of the world, and is rated as
a great statesman in Europe and other countries. We would not
get peace among nations by the Rooseveit, the Taft or the Carne
gie plan, but would build upon the firmer foundation of fair treat
ment. The day of the dollar diplomacy would pass. We would
not have to buy our way to the hearts of foreign people.
“The Democratic policy will be for peace, but at the same time
no treaty that does not recognize the equality of all our citizens,
irrespective of race or creed, and which does not expressly guar
antee the fundamental right of expatriation will be sanctioned.
“The constitutional rights of American citizens should protect
them on our foreign borders and go with them throughout the
world, and every American citizen residing or having property in
any foreign country is entitled to and must receive the full protec
tion of the United States government, both for himself and his
property.”
Valdez, March it.— ['lie Copper River railroad has not yet been
cleared of snow, and mail sent up the line has to be packed over the
■dides.
Travelers are put to much inconvenience. Charles K. Taylor, oi
Iditarod, and J. M. Hastings, of the Koyukuk, wished to travel up to
Chitina, to catch the stage for Fairbanks, but the company refused to
guarantee to get them through. As a result they had to come to Val
dez, where they purchased horses and left for the Interior this morning.
The McIntosh stage out of Valdez has quit. It is very warm on
the coast for tnis time of the year.
AT ANY HOUR AT
“A PLACE IQ EAT”
FLAT CITY
CURLY ROBINSON, PROPRIETOR
IDITABODj
SALOON
COMPLETE LINE OF
Clears
OPT1WO, LOVER A
and JUAN DE FUCA
FULL LINE OF
Liquors
IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC j
AND —
BUDWEISER BEER
Delivered in any part of town
Forfeiture Notice
Iditarod Alaska, 5 March.
To Mont Downing, A. B. Ferguson. A I» Fuller
W. Gol let. Barney Ilaggi 1 ty John M
Graw, Joe Porter and Minnie rhcrm
You are hereby notified that I have expended
daring the year nineteen hundred and t\\ ti
me hin red dollars . in 1 b r id
improvement- upon the Bonanza association
placer mining claim, <>n hominiou ercck. a trib
utary of Salmon ri'.'-r, Kuskckwim Mining an l
Recording distri t, Territoi y of Alaska.: notice
of location of \vhi< h is found in volume N 1 6, at
page'/03 in orde: to hold said claim under the
provisions of section 23:4 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United Stat--.and the amendment
thereto approved Jan c ry concerning
annual labor upon mining claims, being tin
amount required to hold .-aid place: mining
claim for tlie peri d ending on tin - - • day • t
December, 19:2 And »f within ninety bays
after the publication ut this l.-mice. you fail or
refuse to contribute vouir proportion 1 such ex
penditure as a co-owner, your, ami each and
everv, of vour interests in the » ml bonanza as
sociation ’ placer miring claim will become the
property of the sab-c- ibed vour co-oune:. wm>
has made the required expenditure by tin
terms of said section. J M PICK Fb
C has n. Taylor Jditarod, Alaska atomer : a
JM Picked .
1 First publication March 'F 103.
East publication May 31. i913
NOTICE OF SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TO PAY FREIGHT AFSB STORAGE CHARGES
NOTICE is hereby given that the utdersigned, Northern Navigation Company, is a common carrier, engaged in
transporting freight by its own lines and by other steamship lines from Seattle, Washington, to Dikeman, Alaska, and
Iditarod, Alaska, and heretofore transported from various points to Dikeman, Alaska, and Iditarod, Alaska, and now
holds, and for more than three months last past lias held in its possession at Dikeman, Alaska, and Iditarod, Alaska
certain freight and personal property, as hereinafter particularly described, by reason of the failure of the consignees
thereof to pay the just and reasonable charges for transporting said freight by the steamships of Northern Navigation
Company to Dikeman, Alaska, and Iditarod, Alaska; that tiie certain freight and personal property as hereinafter par
ticulurly described consists in a list of freight on which the freight charges are due and unpaid as well as storage
charges; that the said Northern Navigation Company will, on the 1st day of April, 1913, at the hour of 2 o'clock p.ru.,
offer for sale and sell at public auction at its office, in the town of Iditarod aforesaid, all or sufficient of said personal
property as shown as being on hand at Iditarod, as hereinafter particularly described, necessary to pay the freight and
storage charges now due thereon, and which are a lien thereon, together with the costs of keeping and selling the
same, and will, on the 10th day of April, 1913, at the hour of 2 o’clock p.m., offer for sale and sell at public auction at
its dock, in the town of Dikeman aforesaid, all or sufficient of said personal property as shown as being on hand at
Dikeman, as hereinafter particularly described, necessary to pay the freight and storage charges now due thereon, and
which are a lien thereon, together with the costs of keeping and selling the same: that the consignees of said personal
property and freight have failed, neglected and refused to pay the said just and reasonable freight and storage or stor.
age charges thereon, and this sale is had for the purpose of satisfying said carrier’s lien thereon for freight and stor
age charges; that the storage charges on heavy and cold-storage articles are two dollars and fifty cents a ton a month,
and on warm storage articles the rate is five dollars a ton a month; that the year when said freight and personal prop
erty was received, the name of the consignor (where known), the name of the consignee and the markings on said
packages, the description of the goods to be sold (so far as known to Northern Navigation Company), and the amount
of freight charges thereon are as follows, to-wit:
Data
Received
1910 .
1911 ....
1911
!
Consignor
Unknown .
Sohw. Hdwe Co..
Seattle Tfr Co.
Unknown .
N. N. Co. (F).
| Eli Pervich .
Seattle Tfr Co..
Consignee—Marks
(On hand
Rudolf Mills.
American Bnkof Als (marked M)
Ntfy Wicks & Wolfe .
(On hand
Hensley & Co..
Ntfy Tom Kopovices .
Eli Pervich .
L. Mary moot..
Description of Property
at Iditarod)
1 bale dog harness .
30 bars iron, 11 bdies iron, 30 prs.
iron wheels, 1 bdle. blocks (3), 291
bdies wagon gear, 3 coils rope. .
3 bales rubber pacs.
at Dikeman)
2 slieaves.
1 cs. smok. tobacco.
1 bdle p. e.
3 showcases, 1 bx. glass..
Freight
$1.00
1,354.84
21.95
4.40
12.43
1.00
57.13
This sale is had under the provisions of chapter 29 of part 5 of Carter’s Annotated Code of Alaska, and particu
larly under the provisions of sections 277 and 278 thereof. The terms of the said sale are cash on acceptance of b'.d by
auctioneer. Only sufficient of each consignment above described will be sold to pay the freight and storage charges
and costs of sale, save and except that no package will be broken in order to sell the same. This notice is given by
publication in ‘‘Iditarod Pioneer,” a newspaper published iu the town of Iditarod, Alaska, and the date of the first
publication thereof is the first day of March, 1913. NORTHERN NAVIGATION COMPANY,
By Cyrii P. Wood, Agent.