I
SKGOKUM JOHNSON
Last week we had Skookum
Johnson in the hero list, but it
looks ns though we must put
him back in the ranks again, for
he is only a volunteer.
Skookum says we made a mis
take when we connected him with
that lot-jumping episode at Flat
last week. He declares and in
sists that he had nothing to do
with the sortie made by Lund and
Frolin when they copped out the
front street lot adjoining the
store of E. W. Griffin, and the
restaurant of Skookum.
He further says that he has a
big hunch to sue our perfectly
good family journal for damages,
because we have driven away a
lot of his trade. He adds, how
ever, that he can overlook this if
we will fix it so he can become a
member of the “Stomach Rob
bers’” union.
Taking Skookum's denial, we
are glad to publish it, for we
have no desire to injure him nor
his business. He says that when
he wants to start out jumping
lots he will call us up and let us
know—all of which is fair enough.
Flat City is having her troubles
right now for they are jumping
every foot of ground that isn’t
covered. They appear to be
calmly submitting to it and will
eventually be relegated to the
unsatisfactory remedy of the
courts. Yes, they are having
trouble, but Skookum says he
has no place in it.
Caught in the midst of the bad stonn
of last Monday, Theodore Witte, the
mining operator who recently bought
into Moore creek property, and who is
planning to begin active preparatory
work there, was compelled to abandon
his journey and liolo in his outfit for
the rest of the week.
He was proceeding with a double
under and two horses with about 1100
pounds of supplies and had made as far
as Boulder when overtaken by the
storm. In attempting to make it up
Otter, he was met by a combination of
bowling winds, drifting snow and over
flows. Thinking it wiser to wait for
better going, he cached the outfit at
Boulder and returned to the city, en
tirely satisfied to leave the hills alone
with the elements until better days are
in evidence.
A bunch of section men got to
getlter at Miller’s cafe the other
night ami tried to eat all the chick
en in the place. They had ordered
it don* Maryland, and it was.
Then they filed in, headed by Isa
Goldstein, he being the man in
honor of whom the assault was be
ing made. Matching proudly at
his side, was Bobby Simpson, the
blacksmith, Z.tch Loussac, the pill
magnate, Wise Billy, who rastles
porosknit, and Earl Hunt, the man
who was afraid to go home in the
dark.
It was Goldstein's birthday, he
being 21 by the clock. The corn
flitters were supine, and they
caught the birds when they were
not looking. They do say that the
slaughter was something awful.
Following the battle a Band of
Mercy Students helped remove the
wounded and tlie underdone, while
the vietorius skirmish party took a
little target practice with glass pop
guns.
From the latest available data, the
matter of wood hauling became a seri
ous proposition on the ereeks following
the excess of congealed moisture that
fell in around the trails with the big
wind off the coast. As was predicted
in these columns some time ago, the
wood problem on the creeks could be
come a serious one at any time that the
elements took a hand in the game. It
appears that they have now done so, and
if they play the hand out it is entirely
jtossible that somebody will have to
look at the hole card._
Hussey sells Bock cigars.
Best watch repairing at Simpson’s.
TEST LEGAL8TY ©F RICHMOND COURT
The first real fighting case has been instituted in the
district court of the Iditarod, and the existence of Rich
mond Court will soon be in question before the federal
authorities. It is called Richmond Court because it is no
longer Richmond Street,- -it is closed at both ends.
The trouble started yesterday when a suit was insti
tuted by Charles Worden, Alma Worden, Chas E. Miller
and Ernest H. Slenter against William Barrett and Edward
Lewin, as the Itinoko Trading Company, charging them
with being a public nuisance in the obstruction of Rich
mond street, asking for the abatement of the nuisance and
for damages in the sum of $10,000. The papers were filed
before Commissioner Maltlry as deputy clerk of the district
court and were served on the defendants last evening.
It) their complaint, plaintiffs allege that Richmond
street was first laid off by the then inhabitants of the town
of Iditarod as early as March, 1910, and from that time was
generally recognized as n street from the southern edge of
the city to the water front. In June it was regularly sur
veyed, and the limits of the street recognized and concurred
in by the inhabitants of the growing city.
They further allege that they were the owners of the
lot on the northeast corner of first and Richmond streets,
or at the point where Charles Worden's saloon now stands.
That on or about July 3rd, the defendants sought per
mission from the plaintiffs and from the N. C. Co. and the
town trustees of Iditarod to erect a tent on Richmond St
on the spot now occupied by the store of the Innoko Trad
ing Co , for temporary purposes, or until they could dispose
of certain perishables which they had ior sale, the under
standing being that they would thereupon vacate the prem
ises, and restore the street to its original status.
That on or about August 20, the defendants began the
erection of a permanent building on this spot, taking up
about 25x50 feet of the street.
In reciting the ills that followed tin on this action, the
plaintiffs assert that the value of their property as being a
high-class corner property was greatly reduced. That the
access to the rear ot their prop-aty was cut off. That they
were cut off from light and air, that the access to the river
was hindered and that the fire hazard to their buildings
was greatly increased by reason of the proximity of the In
noko Trading Company’s offies
The prayer of the complaint asks for $10,000 damages
by reason of these grievances, and prays the court for an
abatement ot this nuisance. They also ask for a reasonable
attorney’s fee and for the costs and disbursements in the
action.
The firm of McGowan, Clark Sc Albrecht are repre
seating the plaintiff-., but as yet the lawyers for the defend
ants have not been at nounced. The necessary lapse ot
time, whiie the pleadings are got to issue, should bring the
case to the trial stage hv the time Judge Overfield gets
fairlv under wav with his term of court next soring.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO REPUDIATE LATE MINING DEALS
Following the latest reports out of the Donlan
creek country where some of the side creeks are mak
ing excellent showings of late, it is apparent that some
people would like to renig on some of the deals made
recently when claims over there were sold for a song.
Dominick Vernetti got in from Lewis gulch Thurs
day and reports pay on that creek that is averaging 25
cent pans. Lewis is the second creek below Ruby, and
it appears to carry the money strong.
Mrs. Roscoe. of this city, is reported to have sold a
claim on Lewis recently for $1,000, but since the news
from there has changed so much for the better, she is
reported to have made a poor deal- All the new creeks
are showing up w’ell on Donlan, and many quiet deals
are now in the making.
_
EXPECT GOOD RESULTS FROM RUBY CREEK PROSPECTS
Ed Rusk and Tony Farbo came back from Ruby
creek last Thursday after an absence of 30 days or
more, and announced that they were going back to take
another whirl at it. That is, Rusk said so, and with a
certain amount of conviction, as though he liked the
idea.
Rusk, Farbo and Sam Godfrey have been over
there working with A. B. Ferguson, and Rusk says
that as far as they went, things looked very good to
them. They found plenty of tine prospects and pay,
but they do not know as yet what the extent of the pay
streak may be, more than a mere guess. M;. and Mrs.
Ferguson are still there, and Sam Godfrey is returning
to Flat via. Georgetown.
All of the reported late finds on Quartz, Snow gulch
and Lewis, all tributaries of Donlan, are still holding
up to their promise, and Rusk says he is entirely satis
fied with the country.
They left Ruby on their journey to Flat the morn
ing of the big storm, and were in it all the way over
They reported only one party that was compelled to
siwash for the first night near the head of Bonanza
creek, and passed throughthis bit of misfortune with
out serious consequences.
Puncture Black
and Cottonwood Creeks
Auer putting down about 25 holes on Slate creek, during which
they tn ide that historic stream look like a porous plaster and demon
slrated beyond a shadow ot doubt that Slate carries no pay ground.
Walker, Wailick and Sellander, the drill men are turning ibeir attention
to Black and Cottonwood creeks and will shortly be chasing the elusive
paystreaks on those streams.
The work on Slate was most discouraging They went onto the
bench ground under options, but in all the holes sunk they found no
dirt that would go better than 25c to the foot, thus proving that the
ground is not even good for dredging.
The big drill of Slate puts down a 6-inch hole, and the operators
are fully convinced that it brings up all the values.
They are moving this big drill to Discovery Black creek, where
Jiey have secured another option, and where Walker and Wailick will
have charge of the work. Here they will drill a line of holes from high
on the right limit clear across the cteek, placing the holes so close to
gether as to make it an almost perfect crosscut,
In the meantime, Mr. Sellender, will take charge of a small drill
belonging to the concern, and move it to Cottonwood where another
line of holes will be put down near the head of the creek
Experience has shown that there drills are the cheapest and quick
est method of prospecting shallow ground, and they will be used ex
tensively here this season.
Fattier of Georgetown
Passes Through City
Harr}’ St. George, of Georgetown,
accompanied by Mrs. St. George, blew
into the city preceding the big storm
of last week, announcing that they
were on their way to.Fairbanks and
never coming back.
The St. Georges, who are well
known in the Tanana and the Yukon,
were among the very first settlers of
Georgetown, in fact, Harry might be
called one of the dads of that famous
metropolis to he. They lived through
all the first gasping, struggling exist
ence, they also stayed to see the blos
som of full citybood, the maiden blush
of a new metropolis.
Mr. St. George is convinced of the
coming greatness of the Kuskokwim,
but he says the development will be
slow, and in the meantime he will look
after his interests in Fairbanks.
They expect to leave on their way
to Fairbanks next Monday, the party
proceeding with dog team under the
direction of Claude Shea.
Second Year Utter Bells
A quiet little anniversary dinner was
held at the Merchants cafe last night,
the event being the second echo of the
wedding bells for Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Riley, formerly of Fairbanks. Besides
the host and hostess there were present
Judge Maltby and Miss Ada Maltby.
Casey sells Boek cigars.
COMING AND GOING^
Sam Sanderson reached the city last
week, just before the breaking of the
the big storm. He has been looking
into the possibilities of the new lay
which he holds in partnership with
Chute and Goebel on 1-b Otter, and
although he has not had time to in
vestigate with any degree of certainty,
he believes that he has landed on some
thing that will produce the goods next
summer.
Ramps Peterson says the Reindeer
section may be all that it is cracked up
to be, but there is one thing of which
he is sure.—it certainly is tough going
on the return journey. He returned
early last week, was caught in bad
weather and nipped the toes of both
feet. The resulting damage has not
been serious but was quite painful. He
explains that there has been nothing
accomplished to justify a stampede to
the Reindeer section but believes some
thing may be accomplished over there
this season.
Mrs. Roy Stevens, proprietress of the
ladies’ furnishing store of this city,
paid a visit to Flat early in the week,
and was held up there by storms. She
was brought back yesterday by her
husband with a dog team.
We buy and sell everything in book
and stationery. WANTED—“The Sil
ver Horde” and “Five Nights1” Lan
dahl’s Emporium.
I
It is a fine mixture of shorts that
Jack Devereaux and Jim Ryan just
landed fmm the Str Minneapolis.
There are about five and a half tons,
and they have been relaying them
from Lewis’ Landing for several
weeks using two teams and going
up against all the kinds of weather
that Old Man Winter has had in
his portmanteau.
There are butter, ham, salmon
bellies, cross cut saws and ax hand
les in the lavout, and thev are all
billed to E. W. Gtiffin * Co , at
Flat, where they will undoubtedlv
do much to cheer the firesides and
lighten the daily labor of the in
habitants.
Alabam Laboyteau started out
with Devereaux for this shipment,
but upon reaching the Yukon, he
kept right on going, presumably
j for Cheua and the K vukuk.
WANTED THEM TO
HAVE DOE CREDIT
Some of the travelers who were
caught between this city and Flat on
that wild night of the big storm are
quite emphatic in their praise of the
good work done on that eventful even
ing by Joe (Jean of the Summit road
house, and Mr. Simms, the colored man
who had just arrived from Nome with a
sled load of eggs.
Realizing that someone might be in
danger along the trail, and knowing
that the stage would be coming, Gean
started from the roadhouse, coming this
way, and it was he who encountered
the Amalong party some two miles this
side.
They tried to make it back to the
roadhouse in the teeth of the gale but
found it impossible on account of the
women. Joe then went ahead with the
horses to summon help, having left the
women buried in the snow with their
robes.
When called from Flat with his dog
team, Simms responded at once and bis
well trained animals started off at a
run, although the trail was then oblit
erated. He joined Gean at the road
house and they proceeded on to where
the snow-bound travelers were praying
for help, and together they took the
party into camp, arriving at the road
house about 10 o’clock that night. The
ladies had been in the storm since three
in the afternoon.
But for the timely intervention of
Joe Gean into affairs of the Amalong
party and the help of Simms, there
might have been a much sadder tale to
tell.
Wandered Five Years
on Upper Kuskokwim
After another round trip to the Tokotna. Fourth of July, George river and
Julian creek, Andy Peterson, a man who perhaps knows more than any other
white man about tlie upper waters of the Kuskokwim, came over from Julian
creek the other day to look after a business deal effecting’his interests on
George river. Peterson was staked in on Julian along with John Kieland and
Ben Anderson, the original stakers and discoverers of the George river strike,
and he is now negotiating for tlie sale of his interests which were not included
in the Strandberg-Johcson Mining Co. or the Cascaden brothers’ buy of last
fall.
Peterson is one of tlie oldest of the oldtimers in this section of the countri
and is oDe of tlie famous mushers of the North. It was he who prospected in
Siberia some years ago for John Rosene and other Seattle capitalists, and he
was one of the familiar figures of the eariy days of Nome.
He came over the headwaters of tlie Kantislina from Fairbanks five years
ago and came down the Kuskokwim to the mouth of the Tokotna—then the
only post in that whole country.
Since then he has been on all the waters of the Kuskokwim system, and
tells of finding some time ago in a deserted cabin on one of the forks of tbt
Kuskokwim, some old newspapers dated back in the early 80s.
On his last trip to Fourth of July creek, on the Tokotna, lie witnessed a
general re-staking of claims on the first of the year—the circumstance lesuli
ing in several fights and much trouble. He was there about the time the Tor
rence trouble came up. Nothing exciting has been found there, however, al
though much work is being done.
Over on George river, John Kieland is having much trouble with water in
his prospecting on Spruce creek. Ben Anderson is still prospecting in that vi
cinity, but little can be accomplished until they have facilities for handling
water.
All work has practically ceased on Julian creek, as the option holders are
satisfied wilh the showing already made, and are only waiting for tlie breakup
to get busy taking out the gold.
Peterson will be here for a few days, pending the result of his business
negotiations.
And They Were Married
_
(Tacoma Tribune, Nor. 3, 1910.)
In the office of Sheriff Tom Morris
this morning, Justice Frank H. Gra
ham married Vernon D. Casley and
Miss Lottie Oatlev, both of Seattle.
-:_
Patrick O'Connor who ascertained
the fallacy of looking after gold pans
where they are not to be found, is
whiling away a few idle hours taking
care of some of the charges of the
government at the local jail. Pat is
finding bis hands entirely full with
taking care of five insane patients who
now occupy the bastile, and it gives
not the slightest chance for ennui, be
cause the diversions are too many and
too varied.
Tommy McStnart was one of those
who felt the fury of the gale in going
o’er “de lump” early this week. He
wandered around all night and did not I
|
reach the Summit roadhouse until ten j
o’clock in the morning.
It is reported on good authority that
Mark Sullivan and Charley Hoxsie
played a game of bridge at the Iditarod
club the other day- The event is said
to have caused considerable excite
ment. _
Worden sells Bock cigars.
Call for Bock cigars.
FINALLY DEPARTS
After a delay of several weeks,
during which time the newspapers
ol the city have been on the qtti
vive lest they get scooped on the
item, Frank Tondreau, known as
the Malamulp Kid, finally got away
this morning with a long dog team
and the smiling Mr. Rippa in the
tonneau of his sled.
They are on their way to Fair
hanks and they doubtless will en
counter some rough going befote
they strike t lie Yukon.
Rippa will attend to some mining
matters up there and will also ne
gotiate for machinery which will be
used here early next spring or early
alter navigation opens
It was reported that M. R. Hus
sey would accompany hint, the sup
position being that they were look
ing for a saloon license at Flat.
No confirmation of this report could
be obtained, hut Mr. Hussey has
deferred his departure and may not
go at all.
FOR, SALE—Piece of boiler-plate steel
48x84 inches, 135 lbs. Pioneer office.
The Sideboard sells Bock cigars.
DID THEY MAKE IT
THROUGH IN TIME?
There has been considerable
speculation on the part “of the
triends of A1 Thorns, Ray Brum
baugh and Ed Kellogg, as to just
where the party was caught in the
big storm of last Tuesday.
They left here Sunday morning
and were well equipped for a fast
run. They were headed for Nulato,
and it seems to be the concensus of
opinion among men familiar with
the trail, that they would have
reached Diskaket before the wind
struck them. In addition it is
opined, that even had they reached
Diskak-t, they were far out of the
zone of the wind that hit this place.
But if it did so fall out that they
were caught iti the blizzard, their
friends laugh at fears, for all were
experienced musheis, familiar with
the trails of the North, and are
even now busily hitting the wires
on the Yukon.
A BIT OHIEWS
ABOUT OUR FRIENDS
They do say that Tom Walsh is show
ing great signs of improvement at the
local jail where he is now being field
on the charge of insanity, and from
whence he must be sent to Mt. Tabor
before he can bo properly cleared of
the psychological indictment. He was
thought to be paralyzed from his waist,
down, but the last week or so has
demonstrated the fact that he may re
cover the use of his lower limbs, at the
same time, maintaining a fairly nor
mal standard of intelligence. His
friends will be glad to hear of his un
doubted improvement.
Tom Acklin harbors the belief that
lie is the presiding genius of the as
semblage, and frequently announces
his intention of firing the entire federal
force if certain regulations are not
lived up to.
Wallace and Anderson seem, unfor
tunately, to show little signs of im
provement, nor does Ilaramon 1. Foi
t his reason it has become apparent to
i he local authorities that these patients
must be moved to the sanitarium as
soon as possible.
HOLD UP HOSPITAL
ON TECHNICALITY
Sometime ago this paper won
dered editorially, as to just what
was the cause of the delay in the
building of the detention hospital
at Fairbanks, for which congress
had granted a small appropriation,
as well as at Nome.
We dimly understood that it had
something to do with lack of funds
o secure a site for the proposed
building, but we didn’t know that
Governor Clark was having a fit
because Judge Overfield and Mar
shal Love wanted to build the bos
pital on a donated lot. Here is an
account taken from the Nome In
dusti ial Worker :
Fairbanks is the scene, and the
dramatis personae cf a little farce
-ire Judge Overfield, Marshal Love
and Governor Wallah Clarke ’Tis
tlie detention house for which up.
j r jpriations were made both for
the inland metropolis and for Nome
i.i the last session of Congress.
Witkrrsham said he got 'em ap
proped but that’s neither here nor
there. A free site was offered but
Waltah said that they’d no right to
accept free sites. Overfield aud
Love, both lawyers, opined they
did telegraphically to Clarke and
Clarke wired back testiiv that the
opinion he gave was not the opinion
of himself but a more weighty
authority—-haply Shackleford or
Poiter J. Fink. At any rate the
Fairbanks people rose to a point of
order and begged leave to ask a
question through the chair, il’t
wasn’t a fact that the federal jail,
the courthouse building, eke the
wi.-eless station, were not built up
on free sites. And it was answered
that they were. So the matter lies
and the conscientious scruples of a
Clarke have negatived the good
that might come from an appropria
tion. And Nome people have not
opened their lips about their part
of the program even though the ne
glect on the part of the government
has been the real cause of the un
fortunate suicide which oceuired iu
the federal jail here last month.
v\ 0 buy and sell everything in book
and stationery. WANTED—“The SiL
ver Horde” and “Five Nights.” Eao»
dahi's Emporium.
Baird sells Bock cigars.