SAD TALE OF THE
PUNCTUAL ST AKER
The scene is laid on Fourth of July creek, in the Tokotna
country, and the story is told by .John Folsom, one of the discover
ers of Moore c.reelr, who paid a visit to this city last week.
It will be remembered that we told of the general fracas they
had on Fourth of July on the first of the year when there was a
general restaking of claims and plenty of trouble. The story of
the Torrence episode was also told, and the history of the first case
before Commissioner Green.
There was another little comedy played that same night—one
that introduces some new wrinkles in the art of relocating and is
given here for the benefit of those who may wish to get busy next
year.
It was a dark and stormy night. “Deep Hole Pete” was headed
for a certain desirable piece of ground up the creek, and it was ap
pro-aching the hour of midnight. At least it had seemed so to
■“Deep Hole Pete,” for he had set his alarm clock a short while be
fore, and, according to his reckoning, that mystic hour must still
be in the offing.
As lie trudged up the creek, Pete smiled contentedly to him
self. for he knew that many a man had been casting lascivious eyes
upon this same piece of ground, and was covertly waiting for an
opportunity to stake. He carried a lighted lantern in one hand, an
ax and stakes in the other. On his breast dangled an alarm clock
hung round his neck with a piece of rope. Sharp on the second,
the alarm was set for 12 o’clock, that when it rang out its wild
summons to duty in the stilly night, Pete need not stop to look it
in the face, but could set his stake at once.
It was a beautiful scheme, in theory, but as many a one has
done in the past, this plan of action was not due to work out on
this particular occasion.
Topping a gentle hill, Pete was pained to see a lighted camp
tire on the very ground he had come to stake. In its ruddy glow
he described a man shaping large stake, with a handy ax, and a
lew feet away he caught the blazed gleam of a new stake set defi
antly against all the world and himself.
Naturally Pete was sore. Rapidly approaching the stranger
at the fire he confronted him with the demand to know why he was
restaking ground before the old year had run out.
Arthur Eaton looked up from his work long enough to tell
Pete to run along and sell his papers. One time was as good as
another, he opined, and as his watch already registered the hour
SPRING BEDS,
LARGE OFFICE
WILLOW STREET MRS. C. STOKER. PROP.
Pioneer Slieet Metal Works
$29g000 Worth of Yukon Stoves
To be sold at Reduced Prices
PLACE VOI R ORDERS NOW FOR
HYDRAULIC PIPE and NOZZLES
jr# o mw Largest Pool and Billiard Hall In Flat City.
Jit it a aWM 3 Choicest Cigars and Tobaccos,
Stationery, Candy, Nuts, Soft Drinks
Try One of Our Famous “Flat Creek Manhattans”
M. R. HUSSEY P, J. MANNiON
J. L. SMLE
LEADING JB110 Or TilK XOHTII
Expert Watch Repairing
NUGGET JEWELRY MADE TO ORDER
”™ Beattie House
Bath Rooms in Connection. Furnished Rooms and Spring Cots
First-Class Stables and Dog Houses
You Should Buy One or
More More Bonds is
sued by the Arctic
Brotherhood Club:
The money derived from the sale of the bonds will be put
into a public improvement—no, a public necessity—a public hall.
The bonds will be amply secured by the building and lot,
at the corner of Second avenue and Richmond street.
The bonds are issued in denominations of $25 each, and
draw 8 per cent, interest.
These bonds will be redeemed before the expiration of the
year, as only a limited number will be issued.
BUY GNE OR MORE AT QHCE, AND HELP A PUBLIC ENTERPRISE
Bonds may be had at the Miners & Merchants Bank, the Merchants
Cafe, or frem the Board of Trustees: Charles Ross, Jos. H. Smith, Charles
E. Miller, Robert Simpson, I. Goldstein. DO IT TODAY'
WHEN IN I OITAROD STOP AT
The Sherburne
POOL, CIGARS, TOBACCOS, CANDIES WILLOW ST.
of midnight, Pete might as well beat it back to his lowly cot and j
vest cotiugik
Oneword^ed to another, for Pete was not thus easily to be
cheated of the realization of his favorite dream. They waxed
wroth, and finally, in resisting an advance made by Pete, Eaton was
compelled to smite him on the jaw, which he did with hearty good
will.
This ended the charge, and like that famous General Some
body at the battle of Bunker Hill, Pete withdrew to gather his
scattered forces, and reconsider.
The comedy-drama ended right there, it is said, for after sit
ting down by the trail to think the matter over, Pete concluded
that the ground didn't look' so good as it had, and anyway, maybe
his clock had been wrong.
HORSES SMOTHER IN
8IV1QKY BARN FIRE
With one horse asphyxiated and others about to succumb to
the deadly fumes of burning blankets, the fire at Mutchler Bros.’
stable last Saturday night was a costly one to the freighting firm,
and very nearly resulted in the loss of their entire outfit.
The blaze was apparently caused by an overheated stove and
started in the roof of the little office in the northwest corner of the
building, which is situated on Third avenue and Willow.
It was discovered by George Marsh, of the Northern saloon,
who was on his way home about 1 o'clock in the morning. He saw
the strange light through the window and went over to investigate,
only to see that a considerable portion of the office was in flames.
Running to the Mecca he gave the alarm, and a number of men
who were in the saloon immediately ran to the barn to liberate the
horses.
A1 Morency and Charles Martin were the first into the build
ing after breaking off the front lock, and they succeeded in untying
the horses with the aid of others who arrived. Shorty Wallace did
good service, as he knew just how the horses stood in the stable,
and his knowledge was valuable in the pitch darkness and stilling
smoke.
In spite of the delay in getting the back door open, all the
horses were loosed, but for one big valuable bay the aid came too
late. He had turned around in his stall and appeared to drop just
as his nose hit the fresh air. Some of the other horses were on the
verge of collapse and staggered through the doors like drunken
men.
In the meantime the chemical and volunteer fire department
had arrived and the fire was discovered to be burning in the floor
of the storeroom above the office, and was afterwards found to be
smoldering in a quantity of blankets, robes and harness that had
been piled there.
Owing to the density and choking character of the smoke, it
was impossible for the firemen to reach the seat of the trouble with
the water for some time, but in the meantime a draft was pre
vented, and the fire was confined to a small area.
The chemical was filled twice and discharged, and water was
brought from all available sources, while most of the crowd jumped
in and helped with a will.
With the loss of the horse, which they valued at about $1,000.
the Mutchler boys figure their entire loss in blankets, robes, sad
dles, harness and damage to building at about $2,000. They are
deeply grateful for the assistance rendered them by the fire de
partment and by the people, and have desired this paper toconvey
their aincerest thanks for these services.
Locks Like a Sight j
Limit Streak on Happy
I
The new pavstreak of Happy which
is developing with so much promise in
the Texas association looks like the j
real stuff and is on the right limit of ]
the creek, opposite the point where j
most of the work was done last sum- j
tner trying to find it.
In the Texas which lays well up the |
creek and separated from Caribou Bill’s !
hill top diggings by the Washington !
association, Wiseman, Whalen and:
Chambers have. 90 feet of pay located i
in three holes which they have been
putting down this winter, the last ones
towards the right limit proving the
best.
Their work has demonstrated to their
own satisfaction that they are on ex
cellent pay and they will irstallabig
plant for next season’s work. In one
of the holes put down the pans average
25 cents.
As was known last summer, Dan Mc
Caskill was in pay on the Washington,
and he is getting better results all the
time.
Down below the Texas and separated
from it by the Ray Fraction, is the
Beil association. On this ground in
line with the pay on the Texas, Arm
strong is finding results and indications
point strongly to the existence of a
pavstreak from the Washington at least
to the Bell.
The late finds on Happy have stimu
lated interest in the creek and many
are seeking lays on different claims.
The result will be a great deal of ac
tivity there this spring, and a sooner
fulfillment of the prophecy that Happy
is one of the big noises of this camp
and will ultimately prove an eye-open
er. _
Place your order for cigar and dis
play cases of all kinds, shipped first
steamers. J. I. Johnstone, distributor
for Grand Rapids and Wilmarth Fix
tures Co.
FOR SALE
One Scotch marine boiler 9i ft. long,
44-in. in diameter, water back. 45 ft.
of stack. All in first class condition.
Address Pioneer.
Have your nuggets made into souve
nirs at Simpson’s, the pioneer jeweler
Best watch repairing at Simpson’s.
CAP’S PLACE
Imperial Cigar Store
Just received large stock Peterson
and Calabash Pipes
NEWLY BUILT PRIVATE CARD ROOMS
To enjoy an evening call and see us.
_WITXOW ST., IDITAROD
SUMMIT
ROADHOUSE
Furnished Rooms and Bunks
Cafe in Connections,
Liquors and Cigats
Tel: “Summit Roadhouse.”
For Outfits
FLAT CITY
Enlarged taodele;
BLACKS
HOTEL
Fort. Gibbon
Idstarod
Machine Shop
McDonald, Horner & McDonald Props.
List Your Machinery
With lis for Sale
Black Street, Near Slippern’s Mill
I
Stores—Iditarod City and Dikcman
Jack Merritt, one of the best-known
and most capable Turkish batii generals
that ever excoriated a victim, has taken
charge of the hot-room annex to the
Sellander baths, and is prepared to give
anybody the best drubbing he ever got
in his life. The hot-room and the rub
bing-room at this institution are very
satisfactory, and under Merritt’s super
vision, you are soon turned out as the
finished product.
John Pakage, pioneer roadhouse man
of the Innoko, who is well remembered
by everyone who ever stopped at iiis
hostelry between Diskaket and Ophir,
dropped into town the other day from
Nixon's Fork, where he has been pros
pecting of late. He had no glowing
accounts to give of the developments
on Fiat creek, but his faith in the
country is shown by the fact that lie
stayed but a couple of days before hik
ing back again.
John Sraeaton, of Smeaton and Lar
son of Snow .gulch and Don lan creek,
came over about the first, of the week
for supplies. He and iiis partner have
been sinking holes on Snow gulch
lately where they found some very
good pay. They are now beginning on
the work of cross-cutting Donlan with
holes just below toe mouth of Snow.
It is reported that Pete Bechdole and
partners found pay in three holes on
the right limit of Lois creek, a tribu
tary of Donlan and the latest pay creek.
They sunk the holes in a triangle, some
30 feet apart and found pay in all of
them. They are notv punching the
ground full of holes all around in the
hope of lining up a screak.
Ed Rusk and Sam Godfrey are due
to return to Ruby creek presently to
take up the work of prospecting again
with A. B. Ferguson who has been
over there with Mrs. Ferguson forsome
months.
Tom Williams, Jack Keller and Tom
Bemis are scratching plenty of grave!
on the high left bench of Snow, in the
vicinity of the Worden workings. They
leave a boiler and pump and are putting
down lots of holes.
Charley McClain, is still working on
the Diamond association, a Donlan
creek claim at the mouth of Ruby. It
was right near the upper side line of
the Diamond that the first Ruby pay
was struck. “Shorty” Gregan is pros
pecting on Queen creek, tributary of
Donlan. above Lois.
Doc Madden, the man who has been
dodging letters for Doc Mading so long
has arrived in Flat from the Kuskok
wim. He found things a little quiet
over there, and came to a live camp for
a vacation.
George Wesch and Jack Adams,
formerly with the Washington-Alaska
bank at Fairbanks, but. recently en
gaged in mining on Snow gulch with
Tom McLean, came into Iditarod last
Saturday. They found nothing worth
mentioning on the portion of the creek
where they were working, and will
doubtless change their field of oper
ations.
Jim Hagens and Ed Britt dropped
into the city the other day to study
hydraulics. It is understood they de
sire to stop some overflows.
A new building is being contemplated
at Flat city and the construction oper
ations will begin as soon as the weather
permits. This will be a two-story log
structure on the corner of Second and
Gold, north of the Grand hotel and
leaving a 25-foot lot between. The
proposition is being undertaken by Jack
Sargent and others. The building will
be 20x40, and it is rumored that the
downstairs is to be occupied by a mer
cantile establishment.
The Turner Brothers of Flat have
begun the construction of a good-sized
building fronting on Front street and
adjoining the Home lodging house.
This will be a two-story building, 30 by
60, and the walls have already been
started. The nature of the business
to be conducted there has not yet been
determined.
Eyes examined free—Simpson’s.
/&<!,. s 53 BEST HOUSE
Top -
m 8PSTAROP
THIRO AVE. AND WILLOW ST.
Horses Travel an Snowsfco8s'^“h"XVi.“’X.”^
_ tion of the supplies, consisting of smoked
^ meat and butter.
After fitting hts horses out with.
snowshoes in the old Kovukuk style. The bad weather caught him there
and arming himself with similar foot- and scon had the trails impassable for
wear. Jack Dovereaux, who recently
arrived with a remnant of the consign- He will do the best he can to bring
ment for E. W. Griffin from the Sir. in another load on this trip, or perhaps
Minneapolis, returned the other day to ail of the freight remaining.
Larjfi? Warm Stablesf and Do;j Kennels
IDITMRQB HOTEL
First-Class Accommodations Your Patronage solicited
Telephone 67 Wood for Sale
Mutchler Brss,
FREIGHTERS
For Ratos to the Creeks See Us
WEEK-DAY
Stage Line Between iditarod and Flat City
Leaves Flat City 9 a. m, Leaves Iditarod 3 p. m.
ENCLOSED RIGS AND FOOT WARMERS
Iditarod Office, Next to Sherburne House, Willow Street.
Flat City Office, Grand Hotel.
Quaker Maid Whiskey sur Specialty
Rooms Spring Bunks
Mouth of Flat Creek
A ITCH I SON & LAWRENCE,
Kaltag General Store
Stables for Dogs—Lots of Salmon
The Only Government Trail to Iditarod and Innoko, and Short
est Starts from Kaltag.”
CM SETS
Flat City
L