♦ V
Iditarod Poneer
One Dorear Per Month. IDITAROD, ALASKA, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1910. Two Bits Per Copy
Is This the Port
Of Missing Men?
Two more inquiries have come
from other lauds where anxious
ones wait for news from the frozen
North, news that they have waited
for as weeks, months and years
have gone by. Earnest Renaud
and Otto Meyer have been s.wal
lowed up in the forgetfulness of
Alaska, while a niece and a sister
wonder if they are still among the
laud ol the living.
From Johnson, Arizona, conies
an inquiry directed to the post
master of Iditarod City, asking tor
information concerning Earnest
Renaud, known as “Reno.” The
writer is Mrs. Nellie Renaud
Lemon*, postmistress at Johnson,
and she says she has heard no word
from her nephew for a long time.
Another letter has been received
from Mrs. Bertha Zoepfelof 1523-W
Billow avenue, St. Louis, Mo. She
inquires for Otto C. Meyer, for
merly of Candle, where he was lo
cated three years ago, and where
he was possessed of mining prop
erty. His sister has heard nothing
of him since that time, but the
family would greatly like to bear
from him on account of important
business considerations.
Accompanying the letter are two
annotations by postmasters at
Candle and Fairbanks. According
to these, Meyer left Caudle two
years ago and also left a forwarding
address at Fairbanks on May 13th,
1910, directing his mail to Otter
creek. He is doubtless in this dis
trict at the present time. Word of
either ot these men should be sent
to the addresses given.
BINGHAM NOW OWNS
ALL OF THE LOIS
Finding the ownership of three
quarters of the boat conducive to
good health and a better bank
account, Capt. Bingham purchased
the last outstanding quarter in the
Str. Lois l^st week and is making
read)' to bring the whole of Dike
man up on the next trip.
Bingham bought three-quarters
of the steamer more than a month
ago and has been doing great work
with her since that time. Last
Friday he bought out Matt Peters,
the builder of the craft and will
hereafter regulate it to suit himself,
not unlike the pirates of old which
he closely resembles.
N. C. CO. WILL
HOLD OPEH HOUSE
Signalizing the advent of Labor
Day and the near completion cf the
tine new building on the corner of
First and Richmond streets, the N.
C. Co., with agent John Duncan
and his assistants acting as hosts,
will entertain the public of the city
and creeks at a big dance, Monday
night, Sept. 5th.
Weather permitting, this will be
one of the biggest jollifications
pulled off in this town since the day
of its birth. The huge building is
to be turned over to the public,
wherein they may dance and make
merry, and it is the earnest wish ol
the prospective hosts that the creek
people as well as town, attend in a
body aud make the affair a happy
augury for the social doings of the
coming winter.
The lovelorn swain need dig
down in his pocket for nothing,—
Mr. Duncan announces that the
only thing desired of him is to come
early and often with a good looking
girl each time.
Doc. Kemp Improving
Believing it entirely commendable
that silks and satins be kept in out of
the wet, .Doc Kemp, the well-known
dealer in ladies’ furnishings whose
place'of business is on Second street,
which is in Iditarod City, has been do
ing some fortifying the last few days
and is now safely entrenched behind a
large, well-built store building that
will hold him for a while.
WANTED—Position by competent wo
man as cook for roadhouse or camp.
Apply Pioneer office.
You are cordially invited to visit
Friedman’s new big store.
OUTPUT TO REACH $600,000
__ I
With something like $67,000 added to the world’s
wealth from two cleanups on Flat creek within the last
week, the voices of the skeptics are becoming silenced
and the general acknowledgement made that Flat creek
is a gold-bearing wonder.
Manley & Aitken’s last cleanup on the Marietta, at
the head of the creek, made Friday, is reported in the
neighborhood of $50,000, this gold being the result of a
ten-day run.
Just below them, on the Wildcat, Doc Mading
cleaned up $17,000 Thursday evening after a run of 5%
I days.
These figures change the betting on tha season’s
output, and all previous guesses are subject to change
without notice. Estimates made late in June were fig
ured liberal at $200,000 for the season. To date the
output is approximately $250,000.
At the rate they are going the Manley & Aitken
properties will disgorge pretty close to $200,000 more
before the freezeup. The Mading ground on Plat, the
“Guggenheims” below him, George Riley on 1-Above
Otter, and other lays where the work has just reached
the producing stage will probably bring the season’s
output for the Iditarod close to $600,000, Gen. M. P.
Maus to the contrary notwithstanding.
These figures give plenty of food for reflection.
The camp has exceeded the dreams of the most opti
mistic, and instead of finding a starving horde of dis
couraged people, the Iditarod presents the unique spec
tacle of having more wealth than there are men to take
it out.
Don’t forget the big Labor day dance at the N. C.
store room tomorrow (Monday) night. No admission.
The greatest social event of the season.
Willow Ground Must Be AM to the Merry
With the announcement that Frank G. Manley and
Tom Aitken have met a second payment on Willow creek
options amounting to $15,000 comes the assurance that
more gold is laying under the gravels of that stream
than has been generally known to exist there hereto
fore. It also holds forth the hope that another live
producer besides Flat and Otter will be added to the
family of pay creeks that will contribute to next sea
son’s prosperity.
The payments were made on September 1 and took
in the majority interests of the Free Gold association,
the Portland bench and the Haggerty bench, all on the
left limit of Willow creek, starting from Happy and
running more than two miles down the creek.
These claims have but recently shown signs of life,
but no sooner were they known to carry gold than the
options were snapped up by the present option holders.
Since then, the work done has shown even better pros
pects, with the result that Willow is already looked
upon as a sure producer and a healthy member of the
group.
The options mean the total expenditure of $108,000,
the balance of the payments being due next year. They
were purchased from Barney Haggerty, John Coil, John
Curran, Mike Perry, John Dixon, Robert Pritchard and
others, and although the object of the buyers is not de
finitely known, it appears a safe guess that they have
in mind a dredging proposition on Willow which seems
to be ideally adapted for such mining. The pay in these
claims is now thought to be from Happy and Gold
creeks, left limit tributaries of Willow. Its extent down
the creek is not yet known but it may prove to be far
greater than first reports of Willow would indicate.
Some Happenings in Fairbanks District
Chief of Police Jugged
Following a stormy session at the home of Mrs.
Nicely, of Second avenue, during which Chief of Police
Conway bounced a gun off the head of Dennis Murphy,
of the Butte cafe, the erstwhile guardian of the peace
was pinched on August 19 under a charge of assault
and battery. It appears from the account of the Fair
banks News Miner that Murphy had delivered a tray to
Mrs. Nicely. He was patiently waiting for the lady to
eat her tomatoes, or pate de foi gras or something,
when the chief entered with a night-latch and brought
the pretty comedy to a dramatic climax. The two men
asked each other some impertinent questions, where
upon Conway closed the discussion by batting Denny
playfully with a large, black gun. There were some
very unpleasant complications but the answer is not
given in the paper.
Not Psychological Moment
The thieves that tried to rob the sluice-boxes of the
Union Mining Co. at 17 Coldstream on August 19
chose a very bad night for their operations. The boxes
had been cleaned up the day before, wherefore George
Lamontaigne and Benny James emitted several cheer
ful “Ha has.” The night watchman got next to their
presence before they had finished two riffles, and al
though they made their getaway, they could not have
taken more than $500.
Muahon Wins a Fall
Having wriggled out of a stx-angle hold out on him
by the big dreamy cafe erected this spring on Second
avenue, back of the Fraction bar, Fred Jansa, other
wise know > as Mushon, is now going it in a new’ bout
and is wrestling with a lunch counter in the Fraction
again. He calls it the Insurgent, and you can bet it is.
Major Dick Tries Buckboard
Having in mind a trip over the summer trail from
Fairbanks to Valdez in a buckboai'd, Major Richardson,
who visited the Iditarod a few weeks ago, contemplated
leaving the Fairbanks end about August 22. He agreed
to wire John Zug, if he made it all the way in the
wagon.
Chatanika Has Stampede
Following a discovery by Jack Ross on Ophir
creek, 24 miles north of Chatanika, in the Fairbanks
district, a considerable stampede is reported in that sec
tion. Ophir is a tributary of Beaver, and the pay runs
$1.75 to the foot. Henry Riley and A1 Coslett have al
ready taken a lay on Ross’ ground.
Harry Phillips Takes Mate
Following a period of quietude made necessary by
alterations to the tout ensemble of that well-known bit
ters- booth , spoken of among bon vivants as the Wig
wam, that eminently satisfactory joy palace opened its
doors on August 20 under the leadership of Phillips &
Flynn, proprietors. The Wigwam was inaugurated in
1905 by Harry Phillips and has been a resort for live
ones ever since. Frank Flynn, the new partner, has
been running the Gilmore house at Gilmore for the last
two years.
! Jerry Ford Lands
on the Good Stuff
Finding himself staked in on
one of the new claims on Happy
where Bill Deetering is just com
mencing to shovel in, Jen-y Ford,
j the well-known roadhouse pro
l prietor of the Hot Springs dis
! trict, is here to look after his in
terests and get more if possible.
Mr. Ford is associated with E.
R. King, Jerry Donovan; Pete
Ryden and Charles Totland in
the ownership of the Summit as
sociation, at the extreme head of
Happy creek, where some excel
lent pay has recently been dis
covered.
Deetering W. Sam Clark and
Donnelly have a lay on 1000 feet
'of this six claim association,
which lays along the hillside
above the timber line and where
the ground is only 7 and 8 feet
deep with pay from the moss. It
pans 5 and 10 cents, and is fig
ured at better than $2 to the foot.
The laymen began shoveling in
Friday.
Fell Short of Expectations
Although he made one trip to the
Outside last winter to get supplies for
the Kuskokwim Commercial Co., it
appears that Manager Joaquin of that
company undershot the mark and was
forced to make another hurried trip to
the Spirit City forsome needed articles.
The new station of the company is
said to be located some ways up the
Tokatna river, and it is apparent that
they look for a healthy play this win
ter. _
The winter is coming, so get your
homes made comfortable while you can
get the material. Anderson Bros. &
Nerland, wallpaper, paints, sash, doors.
When you have a bad cold go to the
City Drug Store.
CABIN for rent, 16x24. Aplly Cleve
land at sawmill.
GEN. MAUS AGAIN
OPENS HIS FACE
I - !
The further Brig.-Gen. M. P. Maus
raoyes away from the Iditarod, the
! worse he gets. So wrought up is B.
I Gen. Maus about the awful suffering
i and destitution now going on here that,
; he is about to order a special depart
ment of the military telegraph, whose
business it will be to investigate all
alleged “strikes'1 that may be properly
reported to the confiding ones outside.
It will he remembered that Gen.
Maus visited the Iditarod for six hours
late in June. He walked to Second
avenue and from Richmond to Willow.
He borrowed a map of the townsite and
one of the creeks and then went mer
rily on his way. Since arriving on the
Outside he has spilled over several
times, but the last and best effort ap
pears in the Portland Oregonian, where
he reports that hundreds are suffering
and frightful destitution exists here,
all of which is cheering news to our
friends Outside. There have been
many good artists with the hammer,
but Gen. Maus has them all beaten to
a stiff frappe. Here is part of what he
has to say to the Oregonian ;
VANCOUVER BARRACKS, Wash.,
July 21.—(Special.)—A story of miser
able poverty and destitution among
hundreds of disappointed gold-seekers
who have rushed to the Alaskan min
We Lose One City Dad
Finding it necessary to attend to
business interests at Nome and on the
Outside, T. J. Nestor, of the Miners &
Merchants bank, and the Empire Com
mercial company, also one of the board
of city trustees, left the city last week
accompanied by Mr. Scheid of the com
pany, the latter to return from the
lower river. Mr. Nestor will proceed
to Nome and will go to the states be
fore the freezeup. He will probably
not return before next spring.
All sizes of doors, sash and glass at
Anderson Bros. & Nerland, Willow st.
Store fronts made to order.
Try the Cascade Steam Laundry for baths.
ing camp of Iditarod, lured by false and
exaggerated reports of a gold strike of
fabulous richness that evor existed, is
told by General Marion P. Maus, com
manding officer of the Department of
the Columbia, who returned to Van
couver barracks late last night after a I
trip of inspection of army posts in
Alaska.
So acute is the distress among the
population of the camp that Gen. Maus
declares government aid probably will
have to be invoked to bring many of
the penniless men out before the win
ter season is over. Iditarod itself, as
an eldorado where treasure awaits only
to be picked up, is a mistaken fallacy.
Gen. Maus busted the bubble of its re
puted richness by saying that he doubts
if more than 3sl50,000 will be taken
from the whole camp this year.
So serious does Gen. Maus consider
the condition of those in Iditarod,
whose destitution has been caused
chiefly by the false reports sent ont,
that he intends to have every future
report of a gold strike that comes out j
of Alaska by military telegraph in
vestigated that the true facts may be
found and stated.
“I examined the Iditarod camp and
made a map of it and the Innoko river
from Yukon to Iditarod City, and to
After a visit of several weeks on
the Outside, Mrs. B. F. Brooks,
wife of a local physician arrived in
Iditarod City last Monday, prepared
to spend the winter in the new
cainp. Mrs. Brooks had an exten
sive journey from the Koyukuk to
Seattle and back, having conic out
with Dr. Brooks early last spring.
Investor Looks Around
With eyes open for any chance at the
mining game, Wm. Sayle, ofNew^ork
and Seattle is in the city, having ar
rived here last week. He has been
taking in the creeks and thinks so well
of them that he has decided to stick
around a while.
within eight miles of Otter creek,
where gold was discovered,” said Gen. 1
Maus late last night.
“In Iditarod and vicinity are between
2000 and 2500 persons. The town is a
miserable site. Nearly all over the
place there is mud up to one's knees.
There is nothing there in the way of
accommodations.
“Poor and scanty meals cost $1.50.
Many there are in absolute destitute
condition. They cannot secure employ
ment, for there is none for th'em. I
will be greatly surprised if a large
number are not taken out before the
winter is over by the government, or
other charitable means.
“On the way to Iditarod I saw hun
dreds going who had little of anything.
When they reached Iditarod they could
get no work and practically became
public charges.
“I intend to have every report that
comes out of Alaska by the military
telegraph lines investigated in order to
have the true facts stated. False re
ports hurt Alaska and they should not
be made. They hurt the people there
and cause embarrassment. Many old
miners seems to have been bitten by
this report of the richness of Iditarod.
A.D.S. kidney pills. City Drug Store
Thorns A Carrol Branch Out
Following a recent dissolution of
partnership between Jack Devine and
John Howe, laymen on No. 6 Fraction
and the Myrtle Fraction, Flat creek,
this lay has just been takon over by A.
V. Thorns and Charles Carroll.
The two former laymen had done con
siderable work on this ground since
early last spring, and are believed to
be in line for an excellent opencut
proposition.
E. J. Ives, Mrs. Ives and little daugh
ter Luella, Mrs. McKenzie, Jerry Ford
and Deputy Marshal Quiner, of the
Hot Springs district, are among the
late, arrivals in the city.
ley Look For the
Reward Over There
With Toni Shallock's pack train
loaded to the guar is and each man
carrying all that the regulations
would allow, a considerable party
of prospectors pulled out for the
Kuskokwim Friday afternoon, each
man unequivocally foresworn to
find the paystreak.
Among the party were John Ol
son, Wm. Rose, J. J. Kelly, J. J.
Hennessy, W. Davis, W. H. Wil
son, D. Bauman and W. J. Wid
mau, and they are headed for the
new strikes.
Now For Those Glad Rags
With the opening of three new
clothing stores during the last week
the chances for the roughneck and
the city dresser have just about
tripled within the space of a few
hours. Ike Bavles is handing out
hats at the new store of Isaacs Bros.
& Co. on First avenue. Mr. Rome
is looking complacently through
the large windows of the Boston
Clothing company, which has just
gone into the new building on the
corner of First and Willow, while
Friedman is hanging up some very
nifty cravats in his brand new store
next to the Northern hotel on First
street.
All these business bouses have
been handing out to the trade here
during the summer and are among
the pioneers of the camp. The re
cent changes were merely incident1
to the main issue of getting into
winter quarters.
At Friedman’s and Isaacs the;
handiwork of La France, architect\
and contractor is much iu evidence, i
for it appears that this clever house!
builder is there with the goods.
FOR SALC—Globe Bakery and Coffee 1
House at mouth of Flat creek; good
location and doing a good business.
Anderson Bros. & Nerland have the
genuine Rubber Flaxine Roofing Paper
the best in the world.
Old Timers Strike
For New Fields
Convinced that the reports from
the upper Iditarod need thorough
investigation, Jack Merritt, John
Beaton, C. B. McDowell, O. San
ders, A. Ruby and Mr. McGrath,
among them being the first pioneers
and the discoverer of the country,
departed Friday afternoon on the
launch Lois for Rainey and Little
creeks about 150 miles up and near
the head of the river.
Sanders and Rudy are taking a
9 months supply ot grub, but the
balance of the party intend to re
turn as soon as they have had time
to investigate conditions. If the
finds warrant -it, they will im
mediately outfit for the winter and
return.
Mr. Merritt, who has been a
partner with Bates Bros., McKenzie
and Merritt on i-A Otter, has sold
out his interests to the Bates Bros,
and third parties, as did also Mr.
McKenzie. He has closed out all
his holdings here, but has many
stakes around the country that need
a close inspection.
Some of the party have been
there before, and are strong be
lievers in.the future 01 that section
of the country. It is probable that
they will have much interesting
news to tell when they return.
ANOTHER MONEY
MART TO OPEN
With quarters selected in the new
building erected by Otto Kientz near
the corner of First and Richmond, the
American Bank of Alaska, a branch of
the parent organization at Fairbanks,
will open its doors for business some
time next week.
C. J. Hurley, president of the institu
tion, who recently made a hasty survey
of the mining situation here was duly
impressed with the showing made, as
predicted in the last issue of the Idita
rod Pioneer, and decided to open for
business at once, instead of holding off
until next spring as was the primary
intention. Recent developments on the
near creeks, taken with the reports
from adjacent country have been such
as to convince the most skeptical that
Alaska is about to record a great placer
district, and this the heart of it.
The bank quarters are to be fur
nished as rapidly as possible and it is
probable that the doors will be thrown
open early this week. The personnel
of the bank force has not yet been de
termined, but these details are being
arranged, with the assurance that Mr.
Hurley will maintain the reputation
he has achieved in his banking experi
ence in the Fairbanks district.
MARSHAL SHEPPARD
ODES TO INNOKO
Ordered back to his station which
he quitted hist spring in order to
represent the government in the
Iditarod, Deputy U. S. Marshal
Harry Sheppard left Friday after
noon for the Innoko where he will
be stationed until further orders.
With him went Dave Clew, Fred
Spencer, Johnny Barrett and Mr.
Mackey, the outfit being equipped
with pack-horses and plenty of
grub.
Mr. Sheppard expressed his re
gret at leaving the Iditarod for
Ophir, since he is one of the firm
believes in this camp. Ophir how
ever is his permanent station, and
he will remain there for the wiuter
unless different orders are received
from Marshal Love who is expected
here in a few days.
Johu Barrett went as the repre
sentative of the Innoko Trading
company and took over a large
amount of supplies.
Candle Merchant Likes Outlook
Star Ballard, one of the old timers
and best known merchants of the Se
ward peninsula reached Iditarod City
early last week. After casting his optics
around, announced that he had come
stay. He has closed out his business at
Candle, and although not fully assured
what line he will take up, has defi
nitely decided to cast his fortunes with
the new camp.
Fresh stock groceries, hardware,
axes, cross-cut saws, one-man saws,
heating and cook stoves just arrived.
A large stock of furniture expected
this week. MARTIN SICKINGER,
Tel. 46 Willow street.
The Cascade Staam Laundry has bathrooms
especially fitted up for ladies—porcelain tubs
and clear well water a specialty.
Latest magazines at City Drug Store