| IDITAROD PIONEER j
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT IDITAROD, ALASKA
VoJ t Cao. M Arbaakla. Publlibar No. 23
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Uiw year .... $10.00 i One Month . $1.00
Six Months . 5.00 I Single Copy.25
Advertising Ratss on Application_
NOTICE.— Persons sending advertising copy from a distance are particularly rc
” ,'d to he careful in preparing the same. The publisher cannot accept the
responsibility for altering copy, especially in the case of forfeiture and other legal
notices. It Is, therefore, Imperative that such notices be clearly written, particu
larly as regards names and dates.
THE WINTER MAIL SERVICE
Under date of March 26. J. L. McPherson, secretary of the Alaska
bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, writes The Pioneer as
follows:
With reference to your recent editorial on the mail situation and lditarod trail: We!
have hat! this matter up with Senator Jones and our representatives in congress, who
have taken it up with the postoffice officials, and we are inclosing you a copy of a lettei
from Postmaster General Burleson to Senator Jones relative to it.. After receipt of this
letter we forwarded further complaint received from Messrs. Cluett, Peabody & Co., and
copy of your recent editorials. Whenever we can be of any assistance, we always want
you to call upon us. for our one and only purpose is to aid in bringing about the rational
development that will mean a prosperous Alaska.
The letter of the postmaster general to Senator Jones, mentioned in
the above communication, is as follows:
In reply to your letter of the ISth ultimo, in regard to a suggestion made by one of
vour constituents for an improvement in the mail facilities in Alaska, in which he makes j
certain unwarranted criticism of the service and the department, I beg to inform you that
the criticism is wholly at variance from the facts.
The department’s source of information with respect to mail conditions in that tern
ton- is not limited to the representative to whom he refers, but information is obtained
direct from postmasters, other persons on the ground, and from special representatives
of the government sent there for the purpose of determining the needs of the service. All ,
requests for improved service are made the subject of careful investigation, either through 1
representatives of the railway mail service or postmasters, and such mail facilities are pro
vided as the merits of the case may warrant, the law requiring the department to have
due regard for the productiveness of an office when considering the question of establishing ;
mail service for its supply.
me statement mane oy your constituent mat no improvement nas Deen maae in tne
mail service in Alaska is without foundation. Changes in the routes and increases in the
frequency of service are made from time to time as conditions warrant. One of the im
portant improvements occurring in the service within the last year was the sending into
the interior of Alaska during the winter season of 1913-14 of 22,00(1 pounds of mail in
excess of any amount previously sent into that territory during the winter season, and
which would otherwise be held to be forwarded by the steamboat routes. Another im
portant recent improvement was the establishment of a star route from Seward to Idita
rod, effective November 1, 1914. advancing the delivery of these mails thirteen days. The
postotfices at Flat and Takotna, which offices are mentioned in the letter of your corre
spondent. are located on this route. The frequency of service is one round trip a week
during the period from November 1 to April 30 in each year, the weight of mail to be
carried on each trip being limited to 400 pounds in each direction over the route. Prior
to the establishment of this service mail for Iditarod and other offices in that locality was
sent via Fairbanks. The saving in time of the delivering mail 3t Iditarod was not the only
improvement in the service resulting from the establishment of the route from Seward.
The department was enabled by diverting 400 pounds of mail weekly to the Seward route
to send into the interior of Alaska by way of Fairbanks for offices outside of the Iditarod
district 400 pounds of mail a week, or approximately 10,400 pounds during the winter
season, in addition to that heretofore forwarded over the Cordova-Fairbanks route a regu
lar mail.
Concerning your constituent’s statement with respect to supplies for the postoffices at
Hat and Takotna and summer boat service to Iditarod and Flat, I beg to inform you that
weekly mail service by boat has been authorized and performed for several seasons be
tween Holy Cross and Iditarod. The postmaster of Flat, an office but recently established,
has authority to_ employ a carrier as often as practicable for the pay allowed, for the
supply of his office from Iditarod. Under this authority the postmaster may employ a
carrier at a rate equal to two-thirds of his compensation as postmaster. The distance
from Flat to Iditarod is but seven and one half miles. In addition to the supply provided
for Takotna, as above stated, that office received supply twice a month from October 1 to
April 30 in each year from Ruby. This route gives direct connection between the Iditarod
district and Yukon river points. Having in mind the importance of the offices in ques
tion from a postal standpoint, and the cost of maintaining the service, it is thought that
the department is providing liberal mail facilities for their supply.
The fact that the supplies for Takotna had not reached that office at the time your
constituent was_ there was no doubt due to the fact tl^at that office was not established
until October 15, 1914. Under the usual practice supplies are forwarded to an office im
mediately on its establishment. Owing to the remoteness of the Takotna office, consider
able time would necessarily elapse between the date of the establishment of the office and
the time of the receipt of the supplies. Yours very truly,
A. S. BURLESON, Postmaster General.
ifie rioneer has no knowledge of the contents of the letter which
Postmaster General Burleson takes exception to, and which he says
contained criticism of the postoffice department wholly at variance
from the facts. His statement of mail conditions in Alaska is a fair one,
so far as it goes. His assertion that "the statement made by your con
stituent that no improvement has been made in the mail service in
Alaska is without foundation” is certainly warranted. The letter of
the postmaster general seems to have been written without reference to
the editorials in The Pioneer on the subject of the mail service, as none
of the assertions made by us are mentioned by him.
The complaint in regard to the mail service in Iditarod has not been
so much lack of facilities as that these facilities have not been used to
the best advantage, and while there may not have been favoritism in re
gard to forwarding certain publications, it is nevertheless a fact that
certain periodicals have made their appearance in the Iditarod post
office regularly, while others have remained undelivered for six months
at a time. Thu last mail received over the Seward trail, which arrived
here on Sunday, May 30, contained Seattle newspapers of early Decem
ber issue, and the Seattle Sun, which suspended publication during the
last days of December, 1914, is still being delivered. A very few of
the Seattle newspapers issued in March were in the consignment, and
none of April. Prior to this consignment there had not been received
at this office a Seattle newspaper of later date than early in December.
Our citizens realize that they cannot expect a perfect service over the
wanter trail, and they have made little complaint because it was known
that all the second-class mail could not be delivered, owing to the con
signments being limited. First-class mail has been delivered promptly.
The last mail consignments consisted largely of second-class matter,
among which were large quantities of newspapers six months old.
This mail was dragged over a trail from which the snow had entirely
disappeared, and on which temporary bridges had to be built by the
carriers to cross swollen streams. Was it worth while to carry this
practically useless matter from the coast terminal while doubtless there
w’as at the Seward postoffice mail of much later date, and consequently
of more importance? Among the last consignments was a pair of
heavy scales for the postoffice at McGrath, which the carrier was com
Seward Gold Seal Pacs
ARE THE BEST ON THE MARKET
H. DONNELLEY,_ DISCOVERY. OTTER j
_THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME_
Caribou Cafe
GOOD MEALS Inwi
wmhh SHORT ORDERS
FIRST AYL OPEN DAY AND NIGHT "°Bl;0%VTA"
pelled to carry on his back part of the distance, owing to the condition
of the trail, and which made a load for one man. There probably was
no urgent need for this equipment at that time. It is such incidents as
these that justify the assertion that there is incompetence displayed in
the handling of the mail. These are matters on which “postmasters,
other persons on the ground and special representatives of the gov
ernment sent there for the purpose” evidently have not informed the
postmaster general. The fact that a parcel post consignment which
was shipped from Seattle on August 29, 1914, reached Iditarod in
April, 1915, also probably was not reported to him.
The trouble with the mail service in Interior Alaska seems to be that
after a star route has been established the authorities seem to think
their task is done. Apparently there is no attempt made to see that
the people receive the full benefit of the facilities provided for an ex
cellent mail service. With competent and intelligent supervision there
is no reason why all the mail consigned to Interior Alaska should not be
delivered at its designation within a reasonable time with present facili
ties. _
WORLD EMPIRE OR DOWNFALL
A most interesting contribution to the war literature has just come
to hand in the form of a copyrighted article, published on March 15
last, from the pen of Friedrich Von Bernhardi, “general of cavalry up
to December 31, 1914.” The article is printed in the Seattle Post
intelligencer, and an introduction says that it is written “by the express
permission of the kaiser, and is General Von Bernhardi’s first contribu
tion to the American press.” “Germans,” says the Post-Intelligencer,
“faced by the reprint of his astounding frank praise of war as a thing of
beneficence to the state generally and to Germany in particular, hast
ened to assure the world that ‘no one paid any attention to Von Bern
hardi in Germany.’ ” Evidently more attention was paid to him than
Germany’s friends cared to admit, for the article is an attempt to put
an entirely different meaning upon passages of the military author’s
famous book than has been given it by the public. The following is the
introductory paragraph to Von Bernhardi’s article:
“World power or decline?” In my book, “Germany and the Next War.” I have put
this question as decisive for the future of the German nation; not world dominion, but
world power. There is a tremendous difference! It has never been our intention to con
quer and subjugate foreign states; in doing so we would only create new enemies. We
have not exercised our nation in arms and completed our armaments for such a purpose;
just the same it has been our duty to strengthen our political and military power to such
an extent that we would gain the possibility to develop our industrial and cultural inter
ests unhampered by antagonistic powers. The object of German militarism was not to
attack the liberty of other states, but to protect our own liberty, for, for years past, it has
been possible to anticipate that the enemies that surround us on almost all sides would
sooner or later join hands in order to throw down the rising Germany.
After outlining the ambitions of France and Russia which threatened
Germany, the militarist reviews the alliance of Great Britain with
the enemies of Germany and tells of the policy of “self-preservation”
followed by the kaiser and his government.. He blames Great Britain
for being the cause of the war, and speaking of Belgium, says that
“England still owes proof that Germany has ever threatened with her
might a weaker state. Nothing of the sort has ever happened or even
been planned since the German empire has existed. Only we have car
ried war into Belgium; but Belgium had given up her neutrality long
before the German invasion began.”
Von Bernhardi’s book does not refer to “world power or decline,”
but “world power or downfall,” and to this subject a whole chapter is
devoted, in which occur the following:
We have fought in the last great wars for our national union and our position
among the powers of Europe; we now must decide whether we wish to develop into and
maintain a world empire, and procure for German spirit and German ideas that fit
recognition which has been hitherto withheld from them. * * *
Above the individual stands the authority of the state, which regulates the relations
of the citizens to each other. But no one stands above the state; it is sovereign, and must
itself decide whether the internal conditions or measures of another state menace its own
existence or interests. In no case, therefore, may a sovereign state renounce the right of
interfering in the affairs of other states, should circumstances demand. * * * On
the other hand, it must be remembered that the dangers which may arise from non-inter
vention are occasionally still graver, and that the whole discussion turns, not on an in
ternational right, but simply and solely on power and expediency.
The German chancellor stated in the reichstag that the invasion of
Belgium was a military necessity, and offered no other excuse at that
time, even stating that the “wrong” done to Belgium would be repaired
after the war. Bernhardi’s attempt at this late day to justify that act
by declaring that Belgium had already violated her neutrality would
seem to be rather uncalled for, in view of the fact that what was done
in Belgium was so accurately forecast by him.
Surely General Von Bernhardi does not expect his American 'eaders
to believe that “it has never been our intention to conquer and sub
jugate foreign states,” or that, according to his philosophy, any ex
planation is needed for the invasion of Belgium and Luxemburg! To
entertain such beliefs is to repudiate the whole teaching of his wonder
fully accurate predictions of what has happened in Europe during the
past ten months.
The Juneau Empire says that six sacks of catalogues from a Chicago
mail order house went to Salmon creek to two families, five more sacks
are in the postoffice awaiting delivery to their owners, and from esti
mates made by the postal force, this one house spent $1,500 in sending
the catalogues to Juneau, Thane and Salmon Creek. The catalogues
each cost 36 cents to mail, and the estimated cost of printing each one
is 40 cents. This grasp for a slice of the local mail order business in
dicates that there is still considerable mail order business here to be
obtained, and business men have declared their intention to ask the co
operation of the Commercial Club in arousing home patriotism. These
mail order houses don’t spend much money in your home town, and
they manage to clutter up the mail service.
The new territorial mining law, which becomes operative on July 20
next, is published in full elsewhere in this issue. Probably no mining
law was ever entirely satisfactory to all interested, but a casual reading
of the bill leads to the belief that the measure is meritorious in that its
provisions are more clearly set fortffc than in the present law. The
method of dealing with existing association claims is in the nature of a
compromise, which may or may not be satisfactory, but it will serve to
save the speculators a lot of money.
A formula for telling the age of an egg is as follows: Take a wide
bottomed glass tumbler, fill half full with water, and lay the egg in it.
If the egg is fresh it will lie flat on the bottom of the tumbler. If it is
about three weeks old the big end will be raised slightly above the
pointed end. If the egg is three months old it will stand on the small
end, if older than three months it will rise to the surface. But what’s
the use of such a test where the age of eggs runs into years ?
The famous Olympia brewery will put to use as a dairy, the first half
of the plant being put in commission June 1, and on January 1 next,
the day when the Washington state prohibition law goes into effect, the
whole brewery will become a brewery. “Sweet are the uses of adver
•. »»
sity.
Womin for United States Commissioner
A report from Valdei says that Dilling
ham is to have a woman commissioner. To
till a vacancy at that place Judge Brown
has appointed Mrs. Corinnc Hull as United
States commissioner. This, however, is not
the first time that a woman has been made
a commissioner in Alaska. A few years ago
Mrs. Kelsey, following the death of her hus
band, who was commissioner, was appointed
to that office at Kodiak.
Criminal Trials at Ruby
The case of Old Toby, the Indian medi
cine man charged with murdering a white
man on the Koyukuk in 1905, was post
poned by the court in Fairbanks, and will
come up at the term of court which is to
convene at Ruby July 24. Harry’ Pratt
was named by Judge Bunnell at Fairbanks
to defend Toby, but he was acting without
recompense, and he gave notice upon the
postponement that he would no longer be
connected with the case. It is also under
stood that the ease of Captain J. A. Le
Ballister, who is charged with forgery of pay
vouchers while he was master of the cold
storage boat Robert Kerr, will be tried at
Ruby,
To Use Oil Burners
Joseph Matthews, master mechanic and
traveling engineer of the American Yukon
Navigation Company, the water division of
the White Pass, was a north-bound passen
ger on the last trip of the Princess Ma
quinna, says the Juneau Empire. Mr.
Matthews is on his way to Whitehorse,
where he will superintend the placing of
oil burners in the company’s river boats
Alaska and Yukon. The Alaska and the
Yukon will be the first oil-burning boats to
navigate the waters of the upper Yukon
and Tanana rivers. It is said that should
the experiment prove to be a success, oil
burning equipment will be installed in the
remainder of the boats of the company.
Crippled Nome Man Kills Himself
Captain John Edwards, a lighterage op
erator and towboat man of the Kotzebue
district, whose foot was amputated in the
North last July, after an accident, is feared
to have committed suicide in Lake Washing
ton. at Seattle, through brooding over his
crippled condition. A cap was found in the
cockpit of a small sailboat that was adrift
on the lake on March 24. and was identified
as having belonged to Captain Edwards.
Other signs indicated that he had planned
to take his own life. Edwards lost his foot
by getting it caught in the bight of a line
on the tug Kobuk, which was pulling out i
of Kotzebue, after having assisted the1
steamer Navajo to discharge cargo. The ;
dead man was 42 years old. and left Nome
last September. At one time he was cap
tain of the Nellie G. Thurston, which was
wrecked in 1905. He had a host of friends
in the North.
Fire at Sitka Hot Springs
Fire destroyed the new part of the Sitka
Hot Springs sanitarium on March 25, includ
ing the kitchen, dining room and six bed
rooms. Three cottages, the store and post
office were also destroyed. The fire started
in Dr. F. L. Goddard’s cottage, and in a
few' minutes the whole place was ablaze. Dr.
Goddard has made arrangements to rebuild
the destroyed structures.
Air-Propelled Sled for Alaska
A dispatch from Spokane, Wash, states
that a sled driven by an air propeller, f.or
the transportation of mails in Alaska, is
the invention of I S. McGregor of Spo
kane. who will leave shortly for St. Michael.
Alaska, with the first completed model of
the new invention. The machine, known j
as the Gale power sled, was built at the
Novelty carriage works, and the motor, I
which was formerly used in a Curtiss bi
plane, is of the eight-cylinder, air-cooled
type, generating 44 horse-power. The new
sled is thirteen feet long, and the widest
part is three feet. The body is made of
22-gauge steel. The drawings provide for
five passengers or for 147 cubic feet of
carrying capacity. The runners of the ma
chine are detachable and are four inches in
width. Two runners, six feet long, are
attached to the front of the machine, and
one five feet long in the rear. The inventor
has already tried out his model, and claims
that he has proved its ability. The com
pleted machine, which will be shipped to
Alaska will be used to carry the mail be
tween Valdes eud Fairbanks and St. Michael
Marriage of Colonel Jackling
The marriage of Colonel D. C. Jackling,
head of the Alaska Gold Mines and other
great mining properties at Juneau, to Miss
Virginia Joliffe, a sister of Mrs. Rudolph
Spreckels, at San Francisco, took place re
cently. The wedding was at the home of
Dr. Herbert Moffitt. The bride and Mrs.
Moffitt are sisters.
Suicide at Circle
On Monday afternoon, March 15, Gua
Peterson went to Fred Villeneuve's cabin, in
Circle, and knocked on the door. Getting
no reply, he went in, and found Fred lying
on his bed, with a .30-30 rifle in his hand
and lying on his breast. At the coroner’s
inquest a gash was discovered about two
inches long in his throat, as though cut with
a knife, so it was decided to send for the
doctor at Fort Yukon. Upon the arrival of
the doctor another examination was made
and it was discovered that Villeneuve had
shot himself by placing the muzzle of the
rifle under his chin, the bullet penetrating
upward to his forehead. The deceased had
been drinking all winter, and probably was
despondent. No one knew where he was
from or who his people were, but it is sup
posed that he came from New York state.
He was a wood-chopper, and also a cook.
Frozen to Death on Valdez Trail
Oliver Baker, a well-known sourdough,
who formerly owned the land at Baker’s
Landing, near Hot Springs, was frozen to
death early in April within half a mile of
Yost’s roadhouse, on the Valdez trail. Ef
forts are being made to locate the relatives
of the unfortunate man, who are said to be
somewhere in the East. Baker was mush
ing in over the trail to Fairbanks in com
pany with some other men, it is explained,
and somehow became separated from them.
It was when a cold wind from the east and
north was blowing, and it was not easy for
a man to travel facing it. After the other
men arrived at the roadhouse and Mr. Baker
failed to appear, a search was made for him
nnd his body was found.
United States Commissioner a Suicide
That Commissioner Thomas W. Hanmore
of lliamna committed suicide on January
30 is the news received by the Seward Gate
way on April 6. The letter was written on
the day following the finding of the body.
It was written by Fred J. Roehl. According
to the writer, the commissioner left a note
saying that he was losing his sight, and
not wishing to become a burden to others,
he had decided to take his life. He also
stated in that note that he left his personal
effects to a party to whom he owed some
thing. He took stock of all the govern
ment’s property. The body was found in a
chair at 10 o’clock on the morning of
January 30 by Alexander Flynn, who went
to the commissioner’s house to have a tooth
pulled by that official. Hanmore was well
known all over Alaska, of which he had
been a resident for many years.
Jones Removed as Fish Commissioner
Dr. E. Lester Jones has been removed
from the office of deputy fish commissioner
for Alaska, and Ward T. Bower has been
transferred from the Seattle offices to the
barren shores of St. Paul island, where
the famous Alaska seal rookeries are located.
In a letter to the President, Delegate Wick
ersham roasted the administration of the
Alaska fisheries in bitter language.
Big Power Plant for Juneau District
Authorization to commence development
of a power system at Annex creek having
the generation of 12,000 horse power as its
ultimate goal was received from Colonel D.
C. Jackling by General Manager B. L. Thane
of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company
yesterday, says the Juneau Empire of April
10. Plans for the first summer’s work were
outlined at a conference of engineers of the
company last night. The Annex creek power
scheme enfolds a project twice as great,
from every standpoint, as the Salmon creek
hydroelectric system, which was developed
to furnish 6,000 continuous horse-power as
its maximum supply. According to the pre
liminary plans, the waters of Annex creek
and its neighbor, Carlson creek, both of
which flow into Taku inlet, will be har
nessed this year, and eventually a great
concrete dam will be constructed. A lake
at the source of Annex creek will be tapped
this summer, and completion of the pro
gram of 1915 is expected to provide one
third of the power which the project is ex
pected to yield, or 4,000 horse-power. En
gineers of the company declare that the An
nex creek project will provide ample stor
age of water, and contracts will be let for
all phases of the first season’s construction
work within a short time. The Alaska-Gas
tineau company has been studying water
power sources in the Carlson district for
many months, and a record of the measure
ments of the water has been kept for the
past two years.
Dog* or Children?
The people of the State* are fighting eats.
Douglas folks should fight dogs, says the
Douglas Island News. With our narrow
streets, we have scarcely room enough for
the children—God bless ’em. But why
should we have dogs? It takes as much to
feed a dog as it does to feed a pig—and
the pig will grow up to be a hog and you
can eat it. If we had no dogs on Douglas
Island we might raise sheep and goats, and
the abundant verdure of the hillsides would
make them fat. There is no excuse for a
dog on the streets of Douglas unless he
works—pulls a meat or laundry cart. All
the little, barking beauts are a curse to the
community. Kill him and buy a goat or
a pig or a sheep, and you’ll be ahead at
^he end of the year.
YUKON GOLD COMPANY
HAD PROFITABLE YEAR
O. B. Perry, general manager of the Yu
kon Gold Company, writing to the Dawson
News under date of March 1, sent a copy of
the annual report of his company, which
was being distributed on that date to stock
holders. The report was prefaced by an in
teresting statement to the stockholders by
S. R. Guggenheim, president of the com
pany, who makes the significant observation,
among other matters, that the war has not
hampered the company’s operations, and
rrobably will not, because of location of
the properties and the fact that the product
is at a premium in most countries. With
reference to the dredge operations of the
company, the report says:
“The eight Dawson dredges began opera
tion on May 12 and ran until October 23.
The period of operation was about twenty
days shorter than that of the previous sea
son, due largely to the discontinuance of
the use of purchased power. The dredging
season is now limited in length by the op
eration of the company’s hydro-electric
power plant, which, due to climatic condi
tions, has water available only from May 10
to October 20, approximately.
“The average length of the dredging sea
son was lb4 days, during wmcn rne areuges
operated 87.2 per cent of the possible time.
The dredges mined 4,800,781 cubic yards,
which produced $2,602,685, or an average
of 54.21 cents per cubic yard, which is
lower than last season by about 2 cents per
cubic yard. The results, compared with last
season, show a decrease in yardage, gross
value and net profit. The decrease in yard
age was due to the shorter period of opera
tion previously referred to. The decrease in
production followed upon the decrease in
yardage; also there was a reduction in value
of 10.92 cents per cubic yard. Less high
grade ground was dredged than the season
before, and the depth of tailings handled
was greater, which reduced the value per
cubic yard. The total cost was less than
the previous season by $189,792, and the
royalties paid to owners were less by
$111,107.
“While the total yardage was less than in
1913, the average duty of the dredges was
higher, in that they handled a higher yard
age for the operating time. This was due in
a large measure to the excellent power serv
ice maintained by the company’s plant. The
thawing cost was reduced 1.39 cents per
Professional
Michigan, 1831 Alaska, 1910
Kentucky, t89t
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney or iditarod
E. M. STANTON,
Attorney at Law
Office; Corner Willow and Second Su.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
CHAS. E. TAYLOR,
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue Iditarod
DR. MOORE,
Physician and Surgeon
Gold St., Opposite Postoffice, Flat City
Eye-Glass Fitting Telephone
DR. H. E. AURINGER,
Physician and Surgeon
Office: Gold 8t. Flat City, Alaska
Consultation Hours in Forenoona and by
Appointment
DR. H. BEHLA,
DENTIST
I Will arrive from Chicago on one of tht
I first boats this spring and will be at his
j office in Flat City for about two months.
, —-■——
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Opm Dav md Nl*ht
Begins Hntel
First-Class Accommodations
COMMODIOUS LOBBY
LARGE, AIRY ROOMS
YOUR PATRONAGE SOLICITED
MRS. N. P. GILMORE
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
DISCOVERY
CAFE
FLAT CITY HOHBACK II DURAND
Bet. the Grand and Bagov’s Bara
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
l___—
:
cubic yard, and was lower than for any
other season since the operations com
menced. During the season a total of 421,
835 square yards, or 68.6 per cent of the
ground handled, was froren, and had to be
thawed by steam.”
Operation! at Iditarod
The operations in the Iditarod district are
referred to in the report as follows:
‘‘The Iditarod dredge commenced opera
tions May 4 and closed down for the winter
November 11. The dredge handled 668,737
cubic yards, which produced $739,631. or an
average value of $1.10^ per cubic yard.
The total operating cost, including a de
preciation charge of $50,000, was $335,825,
or 59.2 cents per cubic yard. This is a de
crease in cost of 14.1 cents per cubic yard
compared to the previous year. The oper
ating season was 191 days, during which
the dredge ran 4,201 hours, or 91.91 per
cent of the possible time, in general the
dredge was operated under more favorable
conditions than the previous season. The
maximum grade of the creek did not ex
ceed 5 per cent, few boulders were encoun
tered, and although large quantities of gran
itic sand were handled, the disposal of this
was not a serious problem. During the sea
son 67,260 square yards, or 74 per cent, of
the total area was thawed by steam.
“At Iditarod a new power plant was built
on the Iditarod river, seven miles from the
present plant. New boiler equipment was
installed, consisting of three 200 horse
power units. The present electrical equip
ment is being moved to the new site and
installed ready for operating in the spring_
The new plant will have the benefit of
cheaper fuel and improved water conditions,
which will not only lower the power cost but
will make it possible to operate later in^the
season if the weather conditions permit.
The report states that the Yukon Gold
Company has acquired some claims of im
portance in the Iditarod district.
Job Printing at Ptonaer offie*
Tho 6#ldst>Fl“City
111 u rs&fi ci g*°- Muuhi*r’prop
Niooly Furnished Rooms Bern for Horses and Dogs Biths in Conoortt—
Fresh Meats
Beef, Fish
S«sond8t. IDITAROD MEAT CO. '»I