—.... ■ j
■ IDITAROD PIOWEEi? |
Published Every Sunday Morning at Iditarod, Alaska.
FRANK f. BECKER, EDITOR
I £ I S Goo. M. Arbuckle, Fubllsber No. 5
SUBSCRIPTION RATES!
One fear. $10.00
Six Months. . ,0.00
One Month
Single Copy.
Advertising Rate9 on Application.
CHARTING THE KUSKOKWPVi
There has been considerable agitation down on tin*
Southeastern coast concerning the proper lighting of danger
ous places where big boats sail around and poke their noses
against the unfeeling rocks. The thing gets closer to those
people down there because they live where tin* salt winds
blow and are frequently called out o’ bed on cold nights to
help take in a lot of wet and be-draggled passengers who
trusted too implicitly in the ancient tubs that have made
Alaska steamboat transportation more or less of a ghastly
joke.
Still, we too, have far from a remote interest in light
houses and buoys, for occasionally we get our rope on a
fatted bank-roll and hie us forth to the land where the
ilesh-pots steam, the lobster broils and the chorus girl sings!
her merry roundelay. At such times as this we cannot j
walk. Its the steamboat for ours and the captain brave!
and the first mate, too. We hang our chin on the taifrailj
or on the scupper and idly watch the vimpling wavelets’
wash the woozy westering, and we dream of deeds to come
when we wiil cut a few shiny swaths in the mercurial
marts of metropolitan municipalities.
At such times as this we have no fear of the briny:
deep. Being inland dwellers we are ignorant of Neptune’s
nervous notions and if ever a thought of accident enters
our head we just clutch that bunch of autumn leaves a;
little tighter and reflect on what a shame it would be to lose
it before we had a chance to spend it.
If we see a lighthouse flashing out its signal to the
night, we know at once it is not a patent beer sign, and
have a vague recollection of having read where a thought-j
ful and beneficent government appropriated certain sums;
of money saved from the Sugar Trust to mark the danger
ous places ou the ocean highways.
Of course there are but few of us who do these stunts, |
for behold, that aforesaid bank roll is an evanescent thing. |
As a consequence, the troubles of those sea-faring folk came
home to us but seldom, or only when we hear that another:
soft-nosed craft has bit the dust.
However, there is a sea problem that is getting reason
ably close to ns and which shows every symptom of getting
closer. This problem has to do with the Kuskokwim and
the mouth thereof, where within the next year or two the
argosies of commerce will be bringing the sinews of gold
waifare into the newest and most promising section of
Alaska.
From the advance information received, the Kuskok
wim is an ideal inland water highway from Bethel which
marks the highest point reached by ocean-going vessels, but
the going to this point is bad and will never be safe until
the government takes care of the channel. We are the
“CLEANLINESS" IS OUR MOTTO
A House for Warmth and Comfort
Morgan & Hammer, Praps,
Warm Dog Houses Popular Rates
WE SATISFY THE HUNGRY
WILLOW STREET
W ci rm Corn fc3 r t a b 1 e
i
RADIATOR IN EVERY ROOM
ROOD. WARM DOG HORSES
WILLOW ST, m SECOND AVE.
I. NY HOLM. PROP.
’ — - - -. - _____ i
TURN YOUR FACE TO
For inspiration
Corner Second Avenue and Willow Street
George Auten Dave Ferguson
Slippern's Mill,
ROUGH AND DRESSED LUMBER,
SASH, DOORS, GLASS AND
BUILDERS' SUPPLIES
—Idiiarod
Lacks' Fancy Flannel Gowns
SELLING AT $4 AND $5, REDUCED TO
$2.80 and $3.00
ALL KNiT AND FLANNEL PETTICOATS AT HALF PRICE
ITgoEdstein
STM TIONER ¥ SPECIALTIES:
Scoro Cards for COO
Tally-Flo, Bridge Scares, many designs
Idiiarod Post Cards Flash Lights
Waterman’s and Moore's Fountain Pens
-----
C. J. Hurley, President J. P. Gieasen, Vies President A. Griming, Cashier
Corner First Ave, and Richmond St., lditarod
CAPITAL $50,000.00, FOLLY PAID 1:1 GASH
General Banking Business Transacted Upon Liberal, Bet Conservativs Lines i
GOLD DUST PURCHASED U30?J ASSAY VALUE
And wo guarantee our assays agains'- any of the government assay offices.
Clippings from your gold furnished you for the purpose
of obtaining check assays if desired.
We solicit your business, and assure you of our courteous, prompt and
careful attention c tmhiried wi»!j fair treatment, whetlier
your account may be large or small.
I
nearest people to this subject, want, marine deficiency orj
whatever you may call T, and although wo are ins en
gaged in developing a tamp, we are casting lascivious eyes!
on the Kuskokwim and hope soon to claim it for our own.
Therefore we are interested in the charting of the lower!
Kuskokwim and would like to bring tlm matter to the at-!
tention of those who could do the most good.
From Bethel to the open si a it is said to be about IOC-'
miles and some 50 miles of this is the Kuskokwim Flats j
where the tide alternately discloses and hides the safe!
channel. Caught off the right course on the ebbing tide,
the daring navigator finds himself arrested in a cross-con n
try stunt that mars progress and spoils the crew’s temper. :
Without pilots, vessels are held off the mouth of the river!
for days, an expensive and dangerous experience.
The remedy is simple and easily adjusted, it is like-!
wise important in the extreme.
The Kuskokwim is destined to become a great highway j
and any delay in the charting and marking of the lower!
portion will delay the development of the country which it
drains to that extent.
ONE GOOD GUES3ER WANTED
Speaking of a training school for weather prophets,
did you ever see anything that could skin the Iditarod ?
Isn’t she a lallapaloosa, a vaudeville quick-change star, a
double back-action humdinger l. Yesterday m jrning it wasj
fifty below zero with one of those marrow-piercing fogs!
laying leaden in the valleys,—today the gentle purr of the!
raindrops can be heard on our tin roof, and the office devil
is blithely singing, “Put on your old grey bonnet, with the
blue ribbon on it, while I hitch old Dobbin to the chaise.”
From the icicles along the eves, the rain is dripping
softly, and the office dog is nosing eagerly in the back yard j
snow for a tuft of tender bunch grass. The galloping!
winds smell of ocean brine, but we will be dad burned if
we can tell whether they sing of smiling spring, langour
ous summer, bracing fall, or killing winter.
Far be it from us to say tP -re lives a man who can tell
what’s going to happen next, or what kind of a bargain
sale in weather will be advertised on the rim of another
day, but we do say. if there be such a prophet he is wast
ing his talents here. He belongs in one of the seats of the
mighty. He should go where guessing on weather, crop
reports and polities is a line art, for he would be a genius
among the wisest. Here he we aid be without honor, for
we wouldn’t believe him anyway.
SKiDOC FOR P*1R. GROUCH
We subscribe our names to this, bekase why? Bekase it’s
our philosophy, too:
IN THE MORNING
When you leave your downy couch with a big three-corn
ered grouch, and begin you morning’s labors with the manners
of a. bear, then your friends will wish you’d slide to the forest
wild and wide, and, like every other bruin, do your growling in
your lair. I have figured it this way: If I want to spoil my
day, if I want to fuss and clamor till my jaws are flecked with
foam, I would seek a place remote, there to shed m.y shoes and !
coat, and kick up a holy rumpus till the cows are coming home.
For I haven’t got the right to go snapping, day and night,
making life a weary burden to the people that I meet; and al
though my nature’s dour, and my temper hard and sour, I have
made some folks imagine that it’s reasonably sweet! Life is
more or less a bluff, and pretension is the stuff; just pretend
that you are gentle, though you’re savage as a bear; just pre
tend that you are kind, and the people are so blind that they’ll
say you are a daisy, and they’ll praise you everywhere !—Walt
Mason.
Otto Marholtz and Victor Erickson,
part owners in the Wildcat association
on Flat creek, were in town during' the
last week following a period of pros
pecting on Willow creek, where they
are interested. ^
Tom Chisholm, lie of Aurora fame, ■
in Dawson and Fairbanks, got back Iasi!
week from Georgetown where ho Inis !
been overlooking the situation. Things I
are not too exciting in the river town, !
lie says, because of the discouraging
nature of some of the reports that were
heard ft m placer sections. Still he
believes that there is a chance for a
camp over titers next summer.
Adolph Rippa, one of the owners of
the Iditarod hotel and also interested
with Henderson in a lay on Flat creek,
lias left on a hurried trip to Fairbanks.
As yet, the object of bis going has noi
been divulged.
Nelz Glantz, proprietor of the Grand
hotel bar was in town last Monday,
booking some more orders of his ex
cellent snake bile. He reports that
tlie ice worms have been working
double shift over there lately, and it is
not well to be unprepared.
Joe McDowell, the old timer who lias
been working on Fairbanks and Little
Eldorado creeks itt the Fairbanks coun
try, and who acted as foreman for Dor
Mailing on Flat during the fail and
winter, has been bitten by the Red
Mountain bug. Ho left lust week for
the iviiu'.iuk, believing that the latest
reports from Indian river justify tits
venture.
O’Connor & O’Malley, who just sold
their lay on f>00 feet of the Wildcat as
sociation, Flat, creek, adjoining the
ground of the Guggenheims on the
lower end, are transfering their opera
tions to the Mohawk association, ad
joining the Wildcat or. the right limit.
They have a hand drill, which they
have been perfecting during the fall,
and will uso it on the new ground to
determine the continuity and extent of
the Flat creek right-limit paystreak.
Ramps Peters®, of the Pioneer su
loon in this city. It ft a few days ago for
the Reindeer country, from whence lie
has heard some optimistic reports.
Humps was staked in over there by
Henry Peel and others, and he goes to
look over the ground. From the num
ber of rumors regarding Reindeer that
huv : be- i hoar.! here, it would seem
that tic tots a considerable basis for his
suspicions.
Arthur Kbon, one of the younger
generation of mashers of the country,
and otic who came from Ophir last fad:
has just returned to Nixon's fork after
a brief stay in the city of four days.
Ke was accompanied by 1 \ O. Sund
linrg, and goes back to the reported
strike on Flat crook, a tributary of
Nixo n ’ s Fork.
After a visit of a few days to the
creeks, during’ which time site so
journed at the home of Mrs. Snyder at
Flat city and at Mts. Kiiroy's at the
head of Fiat, Mrs. \V. H. Btooks, the
preceptress, who taught the young idea
how to shoot in this city iast fail, re
turned to her home here iast Wednes
day. She was brought into town by
Mr. Snyder with iiis dog team.
Dominick Sorsei, chief mogul of the
subsidiary postoffice at Georgetown,
was in the other day looking for mail
and reading matter to take to the
thirsty literateurs on the other side.
Among the other classics which he
gleaned from the town ho took a few
copies o? the Iditarod Pioneer—famed
for its good stuff—-which he has al
ready sprung on the innocent and un
expeeling Georgians.
Among the members of the fair sex
who make their home on Flat creek,
several were over to Iditarod last, week
for visits of varying length. Mrs. Dr.
Carter and Mrs. J. J. Price came over
to do some shopping. Mrs. Joe Mc
Dowell and Mrs. Moss were also visit
ors, tlie former to see her husband
safely started on his trip to Red Moun
tain, where lie is going to investigate
the new strike.
Mrs. ,1. F. Hunter, who lias been ill
for some time at. the Sherburne, was
in a precarious condition early last
week, spina! meningitis being pro
nounced the cause of her trouble. The
attending physician, Dr. Brooks, and
her friends declare her to be on the
road to recovery at, present.
Charley Sehiek was in town thp
other day looking for a pump to pull
the water out of the hole he found on
the Butterfly association on Moore
eteek. He and Fred Osterholtz have a
lay on this Butterfly assassination,
which belongs to Gunstore Smith, and
they have been boring around in that
vicinity with most satisfactory results.
They dug one well and found some
good drinking water which was too
roiley with gold specks to drink, so
they decided to go thirsty and get a
pump. The Butterfly is one of the
properties that Joe Smith and Perry
acquired last fall from Zimmerman &
Meyers.
See Johnstone for L:i Verdad, Bock,
El Preeeedo, Optimo, Havana cigars,
tobaccos, Bicycle cards — wholesale dis,
tributor,
I
_
While on his way from Donlan crook
a few days ago, Frank Gillespie hud a
hair-raising experience with a big
work dog from which he emerged
badly lacerated about the face, hands
and chest.
He was coming over with Lawton,
Kiltie and McKeagh, and they had
turned one of the, dogs loose, to run
ahead. After a while Gillespie at
tempted to catch the animal, and ran
along side of him to seize him by the
harness. As lie did so lie slipped and
fell, and the dog turned on him. Ho
fnre he could ward off the savage
brute, or his companions could cotne to
his assistance, Frank was bitten in the
face in two or three places, the sharp
teeth just missing the left eye, and
cutting a gush in his cheek, while an
other bite cut his chin badly.
In using bis arm to protect bis face
he was bitten in the hand, the fangs
going clear through and crushing one
knuckle joint. He was also bilten on
tiie breast, but his clothing protected
him from serious injury here. The in
juries were painful in the extreme, and
the party made all haste to got to the
care of a physician.
The dog, it appears, is an Outbid.)
animal and not a native Alaskan.
Worden sells Bock cigars.
The Sideboard sells Hock cigars.
CAP’S P-.ACE
Imperial Cigar Store
Jlist received large stock Peterson
and (Jala bash Pipes
NEWLY BUILT PRIVATE CARD ROOMS
To enjoy an evening cull and see us.
_Wir.r.uW S'i’., IDtTAKQD _
The
Sideboard
OldTyler Whiskey a Specialty
Front St. J. R. Anderson, Prop. iditarcd
Second Ay.
Tal. 17
?e solicited
-t H. Slen'.er, Props.
¥ 2
I 111 n
I ^ a li
Ail %j
PAT KEYS AND "CF3.
Telephone Main 01. Office at Ophir House, Willow St.
TRIPS EVERY DAY EXCEPT SUNDAY
Leaves Flat Creek .<);00 a. in.
Leaves Fiat for Discovery Otter at.5:00 p. m.
Leaves Discovery Otter at.8.00 a. m.
Leaves Ophir House, Iditarod.2:00 p. m.
Round trip to Flat, •$!> ; round trip to Discovery Ott ; . -s
PASSENGERS, EXPRESS and FRESGb'T
y a U h -J11 y d s I i Ci'fj d P d U \ fj i f i
/ &
See Us Before Buying ID5TAROD
Steam Healed Throughout
Warm Dog Houses
TELEPHONE 63
!
ALL KINDS OF FREIGHTING DONE, PROMPT
DELIVERY GUARANTEED.
-SH-SH-SH ! I MAKRIKL>-J»n. 34. 1911. Miss Gertrude Junes cud Mr. Thomas J.ick=,on
Cheer and Comfort I
<
k I
AT THK <
(
Miner's Hems
| SALOON !
Miller & Jerman, Props.