Iditarod TJioneer
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One Dollar Per Month._IDITAROD, ALASKA, SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 1911._Two Bits Per Copy
GOULD CHANGE IT
FOR SACK OF SPUDS
Captain Boerner and J. E. Baker
brought over a sack of gold from the
N. C. Co. post on the Tokatna last
week, which weighed something over
100 pounds. They took a good look at
the town, changed the gold into cur
rency and were due to hike buck today
(Saturday).
Everything is lovely over there, says
Captain Bocrnor, who established the
post there last summer with the Str.
Lavelle Young. They have plenty of
grub to last them through the season,
supplying Ophir, Moore and Nixon’s
Fork, but at the same time he wishes
to warn inushers headed through to
Seward, not to expect to pick up dog
feed there, for they haven't it. The
cereals they hare, but tha material for
making the grease, they no ketchem.
Nixon’s Fork is showing up well, and
Baker estimates that there are forty
live men now prospecting ou the creek.
Excellent rim projects have been
found, but the real worth of the section
has not yet been determined.
They look for healthy activity there
next summer and will be easing the
Lavelle Young out of the ice at the
first opportunity to go after some more
supplies. __
Both partners, Hensley & Johnson,
operators on 1-a Otter were in town the
other day on a business errand. They
are making arrangements to open up
on a large scale on their lay next
spring.
BOOSTERS BOOM
BURGS BUSILY
There is a boom 0:1 in real estate
at Flat city these days, and any
stranger looking cross-eyed at a
vacant lot is apt to be shot on the
spot. Not having room at the
mouth of the creek for the trolley
barns and cracker factories in pros
pect, a small bunch is reported to
have staited a stampede to the
Fortes, where Cullen has been
reigning supreme with his road
house.
Doubtless there will be an upper
creek settlement, to take care of
the many working men who will
be employed on some of the big
operations up there, and some of
the wise ones have already cinched
the idea.
In Flat city real estate trading
has been brisk and some ot the
good locations are bringing fancy
prices. There is a strong feeling
of optimism for the town's future
and it will unquestionably be a
live one next season.
Goodwin Parly on Their Way
One of the first authentic reports of
the progress of Walter Goodwin's road
building party, now on the way to
Seward, was brought in last week by
Captain Boerner,. manager of the N.
C. Co. post on the Tokatna, who gives
a short account of the travels of the
trail blazers and brings a table of dis
tances over part of their journey.
The Goodwin brothers and their
party stopped at the N. C. Co. post
about three days, and laid in a con
siderable supply of grub for the trip
beyond.
While there a reconnoissance was
made down to the mouth of the To
katna, as he thought the trail would
proceed to that point on the Kuskok
wim. However, it was found that a
cutoff could be affected by striking
right out across country toward the
mouth of Big river, and therefore the
trail will proceed that way.
There have been a few travelers over
the trail on the way in from Seward,
and they report roadhouses all the way
except a stretch of ”0 miies in the
Sushitna, on the other side of R.iiney
pass.
Nothing has been heard at the N. C.
Co. post about the progress of Eide, the
road commission man who is working
on the trail from the other end and
who will doubtless meet Goodwin near
the pass.
The distance from Idltarod to the
mouth of Big river as measured by the
cyclometer on one of the sleds were
furnished by Mr. Goodwin to Captain
Boerner and are as follow*:
Idltarod to Flat, 7.4; Flat to Dis
covery Otter, 2.4; Otter to Bonanza,
9.6; Bonanza to Julian cutoff, 3.6;
Julian cutoff to foot of Summit, 12.5;
Foot of Summit to Moore, 9.2; Moore to
Stanford's, 17.8; Stanford's to Murray
St Leggin, 5.8; Murray & Leggin to
Wheland’s, 11.9; Wheland’s to Tokat
na, 14; Tokatna to N. C. Co. post, 14.6;
N. C. post to Berry’s at mouth of Big
Siver. 21.35. Total. 130.15 miles.
RECRUDESCENCE OF PUBLIC SPIRIT
There has been a painful upheaval in this town and
a satisfactory social hall is assured. It came about in
the last week and has almost torn the vitals out of the
body politic, but we will have the hall—Or we will bust.
This hall is to be a large, roomy affair, situated on
a convenient corner, and will cost—nobody knows how
much. It is to have floor space sufficient for all the
swains and swans in the Iditarod to swim and swing
around, and besides that, it will have a stage for the
performances that are to cheer the summer season, and
a few rooms for the convenience of those who happen
to honor the building with their presence.
It will be the direct result of the first satisfactory
manifestation of public spirit that Iditarod city has pro
duced, and from where we sit it will be a decided credit
to the town.
The need of a public hall of adequate size has been
felt in the city for months. It was known last fall, but
it took the enterprise of Flat creek residents to bring
Iditarod to a realizing sense of its own i esponsibility.
However, the sense has came and we are about to
build a hall in this town that will have anything skinned
west of Mt. Ararat.
The first meeting was held Thursday night at Isa
Goldstein’s store and a large number of people gathered
tJ take part in the discussion, although the business
men were conspicuous for their absence. Major Strong,
of the Iditarod Nugget, presided and set forth in able
manner the purposes of the meeting. He urged co op
eration on the part of the citizens in the building of a
public necessity, and his remarks met with enthusiastic
support.
The hull was known to be certainty from the start al
though nobody could put hi finger on it Therefore it b
came sinrplv a proposition ol electing a committee to go
out and look for a place lor it Bob Simpson, Frank
Miller, Jack Baird. Herman Anderson and Charlie Miller
were immediately put on the job and the mee.ing ad
jotrrued
Right here is where the Arctic Brotherhood beg it to
sit up and take notice. They decided that they wanted to
take ovet the responsibility of building the hull and the
plan m t with universal favor. Many names were taken
before the crowd had dispersed of those who desired ,o j in
the brother li >od in case a charter could lie secured for this
camp.
On Friday night another public meeting was held with
Major Strong in ttie chair, but the question of location had
not been detet mined and. the committee was given until
Moudav night to put iu a final report.
Following the adj nirnment of this meeting, the A B 's
gi t together for a few minutes and affected a t mporary
organization to hear the repott of the commi'tee that had
been canvasing the town for signers to the roll.
They reported a very profitable day’s work, with
$1210 already in the potlatch. They had signed 19 pros
pective life members at $50 each and they had secured 13
regular members at $2 > each. The list also showed 22 who
had promised o become life members and 34 who wouh
become regulars
It was decided at this meeting that a permanent or
ganization be ; ffected on Sunday night at a meeting to be
held in Goldstein’s and that the Arctic Brotherhood be pre
pared to submit to the meeting of citizens at Ansley’s hali
on Monday night, a complete statement of the proposed
organization and a definite offer to take over the building
of the ball
As the matter now stands, the building of the hall i
assured There is money enough iti sight to guaranbe the
building of a strttc'ure 100 by 50 feet, and it will not only
be a place to da'ifce but it will fie easily converted into a
theatre It is be erected in a thorough manner and it will
unquestionably be a credit to this town and the people in
it It is to be desired that all citizens interested in public
movements in tbit city be present at the meeting at An
sley’s hall Monday night. It is also preeminently im
por ant that all Arctic Brothers and those who would like
to become Arctic Brothers be present at the meeting to be
held at Goldsteins Sunday night, for it is this organization
that will he looked to lo go forward with tile work and it is
1 his organiz 11 inn that will undoubtedly undertake the job.
Iii Spokane, Washington, on November 30th last, a
deal was consummated whereby Ole Laiuou, one of the
original stakers of Flat creek disposed of all his holdings in
die Iditarod to Hans Olsen for the sura ol $30,000, with
$q,ooo paid down on the transaction and the balance of
$21,000 to be paid 011 the 1st of September next.
This appears to be the deal referred to in the press dis
patches some time ago, or else preceded the deal alleged to
have taken place between Manley and Olsen, whe.e the
latter was declared to have clo.-ed out to Manley About
the reported deal between Mauley and Olson, however, there
lias been nothing definite learned here, wnetefote it ts pos
sible that the press dispatch was mixed on the transaction
above set out.
According to the terms ol the option agreement b -
tween Latnon an<l Olson, the iormer transfers three n'tlis in
the lower 1900 feet of the Glee association, one eighth in
the Alpha a-sociatio ,, three-fifths in the lower 1900 feet of
Totncod bench, all on Flat creek. In addition he sells one
eighth ol 4'ii of July bench on the right limit of Otter and
one fourth in the Rainey bench also on the right limit of
Otter All other mining ground which the first party might
have acquired in the Iditarod up to the date of the signing
of the instrument also stops into the pot
SVIoore Creek Assumes Responsibilities
On? of the biggest deais ot the winter has just been
pulled off on Moore creek, a tributary of the Tokatua,
whereby all the holdings of part of the original discoverers
of the creek have been taken over for a considerable sum
The deal involves many thousands of feet of the known
pay ground, and with that already acquired by Joe Smith,
takes in all the ground of Moore creek that is supposed to
be in the money.
Theodore Witte, an operator of the Fairbanks district,
who bears an excellent reputation as a miner, is one of the
prime movers in the new deal which originated iast fall in
the negotiations of Charles Knell, Eddie McArdle, Walter
Hunter and Louis Schimmelfennig, for a good portion of
Moore creek ground. Even at that time, rim prospects on
Moore were looking fine and it was thought bv the few
who had examined the creek that it would be among the
live ones in a short time.
John Folsom and Richard Kells were in on the dis
covery of (he creek with Tony Zimmerman and Meyers and
they took up practically all the creek on the original stak
ing
The new deal takes in all of the claims held by Folsom
and Kells, while Joe Smith holds practically all of the or
iginal staking of Zimmerman and Meyers.
The deal completed last fall by Knell and associates
took in some good looking ground which included i-a, and
parts of 5, 6, 7 and 8 above and included the Good Luck
fraction An option agreement was drawn up at that time,
and although t. e deal was recorded in this paper, the con
sideration could not he learned
Since that time Mr. Witte has been investigating the
possibilities of Moore and decided to invest there. He joined
forces with the Big Four and they took over the No. 9
Association as it is called, thus completing the buv of at1
I the Folsom and Kells interests.
Walter Hunter has been busy on the deal for many
weeks and it is through his efforts chiefly that the tran
saction finally came off. T ie consideration for the present
s.de cannot be learned by reason of the fact that the in
strurueuts of transfer are not recorded here, but it is under
[ stood to amount to many thousands ot dollars with a heavy
first payment.
As the matter now stands, Witte will begin immediate
prena atious for the working of No. 9 Association, while
the Big Four will investigate the mysteties of 5 and 8-a
The ground is shallow and water is plenti ul and in con
sequence, machinery wiil not be among the necessities of
j the creek the next season Reports have been very opti
j tnisiie concerning Moore and it can he hoped with a reason
j able amount of assurance that a good producer will he
I add'd to 'lie mv creeks of A tasks
They Had Him On the Run
Although there is only one tnan who :
purports to have seen him, there seems I
to be little doubt that “Hutch" Hutch
ison ran a stiff race from the Summit:
roadhouse into town last Tuesday.
As near as can be ascertained Hutch
was not scared but was running on a
wager of $15 that he could make the
distance in 40 minutes. Bet that as it
may, he ran like he was scared and
kicked two jack rabbits out of the way
while doing it.
He made the course in 37 minutes
flat. Some say he took the stage part
way. Others guess that ha carried
skees in hi* pocket till he got out of
i sight, but anyway he won the bet.
Will Do Some Broking
Believing the time is about right to
launch upon an unsuspecting public
that certain convenience known as a
brokerage firm, Bobt Hart of Flat and
Sam Adams, recently of Nome, have
joined hands across the chasm of fail
ing utilities and will be ready for busi
ness in their location on Gold street,.
Flat immediately.
They will do a general real estate
and mining brokerage business, and
are making arrangements for plats of
towns and creeks, so that it will be the
easiest thing in the world to go into
their office and buy something. If you
don’t feel like buying, why then sell.
When the Sluicing
Seasnn Will Begin
With the record of but one spring to
go on, it can hardly be expected that a
good guess on the opening of the sluic
ing season this coming spring i* possi
ble, yet it is interesting to know when
the water began to run last spring and
what fhe conditions were at that time.
We have it from an old-timer in the
camp that the water began to rnn last
year between the 1st and 3rd of May.
That was the first down the creek, but
it is not to be supposed that the snow
had abated to any appreciable degree
at that time. In fact, the Guggs,
working on the Wildcat association,
hauled out logs for cabins on the 23d of
May and went through deep snow all
the way.
It will be remembered by some of
the first arrivals in June that the snow
lay deep on the sidehill at the extreme
head of Flat, and that on the first day
of June when the steamer Xanana ar
rived at Iditarod city, there was snow
on all the surrounding hills.
Many alleged authorities state that
last spring was an unusually late sea
son, and this may be so, even though
we are at a loss to account for their
knowledge. However that may be. it’s
probably a safe bet that sluicing will
begin on the creeks between the 1st
and 10th of May.
Will Eat in McKinley's Memoiy
Washington, Jan. 5.—President Taft,
accompanied by Secretaries Knox and
| Wilson, will visit Ohio on January 29
i to attend the McKinley anniversary
banquet.
The Miner’s Home sells Bock cigars.
Masons Will Hop
Following the business session to be
j held at Ansley’s hall in this city next
Thursday night, Jan. 26th, thelditarod
Masonic club will give an informal
dance for Masons only, ard their ladies.
Theodore Witte and Harry Karsteng
returned from Moore creek Thursday
evening after a quick run back. They
had some tuff going on the way over,
but found things looking good when
they got there, which made it all
right._
Seattle, Dec. 27—The pastors of the
state unite in an earnest request to the
people to cut out New Year’s orgies
ard to use some sense.
Worden sells Bock cigars.
Eyes examined free—Simpson’s.
; Manuel sells Bock cigars.
| Casey sells Bock cigars.
ODES NOT LOOK
GOOD TO THEM
Filled with a surfeit of hard work,
and a lack of beans at the proper mo
ment, Dan Sheedy and Paddy Campbell
got in from Little ceek, near the bead
of the Iditarod, a couple of days ago
and announced that they had seen no
auriferous gravel of such a character
as to cause them to tarry in that im
mediate vicinity for any further astro
nomical observations. In other woids,
they think they have stayed there long
enough.
It seems that they didn’t find any
thing on Little, nor did anybody else.
Plenty of holes had been put down
there but there was nothing stirring,
and therefore everybody is coming
back. _
COMING AND G01NG_
Over on a business errand that would
not wait, Harry Sheppard, deputy mar
shal at Ophir dropped in the other day
in a quiet sort of way and announced
that he wouldn’t stay long. He says
they are peaceable over in the Innoko
diggings because too busy looking after
that homestake.
Doc Holmes, formerly deputy mar
shal at Flat, and now a partner with
Dan Sutherland and John Cameron in
a lay on 1-a Granite, came in Wednes
day to find out about the price of spuds
and nuggets,—he is willing to exchange
one for the other equal weight. Doc
says there will be things doing on
Granite next summer, and with 4iat
combination,—two marshals and a
revenue collector, who could beat it.
Mr. Hansen, a famous dog-musber
and an old-timer, left for Nome last
Wednesday, taking as passenger Mrs.
Dora Wadman, one of the two young
ladies who recently made the trip by
dog team alone from the Bering sea.
Mrs. Wadman did not find the country
to her liking and said that Nome looked
good enough to her. Hansen will be
buck shortly accompanied by his son.
Jack Connolly, Bob Hart and AI
Thorns were over during the past week
from Flat, having come in on business
connected with the new A. B. hall,
and which cost them some money.
They had a riice poke commemorative
of the opening dance.
Captain and Mrs. Jack Green, pub
lisher and editor-in-chief of the Iditarod
flagship, the Sir. Pup, came up frem
Dikeman last week, accompanied by
Mrs. My rick. They wished merely to
indulge for a brief period in the social
whirl of the metropolis.
Mrs. Wm. Aichison, of Flat city
came in last week for a brief sojourn
in the city as the guest of Mrs. Clif
t on.
A small fire occuried at Flat last
Monday, when a tent and frame struc
ture next to Joe Henry’s place on Gold
street was placed in the path of des
truction in some unknown way. The
conflagration was subdued by Chas.
Eli rich before it had achieved much
headway.
Frank Gleason just came in from
Donlan creek where he has been work
ing all fall. He says they are well
satisfied with the showing on Snow
gulch, and will stick around awhile.
Commissioner Maltby has received
the papers and the big seal of the Dis
trict court and is now a full-fledged
deputy clerk. With an assistant dis
trict attorney and a deputy clerk, we
are now practically the goods.
Ambrose Van and Wilfred Renaud
are having a dispute over a dog and
have reached the commissioner's court.
Van is the plaintiff and the case will
be tried next Thursday.
It is understood that George Kinman
was circulating around Discovery Otter
the other day with a license consent
petition, and that they all signed it.
1 “Hutch” Hutchinson is in On the play,
and the two partners hope to open up
a roadhouse there in the spring.
Dr. Carter came in Friday evening
from Flat creek for a short change of
scenery.
For cleaning and repairing see Wile the
Tailor, Second avenue.
Lo;ks Batter to Him Now
Max Simel, the well known mer
chant ot Diskaket, who has been
trading with Innoko prospectors
and natives for years, has been in
Iditarod for several days, following
Ja trip across the hills by dog team,
j Max is the man who gave ns such
a knock last spritig, in an iuter
j view with a Nome paper, buthe
jsays things look belter to him now
and that anyway, everybody knows
that a knock is only a boost. He
will return shortly to the scene ol
his mercantile endeavors.
I
$50,000 Reward
We will pay the above sum to the
first airship to reach Iditarod by its
own power from New York. In the
meantime patronize our circulating li
brary and keep posted. For books, sta
tionery, photo and musical supplies
cigars and tobaccos go to
LANDAHL’S EMPORIUM.
Morrow Sells ill
Jehn Morrow, who wu over her<
|
j from Ophir last week pulled off a big
’deal with Jack Sheedy ere he departed,
by the terms of which Morrow gave a
! quitclaim deed to all the mining ground
, and real estate which he owned in the
world.
| There were no immediate wrinklet
I on the surface of the financial markel
in this vicinity, nor is it likely thai
i Wall street stocks were seriously ef
I fected, for the deal was kept as secrei
i as possible.
John sold a one-sixteenth in th«
' Prospector association at the mouth o
' Flat to Sheedy for $250. After th<
j money was paid over and the papers
J signed, Morrow confidentially informer
j Sheedy that he had sold him all tbi
land he possessed in the world.
; FOR SALE—Cheap, 1,100 feet T-ra>
and spikes. Apply White & Lefergy
j Dikeman.
Best watch repairing at Simpson's
Hussey sells Bock cigars.
THEY PUT SOLLY
GENTLY TO SLEEP
Probably everydne from the uppor
country remembers Solly Stroup, the
veteran lightweight who used to swap
swats with ambitious glove artists at
Dawson and Fairbanks, and who was
considered a fine little bit of a man in
his day.
Well, it seems that Solly has seen
iiis best days. He is still nosing around
in the pugilistic game, and the last we
heard of him he appears as a debutante
in Tacoma, evidently proceeding on the
theory that if he picked a slow town
he might meet up with some dead
ones who would tamely submit to his
endeavois.
The thing came off in the Glide rink
some time ago. Solly was down on the
card for a go with Young Phillips, but
the affair came to a sudden and dram
atic finish in the second round, and it
wasn't Phillips’ finish either. As des
cribed by a writer on the Tacorna
Tribune, the thing went something
like this :
“The knockout punch handed by Phil
lips to the veteran Stroup came so un
expectedly that the performance sug
gested a rehersal. The aged swat
swapper took a dramatic drop to the
canvas, let the referee count ten over
his form, aro9© to hfs knees, birled in
the air, got up, staggered to his feet
and flopped into his chair, after which
he dispensed with the histrionic work
and went to his dressing room.”
Yes, its about time for Soily to quit
the game,—he was a good old wagon,
hut he done broke down.
MAY PASS PLACERS
ON SEWARD TRAIL
There is a report of a strike on
the Hartman river, a tributary of
the South Fork of the Kuskokwim.
There are a number of prospector*
there and one man is already re
ported to be taking out better than
wages, or was with the close of
sluicing last fall.
This liver lays along the Seward
trail and more will doubtless be
h.eard from it before spring.
Mushers going toward Seward
cross from Berry's roadhouse at the
mouth of Big river to the South
Fork, a distance of 35 miles to Capt
Holten’s where the steamer Madee
is now wintering. Eighty' miles
above Holten’s is Hartman river
1 where good placers are believed to
exist.
According to information re
! ceived about the trail ahead of the
report of the Goodwin party, the
traveler follows up the South Fork
60 miles to Rhone river and thence
up Rhone river to Rainey pass, a
distance of 20 miles. These are
only estimates as to distance and
may be corrected when the report
of the read commission comes in.
Fears Concerning,
His Whereabouts
According to the latest in formation
from the Yukon, Ed Greider, the well
known musher who started from Dike
man on December 13 had not arrived
at his destination at Fort Gibbon,
neither had he put in an appearance at
any point along the river.
He was making a hurry-up trip in
connection with some mining deal and
had arranged to communicate with Cy
Noble at Gibbon from different points
where telegraphic communication was
possible. No word had been heard
from him when the last mail left Nu
lato on January 5, and although his
non-appearance is not causing aDy seri
ous appuebension, there is a possibility
that he may have met with some mis
hap or have been caught in a bad
storm and become lost. It was known
that be intended to strike straight
across country, and there is some
slight basis for the belief that he may
be lost.
When informed of the fact that he
was overdue, it was surmised that pos
sibly it might be Greider who met
with that sudden and terrible end on
the Ditna three weeks ago, but it
seems that men who knew him were
present at Dikeman when the inquest
was held on the unknown man buried
there recently.
Re-Opened
Henry Durand has reopened the Dis
covery cafe, Otter creek.
Have your nuggets made into souve
nirs at Simpson’s, the pioneer jeweler
FOR SAGE—Piece of boiler-plate steel
48x84 inches. 135 lbs. Pioneer office.
i Baird sells Bock cigars.