OPHIR AND TAKOTNA JOIN IN STRONG
PETITION FOR MAIL SERVICE, ROADS,
SCHOOLS AND MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
Without mincing words the
residents of the Ophir and the
Takotna districts two of the rich
est small digging districts in Al
aska, which have produced over
$3,000,000, have presented a peti
tion to the government, asking
for roads from Seward to the
Yukon, and a better mail service.
The petition is directed to the
secretary of war, postmaster
general, secretary of interior,
delegate to congress. Judge Bun
nell of the Fourth division, chief
of the signal corps l . S. A, and
chairman of the Alaska road com
mission. It has been circulated
all over the two sections and
about 400 names were signed to
it.
The petition sets forth clearly the
condition existing in this great
section of Alaska.
The town of Ophir is at the head
of the Innoko river and is the chief
supply point of creeks that have pro-;
duced in the past, and will continue!
for years to come to produce gold in:
considerable quantities. To date
something over $.*{,000,000 has been
produced by this district whhh may |
well be called the “home of the small
miner,” who by reason of the high
values in the ground has been able ti
mine at profit notwithstanding the
many difficulties he has had to over
come in the way of lack of transporta
tion and communication, high freight
rates and the like, all increasing the
operating costs.
The town of Tokotna. Alaska, lies
on the eastern side of the Yukon
Kuskokwim river divide at the head
of navigation of the Tokotna river. It
is the supply point of a rapidly de
veloping mining district on the Kus
kokwim side of the divide and also to
a large extent supplies the Innoko
district. Supplies are landed in
Ophir by horse scows only, and in
Tokotna by steam boats and gasoline
power boats as the Tokotna river is
always navigable during the open
season for these boats from McGrath,
Alaska, which is on the Kuskokwim
river at the mouth of the Tokotna
river—55 miles by water and 15 by
land from Tokotna, Alaska. From
Ophir and Tokotna to points on
Ganes, Yankee and other creeks in
the Innoko district, the freight is on
an average during the summer season
ten cents a pound by pack horses
from either point. On both sides of
the divide roads and trails are badly
needed.
What summer roads and trails are
in the districts have been put ir be
rbe operators at considerable cost to
themselves in time, labor and money.
The gowrom *10 in this r*'P't* has
d* op nothing f n the deve'jpmcnt of
ihis section of Alaska. At p eseiP the
government winter trail fram l Jitaroci
to ''okotna. Alaska, a link in vhe
Se*»ard-Iditarod winter mad tr: ii. is
not used by the mail carrier or the
bulk of the winter truvel. This is
now going over a trail from l >Kotnu
b> way of Ophir to Iditarod. This
trail was cut out by the Kuskokwim
Commercial company, of Tokotna and
from Ophir to Iditarod by the people
of Ophir and Iditarod, Alaska. Un
less something is done by the govern
ment on roads or trails in this district^
the development of the country on
both sides of the divide will be seri
ously checked and retarded. The
formation of this country is mostly
broken slate ami road building is not i
expensive.
In addition it is essential that the!
trail to lditarod used for summer j
travel to Ophir and Tokotna be
staked. This trail runs over and
along high ranges, and in its present
condition cannot be traveled in time
of storm or fog. Many have been lost!
and suffered severe hardship, while I
others have lost their lives. How i
many have started anti never arrived
is not known. One man found was
buried at Crater mountain. This trail
could be staked and the necessary
cabins put in at small cost.
Neither Ophir or Tokotna can meet
the present school law which requires
twenty children of school age in a
school district outside of incorporated
towns. However, this is an instance
of a law not fitting the country. On
the entire Kuskokwim • river from
Bethel to Tokotna there is no school
for white children or those of mixed
blood, nor is there in the Innoko. A
school is needed at Tokotna; it will be
attended by more the the minimum
number of pupils required by law*.
There was this winter, as there was
last year a shortage of supplies on
the Kuskokwim river. Both years
vessels carrying supplies and ma
chinery have met with accidents and
have failed to reach Bethel. In both
of these years news of these accidents
reached Tokotna and Ophir too late
for arrangements to be made for
other shipments.
In both instances the information
i was delayed because there was no
means of communication other than
by the convenience of chance travel
ers. The fact that this information
could not be quickly conveyed to the
districts concerned has caused serious
loss to the merchants, miners and in
habitants of the Kuskokwim river and
the Innoko in general. There should
be a government wireless station at
Uethel and on the upper Kuskokwim
river. The lack of telegraphic com
munication is a serious thing for so
large a section of country with such
possibilities as the Kuskokwim, Mt.
McKinley and Innoko precincts.
The winter mail service to the up
per Innoko and Kuskokwim is fairly
good—probably as good as can be ex
pected, but in the summer time there
is no service at all. Two mails were
received during the summer of 1916.
When navigation is open the mail ser
vice should be at least monthly. There
SEATTLE
Invite you to send to them for such items in FURNI
TURE and DRY GOODS as cannot be readily sup
plied by the merchants in your community.
All such orders received by FREDERICK
& NELSON receive the prompt, personal
attention of an expert shopper and Parcel
Post shipments are sent POSTAGE PAID
to any point in Alaska.
NOTE: Inquiries for information relative to the New Spring Lines
of Dry Goods, Apparel and Accessories Will Be Given Prompt
Attention.
is no United States marshal (deputy)
(stationed either in the Kuskokwim,t
Mt. McKinley or the Innoko precincts.!
One should be stationed either at
Ophir or Tokotna. If the’government j
is unable to stand the expense of sta
tioning one at both places. This pe
tition has been signed by people liv-!
ing in and around Ophir and Tokotna,
but the matters touched on concern
those living any where in the K ms
kokwim, Mt. McKinley, Innoko, ttulv
«
and Iditarod districts.
The Kuskokwim river is the see >nd. i
largest river in Alaska, yet it drains
a country which is without tele
graphic communication with the rest
of the territory. In summer it has
practically no mail service. It has no
schools for white children, and no
trails except those built by (lod-Al
mighty and the people living in the
said districts.
Although well mineralized this
country is of slow development be
cause it has for some reason or o her
not been given by the government the
aid furnished to other parts of the
territory.
Your petitioners would ask that
aside from giving us some con
sideration as American citizens in
improving our mail service, at
least twenty thousand i> JO ,000.1 dol
lars be appropriated for and. used in
building a section of the Seward- An
chorage-Ruby trunk i:fl! road be
tween Ophir and Toknr i where it is
sadly needed, eventually connecting
this with the Ruby-Long Poorman
i Cripple-Tolstoi-Ophir - McGrath - An
i ehorage-Seward trunk line road from
tidewater to the lower Yukon.
Mining Notes
_—J
Joe Sherry and Pat O’Connor of
Fairbanks, report that considerable
excitement has been caused in the
Tolovana country by the uncovering
of three-dollar dirt on No. 19 above.
The find was made on ground owned
by Tom Davis and associates. It is
expected that the find will stimulate
prospecting on the upper end of Che
creek, which has been practically de
serted.
The Tolovana output for the cur
rent year will reach $1,750,000 in
placer gold, according to the estimate
of Senator 0. P. Gaustad, of Fair
banks now at Juneau, who is interest
ed in the sawmill business in that dis
trict, among other things. “The Tolo
vana is a good little camp,” said Sen
ator Gaustad, “and it is being worked
fast. It will be worked out within a
feaw years, unless more good ground
is discovered, at the rate they are go
j ing now. Practically all the pay that
has been discovered is on Livingood
■ creek. That creek this year will yield
; $1,750,000. There are about 350 peo
i plo in the district.”
_
Oyster cocktails at The Branch.
«wmm ■ ■ ————/
City Express meets all boats and
trains. Phone Maine 122.
Mail your letters at The Key.
HENRY FATHERS
KXCLUSIVK
Paint and Wall Paper Store
Picture Framing. Painting. .Tinting
and Paperhanging
I PIONEER
I HOTEL
F. a CANNON. Prop.
Headquarters for the
Prospector, Miner and
Farmer
KNIK • • - ALASKA
For a Good Haircut go to
JUNTE
4
Broadway Near Adams
GIRLS WILL DON
OVERALLS AND
DO WAR WORK
DETROIT.—(Special.)—Eight hun
dred girl students of Toronto Uni
versity will don overalls during the
summer vacation to work in muni
tions factories and at agriculture.
This plan was told today by • Miss
Hazel Corley and Miss Marjorie Orr
co-eds, who are at their homes in
Windsor, Ontario, the university be
ing closet! owing to lack of coa!.
Miss Carley said that more than
2,000 men ami women students of th^
university signed national service
cards.
NOTICE
Seats for the A. B. minstrel show
will be on sale today at the Seward
Drug store. Prices—adults $1, child
ren 50 cents. It
Andy’s Express, phone Madison 14’?.
WaXfirfill and Frazier whiskey at
the Branch.
2 C. Kodak, Jr., Kodak $12.B0—
Seward Drug Co.
Waterfill & Frazier whiskey at
The Branch.
Weigh the
Cost
Crescent
Baking
Powder
Weighed in the scales of econ
omy, will not be found wuntngi.
When you pay only 23 ctmts
per pound for the best of bak
ing powders you sa>e on every
cake, on every biscuit.
AT ALL GROCERS
23e per Pound
CRESCENT MFC. CO.,
Seattle, Wash.
Fresh Butterkist popcorn at the
KEY. tf
Oyster cocktails at the Branch.
Broadway Bakery and Coffee House
1 • Open From 6 A. M. to 12 P. M.
Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Doughnuts
| and the Best Coffee in the City.
H. V. Hohkn A. K. Davis
ALASKA TRANSFER
H. V. HOIIKN, Manaukh
Coal, Wood and Ice
General Transferring Phones, Main IT and 41
The Seward News Company
GEORGE PHELPS
Booksellers, Newsdealers and Stationers
CAPE ROOMS M A j Air Sherman Haynes
Pool and Billiard* mmmm l\u /Mill Proprietor
Best Liquors and Cigars
■ ■
Lunch Counter in Connection
. TRADE AT
The BAZAAR
5c to 25c Variety Store
and over
Almost Seattle Prices
We Havev I
Hardy Northern Grown
SEEDS
Especially Adapted for
Alaska
Send for free catalog
SEATTLE SEED CO.
Dealers in seeds, poultry and
stock foods, fertilizers, etc.
. SEATTLE WASH.
DOUGHERTY & RQMIG
REAL ESTATE AGENTS
Houses for Rent Rents Collected
Lots for Sale Large Listing
Phone Red 147 Seward. Alaska
S. L. COLWELL
WINTER WEAR FOR MEN
Rrosiust & Noon Huilding.
Washington Street
Hotel Seward
Zbindcii Bros. Prop.
Comfort and Hospitality at
Moderate Cost.
311 Third Ave. Seattle Wash.
ANTON JOHANSEN
Seldovia, Alaska
First-class merchandise at rea
sonable prices, prompt service.
D. C. B R Y A N T
Taxidermist - Tanner - Kugmaker
25 years practical experience
Animals, Heads, .Birds, Fish set up
mavuraiiy and artistically
2132 Westlake Ave. Seattle
%
aKe a
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with friends and the folks at home by
sending them
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