Yukon Valley News
VOL. III.
RAMPART, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY (i, 11)07
No. 24
PIONEERS'
SMOKER
Members of the Yukon Order of Pio
neers and their invited guests to the
number of about fifty enjoyed a smoker
at A. B. hall last Saturday night.
The word “enjoyed” is used advisedly.
The Pioneers projected the affair; their
friends participated in it, and every
mother’s son there knjoyku it.
The refreshments, though abundant
almost to lavishness, were merely inci
dental to the keener pleasures of the
evening. Jokes were cracked—and some
of them cracked pretty loud; and songs
were sung, ranging from the sublime to
the ridiculous. There were recitations,
dances, sparring matches and so many
other pleasing features that to recall one
of the least of them is to invite a train
of happy recollections.
The smoker demonstrated as nothing
else could what a jolly, companionable
lot of fellows Rampart men can l>e on
occasion.
Resolution of Thanks.
At the last regular business meeting
of the Y. O. O. P., held Jan. 2t>, it was
resolved—
That the thanks of the lodge be ex
tended to Mr. M. P. Fleisebman and
Mrs. Frank M. Smith for the most en
joyable music furnished by them at the
grand annual hall given bv the order on
Jan. 1. M. W. SINCLAIR,
Secretary.
The lodge also wishes to thank the
A. B. trustees for the use of their hall
for the smoker given Saturday evening,
Mr. W. II. Callham for assisting with
the lunch, Mr. Joseph Twan and Mr. ('.
A. Davidson for the music, and all of
the friends who contributed to make
the affair a success.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Ih»te Max. Min.
Jan. 29 - .r> —at
Jan. :tt) — ft —27
Jan. :tl — 4 —at
Feb. 1 — 6 —:W>
Numlier of days:
cloudy, 0; cloudy. It
Date Max. Min.
Feb. 2 —24 —40
Feb. It —22 — :t7
Feb. 4 —IS —:«»
(Tear, ft: partly
Monthly Summary.—Jarman
loot: i<io7
Average max. temp., —29.7
Average min. temp., —14
Average temperature, —SW.H
Highest temperature, ft
Lowest temperature. —Htt
Total precipitation, ins., ti:t
Total snow fall, inches, 7.2ft
Numlier of days—
With .01 inch or more
precipitation,
('tear, 19
Partly cloudy.
Cloudy, 14
— 4.!*
— IM.I
— II.«
—ftf*
1.17
12
H
II
20
Frkiiknm’R K Kaiiui,
Voluntary (ilsmi r.
BALLOU
APPOINTED
Last Friday Commissioner J. Lindley
(ireen received a telegram from Judge
Wiekersham announcing tlie appoint
ment of W. Ii. Ballou to be United
States commissioner at Rampart.
Mr. Ballou will take the oath of office
March 1. It will not be necessary for
him to make a trip to Fairbanks. Com
missioner Green will administer the
oath and turn the office over to him,
and the official life of the one man will
be terminated and that of the other
commenced.
Very soon thereafter Judge Green w ill
start on the Valdez trail bound for Se
attle. it is bis intention to return and
reside in the interior of Alaska—at what
particular point has not been definitely
settled; but should a prosperous camp
develop on the Chandlar it is known
that part of the territory will appeal to
him very strongly.
If his affairs will permit it Judge
Green will start back to Alaska early
next summer.
BIG STORM
HIT NOME
The Nugget and the Gold Digger up
to Jan. 5 were received from Nome in
Monday's mail. They tell of a great
storm which blew for several days and
reached its highest velocity on the even
ing of Jan. 3.
The velocity of the wind was 100 miles
an hour.
Ice piled 20 feet high along the water
front and considerable damage resulted.
Small vessels, scows and barges that
had been beached for the winter were
demolished bv the ice and the Nome
wharf and the Sesnon derrick were
badly damaged. Throughout Nome
chimneys and smokestacks were blown
dow n, buildings were unroofed, and two
story houses swayed in an alarming
man ncr.
Only the mild temperature prevented
many deaths of |>eople caught out in
the storm._
Big Glacier at Morelock.
Any one passing by on the Yukon
will readily believe that Morelock is a
“wet” creek, according to Mail Carrier
ttiederraan.
A glacier at the mouth of Mom-lock
now extends nearly across the river, a ml
is still growing. Otherilowil-river« reeks
are glaciering worse than usual this
winter also, t It tier wise the trail is get
ting pretty gtssl.
MINERS
ON STRIKE
Wage-working miners at Nome went
on a strike the first of the year for $4 a
day and strictly union labor.
Operators are organized and will in
sist on the “open shop” and the follow
ing scale of wages: During the winter
months, between Oct. 1.1 and May 11,
fit iter day of 10 hours, together with
hoard and lodging, except wet mines;
between May 15 and Oct. 15, $5 [ter day
of 10 hours, together with board and
lodging.
It appeared that the big operators
would close down.
There are over 000 men in the miners’
union, about 600 of whom will be thrown
out of employment.
Forty-odd members are in the op
posing organization.
HOYT WANTED
TO BE JUDGE
The Fairbanks News. Washington
correspondent under date of Jan. 7 said
that none of the charges presented
against Judge Wickersham by Senators
Nelson and McCuinber are in any way
sustained by Judge Hoyt’s report, al
though it was upon these charges that
the investigation was ordered. Hoyt
finds nothing against Wickersham that
reflects upon the latter's honor or integ
rity as a judge or as a man.
The correspondent says the president
learned from the attorney general that
Judge Hoyt is himself a candidate for
Wickersham’s jmsition. It is safe to
assert that Judge llovt will not get the
place if Wickersham fails to be reap
pointed. Petitions had been received
from both Nome and Juneau asking
that Wickersham be transferred to
either of those points. Of course such
a thing will not Is1 considered. The
president intimated that if he is gissl
enough for the First or Second division
he is good enough for the Third.
Several senators criticise the up|»>int
nient of Hoyt to investigate Wicker
sham, saying for a subordinate judiciary
official to investigate n fulled States
Judge i« an eminently improper trans
action and demoralizing to the adminis
tration of justice in any district; that
in nine times out of ten the siilsrrdiiiate
is jralous of the su|a*rtor ami desires to
replace him.
Telegrams in the Fairlttnk* Times
-aid the wires to Washington Were hot
with denials of Hoyt's randidnev.
BIG GREEK
TOO WET
A letter from Hob Schaber to Dr. C. I).
Carter, dated Caro, Jan. 16, gives a little
interesting news from the Chandlar;
but there is nothing to change the fact,
hitherto so manifest, that the worth or
worthlessness of the camp has yet to be
proven.
Water has been struck in nearly every
hole on Big creek, where so many bright
hopes were centered, and it is impossi
ble to get to bedrock. A good many are
discouraged in consequence.
The letter said “Slim” Schofield (who
is Schaher’s partner) had just come in
from Monarch creek. Monarch was
worked severrl years ago and is said to
have yielded $9 a day, but was aban
doned because that was not considered
pay. Of Monarch the letter says: “On
discovery John Beilstrop is sinking and
has good prospects. We have some
good-looking ground on 3 and 4 below
discovery. We have a cabin on 4 and
[as soon as I finish a little work here] we
will put our hole to bedrock. We are
down 85 feet ajid can get 2-cent pans.
Expect to bit bedrock in 15 or 20 feet,
but don’t know, of course; may be
deeper. 1 have great faith in this deep
ground.”
The letter said Jim Funcheon was
staking on the East Fork, where begot
prospects some years ago, and Schaber
was also staking there.
The writer of the letter realizes that
the luck of favorable news from the
Chandlar will check the big stampede
that was expected to go in over the ice.
MINERS STRUCK STFAM
A correspondent of the Nome (iol<l
Isends that pa)ier an account of
an unusual strike made on Taylor creek,
a short distance Mow the mouth of
Arizona creek on the Kongarok river.
A shaft was sunk to a depth of 20
feet, at which [mint thawed ground was
found. At another foot the earth was
warm. Sinking still further a small jet
of steam was seen issuing from the Imt
torn of the shaft. As they sank still
further the steam became more and
more apparent. When they returned to
go to work next morning the steam was
still in evidence amt had caused a
sloughing in of the bottom of the shaft.
They diil not care to return to Work
under such conditions, and the steam
is still issuing from the hole
The place is now known to tin* miners
as “the steam mine.”