OTTO GEIST
^Continued from Friday)
In the fall of 1925 Otto Geist
came out of the Wild Lake country
and returned to Fairbanks. Al
though he hadn’t make a stake at
mining, he decided that this coun
try had the “something” he was
looking for.
That winter he took two mining
short courses at the College and
audited a course in geology. Geist
and Dr. Bunnell got acquainted
and talked archeology.
Otto’s Alaskan career was spark
\ ed by a small collection of Eskimo
artifacts which the College had
obtained Jrom the late Alaskan
historian Clarence L. Andrews.
President Bunnell, in showing this
collection to Geist, remarked, “It
would be nice if we had a museum
* . .* ’4
DON'T BE A SHIRKER. ..
When your community repre
sentative asks your coopera
tion in civilian defense
duties, do your duty.
f f •'1 ■ -
and someone Jo do the work.”
That was seed enough for Otto.
In the summer ahd fall of 1926 he
made a complete reconnaissance
of the Bering Sea coast—St. Mi
chael, the Cape Nome country,
Wales, Big and Little Diomede,
King Island, St. Lawrence, the
| Pribilofs, Unalaska, villages along
the Alaska Peninsula and parts of
Kodiak Island. He visited many
locations of midden sites, and vil
lages of former ages. He bought
many native artifacts, and became
convinced that the Eskimo coast
held unlimited opportunity for
study.
The Motcrrship Boxer, on whioh
' Geist was traveling deposited him
* and his collection in Ketchikan.
Otto spent the winter with his
; brother. In the spring, Dr. Bunnell
I came through Ketchikan en route
I to the College, and saw the arti- j
facts Geist had gathered. “We
should have these for the Univers- ;
ity,” Dr. Bunnell exclaimed. “Some '
of them are unlike any I have j
seen before.”
The upshot of this conversation
was that the College had the be
ginnings of a museum, and Dr. j
Bunnell put up $1000 of his own j
money to finance the “Bunnell- j
Geist Bering Sea Expeditions of
1927-28-29.”
Geist returned on the Boxer and j
became virtually a resident of St. j
Lawrence Island.
By the fall of 1929 Dr. Bunnell j
was successful in obtaining funds |
for continued research in. Eskimo-'
ology. Otto took a year out to do;
more studying in his chosen field,
then in 1931 returned to St. Law
rence Island and the greatest dis
covery of his career.
This “find” was the ancient vil
lage of Kukulik — the ibiggest j
mound in Alaska at that time. This
mound turned up more original
material on Eskimo life and cul-,
i
ture than any previous discovery
anywhere.
During the mid-thirties $30,000
from the PWA put the St. Law
rence Island expedition on its fi
nancial feet. Eight University of
Alaska students assisted Otto as
supervisors, and 56 natives were
engaged as diggers and collectors.
Among the University students
were Ivar Skarland and Mary Mi
kami, both of whom received their
Doctor’s Degrees in the subject.
The results of this expedition
are described in “Archaeological
Excavations at Kukulik” by Otto
| William Geist and Forelich G.
Rainey. This book may be pur
chased from the University of
| Alaska bookstore and from the Su
perintendent of Documents, Wash
ington, D. C.
Pearl Harbor Day found Otto
Geist enroute to New York City to
spend the winter working in the
American Museum of Natural
History. Not many days later saw
Mr. Geist enroute back to the Ter
ritory to work for the Army En
gineers.
All Bering Sea residents will re
member Major Otto Geist, who
was quartermaster of the Alaska
Territorial Guard during the latter
days of World War II. Major Geist
knew how to work with Eskimos.
During his Excavation days he had
been “adopted” by the Eskimos of
St. Lawrence Island, and given
the name of “Whale.” This symbol
is tattooed on his left arm.
After the war, Geist returned to
the University of Alaska and his
life revolved around the discovery
and classification of “bones.” He
is considered THE collector of fos
sils in the Territory. Although he
works alone most of the time, and
seemingly in a small orbit, he is
known and respected wherever
scientists meet throughout the
world. He is a member of more
than a dozen organizations dedi
cated to the advancement of hu
DISTRICT LAND OFFICE
Information Necessary for Obtain
ing a Coal Prospectin Permit:
A Coal Prospecting Permit can
be obtained by: Any citizen of
United States twenty-one years or
more; Corporation or municipality
organized under the laws of the
United States, any state of terri
tory. Majority of stock shall be at
all times owned and held by citi
zens of the United States.
Area: Tracts of land not to ex
ceed 2560 acres in reasonably
! compact form.
Permittee: (approved applicant)
Has exclusive right to prospect for
coal on the land. Can remove from
the land only such coal necessary
to determine workability and com
mercial value of the col deposits.
Application for permit( to be ac
companied by $10.00 filing fee.)
Lease to permittee: If permittee
shows there is coal in commercial
quantities. Application for lease
must befiled in proper land office
before expiration of coal prospect
ing permit.
Land Office, Nome,
By Helen M. Bockman,
Act. Mgr.
man knowledge.
The work of classification is
slow and painstaking,” Otto ex
plained. “But out of the careful,
meticulous work of many scientists
comes a greater knowledge of life
in Alaska during the earliest
times.”
At 02 years of age, Geist is a
^zealot in the field of archeology.
As he goes about his work, in the
midst of his bone pile in the east
wing of the Main Building he has
little time for extra-curricular ac
tivities. After 27 years in the Ter
ritory, most of which time has
been devoted to archeology and
paleontology, Geist says, “There is
so much to learn, and time flies by
so swiftly.”
I JACK LENCER I
I WATCHMAKER . 1
| Leave watches at the Nome Drug Store |
I Box 625 Nome, Alaska |
OH, DIANA! • THE MISS THAT’S A HIT
MO/ DAO— DIMMER
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SCORCHY SMITH ACE OF THE AIR STRIPS
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LOOKOUT
THERE/THflt THE
MEDITERRANEAN /
I I
I
SOMEWHERE/T
THERE'S A LOT OF
OIL IN THAT--'
WATER.' V
A. F. R. S.
MARKS AIR FORCE BASS
NOME, ALASKA
Wednesday January 17, 1951
5:00 p.m.—Beulah
5:15—Art Baker
5:30—Club “15”
5:45—Light Up Time
6:00—News
6:15—Requestfully Yours
7:00—My Favorite Husband
7:30—Screen Guild Flayers
8:00—Father Knows Best
8:30—Greatest Story Ever Told
' 9:00—Spotlight Band
9:15—National Guard Show
I 9:30—Big Story
! 10:00—Name It For A Song
: 11:00—News
! 11:15—Words With Music
11:30—One Night Stand
12:00—Sign Off
Thursday, January 18, 1951
9:00 a.m.—Morning Melodies
9:15—Morning Devotions
9:30—Hospital Requests
10:00—Eddie Albert
10:30—Red Foley
11:00—Jack Berch
11:15—Science Magazine of Air
11:30—I & E Special
Noon—Luncheon Turn-Table
1:00—Yesterday’s Best
1:30—AFRS Ranchhouse
2:00—-Book Shelf of the World
2:30—Saludos Amigos
2:45—Jack Smith
3:00—Matinee Melodies
4:00—News
4:15—At Ease
4:30—Curt Massey
4:45—Passing Parade
5:00—Beulah
5:15—This is Russia
5:30—Club “15”
5:45—Light Up Time
6:00—News
6:15—Requestfully Yours
7:00—Duffy’s Tavern
7:30—Martin and Lewis
8:00—Show Goes On
8:30—Greatest Story Ever Told
9:00—Vaughn Monroe
9:30—Dragnet
10:00—Name It For A Song
11 *00—Ncw^
11:15—Words With Music
11:30—One Night Stand
12:00—Sign Off
Friday, January 19, 1951
9:00 am.—Morning Melodies
9:15—Morning Devotions
9:30—Hospital Requests
10:00—Eddie Albert
10:30—Red Foley
11:00—Jack Berch
11:15—Just Between Us
11:30—I. & E Special
Noon—Luncheon Turntable
1:00—Yesterday’s Best
1:30—AFRS Ranch-house
2:00—Bookshelf of The World
Friday, January 12, 1951
2:45—Jack Smith
3:00—Matinee Melodies
4:00—News
4:15—At Ease
4:30—Curt Massey
4:45—AFRS Sports Reel
5:00 p.m.—Beulah
Some homes need less switche
on the wall and more on the chll
dren.
^/ire^i^j^ctory
^—
^ OF Nome
Thursday Luncheon
Don Lyle, Pres.
^^L^rich^secy
anvillodgj
M *!?•140
Meet. Pint and
^ Third Tfcu«day
STANLEY R w "!.h mon,t>
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co«f hou A7D optician
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