•• ri
INNOKO«9“L^«
MUSHERS
IN TOWN
T. H. McMann arrived here Tuesday from the Innoko diggings
enroute to Fairbanks on a short business trip, after which he will
return over the ice.
Mr. McMann, when‘asked about the Innoko, said that he did
not desire to boost the country as nearly every man had a differ
ent opinion as to the merits of the district, but he said his opinion
can be gained from the fact that he is going back again, and is
well satisfied to cast his lot there, believing it will yet be a big
producer.
As fo Gaines creek, lie says that from what be can hear there
is not much work being done as it is strictly summer diggings, but
he understands there are a number of men prospecting the creek
preparatory to working next summer.
On Little creek the pay is being found in new places continu
ally and this will yet be.a great producer as there is much work
being done, and the miners are all greatly encouraged over the
outlook. This creek has a good run of gravel and the pay is found
throughout it.
Ophir is this winter vindicating the great things predicted for
this creek by the boosters last spring, and although it is not the
wonder it was said to be, it will produce big this winter. It is
being given a thorough prospecting, and work is being done on it
in many different places.
While grub is very scarce in the camp, the people are not suf
fering from the shortage as most of them are provided with outfits,
and the things which are “short”are being hauled from the Yukon,
which, although making them expensive, relieves any actual want.
The people who were formerly at Innoko City-, at the mouth of
Ditna river, have nearly all moved to Diskaket, the Indian skeeter
opolis, where they are settled for the winter. In regard to the
people who went in last summer, McMann tells the following:
Captain and Mrs. McLain were still at Innoko City, but he un
derstood that the captain was making preparations to take his wife
to Ophir City, after which he intended taking a trip to Fairbanks.
Fred Vogelsang and Frank McCaffery are prospecting on
Madison creek. They started to cut a trail from Innoko City to
the Ohpir City-Diskaket road but it proved to be too big a job for
two men, so they suspended work until next spring when they ex
pect to have more help.
Bain & Courtney are located at Diskaket and are doing their
share of the saloon business, although it is very slow in that camp.
Felix Brazeau and wife moved from Innoko City to Diskaket
where Felix built a house and opened up a restaurant. Business,
however, was so slow that he sold his building and moved to Ophir
City, where they are now in business. Felix is still the proud pos
sessor of that famous “$100-dog,” the one that had a baldheaded
tail last summer. *
Jack Devereaux is freighting with “Old Georgt Edgar” from
Diskaket to the mines. * .
William Barrett, the merchant prince, expected to leave the
Indian village for Fairbanks about ten days after McMain, and
should be in Hot Springs about the 15th of this month.
Robert Gierka is looking after Gordon’s business at Ophir and
also working a lay on that stream. It was reported that he and
partner had got into good pay.
F. Crompton has struck good pay on Ophir, and is supposed
to have the best ground in the camp.
Fred Bundy, one of the patrons interested with Madland &
Scott, is looking after their hardware stock at Ophir.
Sam Bonnifield was met one day from Ophir on his way in, and
should be returning this week.
LARRY LILL1G0 TELLS ABOUT INNOKO PEOPLE
Larry Lillieo, who went to tha. Innoko last fall on the last trip of the Flor
ence S. with a stock of poods for a syndicate of which “Commodore Joe” Hea
cock was the promoter, reached Hot Springs on his 1 eluim trip on Wednesday
evening, renewed-old friendships about town that night, and started Fairbanks
ward Thursday morning “a la mash.” Larry left the metropolis of the
skeeter belt (Diskaket) on December 20 in company of McMann, whose story
appears above, and encountered fearful weather during the first three days of
the trip, during which time,they made but 20 miles. The snow is waist high
in the timbered portion of the route. Mr. Lillieo says there is no government
mail service in the district,- and the mail that reaches there is delivered by
freighters from Kaltag. His party brought out 50 pounds of mail. He says
that McPherson - and Geddings, of tbe Alaska road commission, last fall did
good work on. the Ophir City-Kaltag trail. The route is blazed and cut out in
the timber, and in the open country they erected tripods at distances of 75
yards, thus making it almost impossible for one to get lost.
A trader from Uniclick was met on the Kaltag trail driving a herd of 35
reindeer, which he is taking to the Innoko diggings4o relieve the meat famine
caused by the non-appearance of Cow Miller’s fresh beef.
At the Lewis trading post, on the Yukon river, Larr? says that Mr. Lewis
informed him that a new cut-off trail from Lewis’ to Ophir saves a distance of
at least 110 miles.
Lillieo speaks of a couple of nice “pick-ups” made by “Big Bill” Hunter,
one of the most widely-known prospectors of Alaska, the*man for whom Hunter
creek in the Rampart district was named. Bill owns a fraction between 8 and
U above on Gaines creek, ground on which the owner has been able to pan a
piece of money at any time during the past two years. Early this winter he
found a nugget that Aveighed $520, and a few days later unearthed one worth
*490.
A great dog-Jeam race,, which was weeks in preparation, was “pulled off”
just before Lillee’s departure. The contest was over a course of 36 miles—
fjft)m Diskaket to Reagan’s roadhouse and return—for a purse of $100, and
many times that amount of money changed hands on the result. The winning
teftm belongs to “Yorky from Yorkshire,” who made trip in less time by 40
minutes than did the team belonging to “Mayor” Jack Lovell.
> Jack Pakage, the widely-known roadhouse keeper and Innoko boomer, has
disposed of his famous travelers’ rest, the palatial Summit Inn on the Ophir
trail, and he is now doing some lively prospecting stunts on Madron creek.
Jack as a roadhouse man wasn’t what might be - termed-a glittering success—
Bis style of entertainment too frequently filled his guests with eager surprise,
ktstead of something more substantial. While the thermometer was dallying
about the 40-below mark his guests have been known to accept, at about 2 a.in.,
an invigorating shower bath of snow and water from the roof whether they
wanted it or not. His successor is a Jap.
R, J, Macktso*n(Sparerib Jimmy), who has charge of GeorgerButler’s, busi
ness irl that district, is freighting his stock of goods to Ophir city.
“Majah Tom” Harline, formerly of Fairbanks and Georgia, who operated
a freighting and logging trust in Innoko^City last summer, has retired from
that business on account of the uncertainty of “hosa” feed, and is enjoying * a
resting spell.” He sold his cayuse.
Several outfits are freighting from Kaltag to the diggings, and the pre
vailing rate is 10 cents.
WILL STRING
Tanaua, Jan. 8.—A party of soldiers in charge of the
Signal Corps construction outfit will leave here Monday for
the upper river for the purpose of stringing a second wire
between Fairbanks and Valdez. This extra.wire between
these two pointed has been deemed necessary owing to the
large increase of business that is expected the coming sea
son. *
KICK SAVES
• MAN’S LIFE
' Wilkesbarre, Pa., Dee. 20.—A hearty kick which broke
two of his ribs saved the life of Charles Marshall, of Car
bondale, at the Delaware & Hudson railroad station, and
he is now in the hospital for treatment instead of in his
coffin. Marshall was standing on the track nearest the
platform, and did not notice a locomotive approaching nor \
hear the warning shouts of Brakeman William Flannery, j
who ,was on the rear bumpers. Unable to warn him of his
danger, Flannery, as the locomotive reached him, gave
Marshall a violent kick in the side, sending him sprawling
clear olf the tracks, but breaking two of his ribs. Before
he was taken to the hospital Marshall thanked Flannery
for saving his life.
Tramp Inherits
$3-0,000 Fortune
Colorado Springs, Col., Jan. 7.—H. P. Craig, of De
troit, Mich., for 20 years continuously on the road as a
tramp, has purchased the Huerfano hotel in this city, and
will settle down permanently. Craig’s mother died in De
troit recently, leaving him $30,000. He is a member of an
old family, is well educated, and was admitted to the Mich
igan bar at the age of 19, but left home when seized with
“wanderfust,” and has spent his time since with hoboes.
He has tramped all over the country, and practically has
been lost to his family for 20 years.
Ministers Favor
Night Funeralsj
Alton, 111., Jan. 7.—Having funerals at night is the
newest idea in his tcit.y. Thirty members of the Ministerial
Alliance here unanimously indorsed the idea as advanced
by Rev. F. S. Eitelgeorge, pastor of the Henry Street Ger
man Methodist church. “It would be much better to have
the funerals at night,” he said, “and there should be no
Sunday funerals, either day or night. Funerals*nowadays
are too extravagant. Too much money is spent for flowers
and carriages, and there is entirely too much display.”
CHEEK NOTES
Snyder & Hayden (on Patterson creek) have set up another
ginhole and commenced hoisting out of a different shaft. At the
present rate of work they will have a mammoth dump by spring.
Tom Woodson’s plant is now on the Junction fraction, and al
most ready to work. The 'grOund has all been .cleared and it will
be only a short time until the buckets of pay are being dumped on
the surface ready for the spring water. Woodson has tl}e largest
plant on the creek, and proposes to work it to the limit this winter
and get out a mammoth pile of pay dirt.
Lane, Nevelle & Co. have installed their new boiler,-and the
buckets are now coming out of the hole much more frequently than
before.
The dump.s on the Midnight Sun, American bench and Dakota
claims are rapidly growing in'size, and will be monsters by the
time the water runs in the spring.
Jack Hunter has sold his interest in the Northern saloon, and
the firm is now O’Hara & Hunnewell. The new firm is building a
hew home on the site of the one that was burned, and expect to
move into it within a short time.
On New Year’s*eve a small party of friends gathered at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. M. J. McNeil on Sullivan ereek. The even
ing was spent in playing cards until the new year was ushered in,
after which the guests returned to their homes wishing everybody
a happy new year.-*
Cloth Posters
We Print Big and Smalt Signs on Good Muslin.
Just the Thing for Out-Door Advertising&-«
THEY LAST FOR YEARS
Bs;Eagle Bar
The Popular Resort for Minors Whiie in Hot Springs
We have several new specialties which are the best obtainable.
Le Grande Marque Cognac
Twelve years old, bulk, branded, and imported in the wood
direct from Prance.
Watermill Whisky
A ten-year-old Rye, that cannot be excelled.
All the first-class case goods, including
Sunny Brook, Mt. Vernon, Hunter, Green River, Marquette, Etc.
Besides these we have the famous
Gibson Rye
nor Moseley & Rockwell tom
Mr. “Longshorty” Kelly, the widely
known pathfinder, deep-sea miner and
man of affairs, who has been looking
over the district during the past fort
night, returned to town last, Saturday
somewhat fatigued from his trip, but
after a few hours of earnest application
(a characteristic feature so noticeable
in all self-made men), he cleared away
his accumulated telegraphic and mail
correspondence.
Mr. Kelly expressed himself as being
veil pleased with the camp, and said
it was the best proposition for “its age”
he had “seed” for some time. While
in Tofty City, he informed The Post,
lie secured a good business lot for Mr.
GoVdon, and has a set of the biggest
and longest building logs ever collected
in the camp—many of which, he says,
are over two feet in diameter.
Mr. Kelly was hurriedly called to
Fairbanks to attend court both as a
principal and witness in a Dome creek
mining dispute—the most important
case, he says, that will eome before the
court this session. He learns (by cable
code, of course,) that Mr. Gordon will
arrive in Fairbanks from Scotland
about January 25th, and they will con
fer on details in xagard to the estab
lishment of branch houses, and Mr.
Kelly will also be on hand to give ad
vice in the selections of tlie spring and
summer’s styles of ladies’ dry goods—
of which he is a recognized authority.
Mr. Kelly also has matters of impor
! tar.ee to transact with Fred Martin, of
! the California, whose guest he will un
jdoubtedly frequently be during his so
journ in Fairbanks, and has a season's
free ticket to look at tho moving pic
tures.
With his many mining interests in
jdifferent localities to look after, his
! multifarious commercial duties, his
j famous rabbit concession on Yukon
| flats, and his own private worries, Mr.
j Kelly’s time will be fully occupied
j until the opening of navigation. By
| that time his affairs will be so thor
oughly systemized and well in hand
! that he will doubtless be open for an
j engagement as an able-bodied deckhand
i on the first independent steamboat that
; starts for 'most any old place.
o o o
Eh passant, it might r.ot be out of
place to make it known to all men that
j Mr. Kelly has taken all the degrees in
J the Ancient Order of the Sons of A nan
J ias, and has frequently and satUfactor
j ily occupied the chair of Most Worthy
i and Exalted Prevaricator.
i
j o o o
And at that Mr. Kellv is not bv anv
- .
means “half bad”—he simply demon
j srrates the effects of our crimpy cli
1 uia'.e. __
j A pusher will beat a kicker to the
i goal any old time.
| Most men prefer to be broke than
j half cracked.
BY GHOST
•New York, Dec. 20.—Haunted, he as- j
serts, by the ghost of his brother-in ,
law, whom he killed in a fight, a well
dressed young tnan who gives his name
as Charles B. Mann, is in custody here.
Mann surrendered himself to the police
of this city and-, told a strange story of
having escaped from Dolives prison, i
Baldwin county, Alabama, three years
ago, and how he traveled about
the world since in an effort to get away
from the face of his victim. ,
Mann walked into police headquar-'
ters and after telling Lieut. Funston ]
that he was an escaped convict, he was
locked up in acell for tfie night. When '
he arose he declared that he had had I
his first right’s sleep since he made his
escape, and that he was ready to go;
back to the Alabama jail or anywhere i
else the police would send him.
“The trouble was caused by domestic !
difficulties,” he said, “I was well edti-;
cated, having studied law, and am a j
good stenographer and a good book- j
keeper. Some years ago, when I was j
living in Alabama, I was married to a |
woman whom I loved dearly, but I
could not get along with her family.
“On June 16, 1901, I met my brother
in-law, David Dixon, in a park, and we
had a fight. He was a much bigger
man than T, and when he attempted to
strike me I pulled out a pistol and shot
him dead. I was arrested, tried, "con
victed, and sent to Dolives prison for
15 years. Because of my-knowledge
of books I was given a position as book
keeper. and was a ‘trusty.’
“While in the prison I became
friendly with another prisoner, who
was serving a life sentence for murder.
After four years, during which time we
bee tithe confidential, he came 4b ihe and
said he had $1,000, and that he would
d’vide it with me if I would consent to
escape with him. At first I refused,
but some time later I saw in a newspa
per that mv wife had obtained a di
vorce from me. Despondent over this,
I went to mv friend and consented to
his plan.
“He gave me $500, and on November
11, 1905, I engineered a successful
scheme for our escape. After getting
out of the jail we remained in hiding
for three months, and then went to
England. We lived together for some
time, picking up small sums of money
in various ways, but he and I quar
reled.
“Then T took a job on a cattle steam
ship, and in that way I got to South
America. I had grown a beard, so that
none of my old friends would recognize
me. I secured a position and w’orked
hard, trying to forget my past, but day
and night the ghost of my brother-in
law, with his finger pointing at me,
was in front of me, and do what I
might, I could not get away from it. I
could get no sleep, and all the time I
was on the verge of going mad.
“In South America one day I met a
man that knew me, and fearing that ho
would recognize me, I deserted my job,
and, hoarding a steamship, came to the
States. 1 finally landed in Boston,
where I secured a. position as book
keeper.. There I made another deter
mined fight against • the past, but the
ghosl was with me always. I now
r*ant to serve my time, and then begin
life anew.”
The “It” mine, a copper property
near Ketchikan, was purchased by a
Seattle company for $10,000: $40,000
more was spent in building docks,
tramways and in development werk.
The “It” then produced $24,000 worth
of ore in 40 days.—Doeglas Island News*