BOULTER’S VISIT
TO THEKOYUKUK
Mr. George E. Boulter, connected with Alaska educa
tional board, who recently made a trip to the Koyukuk dis
trict to investigate the condition of the natives in that part
of Alaska, has returned to Gibbon, and writes the follow
ing letter to the Leader of that city:
4 ‘I am plealsed to write a few lines with regard to my
recent trip into the Koyukuk.
“To reach the Koyukuk over the winter trail from Tan
ana is not what one would call a picnic. There is not
enough travel over the trail to make it good, and it takes
but little wind to cover it up with drifting snow. In the
flats, where the trail is up blazed, it is difficult, at times, to
find it. Many people have not found it and have wandered
off in a wrong direction. The cabins on the trail are not
notorious for their luxuriance, but they look mighty good
to a man when he is tired and night is coming on.
“The natives in the vicinity of Allachaket and Alatna,
while not actually starving, are in a more of less destitute
condition. Some of them would have fared badly had not
the mission people at Allachaket helped them.
“These natives have in former years been very short of
food at this season of the year, but th6y are undoubtedly in
a worse condition at the present time than they have been
in past years. This is owing to the phenomenal scarcity of
salmon last summer. At the best, the salmon which ascend
the Koyukuk are smaller and of an inferior quality to those
which are caught in the Yukon. So scarce were the salmon
in the Koyokuk last summer that very few of the natives
were able to cache any for winter use. They were com
pelled to kill many of their dogs, simply because they had
no food to give them.
“The mission people of Allachaket invested in a fish
wheel last summer, which was managed by a competent
white man. Their season’s catch amounted to but two
whitefish and one salmon. The wheel cost in the neighbor
hood of $100; thus the three fish which were caught cost
them in the neighborhood of $33 each. There being no dog
feed at Arctic City—neither, bacon, rice nor fish—white
men are buying canned salmon and canned meats for their
dogs. This is expensive dog feed, but there is nothing else
procurable. Big game is scarce on the Koyukuk, and fur
bearing animals seem to be decreasing in numbers each
year.
“Owing to the destitute condition of the natives, it j
was decided to provide them with some relief work. It!
would result in the ultimate ruin of the natives were the!
government to provide them with free food instead of mak-j
ing them work for it. Among other relief work, some!
building logs are being cut and will be rafted to Allachaket!
upon opening of navigation. It is hoped that the govern
ment will in the near future build a school for the natives
at some point on the Koyukuk. As sppn as the snow leaves
the ground a piece of ground will be cleared and a fence
built around it. The natives will then have a place where
they can be taught gardening. Many gardens are quite
successful in the Koyukuk country, and were the natives
able to raise vegetables during the summer and store them
for use during the winter, it would not only add to their
food supply, but would help to keep them in good health.
“Allackaket is the most important native community
on the Koyukuk. Both the Kobuks and the Koyukuks live
there. The former live on one side of the river, and the
later on the other. At one time these people were very an
tagonistic to eaeh other. Even now, although they are on
friendly terms, they do not hunt or fish together, and they
' seldom or never intermarry. There are quite a number of
j Eskimos at Allackaket, who have migrated from the shores
' of the Arctic ocean. Their home was formerly at the mouth
of the Colville river. It would be hard to say why they
have ventured so far from home.
“It was my pleasure to meet many mining men who were work
ing on various creeks. Each spoke from his own point of view.
Some were disappointed, while others were very sanguine as to the
future of the Upper Koyukuk. It looks good for the country that
an independent steamer will probably be on the Koyukuk run dur
ing the coming summer. Hitherto it has been too expensive a
country for a poor man to prospect. It is estimated that a year’s
outfit for one man will cost little short of $1000. If this cost could |
be reduced, there would be more prospectors in the Koyukuk.
There is a vast country lying between the mouth of the Alatna and
Kotzebue sound, the major part of which is unprospected. If the
cost of getting into that part of the country was reasonable, no
doubt many prospectors would be induced to go there,
Yours very truly,
GEO*: E. BOULTER.
Tanana, April 22, 1909.
Klondike Mines
Railway Extension
E. A. Murphy, general manager of
the Klondike Mines Railway Company,
last week arrived in Dawson from Lon
don, where the stockholders of the
the company, at a meeting just prior
to his departure, decided to expend
$500,000 on improvement and extension*
of the road: $100,000 of which will be
put into new stations and $490,000 on
the extension from the present ter
minus at Dome to Gold Run. Opera
tions have ready commenced.
The road is receiving a subsidy of
$6,000 a mile, and will eventually form
one section of the Graiid Trunk line,
with one terminus at Prince Rupert, !
That section to be immediately built J
will mean much for the development j
of the Clear creek country, as wagon j
roads to the railway will take the place |
of trails, where transportation has of |
necessity, been maintained with sleds
and dogs.
Annual labor performed upon
one claim of a group only, in
order to apply within the intent
of the law as at preseut deter- j
mined, requires that the claims
■ must be contiguous, but not nec
essarily located upon a single
lode or vein, and further, that
the work done upon that one j
claim tend to develop the vein or I
the entire system of veins cov-:
ered by the group.
Sipp & Dickinson, the freighters, j
have completed their job of delivering :
275 cords of wood on the Cache creek !
ground belonging to Dick Richards.
Workingmen ! At Carter’s store on
Sullivan creek you’ll find the kind of
shirts that’ll suit you. Good values at
reasonable prices.
Don’t run about with wet feet—see !
Traeger’s big stock of rubber footwear
at low prices.
Statements neatly printed—The Post
If you can’t find what you want at
home, call up Carter’s drug store on
Sullivan. He has ’most everything.
Stanley House
HOT SPRINGS’ NEWEST HOTEL
First-Class Restaurant Frank B. Stanley, Prop.
DR. C. D. CARTER,
Dentist
Crown, Bridge and Plate Work. Painless Extraction
SULLIVAN CITY
Office at Carter’s Drug Store
CHAS. B. ALLEN,
Attorney at Law
Rampart, Aka.
Legal Papers Carefully Drawn.
ARCTIC BROTHERHOOD — Camp
Hot Springs No. 24 meets every Mon
day evening at 8 o’clock in hall over
Traeger’s store. Visiting brothers
always welcome.
V. L. Bevington, J. F. Nellany,
Recorder. Arctic Chief.
J
Neatly-Printed Stationery
ADDS MORE DIGNITY AND GIVES GREATER SATISFACTION IN YOUR
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE THAN ANY OTHER ITEM OF OFFICE
EQUIPMENT.
“The Post” Furnishes That Kindi
AND SOLICITS A TRIAL ORDER. OUR PAPER STOCK IS THE BEST
OBTAINABLE. TELEPHONE US YOUR WANTS IN THE STATIONERY
LINE, OR FOR JOB PRINTING OF ANY KIND. SEE OUR LINE OF
LETTER HEADS, BILL HEADS, ENVELOPES, ETC., ETC.