Knout fyfowi VniuenUtf,
(Because of Otto Geist’s ex
tremely colorful career, his
story is being run in two parts.)
Someday a book should be writ
ten about Otto William Geist. Few
persons have had so many excit
ing experiences, or have contrib
uted so much to the advancement
t of human
knowledge, as
has Otto—“the
bone man.”
# During the
Jpi i summer mining
1 season Otto
| Geist may be
found anywhere
from the tip of
the Alaska Pe
Dawson area.
Olio Geisl “e is ardently
studying the
"diggings” for anthropological
specimens of 11 creatures which
existed on this earth 50,000 or
more years ago.
During the winter he is hard at
work in the east end of the base
ment cl the Main Building, sur
rounded by vast piles of prehis
toric bones of mastodon, mam
moth, bison, the Fairbanks lion,
camels, and other specimens.
Geist is present-day man’s first
contact with the relics of the pale
ontological era in this part of the
world.
Otto came to Alaska in 1923 to
visit his brother Joe in Ketchikan.
He stayed m the Territory for 27
But let’s start at the beginning
of his colorful career.
Otto was born in Germany in
1888, and went to school in Ba
varia and Austria. His father was
a noted educator in Bavaria. Each
summer Professor Geist took Otto
along with a group of scientists
to carry on excavations of the
Roman Roads and the walled
cities of Gaul and the Austrian
Tyrol. Long before Otto was
graduated from high school he
was an experienced archeologist
and was thoroughly trained in
the art of collecting the evidences
ri past ages.
On completion of high rehooJ,,
Otto served his three years in the
German Army under Kaiser Wil
helm II. But young Otto had no
stomach for the Prussian system.
In 1910, when he was 21 years
old, he came to the United States
as an immigrant.
He spoke not one word of Eng
lish. After passing through Ellis
Island, he gave New York and
Chicago a quick survey. He liked
neither. Having a brother in Mis
souri, he went there, worked on
a farm for two years, and learned
English. Then he migrated to
Louisiana and points west.
Otto was an experienced gaso
line engine mechanic. In 1915 he
put lblr knowledge to use ry 'Own
ing *he Mexican Border Motorized
Transport Service, the forerunner
of the mechanized Army we have
today. At that time the U S
Army was still pretty much be
hind mules, and the Mexican
Border Motorized Transport was
an experimental unit to determine
whether or not the new-fangled
gas engine was a dependable
means of transportation for the
U. S. Army.
The Army soon decided it would
convert to automobiles. Geist be
came a civilian employee of the
Army, wearing an Army uniform
and the stripes of a sergeant.
On June 1, 1917, Otto’s entire
company of civilians enlisted in
the U. S. Army. By Act of Con- j
gress, Geist (along with others in
the service) received his second
papers and became a full-fledged
American citizen. First Sergeant
Geist became an instructor in mo- \
torized transportation. He went j
overseas in 1918.
“After everyooay went back toj
the States and got the Fifth Ave
nue Treatment, 75 of us regulars;
remained in France and were as-!
signed to the Peace Commission,”
Otto said. “I chauffeured Presi
| dent Woodrow Wilson, Mrs. Wil
son, General Kerensky, General
Bliss and all the bigwigs. I chauf
feured Dr. James Brown Scott of
the Carnegie Foundation through
Spain, the Riveria and the Low
Countries. It was a most inter
esting experience; we drew full
pay from the Army and full pay
from the State Department. We
had diplomatic immunity passes
ana no M. P. could touch us. In
Y-< <<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<<<
fact they had to salute us. That
was a real pleasure, you may be
sure.”
Otto was in Paris when the
Ameiican Legion was born. He
conies in his wallet a most treas
ured card—charter membership
tn The American Legion Post No.
1, Paris, France.
Otto returned to the United
States in 1920. After his discharge
he went into the trucking busi
ness in Missouri. Three years in
this business convinced him that
he wanted wider horizons. He de
cided to go to Alaska.
After visiting his brother in
Ketchikan during 1923, Otto came
to the Interior. In Fairbanks he
<■< < 4. <. 4 4
WHOLESALE GilSOIl/S *CT"1
VALDEZ, ALASKA
Meats — Groceries — Clothing — Hardware
Beer Wines
Building Materials
WEEKLY REFRIGERATED DELIVERY SERVICE
Central Alaska
■*->>>>>>>>>>>>>■>>>> >>»■>->-> >>->■> > > > >
V>-»->-y->-y-v>-»> ■> >>>■> >v>->
(OFFICIAL PUBLICATION)
REPORT OF THE FINANCIAL CONDITION
Of The
First Bank of Valdez
Located at Valdez, Territory of Alaska, at the close
of Business on the 30th day of December, 1950. i
Resources
Loans and discounts.$ 206,865.74
Loans on real estate. 95,773.37
Overdrafts . 2,335.40
United States bonds and securities 147,187.50
Other bonds and warrants. 165,594.88
Furniture and fixtures. 8,051.78
Other real estate owned. 1,250.60
Checks on other banks and other
cash items. 672.26
Territorial Warrants. 1,182.00
Cash on hand and due from banks 457,253.93
TOTAL
TOTAL .$1,086,167.46
Liabilities
Capital stock paid in.$ 25,000.00
Surplus fund. 25,000.00
Undivided profits less expenses paid 45,344.01
Due to other banks. 6,750.55
Dividends declared but unpaid . . 1,000.00
Demand deposits . 933,701.93
Time deposits. 43,076.17
Cashier's and certified checks . . 6,294.80
$1,086,167.46
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA]
TERRITORY OF ALASKA }ss.
THIRD JUDICIAL DIVISION J
I, J. W. GILSON, President of the above named bank, do
solemnly swear that the foregoing statement is true to the best
of my knowledge and belief.
J. W. GILSON, President.
(Correct Attest) JOHN W. GILSON, JR.,
G. H. GILSON, Directors
(NOTARIAL SEAL)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of January, 1951
ELMER M. WHITE,
Notary Public in and for the Territory of Alaska.
My commission expires Nov. 2, 1952.
teamed up with mining men from
the Koyukuk. He mined that
year with Frank Smith on Wild
Lake. In those days before air
planes it took 33 days of back
breaking work to get supplies in
from the end of navigation on the
Koyukuk to Wild Lake.
In 1924 Geist met Dr. O. J.
Murie who was studying caribou
migrations in the Brooks Range.
Geist and Murie became good
friends and their common inter
est in science gave them much to
talk about. ♦
(To Be Concluded Next Neek)
Interior Freight Lines
Clay Prewitt and Cliff Steadman, Owners
Freight Hauling Between Valdez and Palmer
Phone 62-J-3
VALDEZ BAKERY & CAFE
Jack Suttich, Prop.
Now Baking a Variety of Breads
Sweet Doughs Pastry
CAKES DECORATED TO ORDER FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
n
FOUNTAIN SERVICE
CANTEEN BAR & MAYME’S LIQUOR STORE
"The House of Hospitality"
Valdez, Alaska
Gateway to the Interior
Mayme Snyder and A. Jarvi, proprietors
CHITINA LIMOUSINE SERVICE
LEAVES PALMER FOR VALDEZ
10:45 sum. each Monday (Leaves Anchorage al 9:15 aan.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 a-m. Tuesday
LEAVES PALMER FOR CHITINA
10:45 aan. each Thursday (Leaves Anchorage al 9:15 aun.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 a.m. Friday <
Leaves Anchorage from 4th Ave. Travel Bureau
(Fourth Avenue Theatre Bldg.)
Leaves Palmer from in front of Post Office
Leaves Valdez from Valdez Hotel
All Through One-Day Service — No Stop-Overs
I'iii/on Bar
and
RECREATION PARLOR
Valdez
Serving the Best of Drinks
and Food
C. J. "Truck" Egan, proprietor