SSI NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 108
NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1963
Per Copy 15<
William ‘Billy’ Brookins, Centenarian
IN AN INTERVIEW with Billy Brookins taken at his hangout
* on the Glue Pot bench, we learned that on his next birthday
he will have lived one century. On September 13th he will be 100
years old. (Billy claims the fact that it is Friday, the 13th, doesn’t
bother him at all). Billy’s memory is fading, he knows this and
refers to it often. Many of his adventures and feats during the early
years of his life are lost to him
but he is very much in evidence.
Billy enjoys sitting in front of the
Glue Pot and watching the activi
ty around him. He strolls around
town, greeting people, taking in
the sights and obviously enjoying
himself.
Billy was bom in New York
State. He says that the town is
not there any longer and recalls
very little of that stage in his life.
He first came North in ’98 and
landed at Dawson — with so many
others. For some reason he de
cided to return to the states that
same fall. Immediately upon his
return to San Francisco he realized
that “he was a fool” and a short
time later returned to Dawson.
This time he came better pre
pared. Armed with 1,000 copies
of the San Francisco Examiner
and five dogs, he proceeded to
make a stake. This he did by sell
ing the newspapers for a dollar
apiece — sometimes more. “Some
of the miners would hand me a
nugget worth two dollars or more
for the paper.”
Billy didn’t hang around Daw
son very long. The next summer,
after selling and giving away his
dogs, he talked his way down to
St. Michael aboard a steamer and
later that same summer bought
passage to Nome.
When Billy arrived at Nome in
the summer of 1900 there was very
little to see. He states that there
was nothing but tents and native
dwellings. There was not yet
very many people here, including
the Lap population, so you might
say that he arrived among “the
first.”
That next winter Billy went to
Council and there he remained. He
asserts that he has had so many
claims that he cannot begin to re
member what he called them. He
did not ever “strike it rich” how
ever. About the most money that
he can remember having at one
time was $7,000. He never really
had tough luck either in that he
always “managed to get along
somehow,” and without tying up
with partners for any length of
time.
Billy Brookins is proud of the
fact that he never took a cigarette
or drank. ... “I don’t think that
I drank a pint of whisky in my
life.” Billy uses a cane now and
is somewhat bent, but he certain
ly doesn’t show his 100 years. Ob
viously a vast amount of fresh
air and physical labor are Billy’s
answer to a long life.
Our old friend states that the
years all seem to run together now.
• THE HARPOON •
Swingin' Slreei Signs
—where else can you go
West on 2nd Avenue—
make U-turn—and go East
on B Street.
r
There is very little to bring to
mind his early days here. He
doesn’t know of a single person
that was here when he arrived.
“They have all left — one way
or the other,’’ Billy asserts.
He does know, however, that
he “never worked for another
man 10 days for wages.” This
shows a determined effort to be
on his own — and indeed, our
Centenarian is a typical, inde
pendent style Sourdough.
“No plans for the future,” re
marked Billy. Says he is getting
too old to plan very far ahead.
He returned to Nome this summer,
as always, to see if he couldn’t
locate another new prospect out
Council way,” but with so much
high water he has been thwarted
ail summer. Billy has been return
ing to Homer each winter for a
number of years. He has a 75-acre
homestead there, and waiting for
him at the cabin is his wife and
their daughter, Mrs. Minnie Har
rington.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — BILLY
BROOKINS!
Vandalism Expensive
To Local Taxpayers
The Chief of Police reports that
there has been $1,000 damage to
the power and light system in the
past month. In one area, near King
Island Village, 10 utility poles in
a row suffered damage to insula
tors from shooting.
There has been seven house me
ters shot up in the past two months
— with Steadman Street being hit
the hardest. Some of the shooting,
declared Chief Oliver, is with pel
let guns which are very damaging
at close range. He also stated that
under state law, parents are re
sponsile for damage done by their
vandalic offspring and this could
be expensive, as street lights and
meter replacement—including la
bor — is costly.
Citizens are reminded that the
Utility Board still has the $50 re
ward standing for information
leading to arrest and conviction
of persons destroying utility prop
erty.
A FINE FINE . , .
FAIRBANKS OP — A Fairbanks
woman, Patricia Anne Jackson,
Monday was fined 10 cents by
Magistrate Hugh Connelly.
He suspended the fine on the
condition she behave for three
minutes.
She did.
The woman had been found
guilty of assaulting another wo
man August 4 in a local nightclub.
A JOB WELL DONE
• • •
HOWARD CRINKLAW, ex
manager of the Nome Light and
Power Utilities, will leave Nome |
this week. Mr. Crinklaw advises
that his wife left last week and
that he plans to rejoin her in Qui
nault. Wash. He has no immediate
plans for the future.
Mr. Crinklaw made his final re
port to the Nome City Council
Monday night and illustrated the
growth of the Light and Power
Utilities during the past three
years. He stated that as of the end
of August the revenue of the utili
ties has climbed from $135,730, for
the same period in 1960, to $167,867
— for an increase of 24 per cent.
New line and plant construction
for the same period went upward
from a figure of $385,170 to $470,
589 — for an increase of 22 per
cent.
Since this growth is synonymous
with Howard’s tenure here, it is
quite obvious that he made a large
contribution.
Mr. Crinklaw reports further
that the equity in the utility sys
tem — the amount that we tax
payers can say belongs to us —
is now $267,943, and is more than
the system cost when it was ob
tained. When the new system is
in operation it will have a value
in excess of $900,000.
It is gratifying to learn that
the Nome Light and Power Utili
ties has one of the highest finan
cial ratings in Alaska. This went
a long way toward enabling the
city to obtain the low interest rate
of 4M> per cent on the new bond
issue.
Our new manager, Mr. John
Slagle, also has his work cut out
for him. It will be his responsi
bility to conclude the construction
of the new power plant — con
struct new circuits out of this
plant to tie in with the present
system and to design and lay out
a circuit to the new State Voca
tional School. This, plus the fact
that the combined state and fed
eral installations yet to be tied in,
will soon double our present sys
tem load.
Mr. Crinklaw reminds us that
the Utility Board responsibility
ends at the meter, although they
have, and will continue to co-oper
ate with homeowners and busi
nesses to insure safe and ade
quate wiring within the city. With
out a city building inspector, and
teeth in the code — this will never
be accomplished. As far as system
improvement goes, he commented,
there are funds available for a
continuing program — in fact
some $88,000 has been spent in
this pursuit during the past three
years.
Our ex-manager gave much
credit to the utilities board mem
bers. He stated that the public
knows little of the time they spend
on behalf of he city, but the work
which has been accomplished has
been an excellent demonstration
of their desire to better conditions.
BUD SAARIO VISITS
Mr. Saario dropped into the
Nugget today to say hello and place
an ad for seal skin. He has been
visiting with his many old friends
in Nome and Teller while on a
combination business and pleas
ure trip. Bud says he has moved
his Fur Shop to a new location on
Cushman Street in Fairbanks, and
wants folks to drop in and see
him when in town, as he is quite
proud of his new store.
State Dept. Assures Governor Action
Being Taken on Russian Trawlers
JUNEAU UPi — The State De
partment advised Gov. William A.
Egan today it has lodged a protest
with the Soviet Embassy in Wash
ington over Russian king crab
trawling in historic American fish
ing grounds off Kodiak Island.
Alexis Johnson, deputy under
secretary of State, told Egan in a
wire that the matter had been
taken up with the Soviet Embassy
and that the Russians had agreed
to take the complaint to Moscow
immediately.
Johnson said the State Depart
ment would pursue the matter
with the Soviet Embassy in Wash
ington as soon as additional infor
mation is received in Washington.
American fishermen protested
last week when a Russian trawling
fleet appeared on rich king crab
grounds off the southwest tip of
Kodiak Island, between Low Cape
and Cape Ikolik, and damaged
and destroyed American king crab
gear.
Some of the American fishing
boat skippers said the Russian ac
tions appeared to be deliberate.
The Soviet fleet sailed off when
the Coast Guard cutter Winona,
called from Bering Sea patrol, ar
rived on the scene Sunday mor
ning.
Egan urged the State Depart
ment Monday to take steps imme
diately to halt the Russian opera
tions, particularly insofar as king
crab catches by the Russian boats
were concerned.
Egan noted that the United
States claims king crabs are crea
tures of the continental shelf and
as such a resource are under the
control of the nation whose coas
tal waters they inhabit.
Egan said both American fish
BLM Opens Its
Office At Nome
The Nome Information Office of
the Bureau of Land Management
will be opened on September 12
and 13, 1963, it was announced
yesterday by the Manager of the
Fairbanks Land Office, Daniel A.
Jones. The office will be opened
by Mr. Jones and Loyal J. John
son, Chief of the Public Service
Unit of the Fairbanks Land Of
fice. Each of the men have been
to Nome in the past and are fa
miliar with the land and mineral
situations in the Nome area.
The Nome office is opened the
second Thursday and Friday of
each month throughout the sum
mer season. This will make the
fifth opening this year.
Complete status maps plus the
forms necessary for making most
land claims are available.
The office is located in Room
306 of the Federal Building. The
telephone number is 443-2264. The
office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and after hours appointments can
be made
ATTENTION WOMEN BOWLERS
There will be a general meet
ing of the Aurora Womens Bowl
ing League Thursday, Sept. 12. The
meeting will be held at Aukruk
Lanes, commencing at 8 p.m. All
women bowlers are urged to at
tend.
ermen and Coast Guard personnel
observed the Russian ships taking
king crab last week.
State's Plan
.JUNEAU — Gov. William A.
Egan said today the State has long
standing plans for “trying our best
to apprehend anyone who comes
to fish in our territorial waters
illegally.’’
Egan made the comment when
asked if he had issued orders to
arrest Russian fishing boats if they
enter Shelikof Strait. Egan said no
special orders have been issued.
The plan was mapped out by
the Departments of Fish and Game
and Public Safety after state agents
boarded three Japanese fishing
vessels and arrested their skip
pers in April of 1962 on charges
of fishing illegally in Alaskan
territorial waters.
Egan said that under the plan
which would be used against aliens
fishing illegally in state waters,
the boats would be boarded by
state agents and the skippers and
crewmen of the foreign fishing
vessels would be arrested.
TELLER REFERENDUM
SEEKS CITY STATUS
Magistrate Maurice Kelliher re
ports that on Monday he conducted
a meeting in Teller, at the National
Guard Armory, for the purpose of
incorporating Teller as a 4th class
city.
An election to determine if the
voters approve will be held on
Oct. 7. Election judges named by
Magistrate Kelliher are Helen M.
Blodgett, Teddy Kunuluk and
Frank Noyakuk. At this same elec
tion five city councilman seats will
be acted upon by the voters. Ten
candidates for these seats have
declared themselves and they are:
Johnny Kakaruk, Harold Tweet,
Paul Soolook. Maggie Garnie, Phil
lis Dickman, David Soolook, John
nie Kugzruk, Steven Okbaok, Phil
lip Kugzruk and Edward Keelick.
Limits of the proposed new city
were set out as a rough triangle,
taking in all land lying between
Point Clarence and the fresh wa
ter lake, including the lake and
extending 50 feet back from the
high water line of the lake. This
includes the Teller airport and the
existing Teller townsite.
One Missing, Three Saved
From Capsized Boat
It has been reported by the BIA
teacher at Savoonga that four
young men capsized their boat yes
terday off Savoonga. It appears
that one of the occupants was
treated for shock and exposure,
while two of the men required
no treatment. Sketchy information
received lists Sheldon Jackson as
missing at this time. A search is
in progress.