people'have to break trail for miles
on end.When they take freight into
their claims they have to.do it in
relays.They take some of their .sup
. plies to their tent or .cabin on the
way, then go back for more .When they
have made many trmps to the tent,or
cabin, they repeat the smc-i&thing ’ over
and over to the next relay camp,and
so on, till they'get it all to their
mining claim.One Chitina prospector
who has 200 mi.le mush to his-claim
each season,covers 800 miles of this
relaying to get his freight in each
year * *
When they come to places on the,
trails where the water has overflow
ed and glaciated the path with ice *.
which,gets higher and higher and it •
slopes off worse and worse as the
winter wears on,they have to tie can
vass sacks,something like moccasins,
on their dogs* feet,as they get so
sore and“ cut on the ice.They have to
cut the hair out between the dogs*
toes as it balls up with snow.' The
dogs-sleds slip off the trails^ and ■
even the horse sleds sometimes.Even
the James’s tractor broke thru an
overflow on the river and stuck in ■
the ice.They use river ice. for afcoads
whenever possible because it is smooJ
* ther than pack-trails.Dogs in a. dog*
'tpam cannot warry a great deal more
than the food they eat(most!y dried
salmon)so net so very much load of
freight can'be taken at any one trip
of the relay. Many of the'claims are
up where timber is scarce, and the
prospectors have to take in even the
:* fire-wood. On claims not so ’high up
" in the mountains, they cut down spruce
trees and'saw their own boards for
timbering^sluicc boxes and flumes,
You may say we live a hard, life here
in Alaska,The average Alaskan doesn’t
but the real pioneers do.Trappers &’
prospectors and miners can justifyit.
By the Editor. A.C.N.
CARL WHITKAF has oust1 come brick from
.Outside .We hope he didnot bring the
depression with him,but he is prc'tty
well ammuned for that stuff with all
the common sepcc and sence of humor
he has.36.he would probably only get
the gout .We understand he- did not get
that. Well; we.hope for the best,for
him anyway,and for everyone else in
that line,for Nabesna means a^lqt td
Alaska.Good luck to him this season..
This being LEAP YEAR may be a good
year for unmarried'ladies. But it is
. a' bad one for boys. As they will have
n-n extra day when they heave to wash
theV* faces and hands at least, and
behind thfeir ears.
Cheer up,it was ever thus since hu
mans became civilized..
Coupon.
WEEKLY HERALD, Chit inn, Alaska.
Lear Sirs:- I am enclosing 40 0 for
r, which please mail me my copy of the
4’•All, ALASKA REVIEW ECR 1931"'just out.
ame - , ?: " ■
dress -
4'
__ ,
GREATLY IncQVEHIEHCED.Mr. JacK Hayes
and his partner Bon Greene have been
held up on their long trip into the
claims thfey are prospecting in Yukoir
Ter:-itory,on the White River.Ste vert
Creekolffr. Green got no sick Gillam
had to fly him into Slrunh&tma* where
he will he cared for till he recup
erates and. then he will mush his dog
team into Canada,to * he claims . Jn
the meantime Jack Hayes had Gillam
take him hy airplane into Dawson as
he had to get papers and some kind^
of-clearance from,the Canadian Gov't*
Then he flew from Dawson to White
River country,, and was dropped theia
while Pilot Gillam flew back to the
airport at Copper Center,which is
his base at presemt.
OVER THE RADIO local fans listen in
for 11 P.M.' news from KF^D Anchor
age every night. It usually comes
in fine,and the announcer is very
clear spoken. It was announced re
cently that Gillam was held in Daw^
son longer than expected on acc't
of‘bad weather. This trip includ
ed Chicken and Shushanna.^.
p
INTREPID WOMEN. Mrs.Billy James''&
her husband are in town on their
way to mush into Shushanna. Her
husband is one of the discoverers
of Shushanna gold .We will describe
how she locks when ready for the
long'trail trip mushing behind the.
dogs,with jBilly• She is dressed on
the long cold mush in Khaki trousea
and'Shirt,wool socks,leather mocca
sins with felt in-soles (the mocca
sins come up high halfway to the
knee something like mukluks)leath
er makinaw .jacket,double lined cap
pulled down over her ears,and. fur
lined hide mittensjBhe helpd her
• husband with the dogs-.-and there she
helps him .pan the go Id'and taking
care of the dogs and equipment;
Another veteran dog-musher,and
packhorse driver is Mrs. Adoph Am- ^
mann of Chitina and Kotsina^ She
goes with her husband into t It
Kotsina every season,where they'owi
valuble claims .'Mrs. Ammann too; ie
a good worker at breaking,trail, &
helping Mr.Ammann-in every way,and
they both are proud and have every
right to be,that she she has alwny
gone everywhere a man could go.Th<-?
Ammanns like the James have gone ii.
and out for .around-25 years.
CAKE of Thanks, ..AH the Copper'Rive*'
Natives wish to thank Mr.& Mrs*V/jn*
Tibbs and Mr ♦Louis Lenahy X or all
the fine and useful presents |i ey
sent to the Native Christmas Tree*
. It is a hard winter for the’Na-.
tives owing to whooping cough.Two,
j.Chitina babies as well as several
j ojrt the Trail have died of compile*,
I cations*Joe Good-intaw’s little 9ttio
{ girl, ‘and now Ed &. Susie Charley*s
little girl about two years • old *It
' is ci hard blow to them all,and they
? ‘have the' sympathy, of" all- good Chi- *
•! ina res.. ents#ih the loss of thei:
' ’babies fx on thi s ‘disease. '