SOMETHING ABOUT
KUSKOKWIN RIVER
In view of the recent strike reported from the Kuskokwim and
of the general interest being manifested in that district, the follow
ing description of the river and contiguous country may be both
useful and interesting.
The Kuskokwim river is about 1000 miles long, and isnaviga
ble for boats drawing not more tli an four feet of water for 70
miles, and for those of lighter draught for about 200 miles farther.
The mouth of the river is 80 miles wide, but narrows down at a
point about 90 miles from its mouth to five miles in width. For the
next 500 miles the river is of a uniform width of about one-half
mile. Mountain ranges skirt the river from its mouth to the head,
on the left limit, or south side. About 200 miles from its mou^i
the mountains begin on the right limit, or north side, and from
this point the river penetrates the mountains throughout its entire
length.
There are no snags in the river, the reason being that when
the ice goes out each spring it clears the river of all obstructions.
There are no rocks to menace navigation. There is a good chan
nel for the entire length of the river, but it is not buoyed or
marked. There are plenty of good pilots, both native and white
who know the channels, and no person should attempt to navigate
these waters without one; for, on account of the immense sand
flats, which are covered at high tide, and owing to the heavy rise
and fall of the tide in the lower river or bay—about 14 feet—a ves
sel is very apt to be lost, if stranded. The average depth of the
channel is 10 to 20 fathoms as far as Bethel, and the course of the
channel is clean-cut at low water.
The difficulty in navigating the stream arises fiom the fact
that there are no land marks, and in rain or heavy weather the
river banks are not visible. This applies to the first hundred miles
of the river.
The first timber encountered at Bethel Mission, and from that
point upward the timber improves both in quality and quantity on
both the main river and its tributaries. The timber is principally
spruce and birch, the former running from small timber up to that
three and one-half feet in diameter at the head of the river. Out
side of Southeastern Alaska, it is probably the best timbered ssec
tion in the country. There is also some good cottonwood and birch.
There is only one sawmill on the river, located at Bethel and
operated by the Moravian Mission. It has a capacity of about 10,
000, and is equipped with a planer and tongue-and-groove machine.
A great many of the logs are caught as they are being carried out
by the spring freshets. The labor is generally done by natives,
who receive $1 per day.
Large deposits of first-class coal, equal to Wellington, have
been found on one of the tributaries of the river, about 500 miles
up, which might probably be reached by barges at high water,»but
the shipping of which would probably require the construction of
a road or tramway for about 15 miles.
About 200 miles down the river again from this point there is
every indication of oil, as the crude material can be-soen oozing
from the ground. The fuel problem of the future is thus not a
troublesome one.
Near the mouth of the river, on the left limit, large deposits of
gold-carrying quartz have been found, surface assays from which
have shown values of from $7 to §10, and throughout the entire
district there are indications of large placer deposits, the exact |
value of which has not yet been determined.
About 80 miles above Bethel, the Tuluksak empties into the
Kuskokwim on the left limit, and rich discoveries are reported to
have been made about 50 miles up this stream. It is reported that
men who havp wintered there have made from $10 a day up. The
great trouble has been the scarcity of food in this district, as it is
necessary to go to Bethel for everything, and even there supplies
at times are very scarce.—Nome Nugget.
ALASKA NEWS NOTES
The United Wireless Telegraph Company has contracted for
the installation of a three-kilowat wireless station at Susitna, which
will enable the operator at that point to communicate with the sta
tions at Cordova, Katalla, Juneau and Ketchikan.
Thomas V. Smith, better known as Middle Island Smith, was
in Valdez recently on his annual visit. Smith derives his nick
name from Middleton island of which he is the sole occupant, and
where he raises potatoes and blue foxes. Forty-six blue fox
skins, which he sold for $1200. were the result of this season's
harvest.
Cordova held its first election June 22, and Geo. C. Hazelet, Jos.
F. Diggs, E. R. Whittemore, H. Burkhart, Herbert Johnston,
Horace Leach and H. R. King were chosen as councilmen. Geo.
C. Hazelet received 221 of the 248 votes cast, and will be the first
mayor of the town. The vote on the question of incorporation
stood 227 for and 17 against.
The Valdez-Fairbanks Automobile Transportation Company has
recently purchased a powerful machine which cost $0,000. It is a
White Steamer, of 60-horsepower capacity, with accommodations
for ten passengers, and capable of drawing a trailer with a ton or
more of freight. The car is the latest type, and is of the class
used largely in eastern Oregon in stage service. A machinist
from the factory accompanied the car, and will operate the same
during the summer on the run between Valdez and the summit,
and as much farther as the condition of the road will permit.
Deputy Marshal Shea has tendered his resignation to U. S.
Marshal Love. He has been stationed ut Cordova, and rather
than return to Fairbanks he resigned his position.
Daniel Sutherland, U. S. marshal of the First division, has
appointed John Dubois as his chief deputy, and Al. Sullivan and
Carl Armstrong as deputies.
A recent arrival from the Kougarok is authority for the state
ment that Joe Sliseovich has been doing considerable development
work on a galena vein which he has located on Rock creek, a tribu
tary of Slate creek, which in turn empties into Pilgrim river just
below Iron creek. Those who have seen the property declare that
Sliseovich has struck something that looks like a live one. The
ore body is said to be freely impregnated with lead crystals, and it
is believed that it carries a payable quantity of gold and silver,
Ernest
Became
Hostile
Ernest Bartezi, claiming to be ‘‘a
liquor dealer from Arizona looking for
a location.” who was detained iu the
local kastilo for about three weeks by
order of Immigration Inspector Kszis
Krauczunis, was shipped to Seattle last
■Thursday via. St. Michael along with
the big Fairbanks bunch of prostitutes
anti tnacques.
While Ernest was being escorted
from the skookum house to the steam
boat by the inspector and deputy mar
shals, he, on a couple of occasions, ap
plied foul epithets to Krauczunis, who
ignored the macque’s remarks. When
the boat was reached Bartezi became
more demoustrative and accompanied
his viio remarks with “one gr-r-rand
flour-r-r-ish” of his good right arm that
sounded, when it landed on Krauczunis,
exactly like his front name is spelled.
The inspector went to the floor, but he
didn't take the count: he was again on
his feet* in a second, and with a “billy”
he played on the obstreperous Ernest
until he squealed like a pig. For this
“gaiety” the “Arizona liquor dealer
looking for a location” will be com
pelled to wear government jewelry
during his journey to Seattle.
INSTALL PLANT
FOR SURF MINING
Backed by Tacoma capitalists and old-timers in the Nome
country, the Surf Mining Company is now installing plant on the
shore of Bering sea, near the old cemetery, with which it is san
guinely expected a large amount of gold will be cleaned up before
the close of navigation, says the Nome Nugget.
• Oscar Ashby, formerly of the Topkok Ditch Company, and W.
Abell, who first came to the Seward peninsula in lb9rt, are inter
ested in the company, and as both have had considerable practical
experience in mining, there is reasonable grounds for believing
that they will be successful in the undertaking.
The plant which is being installed is a steam scraping outfit.
In other words, it is a large scoop, which will be operated by pul
leys. A “dead man” will be anchored at a point a considerable
distance from the shore, and a block will be attached to the moor
ing. The plant has been so devised that the scoop will work auto
matically, traveling out a certain distance, scooping up a load of
sand, and returning it to the beach, w here it will be treated by the
ordinary method of sluicing. A similar plan was tried some years
ago, but owing to the fact that it was not equipped with a suffi
cient horse power to operate it, the venture proved a failure.
It is common knowledge that the sands which come from the
floor of Bering sea carry high values in gold and other minerals
for a distance of several hundred feet from the shore, and at times
when the wrind has been blowing violently from the north, causing
the water to recede, from $10 to $100 a day has been made by min
ers using the ordinary long tom. If these sands can be handled
on a large scale, dividends are certain.
One of the chief difficulties which will have to be met by the
Surf Mining Company lies in the fact that the upper foot or more
of the sea floor is composed of a quicksand, and as fast as it is
scooped out by the shovel or scraper the hole will fill in again.
This upper stratum carries only very low values, the money lying
in concentrated form about two or three feet below the surface. /
Chicagoff Mines
Get New Machinery
I
A. M. Archangel, superintend- \
ent of the Chicagoff mines, ar-!
rived here this morning on the!
Georgia and is stopping at the
Occidental, says the Juneau Rec
ord of June 30. Mr. Archangel
is enroute to Seattle, thence to i
Los Angeles, where he. will order
new machinery and equipment
for the Chicagoff mines. He re
ports everything as thriving at
the mines.
At present there are only fif
teen men employed but on the
arrival of the new machinery the
force will be increased to twenty
five or more. There are four
stamps working now with a capa
city of ten tons, hut they will be
improved to handle forty tons.
Nea tly-Prin ted Sta tionery
ADDS MORE DIGNITY AND GIVES GREATER SATISFACTION IN YOUR
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE THAN ANY OTHER ITEM OF OFFICE
EQUIPMENT.
The Leader Furnishes That Kind!
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.
The electric power plant in
stalled lately promises to be a
success and will be put into com
mission within the next ten days.
Water from the nearby mountains
affords more than sufficient power
for a plant the whole year round.
Mr. Archangel will perhaps be
remembered by many Juneau peo
ple as he was for years em
ployed at the Treadwell mine.
From Treadwell he went to Ber
keley, taking a course in mining
engineering there and later re
turning to Alaska to accept the
superintendency of the Chicagoff
mines. Mr. Archangle will re
main a month in Seattle attend
ing the fair before returning to
his duties at Chicagoff.—Juneau
Record, June 19.
Poacher’s
Remains
Cremated
Valdez Prospector: Cremation of a
dead compatriot gave the Japanese
guests of the government today the
busiest time they have had since they
last shoveled snow for the town. All
the prisoners took part in the cere
mony attended by the jail guards and a
large number of curious white citizens.
The crematory was improvised in the
first belt of timber east of town, closo
to the beach.
At 8:30 this morning a wagon con
taining the remain of K. flioka started
from the old church which serves as a
jail for the Japanese poachers who got
caught last year, followed by sixty or
more prisoners, each carrying an arm
ful of paper flowers which they manu
facture on an extensive scale. Behind
them was a troop of white men, which
augmented in numbers as the proces
sion moved. In the woods a shallow
grave was dug and little wood placed
in the bottom under the coffin. Ppon
the coffin the dead man’s clothing, ilio
flowers and sundry viands for his long
journey were heaped. Above this a
funeral pyre of split firewood was built
and the ceremonies began. Capt. Sugi
mura, of the schooner Saikai Maru, to
whose company Hioka belonged, read a
Japanese ritual. Others of the com
pany read original panegyrics, dwelling
upon the virtues of the dead.
Then the funeral pile was lighted
and burned slowly. As the flames rose
and enveloped the entire heap the
mourners commented in a buzz of clat
terwa that showed the vital interest to -
them of the proceeding. When the
fire grew hot they broke the coffin with
picks and sharp stick to give it better
access to the body. All of the corpse
was consumed except a few of the
larger bones, which constitute the sole
relics that will go home to Hioka’s
family in Hakodate. He leaves a widow
and one child. He was 33 years old.
For a good shave or first-class hair
cut call at Matt Stewart’s barber shop.
See us for Cloth Posters.