Digital Bob Archive

26 May 1978 issue

MAY 30 1940-The Pioneers? Monument, a gift to the City of Juneau by Pioneers of Alaska Igloo No. 6, was dedicated today at 8th and Glacier Avenues, next to the Memorial Presbyterian Church. The stone monument with a bronze plaque was unveiled by Miss Genevieve Juneau, grandniece of Joe Juneau, and Miss Margaret Harris, granddaughter of Richard Harris. Likenesses of the two men appear on the plaque. R. E. Robertson related the history of the gold discovery by Juneau and Harris, Charles W. Carter made the presentation on behalf of the Pioneers and it was accepted by Mayor Harry I. Lucas. The high school band played the Star Spangled Banner and Alaska, My Alaska, and Dean C. E. Rice offered the prayer. Igloo No. 6 has also furnished new bronze plaques for the graves of Juneau and Harris in Evergreen Cemetery.

JULY 18, 1938-The Juneau Sports Fishing Club?s annual salmon derby was held yesterday at Marmion Island, with many local strip fishermen taking part. Last year between 25 and 30 fishermen took part and the number increased this year. Kell Larsson took first place and a $10 prize with a 12 1/2-pound king. Henry Harmon won three of the seven prizes, including a cohoe which took second place.

JANUARY 12, 1914-Charles Doty died last evening in his little cabin at Douglas at the age of 80. Born in Massachusetts, he enlisted in the Navy at the outbreak of the Civil War and served in several warships. At the end of the war he moved to the gold fields of California, then came to Alaska in 1886 to engage in prospecting and mining. About 1902 he settled in the cove of Admiralty Island that is now known by his name. He remained there until last year when failing health forced him to move to town.

JULY 20, 1893-The first mine one comes to when going up the Gold Creek road is the Takou Union Consolidated, on the right side of the creek as you go upstream. The property includes some of the first lode claims staked in the valley in 1880 and 1881 and there have been a number of owners including the Johnson Mill & Mining Company which built the first road up the creek. Several types of patented grinders and mills were tried on the property but none worked satisfactorily until 1888 when Clarence W. Coulter installed a 10-stamp mill, the one now in operation.

Under Coulter the mine showed very favorable results but there was a lack of harmony among the owners and last year the property was idle. This year Willis Thorp, owner of the Juneau slaughterhouse, is operating the property under lease and a good season?s run is expected. The mill is in charge of L. B. Stearns and John W. Irvin is foreman in the mine, while Mr. Thorp personally supervises the entire work.

JULY 9, 1938-A 16-ton steam shovel went to work this morning on the site of the Baranof Hotel project. Only a skeleton crew will be used for the excavation work, but the contractor, A. W. Quist, expects to put 100 men to work soon. His brother, V. Quist, is foreman on the job. The contract calls for completion of the six-story building by January 1 at an estimated cost of $350,000.

JANUARY 10, 1915-Will Douglas Island soon be connected with the mainland by a bridge? Residents of both Douglas and Juneau have long desired this but so far have been frustrated. As early as 1900 it was proposed to connect the two towns by railroad, crossing the channel at Mendenhall Bar. In 1902 the Juneau, Douglas and Treadwell Railroad Company was actually incorporated, but construction of the facility never got started. Now Delegate James Wickersham has introduced a bill in Congress to appropriate $750,000 for the construction of a suspension bridge across the channel. The measure should have the support of all Channel residents. (Note: The bridge finally came 20 years later.)

FEBRUARY 22, 1894-That Juneau is still the place that Yukon miners make for when they come Outside was proved yesterday with the arrival of the first winter party of men from Forty Mile. They are Hank Henderson and Hank Wright, miners; John Reed, a saloonkeeper, and a halfbreed named Pitka, an employee of Wright. They left Forty Mile on December 18 and arrived at Wilson?s post at Dyea on February 8, making the trip in 53 days. Much of it was hard going. They were blinded by blowing snow and almost lost their way on the summit, but they are feeling food as they have about $15,000 in gold dust safely locked up in the safe at the Occidental Hotel.

MAY 31, 1908-In the past year the 540 stamps of the Treadwell Mine have crushed 743,097 tons of ore, yielding $887,509 in gold by amalgamation and $736,636 from 12,968 tons of concentrates, for a total of $1,624,145. The yield per ton of ore was $2.18. Operating costs were $1.40 per ton and the profit 78 cents per ton.

The mine has now reached a total depth of 1,450 feet and the bulk of the ores are coming from between the 600-foot and the 1,450-foot levels. Only 86,318 tons came from the glory holes. There was 9,764 feet of new development work during the year, with 32 machine drills in operation. The mine has two mills; one of 240 stamps, the other of 300.

This report does not include the Mexican, the 700 or the Ready Bullion Mines.

MAY 20,1893-The framing of the 60-stamp mill for the Mexican Mine at Treadwell is being done as fast as the lumber can be sawed. The millsite has been cleared to bedrock to give a good foundation for the mortars. A day shift is also at work in the mine and track has been laid in the main tunnel which is now some 700 feet long and in the several cross-cuts which aggregate 3,900 feet. Considerable new timbering has been done and the property put in good shape for mining.

DECEMBER 6, 1912-A large part of the beach settlement just below Shattuck?s sawmill was wiped out of existence at 4:30 this morning by an avalanche of mud that came tearing down the mountainside. An old man and a child were thought missing for a time but are now accounted for. The slide took out part of the plank road that connects with the new Sheep Creek boulevard. The slide tilted or destroyed cabins and tents and this morning the Native population of the area was busy trying to rescue household effects.

MAY 25, 1917-Eastern brook trout fry to number 150,000 developed at Thane, will be released in the next few days in the lake created by the Salmon Creek dam, in Upper and Lower Annex Lakes, and at Dewey and Long Lakes near Skagway.

The fry were developed under the direction of A. J. Sprague, for many years engaged in fish propagation here. A total of 170,000 eggs were obtained from a government hatchery in Colorado and the 150,000 fry came from those eggs.

The necessary equipment for hatching the eggs was provided by the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company at Thane. Governor John F. A. Strong has authorized not to exceed $600 in territorial funds for the distribution of the fry. A local Sportsmen?s Committee has also assisted in furthering the hatchery work. Members include Charles Goldstein, A T. Spatz, Charles E. Davidson and Sprague.

JANUARY 7, 1914-Juneau came out ahead by a 26-11 score in the first ever basketball game played by the Juneau and Douglas high schools. The game was played at Jaxson?s Rink and there was an overflow crowd, with one whole side of the mammoth rink set aside for Douglas supporters. The ferry made extra trips to carry Douglas people to Juneau. Playing for Juneau were Herner, Kashevaroff, Burford, MacKinnon, Casey, Richard, Hurlbutt and Stroud, while the Douglas players were Marks, Oliver, Markanen, Liljestrand, Gallwas and Gans.

JANUARY 19, 1914-The Douglas High School basketball players got their revenge last night, winning by a 12-6 score. The Douglas yell team was lead by Helmi Aalto, while Paul Thompson was the Juneau cheer leader.