Digital Bob Archive

11 May 1979 issue

JANUARY 27, 1917-The heavy snowfall of the past few days is causing problems in the Juneau area. An enormous snowslide roared down the mountainside between the Red Mill and the Ebner Mill in Gold Creek Valley and buried two employees of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company. Ben Grout and Marvis Rasmussen were both dead when rescue parties from the Alaska Gastineau and Alaska Juneau reached them. Two companions escaped the slide. Another huge slide near Shady Bend threw fine snow and sticks over much of the city. Slides have played havoc with electrical lines in the valley and also demolished a number of cabins and the city rock crusher, located near Shady Bend. Slides also tore down an estimated 3,000 feet of snow sheds at the Perseverance Mine. The road to Perseverance is blocked many feet deep and the mine has been forced to suspend operations.

AUGUST 14, 1920-W. A. Clark announced today that he has disposed of his interest in the Juneau Hardware Company to W. W. Casey, W. G. Johnson and Oliver M. Olson. Mr. Clark came to Juneau four years ago after nine years in business in Nome. With Mr. Johnson he purchased the Juneau Hardware Company and the Alaska Supply Company, the latter firm gong into the wholesale building trade. Mr. Olson has been employed for the past several years in Jensen?s Hardware store in Douglas.

MARCH 20, 1924-James J. Connors announced today that he is changing the name of his firm from Alaska Auto & Supply Company to Connors Motor Company. He is also moving the business from its present location to the building formerly occupied by Marshall & Newman Company. Connors Motors is agent for Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet automobiles.

NOVEMBER 22, 1924-Norman Dawn, director and general manager of the Norman Dawn Alaska Picture Producing Company, says that the interior scenes of the 8-reel drama of Alaska, made during the summer, are now finished. The picture is expected to go on the market about the first of the year. It is titled ?Passions of the Frost? and the cast includes Chuck Reisner, Marcia Mannon, Lasca Winter, George Fisher, Max David, Arthur Jasmine, Katherine Dawn and others.

DECEMBER 11, 1930-The Arcade Restaurant on Front Street changed hands today. Chris Bailey, who came to Juneau recently from Ketchikan, has purchased the popular cafe from Mary Young. She has operated it for many years. Bailey had the Poodle Dog Cafe in Ketchikan and has lived in Southeastern Alaska for the past 25 years.

JULY 23, 1931-Campbell Church, Jr., who operates seven charter yachts, much of the time in Alaskan waters, is a Juneau visitor. He reports that business is twice as good as last year. He is traveling aboard the 68-foot Nooya, Captain Henry Durham. Other vessels in the fleet are the Westward, Caroline, Winnifred II, Alarwee, Rio Bonita and Pandora. He started the business in 1924 when he chartered the Westward to George Eastman of Kodak fame.

MAY 25, 1932-J. F. Keegan, formerly of Portland, Oregon, is opening photographic studio in the Goldstein Building. It will be known as the Sterling Specialty Company. Associated with Mr. Keegan is R. A. Cowan, an experienced photographer.

AUGUST 1, 1934-Walter G. Hellan, longtime Juneau resident, has been named deputy U. S. Marshal by Marshal W. T. Mahoney. He replaces Frank Booth. Mr. Hellan was engaged in the mercantile business here for many years.

MAY 20, 1935-Kelly Blake?s new special delivery truck is now ready to start making deliveries for local merchants following the building of a special body here. It is based on a Reo speed wagon purchased through Juneau Motors. For the special body, Harri Machine Shop furnished the iron work, C. H. Metcalfe Co. the sheet metal, Kraft?s Cabinet Shop the woodwork, Juneau Motors the painting, and Lu Liston the sign writing.

JUNE 25, 1935-Fire left the Paris Inn building, a Juneau landmark valued at $9,000, a mass of charred ruins early this morning. The popular Wagner?s roadhouse, as it was also known, near Salmon Creek on the Glacier Highway, was razed by a fire that started in the kitchen about 7 a.m. John Wagner is the former owner of the building which was bid in by Joe George and his brothers in April. Wagner had until next April to redeem it. The building was constructed about 1913 as a boarding house for men working at a mine owned by Wagner on Salmon Creek. Mrs. Pearl Williams was operating the Paris Inn.

MARCH 1, 1938-Eight members of the Juneau High School basketball squad and their coach returned from Petersburg today on the Mount McKinley after losing the Southeastern Alaska championship to Petersburg, two games to one. Making the trip were Harold Hansen, Gil De Vault, Bud Brown, Ed Hildre, Tom Powers, Henry Behrends, Vernon Hussey, Grant Ritter and Coach W. P. Hautala.

MARCH 31, 1938-Yesterday Mary Joyce took the Channel Flying Club?s Aeronca plane out for a spin. At the same time, Art Bergren had his boat, the Three Deuces, out. The two craft met in the middle of the harbor just as the plane was about to take off. Fortunately, the wing just grazed the bow of the boat. Some fabric was torn off and a rib was cracked, but nobody was injured.

JANUARY 3, 1939-The Territory?s bank balance at the end of 1938 stood at its highest mark in six years, just under one million dollars, according to a report made by Territorial Treasurer Oscar G. Olson to Governor John W. Troy. The balance was $990,009.89, more than $200,000 higher than a year ago. At the end of 1933 the balance was only $381,524.82.

MARCH 1, 1939-Opening a second store in Juneau, the Nugget Shop will operate an exclusive shop in the Baranof Hotel Building, soon to open. The shop will be located to the right of the main lobby entrance.