Digital Bob Archive

8 June 1979 issue

JANUARY 10, 1909-The new firm of H. E. Biggs Company opened for business this morning in the store formerly occupied by C. B. Haraden. Mr. Biggs deals in groceries and men?s furnishing and has had 10 years experience catering to the trade in Juneau.

JANUARY 19, 1909-The Caledonians of Treadwell, Douglas and Juneau are planning a monster celebration on the 25th to commemorate the anniversary of Robert Burns? birthday. There will be Scottish songs, games, dances, music and food, with plenty of bagpipes.

NOVEMBER 30, 1912-Yesterday the electric current from Sheep Creek, 300 horsepower of it, was turned on at the Perseverance Mine and the new motors were given a tryout. When everything is running smoothly the new compressors will give a capacity of 26 machine drills in the mine.

DECEMBER 4, 1912-The most disastrous fire in the history of Juneau, from the aspect of property loss, occurred last night when the 100-stamp mill of the Alaska Gastineau Mining Company at the Perseverance Mine in Silver Bow Basin burned to the ground. The fire was discovered by the night mine crew at 10 minutes past 12, camp time, which is one half hour later than Juneau time. It had already made great headway, having started in the lower part of the mill near the office and dry rooms. Cold weather had frozen some of the hoses and pipes, making it difficult to fight the blaze. There was no insurance, but the mill soon was to have been closed with the opening of the new mill on the beach at the mouth of Sheep Creek. Other buildings of the camp were saved and will continue in use to house Perseverance miners.

FEBRUARY 25, 1913-An igloo of the Alaska Order of Pioneers is to be instituted in Juneau in the near future and will be known as Igloo No. 6 Representative Frank A. Aldrich of Nome, who is here for the opening of the Alaska Legislature, is grand vice president of the order and he took up the subject of a local igloo with a number of members of the 1887 Pioneers who still live here. That organization was formed six years ago but is inactive. Mr. Aldrich proposed that all members of the 1887 Pioneers join the Alaska Pioneers in a body. All would be eligible as they have lived in Alaska at least since 1887 and the Alaska Pioneers requires residency only since January 1, 1901.

APRIL 4, 1913-The Princess Sophia struck Sentinel Island Reef at 2 o?clock yesterday morning and stove her bow below the waterline. The ship hung on the reef for about two hours, then floated off and came to Juneau. Her watertight bulkheads are containing the leak. It was very dark and raining hard at the time she struck, which was in the same place where the Princess May struck on August 5, 1910. The vessel, however, stayed on the reef for a month.

JANUARY 16, 1915-Patent to the 160-acre homestead located many years ago by the late John W. Waydelich, pioneer Juneau resident, has been received at the local Land Office. The homestead is at Auk Bay. Mr. Waydelich died several months ago and a few weeks ago his second son, George, also passed away. The oldest son, John, died in the hospital here three years ago. The homestead will now become the property of Dora Waydelich, the young daughter of the locator, who is now attending the Cushman Industrial School near Tacoma.

FEBRUARY 18, 1917-In the Goldstein Building a corps of carpenters is busy getting the rooms in shape for the convening of the Third Territorial Legislature next month. Both the Senate and House will occupy the two large rooms on the third floor, Second Street side of the building.

SEPTEMBER 27, 1920-In a major real estate deal, Michael George of the Leader Department Store has purchased from Henry Shattuck the lots and building on the north side of Ferry Way at Front Street. The building is now occupied by the Brunswick billiard hall, owned and operated by Dave Housel. He is arranging for a long term lease from the new owner.

SEPTEMBER 23, 1924-The Douglas Public Library will open its doors this evening for the first time. The hours are 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday. A children?s reading hour will be held on Saturdays from 2 to 3 p.m. and children may take books between 3 and 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The library is operated by a committee of the Douglas Women?s Council.

SEPTEMBER 7, 1924-Norman Dawn and four members of his Alaska moving picture company arrived here last night from the Westward on the steamer Alaska and will make location pictures in this vicinity. While here Mr. Dawn will show at the Coliseum the feature picture he made in the Interior last winter, titled ?The Lure of the Yukon.? Scenes for the present picture, still untitled, were taken at Fairbanks, along the Alaska Railroad, at Seward and elsewhere on the Kenai Peninsula.

SEPTEMBER 1, 1931-Vandalism at Firemen?s Ball Park has reached serious proportions, according to J. L. Gray, chief of the Juneau Volunteer Fire Department. The property room was recently broken open and balls and bats were taken; the water fountain has been broken, the players? bench smashed and holes have been torn in the fence.

AUGUST 8, 1934-A crew of 12 men is now working at the Alaska-Windham Mine at Windham Bay, according to Tom Judson, foreman in charge of the mill. He came to town on the mailboat Dart to spend a few days.

JUNE 18, 1938-Rox and Hardy, wrecking contractors, have pulled down the old Del Mar Hotel in five days, just half the time allotted by their contract. The hotel has been a Juneau landmark and was removed to clear the site for the construction of the Baranof Hotel.