10 Capital Journal, Salem, Ore, Friday, October 28, 1949
FAME OR DESPAIR?
Is Latest Gold Rush a Boom
Or a Bust? Answer Soon
By JACK DAUM
(PilrbinkJ Ncwi-Mlntr Itiff Wrllll)
(Written for th. AitocLttd Prut)
Fishwheel, Alaska, Oct. 28 VP) The future of Fishwheel balanced
on a knife edge today. On one aide is fame, fortune and riches;
on the other disillusionment and despair.
We should know in a few days whether the pea-sized nuggets
of gold found by Clifton Carroll last week touched off a boom or
Dust. '
Prospect holes now being sunk
have reached coarse sand at
about six feet. Sand usually
covers the gravel which lies on
top of the all - important bed
rock. If gold is here, It will be
on the bedrock.
The holes are dug by building
a fire on top of the ground for
about six hours. This thaws the
ground about foot down, and the
prospector digs out the moist
earth and starts another fire.
It's a slow, tortuous process but
the only possible method here
where no heavy equipment is to
be had.
Ed Farrell, a veteran of the
Dawson gold rush, has been pros
pecting the streams of Alaska
since 1900. He has his hole
down five feet and should hit
bedrock in about two days.
"Why this is nothing," said
Ed as we walked away from the
hole where he had just lit a
new fire. "In the Dawson rush
there was a line of holes two
miles long with fire and smoke
coming out of each one. In
those days a man didn't mind
a little work."
Farrell thinks the modern
prospector is lazy "expects to
have the gold jump up and hit
him in the face."
He also remained optimistic
despite the absence of even an
ounce of gold in commercial
quantities.
"That doesn't indicate a thing
In the Fairbanks strike years
ago there weren't one-tenth the
indications shown here so far,"
he explained. "We are finding
color consistently and a few nug
gets have been taken out that's
enough to warrant a few days'
work singing a hole."
Meanwhile, dozens of new
comers are pouring in each day.
Three planes landed on Mag
offin field before 8 a.m. yester
day. The field a quarter mile
stretch of river sufficiently
frozen to support 490 horse
power planes was named after
Jim Magoffin, first bush pilot
to land on it.
Cold water and it's all cold
hereabouts was poured on the
gold prospects by several men
from Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Several would-be prospectors
returned to the coastal city and
expressed the belief the Fish
wheel area is not good gold
strike terrain.
Amateurs and professionals'
are pretty well convinced," said
Bill Lund, an Anchorage airline
pilot, after his return from the
scene, "but they're afraid to
leave for fear they'll miss some
thing."
Lund and Robert Stevenson
another pilot, said they got two
nuggets from their digging.
Lund said they caused some ex
citment among nearby prospec
tors, but that they were among
tne few nuggets they saw at the
camp.
CRIES OF 'HOAX' HEARD
One of Gold Strike Nuggets
Found to Be Brass
By AL BRAMSTEDT
Fairbanks, Alaska, Oct. 28 U.R) One of the original nuggets
of the Fishwheel gold strike is brass, University of Alaska
geologist Richard Ragle said today.
Acid tests and microscopic examinations also revealed that
two of the other nuggets of the original find were "pocket worn"
or had been carried in a "poke"- .
for several months, he said.
Ragle's revelation came as
cries of "hoax" echoed through
the territory from embittered
prospectors who returned empty-
handed from the strike scene.
But the hardy gold-seekers
remaining at the claim site were
still enthusiastic and hopeful.
Some said they intended to brave
the rigors of winter and possibly
bring In heavy equipment to
work the claims.
A test-tube of the original
nuggets unearthed two weeks
ago on the Yukon river 165 miles
north of here was brought to the
university yesterday and given
to Ragle for microscopic and
chemical examination.
In Washington, meanwhile,
the bureau of land management
aald Its Fairbanks district man
ager, Fred J. Weller, reported
the value of all gold actually
taken from the Fishwheel strike
"probably wouldn't exceed $50."
Veteran Alaska prospectors
aaid the total amount of fold
taken at Fishwheel could be du
plicated at "any of a million
points on the Yukon river."
At least six men In Anchor
age were of the out-spoken opin
ion that the nuggets had been
"salted" by persons standing to
gain financially by such a rush
Meanwhile, Anchorage Police
Chief Charles Stowell reported
not a single crime had been
committed In his city during a
36-hour period. He said the city's
outlaws had all joined the Fish
wheel strike rush.
An average of 10 to 20 persons
usually are Jailed each day, he
saio.
Flight Deck Crash A British naval airman aboard the
aircraft carrier H.M.S. Illustrious rushes into the flaming
wreckage of a Sea Fury plane after it had crashed on the
flight deck of the carrier. Two of the rescue party were
commended by the Royal Navy for their bravery in saving
the pilot from the flames. The crash happened last May
25, but this picture was just released by the British Admiralty.
(AP Wirephoto)
AT GOLD-SEEKING FISHWHEEL
Armored cars were in use by
the marine corps as far back as
1916
Residents of Tent Village
Give Cross Section of North
Fishwheel, Alaska, Oct. 27 (P) Residents of this gold-seeking
tent village represent a fairly accurate cross-section of Alaskan
natives, old-timers, cheechakos (tenderfeet), and business men.
The old-timers are a quiet group going about their business
with the calm efficiency born of many years' experience in the
north. Their entire equipment
for a month's stay in the treach
erous wilderness is carried in a
large pack. A tent, a collapsible
stove, a few pounds of dehydra
ted vegetables and dried meat,
an axe and a gun are all these
redoubtable characters require.
But the Cheechakos Indian
for newcomers arrive like motion-picture
stars on an ocean
voyage. Huge bundles of cloth
ing, canned food, fancy lanterns.
heavy stoves and many small
comfort Items are piled on the
river bank in hurried disorder.
They arrive by plane and the
pilot, after helping them carry
belongings to the river bank,
attempts to impress each passen
ger with the dangers of the
country.
When the plane leaves, the
'drugstore prospectors" look be-
wilderedly around, finally at
taching themselves to an old
timer whom they ply with ques
tions: "Where is unstaked ground?"
"Where is a good place to pan
for a few nuggets?" "How will
the weather be this week?"
Deanna Durbin
Seeks Divorce
Los Angeles, Oct. 28 UP)
Singing Star Deanna Durbin to
day divorced her second hus
band, Movie Director Felix
Jackson.
She testified that Jackson sim
ply walked out on her. How
ever, she tossed in a few in
stances of mental cruelty to sup
port her petition for an inter
locutory decree. The couple
was married in Las Vegas, Nev.,
June 13, 1945, and Miss Durbin,
who was the 47-year-old Jack
son's fourth wife, said they had
been separated since Jan. 6,
1947.
The 26-year-old singer, who
recently has grown slightly
plumpish, was married once be
fore, but divorced in 1943 from
Vaughn Paul, also a film execu
tive.
Wage-Hour Law Unclear in
Many Cases; 75 Cents lis Low
By JAMES MARLOW
Washington, Oct. 28 UP) You're an employer. There's a new
minimum wage-hour law. You want to know right now precisely
what each item in it means and how it affects you, your business.
your employes.
At this moment no one can give an answer saying what the law
means in every possible case.
"Where do we go from here?
All this the old sourdough
will answer with kindly patience
and the Cheechakos grow more
bewildered and perplexed.
When they learn that the must
chop stakes and gather fire
wood, dig a hole in frozen
ground and undergo possible 60-
degree-below-zero weather, a
number of them catch the next
plane back to Fairbanks.
Many of them stay a few days
until they get tired of trying to
cut a straight line through near
ly Impenetrable brush. Then
they decide "there's probably
no gold here anyhow" and re
turn home.
tssss.
...as a womb's fog
-thfs
FHIS-TOHLCSS
THf COffVIMINT, CHAN,
EFFICIENT FUa
IT 'I 'MM
CAPITOL LUMBER CO.
N. Cherry Ave.
rfaeaw Mill w 14411
Ching Delays Trip
Seattle, Oct. 28 (IP) Cyrus S.
Ching, director of the U.S. medi
ation and conciliation service,
will delay his previously sched
uled trip to the northwest be
cause of business pressure from
the steel and coal strikes, Harry
H. Lewis, regional director, said
today.
Jersey Cow
Tested Dam
An Oregon registered Jersey
cow has been rated as a tested
dam by the American Jersey
Cattle club. The distinction was
awarded Elsa's Spotted Sweet
heart for having three offspring
with official production records.
She is owned by Mrs. John E.
Lindow, of Independence.
The cow's defendants averag
ed 10,515 pounds of milk and
551 pounds of butterfat on twice
daily milking, mature equiva
lent basis. The tests were check
ed by Oregon State college and
the American Jersey Cattle club.
The production testing work
carried on by Lindow are part
of a program offered by the
American Jersey Cattle club, to
make possible the continuous
improvement of the Jersey
breed. The club's national head
quarters is in Columbus, Ohio.
Students Attend
Idaho Conference
Willamette university Is being
represented at the northwest
conference of the International
Relations club in Moscow, Idaho,
by four students. They are Rus
sell Gochnour of New Cumber
land, Pa., president of the Wil
lamette group; Mary Ellen Wil-
cox of Aiouquerque, .m..
Goldwyn Kulbel, Beaverton and
Leopold Pospisil, recently from
Czechoslovakia.
The conference, being held on
the University of Moscow cam-
ous is expected to attract 150
delegates who will be addressed
by Dr. O. M. Nelson, dean of
the college of arts and science
at the University of Utah.
nnouncina
a
The Opening of the Park'n Market
RICHFIELD SERVICE STATION
N.W. Comer Park and Market St.
Ml 1 J III
4 . .ASI J
' j
A brand new station featuring the famous Richfield pro
ducts operated by N. L. "Pappy" Cruzen, well known in
the Service Station business in Salem.
"Pappy" will continue his alert, congenial personal service
at his new location, Northwest Corner of Park & Market
St.
N. L. "Pappy" Crutrn
IN ADDITION to Richfield gasoline, the Park'n Market will feature Goodyear Tires, Good
year Batteries and other accessories.
Potted Plants
For the Ladies
FREE!
Gifts for the Kiddies and for the Men Too!
j f.uf.M the number of gallons of
I Rlohfleld Gas We Will Sell the Opening Day
j Winner will receive 6 months auto lubrication.
Name Ph.
Address
No. of Gallons
Generally, this much is true:
Most employes, employers and
businesses covered by the old
law, which was passed in 1938,
are covered by the new law.
But the new law has removed
some people from coverage and
has made some other changes
as well.
The outstanding change: ev
ery employe covered by the law
now must be paid a minimum of
75 cents an hour. Under the old
law the minimum was 40 cents.
But there were other changes,
some of them stated in such
clear language by congress that
no one can misunderstand them.
For example:
A public telephone exchange,
and its operators, are exempt
from the minimum wage and
overtime provisions of the law
if that exchange services less
than 750 stations.
A number of other businesses
and their employes are also ex
empted, clearly, under the new
law.
But the law's effect on other
businesses and their employes is
far less clear. It's so unclear,
in fact, that it probably will
take years before court decisions
say precisely what the effect is
in different cases.
That's why because of lack
of clarity in the law the wage-
h o u r administration experts,
who interpret the law and lay
down the rules, can't at this
time give opinions covering
every possible case.
So, if you have any doubts as
to how this new law effects you
your business or your workers,
do one of two things:
1. Ask the wage-hour admin
istration for a ruling In your
case.
2. Ask your lawyer.
A female eel frequently pro
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