Digital Bob Archive

JANUARY 30, 1897-Robert Duncan Jr., superintendent of the Alaska Treadwell Gold Mining company, has gone to San Francisco to purchase machinery for further development of the mine. The Treadwell ore body has never been prospected below the 220-foot level and the company now proposes to sink a new five-compartment shaft to a depth of 1000 feet. The company?s machine shop will also be greatly enlarged.

When the City of Topeka was making a landing at the Treadwell dock on her last trip a gust of Taku wind caught her and slammed her into the wharf. Both it and the ferry float were heavily damaged. High winds since then have made it impossible to take the pile driver to the site to make repairs.

FEBRUARY 10, 1897-Shortly after 9 o?clock yesterday morning fire was discovered near the rear end of the Juneau Opera House which was filled with stage sceneries, props and other highly inflammable material. Despite six streams of water turned into the building there was heavy damage to both the contents, most of which are a total loss, and the building itself. The walls are still standing but the roof her collapsed. Bar fixtures were little damaged but W. P. Ellingen suffered approximately $1000 damage by water to his cigar factory stock. The building, owned by James Winn, will be rebuilt to approximately twice its present size. Captain James Carroll has purchased a half interest in the property.

Mail carrier, P. C. Richardson has arrived from the Yukon with 306 letters. He reports that about 400 men are now camped a the mouth of the Clondyke River and that the diggings there are yielding good quantities of coarse gold.

A stranger in Juneau last Monday night would have thought that at least 100 Celestials were celebrating their New Year, to judge by the display of bombs and firecrackers. Actually, there is only one, Joe the Baker, but he gave an elaborate dinner for eight of his ?old time friends? and they assisted him in the noisy observance.

The Nowell Gold Mining Company has installed a new steel safe in its office in town. The safe is designed to hold bullion and has a time lock and is equipped with both fire and burglar alarms.

B. M. Behrends has built a dock near the old Decker Building on the waterfront and will enter the lumber business there. He will handle lumber produced by Robert Purves at the Douglas sawmill.