The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-02-17

Alaska was young mans country
once. but it's a land Of glorious old
men now, according 90 Jack BROOKS,
FORMER city councilman Of fair.
hanks. now tho owner Of promising
''dlgEina' on Jack Wade creek.
Jack isn't paying himself any
compliments either. for tho he Il IS.
he is nearly tho youngest man on
the crvek. and one Of tho Youngest
in the whole OF the Forty Mile ooun'
try. which stretches out rrom paw'
son on the American side.
In the Forty Mile district. typical
OF all uhese orceks. rs par cent Of
the population are over 90. according
10 Brooks
but not all Of them find enough
dust in their prospect holes TO supply
necessary provisions. 80 some Of
shVm arr iaborvrz. George Ester.
brook. who is only rs. IA tho star
route carrier from Chicken to Tan
ana Crossing. In a country where the
mail has 20 be carried on dog sheds
in 40 below weather.
Practically all OF thens men and
women havo been raised on Amer.
lean frontiers.
Jack Wade crcek. for instance. has
colony consisting Of Is old men:
Eagle City has dwindled 10 a populA'
ton Of handful. mos, OF whom arc
rounding out the last lap OF three
score and ten.
AZ French Joe's Bar there IL not
a man under 90. and At sauaw
Greek the youngest resident Is 70.
while tho rigors OF the Alaska CHI
mate makes for hardy manhood there
Is another side 90 the situation.
which Ia fun OF pathos-
After all. in the best as well AZ the
wors, OF climates. old men do sleken
and die. and neither In the Forty
Mile country nor In most OF the fa-
nous old districts In there any ade-
auaie means OF taking caro- OF these
splendid old men when they break a
leg or take 20 bed with rheumatism
INSANE MIN CAN
GO TO HOSPITAL
Occasionally a grirzled old miner
Yuushes into Fairbanks. drops into
the United States marnhRra office
and notifies the official that some old
pioneer has fallen sick. and IL lying
in his lonesome cabin few hundred
miles away.
Hell have to be taken 10 n hos
pltal." says the miner.
Sorry" says tho marshal. with
genuine sympathy. but we haven't
any fund for anything like thai. you
know"
but he's awfuiiy sick" persdHis
the miner, Something's Jus, 20, 10
be done for him"
We'll" says tn. rnRrshai. 'TTi tell
you what you can do. You so TO the
commissioners office and swear out
an affidavit that he's crazy. and wu'll
so get him. We've rot a fapd for
that"
For the most part the nsignbors
usually undertake the task Of bear.
ing THAR sick friends 70 . doctor.
little a. they can afford tho cost
Ths territory Of Aiaxlca. out Of i,s
slender purse. has for the last few
years maintained n home for old
pioneers at sitka. but little good n
has done the arring prospoctors of
Northern Alaska. exeep; In cases
where they were hoprlenziy bedrid.
den. II the Northern prospsctor per.
mits himself 10 be taken 10 Sltka. he
cannot do his assessment work on his
claims. and the faith OF the true
miner seldom dies and mover resigns
/ Nor " there any chance to locate
new claims near the institution
There Is nothing to do but sit and
wait as patiently as he can.
But the worst obstacle In the way
OF the Alaska pioneer Is his aversion
TO poverty affIdavits. 10 IL impos
sible for prosp~cior who owns q
mining claim or two 70 consider him
self pauper. and no one who hai
spent lifetime earning Twins
along the frontiers finds u reason
ably possible TO readily assume IN.
attitude OF a mendicant suppllcant
And n civilization persists in refus
ing TO give quarter. he knows how 4
die In tira wilderness.