The Nome nugget., 1924-03-01
DtFRESNE AND DELEZENE
 RETURN FROM LONG TRIP

United States Fur Warden Frank Dufresne and his trail assistant Fay Delezene. arrived in Nome during the week from an S4 day inspection trip, covering a distance of 1,474 miles. which travelling was mostly done north of the Arctic Circle.
 Leaving Nome. the travellers cov- cred the following route: Safety. Bluff, across Norton Sound to the 1 Reindeer Station. thence to Unala- kleet: from the latter place to kal- tag. thence up the Yukon to Nulato and on to Koyukuk and along the Military Telegraph line and the Yu- kon River to Louden. Ruby. kok- rines, Birches and then to Fit. Gib- bon. From Ft. Gibbon the travellers struck north to Allakakat. and from the latter place the journey was car ried north for approximately 15o miles and then swung west in cir cle to Shungnak and down the Ko- bulk river to Noorvik. thence to Kot- zebue. Keewalik, Candle and thence overland to Norton Sound and re- ! turn to Nome Extreme cold was l felt throughout the trip, Dufresne stated that for ten days at one stretch the mercury registered from @ to IS below zero, "and an inter esting fact states Dufresne, 'is that when the weather registers 60 below or colder, animal life ceases tG move and burrows into the snow and does not show until the weather warns up."
 Fur Warden Dufresne reports that there is an alarming scarcity in furs this winter in Alaska. and he states that it is not just an Of year, in his opinion, but that overlapping is having tn eeffect to exterminate the Alaska fur-bearing animals. The natives in the districts visited by pufresne and Delezene. according to the former. are taking up pros pecting to limited extent. instead of depending on trapping. and. says Dufresne. The natives have brought in some nuggets that are valued at near six dollars from the Kobuk river district. but they refuse to tell the white man where they find the nuggets" Dufresne states that the only redeeming feature the trappers have to fall back on this year is the big muskrat catch. In the Selawik and Kobuk sections it is reported that the largest catch of rats will be made this year that has ever been made before in those sections.
 A new coal strike on the Kobuk Is 1 reported by Dufresne. Leo Geke has located q new coal strike 20 miles above Kiana on the Kobuk. and the mine is 30 located that coal lean be loaded directly from the mine to barges on the Kobuk river, the vein runs along the side of the riv- CT. This coal Is said to be high grade bituminous coal. burns freely with very little smoke. It is report ed that Leo Geffe, the owner of tho new strike, expects to sell quantity of the coal at Kotzebue at 5000 per ton, and according to inforna- ton obtained by Dufresne, Candle will purchase practically all the coal that can be mined during the con- ing summer at $20.o0 per ton. sav- ling to Candle residents of $30.00 per ton. as coal is now selling in Candle at $50.00 per ton. shipped in from the States.
 | Fur Warden Dufresne states that
 Deputy Warden Jack Warwick, whose headquarters Is at Plat. is
 putting in a very busy winter en-
 forcing the fur regulations in that district.
 Dufresne will remain In Nome
 cnly long enough to make a report to Washington of his recent trip. and then he will make . trip up the Lower Yukon Delta.