The Nome nugget., 1927-04-30

The following interesting letter has been received in the last mail by the Publisher of the Nugget, from Representative Thomas Gaff- ney, of this Division. now in Jun eau at the Legislature, and is be- ing printed for the news 1t con- tains:
 Juneau, March P. 1927. MT. Geo. s. Maynard, Nome.
 My dear George:
 As this is the last opportunity to | connect with Nome by mail, I thot as matter of courtesy and friend | ship should pen you a few lines. have just come back from an in spection trip of the Pioneers Home al Sitka. The committee left Ju- neau Saturday night and arrived back at eight o'clock this Tuesday morning. Jensen, Brown, Rydeen, Lomen. Sundquist and myself were members of the committee of twelve. As no meeting of the committee has been held to draft report. I will submerge my views in deference to the statement of the committee. So will give a brief statement concerning a few of the patients of the Home known to Nomeites and Second Division peo- pie. Of the ninety-six inmates. but six are accredited to Nome About these six short story of their condition might be of inter- est to your readers Frank O'Con- nel. well known for many years in Nome, is a sick man. suffering from asthma and paralyzed partially in | the hips. He can walk around with the aid of cane or stick. His once robust body and face are now so emaciated that you would hard ly recognize him, although his for mer cheerful spirit, despite his in firmities. is still strongly in evi- dence. Our meeting was pathetic
 but after few minutes We launch ed into stories of the past concern ing men and events: and again we lived in the Nome of old He bid me a cheerful good bye, saying he thought he could make the grade again this summer. Tom Jacobs well known in the heyday of Nome plosperity is suffering from acute rheumatism, but is around the grounds, not being confined to bed as so many of them are. suffering i from this disease have to do. Tom was once well known in union cir l cles when the Miners Union was a going concern, and every miner flashed a union button and card. l John Baker from Council and Nome is in about the same condi- tion as he was when he went to the Home last summer. He looks good and thinks he might improve en- cugh this spring and summer to try the battle again. He wishes tc be remembered to his old friends. So take the friendly columns of the Nugget to make this known.
 Bald Headed Martin don't know any other name-well known as an Arctic trader. having wintered many years ago over around the McKinzie and returned to Nome with a valuable cargo, is suffering from some form of paralysis. He is able to walk around but can | scarcely speak. Ben Olson, an old timer of Nome who stampeded to Marshall in the beginning of that camp. looks we'll. but is an invalid for life. He can stand on his feet but moves around in chair. His sickness undoubtedly came from priyations he endured while sleep ing for four days in sleeping bag a! very low temperature. When he was found, while not frozen, his limbs were benumbed He was taken to St. Michael for treatment, but as no cure could be effected, he was sent to Sitka. He feels happy and cheerful, suffering no pain and may live many years.
 Andy Morrison. the grand old man of Council. came over to Ju- reau last week to celebrate his eighty-third birthday. He was waiting for me one morning in the lobby of the hotel, and immediate ly told me he wanted to see me or somebody from Nome. He laugh ed for several minutes when I re- minded him that birthday celebra- tions had changed; that the pass ing of the old order of things made such, events rather silent affairs. Andy looks as well as he did twen- ty years ago. While booked as an inmate of the Home he rarely eats there having. generally, employ n,ent in the town. The money which his ruR1ed constitution en.