The Kusko times., 1933-08-12
F. J. SPACH, A. R.+C. HEAD, ,.. TELLS OF TRIPS TO GRIP
 PILE AND MEDFRA SECTIONS


 Fred J. Spach, Alaska Road Com mission Engineer in charge of rcad- building activities in the Kuskokwim district, recently returned from the Cripple Greek section, where he called on the operators and also made a rec onnaissance survey for a tractor road from Cripple mountain to Cripple vil- lage on the Innoko. He called on Mir and Mrs. Sid Paulson, who are locat- ed on upper Colorado creek and work ing the old Oregon Association claim. MT. Paulson has 13O,O0O square feet stripped and ready to sluice, but due to the shortage of water this season has not taken out any gold. , At the time of Mr. Spach's visi. to the .Grippe section Dave Strapdberg was down the ri.er trying to get his new l 1-4-yard, 50-ton, steam burner dragline on the job. His outfit is on two barges, and on August 1 one barge was at Simel's and the other barge 60 miles below the, North Fork. Harold Strandberg was in charge of the operations on Cripple at the time and has been working p crew of six men this season, and has stripped a calm ength to, a width of. 160 feet. Mr, Strandberg has ease on twelve .cf h. l tinuous claims on Cripple creek. 5 At the Wilson & Hard eamn, .lo- cated one claim length below the Strandberg camp, it was learned that they have spent .nt st of sha season st. ;pping one . air, lenstt. to a w,dtr of 1aO feet ana, working six to !elvll. ,sn this sefr .n.. ThGy arc, usings a l:.ck,line scraper. Ne money has been taken ou1 of Cripple creek this sc.s.on, due to lael: ofsutficient water
 There are no opher active mining operations in. that locality. JIG. Wal lisk owns .twos claims qn qnss Fox gs1]ch a+ the head af Cripple, but inothine has been done v.s.l.s VIAL them tbis year, as MT. Wallick eleia carly in -the spring fcF Anchorage hoarital for the epur. Irosc of receiving medical attention. |. As Mr.dSpac aswisnes toekecome- ac- q;,a;nted with shc roads and trails, d: We. the pea e ;d ,h'i. ar..is T his district, Ing walked from sQphir tt Cripple mountain over the -wintel trail. This was his secOnd big trai trip this sesaon, as about the middl' of Inne he walked from the Cane! creek dredge to Flat, making athx trip in three days and six hours. Boti thesC Cripple and Flat trips were mad' alone.
 Upon Mr.; zSpach's return from Cripple he found an urgent request te go to Medfra, where he has crew o. fifteen men on the construction of thu Medfra-Nixon Mine road. Due to th' dry weather this season the fores1 fires were uite disastrous, especially in this section. The first fire, th' middle of July, had destroyed 1.0O( feet of old corduroy road with severa timber culverts, and after this dam age was repaired and 300 feet of new corduroy laid a second fire occurred during the last week of July, burning the newly-laid corduroy. At tht time of MT. Spach's departure from Medfra, August II, his road crew had completed the laying of 2,OOO feet od new corduroy road in Mile and going strong son another 1.5O0-fooi stretch. Fortunately, the buildings lat the landing were saved. due .te back-firing, as the timber fire had ap. preached within one mile of the river.