The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-11-02
VETERAN TRADER IN JUNEAU 0N HIS
 WAY WESTWARD
Capt. Axel Olsan and Wife Stop Here Aboard Their
 Floating Home Ruth C

With a replenished stock to be used trading along the Alaska Pe- ninsula, Aleutian Islands and Cook Inlet coast during the coming win ter, Capt. Axel Olsan, veteran trad CT and pioneer of Alaska, arrived in Juneau from Seattle on his motorship Ruth O., on Wednesday night. He is accompanies on his trading trips by Mrs. Olsan, and they make their home aboard the well equipped craft which carries crew of five in addition to it's interpid skipper.
 Accustomed to the gales and storms in waters surrounding the weather breeding Aleutian Islands, Capt. olsan thought little of the wind which recently struck Be- attle and caused havoc along the waterfront. He left Tacoma shortly before the storm came up and continued calmly to Seattle until he had reached his destination at Fisherman's Dock in Salmon Bay. He remained there for fourteen days while he loaded general mer- chandise for trading and pulled out five days ago bound for his far-flung market to carry supplies to his widely scattered customers throughout the bleak winter months.
 Winter Headquarters
 While the headquarters of Capt. and Mrs. Olsan during their win- ter travels may be said to be An chorage and Seldovia. they are equally at home in any one of the shallow bays or anchorages to be found along the Aleutians or in Cook Inlet.
 Capt. Olsan has seen civilization come to the coastal towns of Alas ka since he first arrived in the Territory in the early '80's. He knows much of the Interior part of the country also, as he spent many years in the mining game before he took up trading more than 30 years ago.
 Of great and timely interest, in these days when the possibility of war in the Pacific is much talk ed of, was Capt. Olsan's statement that swift Japanese boats, carrying from 40 to 50 men, are frequent visitors to the A1eutian Islands, and often barter with the natives for the valuable furs, fox, mink and lynx. Natives even declare that they poach along the coast for quantities of the invaluable and protected sea otter,' he said.
 Rencws License
 Among other things which he did while in Juneau yesterday was to renew his first class pilot's license with the Inspectors of hulls and boilers, which gives him au- thority to operate steam vessels in Southwest and Southeast Alaska, and Bristol Bay, from Dixons En- trance to the Arctic Ocean.
 Mrs. Olsan and he spent last winter also, among the desolate islands, trading sometimes from one island or tiny community to an- other and again exchanging SUD- plies for furs and other commodi- ties of commercial value, with the natives. Last year he brought in 4,000 blue fox skins from his jour neys which he sold to the Alaska Commercial Company. He carries stock valued at thousands of dol- lars which includes foodstuffs, clothing and every manner of merchandise useful and desired by the isolated patrons of his motor ship store.
 Nick Noko, Indian of Seldovia, and member of the crew, who was left here to enter the hospital when the Ruth c stopped in Juneau southbound about three weeks ago, wtil fet1ir the ship here and l.-