The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-08-15
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

 shut down since May and which when through receiyership in Ju- neau last week, will reopen short ly Army Engineers are .resuming construction immediately and the old mill whistle will be blowing a. gain soon.
 Fred V. Wagner, contrary 10 the idea had by many, is still owner and President Of the saw mill, to the tune of about $225,000 of his own funds invested in it.
 It is our understanding that the receiyership action could have been avoided. However, Mg. Wagner is agreeable and said as soon as the claims are paid which should not take too long - he will be back at the helm, again handling affairs of the operation himself.
 Wagner has faced many diff culties in the Wrangell mill pro ject but by determined will and re cognizing the unlimited numbering possibilities in the Wrangell area, has carried through and the peo- pie of Wrangell should feel greatly indebted to him.
 Much credit goes also to Fred G. HanfOrd and l.. T. Campbell, who flew to Juneau to attend the hear ing and gave valuable assistance. Ben Grey, lumber broker and bus mess man of Washington, D C., was another who helped in work ing out the problem to the mutual advantage. of the U. s. Corps of Engineers the Town of Wrangell and MT Wagner
 All through the period the mill was closed, Governor Gruening not only kept in close touch with the situation, but with his keen inter est for the Territory's development did everything in his power to get the saws turning again in Wran- gell's mill. He flew here last Mon day, on his way to Anchorage to meet with members of the House and Senate Committee of Public Lands and to confer with General Craig of the Alaska Department and Gen. Ike" Eisenhower, Army Chief of Staff, and stopped off long enough to make final check on our mill situation.
 When Senator Arthur Capehart, of the pulp committee, visits Wrangell with other committee members next month, we won't forget to thank him for the part he played in showing the need for Wrangells mill. Also, bouquets are due Congressman Andrew Somers, Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington and our own able Del egate Bob" Bartlett, who always has the good of Alaska at heart. General J. S. Bragdin, Assistant Chief of Military Construction for the U. s. Engineers listened to these men and found their argu- ments sound and reasonable - Why Wrangell should supply lum- Der for Alaska Army construction and Gen. Bragdin wentS to town with full cooperation.
 Anyway, after weeks of rumor and speculation, and "'doldrums in Wrangell' the mill is going to op- crate, that's for sure, and pretty soon we'll suffer the welcome headache" of housing problems a. gain and enjoy stepped up busi- ness.
 
 In The SentinePs 20 years ago column last week your Periscoper noted the following item:
 Game Warden Frank Dufresne recently confiscated 134 beaver skins and 34 muskrat skins illeg- ally trapped near Koyukuk Sta tion.''
 This week while watching the arrival of the steamer Aleutian at the dock in Juneau, your eagle eyed Periscoper noted character coming down the gang plank, car rying a fishing rod as usual who seemed to have a faint Alaska ar oma. rRestigation by a large group of Juneau citizens proved that the character was none other than the same Dufresne who 20 long years ago had seized certain beaver ana muskrat skins at Koyukuk Station, thereby getting his name in tGe Wrangell Sentinel! As a point Of information he reported the gov. ernment had disposed of the serzeo skins.
 Three years in Chicago as Chief of the Division of Information for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Serv. ice hadn't changed the New Hamp. shire boy who had come to Nome right after World War I, because Nome was a short word and fit neatly in a headline, (he'd been working on a Boston newspaper)', !, and for a quarter of century had made Alaska his home. New Eng landborn Dufresnc wanted to go fishing and to prove if he pulled