The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-11-10
|ATk0 OF ARK FAME.
J BACK IN TACOMA
he LIKES NORTHWEST

Paul Satko, the rugged individ-
llist who towed his 40-foot home
tilt boat from Virginia to Tacoma
1910, then sailed with his family
BOARD his Ark for Alaska, is back
Tacoma working as a steam
tier.
His story, accompanied by pic
lres taken of Satko's Ark at the
me of its launching in Commence
.ent Bay ten years ago this week,
| nd Satko today in his role of
cam filter, was published in last
unday's Tacoma Ledger-News Tri-
| June as follows:
In the year span, Paul Satko
Ind his family carved home out
II Alaskan wilderness, spent
sascn fishing salmon in a 26-foot
oat, the family returned to the
tates and went back to Richmond,
|a., and now Satko is back in Ia
|oma, says the Tacoma newspaper.
The 59-year-old steamfitter looks
Ike a man in his 40's. A ready
mile still illumniates his face.
fines are easier for Paul than
hey were when he first came to
bis city. He, Mrs. Satko and the
hildren travelled cross country late
h 1889. towing the welded steel
rame of a boat behind the car.
they eventually came to Tacoma
nd completed the Ark here. The
ountry was just pulling out of the
and was none too
teady.
Bet Against It's Floating
On the day of the launching one
lalf of Tacoma had made bets
nth the other half of Tacoma that
he Ark would net float 1t did. |
! benefit dance for the family may
AVE helped ease the financial bur-
en- of those days-we hope 1t did
and soon Paul and his flock were |
ailing for Seattle.
There they met with less than
greeting when the citizens
f that town petitioned the juvenile
curt to prevent his sailing the Ark,
which they felt endangered the
amily.
But Mrs. Satko and the children
TODD behind Paul, and they sneaked
ut of Elliott bay under cover OF
darkness. The voyage to Alaska
ook Sc days. In what remained
# the Alaska summer Paul and
lis family huilt a cabin in Eagle
alley. But farming was rough
year Satko went fishing
almon-and by 1914 Paul and the
amily called it quits and moved
O Juneau. After the war he came
through Tacoma on his way back
lone to Richmond.
The Satkos stopped in Arkansas
or awhile, but it was too hot, and
hey continued on to Richmond.
from that city four months ago
anne a dispatch ending: But, you
now Satko added, Il still like ta
Sometimes l get mighty
tchy feet"
Got Job Here First Day
Well, the bug hit him; Mrs. Sat
20 said she still liked it best OF
Puget Sound, so two weeks ago he
arrived in Tacoma. He got a job
he first day, working as steam
litter for a refrigerating company;
res. that's what we said. This
week he has been installing pipes
md fittings for the refrigerated
lclds of the Golden Glow, a g.
cot tuna clipper being built at the
Peterson Boat Building Co.
And how is the family? Pau
1as a hard time keeping up with
hem. There's an even dozen, scat
tered from Juneau to Richmond
In Richmond are Mrs. Satko, Will
lam 10, Betty IA, Northsea 10,
May Esther 8, and Charles Az.
Roy and Earl, older sons, are still
N Richmond; two daughters are In
Alaska. one son has been here but
S on his way to Alaska; another
IS up near the Canadian border
and yet another is in Spokane.
One of Satko's reasons for re-
turning to the coast is his love for
fishing. While spending the sea-
sen on the Alaska banks, he found
it a fine sport, even while earning
4 living at it. He had the thrill
If catching a 75-pound salmon on
one occasion and a 7-foot halibut
On another. Exclaimed Satko:
THAT halibut pulled my little
boat around like it was a toy. I
finally got close enough to shoot
the fish in the head and then l
was able to handle it little bet
ter."