davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kodiak mirror. [volume] (Kodiak, Alaska) 1940-1976, 1960-11-26
By Miriam J. Angel

elusive star, and putting aside
home and creature comforts, gone
in search of fortune and adven-
ture, we shall never know. Those
who fail are relegated to the an
onnmous they in the history
books; those who succeed often be-
come legends.
Jack McCord is a legend, but
unlike many others who have pi-
oneered Alaska, he is very much
alive and most of the stories of
his exploits are true. He has been
explorer, prospector, goldminer,
railroad worker, developer, ranch
er, and at telling times, Alaska's
unofficial representative 20 Wash
ington.
Jack McCord will be 78 years
old next February, but he stands
tall and his eyes are clear blue,
alert. If his eyes seem sometimes
to look through and beyond the
present, the past holds much to
remember.
II grew UP on a farm in Iowa.
1t was nine miles to town and
highschool. I worked at small jobs
in town to pay my board and went
home on weekends. The year be-
fore the st. Louis Worlds Fair
went to Drake University but I
left in my sophmore year because
a man told me he thought | should
go West. got job teaching school
in North Dakota for a year, and
worked one summer in bank, but
/ got restless when I saw a poster
advertising land to lease up in
Calgary, Canada. The land was of
fered at half a cent an acre and
I wanted to claim some. Nobody
much lived in that country. saw
the first pine trees and real noun
tains I'd ever seen in my life, and
mountain goats, and beaver, lots
of game animals; it was beautiful
and I wanted to stay. Those were
the days of opportunity and adj
venture everywhere. but first I
needed money.
Somebody along the way told
me about a place called Kicking
Horse. They wanted teacher
there for loggers' children. 1t was
supposed to be about twenty miles
down the trail but | must have
walked fifty before | came to
house. An old man was standing
by the most beautiful little cabin.
There was a stream running
through the clearing and he let me
have a drink of water and said I
could spend the night. Well, l stay
ed on all that year and walked to
school every day = it wasn't far.
THE settler was Robert Cronk-
lite; he was old and tired and lone
ly except for his cat and dog. l
got lonely TOO, on the long winter
nights when the wind howled and
Bob sat half asleep in front of the
fire, stroking his cat, the tears
of old age in his eyes. l lay in a
corner on my cot and wrote poems
and thought about where I would
go next"
AT years end in 1906, young Nc
Cord went down to Seattle and
found the steamship, Yukatan,
bound for Alaska. He had neither
money nor callusses; for both rea-
sons the captain refused him pass
age as either passenger or crew
though the ship was short of sea-
man. One badge of the rowing sail
or was a blanket roll; Jack Nc
Cord ran across to a rooming house
and begged some blankets aban-
doned by sailors who could not pay
their bills, and was allowed aboard
the ship as seaman. And so to
Iro&oI1o hIacIo rf1ipo ctaarooa
Kodiak mirror. [volume] (Kodiak, Alaska) 1940-1976, 1960-11-26

Jack McCOrd and
McCOrds Island home at one tin
ranch. The Island is one of the X,
way most claims had to be made:
ten miles West of such mountain
or three miles south of such riv-
er. After we made our claims we
still had to get leases and then try
to interest the oil companies in
sinking wells; they could afford the
huge investment necessary to do
this"
Jack McCord got a power of at
torney for all the leases and went
to the oil companies; they were
interested but told him the cur
rent Federal res alations were i'm
possible, that they could not af-
ford the venture until new ones
were made.
Ten of the most prominant bus
inessmen of the West formed the
Westward Development Company
with AS. Kerry as president and
Jack McCord as manager The of
ficials of the company and Mr.. Nc
cord went to Washington to pre-
sent their case for new exploration
and new royalty regulations to the
Secretary of the Interior. The re-
quest was successful and SO exN
cited the businessmen of Seattle
with the promise of an Alaskan
boom in black gold that in a matter
of days one businessman was able
to oversubscribe investments for
a grand new hotel the Olympia.
The boom, unfortunately, never
came. Though the oil companies
came to Alaska, financed a major
survey, and their investments ran
high, the sudden oil boom in Cali
fornia drew them south where
closer, cheaper markets meant
higher profits.
In 1924 there came chance to
explore the Aleutian Islands as
part of great adventure: the
Army Air Force planned to make
the first flight around the world.
The limits of the flying machine
in that era were such that fire.
quent stops were necessary and
along their route they needed to
touch down at Sitka, Seward, CHG
mix, Dutch Harbor, Atka and Attn.
The first lap was to be done in
pontoon planes and flares we're
needed at every point. Mr. McCord
explained, 'They had to change
engines every few hours. I was Civ
ing scout information for these
landing plants. At Kanduk we had
to keep the ice broken all night
so the planes could land in the
morning. Of the four planes that
started from Seattle on April 9Th,
two finally made the complete
circuit on September 18th. Thirty
five years later, in 1859, there was
a reunion dinner to honor the sur
vivors, and posthumously, General
Billy Mitchell who planned the
historic flight. was invited and it
was one of the thrills of my life.
You know, when l met Billy
Mitchell in 1924 he sent me a let
ter IN which he said he was proud
to call himself an Alaskan. AS a
young lieutenant he had put in
telegraph line up around Gull
kama"
Kodiak mirror. [volume] (Kodiak, Alaska) 1940-1976, 1960-11-26
Explorer, Prospector and Rancher
Memories OF Past Vivid TO Jack McCord

a job as a checker in the railroad
camp there; the company running
it was all set to build a railroad
into the interior but some racke-
teers from a Chicago syndicate
had put in the first tracks from
the shore to mountain a little
way off. They posted gunner and
warned us they would shoot if we
tried to go through. Well, I got
a contract with the company l
worked for to go in and do the
job. They banked money for me
to pay off the racketeer's dyna-
mite man so he'd leave us alone,
and they paid me 500 dollars a
day. The job was supposed to be
done in three days.
July 3rd., 1907 was a gala day
for the rest of the town. The gam
blers and the dance hall girls lined
the hills to watch the fun. Our side
was routed, so we went back that
night to clean out the racketeers;
there was fight all right. One man
on our side was hit over the head
with a club and some of the gang
sters who hadn't been paid off
tried to get him arrested, along
with me. We managed to get back
to town and the next day started
in again to lay the tracks. This
time one of our men was shot and
killed; I got bullet through my
coat. We appealed to the Marshall
and he sent a posse to arrest the
killer, but we had another worry
as well-the USS Saratoga was on
the way to Katalla with a load of
soldiers to stop the violence. We
had to finish the job, at least as
far as the mountain, before they
got there. We did, and then it was
all over"
His christening in the rough
and tumble of frontier life fairly
complete, Jack McCord and a
partner spent the winters of 1907
and '08 at Copper River, making
weather and glacier observations
for the railroad company. The year
following, he walked over the
trail from Valdez to Fairbanks, a
long walk of $50 miles. With his
partner, Dan McCarty, he walked
to Circle City and took a dog team
to the upper Koyukuk River, above
the Arctic Circle.
They explored and prospected
the Brooks Range and the area be-
tween the Chandalar and Koyukuk
Rivers in 1910 and II, and the
partners mined in those parts for
two more years.
ION the Hammond River at
place called Cold Foot Git was
nothing but a cabin my partner
and | took out $107, 900 and the
second largest nugget ever found
in Alaska. Our strike was at Liven-
good. Dan and sank the first
pay hole there. The gold taken
out of that country produced as
much as the United States paid
for Alaska. We worked our claim
for a while and then decided we
wanted to take a trip. So we sold
out for $4,000 each and went to
the 1915 Worlds Fair in San Fran
cisco.
Il met a lovely young lady
there, Grace Doering. She was see
ing the fair with her mother. l
went back to adventuring in Alaska
and she went home to Cleveland,
Ohio, but we never forgot. Forty
two years later we were married.
at was while was night fore
man at a mine near Anchorage
that word came in January, 1920,
that Congress was legislating an
oil leasing bill. A fellow l knew
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
FOP, Leader
To Co-Sponsor or
Player Award

The East Cleveland Frater-
nal Order of Police Lodge 39
in cooperation with the
LEADER will award an elab-
crate trophy to Shaw Highs
most valuable football player.
Selection of the person to
receive the award will be
based on a review of films of
all the Cardinal games and
recommendations of the Shaw
coaching stat.
Serving on a committee to
make the selection are Lit.
Robert Hall (chairman), Sgt.
William Campbell, Detective
James Stark, PatrOlman Bert
Rogers. Head Football Coach
Don Drebus and Assistant
Shaw Principal Leonard Visci.
All members of the committee
are former football stars in
their own right.
The individual trophy will
be presented at the annual
football banquet.
A trophy also will be pre-
sented to the high school and
will bear the name of the
player selected this year and
the years to come.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
zoning Board Meeting Today

years of violations existing on
his property and the boards
most recent demand appeared
to be the last one that would be
given.
In other business, the board
voiced approval to a request
by Victor F. Myers for a con-
ditional permit to operate an
off-street, open air automobile
parking lot on property owned
by the New York Central Rail-
road adjacent to the East Cleve-
land passenger station.
Mayors stated he will charge
25. cents a day or a dollar a
week for parking. He said most
of the automobiles will be those
of people using the rapid tran
sit in the area.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
ECBA Plans
25th Year
Celebration

The East Cleveland Business
Association is planning to cele-
brate its 25th anniversary with
a dinner and dance Saturday,
Nov. 5th at 7 p. m.
On that day active charter
members DIR. John A. Stahl,
Harry F. Martin, j. J. He'll and
Emil ". Hoffman will be
honored.
All members Of the Associa-
tion and their friends are in
vited to attend.
The party will be held at the
East Cleveland Savings and
Loan office at 5816 MayfieId
Road and reservations can be
made by calling Joseph Schatz
at GIL. 1-6105.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

completes the necessary parish
buildings. Under construction
at the same time was new
parish administration building,
which is joined to the church
with a cloistered walk.
First Church in Theater
The first church was in the
old Euclid Theater building
on Euclid ave near lvanhoe
rd. A rented suite above the
theater was the first parish
house and office.
The parish was founded in
1928 from St. Philomena Parish
in East Cleveland.
Two months after the parish
was founded, a school for first
and second graders was opened
in rented quarters. The parish
school now facing Terrace Road
space is available for additional
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27


title race.
As it stands now, the East
Clevelanders are on top due to
"a magnificent defeat of Parma
last week by a score of 8 to O..
The standings have Shaw in
front with a record of two
league victories and one tie,
while the other schools in. con-
tention Euclid, Parma and
Shaker) each have records of
two wins and one loss.
While the Redbirds will at
tempt to tame the snarling
Panthers, Parma will be out to
eliminate Shaker Heights.
However, as far as our team
is concerned, it will be no easy
task to down the Euclid eleven
whose only loss was close de-
cision to Parma two weeks ago.
According to Shaw scouts,
the Panthers have no glaring
weaknesses.
They are strong on all counts
and boast of seven different
offensive formations w h i C h
could possibly provide a real de-
fensive nightmare for the Car
dinaIs.
Rut if the Redbirds play as
they did last week, Shaw will
not be denied a victory tonight.
1t was one of the most out,
standing victories in the ath-
letic history of the school as
the Cardinals stopped a two
year winning streak of Parma
after the Southwestsiders had
won "a in a row.
Besides the offensive play OF
Shaw's great backs Kenny
Klug and Joe Ellington, and
Ted Riley defensive half back
Bill Klenoshek played a truly
inspired game. Not only did he
intercept two key passes but
was constantly coming up fast
to aid in stiffling the Parma
running attack. On offense his
blocks helped in springing loose
the Shaw backs.
Other outstanding perform
ances were given by defensive
ends Jerry Novak and Orville
Wright, and tackles Dave
Vaughn and Jerry Fischer.
The game is at s pm. tonight
due to tomorrow's NEOTA
meeting.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
Monday Is
Ladies Day
At Kiwunis

Ladies Day will be featured
at next Mondays noon meeting
of the East Cleveland kiwanis
Club at the East Cleveland
YMCA.
All wives Of club members
are invited.
The speaker will be Mrs. War
rem c. Eastman who is living
in the Cleveland area with her
husband who is assigned as the
Armor Advisor to the National
Guard in Cleveland.
Mrs. Eastman is originally
from Czechoslovakia and will
speak on "From Refugee to
American Citizen"
She presently teaches German
to the members Of the Cleve-
land Area Nike sites who will
eventually be stationed in Ger
many.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

Terry Osborne, hardwork-
ing Junior Red Cross member
whose interest in welfare work
began at Kirk Junior High sew
eral years ago, has been elected
president of the Heights Area
Council of Junior Red Cross,
one of three councils in Greater
Cleveland serving the needs Of
100000 members.
Terry, who is 16 and attends
Shaw High School, had been
serving as vice president prior
to this weeks election. He has
done committee work at a
Chapter level, was a delegate
to the JRC's Miami University
Workshop in Oxford, Ohio, and
was one of several members
who attended the American Ma
tional Red Cross Convention in
Kansas City last year.
His interests are coin collect
ing, stamp collecting, growing
flowers and plants, and books.
He is active with the DeMolay.
With his parents, Terry lives
at 1868 Charles rd.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

9Th, are The East Cleveland
League of Women Voters, Busi-
nessmen's Association and the
Community Council.
In unanimously endorsing the
levy renewal, each group point
ed with pride TO the school
boards continuing record of ef-
icient operation and manage
ment of the city's institutions
Of learning.
"The board has concentrated
upon securing and retaining the
best teachers it can get for the
children, updating educational
equipment and facilities, evalu-
ating the Institutional program,
and improving existing build
ings," said Charles Albright,
president of the Businessmen's
Association.
1000 Business
1.-The board has been doing
all this without increasing the
tax rate and that's good
business" he added.
Mrs. Rob bert Mcnamara,
president of the Community
Council and speaking for thaat
group STATED:
"The constant tax rate is
made possible by the fact the
East Cleveland school district
pupil enrolment has not in
creased rapidly. Also, the local
valuation has been increasing
at a modest rate, thereby pro-
viding funds to make personnel
and instructional improvements
- and that's additional services
to the community"
In its endorsement of the
renewal levy, the local chapter
of the League of Women Voters
through it's president Mrs. Err.
nest Tauch had this to say:
Interest Is High
Emphasis is upon quality
education throughout the coun-
try. Never before has there been
so much interest in schools
shown by so many people. The
citizens of the East Cleveland
school district have always been
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
Family Life
Is Library
Film Feature

Family life IN other countries
is the theme Of the Movie Mite,
Thurs, Nov. 3rd at the East
Cleveland Library.
In Farmer of Austria, ths
picturesque beauty of the Al
pine Country of southern Aus
tria serves as background for
the Eggers and their nine chill
idren, whose welfare and liveli-
hood depend on the fruits Of
their labor. Included are scenes
of the harvest and other farm
activities, home life, and =
village dance. 1t stresses unity
within family all working to-
gether for a good life. The film
lis in color.
Family of Ghana" tells the
simple story Of life in a fishing
village and provides an inter-
|esting glimpse of the way Of
life in the newest independent
member nation of the Common
wealth of Nations.
In Family of Amsterdam"
social customs and the way Of
life are typified thru the activ-
titles of the st. Nicolaas family.
The film includes scenes of the
Royal Palace, Opera House, Art
Museum, diamond factory, the
canals, restaurants, flower mar
'kets and the countryside. Color
enhances the beauty of these
scenes,
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

aware Of the Importance of edu-
cation; and throughout the
years this fact has been proven
both by financial backing and
by personal commitment-and
this is no time to stop our
support"
The II levy is renewal of
an issue passed five years ago
and is scheduled to run out at
the end of 1861. If passed, it
will not be up again for 10
years as recent state law allows
for the extended time for levies
to run. Previous to the change
in the state statute, the issue
had to be voted upon every five
years.
1t is expected that many more
civic groups will endorse the
renewal levy, particularly since
the Community Council, itself,
is made up of leaders of the
many active clubs in the COM
munity.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
Violations
Low Says
Fire. Chief

door r-to-door fire inspection just
recently completed revealed SO
homes with minor violations or
a 1.5 per centage of 1,423 hous-
ing units visited.
According to Fire Chief Fred
Lange this is a fairly good aver
age and indicates residents Of
the community are aware of
the hazards involved in poor
electrical wiring or large guam
tiles of rubbish being let to
gather.
"There were no major Or in
territorial violations" he stated,
"just a matter of poor house
keeping"
He felt that the yearly in
spection by his force really ac-
complished something.
"Since we started these in
spections 10 years age" the
chief explained, "there has been
a II per cent reduction in home
fires. This can readily be at
tributed to the indoctrination
residents get by having a uni
form fireman visit their
homes"
The chief also reported that
out Of 399 business establish
ments visited, minor violations
in 80 firms were discovered.
In all cases the chief said,
the home owners and firm exec
utives were concerned and
showed a willingness to elimi-
nate the unsafe conditions.
Other moves by the fire de-
partment to teach the public
safety fire habits were centered
on school children.
During the early part of the
school year in 1853 the East
Cleveland Fire Department
gave lectures on fire safety to
all teachers of the grammar
schools in the East Cleveland
Public Schools and the Paroch-
ial Schools" Chief Lange said.
They were shown the film
Of the School fire in Chicago
Our Lady of Angels School, Dec.
1, 1859. Sessions were held on
the use of fire extinguishers,
how to handle the children dur
ing fire drills and some minor
fire situations which might con-
front them at school or at home
and what to do about them"
"Now, in 1860, he added, we
are showing a film titled, What
To Do In Case of Fire to all
teachers and students through
out the East Cleveland Public
School and Parochial School
systems. The film has been
shown to approximately 1000
students and teachers to date
and time has been allotted for
future showings at all the other
schools. Thus far, this film has
been very well received by both
studentst and teachers alike"
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

Auxiliary Bishop Floyd l..
Begin will bless the new Christ
the King Catholic Church,
Noble and Terrace, at dedication
ceremonies this Sunday. He will
later officiate at a solemn pom
tifical mass.
The dedication falls on the
date of the Feast of Christ the
King. Bishop Begins blessings
will be prior to the 1915 mass.
First pontifical mass was Of
fered in the new church Aug.
22nd when Auxiliary Bishop
John j. Krol consecrated the
affairs.
First public service was in
the church Aug. 28th when
the founder pastor, Msgr. Tho
mas V. Shannon, offered a mass
of thanksgiving.
Dedication of the new church
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27

altar railing with its bronze
gates and the bronze baldachino
over the main altar.
The baldachino is in the form
of a huge crown. Suspended
from it is a crucifix with an
ebony cross and sculptured
blond wood corpus. Aluminium
stars on the crown give it a
jeweled effect. The 60-foot spire
is also topped by a crown, a
symbol of Christ the King. A
heroic-size statue of Christ the
King with outstreched arms is
over the entrance to the church.
Entrance to the church is on
ground level. From the spacious
vestibule are steps to the glass
enclosed crying rooms on either
side of the choir. These are re-
served for parents and their
pre-school children.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
Shaw S First
Alumni Dance
Is A Success

The First Annual Shaw Alum
nj Dance held after the Parma
game, in the new Shaw gym,
last Friday night drew 300
people from 1929 to 1850 clas-
ses.
The grads assembled from as
far away as California and the
Republic Of Panama for this
get-together.
A committee has been nam
ed, as a result of the turnout,
to plan more events for the
future, an "Ali School Party"
type of function is in the works,
and a dance is definite for next
year following the Homecom-
ing game.
Those who did not attend the
dance, but would like to be ad-
vised of future events, please
send a post card with your
name, address, phone number
and what a year you graduated
to: Jack Reulbach, 436 Oak
moor rd., Bay Village 40, Ohio.
East Cleveland leader. [volume] (East Cleveland, Ohio) 1942-1970, 1960-10-27
VFW Gals
Halloween
Party 7onite

The East Cleveland Ladies
Auxiliary to the Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 1900 is
sponsoring a free Halloween
Party for all Post and Auxiliary
members children toni h t
Thursday at the Posts Hall,
18403 Euclid ave. One purpose
of the affair is to show the
youngsters safe evening for
Hollowe'en with games and fun.
Prizes will be awarded to the
three best costumes. Refresh
ments will be served. Time: 1880
p. m.
For further information call
Mrs. Clydine Dearden, Auxili-
ary Youth Activities Chairman.
Ii. 1-1629.