The Way We Were

March 28, 2012: John Paley, discoverer and locator for the St. John's Harbor copper claims, came in from Zarembo Monday and gives a gratifying account of the extent of the ledge determined by six months of sinking shafts and uncovering surface outcroppings. He has been on the property six months and with the help of one man has sunk a 4 x 4 shaft 60 feet back from the outcrop, to a depth of 300 feet where the ledge was struck, proving the existence of an immense ore body for the ledge is from 7 -14 feet thick and has been traced on the surface for 3,000 feet. The actual extent of the body can only be imagined, but the comparatively unbroken condition of the rock formations on Zarembo Island leads one to believe that the vein may extend many more than 300 feet below the surface.

March 26, 1937: In keeping with the custom of other Alaskan towns, the Wrangell School Board will elect the schoolteachers for the coming year before the general city election. This has always been a problem in Wrangell and has been very confusing to people at times. When teachers have been elected after a new board has been installed, many times it is so late that the teacher would have been unable to secure a new position had they not been reelected. When the subject came up this spring R.S. Scruby, president of the board sent the following wire to Grover Winn of the Juneau, “When does Juneau appoint teachers, before or after Board election?” In answer Mr. Scruby received the following wire “For the past twenty years Juneau has elected teacher before election, this course has proven very satisfactory as it avoids bringing school into politics and general discussion of fitness of teacher, this scheme has been very satisfactory for us,” signed by Grover C. Winn.

March 23, 1962: Andy Mather and associates has been awarded the contract for painting the totems on Shakes Island on a bid of $680, it was announced by President Tormed Bie at the Chamber of Commerce meeting yesterday. Work is to be completed before the start of the tourist season. The job is part of the tourist attraction program undertaken by the Chamber in cooperation with the state member division. Former President Dar Smith read a report from the Prince Rupert News quoting Highways Minister P.A. Gaglardi who said that Canada would spend $2 million in construction work on Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert this year. “We won't be able to complete the reconstruction of the highway this year, but we'll be ready to handle all the traffic from the Alaska ferry system,” the minister said.

March 26, 1987: A proposal from the Wrangell Archery club to allow taking of deer inside the fence at the Wrangell airport did not pass muster of the local Fish and Game Advisory Committee. Wrangell committee members, in reviewing the book of game proposals for Alaska March 13, voted to oppose the plan offered by the Wrangell Archery club to take deer inside the airport fence. The bow-and-arrow hunt was proposed by the club to keep the deer population down near the runway area. The proposal would allow the taking of one deer of either sex with a bow and arrow when the hunter has obtained a special registration permit. Rationale for the hunt included the contention that “both small planes and Alaska Airlines jets have been forced to abort landings at the last second due to deer stepping out in their path.”