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Nomad Willy · 08-14-2013, 08:51 PM

I was a cheechaco. 1959 at NYAC. Not an eskimo name. New York Alaska Gold Dredging Corp. About 65 mi SE of Bethel up the Tuluksak River. Worked 7 mos straight 12 hr shifts plus some spotty overtime. I was a penstock tender, a bucket line dredge oiler and a bull cook. $1.67 an hr. At 84 hrs a wk I did make money. I operated a boiler at the penstock to keep the penstock and flume to the powerhouse from freezing. The season started April 15 and we flew out the 10th of November. Came and left in a blizzard like weather.

The next season I worked at Platnum on the Bering Sea coast so of Bethel. There I was a powerhouse tender .. operating engineer they called it.

08-14-2013, 08:51 PM	#25
Nomad Willy Guru City: Concrete Washington State Vessel Name: Willy Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30' Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 18,698	I was a cheechaco. 1959 at NYAC. Not an eskimo name. New York Alaska Gold Dredging Corp. About 65 mi SE of Bethel up the Tuluksak River. Worked 7 mos straight 12 hr shifts plus some spotty overtime. I was a penstock tender, a bucket line dredge oiler and a bull cook. $1.67 an hr. At 84 hrs a wk I did make money. I operated a boiler at the penstock to keep the penstock and flume to the powerhouse from freezing. The season started April 15 and we flew out the 10th of November. Came and left in a blizzard like weather. The next season I worked at Platnum on the Bering Sea coast so of Bethel. There I was a powerhouse tender .. operating engineer they called it. __________________ Eric North Western Washington State USA