Ruth Sandvik: Interview Outline: Section 16 Miners Tape Reference Number: H2002-09-11 Ruth Blankenship-Sandvik talks with Bill Schneider and Eileen Devinney in Kiana, Alaska on February 28, 2002.

Eileen Devinney: So, when you were a child growing up here, were there still quite a few miners living here?

Ruth Sandvik: No, there weren't too many. They lived up there. I don't think any of them really made any money because I know several of them died paupers. And they were -- and they were -- they were nice. They were really nice people. In fact, I recall May Black, she's a widow here, she was -- she was a widow who lived at that point across there, and she has a bunch of descendants here saying that it was the miners who kept her going. They'd-- they'd take over 100 pounds of flour and staples like that for her. They were very -- they were kind people. I mean, they were not -- I don't know how serious they were about mining. They certainly were not mining engineers, you know, they just always thought they would find -- find gold. I just don't know any that -- of the miners that remained here in the winter that really did very much financially.

Bill Schneider: Hmm. That's interesting.

Ruth Sandvik: Uh-hum.

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