ONE OF ALASKA’S UNCOWNED KINGS
The observant traveller in Alaska
will notice that each little settlement,
no matter how small, lias its own
“king.” This honor is not one that
is conferred by vote or otherwise, but
is simply the natural place the strong
est man in character and will assumes
in the community. His word is law,
especially so where there is no com
missioner or other official of the depart
ment of justice. Before him are laid
all the disputes and petty troubles
which always exist in those communi
ties and, as a rule, his decision is ac
cepted as final. Sometimes the “king”
is unaware of the position he occupies,
but generally he is alive to the situa
tion. In the case of the latter, it is
rare that the holder of the position
abuses his powers, as he knows that
chaos will rule in the social life of that
community and make it an unfit place
for iiian or beast to abide.
In the little town of Seldovia Adam
Block, the I'nited States postmaster,
holds the regal reins. Mr. Block is
known all over the western Alaska
coast and fairly well known among the
sourdoughs or southeastern Alaska. He
is a Civil War veteran and came to
Alaska as sergeant of one of the com
panies that took possession of Alaska
when formal transfer was made by
Russian He was in charge of the detail
of soldiers that raised the first flag
at Sitka and when it was hauled down
in the evening, he was detailed to fold
it up and get it ready for shipment to
Washington, 1). where it is on pub
lic-exhibition in the trophy room.
After his discharge Mr. Block liked
Alaska so well that he made up his
mind to stap here, and entered the em
ploy of the Alaska Commercial com
pany, with which company he remain
ed for many years. After having liv
ed in various parts of western Alaska
he finally returned to Seldovia where
he has a substantially built home aud
store, the latter containing the post of
fice.
While Mr. Block is modestly reluct
ant about talking of his own personal
experience and knowledge of the coun
try, yet there are times, especially on
one of the line summer evenings with
which th Cook Inlet country is favor
ed, when he may be persuaded to tell
a yarn. This happened generally in the
evening on the porch in front of the
store when his “pfeife” (pipe) is pull
ing good and Shorty, Lee, McEwan and
the rest of the boys have been on their
good behavior.
Mr. Block is American born of Ger
man extraction and, considering that
he is over seventy years of age, is well
preserved, indeed. Ilia mind is active
and his memory for names and faces
and dates would put many a younger
man to shame. In his speech he is very
blunt and plain spoken and does not
try to conceal his real meaning by any
ambiguous terms. An illustration of
this is an incident that happened a
number of years ago during the time
of the “rush” to Tyonic Spit when
Mr. Block was agent at Seldovia for
the Alaska Commercial company. A
party has just landed at Seldovia en
route to Tyonic and were awaiting
transportation. One morning while Mr.
Block was taking an airing in front of
the store he noticed one of the party
down on the beach evidently intent on
finding something which he had lost.
Block with his usual bluntness asked:
“What have you lost, stranger'?”. The
reply was “Nothing.” “Well,” said
Block, “what are you doing down there
kicking around in that gravel for.’
“Well,” said the stranger, “I thought
I might find some nuggets or gold dust
on the beach here while we were wait
ing for the boat to take us to Tyon
ic. ■ ’
Block gazed at the stranger for a
minute and then said: “Well you
poor fool do you think I would be here
working in a store if I could go down
on the beach and pick up gold as easy
as that? You had better have a guard
ian appointed over you before you go
any farther.’ ’
After Block’s meaning dawned on
the stranger he meekly hied himself
to where the rest of the party were
enthusiastically planning how they
would spend all the money they were
going to make that summer.
MAYOR WAS COOL
Mayor Valentine, of Juneau, is usu
ally just about the coolest man at a
fire.
A story which illustrates this is be
ing told by the mayor himself, not as
to illustrate his coolness, however, but
as a joke on himself.
While the fire which destroyed the
Union dock was raging last Monday
week, the mayor quietly walked down
Franklin street to overlook the work of
as efficient a volunteer department as
ever fought a fire. On the way he met
a woman fleeing townward with her
arms full of salvage.
“Now madam,” said the mayor,
“there is no use to get excited. We
will keep the fire where it is now. Just
leave your things right in your house.
There isn’t any danger.
“What?” exclaimed the woman.
“No danger! Why my house has al
ready burned down.” And so it had.
“Ah.” said the mayor, “I beg your
pardon, I thought you lived on the oth
er side of the street.
SANITARY CANNING FAILS
This paper has it on good authority
that the sanitary cans have proved
pretty much of a failure in at least
one salmon cannery this summer. It
is understood that one cannery sus
tained a loss of three thousand cases
of salmon put up in this type of a can,
on account of the cans developing into
“swellheads,” that is, the vacuum
produced in the can after cooking and
cooling was not sufficient to draw in
the ends, leaving them bulging out and
giving them the swelled appearance
from which the name is derived. It is
impossible to market such a product
and the result is they are left on the
hands of the cannery people.
GUPTIL BULLETIN
Information from Skagwav in regard
to the condition of Leo Guptil, the
Skagway steamship agent who was as
saulted in his office, is that he continues
to improve physically, but that there ,s
Pete Forgetta, who is a resident of
no improvement in his mental condition.
It has been pretty definitely decided to
take him below, where an operation will
be performed.
It is said that the authorities, and a
detective employed by the steamship
company, are weaving a strong web of
cireumstancial evidence around three
men who left Skagway soon after the
assault. It is not believed that Guptil
remembers the assault, or any of the
events leading up to it, at least he has
never referred to it, and no effort has
been made to force him to talk about it,
on account of his obvious mental condi
tion. He is still at the hospital, but is
not confined to his bed.
DOUGLAS DOTS
Douglas is said to have as good a mem
ory as the average.
The new heating plant at the Doug
las school radiates satisfaction.
Dr. DeVighne and Frank Back
secured a couple dozen of ducks at
Wrangel.
It is said that Alex Nelson’s whiskey
and Mike Hudsons whiskey will not
mix Nelson brought home from Scot
land two beautiful urns one for Mike's
rye and one for Alex’s “Scotch.'1
The A. L. U, held their first meeting
in their new hall last Thursday night.
They will celebrate with considerable
“doings” next Friday night.
Johnnie McCormick is well again.
William Stubbins is making still
more improvements to the front of his
store. It now has an iron masonry
front.
It is rumored that when Dr. Sergeant
examined George Drew, who has a rep
utation for having a large heart, he
could not find the organ at all.
This last “wetness” came just in
time to avert a water famine in Doug
las.
It, is probable that few Douglas peo
ple will miss the "Red Mens mask ball
on Nov. 29.
Watchman William Crenshaw’s nup
is making a reputation as a rat killer
at the Readv Bullion mine.
George T?eidi is planning to start a
bakery in Juneau.
For Xmas bargains see Case the Ju
neau Photographer and curio dealer.
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