to press with a misrepresentation
which nobody intended. The next day
the same paper printed the report of
the coroner’s inquest and clearly dis
closed the fact the eye witness testified
that the assailant had shot Popovich
and then struck himself over the eye
to substantiate the story which he af
terward told. But there are people
who accepted the first story and still
believe it to this day.
The great mistake that Assistant At
torney General Stewart McNamara
made in his report in which he accus
ed us of “a disposition to accept ru
mors and form hasty and unsound con
clusions.'’ is that he seems to indicate
that these faults are peculiar to Alas
kans. A dozen proverbs attest its pre
valence around the globe as a human
weakness. None of us appraise an as
certain fact at its full value. The ten
dency to accept and accredit “a tale
that is told” without sufficient evi
dence is a human weakness.
It has been said, that bad as the
men are, the women are worse. They
say that women meet informally, and
as they darn socks or work embordiery,
they tear to shreds the reputation of
the women across the street or across
the channel. They say that at some
of these sessions things are said that
would make a brother or a father or
a husband see red and grab a gun
and shoot to kill.
God save the mark! We dou't be
lieve it! Do you? But come New
Years, The Sourdough intends to ask
that we all resolve to use more char
ity and less malice in our gossip, and
strive to remember that a little ‘‘sure
enough” fact is worth a ship load of
*1 somebody says. ’ ’
THE INDIAN SCHOOLS
There will be but one teacher at the
Douglas Indian school this year, at
least when the term opens on October
1. The new teacher is Miss Esther
Johnson, of Forest City, Oregon.
Miss Clara B. Ilawk, who is well
known in Douglas, and who has made a
reputation by her work at Kake, will
be transferred to Klawack, and the term
will begin there on September 18.
Carl Swanson has been transferred
from Petersburg to Shakan, and the
school there will open on the same
day. The Sitka school will also open
on September 18, and those successful
teachers, Miss Patton and Miss Wright,
will continue for at least another year.
Mrs. Slightam, widow of Doctor
Slightam, has returned to Juneau and
will teach the school there this winter.
It will bo held in the social hall in the
village. Mrs. Nora Dawson, who taught
last year at Klinquan, will open school
on October 1 at Kasan. At Wrangle,
Mrs. I. M. Pussey, who taught success
fully there last year, will have charge.
Miss Merle J. Gibson, of eSattle, will
succeed Carl Swanson at Petersburg,
and the term opens on September 18.
Miss Elnora Ginther, of Oregon City,
has been selected to succeed Miss Mil
l'kin, at Hoonah, and the term will
begin on Oct. 1. The vacancies at Kil
lisnoo, Kake and Doring have probably
been filled, Mr. Beattie thinks, by Mr.
Lopp, but the names have not yet been
received by him. Miss Charlotte Do
ran, a Seattle girl who taught part of
the year at Juneau, finishing the year
at Saxinan, will teach again at Saxman
this year.
Ben B. McMillan, who has taught so
many years at Haines, with excellent
results, will teach there again this year.
Miss Nelile Taylor returns to Kluck
wan. At the netv cold storage plant on
Fish Egg Island, it is expected that
about a hundred Indians will be em
ployed, and the bureau will establish a
school there later.
Doctor Mahone will, of course, have
charge of the hospital under the di
rection of Superintendent Beattie.
Miss McConnell, who has received
much praise for the pioneer work she
has done in the department, will be
the nurse for the southern part of the
district, Miss Bankin will be the
nurse for the hospital, and a third
nurse is expected soon.
The native hospital is to be over
hauled—the plastered walls alabaster
ed, or the paper covered walls to be
covered with deadening felt. Several
new beds are to be added, and a bath
room installed on the second floor.
The number of beds will be doubled,
so that fifteen patients can be cared
for conveniently, and more in case of
necessity. The hospital was started
by Doctor Slightam, persuading the bu
reau to permit it as an experiment,
and he made such a success of the in
stitution that it will receive much aid
from the bureau.
Superintendent Beattie comes to his
new position well equipped to carry on
the work with better results than have
ever been achieved in the Southeast
fcrn Alaska District. He was for sev
eral years at the head of the manual
training school at Sitka, and is entit
led to the credit for the splendid suc
cess which that institution has achiev.
ed.
To a representative of the Sourdough
this week, Mr. Beattie stated that em
phasis would be placed first on the
teaching of English, and second on
manual training.
SCHMIDT CONVINCED
It is pretty certain that the long
string of yellow journals known ah the
Scripps papers, have been disappoint
ed with the “dope*” they have had to
print from Alaska, since their corres
pondent reached Controller Bay. The
Scripps papers include the Seattle Star,
the St. Louis Chronicle, the Omaho
News, The Kansas City World, the To
ledo Bee, and probably fifteen of
twenty others.
The Scripps papers jumped on Dick
Ryan’s project with both feet, and
they swallowed the “Dick to Dick”
letter at a gulp. They were very sure
that Ryan was a Guggenheim hireling,
and they cried out against the “Con
troller Bay Steal ’ ’ in full page heads.
They insisted that the Controller Bay
claims were merely to monopolize the
bay for the Guggenheims, and that
“Charlie” Taft was in on the deal.
All this “dope” was written by the
Washington correspondent, a conscien
tious, capable and hard-working man
by the name of Schmidt. So when Sec
retary Fisher started west, Schmidt was
sent along to follow up the good work.
When the party reached Controller
Bay, a launch, a little larger than the
Teddy, was secured, which took the
party up the bay, and up the river to
the coal fields. When they came back,
a storm was raging in the bay. As a
harbor Controller Bay is perfectly use
less, and can never be made a safe one
on account of the great sweep of the
ocean lying before it and the direction
of the prevailing winds. The Guggen
heims long ago found that neither Con
troller Bay nor Katalla Bay are feas
ible, and their proposed line to the coal
fields runs along the shore to Cordova.
From noon until night the little ves
sel fought the sea in an attempt to
reach the Tahoma lying outside.
When Kvak Island was reached, Sec
retary Fisher, who felt himself to be
responsible for the party, decided that
the best thing to do was to seek shel
ter ashore for the night, and they
landed, at least all but three of the lit
tle party of nineteen. No shelter was
found, however, and in the drenching
rain, the party walked seven miles to
Katalla.
On the way, Schmidt, dripping with
water, caught up with Governor Clark.
“Governor,” he said, “I am now
satisfied of two things.”
“And what are they?” inquired the
governor.
“Well, first,” said Schmidt, “I am
satisfied that there has been no attempt
to monopolize Controller Bay.”
“And second?” queried the govern
or.
“Second,” said Schmidt, “the blame
thing is not worth monopolizing any
how. ’ ’
INSURGENCY AT METIiAKATLA
For some time there has been more or
less trouble brewing at Metlakatla.
There is a faction of Indians there who
are opposed to the “Apostle of Alas
ka.”
Certainly Father Duncan, now an
old man of eighty, has done wonders
for the Indians of the town he found
ed. Perhaps nowhere in Alaska are the
Indians so well off economically. He
has taught them to be self reliant, ca
pable and independent, and sure of
their ability to support themselves.
Probably the Metlakatla Indians are
the best educated in Alaska.
While a majority of the Indians of
Metlakatla are devoted to Father Dun
can, there has grown up a strong fac
tion who are opposed to him, and it is
said that the secretary of the interior
has been petitioned to remove him al
gether.
Last spring a petition was signed by
the Indians at Metlakatla, asking that
the Indian school be taken over by the
bureau of education and that the gov
ernment furnish teachers for it. Large
ly the motives for this petition were
merely those of thrift. Heretofore, the
community at Metlakatla has paid for
the maintenance of its schools. The ar
gument was made that the government
paid for school teachers for every oth
er community of Indians in Alaska,
why not for Metlakatla?
Father Duncan made no objection
to the plan, and the petition was for
warded to W. T. Loup, at Seattle. He
took the matter under advisement, and
then referred the matter to the head
of the educational bureau at Washing
ton. It was finally referred to the sec
retary of the interior, and when he
came to Alaska last month, he visited
Metlakatla, and a decision on the mat
ter is expected as soon as he reaches
Washington.
NEW DOUGLAS ISLAND FAEM
John Hogan wants a farm on Doug
lsa Island. He lias asked that 160 ac
res of grass land at the end of the Isl
and, be released from the forest res
erve, so that he may file on it as a
homestead. The tract lies near Fish
creek.
The forestry boat left Douglas for
the north end ox the Island on Wednes
day morning, and Forest Assistant
Hoffman will examine the ground and
report. If the land is suitable for
farming it is probable the recommen
dation will be made.
John Peterson wants to take up 160
acres for agricultural purposes at Sal
ter Cove, and has also made an appli
cation which will be investigated on
this trip of the Tahn.
BY CAREFULLY BUYING
a small stock I can sell better Shoes
for less money than other stores
DENNY ORFANUS
St. Ann’s Road
THE ECONOMY
of hand work showL in the life of
the linen.
DOUGLAS HAND LAUNDRY
Front Street
NEWCASTLE LUMP
A TON SACKED
CITY DOCK
HOW VINCENT GOT HOME
Paul Vincent will not have to pay
$30 for being taken from Douglas to
Juneau on a gas boat on the night of
the fire. Vincent was the owner of
the burned hotel, but he was asleep ia
a room over the Douglas Opera House
in Douglas when the fire broke out.
Awakened and informed of the fire, he
dressed hastily and went out. He en
listed the services of Paddy Downs, and
Paddy found a gas boat for him.
When they reached the Juneau side,
Vincent sprang out. “How much do I
owe you?” he called back from the
gang plank. “Fifty dollars,” shouted
the launchman.
Vincent thought at first it was on
the square, and told a friend the next
morning that it had cost him fifty dol
lars to get home. “I would have paid
a hundred, however,” he added.
Later on he met Paddy, something
was said about the price of the ride.
“Oh hell!” said Paddy, “that was
just one of Bill’s jokes. He didn’t
mean anything by it.”
H. J. HARRISON HAS
GONE TO SEATTLE
By this time H. J. Harrison should
have arrived in Seattle, safe and
sound in his motor boat Pacific, on
which he left here several days ago,
intending to make the run to Puget
Sound via the inside passage with
stops in Petersburg, Wrangell and
Ketchikan. Before leaving Mr. Harri
son disposed of all liis holdings in Ju
neau and says he will locate probably
in Seattle for towing purposes. Mrs.
Harrison has lived below for a great
number of years owing to del'eato
health. Doc. Harrison was formerly a
dentist in early-day Juneau history.
We Offer Tastier Patems at Far
More Reasonable Prices in
MADE TO ORDER SUITS
jack McDonald
Tailoring for Men and Women
Front St., Between D and Bradley
Don’t Forget the
ANDERSON TOBACORY
Near the Saw Mill, Douglas
JUNEAU FERRY & NAVIGA
TION COMPANY
TIME CARD
Leaves Juneau for Douglas and
Treadwell.
*6:00 a. m. 1:00 p. m. 8:00 p. in.
9:00 a. m. 3:00 p. ra. 9:30 p. m.
11:00 a. m. 4:30 p. m. 11:00 p. m.
6:30 p. m. 1:00 a. m.
Leaves Treadwell for Douglas and
Juneau
*$:25 a. m. 1:40 pt m. 8:25 p. in.
14:35 a. m. 3:25 p. m. 10:00 p, m.
12 noon 4:55 p. m. M:30 p. m.
6:55 p. m. 1:25 a. m.
Leaves Douglas for Juneau
*4:30 a. ra. 3:30 p. m. 10:05 p. m.
10:45 a. m. 5:05 p. m. 11:35 p. m.
12:05 p. m. 7:05 p. m. 1:30 a. m.
1:45 p. m. 8:30 p. m.
*On Sundays this trip is omitted.
Hugh Day
BILLIARDS AND POOL
CIGARS AND TOBACCO
Bring that old suit down and let us AC MpW
look at it. Chances are we can make it AO ilEi W
Better let us put a new collar on your overcoat now. It will turn
cold one of these days.
DOUGLAS CLEANING AND DYE WORKS
Good Plumbing
THE LITTLE SHOP
DOWN THE STREET
GAS FITTING AND TIN WORK
Front St., Between D And E
J. M1NK0VE