THE GLEAM
JUNEAU, ALASKA
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1916
VOL. I, NO. 6
r WATER WRANGLE
IN COUNCIL
On the evening of the 24th ult. the
City Council had a meeting to discuss
the purchase of the waterworks. That
all the opponents were ready with
their arguments evidenced not only a
great deal of thought on the subject
hut showed a concerted action on the
part of those opposed that was re
markable for a community as mun
icipally moribund as Juneau.
meeting called for expressions of op
inion and John Reck representing the
water owner as well as well as him
self thought now was the time to buy.
Mr. Cbarles*Goldstein announced that
he was in favor of the city owning the
water works but that the price asked
by the present owner was entirely too
much to pay. Mr. Rastgard thought
that if we bought the water at this
particular time we might make the
| mistake of getting that remote contin
I gency knoun to the medical world as
a typhoid carrier in charge of the wa
ter plant and in that case we would
all be stricken with typhoid fever.
Allen Shattuck put on an official
look and asked to know more about
the physical condition of the plant.
Mayor Stewart assured Mr. Shattuck
that he had a great deal of data and
that if the gentleman wished to see it
the same was available.
Stewart after opening the
Attorney raulkner said that Mr.
Tripp was delegated to express [the
views of C. W. Young Company and
that he endorsed Mr. Tripp’s expres
sion. Mr.' Tripp expressed through
his remarks that the mines about
Juneau might close down and if they
did "Where would we be with the
water works on our hands?”
George MeKanna came in at this
juncture and his speach was sure the
price of admission. He asked John
Reck many questions pertinent to Mr.
Lewis’s money making policies and
brought the house down with his Irish
retort. Reck took it good naturedly
but Reck does’nt care whether Lewis
sells or not as Reck or Reek’s interests
Eull down $200 per for handling the
usiness and of course the city would
not give Reck a snap like that if it
should become the possessor of the
system. After much discussion which
was most scintillating and inspiring,
for those who understood it between
the Mayor and Hugh Crowther as to
, Continued on Page ^
CONTENTIOUS
COUNCIL BROILS
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WILL WE GET THE
NEW SCHOOL HOUSE?
When the council has noth
ing else to do, these long
winter Friday evenings, it puts
on the gloves, turns to, and A
scraps over the school house A
question. Contrary to the gen- A
eral impression, it is by no 4
means certain that one will 4
be built in Juneau this sum- *1
*> mer. There are those in 4
closest touch who fear—and 4
other we again hope — that 4
we won’t. Nobody advocates 4
an absolute denial of the 4
4* people’s wish expressed at the 4
4' bond election, but there are 4
4» members of the council who 4
* favor spending as little as 4
4* $35,000 out of the one hun- 4
4* dred voted. And the council- 4
*> man’s views run up, in an 4
* ascending zeal to the cres- 4
*> cendo of $90,000. 4
* 4,
4* 4* *!♦ 4* «*♦ a a jl ju ju
MUNICIPAL XMAS TREE
It was agreed by the Council at
least Friday's meeting to ave a muni
cipal Christma stree they being large
ly featured in all towns and citie§
for the past few years. V
The Council will ask the Woman’s
Club to affiliate with them in the
plan and with such an efficient band
as we have a big lighted tree down
on the street and a band {drying a
little while through the evenings of
holiday week will make for a Christ
massy Christmas. Such beautiful
strains as Adesto Fieles of the old
English carol “This night shall be
born our Heavenly King,” together
with our National Airs will make the
town seem festive and be of little
cost. It was Mrs. J. D. Hickey who
suggeste this plan to the Woman’s
Club last year and she will be, no
doubt, placed on a committee by that
organization to help the Council car
ry out the success of the scheme.
Councilman King has very gener
Cotinued on Page 2
PARDON PAPERS
I FOR ALICE COX
Tom Cox, husband of Alice Cox,
* who was convicted of murder in the
* second degree for the shooting of
* “Red” Baker, has applied to the
* President for a pardon for his wife.
1 Alice Cox, an Indian woman, ac
* cording to the evidence, was em
* ployed by Baker to go to Auk Bay
> to assist him in taking in the crop
" of the Waedlich place after the
' death of the owner. According to
the testimony of a fourteen-year-old
half breed boy, the son of Waedlich,
■ who had died during the summer,
no sooner had the party arrived at
the isolated ranch, than Baker at
tempted to ravish the woman. Mrs.
Cox fought desperately with her ad
versary, and after she had driven
him off, seized a rifle and shot him.
Cox, who had not lived with the
women at the time, became reconcil
ed to her after the arrest, and is a
sober and hard-working man who had
not lost a day from his work at
Treadwell except the Fourth of July
and Christmas for three years.
Ex-Superintendent Beattie, of the
Southeastern Alaska Indian Schools,
Rev. David Waggoner, Presbyterian
missionary to the Indians at Juneau,
and Chief of Police Sliter have writ
ten to the President in the woman's
behalf. Ex-Chief Sliter, in his letter,
says:
“In joining with those who are
urging the pardon of Alice Cox, con
victed of the murder of “Red” Ba
ker at Auk Bay, Alaska, I desire to
say that I was chief of police of
Juneau, Alaska, at the time of the
said homicide, and for a consider
able time thereto; that I was well
acquainted with the said Baker, and
am familiar with the facts and cir
cumstances which led up to the said
shooting.
To my knowledge, the said Baker
was a worthless and vicious man;
the said Alice Cox is a native woman
of no great intelligence; according
to the testimony, the said Baker
employed Alice Cox to work for him
for a few days at Auk Bay gather
ing vegetables; that Baker took Al
ice Cox there in a boat, with an In
dian boy, since deceased, about four
teen years of age; who, bsides Alice
Cox and Baker were the only per
Continued on Page^4* 4
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