Nu««"(7-sl)se; « · « « Älaskmiw
A. N. B, PUBLISHING COMPANY
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The Altitun, six month*...... 12.50
ih« Alaskan, per year ..*. 14.00
Published ever; Friday by the a. N. B. Publishing Co., Petersbnrg
Entered in the Post Offlc* in Petersburg as Second Class matter.
GEORGE WASHINGTON
"First in war and first in peace”—
With love we speak of him again
Whose praises with the years increase —
"And first in the hearts of his countrymen."
GEOROE WASHINGTON
February 22nd, 1732.
It has always been a mystery to
us why the date of Washington’s
birth is the 22nd of February when
in fact he was born 11 days earlier.
Here is a copy of a registration
page in the old Washington family
bible in so far as it bears immedi
ately on the date of George Wash
ington’s birth: —
‘•Augustine Washington and Mary
Ball were married the tenth of
March, 1730.”
George Washington, son to Augus
tine and Mary, his wife, was born
the 11th day of February, 17 32,
about 10 in the morning.”
Now where does this 22 nd of
February come in? We have often
wondered. The difference of eleven
days doesn't make much difference
in the life of an individual, but it
is as easy to have it correct—the
birth date—as it is to have it wrong.
Washington came of aristocratic
people and he was an aristocrat
himself, albeit by environment in his
younger days he saw the trend to
ward democracy and in democracy,
he pinned his faith. He w-as an
army man of first rank although ho
was a strong advocate of peace. He
was a statesman oi commanding
qualifications tile while he loved thi
quiet and retiring life of the farm
er (planter).
Much has been done to explode
many of the myths that have been
tagged to Washington since hi.s
death in the endeavor to make it
appear that our first President was
just ordinary folk—a man of com
mon flesh and blood, who lived as
other men of his time and who died
of diptheria or rapidly developed
pneumonia (it isn’t definitely known
which) as you or I might die. The
results of all that has been written
on the subject make Washington
more dear to us than before. We
know the man better; he is closer
to us. It is easier to grasp the
Washington whom we now know
than the Washington of our school
day pictures.
It may not be generally known,
but Washington was our first and
only actual dictator—the first and
last in the annals of our country.
It was in 1777 when war clouds
hovered low, when the young na
December 14th, 1799.
tion was depressed, when the out
look was gloomy and forbidding and
despondency was great. The Con
gress, sitting at Philadelphia, realiz
ed that we had come to a difficult
bend in the highway of things.
Drastic troubles called for drastic
cures. Washington was about 49
years old at the time. Congress had
faith in him. Into his hands, as
Commander in Chief of the Amer
ican forces against the British,
against the Tories, against the back
biters, the pro-British and foreign
malcontents was given the power
absolute to carry through as he saw
fit.
Washington had patience. Also
he had a deal of foresight. The
unlimited confidence placed in his
hands by the Continental Congress
was more than justified. But with
the powers of a dictator Washing
ton knew that this power was really
little if defeat followed defeat. If
the forces of King George won vic
tory upon victory, dictatorship
would certainly not amount to more
than name. A move had to be made
that would give some standing to
the new position; something with a
good big kick to it. Therefore
Washington planned the capture of
Hessian-3 and the British forces at
Trenton. It hardly looked possible
to carry through. The weather w&a
nasty, the temperature below sero
and the Deleware River nearly ice
jambed. His troops were ragged
and hungry and cold. There were
whispers of discontent. What had
to be done must be done at night,
and the night of the expedition turn
ed out rawer than usual and a
withering blast of north wind
whistled down the country with a
flurry of biting sleet with it. Small
boats were asked for, commendeer
ed, forcibly taken and grabbed.
Finally enough of the small craft
small skiffs to big ship yawls—
were secured to transport a force
sufficiently large to form the van
guard and the river crossing began.
Working in icy water, in a below
zero temperature and in a gale of
Polar wind, isn’t pleasant when one
is dressed and equipped for it, but
here were Washington’s yanks half
clothed—and those duds ragged—
no hand protection and foot wear
naught but wrappings of old sails
and burlap. Some army. Silently
the warriors worked across, silent
ly they landed, silently they formed
on the Princeton side, but a long
march from where the enemy camp
fires burned. Men dropped hero
and there from actual starvation
and chill. Some of them froze 10
death where they went down.
There was nothing pleasant about
the task and the immediate pros
pects were gloomy, indeed. Some
of Washington's officers talked of
turning back. They didn’t think
that the troops could make the hike
to the lines of their foes. Wash
ington said: “Move on, gentlemen.
Walking is warming and we’ll have
something stimulating at the jour
ney end.” They moved on. Slowly,
but surely the soldiers tumbled for
ward in the dark.
The enemy wasn’t overly watch
lui. luey figured that wind and !
weather aided them. No yanks |
dare cross the Deleware. The boom
of a light field gun started things
humming. There were scattering re
ports of yank muskets. There was
great commotion in the enemy camp,
but they wakened too late. Frosty
bayonets faced them as they crawl
ed from tent and comfortable head
quarters. The battle of Trenton
was over nearly as soon as started
and Washington and his troops had
won the seemingly impossible. The
battle of Trenton made a firm found
ation for the dictatorship of Wash
ington, but dictatorial powers went
against the General’s grain. Slow
ly, as conditions were changed, the
way was paved for the establish
ment of a republic in which no dic
tator may have a place.
No nobler figure stands in the
van of a nation’s life, no cleaner
character is there to commemorate.
THE SALE OF ALASKA
PANHANDLE
Not so long ago a Canadian writ
er made it public that the Canadian
government would do a whole lot
of good to Skagway if that town -on
I ynn Canal w^ere under the cross of
St. George instead of the stars and
stripes. Openly he advocated the
sale of the city to the Canadian gov
ernment with the statement that
we were through, practically, with
the location and that Canada could
make better use of the place than
we -were making of it. What the
writer advocated, and called to the
attention of the public of both coun
tries was not at all out of the way,
he probably didn’t think that he
was stirring up anything serious at
the time, and likely he didn’t int
agine things would be considered
beyond the simple letter that was
originally penned. But the affair
has grown, and grown big. The
original suggestion considered Skag
wav, omy. Now the whole of S. E. j
Alaska is in the gossip of transfer j
Big trees from little acorns grow."
Seattle takes it upon herself to
completely block the sale. In com
ing out as she does, Seattle pro
claims to the world at large that
she is the boss of things Alaskan,
and on her say so, alone, hinges the I
whether or not Alaska goes to .
Canada or remains simply Alaska, a
suburb of Seattle. Alaska made 1 j
Seattle, and for fear of sliding back <
to a second place with Tacoma, she l
hurriedly lets all and sundry know }
that no part, parcel or chunk of Al- l
aska is for sale. j
It isn’t for any patriotic feeling 4
that Seattle puts up her warning 3
paw. She is afraid of losing some- <
thing she has never aided. Much ^
[out of Alaska has Seattle taken. 4
[Mighty little has she given in re- 4
turn. At the first bare thought that , 4
| the spouts of inflowing wealth 4
would be dammed, she squeals. *
Well, Seattle can lie down, for J
a spell, and sleep soundly. The Al *
aska panhandle isn't going to Can- J
ada, and that for two reasons. First. |
Alaska, herself, has something to J
say about a transfer of this sort. \
She is going to pull herself out of !
the mire Seattle lias set in and she’s 4
going to come to her own by the J
help of her own people. She is sat- <
isfied with the flag even though she *
■
may not be pleased with what has
been done to her In the shadow of
the flag.
Second, Canada doesn’t want the j
Alaska panhandle. True enough, she
would take it were she to find i)
floating around without a claimant,
but this isn’t the case. Immense
mountains are being made out ot
mole hills and this has been a fine
opportunity for Seattle to again
shout out her ownership of the ter
ritory.
So far as the town of Skagway is
concerned, there is nothing to hind
er Canadian people from purchasing
Skagway property that we know of.
No one will make any complaint ii
the Canadian people see fit to build
up the Lynn Canal town and the
rail road company can buy as much
property there as it needs and put
up as many tourists hotels as ii
pleases. There is a reverse case to
this in early Dawson days. Amer
ican miners, sourdoughs, adventur
ers and explorers build up the Klon
dike metropolis. No one requested
a change of flag nor of administra
tion. It would have been as much
out of place to have suggested the
purchase of Dawson by the U. S
then as it is now to consider serious
ly the selling of Skagway to the
Canadian government.
No. there is nothing in the wail
of Seattle that means any particular
good for Alaska. Behind her cry
is a fear of losing fat pickings,
that’s all.
HERE IS A GOOD GOOD POSITION
FOR A REAL WORKER
We are offering Permanent Posi
tions to a few reliable men and wo
men, in which an excellent income
from side-earnings .even to PART
TIME workers acn be made. Durtng
our 35 years in business we have ap
pointed over 518,000 agents who
supply -our household necessity to
sur customers in every country in
the world. Many of our agents
have been with us over thirty years
and .have achieved Financial Inde
pendence. Increasing local de
mands and repeat orders, make it
necessary to appoint more local re
presentatives in many localities in
the United States. No' special ex
perience or capital required. A
straight forward, dignified business
Why not represent the largest and
best known house of its kind in the
world. Send us your address and
the Manager of our Appointment
Bureau will send you FULL PAR
TICULARS. When we appoint an
agent we furnish free samples for
Trial Tests in the homes of youi
locality, etc.
Address ALPHEUS BANCROFT
WASHINGTON, D. C., (Attention
Clerk No. 1), 1438 U (You)
LINES INSCRIBED TO
EDWIN HAINES, DECEASED
You have left us, Little One,
Taken ere your course be run,
Reaper claimed you, now you’re
gone,
Little One.
Eagerly to school you came,
Scarcely learned to scrawl your
name;
Played brief inning in Life’s game
Now you're done,
Little One.
I
iJust a little taste of life,
I Taken ere the bud got rife,
Left behind a world of strife,
Little One.
Life’s stern lessons just begun,
Study, play, a little fun,
Then forever from us gone,
Little One.
How we miS3 your smiling face,
True, no one can take your place,
And we mourn, for a brief space,
Little One.
Buried ’neath the winter’s snows,
Where you’ve gone just no one
knows,
Ah, so calm in still repose,
Little One.
Deeply do we feel your loss,
On your grave a little cross,
And to shed a tear, we pause,
Little One.
Mourn we you with keen regret,
And we say, with eyes still wet,
That we’ll never you forget,
Little One.
i — Mary Erwin
THE INVENTOR IS 81 YEARS
OF AGE
Thomas Edson, one of the world’s <
greatest and most prolific inventors
had a birthday on the 11th of j
February. To celebrate this oc
casion and to wi3h the wizard
many happy returns, there was
quite a noticeable gathering at Fort
Myers. Edison answered a few
questions that were put to him.
Here are some of the interrogations
and the replies: Asked about the
drift of religion in America:—"The
American people are drifting away
from bunk and superstition. The
increase in scientic knowledge is
I responsible for the fact that 11,
344 churches reported no additions
in 1927.” On eternity;—‘‘It is
50-50 with me, one way or another,
as to my belief whether there is
life after death.” Edison favors
the abolishment of capital punish
ment and thinks the publication of
crime news is all right if given
briefly and with the lurid and un
necessary detail cut out.
cTKe Spine
is the tinman
Switchboard
controlling
Health and
Vigor
BE NOT DECEI\7ED
Rest under no misapprehension on
this point—if you suffer from rheu
matism, you will continue to suffer
from it, regardless of alleviative
measures employed, so long ay its
cause remains with you.
That cause is pressure upon spinal
nerves serving the eliminative or
gans which hampers their work and
permits wastes to be discharged in
to the blood stream. This pressure
can be corrected by spinal adjust
ments, nothing else will remove
this cause.
COULD HARDLY WALK—“I suf
fered with rheumatism so badly that
I could hardly walk and was in al
mo3t constant pain. I had great
difficulty in climbing stairs. But
since taking several Chiropractic ad
justments more than a year ago I
am entirely well of rheumatism and
have had no symptoms of a re
turn.”—M. P. Coates,. Research
Bureau, statement No. 2271-L.
;;
\
LEON ENSCH, D. C.
Palmer Graduate 1014
PETERSBURG,
ALASKA
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WE GIVE PROMPT ATTENTION
TO MAIL ORDERS
ON JOB PRINTING
THE ALASKAN
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X
John Fanning
|SHOE STORE
Dealer in
X
Complete line of Silk Hosiery
Best grade of Shoes for men,
women and children.
Best Quality Goods
at very low price?
Shoe repairing1 neatly done.
?
y
X~X~X*<**XMX"X"X"X~X»*X*«X"X
The ever growing Circulation of
The ALASKAN among buyers is an
Inducement to Merchants to Adver
tise in The ALASKAN.
Buy at Star Bakery and Save Money
Fresh Doughnuts, Cup Cakes, CooS .5
and Cinnamon Rolls
Always on Hand Fresh
STAR BAKERY
AMERICA FIRST arrives In Pe
tersburg Friday morning, leaving
for Juneau via Kake and way ports
about noon.
HAHOW TRANSPORTATION
COMPANY
j DRS. C. M. & R. L. CARLSON
£ Optometriste and Opticians
1218 -19 Commercial Building
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
i;minn»n»mnm»n»mttmKm«3s
Advertise in THE ALASKAN.
When in Town Stop at
j ARCTIC HOTEL
i: First Class Rooms :::
Reasonable Rates \\\
|i CARL ROGER, Pro. jjj
Borne Service Mending
of Laundered Goods
We give full value for your
money.
H. OYAMA, PRO.
I Sanitary Market |
■; A Roast you’ll like
: The Very Choicest Beef ;■
Mutton and Pork
i Vegetable in Season j
| SITKA HOT SPRING
HEALTH RESORT
Rate $3.00 per
day and up
Dr. Goddard, Pro.