VOL. 2
PETERSBURG, ALASKA MARCH 16, 1928
NO. 34
Commercial Clot
Regular meeting, Wednesday, Mar
14th. Most of the session taken up
in listening to the very interesting
talk of J. C. Berg of Ketchikan on
the possibilities of the fishing in
dustry of the future, and particular
ly the growing trade in filleted
salmon— pinks and small kings. The
ALASKAN will go more into detail
on this next issue.
Letter from the San Francisc >
Chamber of Commerce relative to
May election in Washington, D. C.
of Director for the 9th district of
the U. S. Chamber of Cemmerce
Wallace M. Alexander is a candidate.
He is a past president of the San
Francisco body. The supper rates
at the commercial club meeting wers
increased from 75 cts per plate to
$1.00.
A Letter.
Petersburg, Alaska,
March 11th, 1928.
THE ALASKAN.
Petersburg.
Gentlemen: In your editorial last
week—“Man’s Inhumanity to Man’’
—you place the blame of “Tex"
Gill’s “death sentence’’ to the Brok
en Down Arches who made this
fearless arrest of a “criminal dang
erous to society." You make no
mention of the dispenser of Justice
In this instance, Judge Clauson.
Last October McClellas and Ring,
Ketchikan. taxi drivers and boozs
peddlers, came to Petersburg and
openly and promiscuously solicited
orders for. and sold liquors on the
streets of this town. AFTER they
had sold all of their illicit wares
they were arrested. It was never
understood that federal police pow
ers were given Mr. Wick, nor was
it understood WHY the arrest of
these two enervates of the Ketchi
kan tenderloin district AFTER Mr
Brown left town. Did somebody
slip up on this deal?
These lily enervates of the Ket
chikan Wall Street were brought
before Judge Clauson,—a just Judge.
He fined (?) them $50. each and
as they were leaving town ANY
HOW, ordered them to leave on the
first boat. They did, but before
going/ laughingly stated that they
“did not pay any fine." This was
never denied.
“Tex,” for the crime of haying
two “snifters” on his person is giv
en his death sentence; the ener
vates of Ketchikan are kissed on
the cheek asd sent back to Ketchi
kan with their pockets full of
money. This is one of the most
disgusting exhibitions of injustice
ever pulled off in Alaska, and it if
high time the contracting parties
sent in resignations in order that
fair minded, square shooting Amer
leans dispense justice.
Yours truly,
Subscriber (SL O. N.)
(Note by Editor: No liquor wai
found on the person of “Tex.” Tw<
little drinks in a soda pop bottl<
were picked up (on the street am
“Tex** was sentenced to death 01
the supposition that the liquor w*
his.)
RAYS RAISE FISH
At the University of Washlngio:
Fish Laboratory they are expert
menting with electric lights on th
growth of fish. 200 watt lamps c
various colors burn over and ligt
different aquariums. Each light, th
investigation shows, has a differei
affect on the finny specimens.
i Small Talk
There is a lot of simple chatter
bearing on salmon conservation
Here’s this in the Alaska Weekly of
the 9th March: “Clear the obstruc
tions, (creek jambs) clean up tli.:
spawning beds, seine out the trout
put a bounty on the bear, declare
organized warfare on the gull.-;
terns during the time of the rut:
and the Alaska pack will he in
creased by 2~> per cent without I n
si'?, lit eat du.iger to tin* pernu.non<\
of the industry.
Clearing 3tream obstruction.-; is
nil right. Let the spawning hod
alone. If a salmon—or pair of ’etn
—can reach spawning territor
they’ll make their own beds, and
do it better than you or 1. To gst
rid of the trout is a good thing too
but it can’t be accomplished. The
cut-throat trout is as bad as the
dolly varden. All trout are egg
eaters and they also enjoy small
salmon. There’s no argument about
trout being big salmon killers. But
bounty on bear, on the shooting of
gulls and tern is baby chatter inso
far as salmon saving is concerned
In the State of Washington there
are 5 bear to one here. Gulls are
as plentiful. True enough the, birds
do destroy a small quantity of salm
on. What the bear eat isn’t a drop
in the bucket. Such small things
aren’t considered in the State tha‘.
has actually been successful in
salmon conservation, BUT THE BIG
THING TO KNOCK IN ALASKA IS
THE SALMON TRAP. Tunny isn’t
it, that there is so much warbling
on little things when there are re
gular mountains of big things not
taken up. Standing in with the
canning trust means idle chatter.
We aren’t all damn fools.
5
NEARLY 985,000 AHEAD
The Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining
Co. had a surplus for the month of
January of $84,660 according to re
cent retumes. Gold saved ran to
$277,000. Silver and lead to $8,
000. There were 322,450 tons of
rock handled to get the gold and
silver and lead. The rock tonnage
amounts to more than 63 good big ‘
steamship loads. Expenses such as
labor, tramming, milling, taxes, in
surance, interests and so on clipped
$200,350 from the gross amount,
$277,000, leaving surplus of $84,
650. The gross amount saved per
ton of rock handled was less than
$1.15. Not very rich pickings when
one considers that a ton of rock is
no small chunk of matter.
BABY DIED
The infant child of Mr. and Mr?.
Henry Phillips died last Tuesday,
A. M. The baby had been ailing for
some time with a cerebral ailment
and was in convulsions for several
days before death mercifully re
lieved the sufferings.
i
WHAT’S THIS
i
l
i
j
9
f
t
e
t
An institute for teachers of the
U. S. Bureau of Education is to be
conducted over KOMO radio sta
tion, Seattle. It is supposed to
benefit 250 teachers, doctors and
nurses in 90 Alaskan schools and
hospitals—if they have radios.
Teachers, doctors and nurses are
supposed to be equipped with neces
sary knowledge to do their work
when they are engaged, and we be
lieve this broadcasting is more ad
vertisement than instruction. Better
put this KOMO cost into school
houses. It's a wonderful idea.
O. For a Great, Big Swatter.
A .World's Fur Mart
m>-- -
Seattle is working itseif up to be
the coming fur market of the world
It has been moving along by de
gress for some time, but recenti.. il
has stepped up with agreeable as
surance. The annual convention oi
Fur Dealers Association is soon to
be held there as a forerunner of a
great achievement. The prog om
for the oeeassion is no v practiealb
complete, and will take place April
24th to 27th incl.
David C. Mills, Director General
of New York, will be in attendance
as well as other officers of tile big
fur organizations. Also coming are
the well known officers of fur trades
of London, Berlin, Paris and other
European centers of population; and
from Ottawa, Torronto, New York
Boston, Chicago, St. Paul, Minne
apolis, St. Louis, San Francisco and
other large North American cities.
The annual convention in Seattlo
will be the largest in the history of
the West and the forerunner of the
foundation of the biggest fur center
in the world.
Charles Ray, designer and style
director of the fur manufacturers
association of New York—the Amer
ican authority on modes and styles,
will be on the job, and he will have
with him ten professional models
from the metropolis. This style
show will be one of the appealing
features of the great gathering of
fur people.
And at the time the Seattle fur
exchange will stage the biggest fur
sale in the history of that pros
perous concern. This will com
mence April 25.
HOME TALENT
j Here’s this from the Broadway
High School cinder path in the Seat
tle Times: “Alaska sprinter turns
out in the person of Ray Wheeler.”
The Broadway Tigers “have a relay
prospect.” * * * “Wheeler is a
new comer to the Seattle Prep league,
but comes with a fine reputation.
Wheeler formerly lived in Alaska
where he gained a name for himself
as a dash man of no mean ability.”
The Wheeler referred to here is a
son of James Wheeler of the Wheel
er Drug and Jewelry Co., Petersburg
and a kid brother to 'Gene,’ al3o of
this city.
Wyoming Republicans are still
urging Coolidge to “remain in of
fice.” Is thi3 all camouflage or is
It one of those peculiar political
twists that crop out at times show
ing a morbid tendency toward roon
archismT
To Wrangell To
Beat Juneau
On the shrimper Charles T. the
Basket ball squad sailed for Wran
gell Thursday P. M. They were in
higi glee at time of departure, and
we rust t hey’ 11 be feeling as chipper
,vheu they return—with Juneau
scalps at their belts. A number of
rooters for the home team left
town with the boys on the motor
boat and the fair ribbers for victory,
afterward, on the S. S. Rogers leav
ing at 7 P. M.
IIY THE SALVATION ARMY
Tex” (Jill crossed the black divide
Saiurday evening. There were few
it his ‘side to say goodbye; no tears
were shed as he passed the portal.
As he died he lay for 24 hours.
There was no inquest, no examina
teion. No one was interested. Of
ficially, no one knows what wa3 the
immediate cause of death. The
health officer did nothing. Finally
the remains were taken down to
i he Salvation Hall, and from the
Salvation Hall, after the Army ser
vices, to the grave yard on Monday
afternoon at 4:30.
The trip across the Narrows was
made i-n the city motor launch oper
ated by MacKecknie. Those who at
tended the funeral were the Salva
tion Army officers, a few members
of the Army and Han3 Wick. So
passeth a soul and in the grim
hour of need the Salvationists stood
in the front ranks to pray for its
deliverance to a fairer land.
CASH AND CARRY DOING WELL
Right from the jump off the cash
and carry store on the end of the
Hogue and Tventen Dock has been
doing good busisess. Dull as times
are, and scarce as dollars are, the
business on the dock has picked up
day by day. Price is the big feat
ure, of course. The coffee and hot
dog attachment—or annex—has
proven a success, too.
Results of the ball game will be
announced on the screen at the
MacGregor. The Frontiersman will
be run Tuesday, only,—a play for
the benefit for the boy scouts to
aid in new camp construction.
Mrs.. Chas. Jones (Native) found
a new, girl’s hat on the street and
it is now at THE ALASKAN office.
Who’s the owner? Color of hat
lavender, straw braid, feather or
nement.
A Dryer Meeting Place
For nearly a month now the
American Legion meetings have been
held in the private dining room of
the Grand Cafe. The regular meet
ing place on the hill dribbled so
much dampness when ever tho
weather was moist that a change
became necessary. The cafe is al
so the meeting place of the American
Legion Auxiliary.
FROM DOWN THE NARROWS
Chas. Elliot asd Leon Haider
came in to town last Monday on the
latter’s motorboat. Elliot started to
to come in his own ship, but foand
that all his fuel had leaked out in
to the boat’s bilge, so he had to
accept a ride with Haider who hap
pened along from the Olympic Mines
landing.
FEBRUARY 2lSNl> AT KLAWOCK
At Klawock there was the best
acknowledgement of Washington’s
birthday than there is reported of
any where in Alaska. It is certain
ly going some when the best cele
bration of the holiday in the terri
tory was pulled off in an Indian
village on Prince of Wales Island.
The program lasted from early in
the morning through to near mid
night and for costumes, action, en
tertainment, decorations, patriotic
atmosphere and well carried out
plans no town anywhere did better
and few came up to it. Here in
Petersburg there wa3 a wonderful
display of three American flags—
just three flags. In Klawock there
were speakers who spent a deal of
time on the subjects they talked on,
there were lots of excellent band
music, there were appropriate songs
there were declamations. A recita
tion of a poem by Fletcher took
iwell. We are sorry that we haven’t
the space to go more into details
and give the whole program by num
ber, but even though we can’t say
more than we have, Klawock takes
the cake and raisins for the best
celebration in the Northwest.
Frank Edwards, running against
Mrs. Bertha Landis in the Seatle
mayoralty race, declines debating
any of the city political issues with
his lady opponent. Therein Edwards
is wise. A man has everything <o
lose and not a thing to gain in a
conflict of words with a woman.
A report comes in that halibut
prices ranging in Seattle the middie
of this week were S% and 0 cti
| per pound.
Raw Business J
There seems to be an organized
effort to DO the seiners by the
salmon combine of S. E. Alaska, if
not the whole territory where the
seining of salmon is an industry.
It call's for a close scrutiny and
clover inspection to fish out the re
cently adopted plans of the scale
‘covered money-bags, but it exisrs
jihu.-lv; In the past cannerymen —
or cannery owners—have been pay
ing—-or they are supposed to havw
been paying—$15 license per seine,
i robably in some cases more than
$10 per seine. Receipts have been
received for the amounts paid. Thla
is fair enough on the surface. But
here is where the chicanery cornea
in. The canneries—the seine own
ers—switched the lax per seine to
those who fished them, thereby re
lieving themselves of the burden, of
amount. This didn’t become evid
ent until the close of the season
when final settlemests were made.
It appears that protests by the fish
ermen were of no avail.
Here and there the fee is small
in appearance—on the surface—but
to a packing plant owning a number
of seines it runs rapidly up into
dollars. To shunt the amount over
to the fisherman is a relief, at
course. The sum saved by the B.
E. Alaska canneries, if they all fol
low the system, would run to arouad
$5000 per season. It seems that
the Sebastion-Stewart outfit made
the initial move in this matter of
curtailment of expense to them
selves and additional expense to the
fisherman.
WARM SPRINGS—NSW ONS
Word comes out of Kake, through
Eddie Williams, that warm spring#
have been discovered near the vil
lage. There are no details. If thv
warm water run is of any give the
location will be much be*:er than
at the springs in Baranoff for the
climate at Kake is superi'v to that
of any place outside of Killisneo
and Skagway in S. S. Alaska.
WILL BE BAC KAQAIN
Some time in May the Steamship
Northeweatern will be sailing Alaska
way again and under the flag of the
Alaska Steamship Company. After
the unfortunate vessel had been
cleared from her bed of rocks and
moved to Seattle, it was found that
the hull was but slightly injured.
However it will be an expensive job
overhauling and repairing, and the
cleaning up process will run to a
neat figure Itself.
CALLED BACK TO CORDOVA
Last Tuesday the S. 8. Yukon,
after she was long on her way out
from Cordova and about 200 miles
distant, she received a wireless to
return at once to Cordova. Charles
West, the company’s agent, stated
that he had gotten no particulars
bearing on the call back.
TROLLING THE NARROWS
Hand trollers are picking up good
money these days around In tko
waters at the Narrow's entrance.
One fairly sized fish per day allows
a better Income than the same
quantity of labor does ashore—and
there is greater Independence. That’s
a whole lot, Itself.
A railroad accident near Seward
the other day ditched cars, battered
up lcomotlves and tore up a lot of
track. Two man were injured.