VOL. .3
PETERSBURG, ALASKA SEPTEMBER 21 1928
NO. 10
“Most
Efficient Officer" Cause
Of International Problem
Says the Ketchikan Chronicle,
“tlie Charles Sinclair case has as
sumed international prominence am
is now a subject of diplomatic inter
course between the United States
officials and the Canadian official«
at Washington, D. C., regarding tin
working out of details started by the
crurt machinery in Alaska, which
seeks to get Sinclair back into tin*
jail from which he broke out at Ju
neau. He was serving time for li
quor charge.
Meantime Sinclair is still in jail
in the hands of the Dominion offi
cials at Prince Rupert. He was or
dered released from custody by the
Dominion Government and was giv
en QO days to leave Canada, but be
fore this order became effective he
was served with papers of arrest
from United States officials charging
him with subordination of perjury
and malicious destruction of United
Stmes property, the latter due to his
sawing the bars to break out of jail.
It was proposed at first to have
Sinclair deported by the Canadian
officials as an alien as he became a
citizen of the United States, June 2 0
10 20, by taking out his final papers.
He was born in Newfoundland. The
Will Hold Hearings For
I
Regulation Narrows
A number of com]- il ; :: v
been lodged with the Alaska ltoad
Commission relative to rafts of logs
ir *ow injuring dolphins in the Nar
rows, the Commission announces
that it will hold hearings this winter
to discuss and draft regulations con
cf ruing the use of the Narrows by
ocean vessels, log tows and other
craft. It is thought by officials of
the Commission that unrestricted
use by large vessels and log tows and
other craft will probably interfere
with navigagtion of all classes of
traffic, b
Valuable Seal Cargo
The Vega, U. S. Navy transport
recently took south from Pribilof
Islands $1,142,500 worth of seal
skins. This is said to be the larg
est shipment of skins received in one
consignment in Seattle. She also
had a shipment of bluefox skins.
The total catch of seal was in
457 barrels each valued at $2,500.
The skins will be sold in St. Louis
at public auction by the Govern
ment.
The Hoquiant pulpmill bletched
forth its first black smoke on the
28th of this month when the Grays
Harbor Pulp Company tried out its
boilers and various machines for the
first time. “The firing up” was be
lieved to presage an early opening
of the big mill, although company
officials declared that as yet no date
had been set for the beginning of
operations.”
This huge mill represents an in
vestment of $3,500,000 and is prac
tically completed. The plans were
first drawn up for the mill a consid
erable time after the pulpmill idea
was started in Alaska and has come
to its final construction before the
pulp interests have completed their
“surveys” of Alaska timber and
water power.
A cargo of 2,000 tons of sulphur
was recently shipped to the Hoquiam
mill and discharged at the mill docks
along with other material to start
iPi nitration officials of British Co
ltrr.bia and the local officials at
Prince Rupert agreed tt C'e deporl
ation, and it was plummet to arrest
him when he was landed at the first
American port, which would he Ket
chikan.
■lov.c/ver, Sinclair, throng i his
attorneys, appealed to Ottawa, where
it was held that a “British subject
is always a British subject” and the
decision of the British Columbia o!
finals was revoked and Sinclair was
oj dared released from custody, with
the provision on the part of Canadi
an officials that lie leave Canada in
fit days.
But again the American law step
(1 in and demanded him held on
wi nt they claim is an extraditable
charge and the matter is now pend
ing at Washington, D. C.
MR ST~S 1G X S OF WINTER
-o
Seward reports the first snow of
the season at Broad Pass, near that
town. It is claimed by old timers
to be the earliest big fall of snow
ip many years and is indicative of
at early freezeup and also an early
breakup next, spring.
Locally on the mainland entigu
otts to Petersburg considerable new
snow has been noted already.
PAXmVRlTlXG ON THE WALL
land canning scored a “knockout’
this season over big canneries and
will be the salvation of the big fish
ing industry as well as a big factor
in the upbuilding and populating
of Maska is the emphatic opinion
of F. O’Neil of Seldovia, who was a
passenger on the Admiral Evans
Sunday on his way to Cordova
from whence he expects to return
immediately. The herring will be
running in this neighborhood in 10
days and must be there for their ar
rival. all preparations having been
m a de.—G a t e wa y.
Tilden Ask Reinstate:
ment
‘Big Bill” Tilden recently aske'l
the executive committee of the United
Stales Lawn Tennis Association fo •
reinstatement as an amateur play
er. The matter was tabled until
the next meeting which will not be
held until December. It is pre
sumed by this action that the mat
ter will not meet with the approval
of the Association. Tilden was de
c'ared a “professional” by reason of
newspaper articles contributed by
him on tennis games and meets.
At the MacGregor
-o
A Harp in Hock”, being shown
shown at the MacGregor tonight, hae
no giggantic sets in the production.
The story is human, a simple tale of
tenement life in New York where
kindness, greed, sorrow and joy
travel hand in hand. It is a vibrant
picture.
Saturday “Spurs and Saddles”
will be shown the plot of which is
simple but wherein lies its charm
F- )i of thrills and pictorial appeal,
it comes recommended to those who
want something different in west
erns.
Sunday and Monday, ‘Wild Geese’
from the novel by Martha Ostenso,
Is a treat promised theatre fans. It
is a vivid picturization. of the novel
which won a prize a year or so ago.
The story of a schoolteacher who
lived in the vicinity of the locale of
the absorbing story.
Dan Sutherland Coming
First Division Soon
Delegate to Congress Dan Suther
land made a speech in Fairbanks on
the evening of September 17th, in
t lie Empress Theatre. He had cov
ered the Interior and Peninsula sec
tion and was nearly thru with his
campaign in that section. He hopes
to be in the First Division the early
part of October.
Curtis Starts Stumping
In 11 States
-o
Senator Charles Curtis, Republic- i
an candidate for Vice President
shoved oft- from Washington, D. C.
on the 14th of ihe month on a
5.000-mile swing over the country
in an effort to rivet the Middle West
and Rocky Mountain states solidl
for the C. O. P. column.
Until October 1, Curtis will wage
one of the major offensives of the
Republican campaign, firing liis op
euirig guns in Kentucky and winding
up in Oklahoma.
SEEKS INDIAN VOTE
“Curtis is particularly keen to gef
i* to the Indian country. With the
blood of Indian chieftans in his
wines, the Kansan, who as a boy
lived on the Kaw tribe reservation,
v.'il- make three speeches to the In
dmns.
“Four hundred thousand Indians
wfll vote for the first time this year.
Curtis has faith they will not for
get his efforts in their behalf dur
ing his long career in Congress.’’
Curtis will stump in Kentuclcj, In
diana, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyom
ir>g, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Ne
braska, Missouri, and then to Okla
ho?na.
Oklahoma, where a half of the
voting population is Indian, is sched
uled for ten appearances, one of
(wlvch will be in Claremore, the
home of Will Rogers, famous In
d an monologist. Rogers himself
is a Democrat.
Aberdeen Pulpmill—Like
Alaska's
-o
Cooperation in publicity work
has its limits, even in the Grays
Harbor district, where the Aberdeen
I
and Hoquiam Chamberss of Com
merce have developed mutual enter
prise to a fine art.
Hoquiam is chortling over the Ab
erdeen Chamber’s latest effort. In
an article appearing in a Seattle
magazine the Aberdeen organization
is credited with securing a “large
pulp and paper industry.” The pulp
plant indicated is in operation in
Hoquiam. The paper mill will be
under construction next month on
an adjoining site.
Juneau and Ketchikan have both
been advertising pulp mill projects.
Now they tell us that since the lim
ber surveys are completed, work of
surveying water power will be tak
en up and completed some years
hence.
Capt. Hvatum, owner and master
of the halibutter Dorothy, while in
port, said that his big catch for this
1 year was 45,000 pounds—a month’s
tn'p. He was not overly optomistic
about the situation nor did he ev
er think that 45,000 would be a
“big trip.”
The Juneau Fair is over, gone is
another orgy of money spending. A
large number of prizes presented and
everybody happy.
Club Endorses
Hospital Plan
Tn a meeting Wednesday night
hold in the City Hall, the local Cham
ber of commerce considered the hos
pital plan submitted by Rev. Ness
and Rev. Kildal of the Lutheran
Church. . Tlie plan being that the
city form a hospital corporation with
a governing board to operate the
hospital, taking care of the expense
and operation, the Lutheran Church
to furnish two Deaconess who shall
be trained nurses to have active phy
sical charge of the church.
After a considerable discussion in
which Dr. Dan E. Standard showed
the feasibility of the plan, the need
of such an institution in Petersburg
and the advantages of same, the
Club went on record as approving
the project and instructed Secretar>
Harold F. Dawes to write the City
Council of the action of the Club
with the request that the Council
give the matter favorable considera
tion.
The attendance at the meeting was
fairly representative of the business
interests but not as large as such an
organization should warrant.
The first meeting of the winter se
ries and was interesting with plenty
of pep and vinegar insofar as some
of the members was concerned. All
had an interest.
Fishing Closes 29th For
Balance of Year
o
Telegraphic advices dated the 13th
from the Secretary of Commerce is
io tne elTec* t hat all commercial fish
ing for salmon by net will be closed
on the 29th of this month in I» y
Straits, Cross Sound, Central and
Stikine districts at the same time.
Commercial fishing with rod and
line will continue in all districts
The Petersburg Packing Com
pany called in all their gear Svfu.’
dnv last and discontinued operati ms
fm the year. Humpies were lai.’y
plentiful but getting black and :Ua
while dogs were quite scarce. The
heavy rains of the past ten 1 i.vs
driving the few dogs which ma-.ie
tk ir appearance, up stream. Ho v
ever, the dog salmon run was a dis
tinct, disappointment to the coir
pj.- y which had hoped to fill u »*„ a
le v cases with that species. Ind ’a
tions throughout the whole district
show a decline in seed escapement of
cog salmon and the escapement or
humpies not so good as was to be
hoped The first few days of fi: fi
irg after the season opened w a
good after which it did not pav t i°
seiners to perate. The fishs men
north of Petersburg district are mov
ing down Chomley way. They hope
to give the “Chomlev divers” a little
excitement.
The telegraphic advice as to the
closing of the season follows:
'Acting secretary of commerce
teday promulgated regulation per
mitting salmon trolling in Yakutat
district from October 1 to December
31. and prohibiting commercial sal
mon . fishing except by trolling iu
Prince of Wales Island and southern
districts after 6 o’clock post meridi
an September 29. Previous regula
tions prohibit commercial salmon
fishing except by trolling in Icy
Strait, Cross Sound, central and
Stikine districts after 6:00 o’clock
p. m., September 29.”
The telegram was received by C.
"West.
Judge Hill Hold Court
This Month
-o
Clerk of the Court, John Dunn,
Juneau has announced that Judge
E. Coke Hill will hold a term of
court in the First Division at Ju
nea beginning the 29th of this
month. The term will be short and
more confined to civil matters.
Developments in B. C.
Fisheries
-o
A most important feature of the
British Columbia salmon fishery this
y»;ar has been a mutual agreement
for arrangement among the packers
by which the amount of gear used
is voluntarily reduced. For some
reason the movement has been sur
rounded with considerable mystery,
but a recent consular report from
Vancouver attributes it to the recent
consolidation of important packing
interests and states that a 5-year
agreement has been signed by which
the number of seines is cut this year
about 50 per cent, and the number
I of gillnets by 25 to 30 per cent. The
I arrangement is said to have been
I effected by consent of practically all
the packers, in the realization that
unless the industry snould take ef
fective steps toward conservation the
government would reduce the fishing
time to a point where it would not
pay to operate.
-\ccoring to private advices, the
n,ew arrangement is quite agreeable
to the fishermen, as it is the desire
of both fishermen and packers to pre
vent an increased closed season, and
ttiev are now working along lines
agreeable to all interested in the pre
servation of the salmon. Some in
terchange of gear between the vari
ous areas may be effected according
to conditions developing during the
season, without necessitating an in
crease of gear by any one cannery.
At the same time, the government
restriction on transportation of raw
fish over long distances, in which the
packers are generally co-operating,
is expected to result in an improve
ment in average quality of the pro
duct.— Pacific Fisherman.
Bureau School Opens
Monday
-o
Miss Madeline Koester, recently
appointed from Seattle as teacher
of the Bureau School in Petersburg,
arrived in town on the Aleutian
She announces that school for thez
native children will open Monday the
2 4*h in the old Jail Building.
The building is being conditioned
by Willian Gribble and John Peter
son. Gribble is papering the ceiling
and staining it with suitable color
to give ample light in the classroom
while Peterson has torn down part
titions, put in blackboards and shel
ving and setting in the desks. When
completed the Nativ e children of
Petersburg will have very suitable
quarters for the academic work.
Miss Koester is a graduate of the
Bellingham Normal School and
taught in the Territorial schools at
Kenaii. She comes well recommend
ed. From the number of children
now in town it is probable that about
20 children will be enrolled.
HIGH FINANCE
-o
After paying $1,060 and losing his
furniture to boot on a $400. loan
from from a “shark” a colored men
was still in debt. That, is really get
ting something for nothing.
Mr. Wilson of the Mutual Paper
Js in town from Juneau. He heads
south on the Queen tomorrow.
That “Dude" Ranch
Misrepresentation
Montana Man Claims He* lias From*
ise of Backing; For Venture
-o
'.s the heading of a story in the
Anchorage Daily Times. The story
was a rewrite from the Petersburg
Pi ess. Says the article.:
“(J’ouse has investigated the situa
tion thoroughly and has formed an
association of which Earl Ohmer is
president and L. B. Cornelius trea
surer. It is the plan of the associa
tion to advertise the ranch exhaust
ively among the class of people in
terested in such vacations* * *”
When seen about this story Mr
Ohmer was quite emphatic in his de
nial of any association whatsoever in
any manner shape nor form; refill
ed to have his name associated with
th» scheme in any manner and that
the use of his name with this mon
ey making scheme of rather dubious
character, was taking undue and un
warranted privilege and which lie
would ifbt tolerate. Daily Times re
quested to copy.
New Rules For All B.
C. Fishboats
-u
Amalgamation of three large Bri
tish Columbian salmon canning com
panies is expected to result in im
proved conditions in the industry,
according to word from consul H. S.
Tewell at Vancouver.
A five-year agreement to reduce
the amount of gear used in fishing
has been signed. It is expected
to reduce the annual catch however
Territories in which vessels of the
constituent canneries may fish have
been alloted so that there will he n»
unprofitable competition.
Prices will be the same as in 19217
except a two-cent advance to f>2 cell's
on sockeye.
Canadian vessels landed 392,00b
pounds of fresh halibut in Vancouver
durinv June. They were valued at
$29,290.
Kodiak Cold Storage A
Sure Thing
-o
Incorporation papers for a $600,
ah.000 corporation to build a public*
coid storage plant at Kodiak are now
being prepared in California, accord
ing to a definite rumor from that
town which has long been waiting
the completion of the plans of W. R
Grskine, leading merchant of the
V'estward who has been in the
stages for the past two years working
jH the promotion of the new induce
ti v.
It is stated on good authority
that. Erskine has just sent in word
that the money has been raised and
all that now awaits is the complet
ing of the formal incorporation thru
tee corporation commission of Cal
hernia. It is further announced
that work on the new plant can be
expected to begin at an early date
The plant, it is said is designed pri
marily for the freezing of halibut.—
Seward Gateway.
TTME TO CALL A HALT
-o
These same Mormon investigator:?
of conditions in Alaska had decided
views on the cause of what was
wrong with Alaska.- They said:
‘Alaska has suffered from exploit
ation. Men have followed the course
of ^east resistance. Have mined and
fished and trapped the fur bearing
industry and animals with little re
gard to the future or permanence
of the industry. A more conserva
tive course should be followed.”
operations.