VOL. 2
PETERSBURG, ALASKA MAY 18 1928
NO. 41
Offered Gumshoe Job
At Yakutat
Report on the street this week,
refusing to be downed, was to the
effect that Hans Wick was offered
a deputy marshalship at Yakutat
because of his understanding love
for the Indian. When questioned
about the matter he said, “They
tried to send me away from Peters
bu g, but it was too far." Howev
er he did not deny that he was fish
ing for such a position.
There will be Susie Beans at
Yakutat and elsewhere and it will
not surprise THE ALASKAN did
another drunken Indian maid make
disgusting statements to Hans as
she made recently in the presence
of a number of other white men.
However, Hans is a married man
anu Susie was drunk, so he may
really be lined up for the position
where he will enforce all of the
lavs of the United States.
ESTABLISHING AGENCY IN THE
NORTH
George H. Davies, manager of
Proven Products Sales Company of
Seattle has been in town the past
ten days lining up trade for the na
tionally advertised goods which his
company handles. He said in a re
cent interview that he hoped to give
business houses in Alaska benefit
of jobbers prices and “still allow
his company a fair margin of pro
fit.” He will have an Alaska re
presentative at Juneau on account
of its being most centrally located.
Mr. Davis has been in the north
west for some years and while on
a four through Alaska saw the pos
sibilities of developing business to
the benefit of Alaskans as well as
to his company. So he organized
tie Proven Products Sales Com
pany. From the plans he now out
lines, it will mean a change in the
general policy of Seattle trade to
ward business in Alaska—if carried
tits logical and successful conclu
sion.
Sandbagging Failed
Secretary Mellon sought to chast
ize Senator Couzens this winter for
exposing the refunding of taxes to
Mellon companies and to others.
The echo of the Senator’s charges
had hardly died away when the In
ternal Revenue Department demand
ed Couzens and others to pay addi
tional taxes amounting to some $40,
000,000, on a deal in Ford stock
long since closed by the same de
partment.
Last week the Court of Appeals
upheld decision of the district Court
and ordered the refunding of $44,
500,000 income and profits tax of
the Ford motor stock sold by the
plaintiffs to Henry Ford. Couzens
will have returned to him $10,900,
000, amount of taxes paid by him
plus interest. Coudens will have
tuoie to say on the subject.
Halibut Situation Not
Very Promising
■
Returns for fares of halibut on
tl e markets have not been so good
on the average this year. The Ket
chikan fishermen held a meeting!
in that city recently and discuss
ed the matter in its various angles.
Effort will be made to draw closer
all the workers possible in that in
dustry with the idea of working
out better cooperative marketing.
The constabulary force so highly
recommended by Governor Parks
has met with the disapproval of
Secretary Work, ^
Reviews Salmon
Industry
E. L. Hill, P.I. Financial Editor,
recently reviewed the salmon situ
ation and its relation to Seattle. It
is a remarkably frank statement as
to why the population of Alaska
does not grow while development of
Puget Sound cities continues.
“Last year, as is well known, the
pack was short. Consumption is
increasing, due to better sales and
I distribution methods and to nation
al advertising. Increased consump
I tion has occurred despite material •
jly higher price levels than the
country has known since 1918.
• Government restrictions impos
ed for this year on salmon fishers,
by virtue of the 1914 law, will re
duce gear to be used in Soutlieasi
eavn Alaska by one-third. The ef
fect of these new regulations is dif
ficult to estimate, but it seems pret
ty certain that the catch and pacic
can hardly exceed that of 1927 and
may not equal it.
‘ This situation is of great im
portance to Seattle, the canned sal
mon capital of the world, as well
as to Tacoma, Bellingham, Ever
ett and other Puget Sound ports.
More than 22,000 men are employ
ed directly in Alaska cannery op
erations and several thousand more
on Puget Sound. They consume
enormous amounts of provisions
produced in the Northwest—eggs,
hams, butter, milk, flour, cheese,
jams, canned and fresh fruit, etc.
AND THEY ARE PAID OFF IN
HOME PORTS OF PUGET SOUND
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 76
CENTS of the packer’s dollar is ex
pexided at the point where the men
embark. Considering that the Pu
get Sound area do from $20,000,000
to $30,000,000 business, the im
portance of this industry to the
lunroi van uaiui) uc urcicou
mated.
Each cannery, wherever located,
is a little community in itself,
whose workers buy FROM THE
GENERAL STORE PRETTY NEAR
LY EVERYTHING THE REST OF
US BUY HERE ON THE SOUND.
Their wants are supplied largely
from Seattle merchants and job
bers. When the season is over,
most of the men and ships return
to Seattle to winter.”
And the businessmen of Alaska
fall all over themselves kissing this
cannery competition and damn all
Alaskans who dare protest these
competitors who are given prefer*
ential freight rates—for the bene
fit of Seattle.
Thieves Make Cleanup
Sunday Jess Ames left his boat
for a little while and returned to
find it stripped of tools and supplies
amounting to about $40. He has
been unable to get any clues as to
who entered and robbed his boat.
These water front pilerings have
been going on for some time. It
has been reported but not much ef
fort made to get clues as to who
is stocking up at the other fel
lows expense. More effort seem
ingly being made to nab consum
ers of “white mule” and Canadian
bonded goods than the dispensers
* GOING SOUTH
Mr. Darragh expects to leave for
Seattle on the Admiral Rogers on
its first southbound trip.
Miss Burgess has engaged reser
vations ,on the Admiral Rogers for
passage bo Seattle.
Aliss Cary McKecknie does not
plan to leave for the south until
the first trip of the Admiral Rogers
in June. \
fe. k ^__
Exercises of Second Annual
Commencement High School
'n Wednesday evening in the
MacGregor Theatre, the second an
nul 1 commencement of the Peters
burg High School was held. The
program was complete and those
who were in attendance were quite
pieased with it.
immediately following the invo
cation. Henrietta Dahl and Mildred
Johansen gave an instrumental du
et. This was followed by the Sa
lutatory” by Mildred Cornstad
Quoting the class of 1928 motto
“Onward is our aim” she illustrat
ed from the life of Helen Keller
who despite all physical odds went
onward and upward in life and ed
ucation. This should be the ob
jective of the class and those who
followed.
Minnie Nelson gave “Some Per
sonal Data of the Class” which was
a history of each member of the
ciais given in a humorous vein
Mrs. Andrew Johnson sang two
vo< al solos in a pleasing manner
and was then followed by Harold
Shields on “The Needs of Peters
burg High School.” He dwelt on
the history of the development oft he
schools until the present day com
mending the city upon its wonder
ful progress in educational develop
ment. He emphasized the need of
more rooms, assembly hall and an
adequate gymnasium along with a
greater need of a school library.
Diehard Brennan made the ad
dress to the student body in pre
sentation of the class present to the
school. This banner was the school
monogram with the year 1928
worked in white on a blue back
ground.. The monogram and year
being in the form of a sheid. In his
address he urged upon the students
need of a greater school spirit and
defined the term first by showing
what it was not and then in post'
the statement declared that it was
a spirit of organization and es prlt
de corps. Pride in the school, its
work and its teams begets greater
pride. He urged pride and en
thusiasm as component parts ot
loyalty. In reply Herbert Mjorud,
President of the Associated Student
body accepted the class gift for the
school and promised that it would
be given an honored place in the
building.
Tames Allen as honor student of
the class gave the valedictory. He
touched upofi education, specific
and general and its influences up-1
on science and progress of man ad
its developmet of higher citienshir.
Rev. Maakestad addressed the
class on ‘The Choice of Ideals.” He
took the subject up in its various
phases and angles leaving no doubt
as to what ideals should be chosen
‘‘The true value ol a community,”
said he, ‘‘is in her citizens. Com
mencement means the beginning
not the conclusion of life or educa
tion. In life we have three com
mri. cements, at birth, graduation
from schools and when we pass on
to eternal destiny and meet our
reward according to our lives on
earth.” He declared that there was
no standing still in life. ‘‘To stand
still is to stagnate.” Progress be
ing onward and upward or down
ward, never on a level.
He urged the adoption of the
ideals of Christianity in the follow
ing of the example of Christ in giv
ing service to man. He illustrated
by showing that it took 30 years
ir.d 100,000 men to construct one
3t the great Egyptian pyramids for
the burial place of one man. In
comparison he showed the progress
in science to the benefit of mankind
iue to the effort of Marconi. He
urged greater physical development
is oeing necessarv—‘‘A strong mtn.t
in a strong body” being necessary
to full development. He urged that
small opportunities be not overlook
ed but warned against to rapid de
velopment. “God makes a mush
room in a night, but he takes a
hundred years to mak an oak.
Continued on page 3
Primary Returns:
Still Coming
Tabulation of official returns
stil! goes on in Juneau. At this
writing the race between Lathrop
and Albrecht had widened a few
votes in Lathrop’s favor. There
are but a few more precincts to be
heard from so that Lathrop’s posi
tion is practically assured with a
lead of 108 votes.
Complete First Division returns
for the recent primary election are
as follows:
2411. I
tberland 2649.
For Delegate—Howard 1169, Su
For attorney-general—Rustgard
2987, Waller 593.
For committeeman—Albrecht 1,
510. Aldrich 569, Lathrop 1251.
For delegates to the convention
—Caswell 1502, Chase 1653, Gel
les 589, Pratt 349, Wickersham
For senator—Benjamin 1740,
Gardner 1295, Hunt 560.
For representative—Darwell 1,
300, Gildea 1049, Johnson 1144,
McCormack 1954, Noland 1478.
0!ts 1630, Paul 2044, Wacker 680.
Winn 2190.
These returns put Noland out ov.
the running for the fall elecron
without a question of a doubt. ^ je
entire progressive Republican tick
et going to the pools to meet the
full strength of the democratic
campaign in November.
The Story of the Poppy
In the spring of 1919, after tho
war, on Flanders Field, where the
firing had been terrific and thou
sar.s of soldiers had fallen in bat
tle. in the midst of evastation, the
poppies came up in abundance. The
French women tell today that the
poppy is significant of the sacri
ficial blood of the boys who fell on
Flanders Fields. Those who have
traveled through France since the
war. tell us it is peculiarly true,
that where the battle was the fierc
est and the bloodshed the greatest,
the poppies to this day grow most
profuse.” *
From this superstition comes the
true message of the poppy—the
message from the boys who, fell as
expressed most beautifully in Col.
John McRae’s verse.:
We Shall Not Sleep
“In Flanders Fields the poppies
blow.
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the
sky
The larks still bravely singing fly.
Scarce heard amidst the guns
below. i
"We are the dead.
Short days ago, we lived, felt dawn,
saw sunset glow,
I oved and were loved, and now
ore lie
lr Flanders Field.
Take uf ’our quarrel with the foe.
For Bureau School
Mrs. Katherine Sellers of Anchor
age has been recommended for the
position as teacher of the U. S. Bu
reau of Education school for the
ncrt year. Mrs. Sellers is a grad
uate of Carlisle and of the Blooms
buvg Normal School, Bloomsburg,
Pennsylvania. She has taught in
territorial schools at Wacker City,
Kasaan, and in other school.
Louis P. Paul did not apply for
[commission to teach another year
as he had completed seven years of
service and had other plans that
required full attention.
It is expected that considerable
chrnges will be made in the build
ing and teaching conditions besides
liviug conditions for the teacher
somewhat improved.
On Wabbly Legs
The Wrangell Mill and Power
Company is having hard sledding
to keep out of financial difficulties.
They have issued checks for which
they have no funds and are hav
ing the checks held until the return
of the barge Ruby from the Icy
Straits country when they will have
sufficient wherewith to meet out
standing checks.
The mill has been closed down
now for some time and will remain
so untiil the return of Nick Neus
baumer, mill superintendent from
the States. It is said that they have
secured contracts recently which
will call for a two-year production.
This mill always made money
while “Woodpecker” Wilson had
charge of the mill. He was laugh
ed out or the mill by wiseacres and
modern methods and superintend
ents put in and then their financial .
difficulties began. Somebody page 1
"Wt odpecker.”
i
Receives Nomination
Edgar J. Adams was nominated
by the President to succed the late
JndFe Reed. He hails from Eugene,
Oregon.
Mr. Adams is a personal friend
of President Coolidge and is at pre
sent an official of the Merchant
Marine Corporation.
William J. Shepard, Cordova and
Charles A. Sheldon, Seward were
nominated by President Coolidge as
postmasters of their respective
citieB. i
To you from failing hands we
throw
The Torch—As yours to hold it
high;
If ye break faith with those who
die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies
grow
In Flanders Field.”
.
The local American Legion Aux
iliary Unit has again assumed the
responsibility of the sale of this
Memorial Flower; the proceeds of
which shall be used for the benefit
of disabled soldiers and their fam
ilies. These are our Heroes! We
cheered them when they marched
away, we cheered them when tey
came back to us. Let’s not forget
them now! Buy a poppy,-—It
stands for service. Wear that pop
py in memory of those who died in
Flanders Fields.
The sale of the poppy opens May
26th and the Auxiliary hopes the
citizens will give them the same
loyal support they gave last year;
making this drive a huge success
There will be no price placed up
on the poppy. Give out of the ful
ness of your heart.
Kills Big Brown Bear
On Mitkoff Island
l ast week Mrs. Gabe Sather wen!
hiking on the hills just beyond Pt.
Frederick. She carried a 30-30
rifle and had for company a little
dog Hearing a crackling of twigs
below her she stopped and think
ing it was her dog, called to him
To make sure It was the dog, she
very carefully scanned the under
growth and not more than 50 feet
below her saw a big brown bear.
He came bounding up the hill at
her so she took one good aim to the
left of the white spot on its breast
and let drive from her trusty gun.
Mr. Bruin stopped dead in his
tracks. When Gabe and Mrs. Sath
skmned and stretched him he was
li feet long and 8 feet wide. They
took pains to measure the foot
track and found it just 12 indices
aci oss. ,
Such animals have never been re
ported on this island, even by the
older Indians.
A less coolheaded person and one
less skillful with the gun would nev
er have returned to tell the story,
at the time the bear attacked her,
Mrs. Sather was not one whit ex
cited or nervous but after return
ing to the boat a nervous reaction
set in so that thought of the
incident was unbearable. Even af
ter returning to town the thought
of the ferocious animal coming at
he was not pleasant to think
ah'ut.
Those ‘fawncy eastern sports '
should have an experience or two
like this and probably with a couplo
of deaths of the brown bear conser
vationists, we will have their help to
put a bounty on the most useless
animal in Alaska.
Another Hatchery Farce
The University of Washington
Washington brought over from
Japan 10,000 Japanese ayu for the
U. of W. hatcheries. The fish got
seasick and went to fish heaven be
fore they got to Seattle. Less than
30 got to the University tanks.
Dean Cobb, fisheries expert of the
University and propogandist for the
Bureau of Fisheries speaking of the
attempt to propogate this fish in
America said: “It was one of a se
ries of attempts to introduce the
species in this country Hot weath
er encountered near Victoria on the
way across probably caused the
high mortality.”
Somehow, man-made fish do not
seem to become acclimated and the
hatchery propogandists have the
time of their lives digging up reas
ons. “God make fish, lots of fish.
You make fish, where your fish” is
a mighty hard query to answer.
Pay-triotic Citizens
Louis McGrew, editor of LABOR
"WORLD, Pittsburg, charged before
the Senate Investigating Commit
tee, that the Pittsburg Coal Com
pany, a Mellon concern, had furn
ished money to boost Communist
activities among the striking min
ers of Pennsylvania. When Mc
Grew first learned of these activi
ties he “set a trap” and thereby
caught the desired evidence. The
company denied the charge but
McGrew promised some interesting
information at a later session of
the committee which is investigat
ing the coal situation in Pennsyl
vania.
The new gridiron below the
Trading Union is about complete.
The work has been under the charge
of Ed Nelson.