VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, FEBRUARY 21, 1930
No. 35
Will Build Church
The Lutheran organization of
this city has definitely decided
on the construction plans and
details of a new church edifice
co be built this spring. The new
structure which will cost in the
neighborhood of $12,000 will
have a seating capacity in the
main auditorium of at least 300
persons which is nearly three
times the capacity of the present
building.
The new plans will make pos
sible considerable extensions in
the work and service of the
church for the betterment of
the entire community. More
complete announcements will
be made later.
Senate Passes Duty on
Halibut
-o
A telegram to The ALASKAN,
dated the 20th of February,
from Delegate Sutherland, reads
es follows:
..“Senate adopted duty of five
cents per pound on frozen hali
but .yesterday upon motion .of
Senator Jones .of .Washington,
stop. Work will now be to retain
it through conference.
(SIGNED) DAN SUTHERLAND.
Ketchikan Utilities
A move is on foot in the City
cf Ketchikan to purchase the
Ketchikan Water, Power and
Light Company, property which
was sold to the W. B. Foshay Co.,
by the Ketchikan utility com
pany. The purchase price as
given by the Chronicle was $2,
100,000.
Delegate Sutherland has in
troduced in the House of Con
gress a bill which would allow
Ketchikan to bond itself in the
sum of $1,000,000 in order that j
it might acquire the properties. !
The State of Washington has
offered leave of absence to rate
expert Turner, chief engineer i
ct the Department of Public!
Works for that State in order
that he might go to Ketchikan
to undertake woilc on the util
ities for the City. He will be giv
en a fee of $500 per month plus
expenses. This will be contin
gent with passage of the bill in
troduced by Delegate Suther
land to bond the town.
FATHER GALLANT RECOVERS
-x
Rev. Father G. E. Gallant of
Skagway, has virtually recover
ed from injuries sustained in an
automobile accident near Bel
lingham on the 2nd of Febru
ary.
The Judge will be looking for
this dude at the Hard Times
BalL
What Happened to Jones?
Northland Makes
Maiden Voyage
-x——
A new motorship service from
Puget Sound ports to Southeast
Alaska was inaug* rated this
week when the Northland was
placed on schedule runs between
Seattle and Juneau.
The new motorship, christen
oiiginally the “W. B. Foshay,”
and renamed the “Northland”
was recently completed at t le
Lake Washington Shipyards at a
cost of approximately $500,000
The vessel is powered with twin
£60 h.p. Washtington-Estep dies
el engines. With her holds re
frigerated throughout, she is es
pecially designed for carrying
fresh, frozen and mild-cured
fish, but still admirably adapt
ed for carrying canned salmon
and for serving the general car
go needs of Southeast Alaska.
She is provided with excellent
passenger accommodations nice
ly furnished social hall and
smoking cabin, and the state
rooms are fitted with Leviathan
springs and Beauty Rest mat
iresses throughout.
Controlling shares in the
Northland Transportation Com
pany were recently acquired by
a group of Seattle and Alaska
buisness men headed by G. W.;
Skinner, president of the Alaska
Pacific Salmon Corporation,
Henry Seaborn of the Skinner
and Eddy Corporation, and Wil
liam Semar, manager of the
Northland Transportation Com
pany. The transfer was con
summated with the approval of
the Minneapolis Federal Court
to a' plan submitted by the re
ceivers for the Public Utilities
Consolidated Corporation and
the W. B. Foshay Company
which controlled the Northland
Transportation Company, by
which full ownership of the new
vessel passed to the Northland
Transportation Company with
satisfaction of all claims against
the vessel and the discharge of
the receivership. A number of
Ketchikan business men will be
associated with the new group
by partial stock ownership.
The motorship “Norco,” own
by the same company, which
called at Petersburg several
times last season, will be laid up
for complete overhauling, join
ing the new Northland on the
run late in the spring.
D. A. Noonan, popular steam
ship steward, well-known on the
Alaska run, is now Chief Stew
ard of the M. S. Northland. Mr.
Pitts, former purser of the Ad
miral liner Queen, is associated
with Noonan in the steward’s
department of this vessel.
KAYHI DEFEATS JUNEAU
-x
i The Ketchikan High School
Basketball Team defeated the
Juneau High School Quintet
Wednesday evening by a score of
twenty-eight to eight. They took
a second game Thursday even
ing by the score of sixteen to
ten.
CHURCH WANTS TO BUY
-x
The Lutheran Church offered
to buy a 25-foot strip of land off
the hospital property. It was the
opinion of a majority of the
! members of the Council that the
City should not dispose of any
part of the property.
-x
What Happened to Jones?
GEORGE WASHINGTON
“First in war and first in peace”—
With love we speak of him again
Whose praises with the years increase —
“And first ip the hearts of his countrymen.”
Natives To Sue
Fed. Government
--X
Dan Sutherland has introduced
:n House of Representatives a ,
bill authorizing the Thlingit and .
Haida Indians of Alaska to bring :
siit in the United States Court
!oi Claims, and conferring juris
diction upon said court to hear,
examine, adjudicate, and enter
l judgment upon any and all
claims which said Indians may j
have, or claim to have, against |
the United States, and for other j
purposes.
This matter was taken up at!
the last convention of the Alas
ka Native Brotherhood conven- :
tion at Haines and a resolution j
adopted authorizing presenta
lion of the bill in Congress and i
accepting contract with attor- !
|neys James Wickersham and Wil;
; liam L. Paul. A committee of
five men,directors, were appoint- j
!ed as follows: Peter Simpson,
jitaipn xoung, oiiK.a; i_/uuis onut- .
kidge, Sitka; Frank Johnson,;
iKlawock; Frank Mercer, Juneau, i
i Funds will be raised under direc- j
jtion of this company for the !
! purpose of defraying necessary i
.expenses in the prosecution of
the case.
Conservatively speaking, it is '
estimated that $10,000,000 will i
| accrue to these people in event
! they win the case.
; Senator Norris has asked the
■ Senate to appoint a committee
to investigate election expendi
tures. He contends that it is
| better to be prepared than to
.wait for a repetition of the Illi
; nois and Pennsylvania prim
' aries.
Gold strike at Ruby, Alaska,
pans thirty dollars a foot on bed
rock.
Seattle Fur Sale to be
Postponed
-x
Owing to poor steamer connec
tions this month from Alaska
ports to Seattle, the Seattle Fur
Exchange has postponed its
February 17th sale to the 27th.
This change will give late arriv
ing shipments the advantage of
a strong market now prevailing
on most articles and the buyers
an opportunity to thoroughly ex
amine the collection.
PREPARE FOR BIG SEASON
-x
The Pacific Steamship Com
pany will maintain schedules in
1930 similar to those operated in
1929. The Admiral Rogers and
Queen will sail alternately every
Thursday for Skagway and in
termediate points and the Ad
miral Evans and Watson will sail
alternate Wednesdays for Ko
diak and way ports in Southeast
and Southwest Alaska.
NEWS FLASHES
The body of Col. Ben Eielson
was found about two hundred
feet from the wreck of his plane.
The bodies will be taken to Fair
banks. Condition of the body
shows that death was instantan
eous.
The matter of absentee voting
has been presented to Attorney
General New for his opinion. If
favorable, the matter will be
presented to the voters of Ket
chikan for their consideration.
The case of Arne Fosse, charg
ed with larceny of halibut gear,
at Ketchikan, Arne v/as found
guilty by the jury recommending
suspension of sentence. The jury
was deadlocked for one day on
the case.
| Council Questions
1 Census Returns
-x
The figures for the Petersburg
district released for publication
by Superintendent of Census, I
Charles Naghel, Juneau were
1,217.
The matter was taken up and
discussed in the last meeting of
lh City Council, transcript of
minutes of that meeting read
ing as follows:
“It was the opinion that com
plete returns had not been made
by the census taker, certain in
stances being brought up show
ing that residents had been
omitted, and it was therefore or
dered that the Governor be re
quested to send a list of the
names for the purpose of check
ing up the returns,
j A letter from Mr. Naghel has
been received by the City Clerk
advising that pending work will
not permit sending the hst of
names but that will “write you
on America First suggestions for
clearing the matter up.”
Several names were pointed
out as not having been enumer
ated but upon investigation it
was found that they had left
Petersburg before Mr. Gribble,
census enumerator had secured
their names; that they had not
been counted in the States; had
not filled any blanks as request
ed by Census Taker. That Mr.
Naghel had requested immediate
return of census returns before
the work could be properly com
pleted; that the returns were
withheld an additional month
in an effort to secure complete
returns. That the committee
if uni Aineiicuii j_icgiuu appumreu
by Governor Parks gave no as
sistance; that there is no ques
tion that some deliberately evad
ed enumeration because of the
fear they might be compelled to
pay school tax. That any in
completeness in returns was of
little consequence insofar as the
total population is concerned.
With the steadily dwindling
white population because of the
unfair regulation of the fisher
ies, that towns have less popula
tion is no surprise. Ketchikan,
the largest town in Alaska, is
making strenuous efforts to hold
its enumeration up to its claims.
But every town, depending upon
the fisheries for its economic
foundation may just as well rest
contented with the figures pre
sented by the census enumera
tion.
NEW SKEI RECORD
-x
..Gutrom Paulsen, of .Chicago,
established a new skei jumping
record by jumping 212 feet, at
Steamboat .Springs, .Calorado,
Wednesday.
-o
.. Rear Admiral Bird started for
the United States on Wednesday.
-o
. .Lady Astor talked over the ra
dio from London to America
during the week.
-x
What Happened to Jones?
Camille Chautemps, President
of the French Radical Socialist
Party, has been called by the
President of France to succeed
Prime Minister Tardieu.
All stores will be closed tomor
row, Saturday — Washington’s
Birthdate.
-x
What Happened to Jones?
School Play Good
The three-act comdy “Beads
on a String,” given by the local
high school students at The
MacGregor Theatre on the 14th,
was well attended and greatly
ehjoyed.
Those who took part in the
play are to be commended, both
ior their histrionic ability and
lor their zeal in preparation.
Miss Ruth Myhre directed the
play.
A clever dance called “Lena’s
First Appearance” given by
Helen Hunspedt, between the
acts, was highly amusing.
The cast included: Edgar Bag
gen, Lillian Anderson, Arthur
Tveten, Paul Tveten, Irene Run
stad, Marie Wikan, Solveig Vick,
Hugh Harris and Aubrey Sha
quanie.
The net proceeds of the per
formance amounted to $125.
Fur Market on Upward
Trend
West Coast Fur Sales in Taco
ma on the 14th of this month
showed a marked upward trend
in prices for pelts from Alaska
and Northwestern States. The
sale showed a strong demand,
the first good showing of Alaska
goods to reach Tacoma, of this
season’s catch.
A general rise has taken place
in the past two weeks in prices
of long haired furs.
City Caucus on 24th
The City Council has ordered
that a caucus be held for the
nomination of city council and
mayor. Three members of the
present council will be reelected
or others elected in their place.
Caucuses in previous years have
never been very well attended.
If the electors are satisfied with
selection of officers by happen
stance methods; if they show no
more interest in their city gov
ernment than has been demon
strated, then they should not
complain if city affairs are not
managed in accordance with
their ideas. The kind of govern
ment we get is the kind of gov
ernment we vote in or through
apathy, let in.
THE SECRET IS OUT
-x
Petersburg’s younger set was
most agreeably surprised when
it became known that Miss Elsie
Jakways and Mr. James Rhodes
were married in Wrangell several
days ago but have kept the af
fair a guarded secret.
Both these young people have
been well and favorably in Pe
tersburg for a long time and
their many friends join in wish
ing them happiness through the
years. Mrs Rhodes is employed
in the Wheeler Drug and Jewelry
Company’s store and Jimmie
has no small reputation as
a catcher of shrimps and other
fish. But his friends did not ex
pect him to make such a nice
big catch.
The Admiral Benson was
wrecked on the Columbia River
Bar and abandoned by the crew.
Captain Graham is the only per
son left on the craft.
HARD TIMES !
Flremen’t Ball, Saturday night.
-x
What Happened to Jones? .