H Th e « Alls-kais
VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, JULY 11, 1930
No. 52
Yank Wins in Fight
For Bride
After a long contest that led to
the Supreme Court and finally
to Congress, John Musill Ulrich,
former American soldier who
married a German girl convicted
of charges involving moral turp
itude under the immigration
laws, expects to bring his wife,
Anna Minno Venzke Ulrich, to
his home in New Haven, Conn.
Only approval by President
Hoover of a Senate bill passed
last week by the House stands in
the way of enactment of a law
that will permit the young wo
man take her place beside her
wealthy husband in the realm
of Connecticut society with
which he is associated.
It was brought out in the de
bates in Congress that the of
fenses were committed when the
girl was only 14 years old. She
was convicted of larceny in three
cases during the lean years of
the World War. She illegally
took a loaf of bread from a
schoolmate when she was hun
gry and the other charges were
of corresponding seriousness.
Ulrich and Miss Venzke werej
married in 1927 and have lived
in Germany most of the time.
The former soldier resorted to
every available means to bring
his bride home.
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Declares Officials Con
nive to Evade Law
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Major Maurice Campbell, pro
hibition administrator for New
York up till July 1 resigned when
ordered to Boston to take charge
of alcohol permits under the
Treasury Department.
He charged that his transfer
resulted from refusal to grant
or restore brewery, whiskey and
alcohol permits which “local pol- ,
itioians and certain adminis- ,
tration officials in Washington
feel must be restored to obtain .
necessary support for the Re- (
publican ticket in New York this (
fall.” ,
“After four years in prohibi
tion enforcement, with three 1
years of that time as adminis- '
trator in New York, I publicly
declare that certain Treasury :
officials who have been charged ;
with enforcement of the Nation
al Prohibition Act, and who are
still to remain in charge of kin
dred activities, have not been
sincere in their efforts to enforce
this law,” he said.
“I know nothing of any suchi
circumstances as Mr. Campbell j
describes as to prohibition en
forcement,” said Semour Low
man, assistant secretary of the
Treasury and formerly a New
York state official, replying to
Major Campbell.
Enforcement responsibility has
passed from Secretary Mellon to.
Attorney General Mitchell and,
Mitchell’s moves are being close- J
ly watched for indications of
whether his course will differ
radically from that pursued by(
Secretary Mellon. This interest
has been accentuated by the at
tack by Major Campbell upon
“certain administration officials
in Washington.” Representative
Celler, Democrat, New York, in
troduced a resolution calling for
an investigation by the House
Judiciary Committee, of charges
made by Campbell.
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The halibut boat Coolidge pick,
ed up E. Garvey and took him to j
Prince Rupert after he had been
stranded on a reef out of Ketch
ikan for two days.
It Was a Grand and Glorious Day
In Spite of Rainy and Wet Spots
[ Despite the inclemency of the
weather throughout the greater
portion of the day, the Peters
burg 4th of July Committee
managed a celebration on the
Nation’s Birthday, which will be
long remembered. Even a raw,
chilly, drizzling rain was not
enough to dampen the ardor of
Petersburg patriots. One major
change in the program was ne
cessary on account of the steam
er failing to arrive until after
noon, bringing the speaker of
the day, the Honorable Henry
Roden of Juneau, hence the pa
triotic exercises were conducted
at the MacGregor Theatre in the
afternoon instead of in the
morning as originally planned.
The delay, however, was more
than compensated. Mr. Roden’s
remarks, as usual, were decided
ly pertinent and cogent and pro
vided much food for serious con
templation.
. .The streets of the town were
beautifully decorated with flags
and bunting, while thousands of
Japanese paper lanterns added
to the gala effect.
With something over $800 at
its disposal, the committee was
able to plan many novel and in
teresting sports and contests for
old and young for which liberal
cash prizes were offered, includ
ing pie-eating contest, scooter
race, bicycle race, children’s foot
races, sack race, long distance
running race, speed boat races,
etc. Prizes in the Men’s race ov
er a distance of approximately
two miels were claimed by Mol
var, Wayha and Brown.
A new departure for Peters
burg in the way of sports was a
halibut gear baiting contest in
charge of Wayne Walther, buyer
tor New England f ish company.
Jonas Hollingstad took first
money and incidentally hung up
a record for other towns to shoot
at. He baited and coiled in good
shape, 114 hooks in 6y2 minutes.
This shades the previous record
of seven minutes by a fancy per
centage. Second and third hon
centage.
Cash prizes totalling $75 brot
out several formidable contend
ers in the free-for-all speed boat
race which was run around a
stake boat at Mountain Point
and return, a distance of 12 or
more miles. First money was
easily claimed by Fryer’s boat in
charge of Duke Miller; second
prize was taken by Art Peterson
with his new hydroplane which
he launched on the morning of
th& fourth; third prize went to
COLUMBIA RIVER FISHING IS,
NOT SO GOOD
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Reports from cannerymen yes
terday indicated that returns
of gillnetters during the past
few days continue to be the^
worst in the history of the sea-j
seasons. Practically no catches
all have been turned in by the
gillnetters.
Seining operations continue to
be far below normal, however,
yesterday it was reported the
returns had picked up to a small
extent.—Astorian.
Commercial Fishing a Failure
Commercial fishing on the Co
lumbia River for the present sea
son has been the worst in the
river’s history, according to re
ports from Lower Columbia fish
ermen and packers. Since a fair
catch during the opening days
of the season, the gillnetters
^ave had practically no returns.
Seine and trap returns have been
no better, but below average.
Oregonian, Portland.
Oscar Nicholson with his new
boat the “Baby Lou.” All three
jof the prize winning boats were
'powered with 32 h. p. Johnson
(outboard motors. One unfortun
ate incident in connection with
'this race was the swamping at
the starting post of Claude
Roundtree’s entry, the “Izzy.”
j This boat which has had a mon
opoly on first honors here for
several years, bloomed out this
season with a new 35 Elto Quad
and she might have won again if
he had stayed in the boat, but
when he undertook to swim for
it, the other boys ran off and left
him.
Ness, Martens and Hanson, in
the order named, claimed the
honors for speed boats under 10
horsepower.
.. The round bottom boat race
had been the subject of much
good natured persiflage around
the cold storage plant for some
time and the boys had their en
gines petted up to the Nth degree
of eagerness. In fact, Dr. Miller
would not have been greatly sur
prised at any time in the past
two weeks to see four or five of
those Johnsons pushing the dock
office around the bay. Sammy
Gauffin and Dick Miller took
first and second honors, as usual
with Chuck Diven and Bert Bu
chanan a close third and fourth.
From the drop of the hat to the
finish, this was anybody’s race.
A fireworks display, both night
and day added materially to the
general enjoyment. Some of the
children had never witnessed
night-time fireworks and many
were the Oh’s and Ah’s as the
scintillating patterns of colored
stars lighted up the sky. Every
body enjoyed the fireworks, ex
cept perhaps, F. R. Havens, who
appeared to take fright on light
ing the first fuse and ran bazz
ackwards into a muskeg pot-hole
up to his armholes but he stuck
valiantly by his mortars until an
armistice was declared.
The celebration ended with the
grand free dance at the Sons of
Norway Hall with music by the
Jazz Orchestra. Perhaps none of
us have any too much of the
“Spirit of ’76” and if any of us
had too much of the “spirits of
1930” two weeks old from Ru
pert kind that came in skates of
gear, white bags or even the
distilled essence of moonlight
from nearer home, it must be
said, they were not in evidence
on the street, and taken all in
all, by and large, it was a grand
and glee-orious Fourth of July.
Len Campbell, Andy Smith and
Harms of Wrangell, were in Pe
tersburg yesterday displaying 50
ounces of gold taken from the
Joy mines on McDames Creek in
the Cassiar country. They were
trying to dispose of stock in the
company. The gold was taken
from about 700 yards of dirt The
men were quite enthused over
their proposition.
Campbell Brothers, merchants
of Wrangell, John Grant, Syd
Barrington and other business
men of Wrangell are developing
the works.
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NAIL IN TUMMY
Mrs. Albert Thoren of Seattle
recently went to the hispital for
an appendix operation, but the
surgeons removed a shingle nail
she swallowed twelve years ago
and pronounced her alright.
Mrs. Thoren had forgotten all
about the shingle nail, which
she had swallowed while helping
her husband repair their house
in Chinook, Alberta in 1918. (
Kake Men Break the
Shackles of Slavery
The most useless person on
earth is the educated slave—the
man forced to work for the pro
fit of another.
Ever since the Kake cannery
was established, about eighteen
years ago, the Kake people have
fished for salmon at whatever
prices that cannery offered. Nev
er did that cannery pay the “go
ing price.” They were always
from two to four cents below
prices paid by other canners.
Said one fishermen: “The pro
fit alone from differential in
fish prices has paid for the en
tire fleet of boats belonging tr
that cannery and has built the
cannery and paid for it.”
The price offered by Skinner
Eddy Corporation was four and
six; other canneries were offer
ing seven and nine and eight
and ten. Mr. Murray, superin
tendent of the Skinner corpora
tion cannery at Kake was asked
if he would meet the prices of
fered by other canneries; he re
plied that “his orders were to
stand pat.” “Alright,” said the
committee, “the Kake fishermen
are standing pat. Not one of
them will go out fishing for
vou. They are all standing pat.”
The committee filed out of the
meeting and returned home. In
less than an hour, there was
hardly a man left in Kake. Some
came to Petersburg to fish for
Wrangell Narrows Packing Com
pany or P. A. F.; others went to
Tyee, Peril Straits or trolling
Said one fishermen: “We lived
for generations before the Kake
cannery came and made slaves
of us. We can be free and live
even if we don’t fish for this
company.”
Gov. Young Washes His
Hands Mooney Case j
-X
Governor Young has refused
to pardon Tom Mooney, alleged
bomb thrower, convicted and ser- j
ving life sentence, “until some
further light is .shed .upon his
case which I do not possess. .1
must manifestly accept the con
clusions of the Supreme Court
as Advisory Board” he said.
. Pilot too, washed his hands of
“this innocent man” but he has
come down through, history as
that weak Roman governor who,
feared the money bags of the
Saducees .and .Pharisees.. The
modern Pilot of California wash
es his hands by blaming the Su
preme Court of California which ^
sat not in the Mooney case, but,
in considering the application of
Billings whose record perforce
had to come before that .Board
and not before the Governor.
Crucified by capitalism and
betrayed by Judas Escariots who
perjured themselves for .filthy
lucre, Mooney is the victim of
a phase of politics that has made
it a travesty upon the principles
set forth by our . colonial . fore
fathers and washed in their
blood and sanctified in the tears
of our mothers.
ALASKA MURDER CASE IS
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Charles Frank, of Nome, con
victed of murder and sentenced
to life imprisonment by an Alas
ka court is given a new lease on
life by the Court of Appeals
which states in an opinion that
where there is any doubt wheth
er a man killed another in self
defense, the defendant should
be acquitted. Frank based his
plea on self-defense when at
tacked by another man in a dis
orderly bouse.
City Council Plans Considerable
Street Repairs and Improvements
-Y
At the regular meeting of the
City Council, Monday night, con
siderable routine business was
transacted, including the reports
of officers and allowing current
bills.
. .uwou,c?x-wardi -weoiiesp mff
A communication from Terri
torial Auditor Cash Cole was
read requesting payment to the
Territory of $1500 as the city’s
share of the cost -of the airport
construction. Mayor Ohmer
stated that Highway Engineer,
R. J. Sommers had assured him
that it would not be necessary
for the city to pay this cost un
til the .completio nof the con
struction work and the clerk was
so instructed to advise the
Hoard.
A resolution was passed auth
orizing the Mayor and Clerk tc»
make application for a patent
in the name of the Town of Pe
tersburg to Lot 2 in Section 33,
T. 58 S., R. 79, E. Copper River
Meridian comprising 9.768 acres
for a cemetery site.
U. S Deputy Marshal C. V.
Brow nappeared before the
Council with a proposition from
fhe boys who are now on his pay
roll offering to build a new street
from “F” Street, near the Fed
eral Building, north to the school
house, providing the town would
furnish the material. The Coun-j
oil gladly accepted this generous
offer and authorized the pur
chase of material at once. The
clearing of ground for this im
oroveemnt has already been
commenced.
A resolution was passed pro
viding for the repair or recon
struction of the planking on Vis
ta Avenue from Heimdahl’s pro
nerty at the end of the gravel
road to and including the bridge I
at the intersection of Indian
Street, the property owners to be i
assessed for the additional width
of street to be constructed.
The City Clerk was authorized
to order from local mills one
hundred thousand feet of street
lumber.
.. Several other improvement
projects are on the Council’s pro
gram for this season including
the improveemnt of Third Street
south from the intersection of
“E” Street, which was authorized
last year; also “C” Street east
from Front Street at Brennan’s
Poo Room; also Front Street by
widning and the laying of heavi
er stringers. A contemplated
street building program extend
ing over a period of two years
will, it is thought put all of the
streets in first class repair with
out incurring any debt. In ac
cordance with this program, it is
possible that the work needed
on “D” Street east from the
MAYOR VETOES HANDBILL
ORDINANCEE
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Mayor Norman R. Walker of
Ketchikan vetoed an ardinance
covering “handbills” which was
passed by the City Council.
By this ordinance, it would be
unlawful for any person, firm ori
corporation to deliver printed i
matter on the streets of the city)
except in a regularly constituted
newspaper or magazine.
This would have prevented any
political campaign statements to
be made other than through the
Ketchikan press, or not at all;
theatre dodgers and any other
business could not use the hand
bill method of advertising. Dr.
Walker is to be congratulated
for his fairness in the matter
and for having the nerve of his
convictions.
j Trading Union Store may not be
done until next year.
The councilmen plan to make
an inspection trip to the power
plant at Blind Slough in the
near future in order to gain a
clear conception of the work
which may be necessary or ad
visable in order to make the
flume line safe and secure. This
will probably include the con
struction of a “Y” and the in
stallation of a new valve at the
head of the flume, and a new fill
or dam may be constructed this
fall in order to insure a suffi
cient water supply over long pe
riods of dry, cold weather. This
work at the power plant, undef
present plans of financing, is
not chargeable to the general
fund but comes out of the re
ceipts from the light plant and
will not in any wise reduce the
amount available for street im
provement work.
PASS ’EM IN GOBS
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The Senate established what
is believed by many to be a re
cord in cleaning up nominations
on its executive calendar before
closing its seven months’ session
Of the hundreds of postmast
ers, ministers, ambassadors
judges, marshals, and attorneys
sent to it for confirmation, lesf
than forty were awaiting ap
proval when the Senate quit.
Thirty-three of these were post
master appointments.
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U. S. RESCINDS FISII TARIFF
The Treasury Department has
revoked its decision that fish
caught on the high seas by resi
dent aliens in all types of boats
were subject to duty under the
tariff laws.
. .The decision was a victory for
Japanese and other alien fisher
men on the Pacific Coast and in
Hawaii, who were hard hit by
the former ruling.
Commissioner of Customs Eble
said in a letter to the collector
of customs at Portland:
“That portion of the treasury’s
decision directing the assess
ment of duty upon fish caught
on the high seas by resident
aliens in documented vessels, is
hereby revoked.
“Accordingly, no duty should
be assessed, nor should entry of
the fish be required.”
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FORMER ALASKAN DIES IN
SEATTLE
-x
Jesse K. Nevill, former Alas
kan, died last week at Seattle
General Hospital following ill
ness of a year. He had been
making Seattle his home for sev
eral years. He is survived by his
two sons, Jesse K. Nevill, Jr., and
Rufus R.
..For several years Mr. Nevill
was connected with the U. S. Bu
reau of Fisheries and stationed
at Wrangell. His sons work out
of Petersburg and Wrangell.
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Andrew Vandal of Craig was
sentenced to 90 days in jail and
to pay $150, by Judge Bagley, on
an assault charge.
..One 100,000 cases of salmon
each for P. A. F. and Skinner
canneries at Petersburg and
Kake—to be gotten in 33 more
days of fishing. Can it be done?
-x
| John Mjorud is planning on
going to the California coast to
| troll says current report.
Court Refuses Give
Billings Pardon
The state supreme court re
fused to recommend a pardon for
Billings, notice of which was giv
en in an opinion issued on the
Fourth of July.
Some of Mooney’s iriends are
trying to hope that the opinion
would not have any effect upon
Mooney’s case. This will be giv
en the attention of Governor
Young.
The supreme court’s decision
left the governor free to act in
Mooney’s case, but unless it can
be persuaded to reconsider the
Bililng’s case, he will have to
serve his life sentence in the Fol
som prison.
Mooney’s Wife Collapses
When Rena Mooney, wife of
Tom Mooney, crucified upon the
altars of capitalism, heard of
the opinion of the supreme court
in the Billings’ case, she collaps
ed and went into an hysteria.
“Fourteen years in prison—all
our hopes building and banking
on what was to have happened
today—
“I cannot stand it.”
“Independence Day.”
The court’s recommendations,
Billings was informed of the
decision of the court by Warden
Court Smith who said: “I am
orry the court failed to act.” To
which Billings replied “That’s all
right, warden. I didn’t expect it,
-,o I am not disappointed. It looks
like you are going to have to
take care of me a little longer.
Mooney is not overly hopeful
nor optomistic as to the decision
in his case.
Tuna Fish Caught By
Alaska Troller
Capt. C. R. Bell brought to the
Petersburg cold storage plant
this week, a fotry-pound alba
core caught at Hoggat Bay by
Capt. Fred Sjebloom of the
troller “Claudia.” So far as can
be learned, this is the first in
stance of a tuna fish having been
taken in Alaska waters. The
tuna is an ocean fish indigenous
to the waters of Southern Calif
ornia and the coast of Mexico
where there are many canneries
operating on tuna alone.
The tuna, divided into alba
core, bonita, skipjack, bluefin
and yellowfln, is a very large
member of the mackerel tribe,
ranging from 20 to 350 pounds
each on the Pacific Coast of
North America, and increasing
to a maximum of 1400 pounds
in the Mediterranean, where it
found favor with the kings of
Tyre and Sidon, and formed one
of the valuable products of
Phoenician industry. From the
Pacific Coast of the United
States, the albacore has all but
disappeared. So scarce is this
fish that the canners offer $220
to $300 a ton for it as compared
with $120 to $125 for the other
varieties.
Beginning in May, the tuna,
with the exception of the alba
core, schools northward from an
undetermined latitude in trop
ical seas.
C. C. Mundy carefully preserv
ed this one in the hope of catch
ing enough more to make the
ton.
BARRYMORE YACHT COMING
Mr. and Mrs. John Barrymore,
San Pedro, Calif., have sailed for
a six-month’s cruise of Alaska
in his new yacht.