VOL. 3
PETERSBURG, ALASKA SEPTEMBER 28 1928
NO. II
New Chapels at
Craig and Kake
Material for a Presbyterian chap
el at Craig and another at Kake are
expected on the freighter Cordova
ai d the Admiral Liner Rogers. The
structure at Craig will be 28x40
feet while the chapel at Kake will
be 20x50. Mr. Drown, contractor,
w '] have supervision over the con
struction of the Kake building and
i* is hoped to have both building
completed before Christmas.
Mr. and Mrs. Thurle Swanson,
recently came to Petersburg from
Ketchikan are returning to the First
City where Mr. Swanson plans to
purchase a barber shop.
Hon. James Wickersham of Ju
neau was a passenger on the Queen
e:>route to Wrangell.
Simon Hellenthal, Juneau attor
ney, visited with friends in Peters
burg.
ALASKAN LEAVES ESTATE
. William Stewart in a will admit
ted to probate in the Snperior Court
in Seattle gave his entire estate
valued at $75,000 to his daughter
Mrs. Margaret Patterson. Mr. Ste
wart was a partner of George T
Myers, Sitka Bay Cannery.
Straw Elections
——o
Maine pointed to .a .Republican
landslide and the first returns of the
Literary Digest’s presidential poll
gj,re Hoover 21,756 votes and Smi 1.
10,2122.. The Digest has mailed on;
some 19,000,000 secret* ballots all
over the United States. Hoover and
Cuitis according to the figures will
be elected by a heavy pluralty.
Hoover Money Hits Seattle—and
Smith backers ran to cover. The
or ds had been two-to-one ravorite
but with the flood of Hoover coin
huiing Seattle the odds went to five
to two.
Time For a Pardon
-o
Organized labor in California is
planning action to secure the free
dom of Tom Mooney, sentenced to
San Quentin prison on a charge of
participating in a so-called Prepar
edness Parade bomb outrage in San
Francisco. The plan is to propose
a week-long strike of every industry
in the State and the other picket
ing of the Governor’s mansion.
Alaskan Drowns In B.C
-o
.‘ob Nelson, one of the first stu
dents in the Sitka Training Schooi
was drowned recently in a whirl
pool at Butze Rapids, B. C. The
body was not recovered. When in
the old schooi at Sitka Mr. Nelson
was leader of the band and was a
talented musician. He composed a
number of musical numbers and took
considerable pride in playing the
pipe organ. He was an upstanding
member of every community where
he live dand his death will be mourn
ed by many.
The theme at the Sunday morning
services, Lutheran Church, will he
‘‘What think ye of Christ."
Evening services at eight o’clock
Subject: "What is God and How
may I know Him?”
A cordial invitation is extended
everyone to be present.
Eugene Wheeler is leaving on the
Admiral Rogers for the States where
he will continue his studies in den
tistry.
Charley Christenson is now Chet ]
in charge of the New York Restuam
ant, under new management.
Commercial Club
l akes Stand On
School Question
COMMERCIAL TAKES STAND Ox'
I INDIANS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL
T no local Chamber of Commerce
n el ni the City Hull Wednesday ev
>nu. After going over routine mat
ters. and disposing of them the mat
ter ot admitting Indian children U:
t',-e “public” schools of the city was
taaeji up. It was to be regretted
| that the meeting was not attended
by 1he whole Club as the matter was
one that require dthe positive stand
-o
1 br' expression of every interest in
the City. However, with a scant
quorum the subject was taken up
and thoroughly aired from its vari
ous angles after which a mono,
was adopted asking the “Public
School” Board reconsider its ruling
of prohibiting Indian children from
attending the “Public School.”
Tt was the view of xAlr. Earl Ohm
er that the School Board did not
have a tenable legal position; that
as children of citizens, the Indian
has every legal right to attend the
school if he so desired. That he
had taken the matter up with pro
minent attorney at Juneau who ad
vised nim that the Judge T. M.
Reed had expressed to attorneys in
private that it was his opinion that
the Indian child’s right of entrance
to the PUBLIC SCHOOLS was not
to be denied. However, that his
death left the matter up in the air
and what another judge would de
cide was another matter. That the
case of Sing vs Sitka School board
I
was still before the court and no
doubt would be settled in a short
time. However, in view of the pro
posed construction of an industrial
school in the south end of the Nar
rows, he thought it would be poor
■ policy to incur the displeasure of
ihe Alaska Native Brotherhood and
incur their opposition to the site.
Mr. James H. Wheeler spoke on
t} e subject and indicated that the
Board had powers that could be lim
ited only by a recall by the council.
The position to take being that of
rightness or wrongness and not the
benefits to be derived from the in
stitution. He told of information he
had been able to obtain as to the
relation of the Brotherhood to the
schot 1 and to the powers that be and
advised that their action would bear
considerable weight. He asked Mr.
Paul for information relative to the
subject. Mr. Paul gave a brief his
tory of the proposed school which
has been in the air now for about
ten years and asserted that direct
onposition of the Brotherhood to the
Metiakatla location was the reason
for changing of the proposed site;
t Pi a t several other sites had been re
commended, including Shoemaker
Bay and Mason Homestead. He urg
ed that as a matter of right and
justice the question should be con
sidered irrespective of the construc
tion of the school—that entrance*
tf1 the “public” school should not be
based on whether or not the indusi
trial school would be constructed in
the Narrows or not. He urged that
as citizens it was the right of the
Indian child to co-equal educational
opportunity in non-segregated insti
tutions. That the system of segre
gation and reservating of the In
dians did not permit of free compe
tion along educational lines and that
therefore the Indian was compelled
i
to race with himself and compete
wiln himself which was not requir
ed of any other race-of people. He re
stated an assertion made at the last
meeting that individual camp action
was being started to bring the mat
ter before the convention next' No
vember and that no official action ot
the Grand Camp would be taken un
til that time but urged that the mat
ter be settled fairly and on principle
before the convention meets.
Or. Standard urged that the in
terests of the community be consid
ered and that action of the
Board tbe rescinded. He believe 1
it the right of every child to every
educational opportunity. That if
any one could only show where they
had heard of an attorney who be
lieved the Indian had no right to en
ter the “public” schools, then he
v, >uld say stand on the position of
the Board. But his study of the
pro mem and all legal information he
was able to gather the action of tbe
Board was not tenable.
VIr. Elsemore stated that he thot
il at the indusrial school was a sub
ject foreign to the question and that
it was a matter of principle which
should be weighed accordingly.
Tlie motion to “ask the School
Board to rescind from its action”
was amended by Mr. Schoettler to
read that “the Board be asked to
reconsider” their action. This was
passed and so ordered on the re
cr rds.
Mrs. Lee, chairman of the Board
explained that the action of the
Doard was due to the inference left
in ;heir mind by Mr. Hawkesworth
that the Bureau school could or
would take care of all the native
children. Tha,t action was taken to
bar only the “full-blood’ Indian and
none others. She state dthat the
action was supported by the City
Council and the decision of the
Bi.ard was not made in a hasty man
ner nor with prejudice.
Court Term in October
John W. Dunn, clerk of the court
has issued notice that court will bo
held in Ketchikan beginning the
2iith day of October. It is believed
that Judge Cecil Clegg will preside
Judge E. Coke is holding court at
Juneau beginning the first of Octo
b.r and is expected to hold court
in his own Division so that Judge
Ciegg would be the only other avail
able judge.
Canners Profit-Seattle
Crates of canning peaches sold
recently in Seattle at 20 cents the
crate—$1.20 to $1.25 in Petersburg.
The dealers were in a price cutting
orgy. Canners crowded the district
—in Seattle—with bargain hunters
wl o carted the peaches home in
buggies, carts, go-carts, baby bug
gies and what not.
United Groceries Arrive
In Ketchikan
The Bee Hive store in Ketchikan,
wa srecently sold to the United Groc
ers of Seattle which has some 28
stores in and around Seattle. The
building is being remodeled and it
is expected will be opened soon.
Alaska Steamship Co., will service
Petersburg this winter.
At the MacGregor
Tonight Glenn Tyron and Patsy
ruth Miller are ‘Painting the Town”
i
, at the MacGregor Theatre. Glen
| takes the part of a smart, wise
[cracking Alec in love with Patsy
and himself He outsmarted the
ladders, trimmed the city slicker
and fed peanuts to the politicians
and incidentally won a big contract
and almost broke Patsy’s heart.
Saturday Hoot Gibson himself
wi.l be seen in ‘‘Silent Rider. A
story of a courageous but inxeperi
enced wife who preferred waiting
on the table for rough but kindly
cowboys than to submit to the hum
iliation of a brutal husband. The
story is from “The Redhead Hus
■ band” by Katherin Newlin.
f Some men “prefer blondes” but
Dorothy Mackail is just “Another
Blonde” with Jack Mulhall co-star
ring with her. Some thrilling air
plane scenes and crashes were put
in the picture.
_ FISH BUYER NABBED
James M. Bell was taken from the
Princess Louise at Wrangell by U
S. Deputy Marshal upon complaint
of Tom Fugita, one of Bell’s alleged
creditors.
Nels Olsen Ketchikan man was ar
rested for killing a dog and bound
under a bond of $1,000 dollars.
ENGLISH FORD PLANT
-o
The Ford Automobile Company
is starting a complete plant in En
gland to manufacture English Fords
P rom mines to the finished product
wbl be the policy as in Detroit. It
is said that 10,000 employees will be
en the payroll.
ASSAULTS JAILER IN SKA GW AY
“HELLHOLE”
-o
Alleging that he had attacked his
jailer, Pete Peterson was bound ov
er to the grand jury. Peterson was
scruing a sentence of one year in
jaT and a $500 dollar fine for vio
lation of the Alaska dry Bone law,
conviction in Ketchikan, with sen
tence due to expire in November.
Penalty for the alleged assault is 10
to 20 years upon conviction.
It is said that conditions in the
Skagway jail will have an airing in
court.
Never was the sauing more true
than this fear at Angoon. The
Harkrader coal mines are four miles
fiom Angoon and are mining a very
good quality of coal. The Bureau
school at Angoon had ten tons of
ccal shipped up from Seattle with a,
coal mine at its back door.
Ted Scroggins, U. of W. student
who is selling magazine in Alaska I
this summer arrived in on the Liber
ty. He had made a trip to the hali
but grounds to get a “new” experi
ence.
Political Rumors and
Prognostications
-o
. Heard over the grapevine radio.
Justin Harding, U. S. District At
torney of Juneau.is a candidate
for the office of Judge for the
First Division. It is reported that
he has formed an alliance with A1
White hoping to get White’s Idaho
political support to augment his
own. Senator Gooding being now
dead and Senator Borah disclaim
ing any sponsorship of Mr. White,
it is not believed that Mr. Harding
strengthened his chances by that al
jliance. Leaks in the Seattle-Alas
I ka Clothesline Radio Grapevine
j say that Harding will not even get
to first base,
for the position.
Janies Wickersham, former dele
gate to Congress and Judge who
j cleaned up Nome is still consider
ed in the running. While the .Tu
i
neau Bar Association has not en I
dorsed him they are not opposing
his appointment believing that he
will add dignity to the Bench.
The notice of convening of Court
at Ketchikari with either Judge
Hill or Judge Clegg would indicate
that appointment of the next Judge
w’ll noi he until after the Presiden
tial elections. This to the thinking
of Ye ALASKAN’S political observ
er that Mr. Wickersham has the in
side track.
vlr. Mitchel assistant solicitor
general has indicated that an Alas
kan will be appointed.
"Donations”
.vlarshal White scoffs at the
charge that he collected “donations"
from his deputies for a political
jaunt to Idaho. He shows a letter
purported to be from some higher
up in the Department of Justice in
acknowledgement of a “donation to
the Republican fund. In other
words for $300 he purchased im
munity for his violation of a speci
fic Presidential order. The Depart
ment of Justice higher ups must be
darned cheap or hard up.
O'Connor Advises
' i dicationr to the westward .ire
that George Grig&soy, Democra ic
:» d’date for Delega+e to Congjc s
* i?i;* only person taking Georte
G • si v seriously. Reports to dm
are lhat he will run a little bet vr
\'\i ii did “St•’oiler” White. Geo-.;e
is a nice fellow, but— election is
nigh and he will tell his own story
Governor Strong, who showed
Alaskans what an ingrate his one
time friend Jawn Double-U Troy is
is repurted as being in Seattle with
M»s. Strong. They still have an
ncti'e interest in Alaska.
A bit of Warning
\ note of warning has been is
sued federal employees in Seattle
ai d elsewhere by the United States
Civil Srvice Commission that perni
cions activity in politics is forbid
den. They may vote as they blamed
well please and they may converse
wherever and with whomever they
wish but they must not take the
stump or get conspicuous or blatant
during the canvas for votes. This
is one rule that does not “except
Alaska.
Democrats note—A1 Smith accept
ed an Indian bonnet, pouch and
pipe from Montana Indians then
daubed his face with orange colored
ponder. Synthetic Indian.
The Admiral Rogers is due in
southbound tomorrow.
Developing Reindeer
Packing Industry
■-o
An increasing demand for reindeer
meat has made the packing of this
meat for market one of Alaska’s
greatest industries and the business
is showing a steady gain, according
to a statement made public June 2a
by the Department of the Interior.
About twro thirds of the 500,000
of the reindeer in Alaska are the pro
perty of tlie native Eskimos, and
ships now are plying regularly out
of Alaskan ports with cargoes of rein
dcei meat. I he full text of the state
ment follow’s:
*
, Ships are coming down from Alas
j ka regularly now with cargoes of
2.000 reindeer carcasses to supply
the increasing demand for this new
n oat. One dealer in Seattle sells
re'ndeer meat exclusively and cou
sumes three or four animals a day.
The meat may now be bought almost
anywhere in the northwest and oc
casionally finds its way even into
eastern bills of fare.
The Department of the Interior
which has nurtured this industry re
ports that about two thirds of the
half million reindeer in Alaska are
the porperty of the native Eskimos.
The reindeer industry is already one
of the greatest in Alaska, and it is*
rapidly increasing.
A large part of the reindeer meat
that is being shipped out of Alaska
is owned by an incorporated com
pany whose headpuarters are at
Nome. This company owns more than
50.000 head of reindeer. It operates,
in the Seward Peninsula district and
has recently reorganized with capi
tal of $2,000,000 in order to increase*
its exportation of reindeer meat. It
has constructed several coldstorage
plants on the coast of Seward Benin
snla to which the deer are driven:
when in prime condition, and then
slaughtered and placed in storage
Three cold-storage barges are also
operated along the coast,
j Each season the United States Bir
reau of Education’s vessel, the “Box
er,” transports considerable amount
of reindeer meat to southern mar
kets. Reindeer meat is also trans
ported on the commercial steamers.
“Siera,” a freighter of 2,000 capa
city, and the “Victoria,” with cold
storage space for 2,000 carcasses,
usually making three voyages to'
Seattle during the open season of
navigation. Another ship, the “Ala
meda,” is placed in service when
necessity arises.
In the northern portion of Alaska,
nature provides the best possible
coldstorage facilities, as the ground
is frozen solid to great depths, and
even in summer the ice is within a
few inches of the surface.
Picked up for Forgery
. Willie Peters, 16-year old Indian
boy, was arrested .today charged
whh forgery. He presented a check
at Charley Mann’s in the sum of
$15.50. The check not appearing
right as to signature the boy was re
ferred to the bank. When he pre
sented the check there Mr. Elsemore
called up Steve Fryor whose signa
ture was placed on the check. He
denied making such a check so it
was turned over to Commissioner
Clausen. Upon questioning the boy
he declared that some man had giv
en him the check, endorsed it and
told him to cash it; another story
that he had gotten it for work in the
cannery. He is held to appear be
fore the district judge where he will
be given opportunity to reflect upon
tlie ways of civilization.
H. Nixon and son, of Ketchikan
were arrested on a liquor charge.
It is said they had a large quantity
f Canadian liquors in their room.