VOL. I
PETERSBURG, ALASKA SEPTEMBER 10 1926
NO. 9
POWER PERMIT
The Lake Virginia Mining com
pany operating in the Ground Hog
Pasin near Wrangell, ha.? b*ea
granted a preliminary permit by the
Federal Power Commission for tre
development of water power on Mill
Creek. This is an outlet from Vir
ginia Lake into the Eastern pa ?sa*«:
a short distance from Wrangell.
Virginia Lake which would serve
as a reservoir has a water-surface
area of 670 acres and lies at an ele
v.tion of 94 feet. The g vernment
hydroelectric engineer who made
a topographical survey of th.s power
site estimates that 26,000 acre-feet
can be impounded by raising the
lake to an elevation of 125 feet with
a draw down of 30 feet
There is an excellent site 1't a
ower i ouse on the nortn side -f
a small co. at the mouti of Mill
Creek just below the falls, at which
site there is a good rock foundation
The drainage are is 52 square
niles at the outlet of Virginia Lake,
according to the United States Coast
and Geoletic Snrvey Chart No.
8200.
The primary power capacity is
2,200 mechanical horsepower at 80
per cent efficiency and 100 percent
utilization with 26,000 acre-feet of
storage. The average capacity is
approximately 3,000 mechanical
hoisepower, limited by size of con
duit. A 200-foot dam would devel
op sufficient storage for complete
regulation, and with a uniform flow
of 414 second-feet the maximum
capacity of the site would be 5,800
mechaniicai horsepower at 75 per
cent efficiency and 100 per cent
utilization.
LOCAL SCHOOLS OPEN
The local schools opened Tuesday
with an enrollment of 171. There
are twenty-four beginners under
Miss Morrow; and twenty-two in
the second grade which Miss Dick
ens teaches. The fourth grade
so large that they are dividing it
by giving Miss McKecknie, who
teaches the third grade this year, a
Fait of it and the other half to Miss
Vick, who will also have the whole
of the fifth grade. Miss Peterson
will teach the sixth and seventh
grades, having an enrollment of
tnirty-one. The twelve members of
the eighth grade will be housed and
taught together with the high
school. This year the high school
has an enrollment of twenty-five;
eight Froshmen, eleven Sopho
mores, five Juniors, and one Senior.
Miss Ruby Raynor holds the honor
of being the only member of the
Senior class. Since each class is re
presented and four teachers em
ployed, all the requirements for an
accredited high school are met, so
the faculty is in hopes of this year
attaining the privilege of being
the privilege of being classed with
classed with Other acredited schools
of Alaska.
WAGE CASE BEFORE COURT
The Warm Springs Bay Packing
company was found guilty before
Commiossioner’s court at Juneau
charged with failure to pay an em
ployee wages when discharged as
provided under Chapter 45 Terri
torial Session Laws of 1925.
A fine of $1. and costs was im
posed so that an appeal for higher
ruling under the law might be made.
John Rustgard, Attorney General
and J. H. Hart, assistant U. S. Dis
trict attorney represented the gov
ernment and S. Hellenthal appeared
for the defendant.
The fox farms in the Kusiloff dis
trict have a prosperous appearance
and it was learned by Mr. Brown
that there was a very substantial in
crease this season, the average be
ing close to 200 per cent.
Archie McLean is preparing to try
the experiment of raising cattle for
fox feed, confident that it can be
done successful in that region. In
that way he will have both fresh
milk and beef for his foxes. He also
is putting in a tractor at his place
for general utility work.
Pete Madsen and Pete Jensen,
partners in a thriving fox farm in
ihe same locality, have purcheased a
five tube radio receiving set to pro
vide entertainment at there place
during the long winter evenings.
At the present time it is necessary
for all the farmers to gather at the
Williamson place to hear the air
programs, which is somewhat of an
inconvenience during the winter for
those residing at a distance from
the station.
Game Warden A1 Hardy, who is
starting a fox ranch close to the
Williamson place, is at present with
the hunting varty sent into that re
gion by the Alaska Glacier Tours
association. He has his new house
aimost ready occupancy.—Gateway.
GRAND JURY REPORT
Completing five days of labor, Ihe
Federal grand jury turned in its
report to Judge T. M. Reed in tlie
district court held at Ketchikan, it
is said that this is the record short
session; for breyity the report might
well be copied in other courts.x x
IN THE DISTRICT COURT FOR
THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA.,
DIVISION NUMBER ONE AT
KETCHIKAN REPORT OF
GRAND JURY
To Honorable
THOMAS M. REED
Judge of the above entitled v, j rt:
We, the Grand Jury summoned to
attend the special April, 1926, term
of the district court, Division No.*
One, having completed our labors
for the said term, and concluded the
business brought before us, now beg
leave to report to this Honorable
Court as follows:
We have been in session five days
have examined sixty witnesses) have
considered eleven bindovers auj
four original investigations, and
have found fourteen true bills and
one ‘not true bill.”
We hereby concur in the report of
the previous grand jury of this ses
sion with reference to the Feder al
n>> srtbouse and jail.
We have examined the municipal
jail of Ketchikan and find it well
kept. However, it is sugt'< *i that
the city should equip said ja:l with
a ‘‘steel tank” such as commonly
used in modem jails for the protec
ion of property and to prevent ac
cident which might pro/e fatal. Fur
ther it is suggested that th e ven4jla
t'on might be improved, as well as
the bathing facilities.
In conclusion we with to extend
to the Court, the United States At
torney and other officials our thanks
for the assistance given and crnr
fccsy extended.
It is requested that copies of this
report be sent to the Department cf
Justice, the mayor of Ketch5kan and
such other departments of the Fed
eral Government as the Court may
deem advisable.
K. L. STEBERG, Fveman.
MRS. ROBERT MacGLA * V.
Secretary, i
Alaskan products shipped to the
States during the month ofAugust
had an aggregate value of $14,121,
180., according to the monthly re
port of John C. McBride, Collector
of U. S. Customs. The monthly ex
port commerce amounts in value to
$3,160,798. greater than that in
the sae month last year.
The principle commodity shipped
vas canned salmon , valued at $11,
£77,567. which was $3,092,180.
greater then in August, 1925. The
export of canned salmon in August
of this year represented 81,078,096
pounds of salmon while that of last
year represented 60,095,008 pounds.
The shipment of furs and fur
skins shows a slight decrease from
last year, being $30,219 and last
august being $36,381.
Copper shows a large increase be
ing valued at $926,943. an increase
of $908,850. it being quoted at $18,
05 3 in August last year.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
FIRST DIVISION
During the past winter consider
able talk was made of the indus
irial school planned for the first di
vision for Native children. Local
organizations took up with the Bu
reau the matter of having the school
between Petersburg and Scow Bay
At the present time there is no indi
cation that the school will be built
Aery soon. No provision having been
made in the budget for 1927.
However, it is not believed that
it will be possible to get the school
near Petersburg as the proximity of
tLe school to towns is not thought
desirable. There are some who fa
vor Metlakatla, owing to the fact
that original plans of the Bureau
was to build at Metlakatla. In fact
the present school buildipg in that
town was to have been the first unit
cf such a school. However, the
Thlinget and Hydah people opposed
[the building uf the school in that
town so the department has made
no active plans to build at any
point. It has further been said
the Bureau is not pushing the mat
ter very hard at Washington on* ac
count of the fact that it might in
terfere with the present building
program of industrial schools in the
other divisions.
However the effort to get such a
school is worth while in view of
the fact that such a school would
entail an original expenditure of ap
proximately a half million dollars.
The matter of outfitting children
as they come and go to the school
vould be an item that would mean
much to any town; that without
considering the large force necessary
to hte management of an establish
ment as such a school must be.
VIRGINIA CLARK DEAD
Rev. Robert J,. Diven of Wran
gell received word from Rev. J. S.
Clark that his daughter Virginia
was dead. Miss Clark was a gradu
ate of the University of Washing
ton and taught one year at Kodiak.
She was married to a fellow student
Pom Washington.
Rev. Clark for several years was
pastor of the Presbyterian Church
at Wrangell. It was while he had
charge of that work In Wrangell and
Petersburg that he started the pre
sent Lutheran Church of Peters
burg. When the Presbyterian Board
withdrew from active work in the
Petersburg field, they sold their pro
perty to the Lutheran Church under
whose auspices the church has been
operated since.
One of the flying machines at
tached to the air mapping fleet ar
lived in port this afternoon.. The i
Gannet left Juneau this morning
and should arrive sometime this ey
ing. The other flyers with the ex
ception of Lt. Ben Wyatt, will be
along most anytime. Lt. Wyatt
stopped on Admiralty for a little
hunt with “Gambier Bay” Jim.
Work of this expedition for this
year is at an end. The position of
the sun being such that most ef
fective photographic work is not
possible.
The flleet will stop here over
night and will also stop at Ketchi
kan probaply for a day before pro
ceeding on south.
The work of these men has been
appreciated by the people of the
Alaska and will be of untold bene
fit to navigators and to those also
interested in the resources of the
1 erritory
GAME LAWS
No license is required for the
hunting of trophy and small game
by residents who have established a j
voting citizenship in the Territory,
or of resident aliens, thase of for
eign birth who have held first de
claration papers for a year. Aliens,
however who have not established
citizenship wthin seven years after
taking out their first papers, are
considered as aliens and must pay a
hunting license of $100. Citizens of
the United States who are not vot
ing residents of the Territory must
pay a fee of $50. which gives the
privilege of hunting in season all
game animals and of trapping with
in the regulations set by law. The
alien hunting license also includes
in the one sum trapper’s license.
Local radio fans report very good
results now that the tays are grow
ing shorter. Some of the more en
thusiastic listeners claim that on
several occasions they have receiv
ed programs from different Austra
lian broadcasting stations. One must
* he especially faithful however, to be
so fortunate, for these stations are
not on the air until the wee small
hours in the morning. However, it
is an every night occurence to listen
to Chicago, St. Louis, and a number
of other distant stations. Last Sat
urday St. Louis was broadcasting a
special program which was a test for
distance. They were asking for dis
tant listeners to inform them as to
results, so one, of the local fans tel
egraphed congratulations and in re
turn had a special number dedicat
ed to him as the most distant listen
er.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the
Common Council at its last regular
meeting fixed the tax levy for the
year 1926 at twenty (20) mills on
each dollar of assessed valuation for
municipal purposes and five (5)
mills for the payment of interest on
the bonded indebtedness.
Taxes are now due and payable
at the office of the Town Treasurer
at the Bank of Petersburg, and will
become delinquent on the first day
of October at 6 o’clock p. m. Un- j
less paid prior thereto 10 percent
of the amount of the tax will be
added to the amount due together
with interest at the rat© of 8 per
c< nt per annum from the date of
delinquency until paid.
T. S. ELSEMORE .Treasurer.
—9-9-26 .
The Alaska Matanuska Coal com
pany has been awarded a contract to
supply the Alaska Railroad with
25.000 tons of coal according to re
cent announcement. This company
submitted the lowest bid. Other
companies which submitted bids
were the Premier Coal Company and
tho Evan Jones Coal Company. Spe
cifications call for 85 percent mine
run and 15 percent steam coal.
This contract insures the opera
tion of the Alaska Matanuska coal!
mines for a period of eight to ten
months. The terms of the contract
call for a delivery of from 2,500 to
4.000 tons monthly. This allows
but one handling as the coal may
be taken directly from the cars and
saves handling costs.
The Evans Jones Company has
closed its plant indefinitely as there
is not sufficient coal orders on hand
to take care of operating costs.
HUMANE SYSTEM
. . .TRAPPING ANIMALS
Robert P„ Lincoln, naturalist, in
an address before the American Hu
mane Society of Portland, Oregon,
urged that trappers, magazines and
fur companies unite in a campaign
of educating the trapper to the im
portance of humane methods, re
commending that traps should be
visited twice every day and traps
should be set so animals would be
drowned without suffering.
We might suggest that Mr. Lin
coln set a line of traps eight or ten
miles over the hills of our shore line
and have him visit that line twice a
day. We have not a bit of doubt
that after such a tramp through the
snow and wet he would not be so
vociferous in advocating impractical
methods. I
ARRESTED FOR LARCENY
Chris . Christenson was arrested
on warrant alleging lareeny of
two hundred odd dollars. He
plead guilty and was sentenced to
a term in the federal Bastilev
Joe and W. Brady were arrested
»>y Marshall McGreggor on war
rant charging them with larceny of
some clothing at Washington Bay.
lhey plead guilty to the charge and
were given sixty days to contem
plate their ways.
COURT BUSY NATURALIZATION
CASES
Ninety-six declarations for citizen
papers, 36 petitions for final papers,
oight residents made citizens, some
divorce matters and a number of de
fault orders, were the sum total of
the recent “floating” term of court
session to the Westward, occording
io Clerk of the Court Wm. H. Whit
tlesey, a member of the official
court party which returned to Se
ward yesterday on the S.S. Starr.
The arrival of the court party
marked the completion of the first
so-called floating term of court in
the vast Westward region in 11
years.
IDAHO DEMO’S FAVOR
DIRECT PRIMARY
The Democratic State Conven
tion nominated John F. Nugent of
Foise for Senator, and adopted a
a plank favoring adoption of the di
rect primary. The platform com
mittee had recommended ommission
of this topic. (Not all Democrats
favor putting control of elections in
the hands of a hand picked crowd.)
COLLEGE GETS
DEPL. AID
The Board of Trustees In a meet
ing recently approved the plan to
cooperate with the U. S. Biological
Survey so that work of that depart
ent will be carried on at the Fair
banks Collage, The work will be
in connecaion with reindeer investi
gation and general labratory experi
mentation in forage and grazing
problems necessarily connected with
the successful development of
northern herds.
A forty acre tract on the northern
slope of the college is being fenced
by the Bureau for the purpose of
corraling animals for scientific ex
periment in breeding and forage. A
wind shelter will be constructed for
ten reindeer and a few caribou it is
expected will be on the campus this
winter for a start. Mr. Palmer ex
plained that this was only the begin
iug as other stock would be added
and the field of investigation widen
ed. Under the terms of the agree
ment the Survey is granted the use
of the collage ground for experi
mental herds, and thhe use of the
biological labratories for its investi
gations.
A bill which will come up for fin
al action in the next Congress, car
lying an appropriation of $50,000,
provides for the introduction of
musk oxen into Alaska. No doubt
some of the experimental work with
these animals will be carried on at
the Collage in the event the bill
receives favorable action from Con
gress. I
TEACHERS’ INSTITJ1E
“The Teachers’ Institute, in iuy
opinion, accomplished iha i .i prse
lor which it as organized," 1.ester
D Henderson, commissio i r of edu
cation declared, addressing the tidy
of a hundred or more teachers and
townspeople who were present In
the auditorium of the lr.t: i school
Thursday afternoon. “ .\i i teach
ers who attended it be-: tins better
acquainted with the Al^s’ .i schot.
system and one another
“Of the greatest importance is the
fact that they gained au inspiration
that shall enable them to better
discharge their obligati *n. to Ala*
ka’s greatest possession—her chil
dren.
i “The number of tea here in at
tendance fell somewhat under the
hundred it was anticipa'.i d would be
present. A keener appreciation of
the institute on the pa.t of school
boards should result in the correc
tion of this defect.
“The visiting educators expressed
themselves as highly pleased with
the quality of teachers present and
with the interest they manifested
it presages a splendid year for the
Alaska schools.
“I wish to express my keen ap
preciation of the Interest displayed
and the courtesies extended to the
teachers and instructors attending
the institute, by the various organi
zations and Individual re* dents of
Ketchikan.” —Chronicle.
FAIRBANKS LEADING LEGION
MEMBERSHIP CONTEST
A table of percentages recently
prepared at department headquartes
in Juneau gives the Dorman H. Bak
er Post of the American Lgion the
lead in membership over the past
two years. Petersburg stands third
on the list with Cordova leading her
by 12 points. Fairbanks has not
much of a lead to crow about being
only eight-tenths of a point ahead
of Cordova. , .