VOL. 2
PETERSBURG, ALASKA FEBRUARY 17,1928
NO. 30
Boy Scouts of America
Wliat the Petersburg Troop oil
of Boy Scouts hud to oiler last Sat
urday eve at the Sous of Norway
hall was well worth attending. The
drill and team work and marching,
the first aid exercises, the instruc
tions and routine of promotions
gave those out-side of the ranks an
idea, very nicely illustrated, of a
bit ot the Buy Scout movement. Af
ter the exercises the main floor was
cleared for dancing and the light
fantastic went merrily on until af
ter midnight. Before we forget,
we desire to make it known that the
work of the City Band boys was im
mensely appreciated. The Buker
Orchestra furnished the dance mus
ic
The officers of Petersburg Troop.
Number 79, B. S. A. for 1928 are:
'1 roop Commanders of American Be
giou Harold Dawes, Chairman; L.
B. Cornelius and A. M. Archbold
Scoutmaster, Dr. Dan E. Standard;
Assistant Scoutmasters, Trygvie
Strom, L. G. Eunberg, Henry Has
brouck; Patrol Headers, John Enge,
Paul Tveten and Eddie Boggen.
Tho-se receiving the one year Ser
vice Stars (gold) for continuous
membership in good standing for
one year were: Scoutmaster, Dr. Dan
E. Standard, Asst. Scoutmaster T.
btrom and the following eleven
Scouts, Teddy Andreanoff, Melvin
Duukleberger, Hughie Harris, Rich
ard Harris, Sigurd Hanseth, Boren
Johnson, Robert Bando, Andrew
Stoll, Gaenhart Samuelson, Paul
Tveten and Arthur Tveton.
Those promoted to the ranks of
Second Class Scouts were; Teddy
Andreanoff, Henry Adams, Edgar
Boggen, Melvin Dunkleberger, John
Enge, Richard Harris, Hugh Harris,
Sigurd Hanseth, Boren Johnson, R.
Bando, Eeonard Martens, G. Sam
uelson, Andrew Stoll, Paul and Ar
thur Tveton.
Talks on organization and Scout
welfare were made by Dr. Standard
and F. Nelson
RELATIVE TO S. RES. 134
In the first session of the 70tfi
Congress, Mr. King submitted a
resolution that takes in the nomin
ation of Tliomas M. Reed in 1921,
and confirmation, as U. S. district
judge for the first division of Al
aska. Resolution states tbat the
judge’s term of oflice expired
August 16tfi, 1925. December 21st.
1925, the President (Coolidge)
nominated the said Reed for the
second term. On the 17 th of March
1925, the Committee on the Jud
iciary turned the nomination down
and the President was so advised.
Since then no person has been
nominated by the president, but tne
said Reed still holds office. It has
therefore been resolved:
Tnat the Committee on the Jud
iciary be directed to take cogniz
ance of the matters and things
herein recited and the fact said
Thomas M. Reed is holdng office
of U. S. district judge in said dis
trict of Alaska and performing the
duties thereof without any appoint
ment by the President and with
out confirmation by the Senate of
the United States, and that said
committee be further directed to re
port to the Senate (1) whether in
its opinion said Thomas M. Reed
is legally holding said office oi
whether he *3 an intruder and usur
per, (2) whether any proceedings
ar available by which to secure his
ouster from said office, and (3)
whether any legislation is requirec
by Congress to deal with said mat
ter or with situation which maj
arise of a similar character.
Alaska Spruce
j It is turning out that Alaska
j spruce, scarcely known in the States
' as more than pulp stuff at present,
f is in a fair way soon to come to its
j own. Trials and teats have de
\ monstrated that it is tar superior
L to the spruce of the States in
toughness, tensile strength and calls
i tor a much heavier load to fracture.
I it is of longer hbre, but the fibre
j lies closer and clings with much
1 more tenacity than does that of
any other known light wood. It is
lighter, stronger, tougher than any
of the conifers.
I According to Oscar Sather, of the
Scow Bay Mills, there is quite a
j bit of experimental work going on
with Alaska spruce in the making
of musical instruments, particular
ly violins. Mescha Elma, the best
known maker of fine violins, has a
trusted employee now in New Yora i
at the present time making up an
all Alaska spruce violin, top, back
and sides. First trials showed the
wood to have extraordinary qualities
of resonance, 30 the idea came that
an all spruce instrument might be
superior to those made up of dif
erent woods.
Alaska spruce has already made
its step up in airplane material as
more suitable than any other tim
ber. The black eye that the wood
got in war time when men of get
rich-quick tendencies had an idea
that the government could be hand
ed any old thing in the wood line
when the call came for airplane
spruce, has been removed almost
completely. In wTar time there was
a lot of spruce shipped to the states
for the making of army and navy
airplanes. Cross grained, knotty,
dcty and konky stuff was shipped
down and was, of course condemned.
Alaska spruce, thereby, got a bad
name. This has been outgrown,
and all that is called for now is
manufacture of good material and
honest, up-to-date advertising.
DOWN TURNABOUT ISLAND WAY
A few days ago. T. S. Elsemore
received a letter from Mrs. Jack
Thompson, via Juneau, stating that
(she was alone on Turnabout Island
and desired assistance. it seems
that the Robinsons, who have the
island—a fox farm—had left Mrs.
Thompson by herself and departed
for Seattle. The letter was several
days old before Mr. Elsemore got
it, so it was arranged at once that
Mr. Ohmer send the Charles T
down to the island to ascertain the
trouble. The boat left out at t
o'clock Sunday morning and Han-»
Preuschoff and Hans Wick went
along. Mrs. Thompson appeared tv
be more under a nervous strain than
anything else. She wouldn’t leave
the island. Hans Preuschoff volun
teered to stay until other help cou j
be found. The Charles T. came back
Saturday night at 10 in a snow
storm and gale of wind. Tuesday
Earl Ohmer wired the America First
to call at the island south bound
Robinson has been notified of condc
tions. i
DOESN’T LIKE IT
The Ketchikan Chronicle appears
to be getting a lot of fun mulling
over the “so-called Republican ‘plat
form’ ”. More attention might h*
paid to what the Chronicle is say
ing if what that paper had printea
in the past bad any reach ana
1 weight. As it is this criticizing
matter isn’t interesting reading.
_
H. C. Coleman, of Ketchikan, is
- in Petersburg on a business trip.
He arrived in via Wrangell.
What The Commercial Club Did
The first up for consideration at
the meeting of la3t Wednesday night
was a communication from the
United States Chamber of Com
merce. This had to do with notice
of annual meeting of the U. S. C. C
and invitations. The meeting dates
are 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11th of May, 1928:
There was a communication from
Burns Poe of the U. S. Revenue
Dept., Tacoma. This letter is print
ed in full elsewhere in this issue
of THE ALASKAN.
There was a communication from
the Fisheries Dept. This letter is
also taken up in another column.
Letter received from the Postof
fice Department. This was relative
to a proposed change (by the Pet
ersburg Commercial Club) of the
schedule- of mail boat plying be
tween Juneau and Petersburg and
Kake. Matter rejected by the P. O.
Dept with the statement that the
schedule as it i*s, was under in
vestigation before contracts were ,
let, and approved. This will be i
THE GEO. W. ELDER—
Along about 1915-16 the Geo. W.
Elder dropped out of sight and i
hearing, and old timers of Alaska (
wondered what had become of the;
good, old ship. There were those
who had heard that the vessel wa >
wrecked long ago. Others said she
was in the boneyard in some Pa
cific Coast city. But she isn’t a
wreck by any meaDs, nor is she in i
any boneyard. On the contrary, she i
Is one of the fast steamers sailing j
under the flag—the stars and bars i
—of Chile, South America. She .
plies from Arica to Valpariso and i
rides those southern waters with i
the same grace and speed as in her '
younger day3. In 1907 bilge keel3 j
were fitted to her hull and much of
her heavy rolling was thereby les
sened. Her name now is America.
ADDITIONAL. REGULATIONS
Again has the Alaska Fish Regul- (
ation, 251, been changed. The new ,
regulation, 261-14-2, bears on the
Prince William Sound area only un- j
der sub-title 10-(1), There is no ,
reference made to any other ^dis- (
trict.
The S. S. Prosper came into town j
the other day and is now moored ,
at the Citizen’s float.
taken up again by the club, goin;-,
through the Supt. of Mails at Seattle.
The club suggested a modification
of the dog license matter under fire
at present in the City Council.
Thought that a $3 tax sufficient,
but went of record advocating en
forcement to the very letter of the
law.
Word was received bearing on the
proposed yacht raee( capitol to
capitol—Olympia to Juneau) by the
Olympia Yacht Club. This is sup
posed to take place on the 26th day
of June and the 4tfi of July will
be passed in Juneau. The Peters
burg Commercial Club extended in
vitation to stop and visit this citv
jnroute.
There was some consideration
rnent landing field for airplane.-,
but nothing definite done at this
time. Shall wait until it is known
iuat who are the proper officials to
alk the matter over with.
There was the usual good attend
mce and a muchly appreciated
linner.
READ THIS ONE
Don’t get excited about it, bat
ell us how it sounds. The following
labiegram may mean a boom.
TI'T irriT) A AT
Received ru Petersburg, Alaska
13 K M 05 C P C M N
Craig, Feby. 14th, 1928 j
fhe Alaskan, Petersburg
An oil discovery was made abou |
ourteen miles west of Klawock on i
he eighth. A small spring of para
ine oil was boiling out along the
>each at low water mark. The oil
vas discovered by an Indian and his
yife while digging clams and has
men located by R. J. Peratrovich
rhere are other seepages report d
n same vicinity near Klawock.
WATSON
2 45P
Saturday. Sunday and Monday tin;
lalibut fleet moored along the city
vater front was large beyond the or
iinary. There were green boats
vhite boats and ships of other coj
>rs waiting turns to take on herring
)ait at the cold storage. And while
vaiting, big and little halibuters
:hugged by, in the Narrows, loaded
vith ice and bait from other ports,
rhe opening of the flatfish season
ooked healthy enough. We hop;
;atches will be good and that prices
vill square with the brisk effort's.
Treasury Department
Ofiice ol' Collector of Internal
Revenue
Tacoma, Washington
February 9, 1928
To the Editor
Petersburg ALASKAN
Herewith is a news item of inter
est to your readers which I will ap
preciate your publishing.
BURNS POE, Collector
Assistance is to ne given to tax
payers in Alaska in making out
their income tax returns, which
must be tiled with the Collector of
internal Revenue at Tacoma, Wash
ington, on or before March 15 th.
Collector Poe is sending his chiei
of the Field Division, Mr. J. M.
Moore, to cover southeastern Alas
ka. Mr. Moore will leave the Sound
on the S. S. Watson on Feb. 15th
lor Wrangell, where assistance will
be given taxpayers on Saturday and
Sunday, Feb. 18th and 19th. He
will then make a trip to Petersburg
by gas boat, where he will remain
from Tuesday, Feb. 21st to Friday,
Feb. 2 Hi. He will reach Juneau on
ne S. S. Rogers on Feb. 26th and
will remain there until Thursday,
March 1st. Ketchikan will receive
his services on Ml:’ 1 to 7th, in
clusive.
This service is free to taxpayers,
and no charge will be made either
for making out the returns or ack
nowledging the same.
Request is made that taxpayers
have their data so assembled that
it will not be necessary for Mr.
Moore to check over the books to
ascertain the correctness of the to
ta-rs.
Deputy Collector Denney has been
sent to the Fairbanks district bj
Air. Poe, where he will render the
same service to the taxpayers.
HERE’S TO THE BEAR
Out of the government lime light
steams the old. Bear. Not again as
a cutter under the coast guard pen
ant will she buck into northern
ieas, shove the ice aside and churn
on to Arctic waters and ice bound
ports.
She became a government vessel
in the early SO’s and right from
the start her mission became one ot
aid, succor and assistance. In 1883
she dropped out of sight beyond
the horizon on the Greely relief ex
pedition, and well she fulfilled this
errand of mercy.
Since then, year after year, she
has plowed the cold reaches of the
Polar sea. Her penciled line of
smoke against the gray skies of
the frozen north, spring after spring
was a promise fulfilled to those
who lived on desolate shore and in
isolated region.
Falure and neglect were scratch
ed out of the vocabulary or her
log be ok. Duty, service and achieve
ment were heavily underscored. She
has been turned from her course to
make room for what may be called
a more modern ship, but no steam
er, nor any other sort of craft, will
come up to her performances nor
break her record. Modern boats
don’t live so long and as the Bear
goes so departs much of the specta
cular of the northern voyages.
In her long and useful career she
turned off many times to give un
expected aid and to succor the di3
tressed, and then again on her way
in threatening waters to bleak ports
of call. For half a hundred years
the Bear has steamed on faithfully
and well. In the hearts of sailor
men she will always hold a warm
place; in the archives of out gov
ernment there is no ship of better
record. i
New Steam Mills
When the city shut off the electric
current of the Sather mills at Scow
Bay some time back this winter, i,
may have started the building of a
rival town almost at its door. Oscar
Sather, recently back from Seattle
has new equipment coming for an
up-to-date lumber manufactory. It
consists of: One 300 h. p. twin
steam engine for the head rig in
the mill; one high pressure boiler
of 500 h. p. The planing mill will
be driven by the 75 h. p. Corleas
engine at present in the cold stor
age plant. The cut-off saws and
live rollers will have their own
motor in the shaps of a 25 h. p.
steam engine. A generator will al
so be installed capable of supply
ing lights and electric conveniences
of and around the mill, in case of
mill shut down, the generator may
be driven by power other than
steam.
The change from electricity to
steam will be made at once. Mr
Sather will take over and reside iu
apartments in the old store build
ing. The cold storage plant amt
outfit has been purchased and will
be made to fit in with the new de
parture. There is an immediate
market for all clears as fast as cut.
Sale« for airplane, ladder and piano
material are on an upper trend.
“B” and better flitches are going at
good figures for export to Great
Britain, Italy and South American
ports. There are a great many
contracts being let by different gov
ernments for airplane material and
construction. Government design
ers of airplanes, after having tested
all-metal constructed planes are now
giving good spruce material pre
ference. Mr. Sather has samples
of Alaska spruce in France and Italy
in me nanas oi vionn and other in
strument makers.
There is no doubt but what things
will soon be booming down Scow
Bay direction. There is plenty ot
deep water there for any size ves
sel. The tidal currents are very
light and there is ample shipping
and maneuvering room. Mr. Sather,
in his endeavors to build up the
place, should at least have the moral
support of all those who desire lj
see Alaska projects succeed. On;.
thing is quite certain, no Peters
burg city council can piddle-widdie
with the new power installation.
Cliff Buker’s return to Petersburg
has meant the revival of the Buker
Orchestra. Its members are: Cliff
Buker, leader, violin; Mrs. Anna
Dunkleberger, pianist; Pat Verney,
saxophone and clarinet; Sam Gauf
fin, clarinet; Dick Hansen, trap
drummer.
Some of the Hearst property in
Mexico is in danger of confiscation
through failure to comply with the
Mexican land laws. Hearst’s re
cent “exposure” of things Mexican
made a tier out of him in this
country and didn’t strengthen his
position any across the Rio Grande.
Frank Wyatt, who has been trap
ping much of the winter across
Frederick Sound, was in town Sun
day provisioning up to go out again.
He stated that weather conditions
throughout the winter has made it
ratber difficult to make successful
snares anyplace.
Mrs. Alfrd H. Brooks has decided
that the libraray of her husband,
the late Dr. Alfred Brooks, shall go
to the Alaska Agricultural College
and School of Mines, Fairbanks. The
library contains around 2,000 vol
umes and 4500 bulletins. Dr
Brooks was an outstanding figure
in Alaska development.