VOL. 2
PETERSBURG, ALASKA FEBRUARY 24, 1928
NO. 31
City Dads Cogitate And Confab
Regular meeting of Monday, Feb
ruary 20th called to order by May
or Swanson. Minutes of prior meet
ing read by Clausen and approved.
. .Report of Finance Committee—
Nothing at this time.
Report uu Fire and Water—
Nothing at this time.
. . . Report of Public Property . ,
Conmiitte
Matter of use of streets by Union
Oil Company brought up. Some
light talk on the subject. Laid ov
er until the Public Property Com
mittee iuvstigated further into the
matter and brought in a report.
Public school affairs aired vehe
mently by Councilman Enge. Said
he didn’t like the fire escape job a
little bit. Illustrated on the wall
of the hall where there were misfits,
particularly in the bracings. Con
demned the lower reach of the es
capes. Said they were too high
from the ground and dangerous if
used in haste. Did not approve of
the escapes crossing windows. Said
there was danger of broken windows
in case of fire, and that if lower floor
were afire the escape could not be
used if flames came out of the open
ings that the escape crossed. Ad
vocated the construction of .plat
forms over the windows in question
and connection of escapes from
platforms to the ground. Decided
to go over the idea of these improve
ments again and report. Some talk
bearing on heating of school and the
closing of school Monday forenoon, j
Caustic comment relative to school
bill expenses and wonder expressed
if there’d be any let to them.
Light and Power Committtee Report
Nothing at this time.
Report of special tonuuraws
Nothing at this time.
Report |Of Town Officers
No report on any particular issue, j
The City Marshal reported all quiet j
on the Potomac. The old garage ^
removal came up. Wick said that he
would see about this Tuesday—Feb
ruary 21st.
There was a report from the com
mitee investigating cess-pool toilets.
Had seen Mr. Locken, agent of
3ome of the noisome property in
question. Said Locken was indif
ferent and told the committee to
close the property if it wanted to
Matter talked over with consider
able vim. Didn’t like the attitude of
the property owners. Didn't like to
make it disagreeable for tenants,
who were not to blame for condi
tions. Suggestion made that rents
be confiscated to amount sewer con
nections would cost. Motion made
(later withdrawn) that city marshal
close all those houses not connected
with city sewage system. Matter
finally tabled to allow committee
time to gather more information
on the subject. Probably will come
up next meeting.
Unfinished Business
First came up was communication
from the Petersburg Commercial
Club relative to dog tax matter.
The Club had gone of record ad
vocating a three dollar tax and
there was some talk on the matter.
Later, laid aside for the time being.
Light and Power Schedule
The new rates on lights, power
British Columbia fishing rules
have been changed. Purse seint
boata are prohibited from setting ir
many areas. Mouths of rivers comt
in for greater protection. Pure*
seines are reduced to 250 fathon
lengths, maximum. There is t
closed season for cod in January anc
February. Cohoe 3almon come ii
for protection from January t<
May 15 th on Vancouver Island.
and hear were brought up for con
sideration at this time. MacKech
nie uot present, so matter was car
ried over to next meeting.
Garbage Disposal Bobs Up
Complaint had been made thai
much of the refuse had drifted
ashore on water front property. Re
' ported that some of the garbage
dock had been cleared, but that
there was still considerable of a lit
ter there.. Statement by Wick tlia*.
no refuse would drift ashore if it
were thrown overboard at prope.
i
jrunning of tide as he knew by ex
jporiment that everything woula
I float off into Frederick Sound a
care were taken in dumping. The
feeling of the council was that t u?
'dump should he kept clear and dean
and that more care be taken in
dumping refuse.
NEW BUSINESS
Matter of coming change in ad
ministration and caucus, the con
sideration or policies and candidates,
was brought up. This led to a mo
tion and second that the old school
building—the “Fishermen’s Hall”—
be used for the purpose. Meeting
scheduled for February 27th—Mon
day night.
Schoettler here took the floor,
representing the P. T. A., and spoke
for a time on the unfinished condi
tion of the auditorium, the supposed
amount of money on hand for com
pletion, and requested that the room
be made usable and work concluded.
Turned over to School Committee
with suggestion that it ascertain
requirements and go ahead with
closing he job.
City l*roperty
Some talk anent a future City
Hall, the property of the city ad
jacent to the preesnt building and
the need to protect same. This
matter came up on a suggestion that
a garage be built near the hall to
house hose trucks and other city
appliances and equipment. Finally
suggested to construct new plat
forms near present hall and band
stand with a viewpoint of hall
building later. Public Property
Com mittee to look after this.
Street building matter came up
on a statement by Nicholson, pro
perty holder, who had complained
of poor street conditions near the
church. Appeared that the churc*
approach was decayed and unfit for
travel. No money at this time to
extend streets, but moved and se
conded and carried that a certain
amount of lumber be supplied by
city to repair that portion of the
street in question. The labor to be
performed by Nicholson and others
with no charge to the city.
John Sales now spoke relative to
assessment of his property. Mr.
Holton and Mr. Walwick present
and indirectly interested. Said that
he (Sales) considered the valuation
much too high and wanted the Board
to make a valuation reduction. Said
that last years valuation was $4000.
Valuation of the year before was
$3,000. Did not know where the
increase came from and didn’t think
it fair. Was absent at the time of
the meeting of the equalization
board. A motion made by one of
the Councilmen that reduction be
Continued on page three
The Princeton—Rev. David Wag
goner—, after pulling out for Kake
last Wednesday, and when down
i
near Beacon Point, had the misfor
i
tune to burn out one of the main
, engine bearings. The ship was
t turned back to town and came in
i under slow bell. Repairs are be
ing made which will take several
days.
►
Behind a Smoke Screen
Steer ciear of him, Sweetie. Behind Ills smoke clouds lie grins at
you while he picks your pockets and 'sullies your reputation.
A Letter
Boosting Alaska From The Outside
Petersburg, Alaska
Gentlemen:
How much longer are Alaskans
going to allow such a picture of
Alaska as Col. Wilds Richardson de
picts in the January issue of the At
lantic Monthly to go unchallenged.
The sin of ommission is sometimes
more deadly than the facts.
As early as November, interested
parties were using his propoganda
to present the cause of leasing or
selling a strip of land at Skagway
to the Canadian Government,
There is nothing wrong in the
fact of Canada asking our Govern
ment to sell them a right-of-way at
Skagway; but there i3 something
radically wrong with the interests
that use every possible chance to
get “their stuff" in the Press as a
wholesale depreciation of Alaska.
Why do they do it? There is nc*
immediate danger of the people
draining their 3avings from the
banks and stampeding to Alaska.
There is only one answer. THEY
SEEK TO DIVERT THE ATTEN
TION OF THE AMERICAN PEO
PLE FROM THE ECONOMIC
AT THE SHOW OP PINK LIGHTS
THE MacGREGOR
You will see Dorothy Gish, Leon
Errol and Edna Murphy in "Clothes
Makes The Pirate” on Friday and
Saturday. This is a sensational
comedy feature and decidesly amus
ing. Of course there is the usual
comedy feature and the news reels
On Sunday and Monday “The
Temptress” will be reeled off for you.
The Scandinavian Star, Greta Gar
bo and Antonio Moreno are in this
with a strong cast. This is another
of the Ibanez stories and it makes
a real BIG PICTURE. Don’t miss
it.
For Tuesday, only, the “Thrill
Hunter” will be featured by Wtl
nam names, ivate Mcuuire ana a;
ma Bennett. Haines is certainly
all right in this show. There are
many laughs in it. All of the above
productions are good and a bit be
yond the ordinary.
Word comes from Washington, D.
C., that the announcement of Her
bert Hoover’s candidacy for Presi
dent has started all sorts of spueals
in the big political camps of the
east. Rather quiet so far, in the
West.
Eight people were drowned on the
ferryboat Poralto at Frisco, the 17th,
j WORTH OF ALASKA .
j Thinking people do not place all
the blame on the vendors of propo
'gancla. They also blame the only
1 people who know Alaska—ALAS
j KANS—for their lack of spirit. The
i whole world loves a good fighter;
but have only contempt for any man
or people who allow the country
they call home to be made the vic
tim of pai-d propogandists to that
country’3 undoing, without protest.
For two years I have urged a
united Alaska. An Alaska who wul
stand as a unit to fight the devilish
propaganda that is diverting the
minds of the American people in re
gard to Alaska .
No man loves any country or any
being who is content to let them sin*
into a hopeless, helpless obscurity,
and that is what most Alaskans are
doing to Alaska.
Constructive deeds, not words, is
what Alaska needes.
Yours for an Alaskan Awakening,
M. L. WHITNEY
I
P. O. Box 23, Waverly, Mass.,
' Jan. 28th, 1928.
FEET ON GROUND
! _______
Governor A1 Smith of New York,
recently got an invitation to travel
with Col. Lindbergh, and he agreed
to go—this way: “Sure, I’d go with
Lindbergh anywhere, any time, just
so long as he stays on the ground.”
It is evident that the floor is plenty
high enough for the popular gov
ernor.
The Alaska Steamshp Company s
steamer Yukon pulled out Thursday.
1:15 p. m., Seattle bound with the
following passengers: Mat Mahlum,
Mr. and Mrs. Olaf Hanseth, Sedna
Hanseth, Chris Gronseth, Miss Beu
lah Bergh, E. WTheeler, C. N. Ny
gard, H Mjurod, H Skeek, D. Bren
nan, A. Shaquanie, Joe Kahklen,
Harold Shields, Dave Morgan, Jus
tine Gron3eth, Miss J. Buchannon.
From the Glacier Food Co. docks
there were around 120 boxes of fish
and shrimp loaded on the steamer
Toe U. S. S. Cedar landed at the
Citizen’s Dock Friday at 10 A. M.,
and unloaded a number of steel cyl
inders. Some of these cylinders are
20 feet in diameter. They will be
filled with concrete later and then
placed aa channel markers In the
i Narrows, probably at the north en
, trance. -
RUN DOWN
Dave Kahklen, trolling by hand
in a small skiff in the Narrows last
Wednesday, way run down by one of
those noisy speed freaks and barely
escaped a cold swim. As it was the
boat was half swamped, the occu
pant soaked and the gunwale of the
3kiff so badly sprung that water
poured in as if the whole bottom
had fallen out. There was no at
tempt made by the ramming boat to
give assistance. It pulled clear and
beat it. This isn’t the first bit of
crazy navigating of this kind, and
a report will go to the Steamboat
Inspectors of this accident to see
Whether or not a row boat has
any rights at all. By regulation
hand propelled boats have the right
of way. It is the duty of power craft
to beep out of the road.
Regard To Klawock Oil
THE ALASKAN ia in receipt of a
few more details bearing on the oil
find on West Coast of Prince of
Wales Island. The discovery was
made by Tom Adams and wife (In
dians) near where they have lived
for 40 years. In a little bay called
Narsack Inlet, across from Warm
Chuck Cannery, the oil was found
trickling out from between the rocks,
It is of parafine base, but how much
of it there is, isn't known at this
time. Locations have been made by :
Tom Adams, Fred Thomas, W. J.
Chuck, Jr., and R. J. Peratrovich.
The latter is financing what devel
opment work is being done at the
present time. Locations are about 1
25 miles f om Klawock. Jack J.
Peratrovich sends in the item.
C. O. Parks made a hole in the (
water Thursday off the Citizen’s
dock. He was working with his boat
at the time and a hand-hold that he
depended on gave way and over- 1
board he went. He was some time
in the water before getting out on
the float, even though there were
several men on hand to aid him. Out
side of a chill and a wetting, the ac
cident did him no harm.
The Steamship Aleutian, of the
Alaska Steamship Cov, that sailed
for Hawaii on the 26th of January
under chcarge of the Commercial
Bodies of the United States, ta back
to Seattle and is scheduled to leave
that city n her regular Alaska run
on 25th of February.
On February 18th wintery blasts
and snow killed four people in the
city of Chicago.
Caught on Radio
Miss Beula Berg, one of the teach'
ers of the U. S. B. E. Schcool at
Kake, came in Thursday forenoon
on the Three Bros.,—Fred Friday—
j and made connections with the 9. S
j Yukon sailing south out of town at
j 1 P- m. same day. Over the radio
i at Kake, Wednesday night at ten
j o'clock, Miss Berg got word that her
j mother was seriously ill. The in
,formation had bben broadcasted
j from Seattle. Immediate prepara
tions were made to leave the village
find the Three Bros. arrived in
I plenty of time to catch the Yukon
i Ernest Kirberger came in on the
;Three Bros., also.
A Narrow Escape
Ernest Lien, two year old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Knute Lien, came
mighty close to lo3ing his life a few
days back when he fell overboard
from the warehouse dock near the
Lien residenne. The little fellow
was playing with a brother a bit
older thifn he at the time, and the
first that anyone knew of the acci
dent was when the older boy cam*
home crying. Mrs. Lien didn’t pay
much attention at first but inquired
where the younger boy wa3. At this
time the mother happened to glance
toward the water and noticed the
commotion, but didn’t think, at the
moment that there was a child in
the creek. It soon dawned on her,
however, that the fuss in the water
was caused by her boy, and she rush
ed in after him. She was out nearly
to her arms before she could reach
him, and the lad was unconscious
then. First aid work and the admin
istration of Dr. Standard, who soon
arrived, brought the youngster back,
and little the worse for the first
swim.
Special Fares For
Pioneers
The Alaska Steamship Company
has listed round trip fares from
nearly all Alaska points to Ketchi
kan to accommodate all those who
care to attend the Pioneers’ Reunion
at the first city. To Ketchikan from
Wrangell, $10.40; from Petersburg,
$13.60; from Juneau, $24.80; from
Cordova, $71.20; from Valdez, $73.
60; from La Touche, $73.60; and
from Seward, $79.20. These fares
carry you back to your home port
providing you ride between the dates
of March 16th and 30th, inclusive,
and on ships sailing from above
named ports not after Marchl6th.
No stop-overs enroute. Tickets on
sale from March 8th to 16th, inclul
ive.
George Kerin and wife are visit
ors in Petersburg from Seldovia
and other westward settlements. It
has been close to 30 years back since
Mr. Kerin rambled down this direc
tion and he finds that this region
doesn’t look quite the same. The
couple will be in Petersburg for
some time and Mr. Kerin will look
over the ground and size up the
prospects of the coming spring.
The local Hi School basketball
team left on the S. S. Yukon and
will stop off at Wrangell for a con
test there Friday night.
__' -
The University of Washington
cinched the northern division bas
ketball title Febraury 18th. The U.
defeated Oregon State College 2S
to 26.