VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, OCTOBER 25, 1929
NO. 15
Commercial Club
Against Brown Bear
-o
. . TheCommercial Club held its
Wednesday noon luncheon at
the Tate’s Boarding House and
then discussed the killing of Mr.
Thayer by a brown bear. Earl
Ohmer, chairman of the Club
discussed the regulations which
protect these animals, the havoc
wrought by them to the West
ward and the increasing number
of lives lost under the regula
tions. A general discussion fol
lowed. It was the sense of the
Club that a vigorous resolution
be drawn protesting the regula
tions protecting any and all of
the brown bear and that the
government place a bounty on
the animals in order that the
country may be rid of the anim
als. The resolution was order
ed written up and presented to
Governor Parks. Delegate Dan
Sutherland, the Forestry De- j
partment and to other Alaska,
Commercial Clubs with advice,
to the latter that the local Club
stood ready to support any move'
for eradication of the animals j
which are becoming too plentiful
under the protection of the U. S..
Biological Survey. j
Mt. Point Cannery j
Burns to Ground!
o
The Wrangell Narrows Pack
ing Company’s cannery was de
stroyed by fire at Mountain
Mountain Point, Wednesday ev
ening.
John Johannson and Frank
Barnrider stepping out of the
messhouse saw a light in the
boiler room of the plant, imme
diately after which the flames;
burst through the roof of the
building. They jumped in a car
and started for town to give the
alarm while others at the plant
got busy with a hose in an at
tempt to check the flames. The
boys on the car met Henry Ads
ro in his taxi and told him of
the fire whereupon he turned
and made speed for town. The
alarm was sounded about 11:20
and thirteen of the fireboys got
on the truck and started for the
blazing cannery. In a very few
minutes the firefighters arrived
at the scene only to learn 'that
on account of lack of connec
itons they could not hook on to
the water system and the beach
hose was too short as the tide
was out and the fire blocked the
engine from getting out on the
end of the dock where the crew
could reach the water. So the
firemen could only stand and
watch the flames destroy can
nery and boilerroom along with
a considerable portion of the
dock.
The origin of the fire is not
known but it is supposed that a
defect in the wiring in the can
nery was the cause. This pre
sumption being born out by the
fact that the lights gave trouble
several times during the evening
before the fire was discovered.
The entire pack had beer
shipped south aside from a fev
cases held for local consump
tion; the nets also were on th<
end of the wharf in the ware
house which was not destroyed
Approximately $20,000 insur
ance was carried on the burn
ed buildings which will permi
of reconstruction of the plan
next year. Mr. Haugen, manag
Steamer Schedules
Are Changed
The wihter steamer scheduleh
on the California and Alaska
routes are being changed ac
cording to announcements by
officials of the lines.
The steamers Admirals Evans
and Watson, operating on the
Southwestern Alaska routes will
be taken off and transferred to
the California run, sailings to
California beginning as of the
30 of this month.
The Admiral Rogers goes on
the Westward run, one trip every
28 days from Seattle to Seward
and Kodiak. The Queen, pio
neer of them all, remains on the
Southeastern route with a four
teen day schedule. The Rogers
this week started her winter
Westward run.
The Alaska Steamship Com
The Alaska Steamship Com
pany has taken the liner Alas
ka off the run and laid her up
for the winter. The Northwest
ern takes her place and leaves
tomorrow on the Westward run;
the steamers Alameda, Yukon
and Northwestrn are to serve
Southeast and Southwestern
sections—save Petersburg which
will be taken care of by the Ala
meda; occasionally one or the
other of the above named ves
vessels calling in this port un
til December when the Yukon
will be laid up.
Sailings thereafter will be ev
ery ten days for the rest of the
winter by the Alameda and the
Northwestern.
Fatility Starts Inquriy In
Seattle Gun Sale
-x
The death of Bert Renko, 52
year-old victim of boy shooters,
in Seattle, was the cause of in
vestigation into the sale of fire
crms and ammunition.
The coroner’s jury absolved
the four boys all in their teens
of intent to kill Charlie Renko,
The jury recommended that
steps be “taken to find out why
minor children are allowed to
purchase firearms and ammuni
tion within the city limits.”
The four boys were out along
the water-front shooting sea
guls and shot their friend Ren
ko, they all testified. They de
clared they only wanted to scare
him and had no intention of
killing him. None of the pa
rents knew that the boys had
the gun and ammunition.
er and part owner of the plant
was recently quoted as planning
to add another line to the plant.
The fire spoils the plans but it
will permit of construction of a
most modernly equipped plant.
On every hand at the fire and
about town yesterday were
heard regrets that the fire de
stroyed the plant as it had
meant a considerable of a pay
roll to the fisherman. The com
pany operated no traps and pur
chased all their fish from sein
; ers. They spent in the neighbor
hood of $50,000 this summer in
i buying salmon. Had they been
r | equipped to put up a larger pack
the benefit would have been ev
en greater. Remark is heard on
all sides, that this little plant
meant more economically to the
town of Petersburg than the big
- local cannery. And not one per
t son but hopes that the company
t will be operating in the field
- next year.
A. N. B. Grand
Camp Convention
The annual convention of the
Alaska Native Brotherhood is
announced for the week begin
ning November 17th. And it will
be held at Haines at the head of
Lynn Canal.
Delegates from every camp in
Southeast Alaska will be pre
sent and they will take up mat
ters of vital importance to every
In the fisheries problems, the
organization will present to the
Congress at Washington, ob-1
jections to the legalized black
mailing of decent citizenry by
agents of the bureau of fisher
ies and the department of just
holding “hooks” offshore with
ice; the regulations prohibiting
seines will be brought to the at
tention of the lawmakers and at
the same time it will be shown |
that the trap system ispermitted j
to operate in that manner un-;
restricted; the unfair system of
closing and opening areas to the
hurt of every resident fisher
man will be decried and relief
asked for; the unfair and unjust
actions of stream watchmen and
federal wardens will be shown
in an ecort to secure a cleaning
out of a bureaucratic system
that has become so oderiferous
that even cannerymen are ob
jecting to the methods of the
condition of the herring fisher
pinheads under federal pay; the
ies will be reported upon and ef
fort made to secure a proper
regulation of that fishery; the
trolling closed season will also
be brought up and its evils
shown. In fact every phase of
the fisheries problem will be
discussed and plans set forth
to present the whole matter to
Congress in such a way that it
will be given serious thought of
the law makers.
Matters relating to the edu
cation of the Indian races will
be take up. At present time is
before the U. S. District Court a
case, Jones vs Ketchikan School
Board in which the father Paul
Jones, Haida Indian asked an or
der from the court to compel the
school board to accept his child
ren ?in the public schools or to
show cause why they should be
kept out of the school. The mat
ter is now pending decision by
Judge Harding. In event the
court rules adversely to Jones, it
is not improbable that the mat
ter will be taken up by the
Grand Camp in convention to
present the case to the Appel
late court. A report on the fed
eral schools will be given and
progress shown in improvement]
and development. It is reported *
at this time that Jonathan H.
Wagner, Chief of the Alaska Di
vision of the Bureau of Educa
tion will be present and will
speak on a topic of his own
choosing. Effort is being made
to have other prominent men at
the convention in order that the
aims of the organization may be j
made clear and a better under
standing secured.
Other important matters af
fecting the organization will fill
in a considerable portion of the
sessions which will last one,
week.
The convention was scheduled j
to begin on the 3rd but on ac-|
count of the Salvation Army
Congress being held this week;
there would be a conflict of
dates which would prevent a
number of delegates getting to
the convention. Those in the
southern end of the Division are
planning to go to Haines on the
steamer Queen which is due to
leave Seattle on the 13th of No
vember.
i
Big Game Hunter Passes
Through Petersburg'
. .The Stella Maris, Capt. .Thor
Hofstad of Wrangell arrived in
port yesterday evening by way of
Wrangell.. On board was a Mr.
Smith, of Los Angeles, Calif., j
who is out to kill a brown bear
or two.
The party left Seattle about a
month ago, spending consider
able time in British Columbia
where two grizzly cubs were bag
ged. Coming to Ketchikan the
party secured a licensed guide
and then left for the Unuck Riv
er. There Mr. Smith bagged a
large moose. This was put in
cold storage at Wrangell.
The party is now headed for
Admiralty Island where they
hope to secure a couple of the
big brown bear on that island.
Capt. Thor Hofstad is the son
of Capt. Hofstad of Wrangell.
He started his steamboating
days on the old Alaska and then
on one of the Bureau of Fish
eries yachts. Last yean he was
master of the big Deisel yacht
owned by Mr. Eldridge of the
Eldridge-Buick Co., of Seattle,
and brought that ship into Ala
ka waters during the summer.
Mrs. Husvick and two sons
have engaged passage on the
steamer Queen for Seattle. Thej
will be gone for a couple oi
j months.
Anchorage Light Rates
Are Lowered 3 Cents
-x
Beginning the first of the
month, consumers of electrical
energy in the city of Anchorage
are getting lower rates.
The light rates dropped from
15 cents per kilowatt hour to 13
cents for the first hundred and!
from 12 to 10 cents for energy)
consumed in excess of 100 kilo
watts during the month.
The power rate which was 10
cents per k.w.h dropped to 6
cents and a new rate of 3 V2
cents for energy used in electric
heaters and Stoves.
Indications point to greater
use of energy by businessmen in
illumination of stores and win
dows without increasing the
light bill.
CUT OUT LOVE TAPS
-o
“Hip-slapping” should not be
resorted to under any circum
stances,” says a circular from
the Washington headquarters of
the Bureau of Customs, in refer
ring to the practice of some cus
toms officers in searching the
persons of passengers arriving
from foreign countries.
“Not under any circumstanc
es” is a pretty broad term, es
pecially in these days when the
I wire bustles are no longer in
vogue.
Motorship “Norco"
Hits Iceberg.
-o
The gasscrew Norco, North
land Transportation Company
struck an iceberg near Sockol
Island Saturday night when
coming to this port from Ju
neau.
The insurance company ap
pointed Earl Ohmer, Pete Sum
mers and Mr. Hofstad of Scow
Bay to make appraisal and re
port recommendations.
The surveyors recommended
that the boat shall not proceed
until it had been beached and
repairs made to the damaged
part or until a diver had been
sent in to make asurvey.
This recommendation was
supplemented by a similar re
port by Capt. Tony Nickerson of
the steamer Queen and one of
the U. S. Steamboat Inspectors
travelling on board the Queen.
The boat was beached and it
was found a hole had been
punched in the hull about three
feet below the line on the star
board bow, splitting three or
four planks and bow stem. She
was pumping water about fifteen
minutes out of every hour mak
ing the trip south hazardous.
To complicate matters, the
local New England Fish Com
pany had prepared for shipment
the cream of its pack and deliv
ery date specified. All around
the mishap was a mighty in
convenient matter but finally
overcome by temporary repairs.
The ship will go on the grids la
ter for final repairs.
Bureau Pet
Strikes Again
-x
John A. Thayer. U. S. Forester,
was attacked and killed by a
brown bear a couple of miles
from Eliza Harbor on Admiral
ty Island on Wednesday the 16th
of this month. First report of
which did not reach this office
until after publication last Fri
day afternoon.
When the bear was encount
ered Thayer who had the only
gun between the two men, fired
but only wounded the brute.
Fred Herring took to a tree and
got away from the bear and it
turned on Thayer. After the
bear left, Fred came down from
his place of safety and went to
Thayer and found him with his
head and neck torn, his stomach
torn open and the back of his
legs stripped and his arms and
legs pierced by the teeth of the
bear.
Fred Herring and Carl Collen
who was summoned by Herring
took Thayer to their camp at
Eliza Harbor and everything
possible done to save his life but
he died before a doctor could be
summoned. The body was then
removed to Juneau on the for
estry boat Weepoose Saturday
morning.
Thayer was a graduate of the
school of forestry at O. A. C..
Corvallis, Oregon. He hails from
Rainer, Oregon, where his death
is mourned by his mother. He
had been connected with the
forestry service in Alaska since
1923 and was very highly liked
and had many friends who are
shocked at his tragic demise.
A timely editorial was printed
in last week’s issue of this papei
and again comment is provoked
upon another column of this is
sue. It is further added at thb
Shoot and Run
Sportsmen ?
A party of two men and a wo
man were up in Blind Slough
during the week hunting. They
fixed up their camp in an old
native shack and prepared for a
good hunt. Near by was anchor
ed the Edward Schenck, tug of
Wrangell. Late in the evening
a gasboat anchored about two
! hundred yards from the Schenck
and a party of men came ashore
to hunt ducks. The party in the
cabin went to bed and were sud
denly awakened from their sleep
by a rifle shot and the whang
and zupp-zupp of bullet going
through the building. As luck
would have it, the bullet passed
through about bed-high on the
opposite side from where the
party were sleeping. One of the
men in the party got up and
from the door yelled, “What in
h— are you fellows trying to
do?” Without any response the
promiscuous shooters ran down
the beach, got aboard their skiff
and pulled out to their gasboat
and immediately left for parts
unknown. The boat was not
identified so complaint could not
be filed against the criminal
fools who might have killed one
or more of the party in the cab
in.
Local Business Giris
Organize New Club
Came into being a new organi
; nation, Wednesday night at the
'Devil’s Thumb, known as the
Business Girls’ Club.
The officers elected were Miss
Lillian Swanson, president, Mrs.
Meil MacGregor, Vice President,
Miss Dagmer Johannson, secre
tary and Miss Mungy Larson,
Treasurer.
About fifteen met to form the
organization and from all indi
cations will secure a member
;hip of about thirty.
It is not improbable that they
will become affiliated with the
national womens’ organization
>f like nature.
A second meeting will be held
next Tuesday evening at the
Devil’s Thumb to complete the
organization.
The purpose of the club is not
specifically stated but it will be
both fraternal and civic in scope
and they will, without a doubt,
work in conjunction with the
Commercial Club.
COLD STORAGE BE READY
Gilbert M. Chambers, accord •
ing to the Gateway, left Kodi
ak for Seattle to purchase a 50
ton cold storage plant to be es
tablished at Seldovia. Necessary
equipment for a fine modern
plant will be purchased and
shipment will be rushed to in
sure operation by spring.
time, that it is the hope that the
whole gang of Eastern brown
bear conservationists, if the laws
are not changed, be brought to
Alaska and given a taste of the
anger of these brutes. That
their mothers and sisters and
other loved ones may realize
and appreciate what not a few
Alaskans, including this fine
young man, have had to suffer
in order that the selfish pleasure
. of useless, idle rich men might
have their sport in killing an
i occasional bear.