VOL. I
PETERSBURG, ALASKA NOVEMBER 26 1926
NO. 20
A report on the recent sale at
public auction in St. Louis of seal
skins taken on the Pribiloff Island
off Alaska shows that the Govern
i\ient netted from these sales $308,
884. The report, made public by
the Bureau of Fisheries, Depart
ment of Commerce, follows in text:
There were sold in St. Louis re
cently at public auction 8,074 fur
suil skins taxer, a- Pribkff Islands.
! 8 . Japane e sealskins, 1 confiscat
ed sealskin, and 4 pieces of confis
cated sealskin. The Japanese seal
skins were the United States Gov
ernment’s share^ of sealskins tak
en by the Japanese government ni
1924 and 1925.
There were also sold at the same
, sale 465 blue-fox skins taken at the
Pribiloff Islands and 3 blue-fox
from animals that died while being
snipped from the islands.
The prices obtaintd for the 8,074
Pribiloff Island seal skins were as
fellows: 6,767 dyed black, $258,
345, an average of$38.18 per skin;
1,250 dyed Boise de Campeche, $49,
326, an average of $39.46 per skin;
54 dyed Chataignt d’Or, $1,170, an
average of $21.67 per skin; three
dressed, $3.0(5. The prices obtain
ed for the 181 Japanese sealskins
were as follows follows: 151 dyed
black, $4,394.50, an average of
$29.10 per skin; 30 raw salted,
Two million red king salmon eggs
were received lecently by th; Ter
ritorial Fish Hatchery at Ketchikan.
TVese are to be utilized in sto?sJn
fishing grounds next fall.
^he eggs w ue purchased t orn
the State of Washington and were
.al<n from the Columbia River.
(The hatchery svstem of Alaska is
not satisfied wit depleting »he red
salmon streams of Alaska by their
propogation” * ’ salmon, th* /
needs help Washington deo »-te > r
supply. The record of this system
n Alaska has been one of t*
Loring and Ye; Ray for man* \*ars
•.'.anted millions *>f salmon epjgs* a"*
the more millions of eggs taken
•from these streams, the less fish re
turned. J. R. Heckman, merabc*
of the Territoria Fish Commission,
i nd sponsor of the hatca.-ry a*
Ketchikan declared before the last
egislative sessii rs that aa would
not invest eleven cents of h.3 o. n
money in the system, yet he asked
fc; and got $80 '«i'00. of tax-payers
u.oney to squar or in hat; »n;r t '
enlmon eggs.
According to recent report Senat
or Dimond is behind Arthur Frame
in the Valrez Difision. The vote
BtandB Dimond 1,658, Frame 1,748.
Ten small precincts had not been re
ported but the outstanding vote ie
insufficient to change the standing
Frame was running on the Suther
land ticket while Dimond had the
support of the independent forces.
From the looks of things it is 8
Frame-up.
<7.50. The confiscated sealskin
dyed black, sold tor $41. and the
four pieces of sealskin brought $1.
The total amount realized from the
sale of the sealskins was $313,288.
Af the preceding public auction
of sealskins, May 24, 1926, the av
erage prices obtained for dyed Pri
bi.off Island seal skins *\.re as fol
lows: Black, $32.76 Bois do Cam
peche, $20.42; Ohataigue d Or,
$15.27.
The 465 blue fox skins taken on
;he Pribioc islands brought $2 1 740
an average of $53.20 per skin,
’lhese skins consisted of 340 taken
in the season 1925-25 and 125 ::i
the season 1925-26. The three fox
skins taken from animas that died
in the course of shipment brought
$1.50. At the preceding public
auction sale of Pribiloff Island blue
sale of Pribiloff ilsand's blue-fox
rkins, Sept mber 24, 1925, an av
erage price of $48.62 per skin was
obtained.
The sale on October 11, 1926, in
cluded all the fox skins that remain
ed of the Pribiloff Islands take of
the season of 1924-25, the others
(3 41 blue pelco tuid 26 white pelts)
having been ^odl on September 24,
1925. There remain n hand 580
blue pelts and 20 white pelts of the
take in the season of 1925-26.
Installations and repairs of navi
gation aids during the past week
were announced by W. C. Dibrell,
superintendent of the lighthouse
j service.
The bulletin issued announced:
Cordova Bay, Wallace Rock buoy
2, established No. 22 in 53 feet of
water on the northerly side of rock.
Port Chester, Lively Rock gas
buoy No. 2t reported extinguished
November 22 will be relighted as
soon as practicable.
Chatham Strait, Yasha Island
buoy No. 2, reported missing NoV.
9 was replaced Nov. 15.
Chatham Strait, Pt. Ellis light
reported extinguished Nov. 9. was
relighted Nov 15.
MRS. WICKE
It has been reported that Mrs
.'ames Wickersham, wife of Judg(
James Wickersham of Juneau, diec
at her home near Tacoma the for*
part of this week. The Judge wai
a southbound passenger recently am
no doubt arrived at the bedside o:
Mrs. Wickersham before her death
The Alaskan extends its sym
pat hies to this sturdy son of th<
Northland.
Sigurd Wallstedt .deputy suprem
dictator of the Loyal order of Moos
received word while at Seward re
cently that his daughter Wilmer wh
had been critically ill in San Fran
c’sco had passed away. She was th
eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Si
gurd Walstedt, was born in Fait
banks thirteen years ago.
I'r. R. N. Rogers of Sitka, formex
ly of Petersburg has been appointe
Health Officer at Sitka in place o
Dr. Anna S. Kearsley, resigned.
COAST AND GEODETIC BUR
. KEY BENEFITS ALASKA
The annual report of Colonel E.
Lester Jones, Director of the United
Scales Coast and Geodetic Survey,
’uact issued, shows remarkable ad
vances made in hydrographic sur
veys in southeast Alaska during the
year, as well as many other accom
plishments in Alaska. The report
again demonstrates! the fact that
Aiaska is not being overlooked in
governmental activities.
Hydrographic surveys were made
during the year in Alaskan waters
as follows:
Chatham Straits, from Cape De
lusion to Port Malmesbury and in
the vicinity of Port Alexander; in
pybus Bay, Frederick Sound; in
Cordova Bay along the shore of
Long Island and through Kaigani
Strait; also into Port Refugio on
Puemez Island.
Jn various parts of the main ship
channels supplementary examina
tions are being made. The outer
eoastt is now completeyl surveyed
from Dixon Entrance to Cross
Sound, the northtrn part of this
work having been accomplished this
year. Surveys were completed on
the Southeast side of the Alaskan
Peninsula, in Chignik and Kujulik
Bays and their approaches, in Iko
tan Bay, and in the arta between
Cdl and Belkofski Bays. Work was
started in Balboa Bay. Echo sound
ing lines were run in making pass
age to and from the fiedl and be
tween points in the field.
An original survey was begun in
May in Shuyak Strait betwetn Afog
nak and Shuyak Islands to chart
this newyq developed region and
permit steamers to enter safety The
preliminary reconnaissance of the
Aleutian Peninsula wascompleted.
During the fiscal year, the report
slates, the survey of the outer coast
of southeastern Alaska will be com
I eted asi far north as Icy Point by
the steamship Surveyor, after which
this vessel will take up the survey
of the coast between Prince William
Sound and Cook Inet. If possible
some of the tributaries of Prince
William Sound will be surveyed.
The steamshrip Explorer will sur
vey Tebenkoff Bay and Keku Strait
together with the intervening sec
tion of the eastern shrore of Cha
tham Strait. Shuyak Strait, in
western Alaska will also be surv°v.
ed.
During the year.neweditions of
Part I and Part II of the Alaska
Coast Pilot, were issued and new
charts were issued of Paviloff Bay
and approaches, Alaska Peninsula;
Cape Omaney to Byron Bay, Ba
ranoff Island; and Morzhovoi Bay
tnd Isanotski Straight.
! The report states that primary
tide stations, for purposes of tide
cbservations with automatic tide
s gages, were maintained at Ketchi
[ kan, Valdez, and Seward during the
year and at Sitka and Anchorage
It is being reported that John E.
Ballaine, organizer of the Alaska
Central Railroad campany and who
founded the town of Seward is fi
nancing a steamship company to op
erate between San Francisco and
Alaska. It is the plan to ship hirch
logs to Frisco to be made up into
birch hardwood lumber.
I
r
jpait of the year. Altogether, there
were 41 tide stations in operation
j tion in Alaska territory during the
year. Primary tide stations will be
maintained at Ketchikan, Seward,
and Valdez during the present year.
An important current and tide
survey was made in sautheast Alas
ka and in Puget Sound, extending
over a period of three months. The
work was carried on from thirty
current stations, covering the im
portant passages between Puget
Puget Sound , Washington, and
Cross Sound, Alaska, where the cur
rent velocity is sufficient to be a
menace to shipping. This survey
forms the basis for a special report
by Colonel Jones, recentyl issued by
the Coasit and Geodetis Survey, on
tide and current investigations.
Turing the year, a seismograph
was kept in operation at the mag
neiis station in Sitka, for the pur
pose of registering and checking up
on earthquake shocks, and an in
vestigation of auroraM in connection
with telegraph and radio disturb
ances was made at this station.
Colonel Jones, in his report
stressed several important needs of
lho Coast and Geodetic Survey at
• his time. Among other things he
siays, “For years there has been m
phasized the needon the Pacific
Coast for seaworthy launches o r
tenders of approximately 60 feet in
length for work in conjunction with
the large ships and to do that work
for which the ship is too large and
too expensive and for which boats
carried on the ships davits are too
small. The need is urgent for three
such tenders.
“The two ships now surveying on
the Coast of Washington and Ore
gon are operating with hired
launches which are pooryl suited to
the work. Then it becomes neces
sary to carry on the work with the
small boats while the ship stands by.
Although the cost of leasing the
launches is greater than to own and
eperae them, the consideration of
unit cost of the work demands that
this expensive practice of leasing
launches until necessary tenders
are provided.”
Another passing need, according
to Colonel Jones, is for an addition
al magnetic survey of Alaska. H
says, “The magnetic survey of Alas
ka is inadequate and additional sta
tions should be occupied. The
pressing need at present is fbr the
occupation of repeat stations along
the main routes of travel. These
have not been occupied for eight
years, a longer period than is con
sidered safe.
“The results of these magnetic
surveys are of great value in vari
ous ways. They are indispensible to
local surveyors who have frequent
ly to re-establish property bound
aries located many years ago by
means of the compass.
Capt. Joe Diamond of the Ketchi
kan Fire Department in a report re
cently made stated that 27 Game
well fire alarm boxes and other
equipment valued approximately at
14.500 will arrive in Ketchikan
about the*tenth of December. When
installed the city will have fortj
boxes throughout the city.
AN 0PE1 LETTER TO
THE JUNEAU EMPIRE
I.
John W. Troy,
; Editor Juneir Empire,
Juneau, Alaska
j Hear Sir:
J Your referen< e to the u rinv in
dustry in Alaska and the danger of
making away ado tional h irring re
duction plants from Alaska has
been called to :_>y attention.
First I call to your atteu'.ivi thV
I am solely responsible for the her
ring petition which now has the en
dorsement of over three thousand
signatures of resident fishermen,
and businessmen. It has been en
dorsed without qualification by the
V.'rangell Chamber of Commerce,
and only with slight modification by
the Ketchikan Chamber.
After an exhaustive study of the
situation in every section where
redaction plants wtre in operation,
the conclusions set forth in the pe
tit'on are absolute facts as indicated
by the signature of fishermen who
are in direct toudh with this indus
try.
I bring to your attention the situ
ation as presented by the whaling
indusry in this division a few years
ago analygous to the herring in
dustry. The work of the whaling
stations at Murder’s Cove, Port Arm
strong and another, were lauded to
the sky for the amount of returns
capital invested was bringing to the
Territor.y The companies had no
tnought of the morrow and cleaned
out every whale in the district so
FLAG FOB ALASKA
The Territorial department of ed
ucation is asking the school chil
dren of Alaska to submit in the
i ear future, an emblem to be ac
cepted as the official flag of the Ter
ritory.
The Alaska department of the
American Legion being in a better
position to sponsor the movement
than any other organization has the
matter in hand. Several posts have
the matter in hand and are work
ing out definite plans which will be
announced later.
Those children and others in
tr-refclted in this matter should be
studying the matter with the view of
submitting their designs to the com
mittee at the proper time and
place. Those working on the plan
are hoping that the Alaska Legis
lature will think enough of the
plan to officially adopt it as the uag
of the Territory.
AMERICAN Cl
RECTS BUREAU
Rear Admiral Albert P .Niblack,
retired, and American member of
the International Hydrographic Bu
reau, has been elected president of
the directing committee of the Bu
reau according to recent announce
ment made by the Department of
avy.
7f memory serves correctly, Ad
miral Niblack saw servicein Alaska
waters in the early nineties. At
that time he was lieutenant on the
Pinta stationed at Sitka.
‘ Skipper” Dick Hanson was pass
ing around the cigars this week.
Vep! Its another girl.
that now not even posts are to
be seen as relies of the good old
whaling days.
The wanton wasjte of this food
fish for fertilizer purposes threatens
the destruction of this resource, and
this observation is the concensus of
opinion of all those familiar
with the situation. The recent re
port from Norway indicates that the
seer* ingy unlimited supply of her
ring was not half as large from the
production standpoint of previous
years. Already the Japanese are
becoming worried about their supply
as depletion there has already been
noted.
1 question the benefit accruing
from capital investing in the Terri
tor’. which while taking riches out
from the Territory gives but little
monetary return. At the same
time a valuable resource is being
destroyed for all time. The history
of the whaling industry in the di
vision is the hisitory of the salmon
ii dustry and as history repeats its
self you will find empty shacks
where once stood fine reduction
plants, destroyed resource and the
Territory holding an empty sack
while the capital you would now fa
vor would be back in the States in
vested in other business.
Respectfully yours,
DAN ALSTON
Petersburg, Alaska
November 26, 1926.
II
15
The new road between Saxman
and Mountain Point Just south of
Ketchikan, unrertaken by tne Siema
and Carlson Construction Company
cf Spokane has been completely
graded according to recent report.
rj his road will be the connecting
link between Ketchikan and the
New England power plant at
Georges Inlet. According to the
report the road is 17 feet in width
from shoulder and extends in some
rlaces to a width of 20 feet. Seven
ty-five men have been employed in
the worw which has been under the
supervision of L. W. Tuft of the
government bureau. The road is
rot to be opened until sometime
next spring when the gravel sur
facing will be completed.
(Ketchikan to Mountain Point is
mighty nice but Petersburg to our
Mountain Point would be better.
That could be the first step to
securing a road to the power plant
at Blind Slough.
“Charges Alone” full-blooded Ar
ikra Indian of North Dakota has
been through executive order, auth
orized by President Coolidge, order
to Mandan, S. Dakoto as postmaster.
‘‘Charges Alone secured his ap
pointment on his war recodr which
equaled that cf Sargeant York of
Tenetesee. Charges Alone lived up
to his name during the world war
by killing or capturing ninety Ger
mans single-handed.