THE ANCHORAGE WEEKLY TIMES
ANCHORAGE PUBLISHING CO., PUBLISHERS.
CHAS. E. HERRON.
President
SUI’SCR 1PTIONS BATES
Single Copies .. .10 Six Months .$1.50
'U'.ree [Months .1.0** One Year .2.50
Application for entry as second-class matter at
the post office at Anchorage, Alaska, pending.
Address All OxgiRUinications to Anchorage Weekly
, Times
Make al! Checks and Money Orders payable to Anchorage Publishing Co.
ANCHORAGE. ALASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1918.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACT QUICKLY.
The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, in a set of resolutions
which it has passed, presents some Aery cogent reasons why the govern
ment should extend a helping hand to aid the mining industry in tin*
United States end its possessions. Recent investigations have revealed
that tin* gold dollar has decreased GO per cent in purchasing power
within the past live years, hence, it may be said that the gold miners
are now losing, ,-is compared to former times, thirty cents on each dol
lar’s worth of gold that they extract. The value of gold is maintained
because of its value as money. If it were not so employed, it would
be used ehietly in the arts. While, in a way, the value of gold is fixed,
yet it is at the whim or caprice of its purchasing power, which may in
crease. or decrease, as the ease may be. The purchasing power of the
dollar is now on tin* doc,line, and the cost of mining is on the increase.
That’s the situation that confronts us.
We believe that the government would be well within its province
to lend assistance to the gold mining industry. Other minerals and
metals may he profitably mined in these war times for the reason that
the respective prices have largly increased, while, as we have said be
fore, gold has decreased. Take copper, for instance. It is now 2t>
cents the pound. Tin* demand for it increases its price, so that copper
mines are working full blast under the same conditions that cause gold
to decline in value. Platinum, another precious mineral, used to be
about the same price as gold. Now it has jumped to over a hundred
dollars the mim e - all due to the great demand for it. It is some thing
of a new situation, hut a little sin ah of the matter will reveal the jus
tice of the present agitation for government aid.
The local chamber takes the view that the government should give
a bonus to encourage the development of new prospects and to induce
prospectors to make further discoveries of gold. Without some such
iinancial aid or s me adequate assistance, it can readily be seen, in the
abnormal conditions that arc prevailing, that the mining industry is
certain to suffer. It will suffer for the reason that it will not be profit
able. and no me these days can afford to work at an unprofitable thing.
We have in mind a mining ope rator who had planned to install a
small mill on his mine in this vicinity this season, in the hope of being
able to take on1 some gold. He found it impracticable to proceed with
the installation .f the mill, because* the cost was prohibitive. He* wished
to mine, but he* coulel not afford the increased costs incident to prepar
ing te> mine*, f hey wore higher than ins limiteul pocket. hook would por
init. As a result, he* closed down and intends to “lie low” until the wai
ls over e»r the government extends se>me aid. This man is acting in
entire good faith, but conditions over which he had no control cemipelled
him to dose down.
ax rxroxsnors admission.
The Times took occasion to say recently that George B. Grigsby, the
attorney-general of Alaska. always happened to be around when there
v.as anything: of a politeal nature going on; that he made an “.official"
visit to Washington when the gubernatorial appointment was under
consideration, and had hardly gotten his seat warm in his office at
Juneau before he “'hot-footed” it for Nome, also on “official” business.
Whereat, the Juneau Empire, the “camorra” paper down in the south
eastern Alaska lashed itself into a rage and employed about all the
qualifying adjectives in fihe dictionary to vent its spleen against this
fearless publication.
Just to show that we knew what wo were talking about when we
accused the wily George of going about the territory, at the territory's
expense, and playing politics, all we have to do is to refer to a recent
issue of the Valdez Miner, another democratic organ and ring mouth
piece. which in a moment of forgetfulness, publishes the' following:
“George Grigsby, territorial attorney general, who recently visited
Nome in an endeavor to form a coalition with the Wickersham demo
crats and the Sulzer democrats, found it hard to bring peace to the war
ling factions. Coincident with Mr. Grigsby’s arrival a number of pol
iticians who were feeding at the public crib while rendering aid and
comfort to the enemy were requested to resign, and one of these de
posed officials meeting the attorney general on the streets of Nome
said: ‘Well George, I suppose you are sorry I lost my job.’ Grigsby,
who is noted for almost brutal frankness, replied: ‘Tom, I'll tell you
how sorry T am by relating a story told by Judge Jennings. A man
had been condemned to be hung. The sheriff did not wish to h'ang the
man himself and advertised that he would pay handsomely for the ac
complishment of the grewsorte task. He was approached by a man
who said. “I understand that you are willing to pay $50 for.the job of
springing the trap on Bill. I am a friend of Bill's and 1 will do the job
for $25.'’ ’ “That,’ said Mr. Grigsby to the politician without a job,
‘is just how sorry I feel for you.’ ”
THE PRESS OF ALASKA.
As we scan the editorial pages of the public press of Alaska, that
come in the form of exchanges to our table, we believe we are within
the truth to say that a majority of the newspapers of the territory will
support the candidacy of Judge Wickersham as against Charles A. Sul
zer. Juneau, the capital, has two daily publications—the Dispatch and
the Empire. The Dispatch, the more prosperous and independent of
the two, has always been a strong supporter of Wickersham, while the
Empire is well known as a ring organ and will advocate the election of
Sulzer. The Ketchikan Progressive,-Miner may be a passive supporter
of Sulzer—surely not an enthusiastic one. Publicity Agent White is
moving his newspaper plant down to Ketchikan from Douglas. Of
course, he’ll support Sulzer—he’s got to, or lose his job perhaps.
We are not advised as to the political attitude of the Wrangell or
the Petersburg papers, but if the editor of either is holding a political
job, it would be quite safe to place him in the Sulzer column. The Skag
way Alaskan has always been a consistent follower and supporter; of
Wickersham,
Coming to the Second division, there are but two newspapers—both
! published at Nome. The Nome Nugget is a strong supporter of Wiek
ershain and while the Nome Industrial Worker may not support him, it
certainly will not lend aid to the ring crowd.
In the Third division, the Cordova Herald, as a republican news
paper, w ill strongly support the deb gate-elect. Just what the Cordova
Times will do has not been revealed by its editorial columns. The Val
dez Miner is a ring publication and the Reward Cateway appears to be
passive. The Anchorage Times is a loyal republican paper and is sup
porting Wiekersham, whih1 the Weekly Democrat, whose editor is the
assistant district attorney here, will, of course, support Mr. Sulzer.
In the Fourth division, there are two newspapers at Fairbanks—
the News-Miner and the Citizen. The former is a strong Wiekersham
paper, while the latter appears to ftivor Mr. Sulzer. We don’t know
the political affiliation of the Ruby Record or the Iditarod Pioneer, or
the Ncnana News.
THE RETURN OF WICKERSIIAM.
(Nome Nugget)
Advocates of clean politics, regardless of their political affiliations,
will find considerable satisfaction in the Washington announcement that
the house election committee by unanimous vote has decided the Alaska
delegate contest in favor of Mr. Wiekersham. Especially to those of the
people of Alaska who deplore the presence and methods of the gang of
self-seeking politicians generally designated as the democratic ma
chine ring, and who frown upon their obvious attempts to create an or
ganization whereby they may dominate the political affairs of the ter
ritory, the decision of the committee is a matter for deep congratula
tion.
Excepting the adherents of the machine ring, it is to be doubted
if there is a true-blue Alaskan, either democrat or republican, who does
net share the opinion that Judge Wiekersham was wrongfully deprived
o’f the office of delegate to congress by methods which can hardly escape
the imputation of political chicanery and unfairness. Indeed, there are
many, including not a few staunch democrats, who go so far as to
openly declare the conviction that the decision awarding the delegate
election to Sulzer was nothing less than an open resort to political buc
caneering amounting to little less than downright robbery. The re
fusal of Sulzer, the machine candidate, to abide by the decision of the
! people as expressed in a preponderance of votes for his opponent, is
alone sufficient to warrant the inference that there was something de
1 eidedly shady in connection with the last delegate election.
Giving Mr. Sulzer all possible benefit of the doubt that he was per
haps animated only by the most honorable motives and views in contest
ing the election, there still remains the right-about-face “opinions” of
the territorial attorney-general, who is openly acknowledged to be one
of the leaders and overlords of the democratic machine, and the arbi
trary decision of Judge Jennings, the reputed dictator and high priest
of the machine cult, to lend credence to the oft-expressed view that
the machine gang took deliberate advantage of tin* closeness of the vote
and certain trifling irregularities in the election returns to wrongfully
deprive Mr. Wiekersham of his just dues.
Certain it is that no one with a proper sense of justice and fair
play can look over the records of the proceedings of the canvassing
board and the events immediately associated with the investigation ot
the election returns without conceiving the view that Mr. Wiekersham
was either the unfortunate victim of a most remarkably freakish and
deplorable set of circumstances, or else was the designed victim of a
eut-and-dried plan to loh him of his victory.
Regardless of 'which might have been the case, the action of the
house committee in deposing Mr. Sulzer and in favor of one of an op
posing party, the house committee decision may be considered not only
j as a victory for clean politics, but also a complete repudiation of the
| methods whereby Mr. Sulzer attained the position he has occupied for
It he greater part of two years. Also it may be considered a sorry slap
at the legal views'held by some members of our federal judiciary.
Aside from other features, the ousting of its chief standard bearer
is a blow at the machine that will doubtless make itself felt, if not in the
! present., at least at the fall elections, as it bares to the gaze of even the
| unsophisticated that there was something decidedly wrong with the
methods by which Mr. Sulzer was seated in the face of the e-; pressed de
| sire of the people for another candidate.
WAR SITUATION VERY FAVORABLE INDEED.
While it may not be advisable to exult before a final victory has
I been won over the Huns, yet at the same time, we cannot refrain from
j expressing the view that the situation on the war front never appeared
! as auspicious as it does now, from the standpoint of the entente allies
and the United States. Beginning an imposing offensive on the Marne
front less than a month ago, in an effort to make a drive on Paris, the
German armies, composing nearly a million men, find themselves ig
eminiously fleeing before the triumphant allied and American armies.
At every point on the Marne-Aisne battle line, so the dispatches tell
us, the Huns have been forced to retire before the vicious assaults of
the Frenchmen, the Yankees and the Britishers.
And while the allied armies are being strengthened by large forces
from America, the German man-power is on the decline. The central
powers .have about reached the end of their tether. They have no more
man-power from which to draw. They are on the down-grade, and the
end is Rut a question of time.
While the situation on the war front looks exceedingly favorable
for our side, yet there should be no diminishing in the splendid efforts
that are now being put forth by the people in the United States in orderj
to lend every possible assistance. The stronger we become, the sooner
the war will end—and end right. We must help the government in the
food conservation; we must buy Liberty bonds; we must subscribe to
aid the Red Cross and other worthy war organizations, and we must,
cheerfully and willingly, make the sacrifices which such a horrible
world carnage naturally imposes. To spur us on, we must remember
that one of the great things for which we are now fighting is to pro
duce a world situation that will hereafter prohibit another such a war.
A Valdez correspondent informs us that a new Moses has appeared
to lead the Cook inlet democrats out of the wilderness, and that the
‘‘Faithful Three” will be relegated to the discard in the coming cam
paign. The new dominant force in the local democracy, so the corre
spondent tells us, is Deputy United States Marshal Kavanaugh. This
gentleman modestly denies that he is a politician, but despite his self
abnegation in the matter, he will be called on the handle the campaign
of the Sulzerites, and the lesser lights will take orders from him on this
side of the creek. On the other side of the stream, Jim Robinson, who
likewise modestly asserts that he has no political aspirations, will be the
democratic whip, if we may believe the political “dope” handed us by
the same source of information.
STAY WITH ALASKA;
mm THE NOTICE
PUBLICITY, BUREAU URGES MEN
TO STAY AND GROW UP
WITH THE COUNTRY.
In the endeavor to stop the exodus
of people from all parts of Alaska to
the outside the Alaska Bureau of Pub
licity has issued the following poster
which has been placed in conspicuous
places:
“Count the Cost. You are in Alaska
now and Alaska is in your system. If
you go outside this fall you will be
back next year. The lure of the north
will bring you back and it is an even
bet that you will come back broke.
Stay with Alaska the coming winter
and by spring you wil lhave money in
every pocket. Get a winter’s job and
keep your eyes open for something
better. You may make it go outside:
Here you have an immortal cinch. Tir,
a country of possibilities and of oppor
tunities. Stay with Alaska. We have
calls for men every day; tell us how
we can assist you.” Write the Alaska
Bureau at Juneau, or call on the local
Chamber of Commerce for assistance.
SAYS SHUSHANNA
NOT A DEAD CAMP
BY ANY MEANS
(Cordova Herald)
“Notwithstanding the unfavorable
reports that apparently have emanat- j
ed from the Shushanna district, to me j
the camp looks better than it ever j
looked before, and I have been in that j
country since the strike in 1913,” de- j
dared Austin E. Trim, miner, pros- ]
pector and packer, who recently ar
j rived from the Shushanna.
“Men have been hard to get, but
: despite this fact, a great many of the
, claims will be worked this summer.
: Many outfits have gone in and seveial,
I had started work before I left.
inciduii iiu.il juot i3t.ti2i.cvt u|jcj
! ations on his property when I left.
! Dud McKinney has taken an outfit in
and now has his ground on Bonanza
j cleared to bediock.
“John Green on No. 3 has struck
good pay and will work his property
this year, and Andy Taylor will work
more virgin ground this summer.”
Mr. Trim will leave for Juneau on
the next southbound boat. He will en
deavor to secure a place in the new
engineering regiment in which Alaska
is allowed forty officers.
VOLUNTEERS FROM
ALASKA FOR THE ARMY
JUNEAU, August 6.—“More men
have volunteered from this district
than have been drafted here,” said W.
A. Clark, chairman of the local ex
emption board today. I do not know
whether it is the Alaska atmosphere 1
or not, but the result is very gratify
ing.
“Now a number of men in classes!
three and four seem to be unable to j
wait until they will be called and;
have signified their intention of enlist- j
ing.
“Most of the work of the local!
board is now routine,” Mr. Clark con- j
tinned. “Owing to the assistance ren- j
dered the board during the day by M.
S. Whittier, we expect to dispense
with the night meeting of the board.”
COL. DAVIDSON GIVEN
TOKENS OF ESTEEM
The society section of the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer of July 17 contains
the following item regarding the re
cent departure from Camp Lewis of
Col. Peter W. Davidson and Mrs. Da
vidson:
“Col. Peter W. Davidson, of Camp
REPORT OF ELECTIONS COMMIT
TEE NOT TO BE MADE UN
TIL THAT DATE.
WICKERSHAM IS IN ALASKA.
Left Washington July 17, to Begin
Campaign for Re-Election As Dele
gate to Congress—Possibilities of
Alaska Herring Fisheries Compare
With Norway.
WASHINGTON, D. C., July 17.—
(Special Correspondence) — Delegate
Wickersham left last night for Alaska
to open his campaign for a return to
congress. He did not carry with him,
as it was expected he would, the re
port of the committee on elections
which has unanimously decided that
he is entitled to the seat in congress,
occupied for nearly two years by his
contestant. With the house substan
tially in recess until the 19th of Aug
ust, it is likely the contestant, in spite
of the unanimous report of the com
mittee, will manage to draw a month’s
additional salary at least before the
financial mill shuts down on his
greed.
LADYSMITH SMELTER
BUYS ALASKA MINE
(Vancouver Province)
With the purchase of the Girtwood
mine on Latouche island, southeastern
Alaska, the Ladysmith smelter is as
sured of a supply of ore which will be
a guarantee of continuous operation.
The smelter was reopened a few , £
months ago, but after running a short
time was closed down for lack of a
suihcient amount ot ore, the ship
ments which were received not being
sufficient to keep the smelter in con
tinuous operation.
The Girtwood property is an old
producer and has been shipping to the
smelter at Tacoma. These shipments
have been avei'aging 1,000 tons a
month. The values are principally in
copper, gold and silver. The property
joins the Beatson, which is owned by
the Guggenheim interests. By reason
of being near tidewater the transpor
tation problem is simple and decreases
the expense of operation and ship
ment. The Girtwood lead is about for
ty feet wide, of which fourteen feet is
good ore.
Lewis, and Mrs. Davidson, to the re
gret of their many friends in the
norhtwest, left yesterday following
orders which sent Col. Davidson to
another part of the country. Satur
day evening during the dance given at
Army and Navy Officers’ club depot
brigade who have been serving under
Col. Davidson presented him with a
large case of flat silver of unusual de
sign, a ring, a silver cigarette roller,
and other tokens of their esteem.”
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION.
Department of the Interior, U. S.
Land Office at Juneau, Alaska, July
12, 1918.
Notice is hereby given that Sophus
Anderson, of Wasilla, Alaska, who on
May 22,1914, made homestead applica
tion No. 02450, for SE& NW% EVa
SW% Lots 2, 3, 4, Sec. 18 and NE%
NW14 Lot 1, Section 19, Township 17
N., Range 1 E., Seward Meridian, has
filed notice of intention to make final
three year Proof, to establish claim to
the land above described, before H. W.
Wilmoth, notary public, at his office
at Wasilla, Alaska, on Sept. 16. 1918.
Claimant names as witnesses: Fred
Fdlund, August Swanson, both of Wa
silla, Alaska; I’eie Murray, of Mata
nuska, Alaska; Gee. Grennan, of Va
sil la, Alaska.
C. B. WALKER, Register.
i
SUBSCRIBE FOR
The Anchorage Weekly Times
$1.00 Pays Subscription for Three Months
$1.50 for Six Months and $2.50 for 1 Year
A live Weekly Newspaper giving all the news of the week
and the local news for Anchorage for each day of the week, with
a page devoted to the Pioneers of Alaska.
Just the paper you want—
If you can not get the daily regularly
If you are going outside and want to keep in touch.
If you want to advertise Anchorage among your friends
outside.
Subscribe now.