Historial Sketches and Experi
t ences of Trail-Blazers Who Made
Alaska the Empire of the North
PIONEERS OF ALASKA
I
EDITED BY
A. G. THOMPSON,
Member of Anchorage Igloo No. 13
i
GOVERNMENT INSISTS THAT
PERSON WHO WEARS PLAT
INUM HELPS GERMANY.
JS PROPOSED TO STOP ITS USE.
J -
Seventy-five Per Cent of the Platinum
Jewelry in Hands of Dealers Has
Been Commandeered — Becoming
Very Scarce and Expensive.
The newest type of slacker and one
who is doing his country a great
amount of harm is the man or woman j
who buys or even encourages the pur-1
!
chase of platinum jewelry, according j
to the bureau of mines, department j
, of the interior. For the country is j
and for many years will be desperate- j
ly in need of the scarce and precious j
platinum in its industrial work and j
must have it if the war machine is to
go full speed ahead.
Proposed to Stop Use.
A plan proposed by the federal of
ficials would stop the use of platinum
in jewelry, not only for the war but
for all time. Officials of the govern
ment who are in close touch with the
siutation are filled with apprehension
as to the future supply of platinum.
As far as can be learned, it is believ
ed that aside from the large amount
of platinum metals in the form of
manufactured jewelry, a large part
of which is in private ownership,
there is less than 25 per cent of the
normal stock of unmanufactured plat-j
inum in this country available lor the j
needs of the war.
Order to Commandeer.
In an effort to fill the immediate
pressing needs of the government in
its war program, the war industries
board has ordered that 75 per cent!
of the stock of platinum in the hands:
of manufacturing jewelers be com- ]
mandeered and also the complete
stock held by refiners, importers, and
dealers; but this, it is said, will only !
fill a small gap and that temporarily.
It has been hoped by federal offi-!
cials and chemists throughout the
country who understand the serious
ness of the situation that the whims j
of fashion might yield to national i
needs and that purchasers of jewelry;
would demand gold and silver or a
white alloy, and so release platinum
for its highest use, but the results
have been disappointing.
f
Chemical Society Appeal.
The American Chemical society, an
organization composed of the leading
12,000 chemists of the country, which
is also back of this movement, has
issued an appeal to the people not
under any circumstances either dur
ing the war or after the war to use
platinum jewelry, but to conserve this
unique and fast dwindling metal now
priced at five times the cost of gold
for the exclusive use of the chemical
and other necessary industries. The
first purpose will be to obtain a suf
ficient supply of platinum for the
needs of the war and then to retain
the production of the future for the
industries. It is claimed that even
before the war, as a result of this
unreasonable craze for platinum in
jewelry, the highly important work
of the chemists has been curtailed
and research work, especially in the
universities, handicaped by inability!
to meet the constantly rising price;
for platinum.
Largely Due to Vanity.
Van. H. Manning, director of tiie
bureau of mines, said:
“The scarcity of platinum through
out the world and its high price is
apparently due almost solely to the
fact that women of this and other
countries have been recently led to
consider it a choice article for adorn
ment . It is inconceivable to me that
any women would wear a lead color
ed ring or bracelet or adorn herself
with lead-colored jewelry, except that
its artificially produced high price
has beeri made to give it a false value
in her eyes. When our basic war
needs for,plenum are going to be
met only with" the greatest difficulty,
I certainly can not consider the pur
chasing of platinum jewelry patriotic
now and it appears to me to be very
doubtful good taste at any time.”
The marvelous ducility of platinum,
one of the elements that make it so
necessary in industrial work, is bet
ter conceived when it is considered
that out of a single troy ounce of the
metal it is possible to make an al
most infinitely slender wire that
would reach about 1,800 miles.
SUCCUMB TO ARCTIC TENSION.
Few Explorers in High Latitude Suc
cessfully Resist Peculiar Psycho
logical Effects.
In a paper dealing with the Univer
sity of Oxford expedition to Siberia, of
which he was a member, H. U. Hail of
the University of Pennsylvania refer
red to the striking psychological ef
fects of long daylight and long dark
ness in high latitudes, the Scientific
American states.
As to the fonner, apart from the
tendency to shorten sleeping hours in
order to make the greatest possible
use of the long day, there seems to bfc
a kind of stimulation of the nervous
system, urging people to a feverish
and purposeless activity. This is
especially noticed in newcomers, but
the natives are not exempt from it.
On the other hand, the coming of the
long winter night is followed by a kind
of reaction ,though no general depres
sion of vitality is apparent.
With the cessation of work the
period of sociability begins, and the
circumstances favor a lapse of self
control. This is the time when “Arctic
hysteria” is likely to show itself. Such,
for instance, is a form of hysterical
seizure for which the Tungus have a
special name, in which the patient
sings improvisations of his own which
are likely to contain absurd exagger
ations or laughable glorifications of
himself.
STATE REVOKES ITS
PAPERS TO SOCIALISTS
OLYMPIA, Wash.—Josephine C.
Preston, state superintendent of public
instiuction, today issued an order re
voking a certificate to teach held by
J. M. Slater of Everett who has been
employed in Island county school. Sal
ter is found guilty of disloyalty and of
permitting the influence of his trea
sonable beliefs to extend into the' class
room. He is prominent in state ac
tivities of the socialist party and has
served as a city official in Everett. As
one of a committee of two he is held
partly responsible for a resolution
passed by Everett socialists which de
nounced the United States’ part in the
war as a capitalistic proceeding pur
sued for profit and ridicules the na
tion’s ground for acting in behalf of
free government.
Complaint against Salter was made
by Evelyn Spencer, superintendent of
Island County, charging him with a
crime against the laws of the state
and of unprofessional conduct. State
Superintendent Preston heard the case
in June and makes the following find
ings:
That Salter has permitted and ever
encouraged certain of his pupils open
ly to express contempt for the Red
Cross and to scorn its appeal for
funds, has refused to assist in organ
izing a junior Red Cross in the
schools, refused to require the flag sa
lute or peldge of allegiance of all his
pupils, has allowed the influence oJ
certain of his treasonable beliefs to
extend into the class room, and at a
time in this nation’s history when it
was his special duty to impress upon
the minds of his pupils the principle
of patriotism, to instruct them in the
principles of government and to train
them to the true comprehension of the
rights, duties and dignity of American
citizenship, he wholly failed to per
form such duties.
UPS AND DOWNS.
Don’t whine about the ups and downs
Smile like a cheerful fella;
You haven’t any cause for frowns,
Just think of the umbrella.
DOINGS OF IGLOO NO. 15
While the doings of Igloo No. 15
may not be of interest to the Checha
co, or to the non-Alaskan, these hap
penings are of importance to the mem
bers of the Jfeloo, many of whom are
away from home: They are of interest
to the other igloos scattered through
out the territory, and they are some
times of concern to the people and to
the future of Alaska, in as much as
the Pioneer, upon initiation, takes an
oath to work unceasingly for the bet
terment of the political, social and ec
onomical conditions of Alaska. At the
meeting of the igloo last Friday eve
ning the members present were glad
to welcome home the past president of
the Igloo, John W. Frame, who has
been in the Broad Pass country pros
pecting since the first of the year. Mr.
Frame gave a very interesting talk on
this much-talked-o.' mining district, |
its mineral deposits and its prospects ]
for future development. He empha
sized the crying need, and first pre
requisite of this section, as transpor
tation, which will be furnished, in j
large measure, by the government
railroad, when it shall be extended
this far.
The large bodies of comparatively
low-grade ores already discovered can
not be mined until transportation is
provided. Another matter of import
ance is the fact that vast areas of this
country are covered with reindeer
moss—a natural pasture for thousands
of these sturdy animals, which are des
tined to be a very important supply of
meat for Alaskans, as well as the out
side.
~L. N. Lowell was initiated as a mem
ber of the igloo.
A BOOST FOR WILLOW CREEK GOLD CAMP.
A mining man of extended experience in practically all the big
gold mining camps of the West, and who has recently become quite
heavily interested in the Willow creek gold camp, is authority for the
statement that this gold camp is one of great promise; that it is, in fact,
a better prospective gold camp than the famous Cripple creek district
in Colorado was in the formative period of its history, when there was
no more development work done in that camp than there is now in the
Willow creek camp. It is his opinion—and his opinion is well worth
while because of his large experience in mining and because he has
! achieved a decided financial success in the industry—that it will re
j quire approximately the expenditure of two million dollars to ade
! quately develop the Willow creek camp and definitely determine its
| possibilities as a gold producer.
These heartening words coming from one who knows whereof he
] speaks, should stimulate our hopes and ambitions with respect to this
I,gold camp. This big mining man is not merely talking for talk's sake.
; He’s putting his money into the camp, and he certainly would not do
] so unless he felt that he had a legitimate investment and the promise of
a substantial financial reward.
MANY WILL COME TO ALASKA.
Many of our soldier boys now fishing the battle of freedom in the
old world will come to Alaska, after a glorious victory shall have been
j gained over the Huns—and that won't take long now, according to the
| encouraging advices from the fighting front. As the veterans of the
Mexican war, after a restoration of peace, settled in large numbers in
California, Texas, Arizona and other southwestern states, so will the
veterans of the great European war stampede to the last great frontier
| of the United States—Alaska. It is natural that they should do so.
Many of our soldier boys fighting “over there” are away from
their home localities for the first time in their lives. They will be filled
| with a love of adventure; they will be filled with the spirit of conquest,
i Alaska will have no terrors for them now. After strenuous days on the
firing line, they will be capable of “making good” anywhere. They
| will be especially adapted for the pioneer life in a new country. They
1 will be seeking an opportunity to better their financial condition, and
they will hope to find it in the only remaining undeveloped frontier
| country that is a possession of the United States—Alaska.
That this is not an idle dream or a vain vagary may be substanti
1 ated by a letter received by a local citizen from a “Sergeant from New
| York” in expressing thanks for receiving a liberal quantity of real Am
i erican tobacco, the appreciated gift of the aforesaid citizen. That part
! of the missive that deals with the subject under discussion says: “We
j do not know much more about Alaska than we do about France, but
| there is a party of us coming to visit you at the close of the war.” These
boys will come, and they will remain. They will receive a hearty wel
come, for they will make our best citizenship. They will like Alaska,
nnrl thpv will likt* Alaskans.
LABOR LEADER
ISA VOLUNTEER
It is just such Alaskans as Ed.
i Christensen who will make history for
; the northland and the land of theii
j adopted birth. Mr. Christensen was
i disappointed that he was not selected
! in the former draft and took advan
! tage of the recent call for volunteers.
He leaves with the balance of the
contingent for Fort Liscum where he
will be quartered temporarily. Mr,
Christensen is an Alaskan of nine
years standing and for the past three
years has been a prominent citizen of
Anchorage. He is closely affiliated
with the Alaska Labor Union and has
the honor of being this organization’s
president at the present time. Sir.
Christensen has also played his part
in the public life of Anchorage and
numbers of his friends by his ac
quaintances. Those who know this
square jawed, affable young man best
are placing their pokes on him for a
winner. The same as the balance of
the draft Mr. Christensen leaves with
the best wishes of the people of An
chorage.
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WHU AKfj 1HJU nUINfiBKSSf
A much mooted question is that of
a satisfactory definition of an Alas
kan Pioneer. The layman, the uniniti
ated and the chechaco would have no
difficulty in answering the question
with considerable unanimity, and to
their own satisfaction, but with the
Pioneer it is quite a different matter.
The Pioneer is jealous of the classifi
cation, which to him carries with it a
certain honor, a certain feeling of fra
ternity, and a certain distinction,
which he is not willing shall be lost
by a relaxing of the rigid rule by
which he measures a pioneer,—by an
indiscriminate mixing of the imitation
with the genuine article. He is proud
that he has occupied the position of a
leader, a discoverer, a pathfinder, one
vho has blazed the trail for civiliza
tion, one who has given something
I new to the world, one who has be
! stowed a benefit upon humanity. And
herein lies the difficulty.
Alaska is a grand land. There are
still vast areas of the territory that
have not felt the tread of the civilized
human.
Men are still penetrating into the
unknown vastness of Alaska, and
viewing for the first time valleys that
have never echoed to the sound of the
English language, mountains that
have never been scaled, and glaciers
that have never been crossed; they are
still guiding the canoe upon the swift
current of unknown rivers. They are
still penetrating trackless forests,
they are still founding new cities, they
are still discovering new mining dis
tricts from which gold and silver will
flow in an unceasing stream to glad
den the hearts of generations yet un
born. How are we to say these men
are not Pioneers, and still they are not
eligible to membership in that very
original, and somewhat exclusive or- j
ganization, The Pioneers of Alaska.
This organization was founded at
Nome in 1906, and has spread its
membership and its influence-over the
whole territory.
From the placer mining camp of
Council, close to the Arctic circle,
where the summer month is bathed
with the glorious splendor of the Mid
night Sun, to the fishing village of
Ketchikan where summer lasts for
nine months of the year, and the
warm waters of Clarence Strait take
all the rigors out of winter, and seven
teen different Igloos of the Pioneers
are scattered, and some of the four
thousand members of the Pioneers
may be found in every village and
hamlet, in every mining camp, upon
every stampede, and every outpost of
the wilderness.
The requirement for eligibility in
this Alaskan order is that the mem
ber shall have come to Alaska prior to
January 1, 1901, and shall have lived
in or been identified with Alaska since
that time.
It is obviously impractical to make
any rule which shall base a candi
date’s qualification upon his Alaskan
experience. The rule must be an ar
bitrary one ,a fixed rule, and not sub
ject to the caprice of each individual
Igloo. It must include the class of
men who have made Alaska possible,
who have discovered, explored and
developed a pioneer territory, and
when .Alaska shall cease to be a
pioneer territory, the making of the
pioneer shall cease.
Would it not be consistent, and in
harmony with the development of the
Territory to advance the date prior to
which the Pioneer must have come to
Alaska? Make it, says January 1,
1905? This would admit many, who.
as far as Alaska experience is con
cerned, are perfectly qualified to be
Pioneers, but who are nevertheless ex
cluded by the present rule.
RUMANIA WILL GIVE
JEWS FAIR TREATMENT
LONDON, July 26— Bucharest ad
vices state that Rumania is preparing
to grant equal political privileges to
the Jewish population of that country.
NO JOKE.
“About complexions you can't tell,”
Remarked old Mr. Buff;
“But, while a few of them wear well,
The most of them wear off.”
r
REACHES END
FORMER PARTNER OF TEX RICK
ARD IN GOLD CAMP DIES SUD
DENLY AT SEATTLE.
WAS REAL ESTATE DEALER.
Sold Out Saloon and Gambling Busi
ness at Nome for Substantial Com
petence, Forever Quit That Line of
Activity, and Engaged in Legiti
mate Pursuits Outside.
SEATTLE, July 29.—George Mur- a
phy, a former well known Alaskan and
who headed the Alaska democratic
delegation at the St. Louis national
convention, died here very suddenly
yesterday.
Murphy went to Nome from Helena
Montana, in the year 1899, when the
famous beach diggings were struck,
and in company with Tex Rickard
opened the Northern saloon, a notori
ous resort of the northern gold camp.
The two made big money in the busi
ness, and late in 1900 Murphy sold out
his interests, gaining a substantial
competence. He took up his residence
in Seattle, forever quit the saloon and
gambling business, and engaged in
the real estate business. To better
handle his increasing real estate in
terests, Murphy, although past middle
life, studied for the bar and was ad
mitted.
His death will be mourned by hun
dreds of old-time Alaskans, who knew
and thought well of this pioneer.
REPORTED DEATH
of chas. c. snow
SEATTLE, July 31.—C. C. Snow,
formerly a Nome newspaper man, and
a member of the lower house of the
Alaska legislative assembly, is report
ed to have died recently at his father’s
home in Alliance, Nebraska. Snow
was the father of the Alaska prohibi
tion law and was a highly respected,
pioneer resident of the territory.
FREE SURVEY OF
ALASKA HOMESTEADS
The free survey of homesteads
where subdivisional township surveys
have not been extended over the land
embraced within the entries, is author
ized by house resolution No. 8563. The
bill has passed both houses of con
gress, and is now a law.
The act provides that entrymen
may, after due compliance with the
terms of the homestead law in the
matter of residence, cultivation, and
improvements, submit to the register
and receiver of the local land office,
evidence as to such compliance, duly
corroborated by two witnesses, and if
it appears that the homesteader is in
position to make final proof, the sur
j veyor general of the territory will is
sue proper instructions for the survey
of the land so entered, without ex
pense to the entryman, who may,
thereafter, submit final proof as in
similar entries of surveyed lands.
OH, JOY!
“I’d like to live in Germany,”
• Said grouchy Mr. Reach;
“For onions in that land you see,
Right now cost three bucks each.”
POLICE!
“Here’s a funny one,” said the
chief of detectives. “A clerk in a
gents’ furnishing store wants me to
put him on the detective force.”
“What experience has he had in the
dective line,” asked the chief of policy.
“He says he has been collaring and
cuffing men for the past five years,”
replied the chief of detectives.
Job Printing at the Times office.