ANCHORAGE WEEKLY TIMES
AND ALASKA LABOR NEWS.
VOL. ± XO. :V2.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, THURSDAY, JULY 11. 1918.
PRICE TEN (’ENTs
j. h. lee has faith in exist
ent k OF WELLS OF COMMER
CIAL VALUE.
COUNTRY IS LITTLE KNOWN
Many Years Ago C ompany Expended
Hundred Thousand Dollars in De
velopment and Sank Two Wells—
Oil Found in Roth—Conservation
Policy Ties Up Field.
J. H. Lee, who claims to have
brought the glaciers to Alaska, is in
Anchorage visiting his brother, Wm.
Lee, of transfer fame. There is no
dispute of Mr. Lee’s assertion, for he
has been in Alaska long enough to
have built several large-sized cold
storage plants. At the present time
Mr. Lee is located on an uncharted,
unnamed island fifty-five miles west
of Chignik, where he is raising blue
foxes in partnership with Frank Low
ell. Mr. Lowell formerly lived in Sew
ard and prior to that came from Low
ell. Mass., the city founded by his an
cestors along about the overloaded
Mayflower time. Mr. Lee came to
Knik in 1898 and bears the honored
distinction of being called “the oldest
citizen” and while his appearance be
lies his truthful age, this statement,
too, stands undisputed. The partners
in the blue fox business have sixty
animals on the island now and have
recently shipped twenty-one prime
furs to New York where they topped
the fur market. According to Mr.
I.re the foxes rustle for their liveli
hood during the summer and feed on
island birds and sea pirates; in the
winter these valuable animals require
much care and attention; fish is the
principal diet durine the winter
months. Foxes certainly are indus
trious animals, for the firm started
three years ago with three pair and
is now figuring on obtaining a larger
island to care for the numerous off
spring. Mr. Lee advhes that they
have no trouble with disease among
the foxes, that seem to thrive and
multiply under the local conditions.
While lie is interested in the pro
mulgation of blue foxes for the mar
ls t, Mr. Lee admits that he is primar
ily an oil magnate. He is among the
first to stake oil claims at Cold bay,
and consistently since 1003 has con
tinued to stake and restake. Like the
Swede at Nome who staked his placer
ground each day, Mr. Lee stakes his
many oil claims with the rising of
each morning’s sun. He is a great be
liever in the oil possibilities of Cold
bay, and indications merit his faith.
Mr. Lee gave a brief resume of the
oil situation at Cold bay and his inter
view is herewith quoted word for
word:
“To show what a deterring effect
the conservation policy has had on
Alaska, there are very few people
here in Anchorage who know anything
about the oil fields in that locality; in
fact a great many more than a major
ity of our own people would have to
search for quite awhile to find Cold
bay on an Alaskan map.
“And yet at one time there was a
substantial development campaign in
augurated at that place, more than
$100,000 was spent in development
work, two complete standard rigs
were installed, one well was sunk to
a depth of 700 feet, which went
through several stratas of oil-bearing
sand, after which was was encoun
tered in such quantities that it became
impossible to drill further. The hole
was abandoned after first being plug
ged.
“At another place, in close proxim
ity to the 700-foot hole, a well was
sunk to the depth of 3,000 feet and in
securing this depth one strata of par
affin was gone through for a distance
of fourteen feet. This paraffin is now
worth $60 per ton.
CUBAN CONGRESS
IBAKES HOLIDAY
HAVANA, Cuba, July 10.—The Cu
: ban congress has passed a bill making
l a holiday of July 21, which is the an
niversary of Cuban independence
I from Spanish rule. It will be general
ly observed in Cuba this yegr, prepa
; rations being under way for the occa
j sion.
MISSING BOAT
OF WEAVER AND
SWEEZY FOUND
SEWARD—The boat used by Bill
Weaver and Ben Sweezy on their fate
ful trip last November, has been
found on the beach near Bear glacier
; by a party of hunters, Tom Jepson, L.
; C. Bates and Jack Mathison, says the
j Gateway.
The boat identified as the one be
longing to the missing old-timers, to
gether with other articles, was found
bottom up on the beach about 300
yards south of Bear glacier last Tues
day by Jepson. Others of the hunting
party took up the search and found
one pair of oars and a gunny sack
containing rubber hose, coiled up, and
one of the missing oarlocks. An alu
minum cup was found in the creek
near the glacier and this has been
identified as belonging to the missing.
The hunters returned here yester
day and brought the boat found on the
beach. The boat shows the results of
being buffeted about by the wind and
waves.
It is possible that a searching party
will be organized, to go to the district
near the glacier and make a thorough
search for the bodies of the missing
men.
Sweezy and Weaver left here last
November for a cruise down the
coast. When they failed to return
two searching parties were sent out
but returned with no information. A
grub box belonging to the men
was found on the beach and returned
here. The finding of this started 1I12
searching parties out.
E. A. M.—Jack Pickford is in the
aviation corps. Mary Pickford is at
6284 Selma Boulevard, Los Angeles,
Cal.
“In the Cold bay oil field there are
known to exist twenty odd oil recp
agcs, some of which have never dried
up. There are several large residue
teds in which nature has stored thou
sands of tons of oil properties, the
same being portions of the oil which
remain after evaporation. Cold Bay
has a splendid winter harbor and is lo
cated about 200 miles from Anchor
age, thus bringing this important oil
field in close proximity for successful
operation.
“Captain A. E. Lathrop is cognizant
of the field and in fact is still interest
ed in the district. But aside from
Capt. Lathrop there are very few oth
ers in Anchorage who realize such a
field exists in close proximity. One of
the world’s greatest needs today is oil
and the by-products. It seems to me
that the Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce should look seriously into this
propositon and if necessary take the
matter up with the proper authorities
in Washington,, to the, end that restric
tions will be removed and the field de
veloped without unnecessary delay.”
Mr. Lee said he had no one in An
chorage interested with him as yet,
but would put the matter before some
of his friends before leaving on the
Alameda. Mr. Lee further said that
James Wickersham could absolutely
count on the entire vote of his island
fox farm and he was only sorry that
th'e blue foxes were not permitted to
vote. He also made the apt remark
that even at that the older generation
of foxes were entitled to the preroga
tive right to vote just as much as
some of the natives, who were handled
like sheep by over-zealous officials.
Mr. Lee is very much enjoying his
visit with his brother, and with his
many old-time friends in Anchorage.
GERMANS TAKEN CAPTIVE NOW
LIBERATED AND FORM A
SHIFTLESS LOT.
WON’T WORK AND WON’T FIGHT.
; Greatly Surprised to Learn That the
j United States Was at War With
i Germany—Always Thought America
! Was An Ally of Hun Country—Get
Food by Hook or Crook.
LONDON, July 10.—The German
war prisoner has become the “hobo”
of Russia—an idle, shiftless wander
er who wants neither to work nor to
tight. Many such prisoners, both Ger
man and Austrians, were encountered
at different points in Russia by the
members of the American Red Cross
mission returning from Rumania.
They were never under guard, were
usually in small groups, and appar
ently had no employment or wish for
employment. They were without arms
and shabbily clad, and always declar
ed emphatically that they had no de
sire to get back into the German
army, nor even any wish to return to
Germany until a genei*al peace was
declared.
If the prisoners showed any dis
position to organize or even to travel
about in marauding bands, they would
furnish a serious problem, but unde’
present conditions, they are merely a
nuisance.
At a small station north of Vol
ogda, there was a group of about fifty
prisoners idling on the station plat
form some asleep in the winter sun,
some playing cards, others whittling
little toys and knick-knacks out of
soft wood. The Associated Press cor
respondent talked with several of
them. They were greatly surprised to
hear that the United States had enter
ed the war a year before, and several
of them expressed still more surprise
at being informed that America was
not the ally of Germany.
They had been sent to this part of
Russia nearly two years before in a
railway construction gang, but had
done no work for several weeks. They
lived in freight cars and got their
food by hook or crook from the vil
lagers.
Some of them declared that they
had not had a square meal for many
days, and they accepted with genuine
gratitude three old loaves of black
bread and a few pieces of chocolate
which the Americans were able to
spare theml. As an afterthought, one
of the Americans brought out to them
the remains of a large round Ameri
can cheese. It had been purchased in
New York city and had accompanied
the mission from Vancouver to Yoko
hama, Moscow and Jassy, serving
throughout the Rumanian campaign.
There were several large camps of
German prisonerss in the far north of
Rusia, but these had mostly broken up
completely since the revolution, ow
ing to difficulties with the food sup
ply. It was said that thousands of
German prisoners in these northern
camps died of scurvy, which was also
prevalent in many of the far-northern
villages and among the refugees.
HORSE FLESH HIGH.
ZURICH, July 10. — Horses for
slaughter weer sold in Vienna market
this week at the unprecedented price
of $375 to $500 each.
LARGE WHEAT
AND CORN CROP
WASHINGTON, D. €., July 10.—
The department of agriculture’s crop
forecast for July estimates that the
corn yield will aggregate 3,160,000,000
bushels and that the wheat crop will
aggregate 891,000,000 bushels.
PRESENTS AN AWFUL OBJECT
LESSON OF WAR-STRIKEN
€ O U N T R Y .
! SHORTAGE OF FOOD SUPPLIES.
| __
Terrible as Was the Plight of the Peo
ple in War Time, They Can Hope
For Little Alleviation With the
Coming of Enforced Peace—Prac
tically No Harvests This Year.
LONDON, July 10.—Rumania is a
desolate and barren country today,—
an awful object lesson of the cost of
war. Two years ago it was one of the
garden countries of the world, teem
ing with agricultural wealth and pros
perialq. More than 750,000 Russian
soldiers lived in it and on it for nearly
a year, and they left very little be
hind them.
Anyone who has known Rumania as
she was when peace was forced upon
her by the central powers, must be
convinced that it will be years before
Germany can draw from her fields
and orchards any valuable tribute.
Nor is the German control of Ru
mania’s petroleum production likely
to be a very profitable investment for
some time. In the so-called “occu
pied territories,” the destruction of
the oil fields was so complete that
Germany after fifteen months of ef
fort, is able to measure her supplies
from this source in quarts.
In the rest of Rumania, it is doubt
ful if production can be much increas
ed beyond that of the past year, and
during the past year petroleum has
been one of the scarcest articles in the
country, obtainable only under per
sonal and special license from the
government.
During the middle of the winter,
The Associated Tress correspondent
made a tour of inspection around per
haps a score of the frontier towns
where the largest proportion of ref
ugee population had been dumped in
the hurried retreat before the Ger
man host. Conditions wj^re serious
beyond description, but the major
part of the suffering was due to
famine rather than exposure.
The shortage of food was such that
in many instances refugees were seen
in the fields eating—or attempting to
eat—grass.
Terrible as was the plight of the
people of these refugee districts in
war time, they can hope for little al
leviation with the coming of a forced
peace. Practically no harvests can be
expected this year in these districts,
for no seed will be available, and
moreover there are no agricultural
implements left, nor any horses or
draft animals of any kind. Thousands
of Rumanian horses died of starva
tion during the winter, for the peas
ants were too exhausted in caring for
their own needs to make any attempt
to provide for their beasts.
In France the horses would have
been put to good use as meat for
human food, but the Rumanian peas
ant has an abhon’ence of horse flesh
as meat.
SICK SOLDIERS DENIED LIQUOR.
MELBOURNE, June 10.—An Aus
tralian parliamentary committee,
after exhaustive investigations, has
recommended a bill prohibiting the
supply by saloon-keepers of intoxicat
ing drink to any returned soldier who
is under medical care.
BELFAST WORKERS
ACHIEVE RECORD
BELFAST, July 10.—The workmen
of Clark & Co. achieved the world’s
record in completing an eight-thou
sand-ton ship fifteen days after it was
launched
Rome, July 10.—Official: The Italian, French and British offen
sive against the Austro-Hungarian forces in Albania is progressing
favorably in new operations that have been undertaken. The allies
have captured the town of Fieri and important heights overlooking the
city. Over 1,500 Austrian prisoners were captured. New progress was
made on the left wing, along the Adriatic coast, where the allied land
troops were aided by British monitors.
AUSTRIANS ADMIT PRESSURE.
Vienna, July 10.—Official: Pressure against the Austro-Hungar
ian forces in Albania is continued by the French forces, aided by Ital
i ian and British troops. The allies are advancing across the Stoyusa
river. The French also gained ground along the upper Devoli river.
Fighting is progressing in the interior country, southwest of Berat.
SAYS WILSON’S IDEAL CONDI
TIONS ACCEPTABLE TO
CENTRAL POWERS. ,
TIME IS RIPE NOW, HE SAYS.
George Berhard, Political Editor of
Berlin Vossiche Zeitung, Thinks
Peace Could Be Arranged on Lines
Laid Down by President, if Meet
ing Could Be Arranged.
--
COPENHAGEN, July 10.—Writing
; in the Berlin Vossiche Zeitung, George
j Berhard, the well known German po~
j litical editor, says “The time is now
! ripe to discuss peace, having regard
! for the ideal conditions as voiced by
j President Wilson, of the United
j States. Unanimity in the matter un
I doubtedly could easily be reached, if
! the method of discussing terms could
be agreed upon.
Berhard says Germany and her al
lies would unndoubtedly accept a rea
i sonable disarmament proposal. He
| insists, among other things, that the
central powers will ask that England
give Ireland home rule.
i SEATTLE, July 10.—The steamer
| Alaska struck a floating log in the Se
| uttle harbor last night and her pro
! peller was sti'ipped off. Her north
j bound sailing has been indefinitely
I postponed. Officials of the company
i say it may take two months to make
• repairs.
SIX KILLED BY
HUN SEAPLANE
LONDON, July 10.—Official: A
British submarine was slightly dam
aged, one officer and five members
of the crew were killed, when a Ger
man seaplane attacked it off the coast
of England July 6.
DARING ATTEMPT TO
ESCAPE ACROSS CHANNEL
LONDON, July 10.—A daring at
tempt to escape from England by
crossing the English channel in an or
dinary rowboat was made the other
day by two escaped German prison
ers. They were caught on a dark night
by a patrol at a point on the coast
nearest Zeebrugge, their objective.
The prisoners who were dressed as
seafaring men, wearing blue-serge
suits and high boots, had traveled
about sixty miles from their camp
near Salisbury plain. One who spoke
English fluently, made no secret of
their intention.
NO DANGER OF SUGAR FAMINE,
ASSERTS FEDERAL FOOD
ADMINISTRATOR.
WE MUST STILL BE SAVING.
While Outlook Is Best Since United
States Lindertook to Feed Allied
Nations, Food Man Says People
Must Continue to Conserve to Lay
in Big Reserve Stocks.
WASHINGTON, July 10.—Herbert
] Hoover, federal food administrator,
declared today that the e was no iong
| er any danger of a sugar gamine and
| that the food situation generally look
! ed better than at any time since the
United States undertook to feed the
allied world.
The food administrator said, how
ever, that it was necessary for the
people to observe closely the sugar
and other conservation measures, be
cause it was necessary for the nation
upon which large responsibilities have
been laid, to hold in reserve a suffi
cient stock so as to be prepared
against a possible short crop next
year. Common prudence suggests
this, he said.
Reports from the agricultural de
partment indicate that the corn and
wheat crops will be large this season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 10.—
Twenty-one persons are reported kill
ed and from forty to fifty injured, as
a result of a collision of passenger
trains on the Nashville, St. Louis and
Chattanooga railway system in the
suburbs of Nashville late last night.
Six passenger coaches and the two en
gines were demolished. It is believed
that most of the dead and injured are
colored people.
SKINNER-EDDY
DRYDOCK BREAKS
SEATTLE, July 10.—The Skinner
Eddy dry dock broke in two yesterday
afternoon. The steamer Admiral Ev
ans was on the forward section.
Though it listed slightly, it appears to
hold firm and is undamaged as a result
of the break.
ELKS IMPROVEMENT.
C. M. Murphy, architect and builder,
is drawing plans for extensive im
provements for the Elks club rooms.
It is the plan to raise the ceiling two
feet and install ventilators; also a
modem heating plant, including toilet
and baths will be installed.