Historial Sketches and Experi
ences of Trail-Blazers Who Made
Alaska the Empire of the North
PIONEERS OF ALASKA
EDITED BY
JOHN W. FRAME
President Anchorage Igloo No. 15
50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF SEWARD’S FOLLY
The exercises at Pioneer hall, on
Alaska clay, in commemoration of the
fiftieth anniversary of the hoisting of
Old Glory at Sitka, were quite largely
attended by the Pioneers, the school
children and other patriotic citizens.
The Anchorage band was out and
rendered several appropriate selec
tions during the exercises, all of which
added much to the enthusiasm of the
occasion.
| The address made by Prof. McAn
I ally, found elsewhere in this paper,
■ was listened to with marked attention
■ by not only the men and women pres
\ ent, but the children also* The teach
* ers of the dilferent departments were
in attendance and assisted their pu
pils in the rendition of one or two ap
propriate songs that pleased the big
j crowd very much.
The firing of a salute by a number
of the U. S. troops was another feat
ure of the program that pleased all
who witnessed it and in appreciation,
of which there was a patriotic ap
plause by the people.
Old Glory was drawn to the top of
the most by Col. A. M. Barnes and
Capt. Joseph Jandos, the former a con
federate, and the latter a union vet
eran of the Civil war, amid the shouts
and applause of the people, the salute
of the U. S. troops and the rendition
of the Star Spangled Banner by the
■* Anchorage band with the school chil
dren all joining in patriotic song.
Mr. H. G. Kaiser, the moving pic
ture photographer, was present and
took a film of the different features of
the program, all of which as historical
souvenirs will be highly prized.
The Pioneers, under whose auspices
the exercises were held, wish through |
this page, to sincerely thank Trof. j
McAnally and his teachers for the in-1
terest they took in the matter. It was I
a splendid display of patriotism. And !
the Anchorage band deserves mention
for the assistance they freely gave to
the patriotic occasion. However, the
feature that most pleased Young Am
erica, was the U. S. troops with their
guns. It put the spirit of defense into
the very soul of every lad who saw
them and heard that salute to Old
Glory.
JUST HOME FROM CHICAGO.
The Juneau Empire, and the An
chorage Democrat are all wrought up
because the pioneers of Alaska are al
most unanimous in asking for the re
appointment of Governor John F. A.
Strong and give as a reason for such
request that he is an old-timer and
knows the wants of the country better
than some one who has not been in
close touch with the people and fam
iliar with their conditions.
This small pully wheel on the An
chorage Democrat machine, driven by
the big drive wheel on the Juneau po
litical engine says:
“This sourdough business has been
overworked to a similar extent as the
native son racket in California. There
are a good many of the sourdoughs of
Alaska who have one, and only one
excuse for existing—the fact that they
happened to come early.”
Brother pioneer, you may not fully
understand this bucolic bawl from Jer
ry Murphy, unless you have been in
formed that he has just returned from
the effete east and wishes to give his
old Alaska friends a hypodermic in
jection of some new kind of yeast. The
old sourdough smells bad to a gentle
man of “kultur.” While in the east
he had a long talk with Mayor Thomp
son of Chicago and consequently,
when he arrived home, or probably on
the way home, he penned an article on
‘Extravagance in Anchorage Munici
pal Government.”
Coming up from Seattle he saw the
court house at Valdez and he decided
that he ought to have that for a pri
vate office in Anchorage, so hs stuck
his hyperdermic into poor old fire-rid
den Valdez. Of course, that town look
ed quite tacky to a man who has been
visiting in Chicago, nevertheless old
Valdez is on the map to stay. It is a
good thing for Juneau that the new
capital building to be erected there
had not been completed when Jerry
passed through, or he would have de
manded that the capital of the Terri
tory should be moved to Anchorage.
Alaska sourdoughs have long been
accustomed to those bucolis bawls, so
they pay little heed thereto. J
THE ANNIVERSARY DANCE.
The big dance at Pioneer Hall on
Thursday evening last, in celebration
of the fiftieth anniversary of Alaska's
nistory, was an exceedingly enjoyable
affair. The music, furnished by Prof.
Ivemp’s orchestra soon set the terpsi
chorean toe in motion, and joy reign
ed unconfined until near the time
when both hands on the clock point
heavenward. Admirable James Gaf
fney was master of ceremonies on the
fioor and in that suave, quiet, unas
suming way of his, saw that there
were no “slackers.”
Attorney General Grigsby was
there with that pleasing democratic
smile of his that “drove dull care
away,” even from the face of the
worshipers of other gods. His smooth
and gliding step is even more rhetoi7
ical than his melodious voice, and the
requests from the ladies for an intro
duction, were fast and furious.
And then again, there was our old
friend, Pete Peterson. Do you know
“Yukon Pete.” If you do not then
you have missed making the acquain
tance of one of Alaska’s distinguished
characters. He is all Alaskan and a
yard wide. For many years, he has
been a resident of Mt. McKinley and
adjoining country for several hun
dred miles ’round. He is one of God’s
noblemen. Pete had just come down
from the mountains with hirsute long,
but neatly combed, whereupon his old
friend, Felix Brown, a member of the
dance committee, conceived the idea
of giving the ball, a Nome aspect,
a la ’01, and invited Pete as his guest
at the dance. The tailors up on Mt.
McKinley evidently do not have the
same “cut of the clothes” that those
of Anchorage do, and consequently
there was more or less ejaculation
when Mr. Peterson steped out on the
floor with Mrs. Felix Brown on his
arm. For a while Pete’s step, and
posture, was more that of a prospect
or ascending a mountain than that
of a disciple of Terpsichore, but
gradually he came down into the val
ley of the music, and his old Min
neapolis heel remained its cunning, and
—say, most every lady in the house
was jealous of Mrs. Brown. Pete’s gal
lant step and rythmic swing made
the movements of dashing young
Grigsby look like the operations of a
concrete-mixer machine on Fourth
avenue. From that time on, the
“Swain of the Y'ukon,” held full
sway. He is known as the Yukon’s
prize waltzer, and Mrs. Brown hap
pened to be about the only one who
knew7 it.
A JITNEY JINGLE.
Dave Petree’s Philosophy.
Dave Petree, he’s a good old soul
—some days he has a fat bank roll;
on other days not quite so much,
when friends have been around to
touch him for a loan of all he’s got.
He diggeth up right on the spot and
shells the kopeks with a will, to Tom
or Dick or John or Bill, and deals
from off his golden stack—sometimes
the Geezers pay it back.
But anyway Dave’s there to lend
a helping hand unto a friend. His
motto and his guide is “Sure,” he
simply never could endure to hear a
hard luck tale when he could any help
or solace be.
He’s dad of all the pioneers, he’s
been up north some thirty years, and
yet don’t think that Dave is old, he's
kept his youth while seeking gold,
and he is husky and as quick as any
youngster on the “crick.” He says,
“I owe my matchless youth to stick
ing to the hard-shelled Truth, and
thus my conscience does not pain and
raise the furrows in my brain, I’m al
so young, in some degree, because my
strongest drink is tea, and, too, I
jnever smoke a bit—excepting when I
feel like it. My rule of health I
hereby give—live simply but don’t
simply live—enjoy the sunshine on
the way; folks age when they forget
to play.”—Fairbanks Citizen.
One of the latest arrivals at the
Sitka Home is Arthur McConahy, of
Anchorage. Mr. McConahy, or “Long
Shorty,” as his pioneer Alaska friends
call him, came to Alaska in 1887 and is
widely known throughout the Cook in
let country. He was born in Iowa
March 16, 1858.
The Anchorage Daily Times is the
biggest paper in Alaska.
DOINGS OF IGLOO NO. 15
There is nothing to it. The meet
ings of the Pioneers at their hall each
Friday evening are growing more en
thusiastic each session. Although
the new hall is well seated for igloo
purposes extra seats had to be
'brought in at the meeting Friday ev
ening to accommodate the members
in attendance. Brother W. B. Wood
worth, a new member, furnished the
Igloo with some excellent music on
the piano that aroused all present to a
high pitch of enthusiasm. Six new
members were elected. Their names
follow:
james McDonald.
He was born in Ireland on the 14th
day of June, 1854. There are few
men beter known on the coast than
“Jimmie the Cook.” He has served
; many a banquet of beans in the many
I different camps of the territory, and
his pleasing disposition as well as his
\ handsome face has made him a great
culinary favorite. He first came to
I Alaska ‘way back in 1888—almost
j thirty years ago, landing at Sitka.
! From there he went to Juneau where
he followed the profession of chef for
: the connoisseurs of Epicurus, for
| many years. In 1915 he came to An
chorage and has been serving the
commission in his line of work. He
rode the Pioneer goat Friday night
and is now enrolled as one of the
“4,000.”
STEPHEN LAFEVE.
Was bom in Marquette, Michigan
along back somewhere in the “eight
ies.” Steve is a cook by profession
and a miner by trade. When not busy
at the one he picks up the industrial
tools of the other and enjoys the
change from the suffocating smoke
of the kitchen, to the invigorating
ozone of the mountains. He came to
Anchorage in 1915 and for some time
has been busy with the cleaver at
tending to the hungry wants of Lieu
tenant Mears’ men.
GARNET W. MARTIN.
Is from the other side of the deep
blue sea. He was born in Liverpool
on the first days of March, 1895. He
came to Juneau when quite a young
ster as he is eligible to join the Pio
neers. Mr. Martin is a young marine
engineer of high efficiency and has
been in the employ of the commission
for some time. He came to Anchor
age this year and contemplates grow
ing up with this young country of the
north. He has the energy and per
severance to overcome the obstacles of
pioneer life and beginning it in his
childhood he takes to it as naturally as
a duck takes to water.
WM. B. WOODWORTH.
Is a camera man who, for many
years has been in the photographic
business in the north. He is here now
taking moving picture films for an
eastern syndicate. Mr. Woodworth
was born in Madison, Ohio, May 14,
1878. He came to Skagway in 1899
and was with the great crowd that
went to the Klondike. He is a musi
cian of some note and has composed a
march which he contemplates having
published when he returns to New
York this winter. It is an Alaska
march, and he has dedicated it to Ig
loo No. 15, Pioneers of Alaska. He
rendered this march on the piano at
the Igloo Friday evening and all musi
cians declare that you will hear of
this production in musical circles out
side. Mr. Woodworth has been in
many of the camps of Alaska in the
I pursuance of his work.
C. W. BOGUE.
While three of the applicants for
membership in the Pioneers on Friday
evening last, were young men not yet
fairly in the prime of business life,
Mr. C. W. Bogue, with Jimmie McDon
ald, is of the elderly class and is on
his way down the other side of the
hill, along with the majority of his
brothers. He was born in Grand Rap
ids, Wisconsin, August 19, 1862. He
has been in most all the camps of
Alaska and has traveled much on the
sea. His vocation is that of a fisher
man, but when ashore he is off with
the crowd if a good “strike” shows up.
He came to Alaska nearly twenty
years ago and finally landed in An
chorage something over p- year since.
His home in the states is at Gold Hill,
Oregon.
JOHN SUTHERLAND.
Was the only member elected who
was not present and consequently his
initiation did not take place. His
travels in Alaska will be given later.
After the initiation there was a
short recess to welcome the new
brothers. After the intermission
Brother Robert Fleming made applica
tion for a life membership in the igloo,
the secretary announcing that the re
quired fee had been placed in his
hands. Amid much enthusiasm and
! great praise -of the character of the
applicant, the application was placed
on file to be considered in regular or
der at the next meeting.
The dance committee reported that
the net receipts of the Anniversary
ball on Thursday evening last, was
about $100. The receipts of the even
ing was considerably over $100. The
secretary reported that there was
something over $400 in the treasury.
It was decided by vote of the Igloo to
use the $100 obtained from the dance
to fix up the small club room for the
1 use of the members as a reading room
and “a place to smoke.” This room
will be furnished with chairs, writing
desk, a phone, and other club furnish
ings.
The books, 500 copies of the consti
tution and by-laws with names of all
the members therein, ordered at the
last meeting, were on the desk of the
secretary and it was decided to make a
charge of 25 cents each for them to
pay for the printing thereof. A large
i number of them were taken, as the
book has a list of the names of all the
! members.
Arrangements were made for at
tending the funeral of Brother P. S.
Hunt at Labor Temple, Sunday, Octo
ber 21. It was determined that the
igloo would attend en masse, and join
the procession to the burial ground.
A committee, comprised of Felix
Brown, Wm. Sherman and Arthur
Thompson, was appointed to receive
the building fund donations. Any
brother wishing to contribute to this
fund can transact the business with
any one of these members.
The report of Brother Dwyer, chair
| man of the flagpole committee, report
ed that the pole now erected in front
of the Pioneer hall was secured and
prepared for erection by Brother A.
M. l^arnes. A vote of thanks was ex
tended to the boys from the commis
sion who erected it for the igloo.
Brother Barnes has placed a concrete
base around it that will make it secure
against all heavy winds. A large light
is to be placed at the top of this mast
every Friday evening at 7 o’clock to
remind the members of the igloo meet
ing.
After a selection on the piano by
! Brother Woodworth, the igloo ad
journed in due form.
Brother Thos. S. Barry, one of the
charter members of the local igloo,
who has been an active worker in the
building-up of the organization in An
chorage, left on the last steamer for
Unalaska where he will engage in the
fish industry. For many years prior
to coming to Anchorage, Mr. Barry
was to the westward in this line of
business and understands it thorough
ly. His pleasing disposition and hap
py temperament make him a very pop
ular member of the igloo and there
was general regret among his brothers
when they learned of his intention to
“leave home.” Their best wishes for
financial success and good health fol
low him.
Couldn’t Stand Defeat.
Dr. Grenfell tells an amusing story
of the introduction of football in Lab
rador, fvhen defeat was considered sc
unendurable a mortification that it
had to be mutually agreed beforehand
that neither side should win. “We
saw,” he says, “the unusual spectacle
of the side that had been scored
against solemnly allowed to walk
across the field and kick a goal to save
them the feeling of being beaten.”
The Anchorage Daily Times is the
largest paper published in Alaska.
THE CHECHACO SCHOOL.
All Hawaii is laughing at the ex
pense of the architects’ bureau at
Washington which provided steam
heat connections for the United
States building, which was recently
dedicated in the town of Hilo, Island
| of Kawaii, 32 miles distant from the
! active volcang lvilauea. Not until the
! building was completed did the Hilo
ites discover that steam heat connec
tions were made from the basement
into the rooms, and they consider this
another example of the lack of know
ledge which Washington officials have
of Uncle Sam’s youngest territory,
particularly concerning climate, for
in Hawaii practically every month
is the month of May or June,
and there is no winter season at all.
r
j Steam heat has never been used in
' the islands. Stoves are a rarity ex
cept for k;tchen service. Years ago a
Washington architect in preparing
plans for a certain public building
in Hawaii gave it hip roofs, be'ng
designed to shed snow.
Uncle Sam has played many of the
same kind of pranks in Alaska. Che
chacoes, both industrial and political,
who have known nothing about the
conditions of the country, or the cos
mopolitan characteristics of the peo
ple, have been sent up here to furn
ish us with hot air, not of the kind
iurnisnea in Hawaii probably, but
nevertheless, they assume an “air”
that is wholly incompatible with the
ozone in the Alaskan atmosphere.
It has taken the Pioneers of Alaska
twenty years to learn what a small
river in Alaska can do when there
comes along a chinook wind. They
understand that December is NOT as
pleasant as May—in Alaska, however
much one may like to work to that
old tune. It would be difficult to
make any chechaco understand the
many different ways that a mosquito
can entertain a person—in Alaska.
Some of them play on the piano, some
on the flute and others on the pic
colo, but every blasted one of them
can sing “You and me, You and me.”
There seems to be a thorough under
standing just how each one is to “do
his bit.” A “slacker” has never yet
been found among them, and only dead
ones claim exemption from service.
For further information concerning
this matter, ask any chechaco who
worked on the government railroad
this reason. But he has been here
only ONE year. Try it fifteen more,
pal, and then you will be eligible to
join the Pioneers of Alaska.
The “hip-roof” and “hot-air” ar
tists of Hawaii are no more “funny”
than the chechaco who comes to Alas
ka and laughs at the old timer when
he says that occasionally some small
river or creek will rise twenty
feet in twenty minutes. Experience
is a deer school but a chechaco re
fuses to learn in any other.
STRATEGY.
Penelope — Lieutenant Huggins
seems to be rather attentive to Miss
Elderleigh of late. Captain Jones—
Yes, and she is evidently skirmishing
round trying to precipitate an engage
ment.—London Stray Stories.
Read The Weekly Times.
FUNERAL PHINNEY
SABIN HUNT
The funeral services of Brother
Phinney Sabin Hunt, who, just a week
previous, expired on the street in
Seward, was held at the Labor tem
ple last Sunday under the auspices of
the Independent Order of Oddfellows,
Rev. Hughes conducted the Episcopal
service, after which the fraternal
order took charge.
The deceased was also a member of
the Pioneers of Alaska and that order
met at their hall and marched in a
body to the temple where the services
were held.
The burial took place in the local
cemetery, D. H. Williams, undertaker,
in charge. A large concourse of peo
ple followed the remains to the grave
and listened attentively to the beau
tiful burial ceremonies of the Odd
fellows, of which fraternal order the
deceased was a high officer.
Among those gathering at Pioneer
hall on Sunday last, for the purpose
of attending the funeral services of
Brother P. S. Hunt, was Thos. Riggs,
of the Alaskan Engineering commis
sion. Mr. Riggs may not have lived
in Alaska long enough to be a mem
ber of the Igloo, but he is a natural
born pioneer. He marched with the
old boys to the Labor Temple and
from there to the cemetery after the
funeral services. President Edes and
Captain Mears wrere also attendants
at the funeral services, but did not
join in the procession. The deceased
was a very highly esteemed employee
of the Commission and many of the
officials were in attendance to take
part in the last sad rites over their
fellow wrorker.
DRUG STORE LICENSE.
Seattle Takes Action to Prevent Sales
of Intoxicating Liquors.
SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 23.—A new
| city ordinnace which becomes effective
the first week in November, providing
for rigid regulation and licensing of
| Seattle drug stores, will supercede an
! ordinance declared invalid by the su
preme court of Washington.
| The ordinance, like the invalid
measure, is designed to suppress the
sale of intoxicants in drag stores. It
provides a yearly license fee, thorough
investigation of each store licensed
and authorized the revocation of the
license in case the proprietor of the es
tablishment is convicted of violation
of a state or federal law governing the
sale of alcoholic liquor.
Peter Norberg, of Nome, was dis
charged from the Sitka Home on the
29th of September. Mr. Norberg has
been in Alaska for 28 years and for
some time resided in Fairbanks.
Joy in Prospect.
“When is a good time to visit the
senate?” inquired the stranger in
Washington.
“What sort of a speech do you want
to hear?”
“No speech at all. I want to hear
’em calling each other names.”—Ex
Job printing at the Times office.
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2:30 to 5 P. M. - - - 7:30 to 10 P. M.