Cook Iknlet III-merk
DAILY EDITION
VOL. 1
Anchorage, Alaska, Saturday, 'May 20, 1916
NO. 171
WASHINGTON, May 19.—(Delayed in Transmission)—
Late this afternoon the appropriation for $6,247,000 for the
construction of the government railroad in Alaska was carried
in the sundry civil bill of $127,000,000 reported to the House.
This practically insures the passage of the entire appropria
tion, and as a result there is great rejoicing among the Alas
kans at the national capital, as it means that the work of the
Alaskan Engineering Commission can now proceed.
SEATTLE, May 20.—Renewed interest in the construction
of the railroad from Anchorage has broken out here, nine
word was receied from Washington to the effect that the en
tire amount asked for by Secretary Lane and Chairman Edes,
$6,247,000, has been favorably acted upon by the appropria
tions committee of the House. There is now“*a general feeling’
that the Engineering Commission will be able to immediately
go ahead with its plans of active and extensive construction of
the government road. This cheering news has given Alaska
another boom, and a big exodus of people to Anchorage isl
looked for on all steamers leaving here for the north for the
next couple of months.
VIM EARTHQUAKES, AT iNMVALS
FOB TO DAYS. KOI) IN ITALY
AND CAUSE REIGN OF TEH
ROME, May 20.—Earthquakes of unusual violence, occur
ring at intervals on Tuesday and Wednesday, visited the Ve
netian provinces, central Italy and the Adriatic coast between
Rimini and Cescna. The repeated convulsions caused a reign
of terror in the afflicted districts, the people fleeing from their
places of business and homes, wildly distracted. The damage
to property is quite heavy, due to resultant iires. The director
of the government observatory at Florence predicts a repeti
tion of the earth convulsions within the next few days, and
warns the people to prepare for a second visitation.
POPE BENEDICT TO
LONDON, May 20.—Lord Grey,
foreign secretary in the British cab
inet, announced in the house of com
mons yesterday that he had been in
formed by Sir Henry Howard, Brit
ish minister to the Vatican, that
dsh minister to the Vatican, that rep
German government by the Vatican,
with a view to inducing the German
government to abandon its sub
marine warfare.
AUSTRIAN PRISONERS FAIL
IN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
OTTAWA. May 20.—Austrian
prisoners confined in the internment
camp at Ottawa made a concerted
break for liberty yesterday. The
guards opened- fire, killed four,
wounded fifteen and returned the re
mainder to the camp.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE
KILLED BY MEXICANS
EL PASO, May 20—Several United !
States soldiers, who crossed the iif- j
ternational boundary line at a point
east of Juarez yesterday, were shot
and killed by Mexican customs
guards.
BIG SEIZURE OF BOOSE.
MONTGOMERY, May 0.—Three
hundred thousand dollars’ worth ot'
whiskey, gin and beer has been
seized by representatives ot the at
torney-general’s ofllce, following a
raid on (liirty saloons in the city of
Gerard.
The steamer Alaska brought half
a dozen “knights of the road” to
Anchorage. They are F. S. West,
manager of tne Goodyear Rubber
Company, Portland; G. A. Sehon
acker, of the Schonacker Rrokerage
Company, Juneau; Dan McKellar,
who made the Lovera cigar famous;
Li. B. Adsit, of the Adsit & Dalzelle
Brokerage Company, Juneau; Fred
Cox, of the Western Dry Goods Com
pany, Seattle, and Oak Olsen, repre
senting Schwabacher Bros., Seattle.
BIG 1UTII4>ING COM,APSES
AND TWENTY DOSE LIVES
AKRON, O., May 20.—The Bea
con Journal building in Akron, oc
cupied as a restaurant by the Serris
brothers, collapsed last evening,
while many patrons were dining.
Twenty persons were killed outright
by the falling timbers, and a dozen
others received injuries.
TALKING PEACE
LONDON, May 20.—A dispatch
from Paris today says that George
Clenceaus, of the newspaper
L'homme Enchaine, Rtates that Ar
mand Nisard, who was the last
French ambassador to the Vatican,
before the concordat ended, has had
two interviews with Pope Benedict,
and that these interviews were upon
the subject of peace. Monsieur Ni
sard, who is a diplomat of the first
rank, is said to speak with the au
thority of France.
NEW YORK IRISHMAN
CONVICTED OF TREASON
LONDON, May 20.—Jeremiah
Lynch, of New York city, who has
been in Ireland in connection with
the Sinn Fein revolt, was convicted
of high treason by a court martial
yesterday. The evidence . showed
that Lynch was among the most act
ive participants in the revolution.
DENIES VISIT TO KING.
NEW YORK, May 20.—Samuel
Hill, the railway magnate, who has
H.st returned from a trip to Europe,
denies the published report that he
was visiting King Albert. He says
he went to Europe to secure certain
information and was successful. Mr.
Hill, while abroad, saw the great
British fleet, which he declares was
an imposing spectacle.
GERMANY EXPRESSES REGRET.
BERNE, May 20.—In an oliicial
note to the Swiss government today,
Germany expresses regret at the loss'
of two Swiss citizens, who were
drowned by the torpedoing of the
British steamer Sussex. Germany
proffers indemnity to the relatives
of the lost ones.
ACCEPTS INVITATION.
WASHINGTON, May 20.—Presi
dent Wilson this morning accepted
an invitation to deliver an address
before the League to Enforce Peace
one day next week.
ASQUITH OFF1 FOR CORK.
DUBLIN, May 20.—Premier As
quith departed this morning, en
route to Cork, where he will hold
conferences with nationalist leaders
in the south of Ireland.
DRYK WIN AT CHITINA.
CHITINA, May 20.—By a vote of
thirty-nine to thirty-nine, Chitina
| went dry in the election last Thurs
day. Five residents declined to vote.
❖ ❖
❖ OFFICIAL REPORTS TO BE PUBLISHED <*•
❖ ABOUT JULY 1 WILL THROW INFORMING <$•
❖ LIGHT ON ALASKA RAILWAY PROJECT ^
^ ^
❖ WASHINGTON, May i>0.—About July 1 an inter- «>
❖ esting light will be thrown on the government railway ^
^ situation in Alaska through the publication of two ♦
^ official reports. One of these reports will be the pro
^ duct of the Alaskan engineering Commission, charged
❖ with the construction work, and the other w .1 be sub
^ mitted by (he Board 'of Conciliation that recently vis- ^
^ ited Anchorage, Alaska, to adjust the wage scale. ^
^ ❖
WASHINGTON, May 120.—'Tlio house naval committee yes
terday voted to abandon (lie live year building program urged
by Secretary of the Navy Daniels and in l>eu thereof will rec
ommend the construction of five battleships, to cos' $20,000,
000 each, four scout cruisers, ten torpedo boat destroyers and
twenty submarines. The committee plans the eonstiuction of
ilicse warships as soon as possible after the funds a*v made
available.
The Anchorage Chamber of Com
merce has thrown oil' tlio spirit of
inaction and lethargy of the past j
few months and is about to be born '
again, to live, to breathe and have ]
its being enter into the activity of j
Anchorage commercial and social
life. Being imbued with the prevail
ing spirit of action, will fairly exude
vim, vigor and vinegar; the chamber
of Commerce will adopt a slogan
whose echoes will be heard from one
end of Alaska to the other and even j
reach the domes of the White House, i
Realizing that the time of action ;
tuts at band and that the Chamber i
of Commerce was rapidly growing
into a comatose state, the executive
committee, in connection with sev
eral of the prominent business men,
have been "doing things” for sev
eral days past, and at last night’s
meeting the plans ns recommended
by them successfully materialized.
A special committee, composed of
Leopold David, W. T. Normile and
George M. Campbell, were appoint
ed, from the executive committee, to
make the necessary changes in the
by-laws and otherwise recommend
any suggestion that would instill life
and action in the Chamber of Com
merce and report to the executive
committee as a whole. This was done
in a very tuorough and competent
manner and was readily adopted by
the committee. The special meeting
as called for last night to act on the
recommendations of the committee
was largely attended and extremely
enthusiastic. The members present
represented the business and profes
sional interests of Anchorage, who
expressed themselves unanimously
as being in hearty accord with the
action taken by the executive com
mittee.
The plans as formulated by the
committee and their recommenda
tions called for a re-organization to
a certain evtent in the revision of
the by-laws, the abolishing of tho
office of treasurer, whose duties will
bo taken care of by the secretary,
and several other changes of a
minor nature.
The by-laws, as revised, have ret
i the Initiation fee at +25, with yearly
j dues of $12, payable quarterly. Tho
secretary, A S. Koch, is making a
house-to-house canvass for signa
tures to the new agreement, and up
to the time of going to press the
following business and professional
men had signed: II. F. Wester
rnann, A. .1. AVendler, Ray C. Larson,
L. P. Byrne, E. J. Warner, (J. M.
Campbell, S. D. Maxwell, W. T. Nor
mile, Chas. E. Heisron, Ueopohl
David, Kidney Anderson, L. O. Ny
berg, .J. Turner, M. S. Coble, A. .1.
Adams, If. G. Steel, H. T. Fowler,
A. E, Lathrop, A. S. Koch, J. F. Ito
bc.rts, W. L. Ilalcli, F. M. Polley, H.
J. Emard and N. W. Pilger.
The committee also recommended
that the Cnamber take action in re
gard to a suitable place for holding
meetings, and this was done this
morning. The committee in charge
have selected a very desirable loca
tion in lot 7 in block 26, and work
will start tomorrow on a frame
building, 14x28, and will be finished
in en appropriate manner.
The rules were suspended, and II.
K. Westermann, Sidney Anderson
and II. Cf. Steel were selected to
membership by acclamation. It is
the idea of the Chamber of Com
merce to start at once in active work
for the upbuilding of Anchorage an 1
vicinity, and several matters of
vital importance are now before this
body for their consideration which
will be commented on by the Pioneer
in a later issue. The Pioneer ex
pects to be the mouthpiece of the
people of Anchorage and will co
operate with the Chamber of Com
merce and voice every action they |
take or any movement they may pro- |
mulgate for the betterment of An
chorage and vicinity. Prom the fact
that the coast towns especially, and
Alaska towns as a whole, have been
and are at the present time doing
everything within their power to the
detriment of Anchorage, particularly
in regard to the railroad appropria
tion; that Anchorage has reached
the stage of absolute permanency;
that Anchorage is growing rapidly
and developing into a city far be
yond the dreams of the most opti
mistic, are among the many reasons
why the people of Anchorage should
get behind the Chamber of Com
merce, morally, physically and liuan
e'ally; uhy every property owner ami
business man in Anchorage should be
a booster; why this body should
nave the united support of Anchor
age and the people of Anchorage.
The rejuvenated Chamber of Com
merce will be ono that Am'horagee
will be proud of, composed of a body
of men with whom it will bo an
honor and a duty to affiliate; it will
be no place for laggards or men of
inaction. The Chamber of Com
merce will be for Anchorage first,
for Anchorage last, and for Anchor
age for all time. Get busy; got in
the band wagon.
GERMAN GOVERNMENT INSMS
GERMANS IN UNITED STATES TO
SCRUPULOUSLY OBSERVE LAWS
WASHINGTON, May 20.—The German government, acting
through Count von liernstorff, German ambassador to the
l nited States, has instructed all Gorman consuls in this coun
try to admonish German citizens in their districts to scrupu
lously observe the laws i I the l nited States. This action is
taken in an eflori to In mg to an end the espionage to which
Germans have been sul>,je< ted, growing out of the destruction
of munition plants and the cargoes of foreign ships leaving
American ports.
TEDDY TO TALK IN
DETROIT, May 2 It.—Angered at
the fact that Henry Ford's well
known peace views yrejicing credit
ed as the sentiment ol' Detroit,
prominent citizens have made an
urgent appeal to Col. Roosevelt to
come here and deliver a speech on
preparedness. A message? from the
colonel, received yesterday, stages
that he will depart from New ict';
today, entente to Detroit. Hi pr-‘
paiations are being made to give the
distinguished visitor a reception.
Preceding the speech, there will ito
a preparedness parade.
QUEEN <>»•' ITAIA HAS NAR
now ESCAPE FROM DEATH
ROME, May 20.—Ry just a few
feet, a bomli dropped by an Austrian
aeroplane yesterday missed the royal
train that was conveying the queen
of Italy from the Italian front,
where she had been on a visit to the
troops.
SOURDOUGH DIES \\ llli.E
ENROUTE TO A M IfORAOK
Mr. M. I). Crocker, of Seward,
died of a stroke of apoplexy yester
day at noon aboard the steamer
Alaska, enroule to Anchorage. Mr.
Crocker was formerly in the paint
and wall paper business in Seward,
and in company with his wife and
four-year-old baby girl was on the
way to Anchorage to open a store,
bringing his Seward stock with him
on the Alaska. Dr. C. W. Dreisbad,
of the reclamation service, was for
tunately aboard and was in attend
ance, but the case was beyond
medicinal assistance.
Mr. F. II. Wood, of the undertak
ing firm of Wood & Loudermiieh,
brought the body ashore for prep
paration for burial. Funeral ar
rangements will be arranged as soon
as Mrs. Crocker’s son. O. A. Bodum,
who is connected with the Commis
sion at Moose creek, reaches Anchor
age.
Mr. Crocker was ii4 years of age,
a member of the Pioneers of Alaska,
and a man of high moral character
and extremely well thought of in
Seward, where he was well and fav
orably known. Ho was a brother to
Mr. U. CJ. Crocker, a merchant of
Anchorage. The Pioneer otters the
sympathy of the community to the
bereaved wife and child.
Seward is to have a now concrete
postollice building.
On 2,000 MEN
Tim weekly report as received from
the commission shows that the clear,
ing of the right of way on the Mata
nuska branch is entirely completed
from Matanuska Junction to Moose
( reek and about !H> per cent complet
ed from Moose creek to Kings river;
the wagon road completed from Mnt
nnuska Junction to Moose creek and
AO per cent completed from Moose
creek to Camp is. The ordinary
width of the right of way is 100 feet
although tiiis may vary owing to the
topography of the country; the wag
on road has been put in splendid
shape for heavy traffic; the commis
sion have also started the building
of a wagon road from Matanuska
Junction north on the main line to
station No. ",280. It will be of in
terest to the Anchorage people to
know that right of way contracts
have been let to the south of the
city along Chester creek and an en
gineer’s camp has been established
at Olsen's lake. This work has been
divided into 8 stations employ.ng 67
men at present and calls for li miles
ol right of way clearance. Some
idea of the magnitude of the work
now under way may be gathered
from the ligures of the number of
names on the commission's last pay
roll—the 1,462 names on this roll
are divided among the different
heads of the departments, clerks,
office force, (rack laborers, bridge
men, longshoremen and general lab
orers; 4 4 0 men are under contract
ant! there are 121 station laborers
drawing pay, making a total of 2,024
men who are drawing wages from
the government. In addition to this
there ave 206 horses being used I t
tarioiis government work.
Capt. H. Voblbusch is in charge
of the tug Itoscoe which left Seattle
| May 11th towing tho sea going bargo
i Lawrence, with a rapacity of 400
I tons, to be used by the commission
; in connection with their business for
! Turnagiu Arm points.
(1ERMAX MINE DESTROYS
GERMAN TORPEDO HOAT
COPENHAGEN, May 2(K—A Ger
: man torpedo boat struck a German
mine planted off the coast of Sweden
yesterday and an explosion followed
that resulted in the destruction of
the vessel. The entire crew were
lost.
SALMON RUNNING IN COPPER.
CHITINA, May 20.—There is a
. heavy run of salmon in the Copper
' river.