C HARLES M. WOLFE WRITES TO j
NOME FRIENDS OF CONDI
TIONS AT SHUNGNAK.
LARGE BOULDERS IN CREEKS, j
Ground Is Thawed and Is Difficult to
Work—Population of Camp Con- ;
sists of Fifteen White Men and
Four White Women.
Charles M. Wolfe, who is known
to nearly every one in Nome, is at
present located at Shungnak. on the ;
Kobuk river, says a Nome newspaper.
He writes to friends in Nome that
he is trying to locate a pay-streak,
J| hut that the prospectors are having ;
a hard time of it, since the ground is j
all thawed, and full of large bould
ers.
The creeks are shallow, being from
three to fifteen feet deep. No one has
anything better than wages and the
stores are charging three or four
prices for what they have to sell. j
$ * There are about fifteen white men
ar.d four white women in that part
of the country.
Martin Moran was leaving for Ki
ana after having made a deal with
Charles Evans for his ground, says
Wolfe.
••Why don’t they put a bounty upon
the- scalps of the Alaskan prospectors
and be done with it?” is the question
asked in an interview in the Seattle
Cost-Intelligencer by Captain J. P.
Hubrick. of McCarthy, an old-time
Alaskan, who is in the Puget sound
metropolis on his way north. Captain
Hubrick declares that the Alaska
game laws need revision in many
ways and that a strong effort should
he made to have them changed now.
He declares that the black hear should
bo protected, and that the present
protection given the brown bear
should be removed. “The brown bears
oat prospectors,” he said. “W hy don’t
they put a bounty on the prospectors
and be done with it?” The captain
has been in Alaska for twenty-one
%
years and is now on his way back
north to hag fifteen bears for the Col
imado state museum at Denver. Hub
rick went to the states last year to
; take an advanced course in photogra
phy for the purpose of photographing
? Alaska game.
United States Marshal Jordan, of
the second division, recently returned
to Nome from a business trip to
Council. There are approximately
eighty white persons wintering in
the vicinity of Council. Everybody
was feeling happy when the marshal
left there. Very little if any mining i
is going on at present in that section
of the country. Jordan went over on
official business and while there made .
arrangements for the rebuilding of j
^ the federal jail which was burned
down during the winter caused by a ;
native cabin having been ablaze in |
the immediate vicinity.
Fire recently destroyed the plant
cf ;he Copper King company near I
Wb'tehorse The power house, the
boiler room, the compressor plant and j
the power plant were ruined. J. P. :
Whitney and associates who are work- !
ing the property, will rebuild at once. 1
The none has been shipping steadily]
to the outside.
Dan Berger, a pioneer Alaskan, is
on a fair way to become rich through !
investments in oil lands at Elk Basin, j
Montana. Berger owns a large block
of shares in a property which has j
J just tapped the best gusher in the Elk ‘
f Basin district. Berger first came to j
Alaska in 1897. He followed the us-1
ual procedure for old-timers by roam
ing wherever there was a report of a
strike, and finally landed in the Fair
banks district in 1906, where he lived
until he went to Elk Basin recently.
In a book a Minneapolis man has in
vented for children pictures of ani
mals that jump out in a life like man
ner as the naires are turned.
teutons have not yet
BROUGHT ON BATTLEFIELD j
ANY BIG MACHINES.
ARTILLERY USED IN DEFENSE.
Armor-Piercing Bullet Is Most Effica
cious Infantry Missile, as it Pro
duces Flame Which Sets Gasoline
Tank on Fire.
TRENCH FRONT, March 26.—Ger
man soldiers are, as was announced
several months ago, experimenting
with tanks, but hitherto nothing has
been seen of the result of their efforts
to copy the war engine invented by
the allies.
In the meantime it is learned from j
many sources that serious discom- j
titure has been caused to the Germans
whenever the allies’ tanks have bees’ j
employed against them. Detailed in-1
structions have been issued to the
troops as to the methods by which to j
meet a tank attack. One of the most
recent orders was captured in the
course of an incursion by allied troops]
into the German lines. It reads in I
substance as follows:
“Trenches of a minimum width of
13 to 12!-i» feet and a depth of
ten feet, also thick mud, form very
serious''obstacles to tanks, which, how
ever, are easily capable of crossing
ploughed land or breaking through,
barricades. It is not worth while to
construct obstacles. It is preferable to
attack the tanks.
Vfork for Artillery.
“Tanks approaching the front
should bo attacked by the artillery be
fbre they come into action, even when
theVd is small chance of hitting them,
l'iie essential thing is to prevent the j
infantry froiyi following them and in
order to do this the enemy infantry
must be made to fear the zone in the
vicinity of the tanks.
“The only practical way of attack
ing the tanks themselves is to place
cannon about the advanced zone of the
battlefield and by direct tire put these
war machines out of action. Every di
rect hit on a tank kills several of its J
crew and often sets the tank itself on
fire. It must be pointed out that sec
tions of artillery held in reserve be
hind the front often are unaware of
what is proceeding and thus arrive on
the scene too late to meet the tanks.
In principle, therefore, the cannon
should be placed well forward, so that
the enemy may not surprise us. The
commander of the troops holding the
front should be responsible for select
ing the positions of the anti-war guns.
Cannon mounted on motorcars are
very useful for this work in districts
where the roads are good.
No Breaches in Line.
“As to the infantry, they should
make no breaches in the battleline ex
cept to permit the undamaged tanks
to pass through. To do this infantry
should take shelter, but not retreat,
for the idea is to allow the tanks to
advance so that they may be put out
of action behind our lines. The prin
cipal task of the infantry is to meet
and repulse the enemy infantry, but a
number of detached posts should he
established behind the lines for the
purpose of serving as a defense
against the tanks.
“The most efficacious infantry mis
sile against a tank attack is the arm
or-piercing bullet, whose effects are
graetly feared by the tank crews, as
these bullets not only penetrate the
armor but afterward produce a fierce
flame which frequently sets fire to the
gasoline reservoir.
Best Method of Attack.
“The best method of attacking a
tank is from its rear, where the armor
is lightest and where it is not easy for
the crew to fire on the attackers.
Should a fight against tanks occur in
the streets of a village the infantry i
is in a favorable position to attack, as
the men can take shelter in the ruined
houses until the tanks have passed and j
then open fire at point-blank range
with rifles and machine guns.
“Hand grenades are almost ineffect- j
ivp ncypincf fnnlrc Knf cmoll 4-vowaV*
mortars when they fire at a low angle
sometimes obtain good results.
“Practical drill in anti-tank tactics
should be carried out and thus the
tanks will lose their terrors for our
troops.”
ALASKA WILL PUT
UP BIG FISH PACK
FIXING OF CANNERY PRICES IS
NOT EXPECTED BY OPERA
TORS THIS YEAR.
SEATTLE, Wash., March 26.—Pre
paration for the opening of the sal
mon fishing season in Alaska and bn
Puget sound is fully under way, and
indications are, say fishermen, that
the run will be as large this year as
it was four years ago, when 783,000
cases were packed on Puget sound
alone.
Cannerymen are moving north un
usually early, due it is said, to the
shortage of vessels on the Alaska run
because of the war. The season on
Puget sound begins April 1.
Fixing of cannery prices is not look
ed for by fishermen, who assert that
the cost prices upon which the selling
prices are based, cannot be determined
until the run is ended, as prior to the
time no one in the industry knows
what it will cost to make the pack.
A movement has been started
among fishermen on lower Puget
sound toward barring Austrian fisher
men wherever possible, especially
those who have not acquired full citi
zenship. The American fishermen on
the sound assert that Austrians who
have only made out their first citizen
ship papers can operate in Alaska
waters they will suffer no great hard
ship if deprived of the privilege o
fishing in waters of the state of
Washington.
WANT BOXING RESTORED.
Ring Followers in California Hope
for Favorable Law.
SAX FRANCISCO, Cal., March 2b.
—The fact that the United States
government has placed the stamp of
approval on boxing for the enlisted
men of the army and navy and has se
cured the services of a score of prom
inent professional boxers to do th
teaching has revived the hope that
boxing later may he reinstated in
California.
At present only four-round bouts
between bona fide amateurs are per
mitted but there has been considera
ble agitation of late in pugilistic cir
cles toward paving the way for legis
lation which will permit the return of,
at least, the ten-round bout.
Followers of ring affairs express
the opinion that with the sanction
which the government has placed up
on it, much of the feeling which has
existed against boxing is passing
away. These enthusiasts are willing
to admit that there have been repre
hensible actions on the part of both
fighters and promoters in the past
and, for this reason, talk of restoring
the game includes the formation of
some kind of a commission to super
vise the sport so that there will be
no repetition of the disagreeable feat
ures which marred it in the past.
SOLDIERS WILL RETURN.
Only Five Per Cent Is Rate of Mor
tality in Present War.
CHICAGO.—Sir Walter Lawrence
of the British general staff, now in
America on a war mission, said:
“The Americans in France are the
best-equipped of the allied forces.
They will return home better physi
cally and mentally than when they
left.
“Long lists of wounded will shortly
begin to appear in the newspapers.
But do not worry.
“Ninety-five per cent of the sol
diers this country sends to France
will return. Seventy-five out of every
hundred wounded will recover.
“The United States medical organ
ization in the field is the most effi
cient I have ever seen.
“The allies have more men and ar
tillery than the Germans. They are
far superior in strength.
“Victory for the allies is certain.
It is just a question of time.”
A French botanist has discovered a
plant in Africa that literally coughs
f A nlnnw rJii of -PvArM 1
STATE WILL SUBDIVIDE 6,000
ACRES IN SMALL TRACTS
FOR INTENSIVE WORK.
TERMS WILL BE VERY EASY.
Purchaser by Paying Down Five Per
Cent of' Value of Allotment Can
Take Possession and Begin Culti
vation of It.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 27.
1 —The state of California has gone in
to rural real estate business on the
j installment plan, with 6,000 acres to
sell as a starter. Any citizen of the
United States or anyone having de
clared intention of citizenship is eli
gible as a purchaser, if he has five
per cent of the total purchase price
ready. The state will give him “time”
'on the rest, and will help him seed,
plant and fence it and put up neces
! sary buildings. Women are not bar
red.
Actual work of carrying out the
aims of the land settlement act passed
at the last session of the state legis
lature with the object of promoting
closer agricultural settlement and as
• sisting qualified persons of moderate
means to acquire small improved
farms will begin whenever the state
water board approves the water
! rights on a 6,000-acre tract near
Chico, Calif., purchase of which has
been recommended by the state land
settlement board. Governor William
1). Stephens has approved the recom
IIIUllltClllVMl
i uir vjytci.i vi.
The bill provides that the board
which was created by the act should
1 “acquire on behalf of the state, agri
cultural land in California susceptible
■ of intensive culture and suitable for
colonization in an area not more than
10,000 acres, together with water
rights and any rights of way desira
ble or necessary” for subdivision and
improvement and to sell the land to
bona fide settlers.
Farm Allotments.
The tract will be divided into what
will be known as “farm allotments”
by seeding, planting, fencing, erect
ing dwellings, outbuildings and doing
other necessary work to make the
land inhabitable. The expenditure on
a “farm laborer’s allotment” is lim
ited to $800 for the construction of a
cottage and providing a domestic wa
ter supply. The board is authorized
to fix the selling price at a figure
that will return to the state the orig
inal cost of the land, plus the expense
of improving, subdividing and selling
the land.
Any citizen cf the United States or
person who has declared his intention
of becoming citizen may purchase
“allotments” providing his purchases
would not make him the holder of
“agricultural lands or of possessory
rights” exceeding $15,000 in value.
Each settler must be prepared to oc
cupy the land within six months of
the time he makes the purchase and
actual residence from the time of
purchase must continue at least eight
months in each calendar year for at
least ten years from the time the
board approves the application of the
, cottlpr tn nnn'haw
Must Make Deposit.
Each purchaser will be required to
make a deposit of five per cent of the
value of the allotment and at least 10
per cent of the cost of improvements.
Unless the applicant is prepared to
| pay one-half of the purchase price in
cash he will be required to apply to
| the federal land bank at Berkeley,
| Cal., for a loan amounting- to 50 per
| cent of the appraised value of the
I land and 20 per cent of the value of
improvements, and to pay the amount
of any loan so made to the board. The
balance can be paid in amortizing
payments over a period fixed by the
board not to exceed forty years. Five
| per cent interest will be charged.
The law limits the sale to one al
lotment to any person, and the pros
pective purchaser must convince the
board of “his or her fitness success
fully to cultivate and devlop” the
’and.
rn_L.Ml___f. a-.i iuc%nr\ s\r\/\ r__
carryi ng out the provisions of the act
Of this sum $250,000 was set asidi
as a revolving “land settlement fund1
and the remaining $10,000 was appro
priated for administrative expenses.
Money paid by settlers will be de
posited in the land settlement fun<
and be available under the same con
ditions as the original appropriation
PATH OF GREAT
TWO' REGIMENTS OF UNITE!
STATES ENGINEERS WERE AT
TACHED TQ BRITISH ARMY.
WORKED NEAR CROZAT CAN AI
Officials in Washington City Ar
Anxious Regarding Fate of Men i
View of Berlin Dispatches Men
tioning Fight With Them.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 26.
Two regiments of American railroa
engineers, attached to the Britsh arm
ies, were in the path of the Germ a
onslaught.
The Americans were employed nes
the Crozat canal, where dispatche
from Berlin stated the Germans er
gaged the Americans.
United States officials in Washing
ton are anxious regarding the fate c
these two American engineering reg
ments.
i _ _ _
RED CROSS NEEDS MEN.
Demand for Workers in War Zon
Shows Material Increase.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., March 2r
—The demand for men workers fo
service in France continues and th
Red Cross is doing its best to fill th
want. A lesser number of women al
so are desired. Men and women wh
are so situated that they are able t
give their services to their country i
its hour of need will be given firs
consideration, but in the event of pei
sons being especially fitted for th
work minimum salaries will be cor
sidered where the applicant is not f
nancially able to pay his or her ow
expenses.
The majority of the positions ar
highly important and call for keen e>
ecutive ability, initiative, imaging
tion and experience in the handlin
of men. These positions include as
sistants to zone commanders, fie!
chiefs of military relief, their assist
ants, office managers, executives fo
transportation department, insurant
department and various other lines o
work. Some of the positions requir
a knowledge of French, while in othe
cases it is not necessary.
Candidates must be between th
ages of 30 and 50 years and are rt
quired to pass a physical examinatioi
German or Austrian parentage is
bar, even though naturalized. Eve
a German name will make acceptanc
unlikely. An enlistment contrac
binding the candidate to serve fo
one year must be signed.
“OVER TOP" IS NEW GAME.
Contest Fits Soldier Athletes fo
Emergency in Warfare.
CAMP LEWIS, Tacoma, Wash.—I
connection with the athletic trainin
of the troops, Captain T. G. Cool
camp athletic director, has develope
what he terms “over the top,” a gam
‘ designed to fit the soldiers to defen
themselves with their bare hands, i
need be, when they get into actuc
warfare. r
Fifty to one hundred men are line
up three feet apart in a theoretics
trench. Ten yards away an equs
number of men are lined up and at
given signal they storm the trend
kicking and punching alone beini
barred. Whenever a man is throw
to the ground he is technically dea
and out of the game. At the end o
five or ten minutes a halt is callec
The men left standing are counte
and the side having the greatest num
her on their feet is declared the win
ner.
Within a little more than thre
years the number of electric moto
trucks in England has increased fror
| GEORGE CARROL TELLS OF MEN
and Women sewing for
RED CROSS IN ST. PAUL.
"SOI! »ii /.
' ARMY ORDERS FILLED FIRST.
Well Known Merchant Declares That
He Has IJeen Fortunate in Getting
» Merchandise Needed for Trade of
| His Firm Here.
); _
How work and business in connec
tion with the war takes precedence
over everything else in the states is
• emphasized in a letter received here
from George Carrol, of Carrol & Co.,
L* who is in the states on a buying trip.
1 Writing from St. Paul, Minn., Mr.
• ' Carrol says:
“St. Paul is very busy with Red
Cross work. In many cases the work
ers are using large floor space in some
I of the big buildings, where all the
way from one hundred to two hundred
II women are busy from morning until
night sewing hospital shirts, prepar
1 ing bandages and making the neces
s sary articles for use in the hospitals.
Even the men are doing this work in
the evenings.
“The people here realize the seri
ousness of this war and are doing all
• they can to help win it. This war is
being brought home to me here more
than it ever has been, after viewing
all the preparations that are going
on.
.-\uio ounaing 1 alien wer.
“There is one large building which
r was formerly occupied by an automo
e bile concern which has been taken
p over by the government. One even
. ing thks,week 1,000 men came through
0 the depot to take training in this
0 building for the repairing of engines
n and the construction of aeroplanes.
1 Later on more men will come to take
up flying. 1 have been more than sur
e pi'ised to see what thorough prepava
_ tions are going on in this section
_ of the country in regard to cloth mg,
n food supplies, shoes, and everything
required for the army.
e ‘ Government inspectors are very
_ busy in all the houses from which 1
. purchase. They are inspecting very
carefully all garments made for sol
. diers. One firm has a contract for
,1 about 6,000 leather coats which are to
. be used in the aviation service. Each
r one of these coats is thoroughly in
e spected and must pass a rigid exam
f ination before being accepted by the
e government. These coats are lined
r with corduroy and have a leather
shell on the outside. This is taking a
0 great deal of material.
One-Piece Aviation Suit.
'• “This same concern is also manu
a facturing a one-piece aviation suit
11 which is used for flying. This is a
e new garment and is built somewhat
t along the lines of the one-piece me
r chanic suits—is made double in the
front, has a close-fitting collar, and
the sleeves and bottom of the trous
ers are made so that they car. be
r drawn tight, and no wind or cold can
get at the wearer. These suits are
n being made of khaki,
rr “The shoe houses from which I pur
; chase are working on large contracts,
d making army shoes.
e “All of this work is requiring a
great amount of material, and conse
f quentty-mterchandise is hard to get.
1 “The government requirements
come first, and there will be left for
i civilian ube in merchandise only that
1 which is not taken by the government.
1 Some articles of merchandise are im
j possible to get. I have been very for
; tunate in being able to select lines
^ that I have handled in the past. All
i the old and larger houses are taking
1 care of their customers, and this is
f one of the reasons I have been able to
1 quired for Alaska trade.”
. THE EXPERIENCED REPORTER.
“I have nothing to say,” declared
the Woman when the Reporter called
e for an interview.
r “Good!” exclaimed the Reporter, as
a he sat down. “Luckily I brought four