MANY RESIDENTS OF SOUTH
WESTERN DISTRICT BELIEVE
IN NEW INDUSTRY.
ARE FOUND IN NORTH PACIFIC.]
Valdez Miner Declares There Is No
Reason \\ hy Sea Product of Adja
cent Coast Cannot Be Used Com
mercially if Treated Properly.
Do spor.gcs prow in Prince William
sound, and are they of a quality which
may be utilized commercially is the
question which is agitating the minds
of a number of Prince William sound
neop'e who believe they have opened
upon anothei natural industry, says
the Valdez Miner.
In answei to the first question it
may be said that a good quality of
bath sponge grows in the North Paci
fic. and that they grow in immense
numbers, but sponge dealers claim
they carmen be worked profitably or
mther in competition with the Dal
maiion article, or the Bahama sponge
n t .-count of the difficulty in secur
ing them. Diving is done in the Ba
hamas and on the Florida coast by
naked men, who take a stone with a
t- rup between their knees, and jump
ing from their boat are rapidly taken
tr> the bottom.
4>
They carry :i small sack suspended
to their n°ck to receive the sponges.
Upon arriving at the bottom they j
grope about and tear off any sponges |
they may see, remaining under water j
for three or four minutes. These men i
are so proficient they can work in
• atfr up to thirty fathoms in depth
v. i''.out injury. In Dalmatia thn.v use
a Jive-pronged hook to cut the spon
ge: from the rocks, nut this method
c .1;fines the sponger to shallow wat
Along the Florida coast at the pres
ent time the sponge business is com
pletely controlled by the Greeks, who
have adopted modern methods and
use (living suits, working to a depth
of sixty fathoms. Beyond this depth
the sponge is dredged up.
Exposed to Sun.
When the sponge is set.ured it is
taken to some good beach near the
camp or home of the sponger and ex
posed to the sun for twenty-four
hours. This rots the vegetable matter
away, having the skeleton of the
sponge, which is the part used. The
.-poney is then beaten or tramped in
den:- running water until all the out
side skin and decayed mutter is re
move 1. and is then done up in bun
dles and sold at the sponge sheds.
They are sorted carefully and clipped
into desirable shapes, many large
sponges being divided into forty or
fifty rmailer sponges.
Dredging Done With Net.
Dredging is done with a net about
six yards wide and one yard high.
The net is made of cord about as
thick as the little finger and is drawn
along the bottom by a tow-line at
tached to a vessel. The sponges se
cured in this manner are larger and
of a better variety than those grown
j m shallow waters.
In Dalmatia, a stone dipped in oil
is thrown into the water just ahead
of the lookout, the oil make a smooth
streak in the water and by using a
waterglass made out of a cylinder 18
inches long by 12 wide, with a plate
of clear glass set in the bottom spon
ges may be plainly seen at a depth of
*} thirty to fifty fathoms. The water
glass is also used by Florida spongers.
The best sponge is found in the
Mediterranean.
I Good sponges are found on the Ba
hama reefs, and around Cuba, while
huge fleets of sponge boats sail from
Cedar Keys, Florida, and the business
brings in millions of dollars to the
merchants of that city and of Key
West.
Pponges grow all over the world,
and fine varieties of bath sponge have
been found in the north Pacific. Its
d:s'.ributipn is world wide. The
sponge of commerce is little like the
slimy, stiekv creature drawn from the
r
i
bottom of the sea. They are living:
creatures living: off the organisms in
the waters of the sea, and are sensi
tive, as they shrink from the hand
and close up when touched.
They can he successfully bred in
shc'ki red coves with a rocky bottom
where seaweed abounds, and fresh
ened with a gentle current. Cuttings
are taken from a sponge, great care
being taken not to lacerate the outer
skin more than possible. The cut
tings are fastened to a wooden stick
and sunk to the bottom, where they
rapidly grow to two or three times
their size in a year. In seven years
they are ready for market.
There is no reason why the sponge
of Prince William sound cannot be
used commercially if properly treated.
The value of the sponge depends up
on its cleaning, and this requires some
experience, as by going an hour or
two beyond the proper time for rot
ting makes it nearly impossible to re
move the skin and slime from the
sponge.
Sponges are sometimes chemically
treated to lighten the color, but this
cheapens the sponge, and detracts
from its life.
IS REPORTED
HENRY WORKMAN, FAIRBANKS
MAN, RETURNS FROM SCENE
OF LATE STAMPEDE.
NO PAY FOUND ON CREEK.
Lee Hudson and Fred Racy Are Put
ting Up Cabin at Healey, Neai
Josh Ray’s Ranch, About Two Miles
Above Newton’s Trading Post.
Henry Kolkman, the Ester creel*
raining man. who left Fairbanks last
fall for the scene of the stampede tc
Michigan creek in the Goodpaster a
year ago, returned to Fairbanks the
other day, says the Fairbanks News
Miner.
Mr. Kolkman reports that as a re
sult of the recent wind and snow
storms the trails were obliterated, he
having to break trail over 140 miles.
The returning prospector states
that he sank several holes last win
ter on Michigan creek, but fount
nothing, and that no new pay had sc
far been discovered in the Goodpastei
district.
Mr. Kolkman says that he stavec
over night with Lee Hudson, and tha1
Hudson and his partner, Fred Racy
,.re putting up a cabin at Healey
near Josh Ray’s ranch, about twe
miles above Newton’s trading post
Hudson intends to use the new’ cabii
as a headquarters cabin, as it is con
venient to Canyon creek, where h<
has been prospecting for severa
years.
SACRAMENTO IS READY.
I
.Successor to Portland Will I lay l hi
cago Nationals April 1.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 26.
The training season of the Sacramen
to baseball club, successor to the Port
land team in the Pacific coast league
has put the team in fine fettle. Th<
team trained at home. The last ex
hibitlo!! gxfc*.e before t'he seasot
opens April 2, will be played with th<
Chicago National league team hen
-„pril 1.
Manager William Pi. Rodgers, wh<
was captain and second baseman o
the Portland team last season, ha;
a number of youngsters, among then
Carter Elliott, a southern California
player, and Milton Leonard, pitcher
who played last year'in the SantJ
C'ara vailev league. Elliott is an in
fielder.
Among former Portland player:
who have signed contracts with th<
Sacramento team are Gus Fisher
catcher; Arthur Griggs, first base
man; Babe Borton, first baseman
Harry Gardner, pitcher; Herber'
Brenton, pitcher; and Babe Pinelli
third baseman. Ted Easterly, catch
er, who formerly played with the Lo:
Angeles team, also has been signei
i up by Rodgers.
I
ARE SEKT TO
TO REGISTRANTS
—
i BLANK FORMS MUST RE FILLED
OUT AND RETURNED TO AN
CHORAGE EXEMPTION BOARD, j
SIXTY-ONE LEAVE SEWARD. |
Howard T. Brace Could Not Be In
ducted in Army at Seward and Is
j Therefore Com pellet! to Pay His
Own Expenses to States.
Questionnaires are now being sent
| out by the Anchorage exemption
j board to all young men whose name?
! appear on the official draft list. Unti1
I the questionnaires are returned to the
exemption board voluntary enlist
ments in either the United State?
army or navy will be stopped and may
I not be resumed then, according to a
j statement made today by Captain
Thomas W. Dwyer, chairman of the I
board.
The questionnaires when filled in
and returned to the exemption board ;
will show a complete and detailed his- ;
tory of the registrant from the mo-j
i ment of his birth until the present j
1 day. There are one hundred and for
| ty-four questions to be answered by |
the registrant touching about every j
I imaginable phase of the registrant’s]
life. In the event no exemption is j
claimed by the registrant on any
ground or for any cause the matter of
filling out the questionnaire is some- (
what simplified.
Sixteen Pages of Questions.
Every questionnaire contains six
teen pages of printed matter. Regis
trants who are in need of assistance
in filling out their questionnaires
may seek the advice and aid of any
member of the legal advisory board
appointed by Governor J. F. A. Strong
: for that purpose. The Anchorage
j members of the advisory board are A.
G. Thompson, Arthur Frame and J. S.
Truitt.
Immediately upon receipt of the
questionnaires by the registrants the
work of filling them out should be
commenced and as soon as finished
j the questionnairi s should be returned
to the exemption board.
The sixty-one young men from An
chorage who volunteered their serv
ices in the army and navy and who
left here last Wednesday on their
way to Fort McDowell, California,
i sailed from Seward for Seattle this
morning on the steamer Admiral Wat
■ son, according to a telephone message
received from Seward by John H. Rob
inosn, a member of the Anchorage ex
emption board.
Patton Continues Journey.
C. H. Patten whose elbow was frac
tured while en route from Anchorage
to Seward as the result of a run away
dog sled on which he was riding wa
able to continue his trip with the rest
of the recruits. The injury is of a
minor character.
. i Howard T. Brace, the young man
who left here without having enlisted
. was not permitted to be inducted into
. ; military service by the Seward exemp
. lion board as requested by the An
, chorage exemption board and as a re
* i suit he will have to pay all of his trav
. cling expenses according to word re
i ceived today by Caputain Dwyer.
* Mr. Brace left Seward for Seattle
• with the rest of the recruits this
| morning on the Admiral Watson and
• will enlist in Seattle.
; DOG RACES ON RECORD,
i Additional records given in this
i year’s “Unmack’s Annual,” the Pacific
, coast book of sporting records which
i has just been issued for 1918, include
■ i the complete figures of the various
Alaska dog team records. The editor
; is William Unmack, of San Francisco,
; an official of the Pacific Athletic as
, sociation.
Soldiers and sailors are included
; among the photographs which illus
; trate the book. These include a pic
, ture of the famous Mare Island ma
rine football team, which won the
; championship of the coast last New
! Year’s day at Pasadena, and the
northwest collegiate champions.
GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO CON
SERVE SALMON FOR INDIANS
AND FOR DOG FEED.
NOTICE IS GIVEN BIG COMPANY.
Action Is Taken by Federal Official
When Corporation Announced In
tention of Erecting Plant at Andre
afsky.
Recognizing the imperative need of
preserving the salmon of the Yukon
and tributaries for the use of the na
tive and white population of Alaska,
Delegate Charles A. Sulzer has enter
ed a protest against the establishment
of a cannery at Andreafsky, on the
lower Yukon.
Correspondence has been exchanged
between the delegate and W. H. Smith |
the commissioner of fisheries, regard
ing this matter, and the result has
been the sending to the Carlisle Pack- !
ing company, which wants to build a
cannery at Andreafsky, which oper
ates a big cannery at Cordova, of the
following communication by the com-j
missioner:
“It has just been reported officially
to this office that vour company con- •
templates the operation next season of I
a salmon cannery at Andreafsky, on
the lower part of the Yukon river, j
Please advise the bureau at once as
to the correctness of this port.
Regarded As Undesirable.
“In this connection you are advised
that for a number of years the bu
reau has felt that any extensive com
mercial exploitation of the salmon
supply of the Yukon must be looked
upon as undesirable for the reason
that it might easily become the means
of imposing great privations and
hardships upon a large number of per
sons, both Indians and whites, who
live on the Yukon and its tributaries,;
and who are either almost wholly or I
i
in considerable degree dependent upon
salmon for food. Another point for
consideration is the urgent need of
I
dried salmon for dog feed in the in
terior of Alaska, where winter travel
is chiefly done by dog team.
“Thus it may seem that the estab-1
lishment of a cannery upon the Yukon
must be viewed with grave concern,
as it may cause a serious situation in 1
the interior of Alaska. As a matter
of fact, Mr. Sulzer, delegate to con
gress from Alaska, has recently no
tified the bureau that he is in receipt
of several complaints from the inter
ior of Alaska suggesting the possi
bility of a serious depletion of the sal
mon supply along the Yukon by rea- ■
son of the undertaking of canning op- .
erations near the mouth of the river.
Policy Adopted Years Ago.
“The general attitude of the bureau
in respect to this matter was made
public several years ago through ar.
item in the report of Alaska Fisheries j
and Fur Industries in 1!>14, pages 47
|4°. The article in question was con-j
I eluded as follows:
“ ‘Although there are quite good j
j runs of chinook, coho and chum sal- |
' mon up the Yukon, it does not appear
! that the establishment of canneries
I would be profitable or advisable. The
j lack of transportation facilities and j
j the high cost of putting up a pack
| would not justify the undertaking,
j Moreover, the wisdom of such an en
I terprise, at least along any extensive
| line, is very doubtful, as the Yukon
j plays a peculiar role in maintaining
and supplying a very necessary arti
cle of food for natives and whites, as
well as for dogs. The latter are in
dispensable to winter travel except as
reindeer may be used occasionally. A
fish diet forms not only the cheapest
food for dogs, but is the best food for
keeping them in good condition for
winter service.
Prejudice Is Strong.
“ ‘There is a strong prejudice
against the establishment of canner
ies on the lower Yukon, if such an un
dertaking should ever be considered
feasible, as it would mean cutting off
or greatly reducing the supply of sal
mon up the river, the result of which
would be great privation and hard
diip to the people of that district,
therefore, under present conditions,
:he Yukon should remain undisturbed j
.•ommercially in its production of sal
mon, save for local needs.’
“It seems only proper under the cir
cumstances to inform you that the
the bureau will keep close watch of
the Yukon river and at the first sign
af any depletion in the supply of sal
mon, steps will be taken to place the
necessary restrictions upon any op
erations that may be undertaken. It
is considered only fair to sound this
note of warning for your guidance in
considering what the future may have
in store.”
The jury in the case of Thomas J.
Donohoe, of Valdez, vs. Chris Tjose
cig, of McCarthy, which involved min
ing property in the Copper river val
ley and which was recently tried at
Juneau returned a verdict for the
plaintiff when they found that an
nral agreement for the performance
if assessment work had been made
between the plaintiff and defendant.
The plaintiff alleged that a written
agreement had been made and that
later an oral agreement had been
made whereby the defendant was to
perform assessment work on the prop
erty for the plaintiff, Donohoe, in re
turn for legal services rendered by
:he said Donohoe. The defendant al
eged that the written agreement ex
isted, but denied the oral agreement
and that they performed the assess
ment work and then advertised Don
::hoe out. The jury found for the
plaintiff and found that the oral
agreement did actually exist. This
is the case in which Tjosevig and his
attorney were fined $100 each for
submitting an affidavit in support of
a motion for a change of venue charg
ing Judge Jennings, the trial judge,
with prejudice. They asserted that
he owed his position or the bench to
the recommendation of Donohoe, who
is democratic national committeeman
for Alaska, and that consequently the
jurist would be biased in favor of
Donohoe in the litigation.
In the first division the following
candidacies for the primary election
have been filed at Juneau:
For territorial senator, William
Britt, F. B. Harrison. For represen
tative, W. W. Casey, si'., Isaac Sower
by, E. J. White, E. J. Shaw, J. J.
Connors, Willis W. Batchellor, E.
Lang Cobb, Grace V. Bishop, Len E.
Young, P. C. McCormack.
For road commissioner,
Wiley and James Estes.
Perry J.
Gertie Sheppard, cf Brooks, recent
ly was lined $1,000 by Commissioner
H. .J. Atwell for the illegal selling of
liquor, which line was paid in cash.
The accused demanded a jury trial.
This is the second conviction under
the dry law in Brooks. In the first
case the offender was lined $1,600.
J. E. Kettlewell, head electrician
for the Yukon Gold company at Idit
arod, narrowly escaped being severely
burned the other night while endeav
oring to extinguish some burning gas
oline. George Kay and Frank Kelley
were filling the gasoline tank at the
machine shop and in some way the
gasoline in the funnel became ignited
from the lantern they were using.
With great presence of mind Mr. Ket
tlewell quickly* snatched the funnel
with the burning gasoline away, to
avoid an explosion in the tank. This
was not accomplished without some
what serious consequences to himself,
however. He was suddenly enveloped
in flames, but the boys submerged
him in a snow bank, and he luckily
got off with a burned forehead.
Owing to the non-receipt of sup
plies no registration under the mili
tary conscription act last summer was
held in the Ivuskokwim precinct. How
ever, United States Commissioner D.
E. Stubbs checked up and thinks
that the late Mathias Schemthaner
was the only person who would have
been liable to registration.
R. G. Doherty who has been in An
chorage for several days as a guest cf
the Hotel Anchorage returned on this
morning's train to his home at Moose
creek.
CAMP ABOUT 135 MILES From
MOUTH OF YUKON CANNOT
BOAST OF HAVING HOSPITAL
SKATING RINK AND THEATRE.
Good Prospects Are Reported to Have
Been Found on Willow Creek Which
Is About Twenty-Five Miles North
east of Town.
A letter from Marshall city, which
is on a stream that flows into the
Yukon about 135 miles from its mouth
contains the information that the win
ter in that part of the Yukon basin
has been very fine with little real cold
weather and no wind or snow. It is
quiet in Marshall, but the writer says
he is just beginning' to like the place.
“We have no' hospital, no doctor or
surgeon and no grave yard, and no
respectable person would care to die
unless he could have the benefit of at
least some of these modern blessings.
We have a big skating rink, a first
class movie show and the other night
we had a wedding.
“Jungletown, a town near Marshall,
is very quiet this winter, so much
so that some of the blind pigs have
actually gone out of business.
“The Keystone drill that was work
ing on Willow creek, in the Marshall
district, has stopped drilling. A com
pany has been organized to cross-cut
Wilson creek. Good prospects are re
ported to have been found 25 miles
northeast of Marshall.”
The letter also contains the infor
mation that Albert Edwards, a trader
and mine operator in the Marshall dis
trict, will in all probability run for
the legislature.
Jack Limbach, well known old tim
er and prospector, a resident of" Mc
Carthy for some time, recently left
for Sitka to enter the Pioneer’s Home
as he is partially paralyzed.
Harry A. Fletcher, after mushing
over the Dawson trail fifteen times is
now going outside for good. He took
fifteen days to make the trip, hav
ing to break trail all the way.
Gus Priessner, a well known far
buyer at Nenana states that this sea
son’s yield is by far the finest grade
of skins he has ever seen, principal
ly because of the extreme cold.
HARD TIME OX TRAIL.
S. I). Maxwell Recounts Experience
on Route to Seward.
"If you were wading1 through froz
en snow four feet deep without snow
shoes, with the. thermometer register
ing 50 degrees below zero, and you
were fifteen miles front shelter, slow
ly freezing and traveling no faster
than half a mile every hour—what
would you do?” This question put by
the San Francisco Examiner, and then
it continues:
“Would you risk thirty hours in the
open, or would you ‘dig in’ in the
hope that a dog team would com?
along and rescue you before you
‘cashed in?’
“This predicament confronted S. D.
Maxwell of Anchorage, Alaska, when
he set out from Alaska to the United
States. Mr. Maxwell related the inci
dent at the Hotel Alexandria.
“‘And what did I do? I kept pull
ing ahead, although I felt that it was
my last journey. Two hours later a
: dog team picked me up. It was a ter
; rible experience.
“‘A few hours earlier !n the day I
left one party, intending to walk to
I the next post. I thought my snow
| shoes had been unloaded and I did not
• notice their absence until the dog
I team was far in the distance. When
II started ahead the snow broke be
! neath my feet and I found myself
floundering between life and death.’
Mr. Maxwell is president of the An
chorage Supply company, a lumber
concern, and he has resided at An
chorage since the town was staked
out three years ago.”