Historial Sketches and Experi
ences of Trail-Blazers Who Made
Alaska the Empire of the North
EDITED BY
JOHN W. FRAME
President Anchorage Igloo No. 15
WRITES OF LIFE
mm zone
PERCY BLANCHFIELD, WITH
CANADIAN FORCES, TELLS OF
MUD AND WET WEATHER.
FRENCH GIRLS NOT VERY SHY
Soldiers Are Kept Busy and Incidents
Are Repeated in Connection With
Observation Balloons on Front Line
of Trenches.
Writing from “Somewhere in
France”, Percy Blanchfield, formerly
of Fairbanks, and now a soldier with
the Canadian expeditionary force, tells j
of his experiences to his friend, George 1
Hering, also of Fairbanks. The letter j
according to the Fairbanks News-Min
er follows:
“Just a line to let you know that I
am still in this world of trials and tri
bulations, and to tell you some of the
joys of soldiering in sunny France.
They call it sunny because it rains
only six days in the week, and
the sun roasts you on the seventh.
“I am writing this letter at a time
when I ought to be cleaning my
clothes, which are covered wtih this
delightful French mud. The mud here
is a great friend. It will never desert
you. If it wasn’t for it and the in
sects, etc., I believe 1 would be lonely.
“I have been in France now a trifle
over three months, and while I cannot
say that it has been the happiest time
of my life, still 1 have had some in
teresting experiences. Just at pres
ent we are in reserve and are having
a comparatively easy time of it. You
never rest over here and this is the
closest approach to it 1 have had yet.
While here we form working parties,
to dig trenches, carry supplies to the
front lines, etc., and if you are lucky
enough to be out in the day time, you
will be able to have a fairly good rest.
If you have to work at night though,
it is not very pleasant. Today I have
been on a party preparing a support
♦ trench for winter use, lining the sides
with a sort of thatching to prevent
caveins, and putting trench mats in
the bottom to walk on.
Many Observation Balloons.
“While I am writing this letter out
side my dug-out, there are a number
of bur observation balloons up around
here, and old Heinie has just shelled
one of them so much that the two oc
cupants have just jumped out in a
parachute. They reached the ground
all right. I imagine that would be an
interesting experience, coming down in
a parachute from a balloon a thousand
feet up in the air. They shell our hal
loo s pretty steadily, and so do we
theirs, and it is not altogether an un
common sight to see the observers
cor ng down in parachutes. Today 1
witnessed an aeroplane light between
an English and a German plane. The
German was driven down in back of
our front line. This is an exciting
game. I tried to get into the flying
corps in England but there were
thousands of others wanting the same
thing, and I was out of luck.
Life Father Monotonous.
“Life here gets rather monotonous
as there is so much sameness . When
we are in the line, it is exciting
enough, and no pleasure at any time
especially during wet weather, when
there is a couple of feet of mud and
water in the trenches. When we are
out on what is called rest i. e., a
change, after the day’s work is finish
ed, there is hardly anywhere to go for
recreation except the Y. M. C. A.
where you can see pictures about ten
years old, and, occasionally, they pro
vide some very good concerts. If it was
not for the Y. M. C. A. life would be
very dull indeed.
“The French villages up in this p?;t
of the country offer but little diver
v sion. About the only thing you can get
is drinks. The streets, if they can be
called streets, are very dirty, and
things in general are not what you
would call : itu < five. However, you
cannot expect 'o have a city at your
back door. A fellow can have some
fur. trying to talk to the French girls,
who, as a rule, are not very shy.
“I am trying to transfer to the Am
erican expeditionary force that is over
here, but I am doubtful whether I will
be able to make it.”
IN MEMORY OF P. S. HUNT.
WHERAS Divine Providence, in
Its Infinite wisdom, has seen fit to re
move form this earthly sphere of ac
tion our esteemed and respected friend
and brother, P. S. Hunt, a pioneer of
the Territory of Alaska, and a man
who exemplified in his life and conduct
the best and strongest characteristics
of the race of men who found Alaska a
wilderness and transformed it into a
home;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RE
SOLVED: That wre, the members of
Igloo No. 7, Pioneers of Alaska, do
hereby express a deep sense of loss in
the death of our departed friend, and
do hereby extend our heartfelt
sympathy to the bereaved widow and
children of the deceased in their day
or sorrow for a beloved husband and
father.
Unanimously adopted at a meeting
of Igloo No. 7, Pioneers of Alaska
held at Valdez, Alaska, on the 24t!i
day of October, 1917.
T. H. HUNT,
CHAS. N. SCHLOSSER,
O. P. HUBBARD,
Committee on Resolutions.
Attest:
J. C. DIERINGER, President.
J. G. SNYDER, Recording Secy.
CLAIM OF TITLE RUNS TO 186*
BEFORE AMERICA BECAME
OWNER OF NORTHLAND.
LAND IS AT ANNUK RIVET
Easterner Sends Document to Clerk o!
Court at Fairbanks to Have it Re
corded and it Will Be Referred t<
Washington.
_
From Alfonzo R. Kendall, of New
York, the clerk of court at Fairbanks
! has received a deed, which he is aske(
to record. The deed is from Christoph
er W. Youngman and Mary E. Young
man to Alfonzo R. Kendall and pur
ports to transfer to the grantee abou'
i 2,000 acres of land on the lower Yu
kon. The document is interesting, de
| dares the Fairbanks News-Miner ii
j that the description of the property
j says it was first conveyed to Andrev
Kossatzki by Shaman Peter Invan
ovich in 1862, or five years before tin
! United States purchased Alaska.
Just what rights Kendall securec
by the deed given him by the Young
mans cannot be ascertained in Fair
banks, but if Ivanovich ever secured ;
grant from the Russian government
it is possible that Kendall may, ii
time, be able to secure obsolute title.
Will Go to Washington.
The matter probably will be refer
red to the secretary of the interior fo
investigation.
The description of the property a:
given in the deed is rather interest
ing. It reads:
“All the land beginning at the wes
bank of the Annuk river where it en
ters into the Yukon, or Yunan river
run thence on the north bank of th<
\ ukon river in a northerly directioi
243,270 feet to a point; thence east
erly on a line parallel to the northerly
line of the whole tract of land, o:
which this is a part, twenty (20'
versts more or less to the easterly lin<
of said whole tract, thence southed;
at right angles to said last line alonj
the easterly line of said tract twelvi
hundred (1200) feet, thence running
westerly at right angles with said las
DOINGS OF IGLOO NO. 15
The meeting of the Pioneers on Fri
day evening last was well attended.
Four new members were initiated.
Brother Sam McMelan made applica
tion for a life membership and the
rules being suspended, he was unani
mously elected a life member.
A number of the members who were
going out on the next steamer bid the
brothers au revoir, and promised to
; be back in the spring. The trustees
were instructed to arrange the club
room for occupancy as soon as possible
and Brother Kemp is now busy mak
ing tables, securing chairs, and such
other articles of furniture as will be
for the comfort of the members. It
is expected that the electric current
will be turned on to the building in
about a week. The Alaska travels of
the new members cannot appear until
next week, owing to circumstances
over which we have no control.
COLD WINTER AHEAD.
Stroller White of the Douglas News,
has had an interview with “Ham
strung James,” a “pioneer” of that lo
cality, concerning the coming on of
: winter weather. After giving the j
Stroller some of the history of his life,;
explanatory of his efficiency to judge
of the future climatically, he says:
j “All indications point to a hard win
ter. Blue grouse have more feathers!
on their toes than for sixty-two years;
j willow buds are concealed beneath
; four layers of fibre where but two is
|
i usual; there is a biting tinge in the
north wind two weeks earlier than for
forty-nine years and the ghosts of my j
: fathers that visit me in my slumber I
warn me, in case I contemplate matri
i mony, to get a fat one. I have spoken.”
___
A PIONEER GONE TO THE FRONT
Senator Dan Sutherland of the
Fourth Judicial Division and a mem- ;
her of the territorial legislature, has j
been appointed commander of a Unit-,
ed States navy submarine chaser. He j
already has papers as a deep sea navi- j
gator.
ALL WANT THE OLD PIONEER.
A petition for Governor Strong’s re
appointment was circulated in Wrang
ell last week. Ninety names of rep
resentative citizens were secured be
fore the petition was mailed to the
president.—Wrangell Sentinel.
Wrangell is one of the oldest towns
in Alaska and if you want to get the
real Alaska sentiment ascertain the
opinion of the stury Alaskans around
Wrangell and other Alaskan towns
where they reside.
PIONEER LEAVES ALASKA?
Mrs. May Wheeler and eight chil
dren left Skagway recently for Seat
tle where Mr. Wheeler has a position
as engineer on the Northern Pacific.
Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have lived in
Skagway for 18 years continuously.
None of the children have ever seen a
street car and the many attractions
of a big city. Mr. Wheeler until re
cently was an engineer on the White
Pass. They expect to make their home
in Seattle for an indefinite period.
line and parallel with the northerly
line of said tract twenty (20) versts
more or less to the bank of the Yukon
river, thence northerly along the bank
of the Yukon river twelve hundred
i (1200) feet more or less to the place
of beginning, being a part of a tract
of land heretofore conveyed by An
drew Kossatzki to Frederick Th. Strit- i
ter and recorded in ‘Book No. 2 pages i
! 293 and 294 of Official Records of
Alaska, described as follows:
“Beginning at the west bank of the]
Anuk river, where it enters into the l
, Yukon, or Yunan river, then on the
north bank of the Yukon river in a j
northerly direction 80 versts, then at
■ right angles with the Yukon river in
i an easterly direction 20 versts, then
at right angles with the last line and
in line with the river Yukon to the1
west bank of the Annuk river, then
; down the west bank to the Yukon
1 river, bought by me in A. D. 1862,
from Shaman Peter Ivanovich. This
• deed conveys two thousand acres
• (2,000) more or less.”
GENERAL GREENE, OF AMERI
CAN LAKE, SAYS SYNDICATE
OPERATES WITH 2,300 WOMEN.
INSISTS ON QUICK CLEAN-UP
Military Commander Declares Unless
Conditions Are Remedied Soldiers
Will Not Be Permited to Visit Puget
Sound City.
SEATTLE, Oct. 29.—Mayor Hiram
C. Gill, of Seattle, declines to answer
; to the charges preferred yesterday by
- General Greene, commander at the
, American Lake military cantonment,
: near Tacoma, that a vice syndicate,
i using 2,300 women, exists in Seattle,
■ and that it preys on soldiers from the
r cantonment visiting Seattle.
: General Greene says that unless the
| evil is crushed, he will prohibit the
? troops from visiting this city.
i Mayor Gill, recently declared that
' Seattle is no worse than other large
; American cities, but promised to in
; augurate a thorough clean-up cam
t paign.
BUILDING WILL NOT BE ERECT
ED NOW FOR HOME GUARDS
AND LOYAL LEAGUE.
ROB ARTS’ HALL IS FAVORED
Governor of Territory Sends Letter
Elaborating on His Telegram Rela
tive to Public Funds Available fgor
Barracks Here.
Representatives of the home guards
and the loyal league, after carefully
considering proposals regarding a
place to di’ill and keep their equip
ment, have concluded to rent quarters
for the present, rather than to under
take immediately the erection of a
building. Committees of the two or
ganizations have several places in
view, with most of the members favor
ing Robarts’ hall if satisfactory ar
rangements can be made to rent it.
According to present plans, premises
are wanted for two nights a week, so
each organization would have one
night weekly to drill, and the rental of
the premises would be negotiated now
for only a month. Before the explica
tion of the month, it is expected, a de
finite determination will have been
reached whether to co-operate in the
erection of a barracks building.
No public funds are available for
the construction of a building, but
$100 will be allowed from the terri
torial treasury for . the rental of a
place. The suggestion has been made
that a party of business men might or
ganize a company to erect a building
for rent to the volunteer military or
ganizations.
The idea was entertained some
weeks ago that Governor J. F. A.
Strong could authorize the erection of
a barracks here from a “defense fund”
provided by the last legislature. A
query relative to the matter was sent
him by cable and he replied that no
public money could be used in the con
struction of a building but that $100
was available for the rental of mili
tary quarters here.
A letter from the governor in ex
planation of his reply and of the law
PIONEER VETERANS
OF CIVIL WAR
_ I
There is in London a society of Civil
War Veterans. Since the United States
enterd the war a prominent part has
been taken in all American war activi
ties by these old veterans. The so
ciety now numbers only thirty mem
bers of whom all are over 70 years old
age and several are more than 80.
They have their headquarters in an old
office building near London Bridge,
where they hold weekly meetings.
Despite the age of the members they
always march afoot to the American
functions, such as the recent opening
of the lied Cross hut in the Strand,
with the Stars and Stripes at then
front, and a bunting banner along side
proclaiming “U. S. Civil War Veter
ans, Not For Ourselves But For Our
Country.”
ANOTHER PIONEER GOES BACK.
Gene Smith, of Skagway, and fam-,
ily, were pasengers recently for Seat
tle from where they will go to Sedro-1
Wooley. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were
| pioneers in Skagway having made their
| home there for more than 20 years,
! and reared their children there, two
boys and one girl. It is understood
| that the Smiths expect to make then
| home permanently in Sedro-Wooley.
AN ALASKA PIONEER.
|
Ed S. Orr, founder of the Orr stage
line between Valdez and Fairbanks,and
at one time republican candidate for
delegate to congress from Alaska, is
now one of the county commissioners!
of Lewis county, Washington. Mr.!
Orr is one of Alaska’s distinguished
pioneers.
, on the subject has just been received 1
by the Anchorage Chamber of Com-1
; merce, the home guards and the loyal1
, league. The letter follows:
I “I wired you recently as follows:
l “Your telegram second. This office
j has no authority appropriate territor
I ial funds for purposes mentioned. Rea
sonable amount money for rental pur
poses for limited time available.
“In elaboration of the above state-;
ment, I have to advise you that while
the territorial legislature made one i
i appropriation of $10,000 and another j
of $100,000 for defense purposes, no i
portion of those sums is available for'
the building of armories, as money on!
this account would have to be speci
fically appropriated by the legislature.
“The $10,000 appropriation or such
portion of it as is yet available, may
be used, in my opinion, for rental pur- ;
poses to a limited amount. Should j’ou!
desire to avail yourself of money fori
renting a hall or other suitable build-;
ing for drilling purposes, a monthly j
appropriation, not to exceed $100, will
be allowed, but not for any definite
time.”
OLD MEN FOR COUNCIL.
Those who opine that the Pioneers
of Alaska are a “Royal Order of Old
Stiffs,” who are “here because they
are here,” should remember that
Prince Blucher was near eighty when
he joined forces with Wellington at
Waterloo to accomplish the defeat of
Napoleon; that the great field marshal
von Moltke, was in his seventies when
he won the FrancoPrussian war; and
that Lord Roberts was seventy when
he was sent to South Africa to retrieve
the losses sustained by the British and
turn the tide against the Boers. Also
that in the present war Field Marshal
von Hindenburg was called out of re
tirement and is now in his seventieth
year directing the gigantic operations
of all the German armies; that Field
Marshal Joffre was an old man when
he turned the Germans back at the
Marne; and that the brilliant Italian
comander, Cadorna, just recently
celebrated his seventieth birthday.
VETERAN PASSES AWAY.
One of the few remaining leaves
on the Civil War Veteran tree fell to
earth at Valdez last week when Henry
M. Delano died. For four years he
carried the Stars and Stripes through
out the rebellion. He was one of the
early arivals in the north and was
widely known. He was an honorary
member of the Pioneers of Alaska, be
stowed upon him by the Valdez Igloo
of Pioneers for his distinction as a sol
dier and his nobleness as a man among
men. At the time of his death ho was
76 years of age, and was still able to do
daily work. The funeral services were
held at Valdez under the auspices of
Igloo No. 7, Pioneers of Alaska.
Holland Wants Airships.
THE HAGUE, Oct. 30.—The Neth
erlands government today submitted
to the second chamber a bill appro
priating 6,700,000 florins for the ex
tension of the Netherlands’ naval
air service.
Ihl Sitka Hot Springs
These springs are five in
number and one of the old land
marks of Alaska. The Russians
had a hospital there in 1841,
where they sent patients with
diseases of the skin and consti
tutional blood disorders.
The temperature averages
145 degrees Fahrenheit at the
Spring. The baths are effica
cious for rheumatism, stomach
and liver troubles, kidney and
bladder diseases, and for consti
tutional disorders.
These springs are in charge
of Dr. F. L. Goddard. The
terms for room, board, and
baths, $2 a day and up. Cabins,
$7.50 per month and up, includ
ing furnishings, except bed
ding. ADDRESS
F. L. GODDARD, M. D.,
SANITARIUM, : ALASKA
American Savings Bank & Trust Co.
AMERICAN BANK BUILDING
Second Avenue at Madison Street, Seattle, Wash.
us.
CAPITAL AND SURPLUS .$ 700.000.00
RESOURCES . 3,">00.000.00
Protection to depositors 156 per cent, the highest of any Seattle
bank as decided in a recent publicity contest entitled “Can You Tell
How Strong a Bank Is.”
We know your needs and can serve you.
Send us your savings by mail.
We Pay 4 Per Cent Compounded Semi-Annually
Signature card and pass book will be mailed upon request. Write
J. A. Murray—Chairman of Board. B. B. Luten—Sec. and Trust Officer
J. P. Gleason—President. John K. Bush—Cashier
George B. Baker—Vice-President. A. T. Drew—Assistant Cashier.
1 ENJOY YOURSELF1
At The
TEMPLE ROLLER RINK |
AND GET YOUR SHARE
OF THIS HEALTH-BUILDING EXERCISE.
Open Every Afternoon and Evening. ||
2:30 to 5 P. M. - - - 7:30 to 10 P. M.