factorial Sketches and Experi
i * ^nces of Trail-Blazers Who Made
Alaska the Empire of the North
PIONEERS OF ALASKA
EDITED BY
CHARLES L. KEMP,
Secretary Anchorage Igloo No. 15.
(Juneau Empire)
To consult with fellow workmen, to
aid in the organization of labor
unions throughout the Alaskan coast,
and to promote closer co-operation
among workingmen of Alaska in gen
eral, Jack Sutherland, secretary of
the Anchorage local of union labor,
arrived in Juneau on the Alameda
and will spend a week in Juneau.
From here he will go to Ketchikan,
Wrangell and Petersburg, then re
turn to Juneau and proceed to Cor
dova.
“I hope to be able to organize
unions at Ketchikan, \\ ranged and
Petersburg,” said Mr. Sutherland.
The Anchorage labor leader is a
young man, and an Alaskan product.
He came to Sitka lid years ago with
'nis parents when he was but a year
and a half old. From there the lam
ily removed to Juneau, and he lived
here for some time. Vi ith his parents
he went to Nome in 1‘JOO. and there
he attended the public schools, sold
newspapers and grew to manhood. He
lived in Juneau for a time, working
at Thane for the Alaska Gastineau
company, and went to Anchorage
^jhree years ago, where he was one ol
' the leaders in the organization of
labor.
While Mr. Sutherland is a strong
advocate of organization among
workingmen, he says he believes that
laboring men should use their heads
and not upset the country. He does
not look for any labor troubles in
Alaska this summer, hut is looking
ronvard to an active season.
Anchorage People Waiting.
“There are 2.000 workingmen wait
ing at Anchorage for the apprqpria
tion for the railroad. There are now
about 000 at work for the Alaskan
Engineering commission.
"Anchorage now has about 4,000
people, including those in the immedi
ate neughborhood, and its welfare de
pends upon getting the appropriation
for the railroad.
"Workingmen are leaving Anchor
age for the states on nearly every
boat that goes south; however, there
are very few of them that are really
hard up. The committee of the union
appointed for that purpose had rais
ed $41,500 for Liberty bonds among
the workingmen.
"In addition to the 900 who are at
work for the railroad commission,
there are 150 men at work at the
government mine at F.ska creek and
##'40 at Chickaloon. They are produc
ing about 60 tons of coal a day at
Eska creek and doing development
^Jvork at Chickaloon.”
Mr. Sutherland is staying at the
Zvnda hotel.
FIFTY SOLDIERS FROM FRANCE
(New York World)
There have been before now throngs
on Broadway, and the clatter ot
marching feet, and cheers and the
blare of bands. But never anything
quite like yesterday’s march of the
fifty men returned from France.
Pale from wounds, or weak from
gassing, or saved from demolished
dugouts, with dented helmets and
not a few decorations from the sister
republic, these men have seen the
war as it is. Thy have come to tell
their neighbors about it. simply, mod
estly, plainly; and to tell why there
is need of help over there, and what
manner of help it should be.
It was a stroke of genius for war
phychology that devised the plan of
gathering up these fifty hoys from
many states and from every part of
\ the long battle line and bringing
them home to tell their story. They
are to ask Americans to back liberal
ly from their bounty the bonds that
shall provide arms and shells to win
this war.
It is little enough that those at
home can do, in comparison with
what these men, schoolboys some of
them, have done and dared and suf
fered.
disgruntled lot.
"I’ve just been dicharged,” said the
rifle gloomily.
,* “I’m going to strike,” said the clock
*with decision.
“I’m working too much,” groaned a
keg of beer in the cellar.
“I’m tired, too,” said the wheel of
the auto that was standing at the gate.
The only thing that seemed to be en
joying itself was the garden hose that
was playing on the lawn.—Baltimore
Evening Transcript.
“MISSOURI BILL”
FEE REACHES END
(Juneau Empire)
William Fee, pioneer of Alaska
since the early ’80s, prospector in
every gold camp in Alaska, Siberian
mining operator, owner of at least
two different mining claims which re
turned fortunes, and general all-round
good fellow, died yesterday morning
at the General Hospital. Death was
1 caused by tuberculosis. Fee at the
I time of his death was 72 years of
age and is survived by three sisters
living in Oklahoma, Texas and Mi«
| souri.
William Fee first came to Alaska
and settled at Juneau, later going
to the interior during the time of the
Dawson inch, later going to Fair
banks, Nome, Siberia and Iditarod.
He returned to Juneau from the latter
place and five years ago settled at
Tenakee where he has been living
since that time. At the time of set
tling at Tenakee, Fee was suffering
from a stroke of paralysis and went
there to recover. He built two hous
es there which he still owns. He al
so has money in the bank and other
property.
Fee was interested in beach mining
at Nome during the early days and he
and his partner cleared $11,000 each
in two months’ work there at one
time. Later he invested in the Siber
ian venture of John Rosene, which
failed to make returns. He later took
out considerable money from a min
ing claim in the Iditarod section.
His sisters have been notified of his
death by wire and the disposition of
the remains will depend on their an
swer. If they desire his remains ship
ped home they will be sent south on
the next boat. If not they will be
buried here under the auspices of the
’87 Pioneers and the Pioneers of
Alaska.
i
•
PIONEER JUNEAU WOMAN
IS CALLED TO REST
_
Mrs. Orlena Price Died This Morning
at the Family Residence on
Salmon Creek Road.
Mrs. Orlena Price, one of the old
est pioneer women of this section,
died this morning at the family res
idence on Salmon creek road at 5
o’clock. Mrs. Price has been serious
ly ill for the past twelve years and
for several years has been confined
to her bed. Private funeral services
will be held from the residence at 2
o’clock Tuesday afternoon, interment
to be in Evergreen cemetery.
Mrs. Price first came to Alaska 26
years ago and for the past nineteen
years has lived on the family home
stead north of Juneau, just outside
the city limits. She was the mother
of six children, live of whom survive
her, as follows: Thomas C. Price, of
Anchorage and member of the third
territorial legislature, Charles D.
Price, of Treadwell; Martin J. W.
Price and John O. K. Price, of Ju
neau, and Mrs. Charles Cragg, of
Juneau.
ARTHUR E. CLARK.
—
Mr. Clark was born in England, in
1874. A mining engineer by profes
sion, he has ben closely in touch with
1 the mining industry of Alaska, since
his advent to the Forty Mile country
in 1894.
During the palmy days of Fairbanks
he was actively engaged in mining in
that vicinity and also on the Kantishna
liver and its tributaries. He was a
member of Fairbanks Igloo, Pioneers
t)f Alaska.
Mr. Clark came to Anchorage in
January of this year. In company
with Prof. H. C. Parker and John Hol
man, he left Anchorage on Sunday for
the Kahlitna river. With headquarters
: at McDougal, he will prospect the
lower river during the summer.
ALASKAN SHOOTS HIS HUN
FROM OUT OF THE AIR
WITH THE AMERICANS, May
17.—American aviators northwest of
Toul downed another German aviator
this morning. No details have been
received. It appears that Lieut. Ed
ward Rickenbacker attacked and shot
one down inside the German lines. On
Wednesday last Captain David Peter
I son, of Pennsylvania, downed a Ger
j man monoplane. Captain Kenneth
! Marr, of California, destroyed a Ger
| man biplane on the same day.
—
IS AN ALASKAN.
SEATTLE, May 17.—Captain Ken
neth Marr is a pioneer of Alaska. He
: prospected around Nome and came
j out a year ago with Scotty Allen.
| Rickenbacker was formerly an auto
j mobile racer. He received the French
j war cross Wednesday for downing a
' German aeroplane a fortnight ago.
DOINGS OF IGLOO NO. 15
The efforts of Pioneers and Pioneei
ladies during the Red Cross resulted
in the donation of $226.60 to the Re<:
Cross fund, $60 of which came through
| cash contributions in the lodge room
1 the balance being the net proceeds oi
i the entertainment and dance given or
; Thursday last. The staking of Nug
! get creek, which was represented b.\
• a long, narrow cake, cut in pieces om
| inch wide, 200 in number, representing
claims, in which were concealed golci
; nuggets, of various size, nugget stick
pins and rings, furnished a fund oi
amusement and excitement to those
I participating.
Mrs. George Osborne was the luck\
winner of the big nugget, a beautifu'
| c.uartz and gold specimen from Wil
low creek. She received a package ol
| “Gold Dust” as a prize. A number oi
' gentlemen “cut” for the prize award
ed to the “biggest poke,” the prize be
ing a miner’s “pick”. Two consolatior
prizes in the form of nugget stick
ALASKA NEWS NOTES
KETCHIKAN, May 25. — T. R
Needham, the pioneer Alaska news
paper man, lias purchased a plant an<
will establish a paper here to b(
known as The Alaska Pioneer, the firsl
i publication to appear July 1. Tin
paper will be published primarily ii
! the interests of the pioneers of Alas
! ka.
Carl Ericksen, aged 55 years, ar
i Alaskan pioneer, was killed by falling
down the shaft of No. 3 below discov
| ery on Little creek, Fairbanks district
April 21. He was survived by twc
sisters, both of Spring Valley, Wis
cousin. He came to Alaska in 1808
I and has resided here since that time.
Ed. Hearn, a pioneer of the Tender
foot country, Fairbanks district, diet
at Fairbanks April 21, aged 55 years
He is survived by his wife who is a'
the president at San Francisco. Hearr
! and his wife were pioneer Alaskans
and the members of Fairbanks Igo<
1 attended the funeral in a body.
Word received at Fairbanks is thal
Thomas A. McGowan, for many year;
chief counsellor for the Northern Com
| mercial company, will never return t(
. Alaska.
P. J. Rickerts of Fairbanks claim;
to be the champion hard luck man, foi
on his recent trip throVgi the state;
here was his hard luck record: Be
twen Cordova and Seattle he was i?
two steamship wrecks, on the trip eas'
he hit a horse and killed it, in Illinois
locomotive broke down in Misouri
snowbound for 25 hours in Iowa anc
the train he was on hit a man am
j killed him in Arizona.
The first cleanup in the Klondike
occurred early this month, and all the
j indications are that the gold outpu
: for that region will exceed that o
; last year, which was $3,650,000.
The Pioneer Packing company i:
now in full operation at Cordova. The
| plant has been electrified and a con
I veyor 170 feet long lands the claim;
from the cannery with a capacity fo
live tons an hour. A large force i;
employed by the company.
ALASKA WILL BE
BENEFITED BY MEASURI
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 29.
The house and public lands conimittei
has adopted the favorable report 01
the administration’s oil leasing bill
after eliminating the section author
izing the president to take over th<
interests of those engaged in pros
pecting on the public domain when
ever the public interest desired it.
The measure authorizes the exploit
ation of coal, gas and oil. Excluding
the coal provision, the measure ap
i plies to public lands in Alaska.
The Alaska features of the bill am
its general purposes were agreed t<
last month at the time when Chair
man Scott Ferris was directed to pre
pare a favorable report on the bill.
The report as prepared and adopt
i ed by the committee says Alaska was
given liberal provisions in the oil de
velopment because of lack of markets
climatic conditions, transportatioi
difficulties and other obstacles oi
the far-off territory.
Read the Anchorage Tmes.
pins were awarded. Special mention
and thanks are due to those contribut
ing to the success of the evening by
donations. The following persons do
nated nuggets, Mr. Chas. Brown, Mr.
Geo. Osborne, Mr. Fred Carlquist, Mr
Nichols, Mr. Sidney Anderson, of the
Bank of Anchorage, Mr. E. B. Ansley
of the Bank of Alaska; Col. A. M
Barnes, Miss Eversole, Mr. A. G.
Thompson, Miss Una Korth, Mr. Lan
ders, Mrs. Ben Levin and Mrs. Wil
bur Ward. A wolverine fur was do
nated by Mr. John Thompson, and
brought $35.50. A Red Cross cake
was given by Mrs. A. L. Burns which
was auctioned off and brought $9.50.
Mr. John Meyer, of the North Pole
Bakery, donated the paystreak cake,
j Mr. Taylor of tho Inlet Soda Works,
donated the soda pop.
Dan Ryan and Arthur E. Clark
were enrolled as members of the
Pioneers at the meeting held Friday,
the 24th.
THE HIGHEST PEAK ON THE
CONTINENT lS MT. McKINI.E5
—
SEATTLE, Wash. — “Mount Mc
Kinley National Park” will read a
! sign to be painted in the not very dis
tant future on a station to be built on
the railroad the United States gov
; eminent is building in Alaska. Once
railroad communication is established
with this newest and probably wildest
national playground, hundreds of
1 tourists will visit the place, it is ex
pected.
The hand of man has done very lit
tle in the Mount McKinley park. There
are no hotels, very few trails, and only
two or three ways of reaching it. At
present it can be reached overland
from Fairbanks or by steamboat on
the rapid Susitna river.
The highest peak on the continent
Mount McKinley, 20,300 feet, shoul
ders its way skyward in the center of
the park. Glaciers of enormous bulk
cover the south side of the mountain
while the north slope is dotted with
lakes and forests inhabited by great
herds of bighorn sheep, moose, caribou
and deer. The huge Alaska bear is
also native to the park. The annual
snowfall at some places on the south
side of the park is sixty feet.
Mount McKinley park lies in the
heart of the almost impassable Alas
kan mountain range, which rises be
tween the interior and the southwest
ern coast. The park was established by
congress February 2(5, 1917, and cov
ers an area of 2,200 square miles. It
is the second largest of the national
parks.
The report of the director of na
tional parks says the park was estab
lished as a refuge and breeding
ground for the conservation of Alaska
big game against the inroads which
may be expected upon the completion
of the new Alaska railroad.
I TEARING UP NOME RAILROAD.
I Nome Industrial Worker: Billy
• I Rowe a few men and a four-horse
l I team leave shortly for Solomon to fix
| camp preparatory to taking up of the
I Solomon and Casadepagna railroad
track. The length of the road from
Dickson, near the mouth of Solomon
, river, to Penelope creek, a tributary
, of the Casadepagna river, is between
32 and 35 miles. The rails will be
taken up and hauled to a convenient
| place near the beach ready for ship
i ment to the outside next summer.
: Whatever ties are loose will also be
taken up, but it is expected that most
? of them will be found frozen to the
tundra. The taking up of the track
will work a hardship next summer in
conveying supplies to the Goose and
Canyon creek dredges. These are the
only two dredges which were in opera
tion in the Casa country during the
, past season.
Approximate opening of navigation
on the \ukon from Whitehorse will be
with the steamers Casca and Yukon
! leaving that port on June 10 for Daw
1 son and Fairbanks respectively.
’ These boats will be followed on the
111th by the steamer Whitehorse,
': which will connect at Dawson with the
steamer Tanana for points on the
river to St. Michaels. The next sail
ing will then be the steamer Dawson
on June 13, to be followed by the
’ steamers Alaska and Selkirk for Fair
banks and Dawson respectively.
I A full set of White Pass and Yukon
1! freight and passenger tariffs is on file
1 in the Canadian Pacific Railway of
fice here and rates and all other par
ticulars can be given at any time.
NO JOKE.
“The trouble with hotels is that they
,! lack the comforts of a home,” said
1 Smith.
“Well” replied Jones “there are a
lot of homes that would welcome some
of the comforts of a hotel,”
EDWARD HEARN LAID AT
REST; MANY ATTEND
At the undertaking parlors yester
day afternoon at 2:30 was held the
funeral service of Edward Hearn, the
Tenderfoot mining man who recently
j passed away. The parlors were filled
with those who attended to pay their
last respects to a pioneer of the north.
The funeral was in charge of Igloo No.
4, Pioneers of Alaska, and Rev. H. II.
Lumpkin delivered the funeral serv
ices.
A quartet composed of Rev. H. H.
Lumpkin, L. R. Gillette, M. O. Carlson
and R. W. Taylor rendered hymns, i
Following the services the remains
were taken to the Fairbanks cemetery
for interment, attended by a large
number of friends.
The deceased was an oldtimer in the
country, being well known in the Daw
son district during the early days. For
the past twelve years he has associat- j
ed himself with the mining game in
the Tanana valley, locating at Tender
foot, where he carried on extensive op
erations. By his death the community j
loses a man of sterling worth and
whose business integrity was above re- j
preach.
He was born in the state of Mis
sissippi in the year 1868. Leaving
his home state, he went to Colorado
and in 1896 was married there. Short
ly after his marriage he answered the
call of the north, and since that time
has been a resident of Alaska or the
Yukon country.
Surviving him are his wife, who is
in Fairbanks, a father who resides in
Arkansa, and a number of brothers
and sisters in Buffalo, Missouri.
ESKIMOS AKE PATRIOTIC.
TELLER, Alaska, May 4.—The Es
kimo is in the war with both feet.
The men are proffering their lives.
The women, what is equally preci
ous to them—their hair.
This is the word which has come
in from the icy barrens around Cape
Prince of Wales, north of Nome.
The fact that the native Alaskan is
exempt from draft regulations is not
a cause for rejoicing, but one for la
mentation of this sturdy folk of the
Arctic.
j Obliak, Adlowaluk and other cheif
tains have sent word to Great White
Father Wilson pleading that they be
permitted to do their part in the
conflict.
Beauty Offers Her Hair.
And Nowadluk, reigning beauty of
the midnight land, has spoken for her
sex, volunteering a sacrifice which
only the elemental woman can appre
| ciate.
j She offered her crowning glory—
! the most magnificent head of hair in
I the Cape Prince of Wales region— to
raise funds for the Red Cross.
But the Eskimo chiefs decided that
Nowadluk, shorn of her raven tres
ses, would prove “bad medicine” for
the fighting men of Alaska. They held,
consultation with the young men and
conceived a plan whereby the patri- \
otic beauty and her tribal sisters
might retain their hair and still serve j
1 the cause of embattled democracy.
It was decided to hold a great fair;
where the belles of many villages j
might gather in a beauty competition.;
The men are to pay handsomely in
reindeer, furs and other treasure for
i the privilege of championing their fa
vorites. And the funds thus gathered j
will be turned over to the Red Cross, i
The fair will be held as soon as the j
weather clears sufficiently.
Eskimo Beau Brummels of their
respective villages are placing high j
wagers on the outcome, and more than j
$1,000 in furs is already backing
| Nowadluk to carry off the honors, j
These bets also are to go into the Red '
Cross funds. /
News of the war has been carried |
into the remote districts of the Arctic !
by hunters, trappers, mail carriers and
missionaries. It was thus the Eskimo
learned of the service, sacrifice and
death demanded in stopping the on
slaught of the barbarious Hun. The
natives, thrilled by news of the distant
struggle, have demanded participation.
They are now awaiting word from
Great White Father Wilson—ready to
do their uttermost when needed.
RUMOR OF RUPTURE
DENIED BY CUBANS
HAVANA, May 28.—The Cuban
state department today dispatched a
circular cablegram to Cuban diplomats
in all foreign countries advising them
that relations between Cuba and Mex
ico had not been broken, as reported.
FARRAGUT FOR ANCHORAGE.
SEATTLE, May 28.—The steamer
Farragut sailed for Anchorage and
way ports at 10 o’clock this forenoon.
Passengers for Anchorage are Mrs.
Elmer Fraisse, Miss Francis Duncan,
Mrs. C. Rice and Kirkland A. Long.
HUNT’S JOB
JUNEAU, May 28.—Judge John J.
Finnegan, of Seward, has been ap
pointed by Governor Thomas Riggs,
jr.» to the position of executive officer
of the governor’s office. He succeeds
Captain John T. Hunt. The position
carries with it the title of captain.
Finnegan is a member of the law firm
of Morford & Finnegan. He was for
merly United States commissioner at
that place, and later was commission
er in the Chisana district.
Captain Finnegan will arrive in Ju
neau on the next boat from Seward.
He has been a resident of Alaska for
many years, is married and is regard
ed wherever known as a man of fine
abilites and the highest integrity. He
is a good lawyer, has had a great deal
of executive experience and is a man
of sound judgment. He spent last win
ter in Washington as the official rep
resentative of the Seward Chamber of
Commerce.
Before offering the position to
Judge Finnegan, Gov. Riggs announc
ed that he would not regard politics
as a qualification for this position. The
new army officer is a republican.
The announcement of the selection
of Judge Finnegan was well received
here where he has many friends.
MAIL STATION CARRIED
AWAY BY THE ICE
Much Damage Caused at Number of
Points on Yukon When Ice
Went Out.
SKAGWAY, May 17.—Reports re
ceived from points along the Yukon
river show that much damage was
caused by the ice break-up last Sat
urday at places other than around
Dawson. The Skagway Alaskan, of
May 14 says:
At 7 o’clock Sunday evening the
Dominion telegraph operator station
ed at Yukon Crossing, a point on the
Yukon river, cut in on the wire at a
point about nine miles south of the
station and reported that a huge ice
jam had carried away the White Pass
& Yukon route mail service station
located there, as well as practically
obliterating all traces of any way sta
tion whatsoever.
At the same time the stable was
carried away, ten horses which were
in it were also swept off by the enor
mous mass of ice, and the other con
tents of the building, which was
known to contain a large supply of
feed, two stage sleds and one thoi'
ough-brace coach, besides horness and
other supplies. The ferry was also
swept away as was the old telegraph
station, the R. N. W. M. police post
and three miles of the Dominion tele
graph line.
At the time that the ice jam broke
and was swept down river past the
Crossing, Yukon Councillors Johnson
and Phelps, Jack Turner and Dr.
Turnbull, who were southbound pas
sengers on a stage, Ermie, Burwash,
driver, were at the Yukon Crossing
roadhouse and it was only due to
their quick action in seeking places of
safety that their lives were saved.
All their baggage was lost, but the
mail which was on the stage is re
ported saved.
Reports received here from lower
river points state that considerable
damage was done by ice together with
the high water at Dawson, Tanana,
Fairbanks and Nenana. At the latter
place the White Pass is said to have
lost a large barge.
It is said by eye-witnesses that the
ice was carried along by the water
and at some places in tremendous
masses it was more than twenty feet
high.
NOYES AFTER JOSLIN.
LOS ANGELES, May 28.—F. G.
Noyes, receiver for the defunct Wash
ington-Alaska bank at Fairbanks, has
just instituted a suit in the federal
court here to recover four hundred
and nine thousand dollars against Fal
con Joslin, promoter and former presi
dent of the Tanana Valley railroad,
and John Schram and W. H. Parson,
Joslin’s associates and other Seattle
men, whom he holds are all respon
sible for the failure of the bank.
A STUDENT.
“He’s a great student of the war.”
“That so?”
“Yes. He:s even taken the trouble
to go to the dictionary and find out
what the word -debacle’ means. Fve
always been going to do it but some
how or other never have.”