VALDEZ IS OPENING
NEW TRAIL TO INLET
VALDEZ, Dec. 8.—In an effort to
secure a part of the anticipated
heavy passenger travel from the
coast to Anchorage and other places
in the Knik arm country, the com
mercial interests of Valdez have
raised a substantial fund for the
staking of a trail leading from Port
age bay to mile ti4 on the Alaska
Northern railway line. A party of
men are now on the job.
If is the claim of Valdez that the
Portage bay route is much more
easily accomplished than the Seward
route to this point on the railway
line, because it eliminates the two
summits.
The passenger steamers will call
at Portage bay, and launches will
a\so run between that point and
Valdez.
ANCHORAGE LOOKS
BEST TO OLD-TIMER
tlditarod Pioneer.)
in a letter to the Pioneer, llenuett
T. James, the well-known mining
iico, who now is located at Seward,
says that indications point to An
chorage becoming the better town of
the two. It undoubtedly will be. he
says, if they are aide to make a har
bor there.
•'This part of the country looks
like a coiner,” continues the letter,
"although almost universally low
grade. both in placer and lode. Some
good and some bad reports come
from the Broad Pass region. So the
answer is—more development.”
Mr. James expects to visit Iditarod
early next spring.
KILLING OF -ViriOLS IMKiS
AUTHORIZED BY STATUTE
An act passed by the last legisla
ture authorizes killing of vicious
dogs under certain conditions,
which 1* herewith reproduced for
the information of the public:
■‘It shall be lawful for any person
at any time to kill any vicious or
mad dog found running at large. .
"Any dog which, when unpro
voked, has ever bitten or attacked
a human being shall be deemed vi
cious.
“Whenever any dog habitually an
noys reindeer, sheep. cattle or
horses, or domestic animals or do
mestic fowls, or evinces a disposi
tion which renders it likely that it
will without provocation bite such
animals brfowls, it shall be lawful
for any person to kill such dog,
when at large: Provided, however,
that the owner or keeper of such
dog, if known, shall be notified and
given reasonable opportunity to re
strain such dog before it shall be-1
come lawful to kill it under the pro
vision sof this section. ’
MAW IMPROVEMENTS IN
WILLOW CRF.BK DISTRICT
All of the producing mines in the i
Willow creek mining camp are doing;
development work this winter, block-j
ing out ore for the mills, which run j
only while water is available for mo-1
tive power. Two mills are being j
hauled over the snow from Knik to)
the properties on which they will be j
installed early next year. The Gold j
Bullion Mine Company during the
past season encountered rich new
leads, which promise a highly protit
able return. One of the mills will
be placed on the Mabel property,
while the other will be installed on
the Brooklyn Development Com
pany's claims, which are being mined
under a long-time lease by the Gold
Bullion people.
Ml’SHKRS LEAVE TODAY
FOR VARIOUS PLACES
(From Thursday's uaily.)
Captain Austen Lathrop, Fred
Tracy, Ray C. Larson, George Fow
ler, Frank .1. Cotter and Col. Revell
departed today enroute to Seward.
T^athrop and Tracy go to Cordova:
Larson goes to Seattle on a brief
business trip; Fowler goes to Ev
erett for the remainder of the win
ter, and Cotter and Revell go to
Seward.
The party is going via Revell's ex
press and passenger service. Two
double-endera, with passengers and
mail, departed at 8 o’clock this
morning, and two dog teams depart
ed at 1 o’clock.
The Iditarod mail reached here at
9 o’clock this forenoon, and was
taken on its way to Seward by Re
vell.
The Anchorage mail will reach
here about 1 o’clock tomorrow af
ternoon, accord-ng to information
received here.
The papers are poking fun at an
Iditarod schoolma’am because she
writes poetry and teaches school.
After reading some of thte effusions
emanated by poetic aspirants, it is a
source of wonderment that poetry
and brains can occupy tbe same
craoittu—-Vaide* Miser.
TILLICUM CLUB
TRUSTEES ARRESTED
VALDEZ, Dec. 8.—A sensation in
Iccai affairs is created by the arrest,
on bench warrants, of Sam Blum,
James Lathrop, James Fish, J. 6.
Martin and Lieutenant Kitnzig, of
the Alaska Road Commission, trus
tees of the Tillicum Club, who are
charged with selling liquor without
a license. Fish, Martin and Kunzig
are out on bonds in the sum of one
thousand dollars. Blum and Lath
rop are outside, but will be brought
back for trial.
The arrest is the outgrowth of the
bitter internecine fight that has been
waging for years past between two
factions in Valdez.
CHAMBER HOLDS AN
INTERESTING SESSION
(From Wednesday’s Daily.)
At an enthusiastic and well-at
tended meeting of the Chamber ol
Commerce, last night, much business
of importance was taken up for con
sideration.
In the matter of trail repair work,
on the road between Anchorage and
Seward, a resolution went through
with a rush urging the Alaska road
commission to expend the sum of
$2,500, in order to put the trail in
passable shape, it was pointed out
by those familiar with the trail that
tlie repair was urgently needed for
the benefit of mushers coming and
going, and the Chamber placed itself
on record as heartily in favor of
doing all it can to lighten the bur
den of those who may come to or
depart from Anchorage. A commit
tee consisting of Capta'n Lathrop,
• M. Campbell, Ray C. Larson a
Frank J. Cotter, who are leaving
soon for Seward, will attend to the
matter and likewise take it up with
the Seward Commercial Club for
similar action.
The Chamber also placed Itself on
record as being in favor of harmony
between Anchorage and Seward, and
the same committee will likewise act
as representatives from Anchorage
in an effort to bring about this de
sirable end.
One of the most important mat
ters that came up for consideration
wag the getting out of a folder, deal
ing comprehensively with Anchorage
and the resources contiguous to this
town. Hundreds of requests for in
formation are being received, and it
is felt that a folder of the size that
may be put in a large envelope
.Mould be the most advantageous for
the purpose. A committee was
named, with power to act.
SOIKIXHGHS WIN
OVER ELKS’ TEAM
(From Tuesday's Daily.)
The Elks' team and the Sourdough
team contested in the tournament on
the alleys at the Robarts’ Hilliard
and Bowling Parlors Saturday night,
the victory going to the Sourdoughs.
.The teams played three games each,
the aggregate score being given in
the table which follows:
ELKS.
C. W. Bush.. 122 147 156—425
W. T. N’ormile 111 91 128—330
J. R. Rock... 112 119 150—381
Bush’s average.141 2-3
Normlle's average . 110
Rock's average. 127
SOl'RDO t’GHS.
F. .I. Cotter. . 128 149 125—402'
J. E. Robarts. 123 1 51 1 24—398
IV. Blanton. . 1 48 220 166—684
Cotter's average.134
Robart’s average . 13$
Blanton's average . 178
High score, W. Blanton, 220.
TOTAL PINS.
Sourdoughs . 1334,
ElkR . 1136 i
Knik, the enterprising community ;
that never does things by halves,
proposes to observe the New Year by
giving a grand masquerade ball in
the evening before the new year rolls'
around. An active committee haB j
taken hold of the matter, and the!
indications are that It will be the;
biggest event of the kind ever pulled
off in Knik. There are lots of peo
ple wintering at Knik, and condi
tions are about the . line as usual.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8—Congress
convened yesterday at 12 o’clock.
Speaker Champ Clark was re-elected j
without opposition. Claude Kitchen i
has been selected as floor leader for1
the democrats. James R. Mann will
act in a similar capacity for the re
publicans. The progressive leader
will be Victor Murdock.
Senator Kern will continue as
leader of the democrats in the sen
ate, and Senator Gallinger will head
the republicans In the upper house.
Seward democrats are being urged
by those of like politics in Cordova
and Valdez to get busy and try to
land the next democratic convention
tor the terminal rity.
Congress Asked $8,247,000 for
Alaskan Railway, Which Includes
$250,000 for Anchorage Harbor
WASHINGTON, 1). €.* Dp. 8.—Estimates for the appropria
tion for Alaska have been submitted to the congress by Sec
retary of the Interior Lane. The largest appropriation asked
for is for the government railway line.in Alaska, and entails
an aggregate appropriation of $8,247,000, divided as follows:
Constructing the railway line from Matanuska junction to
the Matanuska coal fields ,$1,295,970.
Constructing the railway line from mile 18, on the Alaska
Northern railway, to Ship creek junction, $2,912,000.
Making repairs on the Alaska Northern line, $317,000.
Dredging and other harbor improvements at Anchorage
$250,000.
Improvements at Seward, $00,000.
Clearing and grading near Tanana Crossing, $225,000.
General expenses for Anchorage and Seward, including sal
aries of office employes, $81,068.
Expenses of purchasing department at Seattle, $14,000.
Final payment for Alaska Northern railway system- due
July 1, $650,000.
Salaries of members of the Alaskan Engineering Commis
sion, each, $10,000 per year.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.—Alaska appropriations that will
be asked, in addition to the railway appropriation, include:!
Maintenance of military post roads and trails. $150,0000.
Continuing the investigation of tbe mineral resources,
$100,000.
Alaska bureau of education, including reindeer industry,
$215,000.
Aids to navigation, $60,000. ' ,
Lighthouses- etc., $50,000.
Lighthouse at Cape Spencer. $100,000.
Seven gas-lighted buoys and money for Continuation of
Alaska drag-wire work, $35,000.
The fisheries bureau asks for $50,000 for the building of a i
vessel for patrol duty in Alaska; $20,000 for four tenders,,
and $1,000 for caring for the Sitka national monument.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN U. S.
AND GERMANY NEAR BREAKING POINT
\
WASHINGTON, 1). C., Dee. 7.—Following the request on
the part of the United States for.the recall of Captain JBoy-Ed
and other members of the German embassy, diplomatic rela
tions may be broken off between the respective countries. In
reply to the request for the recall, the German government
immediately asked for the reason. If the reason assigned by
the United States is not satisfactory to the German govern
ment. then diplomatic relations will be severed, as our gov-1
eminent will not recede from its demand for the recall of the
offensive diplomats.
LOCAL NEWS OF THE WEEK
(Prom Monday’s Daily.)
Captain Austen Lathrop will de
part in a day or tw«o, enroute to Sew
ard.
Postmaster Wood says the local
postoffice will follow the U. S. signal
corps time.
Messrs. O’Reilly, Locke and Vause,
of the Commission force, went to
Goose hay today.
Ray C. Larson, the glass man, ex
pects to depart this week, on a brief
business trip to Seattle.
Dick Doherty ,a widely known
coast man in the coast towns of
Alaska, is a recent arrival in An
chorage.
George Fowler expects to depart
one day this week, enroute to his
home in Everett. He will return In
the spring.
The water storage tank is fast;
nearing completion, and water will j
probably be available within a week ;
or ten days.
Mr. Casey, the snoemaker, whose;
shop adjoins Newt Pilger's store, is
quite ill and is alone in his cabin.
Casey is an old sourdough of Alaska.
The Pioneer will esteem it a favor
if persons giving social affairs at
their homes, or knjw of any social
or other news, would notify this
office.
The freighter Cordova reached
Cordova this morning, and may dis
charge the Commission's freight at
Goose bay, Knik Arm. although it is
optional with the steamship com
pany.
The ma'l team departed from
Seward this morning, enroute to An
chorage There should be quite a
heavy mail, as the Admiral Evans
reached Seward later than the last
mail before this one departed from
Seward.
Jessie Stevenson McKillop was
married to Frederick Parsons on No
vember 23, the Rev. James L. Mc
Bride performing the cferemony. The
wedding was a quiet one, at^d was
only made public today.
Irvin A. Packard and A. Michel- j
son were among the mushers who j
pulled out this morning over the j
trail enroute to Seward, the former j
returning to his home near Seattle,
and the latter to Seldovia for the
winter.
C. H. Lydell and Billie Murray,
sourdough mining men of this re
gion, who are concerned in lode
claims in the Broad Pass country, |
arrived here Saturday night front!
Knik, and expect to return in the,
morning.
The following message was re
ceived by the postmaster:
Spokane, Wash., Dec. 6, 1915.
Postmaster, Anchorage:
Please inform Nels Haugen, Gil
bert run over by automobile. Died
last night. Advise whether he come
or we arrange funeral.
RASMUS SOLLID.
One of the neatest, coziest bunga-!
lows in Anchorage has just been
completed by Contractor Hans Walby
for Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Anderson. It.
Is located on the seashore, at the
corner of Fourth avenue and M
street. In digging a basement, line,
spring water was encountered, which
supplies the bungalow with plenty of
water for all purposes. The bun
galow is two stories. Mr. and Mrs.
Anderson are moving in today.
(From Fridays Daily.)
the statement of those who keep
track of such matters.
The highest tides known in twelve
years are prevailing here. The high
est of the tides will appear on the:
tenth of this month, according to
(From Wednesday’s Daily.)
A heavy snow during the past two
days in the mountains intervening
between Anchorage and Seward has
caused a break in the telephone;
line connecting the two points. The :
Pioneer received a part of its daily
report before the line parted.
Messrs. Lean and Simon have
tal en over the mile 34 roadhouse on'
the Seward-Anchorage trail, and:
have made improvements that will:
make this one of the most popular |
stopping places on the road. Both i,
are old-timers in the country, and
know what the traveling public
wishes with respect to good accom
modations.
snow having fallen and obliterated
Due to trail conditions, a heavy
me road especially on the summltsT
the Anchorage mail will not reach
here until Friday night. The mall
team stopped at Bird creek last
night, and it will require two days
(rom that point to Anchorage.
The Iditarod mail is expected In
today, probably late this afternoon.
(From Thursday’s Daily.)
Capt. “Dad" Hunt, of Knik,
reached town last evening, convey
ing Charles E. Brown from that
point.
Charles S. Black, the popular
agent of the Pacific Alaska Steam-'
ship Company, returned from a trip
to Knik yesterday.
Charles E. Brown ,of Brown &
Hawkins, returned last night from a
trip to Knik, where the big firm has
a store under the management of
Thomas Caveny.
The ladies of the Ladies’ Guild of
the Episcopal Chhurch are longing
for the approach of the New Year,
so they may have the pleasure of
giving every one under mask a pres
ent that attends the big mask ball
at Robarts’ hall.
DOCK AT GOOSE BAY
STILL REMAINS INTACT
Messrs. O'Reilly, Locke and
Vause, of the Commission, w-ho j
made a trip to Goose bay to look
into ice conditions there, returned
yesterday, and report that a. steam
ship could easily land freight at that
point. The Deep Sea Canning Com
pany built a dock there last spring,
and when constructed it was figured
that it would be taken out by the
ice this winter, hence no particular
effort was made to build a perma
nent dock. The dock still stands,
however, and it appears that it will
continue to remain at least pal-tially
intact throughout the winter.
Signs are not wanting that this
will be the most severe winter ex
perienced in this section for years
past, and if a temporarily con
structed dock can withstand the
elements during this especially se
vere winter, then the canning com
pany may with confidence construct
a dock in the knowledge that it will'
stand unmolested b yth eelements.
The smoke of a steamer was
thodght to have been seen near Fire
island this morning.
The mail team enroute from Sew
ard to Anchorage stopped at mile 21
roadhouse last night, and will not
arrive here until late this evening.
The trails are heavy.
All of the surplus gasoline in Knik
has been bought up by parties from
Anchorage, for transportation to this
town. As a consequence, Knik may
run short before the season opens.
The town at Matanuska Landing,
which for a time last summer had
quite a population, is taking on new
life in anticipation of work begin
ning on the Matanuska branch tine
railway system. New arrivals are
coming in every day. The Howard
saw mill at that point will start op
erations within the next ten days,
and when lumber is available a num
ber of buildings will be erected.
Nearly a hundred persons attend
ed the initial meeting of the North
ern Light Whist Club in the Fowler
building last night, and indications
point to the fact that the card games
will be immensely popular. Hue to
the fact that the players were so in
tent on their games, those who have
been taking the initiative in the af- j
fair decided that it would be best to j
told a special meeting Monday night!
for the election of officers and for
the formulation of rules for fne;
guidance of the club. A cozy, com- j
fortable place has been arranged for i
the meetings, which will be held j
each Thursday night.
The Masons of Anchorage and vi
cinity held a meeting Monday night
and perfected an organization to be
known as the Anchorage Masonic
Club. A full complement of officers
were elected. The club is organized
for charitable, fraternal and social |
purposes. After partaking of a
bountiful luach, highly enjoyed by
the half hundred preseent, a com
mittee of five was appointed by
President J. A. Moore to formulate
for the first great social event of the
club for this'season, to be given in
the near future.
MORK THAN A TON OF
IDITAROI) CJOLO OOMINfi
Over a ton. or three thousand
pounds, of gold dust Is being con
voyed from Idttarod to Seward, and
the cavalcade with the precious ■
treasure will reach Knik within the
next two or three days. The bullion
belongs to an Iditarod bank, and is
being transported overland for ship
ment to the government assay office
at Seattle.
Bob Griffis, one of the best known
doe team mushers throughout the,
northland, Is in charge of the expe- j
dition. It requires four large dog,
teams to haul the gold dnst.
It is probable that the cavalcade
will call at Anchorage on its way to'
THK PARTING OF THE WAVS,
As reluctant as some of us may
be to acknowledge it, we might as .
well frankly admit the fact that our
neighboring town of Seward can no
longer be placed in the category of
friends of Anchorage. On -the con- "
trfry, the undisguised effort on the
part of the newspapers of that town,
and we assume that they very large
ly represent public opinion there, to
discredit the harborage facilities at
Anchorage by magnifying the ice t
conditions in Knik arm, serve to
confince the most reluctant of us
that there is dee)) design on the part
of Seward to seek to injure and ma
lign this town.
And the harhor facilities is not
the only subject that is discussed
with evident glee with respect to
Anchorage, which one .of the news
papers declares to be a government
pet, or words to that effect. In the
matter of bootlegging in Anchorage. *
the Seward newspapers make much
more out of this unimportant inci
dent in local affairs than any legiti- ^
mate newsgathering warrants. There
has been bootlegging in Anchorage.
For this infraction of the law about
twenty persons found'guilty have
paid a heavy penalty. But liquor is
not easily procured In this town, be
cause the editor of this newspaper
sought to beg, borrow or steal
enough to make some mince meat
for the holidays, but without avail,
hence the mince meat will be minus
a very important element in its con
coction. ,
And the Tracy story as played up
by the Post of Seward! It is to
laugh. To make a feature Btory out
of such Imaginary rot, manufactured
out of whole cloth, has but one ob
ject In view, giving the gentleman
who wrote it credit for at least or
dinary understanding. That object
is to seek to impress on the un
knowing the grave dangers (?) of
navigation on the waters of Cook
inlet.
The parting of the ways as be- *
tween Anchorage and Seward has
come, through none of our seeking.
This town much prefers to live at
peace and In harmony with alf
neighboring towns, but we would
not be human if we did not resent
the calumny and obloquy alntost
continually heaped on us by the
Seward newspapers.
Seward cannot afford to wilfully ,
lose the respect and friendship of
fast-growing towns in this part of
Alaska. Indeed, the broad-guage
policy for Seward to pursue—and *
the policy that would mean dollars
to it—would be to lend every en
couragement to these new commer
cial centers.
But if Seward prefers to take the
narrow wav, nd Insist on quarreling
and fighhting. by all means let us
accommodate her.
BlTILl) TO FAIRBANKS KIKST.
The Pioneer is of the opinion that
the railway line leading from An- *
chorage toward the interior should
be completed to Fairbanks, just as
soon as the branch line iuto the Mat.
anuska is finished, before any con
siderable time or funds be expended
on the two streaks of rust originat
ing at Resurrection bay.
The inhabitants of the great Tan- .
an^ valley are very anxious for the
completion of the railway line to
Fairbanks, as they would thus be re
lieved of a very burdensome trans
portation problem. Under the con
dition existing in the Tanana valley,
freight rates are exorbitantly high;
in fact, if the rates are not extor
tionate, they very nearly border on
this undesirable state.
The Tanana valley is a very im
portant and a very desirable part of
Alaska. The people of that region,
we believe, are entitled to relief as
soon as possible, and a happy solu
tion of the difficulty would be a con
centration of the railway forces in
construction work toward the in- ;
terlor terminus.
As a matter of fact, it is well un
derstood that the important tonnage
and passenger traffic that will come
to the government railway line orig
inates in the country intervening be
tween Anchorage and Fairbanks, and
including the Matanuska coal fleids.
The tonnRge between Anchorage and
Seward will amount to but little, at
best, and construction may, without
working a hardship on any consider
able number of people, well be de
layed unfit the line from Anchorage,
the coal terminal, to Fairbanks, the
Irterior terminus.
The railway completed from An
chorage to Fairbanks, the interior
transportation problem would be
solved. '
There is food for thought in the
suggestion.
SAN FRANCISCO^ Dec. 7.—The v
st amship Minnesota Is being towed
to this port, coming at the rate of
two miles an hour. Mystery sur
rounds the accident that put the
steamship’s machinery out of com- ♦
mission. The captain declines to
lain for pubiicat'ou.