Historial Sketches and Experi
ences of Trail-Blazers Who Made
Alaska the Empire of the North
PIONEERS OF ALASKA
EDITED BY
CHARLES L. KEMP,
Secretary Anchorage Igloo No. 15.
SEATTLE, June 3.—(Special Cor
respondence) — William Maloney,
mine inspector for the territory of
Alaska, and a candidate in the recent
election for delegate, sailed for Nome j
on the S. S. Victoria. When Bill re- j
turned to Juneau from his recent trip
to the westward, Governor Biggs ask
ed him for his resignation, which he |
tendered, to take effect June 15. Some |
of the records of his office are at!
N one. For this reason he is making!
the trip.
T. R. Needham, many years in the !
n wspaper business in the north and :
a former resident of Anchorage,;
where he was affiliated with the Cook j
Inlet Pioneer, is in the city buying j
equipment for a new plant at Ket- j
ehikan, where he will commerce the'
publication of a monthly paper to be
known as the “Alaska Pioneer.” This ,
will make the seventh paper Mr. 1
Needham has started in the territory, j
Attorney General George Grigsby j
of the Territory of Alaska, sailed on
*
the Victoria for Nome business, con-,
nected with his office.
J. J. Lankin is the new purser of
the S. S. Victoria, which sailed June j
1 for Nome. Jimmie, in his new uni-1
from, and still wearing that smile, I
will be one of the most popular purs-;
■ rs in Alaska waters.
Joe Sullivan, who together with
Jake Berger staked the famous Pan-:
iels creek property at Bluff City in
the early spring of 1000, and operat
ed the same for many years, sailed to
Nome on the Victoria. Mr. Sullivan |
Is in the hotel business in Petriot,
Mich. lie goes north to look after his
mining interests.
Big Jim Keilerer, now operating a
dredge in the Kugarock, sailed on th ■
Victoria. Jim is in the money.
The hotel lobbies have been crowd
ed the past few days with old time
Nomeites coming here from every
point in the states to sail in their old
favorite ship Victoria to their north
ern home. Saturday afternoon they
all seemed very happy, more so than
isual. The cause: The news had
. Mi-oufl r'nnTnin .Tnhnnio O’Brien
ho has piloted the old Victoria on
first trip, and for many years car
ried the boys north, had just arrived
a town from an Atlantic port, where
he had delivered the S. S. Ossineke
far the United States shipping board.
It had been rumored for days that
Captain Johnnie would not be able to
connect in time to take the Victoria
or her first trip, and it was a matter
of great rejocing and relief when the
"l inch” knew that once more they
w dd have the old-time head in com
n. ad of the Nome greyhound.
Al Shyman, of the Bolte Hardware
Cihas been ordered to report at
oi e at Fort Hancok, Augusta, Ga.
H left here tonight.
# Iter Stoeser and S. H. Gorden
e> ect to be musttered in next Frir
day.
Tony Wendler arrived O. K. and is j
taking a look at Seattle.. He expects |
to leave for Oregon in a few days. |
H' says it is to warm for him out
here and will be glad to get back j
t^ne.
V . ack Dalton, who blazed the trail
over the Stikine river route to Daw
son in the good old days, is arranging
his affairs so he can leave for France
in a few days, where he hopes to aid
in smashing up that massed forma
tion of the Huns.
John Reichard successfully sur
mounted all the barriers and is now
at Vaucouver barracks.
Gi^-rge Cotter, a. member of the.
*rt)4fhi Engineers’, Company A is at
an Atlantic port, and will go across
very soon.
UNION SMOKER.
Local Union No. 1475 will hold a
.j|ser and election of officers for the
ensuing year Tuesday, June 18, at 8
oc’lock. 665
PIONEER R O A I)
HOUSE MAN DEAD
In the last outside mail Dad Shaw
received a letter from Mrs. H. E. Gor
don, of Muskegon, Minn., annuoncing
the death of her husband at that place
on March 10, death being caused by
heart disease.
The deceased was well known
throughout Alaska, through conduct
ing the “Gordon” roadhouse on the
Valdez trail, since he established it
in 1006. He sold his roadhouse in
the spring of 1914 and with Mrs.
Gordon left immediately for the Out
side, since which time, the letter
states, his health has been failing.
After leaving Alaska the couple
went direct to Mr. Gordon’s old home
town, Muskegon, and started fox
farming just outside the city limits,
sending off to Prince Edward Island
for thre pair of black fox, to start
with; this was in 1916. At present,
Mrs. Gordon writes, they have fifty
six foxes, all pure black, having
raised forty pups from seven pair.
The very interesting letter which
was dated April 17th, stated that the
past winter there was very severe
and still hung on, and prevent put
ting in gardens, and that living in
old Michigan is about as high as in
Alaska—pork, 21 cents on foot; beef,
11 cents; lard, 34 cents; butter, 49
cents and eggs, 42 cents per dozen;
flour $6.50 per hundred and hay $31
per ton.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were married
in the Shaw house here several years
ago, Dad Shaw being best man for the
occasion, and Miss Nellie O’Leary,
housekeeper at the Shaw houes for
several years, acting as bridemaid.
The deceased came to Alaska in
189S. Mrs. Gordon writes that al
though they had prospered outside,
Mr. Gordon and herself had often
talked of Alaska and intended to pay
a visit to Fairbanks together in the
near future.
OLD-TIME ALASKANS
HAVE HEARD THE CALI
“I have tried it hut I simply can’t
stay away from Alaska,” said E. W.
Griffin to a party of old-time Fair
banks friends yesterday. Why try?
Alaska and especially Anchorage is
always ready to welcome such men
as Mr. Griffin and his associate, Jas.
Ilammil, who accompanied Mr. Griffin
These gentlemen arrived last even
ing via the steamer Northwestern and
are making their headquarters at the
Hotel Anchorage while in the city.
Mr. Griffin was formerly a leading
merchant of Fairbanks, and still re
tains interests in Fairbanks and vicin
ity. Mr. Hammil is an old-time oper
ator in the interior, and at present is
connected with Clarence Berry, of
Klondike fame, in an extensive dredg
ing proposition near Fairbanks.
Both gentlemen expressed regret at
not being able to attend the Pioneer
smoker Friday night, for they have
many friends among the old-timers in
Anchorage.
They expect to leave in a few days
for the Kachemak bay fishing grounds
where they are associated with Jack
Baird in the Deep Sea Food Products
company, with headquarters at Hali
but Cove.
DRAFTEES ARE RATHER
SLOW IN REPORTING
Captain Thos. I). Dwyer, of the An
chorage exemption board, notifies the
Daily Times that only ten of the 184
notifications sent out recently have
been answered. In many instances,
says Capt. Dwyer, the boys have left
the country, some have enlisted and a
few are in the vicinity of Anchorage,
but isolated from mail service. He
says that it is quite likely that the
board will have to issue calls for
from 25 to 50 additional names.
The board will overlook all plaus
ible excuses for not reporting, but in
any cases where the delay is premed
itated the law is severe and the party
is declared a deserter. These cases
are summarily dealt with and it is
hoped there will be no such cases in
Anchorage.
DOINGS OF IGLOO NO. 15
At the meeting held Friday night,
two names were added to the mem
bership roll; Thos. P. Weathered, by
initiation, and A. J. Landstrom, by
transfer card from Nome Igloo No. 1.
No matters of importance came be
fore this meeting and the regular
routine of business was curtail el
somewhat, because of the smoker
which was to follow.
The long table was set in the center
of the lodge room, around which the
Pioneers and invited friends gathered
to partake of the promised “Sour
dough Feed.” The menu consisted of
baked beans, wLh all the “fixings,”
rye-bread sandwiches, dill pickles and
coffee. Then cigars were passed, an 1
the company entertained by patriotic
addresses by J. L. Waller and Arthur
G. Thompson, followed by an original
poem by C. Edward Cone and short
talks and stories by other members.
it was a most enjoyable aiTair, an 1
the igloo contemplates giving one, or
possibly two, of these smokers each
month, to the end that attendance at
regular meetings may not depreciate,
as is usual during the summer
months.
BRIEF NEWS OF THE NORTHLAND.
'
WSVSYWW5^«ySYSyft'=YSYSY5^W5)(S>
The Treadwell fire department has
organized a first class ball team. A
committee has been working hard the
past week on the ball grounds.
The schooner Render Brothers, en
route to the Kuskokwim river, passed
through Ketchikan recently. She has a
large cargo of merchandise to be used
in trading.
The Alaska Gastineau in April
treated 125,435 tons of ore assaying
1.148 per ton. Extraction was 81.45
per cent. This is a reduction of nearly
25,000 tons from the March output.
Reports from Rampart state that
mining on a number of creeks is still
going on. Climie, Nelson and Thomp
as have a lay on No. 8 above on Lit
tle Minook and are reported to be do
ing well.
Word was recently received of a
strike at Takotna. There are three
gulches running into Hidden creek
which will pay better than wages.
The pay is said to run as high as 20
cents.
Mr. and Mrs. Dooley, the tame bears
in the Douglas park, were recently
killed and their meat sold for the
benefit of the Red Cross. Expensive
upkeep was the reason for the straf
ing of these pets.
The Ketchikan Cigar factory and
the carpenter shop of M. S. Smith re
cently caught fire, and some damage
was done by fire and water before the
blaze was extinguished. Some good
smokes went up in smoke.
Ed. Hearn, the Tenderfoot mining
man died recently at St. Joseph’s hos-1
pital in Fairbanks from heart trouble.!
The deceased was 55 years of age and
was born in Mississippi.
The last shipment of mail for the
season from Fairbanks to Dawson and
Circle left the interior metropolis
I Monday, May 6. The summer mail is ;
carried by steamer.
1 _
| Elias Glenn, a freighter of the
| Koyukuk district recently arrived in
Fairbanks, after spending 16 days on
the trail. The entire distance of over
300 miles was traveled on snowshoes,
! and over a trail nearly oblierated b\
J fierce winter storms. Mr. Glenn says
that the camp will not produce as
j much as on former years, the largest
| paystreaks having pegged out. Con
siderable work will be done on the
smaller creeks, as they are a good
grubstake proposition.
Washington, I). C., June 16, 1918.
Chamber of Commerce,
Anchorage, Alaska.
Conference committee has retained the million dollar appro
priation in the navy appropriation bill to enable the navy to obtain
a supply of coal in the Matanuska fields. The entire matter is left
to the discretion of the secretary of the navy. The railway ap
propriation of five and a quarter million dollars, in the sundry civil
bill, passed the house Saturday. Made unsuccessful light to have
amount raised to seven and a half million, as recommended by en
gineering commission. Will continue efforts when bill reaches the
senate. SULZER, Delegate.
FIRST DIVISION REPUBLICANS ENDORSE
ROOSEVELT. HAYS AND WICKERSHAM AND
NOMINATE STRONG LEGISLATI VE TICKET
* _ *
* JUNEAU, June 19.—The first division republican conven- *
* tion met in regular session yesterday, delegates being in attend- *
* anec from all voting precincts of the district. For the first time *
* in years the convention enjoyed the utmost harmony, and with
* out opposition, and with a unanimous vote, the following res- * |
* olutions were passed: * ;
* We most heartily endorse the unfailing loyalty to the na- *
* tion and to the people of Theodore Roosevelt; *
* We heartily endorse the patriotic leadership of William II. *
* Hays, chairman of the republican national committee; *j
* We heartily endorse the candidacy of James Wickersham *
* as the primary nominee of the republican party for delegate *
* to congress from Alaska, and pledge him our support; *
* We appeal to the republican members of the congress to se- *
* cure a just decision of the contest for delegate, now pending be- *
* fore that body. *
* The following, without opposition, were nominated as the *;
* legislative ticket for the first division: * I
* For senator—Ed. C. Russell. * |
* For representatives—Grover C. Winn, P. C. McCormick, J. * i
* II. Davies and H. R. Shepard. * |
*************************
LINCOLN’S GETTYSBURG
ADDRESS
Fourscore and sevfcn years ago ou:
fathers brought forth on this contin
ent a new nation, conceived in liberty
and dedicated to the proopsition that
all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great
civil war, testing whether that nation,
or any nation so conceived and so
dedicated, can long endure. Vv'e are
met on a great battle field of that
war. We have come to dedicate a por
tion of that field as a final resting
place for those who here gave their
lives that that nation might live. It
is altogether fitting and proper that
we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not
dedicate—we can not consecrate—we
can not hallow — this ground. The
brave men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it
far above our poor power to add or de-1
tract. The world will little note nor j
long remember what we say here, but1
it can never forget what thay did
here. It is for us, the living, rather,
to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here
have thus far so nobly advanced. It
is rather for us to be here dedicated to
the great task remaining before us—|
that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full measure
of devotion—that we here highly re
solve that these dead shall not have
died in vain—that this Nation, under j
God, shall have a new birth of free-!
dom—and that government of the!
people, by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the earth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
TUGS. P. WEATHERELL.
was born in Elmira, N. Y., in 1870,
and first came to Alaska with the j
Kings County Mining company, which!
landed supplies and men on the shores j
of Cook inlet in 1898.
Returning to the states, two years j
later, he went to Nome, in which sec
tion he spent a number of years pros
pecting, principally in the Kougarok I
country, being associated with Mr. L.
F. Shaw, now editor of the Anchor
age Daily Times, as partner.
Later he was identified with the
early prospecting of the Fairbanks
district and at different camps along
the Ynkon river. Going into the
Cache creek country in 1907 he secur
ed valuable mining interests, an 1 has
resided there until the present time.
For several seasons he was in the
employ of Mr. Nagiev, in the stole;
at McDougall. At present he is man
ager of the Nagiev store at Talkeetna j
and also holds the position of post
master at that place.
A. J. LANDSTROM.
who was admitted to membership in
Igloo No. 15 by transfer card from
Nome Igloo No. 1, went to Rampart,
on the Yukon, in 1898. Embarking
on one of the river boats of the “Mo
ran Fleet,” en route to Dawson, he
arrived at Fort Yukon, where, on ac
count of an early winter and conse
quent low water, the fleet of eleven
boats were compelled to go into win
ter quarters in the Dahl river. Re
turning to Rampart he spent the win
ter at that place, cutting wood for the
use of the river steamers, and in the
following spring went to Nome.
For a period of about ten years he
was in the employ of the Pioneer
Mining Co. Later, having secured;
some desirable leases, he mined in his i
own behalf on the tundra adjacent to |
the city of Nome.
Coming to Anchorage in the fall of
1917, he has invest.ed in acreage and
real estate here and is in the employ
of the government.
Four young men were called to the
colors in the Juneau contingent last
week to fill places caused by regis
trants being disqualified. The men
are Sigurd Markuson, Rudolph Ju
bert, Harry Gillis and Frank Casey.
Peter Neilson, a mariner aboard a
gasboat “somewhere in Alaska” was
also called to the colors, and will be
sent to Haines as soon as he can be
found.
REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATIVE
SLATER, MURRAY, REED AND
GREEN PRIMARY CHOICE
FOR LOWER HOUSE.
GALEN ROAI) COMMISSIONER.
Complete Election Returns From Pri
maries Throughout Third Division
Show That Sulzer, Democratic Can
didate for Delegate, Got 1,035, to
293 for Maloney.
VALDEZ, June 15. — Complete re
turns have been received by the clerk
of the court from all of the election
precincts that held primary elections
in the Third division and the vote has
been canvassed. The result shows that
Slater, of Cordova, Murray of Mc
Carthy, Reed of Valdez, and Green of
Seward will be the republican candi
dates for the lower house and that
Gaeln will be the republican candidate
for road commissioner. Ward, repub
lican, had no opposition as a candidate
for the senate, and there was no op
position to the democratic legislative
ticket or for road commissioner.
The important contest was over re
publican candidates for the lower
house and for road commissioner, and
the voted stood as follows:
For Legislature.
Slater .444
Murray .390
Reed .316
Green .313
Thompson .264
Sutherland .262
For Road Commissioner.
Galen .226
Sullivan .218
Wood . 177
The vote shows that Sulzer, demo
cratic candidate for delegate to con
gress, got 1,135, as against 293 for
Maloney, his opponent. There was no
opposition to the candidacy of James
Wickersham for the republican nom
ination, who received 562 votes.
BRITISH ARMY OFFICER
SEES FUTURE FOR ALASKA
Major Norman Reed who left for
the states yesterday on the North
western is of the opinion that Alaska
will enjoy an unprecedented influx of
capital and new citizens immediately
after the close of the war.
Major Reed’s opinion is worthy of
consideration and is based on the fact
that the wonderful resources and op
portunities are rapidly becoming1 a
matter of nation wide publicitlv. He
says this is due to many causes and
quotes his personal observation from
facts he learned from the Alaska boys
who are now serving the country in
France. Major Reed recently return
ed from France after a year’s service
in the British aviation department. He
will spend some time in recuperating
from wounds received in action and
was very much impressed with the
wonders of Alaska and especially the
country contiguous to Anchorage. Ma
jor Reed said that he knew personal
ly of a number of young men who
were interested in this country and
would make material investments
later on. He expects to return to An
chorage at the close of the war.
Old Boreas had a native of the
Sandspit at Nome already in his
clutches when he went out on the
shore ice to hunt for seals. The high
winds broke the ice loose from the
shore and the floe started out for sea.
rhe man noticed his predicament and
quickly returned to the shore side of
:he floe. Some natives on shore saw
Mm and launched a skin boat and
brought the man and his dogs to
shore. Had the natives not been ou
the shore the hunter would have been
lost as the ice was going to sea rap
idly.