THREE HUNDRED BOATS ARE
OPERATING OUT OF CANAD
IAN PORT THIS SPRING.
NORTH COAST FISHERY HUH.
Fifteen Hundred Men Are Engaged on
Small Craft and With War Time
Prices For Catches Good Proiits Are
Realized.
PRINCE RUPERT, B. C., April 13.
_This spring fully .‘>00 halibut boats
are operating out of Prince Rupert,
l-'rom the little weather beaten craft
carrying two or three men and a dory,
up to the iron steamers of the compa
ny fleets, all the vessels are looking
more and more to Prince Rupert as
the fishery hub of a coast line stretch
ing from Puget sound to the Gull oi
Alaska.
The little boats are cautious, but
that does not mean that they are fail
ing to do business. Hardy, staunch
enough to risk the long combers and
sudden gales of the open Pacific, tney
stick within handy distance of land.
Small boats by the score fish along
the mountain-girt shores oi tlm
Skeer.a district and off the Queen
Charlotte islands and by the southern
end of the Alaskan pan-handle. U is
roving, independent and strenuous
enough life, but the men would not
have any other. Nor do they go un
rewarded. Where two or three men
sdl anywhere from three to five thou
sand pounds of halibut at war-time
prices a plethoric pocket book is in
evitably the result of ten days or a
fortnight of toil. Hut, like men oi any
other work, they must understand
their job.
The moscjuito fleet, judged collec
tively is a big item to the business
men oi' Prince Rupert. While it is true
that a certain proportion of the fishcr
n buy supplies in Ketchikan, after
selling in Prince Rupert, the general
trend of the business is this way.
Make longer \oyages.
The big1 boats, to whom 10,000
pounds of halibut is but a fair catch,
now make longer voyages than they
did a few seasons ago. Few, if any,
fishermen will admit that the halibut
banks are becoming depleted. In fact
that impression does not prevail, at
all. Fishermen say that with proper
conservation methods the halibut
grounds of the north are practically
inexhaustible. The fish are there, but
ti'.e boats must journey a little
further.
The crews of the whole fleet, em
bracing shale boats, independent boats
and company steamships, taking ad
vantage of half a dozen persons to
each vessel, total approximately 1.500
persons. It is a cosmopolitan compa
ny. The men from many climes in
their long seaboats, corduroy trousers,
sweaters or oil skins give a distinc
tive and even a picturesque touch to
the streets of I’rince Rupert. They are
a hearty, upstanding, hard-working
class. They are lank\ downeasters who
can spin yarns of Gloucester and the
Giand Hanks. There are men who have
grown up in the Puget sound and Ore
gon country, 'there are halibut hunt
ers from Nome and Columbia. There
are lean and canny Scots. There are
blue-noses from the Bay of Fundy;
fishermen from Grimbsy and Margate,
brothers of the mariners who are to
day fighting submarines and mines in
the North sea. There are Scandinav
ians, Japanese and Indians found also
in the roll-call.
Needs Are Many.
The needs of these men are many.
Oils, provisions, gear, clothing are re
quired all the time and this trade goes
a long way toward forming the back
bone of Prince Rupert’s commerce.
The repairing of the boats and the oc
casional construction of one is a grow
ing industry in which lie great pos
sibilities.
If the salmon boats were included
with the halibut fleet there would be
at least 500 craft doing more or less
business with this port, but now and
ever since fishermen first began com
ing here the halibut has been the
great objective. Nearly every second
day train loads of halibut leave for the
markets of the east. The arrival and
departure of the ships, the packing of
the fish as they are dumped from the
dripping nets, the boxing, icing, load
ing, all provides a great deal of em
ployment. As the halibut are spilled
on the docks the heads are slashed off
by experts with long knives. Should
you want a plump halibut cheek you
help youiself. The cheeks are to be
had for the taking, and epicures say
the cheek is the choicest part of the
fish.
HIGH AND GRAMMAR SCHOOL
CHILDREN WILL CO-OPERATE
WITH AUTHORITIES.
STATE WILL OFFER PRIZES.
Rodents, It Is Declared, Damage An
nually Enough Growing Foodstuffs
to Feed 500,000 Men for One Third
of Year.
FRESNO, Calif., April 13.—Flans
to enlist the aid of high and grammar
school children in the work of rodent
eradication in California by offering
prizes for those turning in the largest
number of squirrel tails during “squir
rel week” are among the subjects to
be discussed at the conference of
county horticultural commissioners
which will be held here.
One of the important actions of the
conference was to be the naming of a
date for “ground squirrel” week, dur
ing which land owners will be asked to
co-operate with the state and federal
governments in an intensive campaign
to exterminate this rodent, which it
was said damages annually enough
growing foodstuffs to feed an army
of a half a million men one third of
a year.
“Control of this destructive pest is
absolutely essential as a war measure
to conserve food,” (leorge H. Hecke,
state horticultural commissioner has
told the county commissioners in urg
ing active co-operation in the state
wide campaign, which it is declared, is
to be the largest and most thorough
rodent campaign ever undertaken.
Acting under a state law which
gives county horticultural commis
sioners authority to compel action to
control rodents on private lands, cam
paigns have already been started by
commissioners in several counties and
ground squirrels have been practically
eradicated from thousands of acres.
Funds also have been provided by the
state for extermination of rodents of
200,000 acres of state school lands and
the federal government has arranged
to co-operate by clearing forest re
serves and Indian lands of the pests.
They Simply Wonit Be Mau-i d.
Several young men were recently
asked by a writer in the Woman’s
Home Companion why they refused to
be married. Their answers throw con
siderable light on what is becoming
national problem. One said that girh
are too clever for the men nowadays—
that he wanted “just a wife,” and the
girl he had ben engaged to marry was
making more money than he was and
refused to give up her work. Another
complained of the expensive tastes cf
the modern young woman, another
that he had set out to accomplish cer
tain things before marrying. Still an
other refused to be sentenced to hard
labor for life, and one complained that
the local gills were “a bit narrow.”
WEDDING MUSIC.
“Custom,” says a writer in the Wo
man’s Home Companion, “has decreed,
to be sure, that the simplest and most
conventional musical program for a
wedding in church is, as some one has
tersely expressed it, ‘Lohengrin to go
in on, Mendelssohn to go out on and
something soft during the ceremony.'
Something a bit different would be
‘Tannhaeuser’ to go in on and ‘Swedish
Wedding March’ from ‘Hochzeit su
Wulfsberg’ to go out on.”
DESPERATE STRUGGLE RAGES
IN ARMENTIERES SECTOR AND
ENGLISH HOLD THEIRUNE
TEUTONS ARE EXERTING THEIR PRESSURE FROM
SOUTHWARD AND ARE NOW DELIVERING SOME
OF THEIR HEAVIEST BLOWS IN NEIGHBOR
HOOD OF LYS RIVER AND HAZEBROUCX.
BRITISH REPULSE FOUR VICIOUS ASSAULTS
Twelve-Mile Front Between Messines and Bailleul Has Been
Selected as Place By Kaiser’s Troops as Most Likely Point
for Them to Break Though to Seashore, and If They Can
Penetrate Line of Entente Allied Forces Hold on Important
Ports Will Be Seriously Endangered.
1
LONDON, April 13.—In the secto:
of Armentieres, about half way be
tween La Basse on the south and
Ypres on the north, on the west bat
tlefront in France, continues the most
active operations in the European war
zone. In this sector, the Germans’are
making desperate efforts to break
through to the English channel coast,
but the British defense has stiffened,
' and in places has taken the offensive.
For instance, Neuve Egiise, between
Armentieres and Ypres, which wa.~
held for two days by the Germans,
was re-captured late today by the
British.
The Germans are endeavoring to
j swing around the northern end of the
British positions in the Armentieres
sector. The Teuton pressure is exert
; ed from the southward from Let hum
northwesterly to the Lys and from
: Merville northwesterly toward Haze
brouek. Bethune is about fourteen
miles southwest and the Lys west of
Armentieres and Merville is about ten
| miles southwest and Bazebrouck about
eighteen miles northwest of Armen
' tieres.
From Messines, which is about six
miles south of Ypres to a point south
of Bailleul, which is about twelve
miles southwest of Messines, despei -
ate fighting is in progress. If the
Germans can break through on this
twelve mile line the British hold on
i points on the English channel is
| seriously endangered. The British
have repulsed four desperate Ger-man
attacks southeast of Bailleul.
Eerlin Claim Advantages.
BERLIN, April 13.—On the Lys
battlefield, according to the official
statement of the German war office,
the Teuton attacks against English
divisions, which were brought up
quickly in motor cars, have made good
progress. From the heights of Mes
sines, the Germans have pushed for
ward across the Steenbeek river and
have reached the eastern border of
Wulvergham.
French Gain Successes.
PARIS, April 13.—French troops in
an attack tonight northwest of Or
villcres and Sorel advanced several
hundred meters along a front about
two thirds of a mile.
A German attack in the Noyon sec
tor on the Oise river was repulsen
with heavy losses to the enemy.
Haig' Is Re-Inforced.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13.—
Both French and British reinforce
ments are reaching General Haig’
English army in Flanders, which now
is in a strong position to meet further
German attacks says Major General
James D. McLaehlan, British military
attache here. While the Germans have
scored some gains, every hour their
advance is delayed makes victory for
them less likely. By failing to break
through they now find themselves in
an awkward narrow salient. For that
reason the battle is bound to continue
with great ferocity.
Meuve Engiise Changes Hands Several Times in Last Forty
Eight Hours and at Present Is In Possession of British
Whose Commanders Believe They Have Practically Check
ed Kaiser’s Drive in Armentieres Sector—Operations Quiet
Down in Picardy Region—French Make Successful At
tack North of Montdidier.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 15.— !
With German troops within forty
miles of Calais, the famous French i
seaport on the English channel, the i
violent military operations in north
western France are now turning in
favor of the entente allied forces, ac
ording to the official review issued
idav by the United States war de
partment.
The Germans, declares the review,
ha\e failed to achieve the object of
their great offensive, namely, positions
on the English channel coast, and they
will soon be forced to “dig in” and re
sume the old methods of trench war
fare.
The Teutons are now striking at the
weakest point in the entente line in
northwestern France, and if they can
muster driving power, says the state
ment review, they probably will con
tinue their assaults for some time.
The Germans, explains the review,
is waging a battle of annihilation
against the British foices, and have
gained some territory, but the terrain
gained, concludes the review, amounts
to comparatively litfle.
British Make Gains.
LONDON, April 15.—Fighting of
the most violent character continues
in the Armentieres sector. Neuve
Eglise, between Armentieres and
Ypres, particularly has been the scene
in the last forty-eight hours of some
of the desperate combats of the war,
Saturday the English took Neuve
Eglise from the Germans, who i'e
gained it yesterday and the English
re-occupied it today. The British are
now pounding the Germans hard in
this immediate locality.
Desperate fighting is also raging al
Bailleul, four miles west of Neuve
Eglise. Southwest of Bailleul, the
Germans early today penetrated the
British positions, but later were driv
en out.
The British have repulsed sever
German attacks in the Merville sectoi
which is southwest of Armentieres
and have inflicted terrible losses or
the assaulting forces.
British officers believe they have
practically checked the German offen
sive west of Armentieres.
The Germans’ operations in the
Picardy region have also quietec
down.
French Report Success.
PARIS, April 15.—North of Mon
didier, the French made a successfu
attack against the German positions
and took a number of prisoners, ac
cording to the official statement issuer
by French ministry of war.
POMP OF m
NO “THIN RED LINE” ADVANCES
WITH COLORS FLYING AND
BAYONETS GLEAMING.
DRUMMER BOYS ARE ABSENT.
| Charges Are Not Made to Music of
Bands and Officers With Drawn
Swords and Flowing Plumes Do Not
Lead Men Against Enemy.
WASHINGTON, D. Cv April 13.—
j The pomp and pageantry of war fast
I are disappearing.
The days are gone when a “thin red
! line,” advancing with colors flying and
| bayonets gleaming, presented the en
1 emy with easy cannon fodder.
In the first place, the resplendent
uniform has been discarded by all bel
1 ligerents for one of somber, incon
spicuous hue. The reason is obvious
—the human target is delineated with
1 dangerous distinctness when bright
colors are worn. For almost the same
reason, bayonets are no longer bur
nished. A raiding party, lurking in
No-Man’s Land cannot afford to have
; its presence betrayed by the gleam of
! light from a star-shell on a polished
I piece of steel.
Moreover, the regimental standards
! usually are left at headquarters. A
; color-sergeant probably would find
himself in a difficult position if con
fronted with the necessity of fighting
off an enemy and keeping the flag
waving at the same time.
A sad feature of the present war is
that there will be no “yongest drum
mer boy.” For nianv vears the proud
, individual who held this distinction in
the Civil war has been dying off by
hundreds, so perhaps many post-bel
lum controversies have been averted
i by eliminating the pictui’esque boyish
figure.
Skirl of Bagpipes.
The blare of bands usually has beer
associated with memorable advances
of troops, but the musicians now can
be convinced very easily that trench
concerts might prove unhealthy.
There still remains, however, the skirl
of the bagpipes. ~
The general of the lace-encumbered
uniform and flowing hat plumes has
passed out with the horsehair sofa
period, so far as field service is con
cerned. In the gloomy corridors of
the state, war and navy building there
is on display in glass cases manni
kins attired in the uniform worn by
American soldiers at various periods
of the country’s history. A continent
al warrior, clad in a blue coat with
buff facings and wearing a perilous
ly-balanced three-cornered hat, com
pares but poorly in apparent efficien
cy with the trim fighting man of to
day. The garb of the modern Amer
ican soldier is developed along strict
ly utilitarian lines. The dull k^aki
tone blends into the landscape at a
distance and the broad-brim campaign
hat offers protection from the sun.
The “tin hat”, or steel helmet worn in
trench warfare, also has been adopted
by the expeditionary forces.
The civilian, however, still finds
room for mystification in endeavoring
to find why the bluejackets still wear
the halo-like hat and broad-bottomed
; trousers, apparent survivals from the
' daVs of the frigate.
Isn’t Done Now.
No narrative of a heroic charge in
! wars of bygone days was complete
; without a picture of an officer leading
| his men with sword in hand. Now, it
isn’t done. The man with the sword
readily is distinguished by the enemy
is an officer—and as much a desirable
target for rifle and machine-gun fire.
In civil war days, and as recently
as the Spanish war, soldiers and offi
cers were represented as gathering
nightly about the campfire. ..In his
tory and fiction, descriptions are not
lacking of the anxious officers who
studied out plans for the morrow’s
campaign by the flickering blazes.
Campfires in France, if built at all,
are located deep in a dug-out, as their
presence above ground would serve
admirably as a range-finder for the
foe's artillery.
But the element of individual and
mass gallantry, nevertheless still sur
vives—and to a greater extent. As
long as history lives, men will reme*n
ber the stand of the French at Ver
dun. English tenacity at the Somme,
the wild recklessness of the Canadi
ans at Vimy ridge, the sacrifice of the
Anzacs at Gallipoli, and the proverbi
al courage of the Irish, who, it is
said, charged into a withering fire at
Loos, kicking a football before them.
The Americans of the expeditionary
forces have had their baptism of fire
and have NOT been found wanting.
Traditions of a nation are theirs to
uphold and to increase.
RED CROSS NOTIFIES DR. C. C. -
BENEDICT THAT IT NOW
HAS MANY VACANCIES.
THOSE HERE URGED TO JOIN.
Communications in Regard to Serv
ice Should Be Addressed to May
S. Loomis, Director of Bureau, at
Seattle, Wash.
The call for nurses for the Red
Cross service has been again extend
ed to Anchorage. Dr. C. C. Benedict
is in receipt of a letter from Miss
May S. Loomis, director of the bureau
j of nursing of the American Red Cross
i at Seattle, asking if there are in
: Anchorage any graduate nurses who
| would like to enter the service, and
| emphasiing the great need of the
nurses at present.
:
Nurses here are urged to write to
Miss Loomis for full particulars.
There is still a serious shortage in
nurses for Red Cross work.
GERMANS MAY HAVE
AMERICAN COLLIER
NAVAL VESSEL CYCLOPS IS
MONTH OVERDUE FROM
SOUTH AMERICAN WATERS.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 15.—
American ships have been ordered to
make every effort to find the missing
United States naval collier Cyclops,
which is one month overdue from
South American waters.
It is feared that German agents
boarded her at some port and captured
her from her crew. This apparently is
the only explanation for her failure to
| send radio messages. She carries
i wireless apparatus.
The Cyclops was used to furnish
| fuel to American warships that were
i on duty in waters off South America.
FAMOUS REFORMER
TAKEN BY DEATH
FORMER MAYOR BLANKENBURG
OF PHILADELPHIA SUCCUMBS
AT AGE OF 75.
PHILADELPHIA. Pa., April 12.—
i Rudolph Blankenburg, former mayor
i of Philadelphia, died today, aged 75
j years. He was known as a war horse
| of reform. He was a native of Ger
| many.
Frequently since the war he had
made public addresses advocating un
questioned support of America in her
war against Germany.
GERMANY MAY LET
GRAIN GO TO SWISS
CEREAL WILL BE LANDED IN
FRENCH PORT AND THEN RE
SHIPPED TO DESTINATION.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 12.—
Early guarantees of a safe conduct by
Germany for American ships carry
ing grain to a port in France for re
shipment to Switzerland, are predict
ed by Hans Sulzer, Swiss minister to
the United States.