BRIEF NEWS OF IRE NORTHLAND.
Mike Bayan, minister and beai
hunter, of Valdez, is enrolled in tin
United States army and at the pres
ent time is fighting in the trenehes ii
France.
A report was made to the coas
guard at Nome from Fort Davis tha'
a small boat was adrift in the slusl
ice but close investigation by the life
savers proved that the boat was ii
reality nothing but an ice berg of un
usually large dimensions.
A number of auto owners at Nome
a short time ago took advantage oJ
the fine speedway presented by the
frozen sea beach to make a run t(
Safety lagoon, where they were
obliged to stop, as the uncertain con
dition of the ice made further going
unsafe.
At Nome recently two sixty-fool
scows were moved by ten head oi
stock from near the Wild Goose pump
ing plant to the standspit over the
ice, which is in excellent condition foi
freighting. The scows will be usee
during the summer in the freighting
business in the vicinity of Dime creek
A large moose hide sketch of Dr
Keller, a past grand Arctic chief, sur
rounded by various sketches of the au
rora borealis, a dog team, prospectoi
cabin, cache in the yard and also e
prospector and musher in front of the
cabin, is on exhibition in the archwaj
of the Keller Bros, store in Skagway
Max Kohlm was the designer.
Two Fairbanks boys recently sok
a $700 automobile for S400 to gel
enough money to take them to Sar
Diego to enter the aviation corps. The
two boys were raised in Alaska anc
were splendid specimens of manhood
Some of the boys have had to walk tc
the coast to have money enough tc
get outside to enlist.
The Daily Alaskan at Skagway re
cently suffered rather hard luck ir
trying to get out its daily edition
First the water pipe leading to the
dynamo for the linotype machine
froze and was only thawed out aftei
about an hour’s patient work. Xex'
the water pipe to the dynamo for the
large press burst and the major par
of the day was put in making repairs
Senator C. kH. Hill, who has beei
securing deer for propagation on Alas
ka islands to the westward, says tha
if the present cold weather continue:
and no protection is afforded the ani
mals they will be practically exter
minated by next year. He has securec
thirty-six deer this season.
Charles Wagner, of Nome, report
that the body of the second nativi
boy who with a companion lost his lift
in the sinking of a whaleboat in I*or
Clarence harbor shortly before tin
close of na\ i gat ion was found by him
self and a partner, a few days after
the accident. While walking alom
the beach they found the body vvhicl
had evidently just been washed un
Natives interred! the remains at Tel
ler.
A Russian hunter at Fairbanks re
cenly found and captured alive :
strange animal which was official!}
identified a a rabbit. The creaturt
was white and had natural snowshoe:
on its powerful kangaroo like legs
An old time sourdough declared tha
when he first came to Alaska the}
were quite common and used for food
He said that it was a genuine rabbit
A taxidermist advised that the Smith
sonian institute at Washington, D. C.
be notified.
During periods of cold, stormy wea
ther the teachers in the Douglas pub
lie schools serve the scholars with ho
soup and crackers at the noon houi
for which purpose an intermission o
only 15 minutes is taken, after whirl
lessons are resumed and the scholar
are dismissed 45 minutes earlier in th
afternoon.
Governor Strong has appointed Di
V.'m. Pallirter, of Juneau, as a mem
ber of the Territorial Medical Exam
• | ining board to succeed Dr. DeVighne,
> | who has enlisted for service in the
•! army.
I
11 --
The Alaska Pacific Fisheries Co.
! recently paid fines aggregating $800
-! to the district court at Juneau, hav
- ing been convicted of illegal fishing
, on several counts. Two other cases
, against the company were continued
, until the spring term of court.
Douglas lost an old timer by the
death of Mrs. Lizzie Gustavaava Nien
ala who passed away there recently
. from a stroke of paralysis. Mrs. Nie
i j nala has resided in Douglas for eigh
teen years. Her husband and a twelve
year old daughter survive here.
Ketchikan has a bakery, operated
j by one Cannon, which is heated,
lighted and all the baking is done by
electricity. It is claimed to be the
only electric bakery in Alaska.
The halibut boats King & Winge
j and Constance arrived at Juneau re
j cently with 53,000 and 40,000 pounds
1 of fish respectively. The vessels re
port terrific storms on the fishing
! banks, so that for several days at a
j time the dories were unable to leave
the boats to fish.
—
i The Alaska Packers’ association, of
San Francisco, has sent a check for
$150 to George Rounsfel, of the fi
nance committee of the Ketchikan
chapter of the Red Cross, to be used
for the purchase of materials for that
chapter.
The fishing schooner Morengen, of
Juneau, after being caught in a heavy
gale lasting for four days, during
which the vessel was nearly lost. Time
after time in twelve fathoms of water
the two hundred and fifty pound an
chor and full steam ahead would
hardly hold her against the wind and
once she fairly touched the beach.
Captain Fremming said that it was
the worst trip for twenty-four years.
! She was out twenty-four days on
’ what should have been a ten day
! cruise.
INDIAN BAN!) PARADES STREET
AM) AROUSES INTEREST
1 IN FIRST MEETING.
One Hundred and Seventeen Dollars
Is Collected and of This $70 Is Giv
en to Secretary of White A socia
tion.
: The natives of Sitka organized a
- Red Cross society the other day, ac
■ cording to mail advices from there,
r The native band paraded the street of
i the village before the meeting was
. called at 3 in the afternoon.
Frank Price, president of the Fed
eration of Alaska Natives Brother
hood called the meeting to order and
- after stating the object of the meet
i ing, and telling the natives why they
• all should join, he called for an
1 election of officers, resulting in Ralph
; Young being made chairman; A. Wan
. amaker, vice-president; Peter Sh jp
, son, treasurer, and Frank Price, sec
r retary.
After the election of officers the
. following committees were appointed:
Finance—P. Liberty, George Ross
, and William Wells.
Membership — Martin Thompson,
Jno. Joseph, “Smartv” Jacobs.
For Work — Mrs. William Wells,
- Mrs. H. Bailey and Mrs. Thomas San
t ders.
, Ninety-four members were enrolled
f at the meeting. The natives are very
1 enthusiastic and all are working hard
3 j for the good of the cause.
2 The meeting collected $117 the sum
of $70 being turned over to Rev. Buch
anan, secretary of the Sitka Red Cross
. (white), which will be forwarded to
- Juneau. The natives are leaving noth
- ing undone for the good of the cause.
SALE BF DEER
URGED IS MEANS
SPORTSMEN OF ifcuTHEASTERN
ALASKA FAVOR CHANGE IN
PRESENT GAME LAWS.
BOUNTY NEEDED ON WOLVES.
Fifty Dollars Is Advocated as Sum
That Should be Paid for Voracious
Animals That Are Now Causing
Such Great Destruction.
Sportsmen in southeastern Alaska
advocate the suspension of certain
provisions in the federal and territor
ial game laws so as to permit the
sale of venison in the public markets
during the open season for hunting.
They also advocate an increased boun
ty on wolves to further preserve the
game.
One member of the Southeastern
Alaska Fish and Game club is quoted
by the Juneau Empire as saying :
“It is our desire to get the amend
ed or suspended so that venison may
be sold in the market during the open
season. We also want the game con
served and protected to the fullest
extent, but if rules were made in the
proper way, the venison could be sold
and the game would be protected at
the same time.
Strict Rules Could Be Made.
“Suppose venison were allowed to
be sold during the open season only.
Each carcass brought to a town would
have to have the skin on it, which
would do away with any chance for
does and fawns being killed for mar
ket. Afterwards the skins could be
sold under the strictest regulations,
which would do away with any chance
of hunters killing deer for the skin
alone. Only bucks with skins at
tached should be allowed to be sold.
This would conserve the food supply
of the nation by supplying a great
part of the demand for beef and other
meats in this section which are need
ed for the allies.
“In protecting the game in the
opinion of hunting men and others
familiar with conditions it would not
be too much to have a $.">0 bounty on
wolves. Every wolf killed would save
at least twenty deer which could later
be converted into food.
Mould Encourage Hunters.
“With a fifty-dollar bounty on
wolves, hundreds of men who now re
i nain idle in many parts of Alaska
during the winter months would out
fit with a small amount of grub and
start out after- wolves. Some of the
non would make good money and oth
ers would barely make a grubstake,
>ut within a very short time the
volvt s would be practically extermi
nated.
“I know what I am talking about
because 1 have seen it work out in
Montana, Wyoming and other- places.
It is against the law to poison wolves
in Alaska, and this should he changed
so as not to apply to all of Alaska.
It remains to be seen whether wolves
in Alaska will take bait with poison
or not. Usually where there is plen
ty of live game to be killed they won’t
take bait.
Different in Interior.
“If they will take it they should be
allowed to be poisoned in southeast
ern Alaska. Through the interior and
to the westward sections where there
are lots of foxes it would not do, but
there are no foxes in southeastern
| Alaska. Possibly a few mink or mar
ten might be killed, but what of that
when the deer would be preserved
through the extermination of the
wolves ?
“On Prince of Wales island several
years ago there were more deer than
on any island in southeastern Alaska
and now thev are scarcer there than
in any other section. It is all due to
the wolves. Other islands in south
! eastern Alaska are rapidly being de
i nuded of deer through the ravages of
| wolves and within five years it is pre
s dieted that deer will be a thing of the
I past unless effective steps to extermi
' nate the wolves are taken.
Dogs Are Menace.
“Another enemy of the deer is the
Siwash dog. Indians camped at dif
ferent places frequently move cami
and leave one or two dogs behim
them. Poison should be set for thesf
pests whereever one is known to b<
and they should be killed off in thi:
way. Any prospector, fisherman 01
hunter should have a supply of poisor
to set -a bait wherever evidence is
found that a dog is roaming loose ir
the woods. This is another thing
which will help to preserve the deei
of southeastern Alaska.”
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REFUS
ES TO ISSUE LICENSE FOR
EXPORTATION OF FISH.
NO IMMEDITE CHANGE LIKELY
Northern Packers and Canners Wil
Not Experience any Loss but Pugei
Sound Men Probably Will Be Hun
Financially.
Thousands of cases of Alaska an*
Pacific coast salmon, contracted foi
by foreign buyers, still are in ware
houses in the Pacific northwest aw
will probably remain there indefinite
ly, for the federal government has re
fused to issue a license for their ex
portation, says the Seattle Times.
At the outset of the last fishing sea
son salmon packers and brokers wen
notified that Great Britain had reduc
ed the amount of salmon that woul*
be permited to enter that country b;
50 per cent, but it was promised tin
reduced quantity could be shipped ii
upon licenses obtained by the KnglisI
bu yer.
To Conserve ( argo Space.
This move was intended to conserv*
cargo space, which was to be given t<
food products in the ratio of their va
lue to sustaining life and strength
The English buyers ordered on the li
censes issued to them, buying in equa
quantities from the United States am
Canada. Other foreign orders als*
were placed early.
A part of the foreign business ha
b*‘tui filled, but the American govern
ment has clapped on a rule forbidding
the issuance of shipping licenses oi
salmon and the brokers are compelle*
to hold the fish in warehouses on tin
Pacific coast.
Alaska packers are not hurt by th*
food administration’s price ruling
which fixes the following schedule
Reds, $2.25; pinks, $1.65; am
chums, $1.60, salmon brokers and dis
tributors claim.
Will be injured.
If Puget .sound packers are still car
rying some of their pack of this sea
son they will be injured, for it i:
claimed that Puget sound chums can
not be packed profitably at the figur<
quoted. Some of the best posted sal
mon men claim that a Puget south
packer would be lucky to get out evei
on chums at $1.60.
Most of the Puget sound pack foi
the present year was sold and in th<
hands of jobbers before the price lis'
was issued, by the federal food ad
ministrator. The Alaska pack, how
ever, still in the hands of the packers
has not been moved from storage.
In salmon brokerage circles in Seat
tie it is claimed that the food admin
istration’s price fixing was the out
growth of an effort to bull the marke
on salmon. At the time the govern
ment quotations weer made the red:
had gone up to $2.60, pinks to $1.81
and chums to $1.7’ There was a ten
dency toward even higher prices.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Jan. 21.
As a precaution against acts cf vio
lence by German agents or Germar
sympathizers, federal authorities hen
today began guaialing shipyards
wharves and docks in a manner sim
ilar to the guarding of like places oi
the Atlantic seaboard.
LE ROY VESTAL, BORN IN DOUG
LAS, ENLISTS WHEN 15 IN
PERSHING’S FORCE.
CANNONEER ON GUN AT VERDU
Yad Writes That Moccasins Sent Him
By Mother Caused Commotion
Among French Women in Town
Where He Is Billeted.
When the first American gun was
fired near Verdun in France October
27, 1917, world’s history began for a
■ world’s democracy in earnest, and
when the history of that opening shot
is finally written, Alaska must be
given credit, for an Alaska boy, a
. high school boy of Juneau, was can
noneer of the third gun of the first
American battery that ever went into
action on European soil, says the Ju
neau Empire.
The Alaska youth was LeRoy Ves
tal, a mere lad, son of Mrs. R. G. Day,
of Juneau. He wras an “Empire boy,”
' and the Empire staff members all feel
a special and personal interest in the
[ young fellow.
Extracts from a letter to his moth
er reads:
“We have been on the move for
about a month; my dear mother, I
• sure did appreciate that package you
’ sent me. I am not allowed to say
- where we are, but I imagine you can
1 guess. It was a great experience.
■ When you wrote that letter to our B.
; C. (Battery Commander), he called
i .re up to his quarters and showed it
; to me. Well, I sure was scared.”
The lad, it should be mentioned, was
but 15 years of age when he enlisted,
> but did not let a thing like his age
, stand in the way. He w’as born in
Douglas, and was raised in Alaska.
He wras undoubtedly the first Alaskan
to enlist in the fighting forces of the
I United States, and inside of three
I months’ time was with the army on
f Fi-enrh ccil. The letter continues:
; ne asKen me n 1 Knew i comet gei
in all kinds of trouble for that, and
I meekly answered, ‘Yes sir.’ He ask
r ed me if I wanted to stay in the serv
ice and I said ‘Yes.* I think they
11 made a mistake. I think the United
| States is about broke owing to my
outlandish appetite. I bet vou would
,
not know me; I have grown a great
deal, especially my feet. The clothes
I which were first issued to me are
’ | pretty tight for- me now.
“You ask me to write a newsy let
te)\ You know that the censor is very
brisk, and is always on the lookout for
little things going through the mail
■ that might give information as to the
whereabouts of the troops.
Villages Close Together.
“By the time the war is over I
! think we shall have visited every vil
lage in France; they are onlv a few
[
kilometers apart.
“Be sure and don’t worry about
me, for T can take care of myself. I
am glad I am in the regulars. Our
battery was the first to fire a shot on
French soil and I was the cannoneer
on the third gun at the time. We
were also the first artillery in France.,
■ Oh, it’s a glorious life, if you don’t
weaken . Gee! you should have seen
the boys’ eyes pop out of their heads
■ when they saw that box of goodies.
• There is sure a lot of difference be
: tween French and American choco
■; late. But that peanut butter sure hit
; me in the right spot.
> “A sergeant gunner and four pri
■ vates are billeted with me and they
sure did like the chocolate and stuff.
The old French lady want pretty near
crazy over those moccasins. She
| brought all the neighbors in to show
i' them. It is sure nice to sit down by
I a fireplace with the moccasins on and
| read the papers from God’s country.
• Say, T took out a Liberty bond. . . .
I “I can understand French pretty
i well. It is sure comical to try and
; make the people understand. Well,
, i all the boys told me to say hello for
■ | them. Tell pa I will bring the kaiser’s
i | left ear home for him as a souvenir
: de Boche.
PARTY FROM NENANA TAKES
TWENTY - TWO DAYS TO
COME TO ANCHORAGE.
CONDITIONS QUIET IN INTERIOR.
Man Named Warren Is Reported to
Have Broken Leg on Trail North of
Indian River and Doctor Goes from
Talkeetna.
A storm of unusual severity in
Broad Pass delayed for several days a
party of eight travelers on their way
from Nenana to Anchorage, according
to J. Q. Cavanaugh, one of the party
who has just arrived here.
Twenty-two days were required to
make the trip and the party was forc
ed to break trail the entire distance
from Broad Pass to Indian river, said
Mr. Cavanaugh. The weather was
cold and a heavy fall of snow occur
red, making it impossible to travel
during the storm.
Mr. Cavanaugh reports that the
trail which was recently mai-ked and
tripoded by District Engineer H. F.
Dose of the Alaskan Engineering
commission is now easily followed.
While the traveling was extremely
difficult no trouble resulted from his
inability to keep on the trail.
Traveler Breaks His Leg.
Upon arrival at Talkeetna Mr. Cav
anaugh states that he was told that a
man named Warren, who was follow
ing the party with two dogs and a
light equipment, had met with an ac
cident north of Indian river and that
the man had suffered a broken leg.
Dr. Lane, of the Alaskan Engineer
ing commission’s medical staff, left
Talkeetna for Indian river to give any
aid possible. It was stated that the
injured man is a brother of Joel War
ren, chief of police of Seattle.
The other members of the Cava
naugh party are John McLeod, George
Ellard, Patrick vVhalen, Fred M. Nel
son, formerly of Anchorage, Georg?
Higgins, Angus Majolo, Daniel O. Sul
livan and George Reichelt, a former
employe of the Alaskan Engineering
commission on Turnagain Arm.
Conditions in Nenana and in prac
tically all the interior towns are ex
tremely quiet and many of the old-tim
i ers will make the trip to Anchorage
j before the spring. There is scarcely
i any work being done in Nenana and
! most of the former employes of the
j Alaskan Engineering commission
: there either have left or will leave be
j fore spring, according to Mr. Cava
i naugh.
I Mr. Cavanaugh is an old-timer in the
i country, having come to Alaska in
1896 and for a number of years own
ed and worked, a pay claim at the For
ty Mile camp. This is his first visit
to Anchorage and he says that it is
beyond all doubt the “finest town in
the entire territory, barring none.”
The party is staying at the White
house and will remain in Anchorage
j for the remainder of the winter.
—
«
I
%
FATALITIES RESULT WHEN
MAST ON VESSEL FALLS DUR
ING GALE AT SEA.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Jan. IS.—
A falling mast aboard the United
States warship Michigan during a gale
I at sea, killed six and injured three
| members of the vessel’s crew.
AXTFR’S
l I i & |U 1 * W
MAGAZINES
*
❖
+
T
*
4
4*
4*
4>
■ +
4*
4*
f
f
*
<
CIGARS
TOBACCO
•j«j»«jMj,4,4,4,4,4,4’4,4,*S,,?,4,,5'4,4t4,4,4,4M5!,4,4,,s’
f