CONDITIONS IN NORTH RUSSIA
DESCRIBED BY CORDOVA BOY
One of the first Cordova boys to
enlist with the engineers force or
ganized in Alaska for overseas ser
vice was J. E. Kurtz, an employe of
the Copper River railroad. He went
with the contingent to France and
afterward was given service in North
Russia. J. A. Nicolet of this city
has received the following letter from
him, which will be read with interest
by all his former Cordova friends
and others: * - - .
Medvyezhya, Gara, Russia,
June 11, 1919.
Dear Friend Nick—Your welcome
letter, dated April 12, just received
the 8th of this month, and I sure was
pleased to hear from you and Alaska.
Well, Nick, old sport, I am still
on earth and having one time. I left
France on the 10th of March and
landed in London, England, the 13th.
Stayed there sixteen days and left
there for Russia on the 1st of April.
Sailed on the U. S. S. Galveston from
Harwich harbor. The U. S. S. Gal
..veton is a second-class cruiser and
an old tub or a cradle, you ought to
buy her for your next baby; all you
would have to do is to show her a
bucket full of water and she would do
the rocking, although am afraid that
the baby would die of seasickness.
Anvw'ay we had a rotten trip of eight
days on her, as she Avas not fitted
out for troop transport. We had to
sleep on deck as she had no bunks,
and it was some chilly; besides she
was too crowded for comfort. We
followed the coast of Ireland and Scot
land, then passed the Shetland is
lands and up the coast of NorAvay
and Lapland, which Ave could plainly
see. It looked like mountains of
ice and snow. We passed mountain
ous icebergs and then finally passed
the most northerly city in the world,
Hammerfest, Norway; then rounded
the north cape and headed for Cola
peninsula, Avhich Ave reached on the
8th of April, after ploAving through
ice from tAvo to eight inches thick
Ave came to anchor in the harbor of
Murmansk, the only all-the-year-round
open port in Russia. At one time on
our trip Ave Avere only 900 miles from
the North Pole.
i ne i\ew euty ot ivi urmansK
The city of Murmansk is situated
on the eastern shore of Kola inlet,
about 25 miles from the entrance of
the ocean; its population is about
4.000. It is a new town, built out of
logs mostly, and was started in the
year 1915. It is the terminus of the
Murmansk railway, which is about
700 miles long and which connects
with the Vologda-Petrograd line at
Zvanka, running west from Siberia.
AVe are only about 450 miles from
there, where we are located today,
but w are not going to operate the
road that far, as 1 understand it. AVe
are only going to a city called Petroz
avodsk. which is now operated by the
Bolshevicks. It is the southern head
quarters of this road and it’s only
about 140 miles from here. Since I
landed here we have taken about 200
miles of railway from the Bolsheviki,
but I am getting ahead of my story.
We only staid in Murmansk one day
and then took the train to our present
headquarters at Saeoka, a distance of
630 miles. AVe traveled in box cars
and it took us three days and nights
to make it, and at that we had a
fairly good trip. AAre landed in Sa
roka on Easter Sunday, in about two
feet of snow and six feet of mud.
Our camp is located on rocks on the
shore of the AA’hite sea, and at pres
ent is not a bad place, but she was
hell when we first landed. Had to
build our own barracks and carry
lumber on our backs a good half mile
to do it. At present the train engine
crews are living in cabooses which
we made out of box cars, and it is
not so bad.
I am running an engine here; it’s
nothing but a scrap heap but it
answers the purpose. There are lots
of engines here, but most of them
are shot to pieces and not safe to
run lover ten miles per hour. The
roadbed is 10 per cent worse than the
Copper River is in the worst spots,
the gauge i five feet; the cars are
about the same as in France,
equipped with hooks for couplers and
no air and very few brakes, so it’s a
case of stop by reverse screw-gear
on engine. \«* "
The country is low, level and a
vast swamp.
People and Conditions
This city of Saroka is an old one
of about 300 log houses and is sit
uated on the shores of the White sea
on the River Vig. It is known in his
tory since the twelfth century. Its
population is pure Russian, who are
chiefly occupied by fishing and hunt
ing. There is also a sawmill located
here. I was inspecting it a week ago
and saw it operated. It puts out a
lot of lumber and is fairly up to date
and is mostly operated by women, as
the men are scarce around here,
most of them being with the Russian
or Bolshevik armies. The people
are very poor and wear boots or go
barefooted, and as boots are scarce
and very high most of them go bare
footed—women, kids and all.
I can talk Russian about as well
as I could French, but, believe me, I
can sure make signs to make them
understand me. Everything is very
high in this country and there is
nothing to buy; the stores have locks
on their doors. But once in a while
a peddler come along selling fish,
eggs or meat. No tobacco of any
kind is to be had. Not even a post
card have I seen since I have landed
in Russia. Eggs are $7 a dozen and
meat is very dear, so I have only
bought one dozen eggs since I have
been here and went broke, and am
now happy again.
Nick, old boy, this is some country
—plenty of excitement. When at the
front we eat, sleep and work with
our guns strapped to our backs at all
times. I have seen more fighting
here than all the time I was in France
and am glad that I took the trip
although ii is a hard life, but to my
liking.
Have you heard anything of Ted
Thisted, Tom Strimple or Jack Bra
bazon? I left them all in France and
have not heard of them since.
There are a number of troops sta
tioned here besides the Americans.
We are kept busy hauling Italians,
Serbs, French, English, Canadians
and also Russians back and forth.
At present the Russians are being
I drafted to take the allies’ places, so
we hope that they will get enough
of them to take our places, as this
is no place for Avhite folks. The
Aveather is fine at present and avc
have the same kind of continuous
daylight as in Alaska; but, say! are
there any mosquitoes there this year?
I don’t think that youh av,e as they all
must be around here by all indica
tions. We have them by the billions
! to the square foot and each and every
| one is very hungry.
Brushes With the Enemy
The Bolsheviki are only a feAv miles
from this town and there is plenty
of shooting going on right this min
ute. This town is located on the
shore of Hake Onega; one can take
a boat from here and go to Arch
angel by going from lake to lake or
river. This country is just full of
lakes and rivers. The Bolsheviki
have some big gunboats located here
on this lake, so it’s a ticklish job
keeping track of them, as they can
attack our forces from many differ
ent places; and they have some good
armored trains and plenty of ammuni
tion. But they are poor fighters, as
a few good men can run the Avhole
outfit away; that is about all they
have been doing—running away and
blowing up bridges and burning towns
as they retreat. The reason that we
cannot get at them is that the only
place that fighting can be done with
them is on a twelve-foot front follow
ing the railroad, as the rest of the
land is too swampy to do anything
during the summer time; but in win
ter one can go through the woods, as
it freezes all over. From now on it
is going to be harder to get at them
as they have made boats on the lakes,
but we also are getting boats to
gether, also seaplanes and aeroplanes,
so there is a chance that there will
be plenty of fun later on when we
get ready to go after them in earnest.
Scarcity of Tobacco
Well, old sport, will write you
again as soon as that Copenhagen
shows up, but am afraid it is lost,
as up to date it has not put in ap
pearance; but am living in hopes that
it may, as I sure would give many a
ruble for a taste of that high-power
again. Many thanks for your efforts
in sending same, but would not ad
vise you to send any more, as I do
not think it will ever reach me, as it
has to pass through too many hands
and tobacco is a scarce article in this
Russian country.
I have not heard from George Scott
for a long time. Give him and all
the rest of the boys my best regards
and also the office force, and Mr. Cor- ■
ser and Mr. DeLeo.
I suppose that by the time this let
ter reaches you it will be winter
again and may find you on another
tieup. That last one vras sure a nice
one and in a nice place, but as long
as you were covered up it was not
as bad as being exposed to the wind.
Wish I could be with you this sum
mer; but no chance. Do not knowr
when we will get out of here, but
hope that by winter vre will be gone.
Am sending you three pieces of Rus
sian money and some of our railroad
orders we use here. If you want to
read them you will have to stand on
your head and sneeze them out. Tell
Brother Murphy that I sent him two
postals, one letter and a bundle of
papers while in France, and that up
to date I have not received a single
line from him. Hope he got the
papers, as I sent some very funny
French stuff, as also the stars and
Stripes. With regards to all, will |
close hoping that this will find you I
in the best of health and prosperity,
as it is leaving me; and please write
again, as that last one, and in fact
all of your letters, are very newsy
and welcome. Don’t think that you
can read half of this, but excuse me,
for there is no ink in this country and
I will run out of pencils pretty soon.
As ever your friend,
SERG. J. E. KURTZ,
Company 167 W. Trans. Corps, North
Russia A. E. F. A. P. OL Base No.
3, London, England.
No one should he without an elec
tric plate, especially the kind with 3
different heats. Northwestern Hard
ware Company.
Some Time. Saturday. Where?
Eagle hall. 11-3
It’s the flavor and the grain which
make the bread at the City Bakery
famous.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS
_|
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Tn the United States Commissioner’s
Court for the Territory of Alaska,
Third Division, Kayak Precinct. In
Probate.
In the matter of the Estate of James
Warddell, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that the un
dersigned was duly and regularly ap- ;
pointed by the probate court of the
Kayak precinct, territory of Alaska,
on the 4th day of August, 1919, ad
ministrator of the estate of James
Warddell, deceased. Notice is hereby
given to the creditors of and all per
sons having claims against the said
deceased to exhibit them, with the
necessary vouchers, within six months
at'tfer the first publication of this no
tice, to said administrator at his resi
dence or place of business in the town
of Katalla. territory of Alaska, the
same being the place for the transac
tion of business of said estate in the
territory of Alaska.
Dated at Katalla, Alaska, this 4th
day of August, 1919.
W. H. DUGDEI.L.
Administrator of the Estate of James
Warddell, deceased.
Date of first publication Aug. 6, 1919.
Date of last publication Sept. 4, 1919.
Donohoe & Dimond, attorneys for
the administrator. _ ■
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IT’S A BEAR
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TWO SHOWS—
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9:00
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SHE PRIMPS UP FOR HIM -pi , o.
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HE’S ONLY A POOR POET
STARVING IN A GARRET
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Assisted by Clever
TOM MOORE
IN
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SHE WAS RICH, AND HE WAS POOR,
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TIN ROOFS, COVERED WITH SNOW.
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