The Ci \rdova Times
. . ___ . . ________
VOLUME TII. NUMBER 10. CORDOVA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, PRICE TEN CENTS
CENTRAL POWERS MAKE PEACE OFFER
* NOTE SENT NEUTRALS
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* BERLIN, Doc. 12.—It is officially announced that *
* the chancellor has received one after another of the rep- ♦
resentativos from the United States, Spain and Switzer- ♦
land, which are protecting the German interests in hos- ♦
* tile countries. The chancellor gave them a note and ♦
* asked them to bring it to the attention of hostile govern ♦
* inents. In the note the four allied central powers propose *
* to enter forthwith into peace negotiations. The propo- ♦
* sitions they make are‘appropriate for the establishment *
* of lasting peace. The governments at Vienna, Constan- ♦
* tinople and Sofia have transmitted identical notes, and ♦
* have also communicated them to the Vatican and all *
* neutral powers. ♦
* ♦
♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
LONDON, Dec. 12.-—A German light cruiser escaped the
British patrol in the North sea, after it had'held up a vessel in
the Atlantic.
LONDON, Dec. 12.— The new cabinet will be non partisan
and will meet the popular demand for a business government.
LONDON, Dec. 12.—The Ball Mall Gazette says Sir Ed
ward (’arson has accepted the post of first lord of the admiralty
and Lord Milner will be a member of the war council, without
a portfolio.
AMSTERDAM, Dec. 12.—In the course of a discussion of
the Prussian diet, the question of the increase of the salaries of
minor officials was attacked. Select Deputy Stroebel excoriated
those who are receiving wrar profits.
BERLIN, Dec. 10.—Germany will reply immediately to the
I'nited States regarding the deportation of Belgian laborers.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.- Official information to the state
department establishes the fact that the British ship Marina
v was a peaceful merchantman, and Germany has announced its
■"* willingness to offer amends for its destruction in such a case.
FUNDS MAY BE
SCHOOL USE
Should the expressed will of the
people of Alaska be given effect by
congress, with reference to the enact
>ment of a prihibitory law for the ter
ritory, the different municipalities will
lose an important source of revenue
now accruing to the incorporated
towns from liquor licenses. This will
be generally conceded, and how this
loss may be replaced without adding
directly to the present volume of tax
ation in incorporated communities be
comes a matter of more than ordin
ary interest, especially to the citi
zens of the various Alaska towns.
That the territory should bear a por
tion of the municipal taxation burden
for the support of schools would seem
to be only just and equitable; and
the way to do so may be found through
the operation of what is now known
as the Alaska fund. This fund is de
rived from trade and license taxes
laid by the federal government cm
side of incorporated towns, and If
paid directly into the federal treas
ury, where it is apportioned as fol
fols: 65 per cent to the Alaska roac
fund, 25 per cent to the support o1
white schools outside of incorporated
towns, and 10 per cent for indigem
purposes. The total of this fund foi
the fiscal year 1916 was $249,432 39
Now, there would seem to be no le
gitimate reason why the absolute con
trol of the Alaska fund should not be
placed in the territorial legislature, t<
be appropriated by that body for th<
support of white schools, both wlthii
and without incorporated towns, am
also for Indigent purposes, and th.
residue, if any, could be placed to roa.
building purposes as at present.
It is evident that, were this fun.
controlled by the territory Instead o
by the federal government the Alask
road fund might be deprived of a cei
tain amount of money each year. Tha
this is true is shown by the amoun
accruing to the federal road fund fo
the fiscal year 1916. which was $163
141.04. But this sum might, in pai
at least, be made up by a direct ii
.rease of appropriation by congres,
•••nniemented by an appropriatlo
from the territorial legislature froi
any sum that would remain In th
Alaska fund after the terrltorli
white schools had been provided fo
The money derived from liquor 1
censes In the different incorporate
towns of the territory at the preset
time amounts to approximately $90.00
a year. The amount derived from th
Alaska fund during the fiscal yes
1916 for the support of white school
\
, outside of incorporated towns was
I $62,358.19. This sum is insufficient to
j maintain these schools, the amount re
j quired during the present school year
i 1916-17 being approximately $86,000.
, The sum available for indigent pur
! poses from the Alaska fund during
i the fiscal year 1916 was $24,923.23,
' distributed among the four Judicial
! divisions in equal amounts.
If the Alaska fund were under ter
ritorial control, after pr iding, say,
$100,000 for the support of schools
j within incorporated towns and $90,
! 1*00 for the maintenance of white
schools outside of Incorporated com
munities, and allowing $25,000 for
federal indigent purposes, the sum of
approximately $35,000 would be avail
able for roads or other purposes, this
estimate being based upon the total
of the Alaska fund for the fiscal year
1916.
Hut it would probably be practicable
to cause the municipalities to contri
bute a certain proportion of the money
needed for the support of their
schools by direct taxation, thus per
mitting a large proportion of the Alas
ka fund to be used for road purposes,
under the direction of the Alaska
road commission, as at present; and,
as suggested above, the deficiency
could well be supplied by an increase
in the annual appropriation by con
gio3s for road construction purposes
in the territory.
The transfer by congress of the
control of the Alaska fund to the ter
ritory would entail school legislation
by congress as well. The territorial
school law Is notoriously inadequate
and inefficient, and a complete, new
school system is desirable If the
children of the territory are to be
provided with the best educational fa
duties that can be procured for them.
' In all of the western states the pub
1 11c schools receive a certain amount
' from the state school fund, prorated
among them according to school pop
1 ulation, and a similar system can be
> devised for Alaska.
I One day Alaska will have a large
fund derived from school lands; sec
1 tlons 16 and 36 in every township will
f he set aside for school purposes, as
i in the public land states of the west
■ Of course, some time must elapse be
1 fore a school fund from this source
t will be available, and, In the mean
r time, other means must be found tc
' maintain the schools of Alaska,
t The plan outlined above, it Is sub
i- milted, is merely tentative, and Is
'■ subject to modifications, but The Em
3 pire believes It to be wholly practi
3 cable. It is also believed that the
6 control of the Alaska fund can be se
1 cured by the territory. If concerted
' action be taken by the people, espec
I- tally those of the Incorporated towns
1 who. It Is not necessary to point out
1 are vitally concerned in this matter
0 as it directly affects the malntenanc<
e of good schools without a large in
r crease In the volume of their local tax
s atton. -Juneau Empire.
So serious is the predicament c
prominent pool room and billiard pai
lor owners at Anchorage as the resul
of arrests for gambling on their pren
ises, that they have called Attorne
I- V. Hay from Seward at a heav
expense to defend them.
Under the ruling of Secretary Uan
lot owners at Anchorage are liable t
forfeit their property if liquor is sol
thereon or gambling occurs.
During the past two weeks numei
ous raids have been made on the poc
halls, and arrests made on warrant
sworn to by Assistant IT. S. Attorne
Munley.
The pool halls Involved in the case
are valuable property, the lots run
ning from $5,000 to $7,000 each, am
the buildings and equipment at fron
$5,000 to $20,000. In cases when
there is a conviction the power lie
with the secretary of the interior ti
cancel the title to the ground in case:
where he deems the owners had know
ledge of the offense. In cases wher<
lots were confiscated following th<
sale of liquor it was held that tin
secretary might cancel title if he sav
fit, regardless of circumstances, am
there is no appeal from his decision
There have been strong hints o
some sort of graft in connection witl
the gambling in Anchorage in recen
issues of the Anchorage Times, bu
the officials involved in the report o
the manner in which they grafted wa:
not set forth.
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lUflTFf] flTTflRNrV
I1U I LU 111 I UIII1L I
f
AT SALEM
News has been received in Cordov
of the death of Attorney John A. Car
son at his home in Salem, Oregon. H
appeared before the federal court o
the Third division in a number of prc
minent cases. His first visit was ii
1901, when he appeared as attorne,
for the Havermeyer interests, defer
dants in the famous Bonanza min
case, which resulted in the settlin
of the title of the world's richest coj
per mine in Havemeyer's favor.
He also appeared in behalf of Mrs
Catherine May Elliot in her actio
against the ilubbard-Eiiiot Mines Co
and again he appeared for the Gut
genheims in the Hasey defense, follow
ing the trouble in Keystone canyon. H
was also connected in the formatlo
of the Central Alaska Hydraulic Con
pany, promoted by the late Dan 6
Kaln, and appeared for the com pan
in the bankruptcy proceedings again?
the company.
Mr. Carson was a brilliant attorne;
an extremely affable gentleman, wli
made a host of friends wherever h
might be.
_a_
TAX ASSESSMENTS DISPOSED
BY EQUALIZATION BOAR[
The board of equalization finishe
its labors last night and made th
following decisions W. Clayson's a
ssesment was reduced from $25,000 t
$18,000; no change was made in Kinl
elstein & Saplro's; the Northwester
Hardware Company was raised froi
$8,000 to $10,000; nhe Ostrander eHtal
was reduced from $14,325 to $12,79
the same as It was last year; no r
duction from $19,000 was made fc
the Windsor hotel.
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FEDERAL EQUIPMENT CADETS
SEATTLE, Dec. 12. — The cad'
corps of the University of Washin
ton has applied to the western dl\
sion of the war department for tl
equipment allowed it under the n
tional defense act of July 1, 1910.
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BIG ATHLETIC CLUB DOUGLAS
The Douglas Island Athletic Cli
is the name of an organization recen
ly formed at Douglas, with a meinbe
ship of more than 300.
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ROBBING THE INFANTS.
A milk thief <s reported to be
work in Juneau, lifting the bottles le
at the various residences during tl
early morning hours.
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The Alaska halibut schooner J'
Baker disposed of its halibut cab
at Prince Rupert a few days ago
the record price of 14.5 cents p
pound.
f SEWARD, Dec. It. — Judge Spence,
- U. S. attorney, arrived from Valdez
t to make final arrangements for the
- sale of liquor here which had been
t confiscated near Anchorage.
i In discussing the various protests
against the sale of this liquor Judge
5 Spence said it was unfortunate, but
l the law under which this liquor was
1 seized and the owners jailed provides
specifically that the liquor shall be
- sold to the highest bidder.
1 "I would gladly have seen it dumped
< overboard from the scow'," said Judge
r Spence. "It Is too bad that the wea
ther on the way round was not so se
i vere that the crew would have been
- forced to throw It overboard to “light
I en ship,’ but it is here and must be
i sold. Fortunately some of the bottles
■ smashed.
< "I have no sympathy with the plea
i | of the local liquor dealers that it not
i be sold retail, however," the judge
continued. "These dealers have been
■ selling liquor wholesale here by sub
! terfuge, without paying a wholesale
! license, and there is no reason why
the government should not sell this
I retail."
FREIGHT RATES
f
ANCHORAGE, Dec. 11. Freight
rates for the government railroad
were announced today in a schedule
entitled "Local Tariff No. 5," by the
Alaska engineering commission. In it
are set forth the class, commodity and
distance rates between Anchorage
and Seward and other points along
i , the line.
Like all tariff schedules, it takes a
' | Philadelphia lawyer to figure out just
r i what the rate is on any particular ar
ticle.
1 ■ Class rates from Seward to Kern
I Creek vary from 18 to 88 cents per
■ I hundred, from Seward to Mile 25
- lrt to 50 cents per hundred, Seward
t . to Woodrow 4 to 2o cents per hundred.
I From Anchorage to Kings river the
! rates vary from l'i to 80 cents per
j hundred.
1 | These are rates on carload lots and
■ every description of freight is con
aidered on a different rating.
The schedule is based on the west
® eru rate classification by the Inter
1 state Commerce Commission, and is
now effective
fB AGAIN
■ CLASH
i
e El. PASO. Dec. 12. — The Mexican
< government agent here announces that
fighting between Villa and Carranza
forces, north of Chihuahua, is In pro
n gress. Carranza reinforcements have
n left Chihuahua according to reports.
e CHIHUAHUA CITY. Dec. 12.—Gen
■ eral Trevino's command has been in
, corporated in the division of General
r Marguia. Trevino is expected to take
his old command and fight \ ilia.
WASINGTON, Dec. 12. — Shark
>t skins as a substitute for leather Is
; being investigated by the United
i States bureau of fisheries, in the ef
e fort to save the high cost of animal
r skins.
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FIFTEEN FEET SNOW ON SUMMIT
The operators at the summit on the
b government trail report that the cut
1 has drifted In until there is about 13
r- feet of snow at the present time It
is packed hard and horses and men
have no difficulty in crossing ovet
the divide.
„ -«-—
ft SOME RICH PAY STRUCK,
te Ground running $17 to the square
foot of bedrock is reported to have
been uncovered at Chatham creek, the
>e well known tributary of Cleary creek
■h in the Fairbanks district. The extern
it of the pay la not known.
it -•
Sure, we are going to the Bou Tor
Ili' ONE VOTE
DELEGATES!
A careful canvass of the returns so
far received from the various precincts
of the Third division and from the
other divisions of the territory, give
Sulzer a lead of only 1 vote in the ter
ritory. The figures have been care
fully revised and are, so far as the
Third divisio nis concerned, absolute
ly accurate, having been taken from
the official returns received at the
office of the clerk of the court. The
returns from the other divisions are
presumably accurate, having been re
ceived from several sources and all
agreeing. The returns from the First
and Fourth divisions are complete.
From the Second division only Point
Barrow remains to be heard from, and
this place is unlikely to get the re
turns in early enough to be counted.
In the Third division the precincts of
t'hoggiung, Nushaggk, N’aknek and
Koggiung, in the Bristol bay country,
are yet unreported, and probably will
not be in in time to be counted. Rein
deer on Canyon creek, about 150 miles
from Bethel, is also unreported, and
probably will not be. Sannak, it is
reported, held no election, as was the
case at the Port Wells precinct. Bo
nanza, in the Chisana precinct, has
not yet been reported, and is the only
one of the missing Third division pre
cincts likely to be received.
Sulzer Wick.
First Division.2387 1894
Second Division.611 832
Third Division.1681 1964
Fourth Division . 1688 1676
Total .6367 6366
Sulzer’s plurality.1
vote by Precinct*.
The following table given the cor
rect figures for delegate in the vnrious
precincts of the Third division report
ed to date:
Lewis Sul. Wck,
Kenui. 8 7 22
Ninilchick. 1 17 5
Chignik. 0 16 0
Nizina. I 2 7
Susitna. 3 0 16
Cache Creek .... 1 1 9
McDougall. 7 9 17
Willow Creek ... 2 5 9
Hope . 0 14 21
Wasilta. 6 10 8
Roosevelt. 3 16 12
Sunrise ....... 1 2 11
Moose Creek .... 16 18 11
Moose Pass ....() 7 1
Fidalgo. 2 7 1
Landlock. 0 3 5
I Granite.12 13 27
: l.atouche. 3 34 22
| Copper Center ... 2 5 10
[ Matunuska. 47 41 46
I Kllamar. 6 20 18
' Ouzinka. 0 36 5
| Cliff Mine. 5 6 8
i Seward. 14 183 258
| Valdez. 12 237 202
Anchorage.218 336 432
Cordova. 34 157 201
Girdwood. 4 30 16
Katalla. 1 24 16
j Granby. 0 11 13
Teikhell. 0 3 7
1'nalaska. 2 67 30
I Kodiak. 0 66 67
I Bonanza . 4 4 9
| Jumbo. 4 13 6
j Kennecott. 5 24 23
; Strelna. 0 9 7
j Chitlna . 9 45 32
! Kyak. 17 30 40
Allen. 2 4 3
Tlekel. 5 4 11
Sourdough . 0 0 6
Afognak.11 15 45
Seldovia .11 13 55
Unga. 1 51 32
i McCarthy. 8 61 84
j Knik . 6 11 43
j Shushanna. 0 4 8
| Iliamna. 0 7 6
j Tatkeetua. 0 43 23
Total.468 1681 1964
-A
CAN NOW USE HIS FEET.
Karl Hall, who lost a part of both
i feet from freezing two years ago, re
turned recently to Seward. He spent
j three months in a hospital on the
j outside, and is now able to walk with
j out difficulty.
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exchange OF COURTESIES,
Because he designated Attorney d<
j Journel as a d-d liar during tht
' progress of the trial of the First Na
| tional Bank vs. F. G. Noyes, at Fair
banks. Attorney John L. McGinn wa*
fined 1100 for contempt of court b>
Judge Bunnell. After court adjourned
the two attorneys started in to mb
vigorously, but were separated by by
slanders.
MUNITION PLANT LOST
BERLIN, Dec. 12.—The Overseas News Agency says that
the explosion of a Russian munitions plant killed nearly 1,000
persons.
W A8HINGTON, Dec. 12.—Fifty are reported killed by the
explosion of the Alexandria munitions plans.
11 AM BORN ON THE RHINE, Dec. 1 ..—One of the most
important wheels in the German war machine is August Thy
sen, an antebellum days coal and steel magnate of the first rank,
but now, in view of the industrialization of war, general field
marshal ot the industrial army, and collaborator and confidant
of Hindenbrug. He is a small and frail, but powerful as rm in
dustrial leader. Notwithstanding the tremendous scope of hi
work, he clings stubbornly to old-fashioned methods when* he
himself is concerned.
He will not tolerate a stenographer for hi- personal use. but
writes all bis letters by lnuirt. I (is correspondence i- large,
much larger than be can attend to, along with bis other duties at
bis office. 8o be takes what is left over home with him to lii
onlv luxury, bis castle home near Kettwig, and after dinner fin
ishes it, if it takes until the woe small hours of the morning.
Despite his enormous wealth he has never personally on nod
an automobile, nor will be ride in one to save his own time. H ■
goes and comes from his home to bis office on foot or in a street
car. He wears a modest, dark colored business suit instead
of the formal ‘'morning suit ” so generally affected in *ienuany.
ami looks less like a multi millionaire than the av< rage clerk.
From tin* very outset of hi- climb from comparative pov
erty to great riches, and above all to very great renown a- an
industrial leader, Herr Tbysscn lias steadfastly refused tides
of all kinds.
In the late ’(>()s he founded an iron establishment in Dili
burg with bis total capita 1 of 8,000 thaler- (about $<> T m'i 11, and
in 1871 moved bis plant to Muellieim on the Ruin, where then*
later came into existence the plant “ I teulseller Kaiser.” which
today includes on tenth of tin* coal lands of \\ <—tphalia and gi
gantic steel mills. .lust before the war there were ciu| loved
some 20,000 men and the coal fields contained sonm 270 mil
lions of cubic meters of coal. 1 le is now the principal owner of
half a dozen huge industrial projects in i he Rhineland.
| ALAMEDA IN MORNING.
•The .steamer Alameda is due
in Cordova tomorrow morning.
She lias over 500 tons of freight
for here, and will he in port
about twelve hours.
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£ LOCAL JOTTINGS.
Th# weather has moderated consid
siderably today.
A train arrived this afternoon from
Kenneeott and Chitina
Attorney R. E. Capers returned on
last night's boat front a business trip
to Valdez.
Rev. J. Orlaff, the Russian priest al
Ellamar, was a passenger on the Wat
son for Kilisnoo, Alaska
VVm. Yosha. owner of the Seward
machine^ shop, was a passenger on
the Watson on a trip to California.
All local and visiting Elks are re
quested to register their names with
Chas. M. Rosswog, at the postoffice
store.
The latest returns to be received in
this division were fpom Uianinu.
where Sulzer received 7 votes and
Wickersham 6.
A meeting of the Cordova fire de
partment will be held on Thursday
evening and a full attendance of the
members is desired.
There will be a train for Chitina to
morrow morning, taking passengers
and making connections with the
train for Kenneeott.
All members of the Loyola Club are
on the invitation committee for to
morrow night's smoker, and they and
their friends are expected to be
present.
George M. Campbell, one of Anchor
age’s progressive business men and
live wires, was in Cordova last night
on his way to the states, where he will
spend the holidays with his wife, who
is on a visit to her parents
The steamer Admiral Watson ar
rived here from the westward last
night at 9l30 o'clock. She was de
layed at I .a touche on account of a
snowstorm, being tfed up to the dock
about twelve hours In fact it snowel
from the time the boat left Seward.
At I^andlock bar the Watson took on
290 tons of copper ore from W. A
Dickey's mine Passengers for Cor
dova were R. E. Capets and Sam Yan
del.
-♦_&
Be a Dally Times reader.
WASHINGTON, Deo. 11. — In bis
annual report to congress Secretary
of Interior Lane touches on a wide
variety of subjects. Referring to
Alaska, the secretary dwells at length
upon the fisheries and champions the
control of the same by the interior
department through the bureau of
fisheries. He urgently recommends a
greater measure of home rule for the
territory, through the granting of en
larged powers to the territorial as
sembly. He also urged that the gov
ernment bear the expense of surveys
of homestead entries in Alaska instead
of the claimant on public lands which
had not been surveyed
-»—
UNIVERSITY FACULTY COMES
FROM EIGHTY NINE SCHOOLS.
SEATTLE. Dec. 12 Eighty nine
si hools. colleges and universities are
represented among the 208 members
of the teaching faculty of the Uni
versity of Washington. Virtually all
the large American schools, as well
as several foreign institutions, have
graduates on the faculty. Among the
foreign schools listed are Heidelberg.
Leipsic, Munich and Strassburg. Ger
many: Mi Masters. Acadia, McGill and
Toronto, Canada; Oxford, England;
St Annen, Russia. Grenoble. France:
and Santiago, Chile.
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SPOKANE ON WAY HERE
IN PLACE STR. EVANS.
The tourist steamer Spokane is mak
ing the run to Southwestern Alaska
in place of the Admiral Evans, which
was delayed in reaching Seattle and
could not sail from there on Sunday
last, as per schedule.
The Spokane was formerly operated
by the l’aeific Coast Steamship Com
pany on the run between Seattle and
southeastern Alaska points, and is
about the same size as the Admiral
boats. She is a steel steamship and
was built by the Union Iron Works in
j Sau Francisco In 1901 for the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company. She is a
vessel of 2036 gross tons, 270.1 feet
long, 40.1 leet beam and 17 3 depth
of hold.
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RUTABAGAS BY CARLOAD
A carload of rutagabas, raised on
the farm of “Sailor" Holey at William
Henry bay. was recently shipped to
Seattle to the J. 11. Powles Company,
commission men of that city, by Har
vey Nicholson, their Alaska represen
tative.