• WORK OF GOBS
FIGHTING FLU
AT UNALASKA
(Continued from Page One)
resistance to the disease, and their
plight grew more pitiful every hour.
Urgent indeed was their message for
help—for further north they knew
whole villages had been wiped out
by flu—for need of skilled aid.
No sooner was the message read
by the Unalga’s captain (Dodge) than
the engines throbbed out their reply
to the order for “full steam for Una
laska,” and across the Bering sea, so
fraught with treacherous passages,
and sudden fogs, raced the game little
cutter, every man from the captain to
the cabin boy, preparing for the grim
fight ahead.
On arrival at Unalaska they found
^ the entire population of some 360
souls stricken with the flu and only
very inadequate help at hand.
Not waiting even to protect them
selves with masks they plunged into
the fray, organizing their forces in
order to give the maximum aid in the
shortest time. In a very few hours
the ship’s surgeon had attended to the
worst cases, established a local hos
pital, stationed “gobs” at the various
houses where the inmates needed
nursing and issued orders for burial
ot the dead.
Hot, welcome soup was taken from
house to house as fast as the Unalga’s
cook could make it, medicines dis
tributed along with necessary rations
and blankets.
All Give Aid
Officers and men alike, regardless
of rank, worked night and day to
dispose as soon as possible of the ac
cumulated dead—some very dead,
: nd half eaten by the malamute dogs.
Coffins were built roughly and quick
IP ly, and back on the side of a snow
side hill the remains of the flu victims
were laid at rest as one of the officers
* read a simple service at the grave
f, side.
With the care of the sick well un
der control the next problem was
what to do with the children, many
of them orphans and quite uncared
lor. A thorough inspection of the
barabaras brought to light some 30
kiddies of all ages down to babies of
a few weeks old. all very dirty, some
on the point of starving, and many
wild-eyed from fear of the dogs, half
husky, half wolf, growing fiercer
each day in their search for human
flesh.
The children were brought to the
European part of the village and in
stalled in an empty wooden house,
which had been cleaned and aired by
the “gobs” wjien tue question arose,
Who is to take charge of the duty
little imps? it just naturally fell to
the lot of Pete, chief gunner’s mate,
r Creek by birth, a born fighter of men
and protector of all things helpless
and small. On board it was always
Pete who as a matter of course took
unto his big heart the pets of the
ship.
so Fete it was to wnom ien tne
responsibilities of caring for the or
phans of the S. S. Unalga Orphans’
Home. With the aid of some “gobs”
he took them in turn, bathed and
clothed them. Those children who
had no clothing were laid flat on a
bolt of material and their outline
penciled. The garment was then cut
out and sewn together, and if not the
latest fashion was surely a perfect
fit.
When it came to bathing the babies
Pete scratched his head and won
dered “how.” Finally he decided that
the art of bathing dogs and babies
must be much the same, so taking
each howling infant in turn he held it
with one hand firmly by the scruff
■*' of the neck and scrubbed it down
with warm water and soap with the
other hand.
When the native women were con
valescent enough to walk down to
see the children they almost had a
relapse on hearing of Pete’s matuti
nal bathing performances, declaring
loudly that, he would kill them. The
natives are not fond of water.
With the sick people and children
properly taken care of the next task
was the cleaning up of the native
barabaras. They are built for the
most part of earth. Very often they
are dugouts on the side of the hill.
They are for the most part unspeak
ably dirty and alive with vermin so,
in cases where the inhabitants had
all succumbed to the flu the contents
of the barabaras were burned as the
only sure means of disinfecting them.
When Unalaska was convalescent
and the survivors from flu were get
ting down to normal life again, the
I Unalga continued her mission of mer
' cy some 600 miles further up the
Alaskan coast, at the entrance of the i
Nushagak river. Here they found
the natives practically wiped out by
the flu, and their work was chiefly a
matter of inspecting the various na
tive villages along the banks of the
river, burning out the barabaras and
burying the dead.
Some of the bodies had been lying
there for weeks and many were en
tirely eaten by dogs. These dogs,
half malamute and half wolf, had
grown very savage and it was neces
sary to send shooting parties ashore
to kill them before the burial parties
could land.
In one barabara was found a na
tive who had made his own coffin and
nailed it to the wall some six feet
from the ground like a bunk in a
ship. Evidently when he fell sick
he had crawled in there and died, for
there his body was found some weeks
later, unharmed by the dogs, but in
an advanced state of decay.
As sailors the boys on the Unalga
were heroic, but as flu fighters they
were Christ-like, for they were fight
ing a grim foe for which 99 per cent
of them were not equipped with even
the necessary knowledge for self-pro
tection.—San Francisco Examiner.
♦..
i GordoVanitieS jj
i'
♦.*—..
SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS
SEE US
Saturday, August 10, 1919.—The
Times.
The almanac calls us a liar. Yes,
the laugh’s on us.
But on Saturday night, in a dry
town, a fellow isnt’ really responsible.
They say it’s a dry town. But
there’s nothing like a hot toddy to
keep out the rain.
Ask Mike—he knows. Ask anybody.
There was a cache—THERE WAS.
Cache—cash. Say, how do you spell
it? Well, in terms of whisky they
mean about the same, we guess.
• • •
Besides, we were getting ready for
the big excursion.
• • •
Some excursion. Let’s do it again
soon.
And many of them.
• • •
Before we go “outside.”
Or hit the long trail. •*
For the place where good Alas
kans go.
Outside? Well, maybe—in 1927
Or ’nine—we’ll see.
But there ain’t no place this side of
heaven
I’d sooner be
Than where the swift snow waters
slake
The thirsty sea,
And the gold-tipped mountains echo
back
The Call for me.
• • •
Just as long as they leave cider
alone.
But they’re even testing the ginger
pop in the drug stores now.
Fermentation knows no law.
The stuff was probably harmless
when it left Seattle.
• • •
Still—(that’s a risky word)—never
WEEKLY DOLE
FOR WORKLESS
OF fillBRITAIN
LONDON, July 13 (Correspondence
of Associated Press).—The payroll of
the unemployed, to whom the govern
ment is making a weekly dole, has
been reduced by about 500,000 names
since May last, when the government
drew its purse strings tighter. From
November to May the weekly benefits
were paid to about 1,250,000 persons.
Payments are now being made to
about 750,000.
At first the amount paid the men
out of work was $6 a week, 85 to
women, $3 to boys and $2.50 to girls.
There were smaller grants for chil
dren, so that it was possible for an
unskilled workman with four children
to draw nearly $11 a week, which was
more than some could earn at work.
When the joyful news of this pay
for doing nothing spread, many tired
workers immediately resigned their
jobs and came upon the government,
according to testimony in the courts,
while others who never had done nor
wish to do any work found themselves
in the happy position of gathering un
expected manna from the heavens.
The English newspapers say that Ire
land availed itself whole-heartedly of
this godsend.
Instructions from the government
to disbursing officers were to lean to
ward generosity, and his policy ap
pears to have prevailed.
UNREST IN CANADA
IS ATTRIBUTED TO
HIGH COST OF LIVING
OTTAWA, Ont., July 31 (by mail).
—Despite government efforts to re
duce prices, the cost of living in
Canada continues to soar. The high
prices were cited as the cause of
unrest in every district, according to
investigators of the recent strikes
throughout the Dominion.
Government officials stated that the
high cost of necessities was respon
sible for the dissatisfaction of thou
sands of conservative working men.
They also asserted this subject gave
radicals an excuse for trying out
more ambitious schemes.
The average cost of twenty-nine
staple foods in sixty cities in June,
1914, was $13.72, as compared with *
$13.53 in May, official statistics show. .
In June, 1914, the average was $7.35. -
NATIONAL EXPANSION
IS OPPOSED IN JAPAN
TOKIO, July 4 (by mail).—A stu
dent group of the Tokio Imperial ,
University has organized a society
for national expansion, upholding of
Japanese traditions and to appose
blind adoption of the ideals of West
ern civilization. The students assert
that Japan has her own characteris
tic civilization, which is strong
enough to be independent of the Eu
ropean and American civilization.
theless, and to the contrary notwith
standing.
Jamaica ginger sets a bad example
for innocent intoxicants to follow,
And the apple juice the booze detec
tors sample
Can turn to hootch some time ’twixt
sip and swallow.
What’s the matter—lost your dog?
GET YOUR CIGARS
AT
THE NORTHERN DRUG CO.
AH Standard Brands
2 for 25c
LOVERA MONARCH ROI-TAN
MOZART MAGNIFICOS MOZART ROSA
OPTIMO SENATORS OPTIMO STANDARDS i
EL BELMONT DANDIES EL BELMONT, Old Fashion
EL BELMONT ADMIRALS
All Cigars 2 for 25c
Chewing Gum, 5c Package i
SPECIAL NOTICE
All Periodicals and Magazines for Sale at the
Publishers’ Marked Prices
NORTHERN DRUG CO.
“THE DRUG STORE OF ALASKA”
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
“SERVICE” Is our motto .
S ])
j A rare ensemble of exclusive fall models in ma- 11
j terials of soft luxuriousness, tinseltone, silvertone j §
j and suede cloth, pon-pon and Duvetine, lined with j |
{ Pussy Willow Silks and Satins in unique patterns : |
j and colorings, some trimmed in the Hudson Fur. \ 1
........: |
___
IRON STAYS HOT
YOU STAY COOL
In the torrid summer
days when the thermometer
stands at a hundred in the
shade the
UNIVERSAL
Electric Iron
comes to the relief of the
busy housewife with a com
forting: sense of work more
easily done in the very cool
est way. Efficiency and
iconomy account for the
popularity of UNIVERSAL
Electric Irons.
r
Alaska
Public
Utilities
If
ii igart & Robinsi in
DEALERS IN UP-TO-THE-MINUTE
Wall Paper
AND DECORATIONS
We also Do Painting, Decorating and Paper-Hanging. Estimates
cheerfully furnished for the best of work by experienced workmen. !
L.._ I
“Bevo" Is Here
-----.-*
It s a drink that surely fills the bill.
Delivered to the trade or families in
- large or small quantities
FRED HAEF, Distributor ;
i - ■ ■ - _. t
Keist Furniture
Company
Is the Place to Buy
New and Second-Hand
Household Goods
OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT
Next door to Alaska S. S. Office
I_
JUST ARRIVED
Children’s Dresses, Cambersols,
Bloomers and Stockings, Rubber
Capes—the first ever shown in this
part of the country. Everything
very reasonable. All invited to
call, whether you buy or not.
THE REGENT
(MRS. JOHN NELSON)
Across St. from Modern Laundry i
STEAM HEAT ELECTRIC LIGHTS
| Overland! otel
MRS. J. W. KENNEDY
Chitina, Alaska
POOL TABLE IN CONNECTION
BaST BRANDS OF CIGARS KEPT