DIVING FOR
DOLLARS IN
CORDOVA BAY
In the March issue of Popular Me
chanics there is rather a fantastic tale
by William Fleming French, which
contains just enough truth for the
foundation of a story and sufficient
exaggeration to make interesting read
ing, as follows:
"It wasn't so bad during flow tide,
but at- ebb, when the sold currents
swept out from Prince William Sound,
carrying with them the icy waters
from the Chugach mountains, my
nerve oozed right out through my
diving suit. Many a time I’ve come
up into the bright, warm sunshipe,
half paralyzed with cold. While work
ing close in to the shore we were well
protected, but when we worked out
into the strait to pick up anything that
the ebb tide might have carried back,
it was like jumping into a cold plunge.
And other times, when the sun was
out of sight and the wind favored us
with a whiff from up Hanagita valley
wav. we'd get a chill straight from the
Klondike, I believe. Anyhow, it was
tough, and we’d never have stuck if
the pickings weren’t worth it.”
This from one of the adventurous
divers who were diving for dollars off
Oordova, Alaska. A half dozen of
them there were, and they had
reaped large rewards for their daring
-—for diving in treacherous Alaskan
waters is no gentle pastime. The mil
lions of dollars’ worth of unsalvaged
ships and cargoes that lie off the
rocky shores of the gulfs, bays, and
sounds of Alaska prove that.
, One small diving boat, operated by
two men, cleared $1 400 in three days
at this work. Others did almost as
well. They were not diving for pearls,
nor for gold, but for copper.
Because of the dangerous nature of
the Alaskan waters, and because of
the great ebb flow of the tide at Cor
dova (due to the fact that the two
islands that lie just off Cordova form
a sort of natural runway through
which the receding tide must race)
the loading of copper from the great
mines thereabout, onto the ships that
carry it to the States, has been a
risky business. As a result thousands
of bags of copper were lost between
the edge of the loading dock and the
"boats. These Bmall, cube-shoped bags,
weighing in the neighborhood of fifty
pounds each, were at one time tossed
from the wharf to the ships, later
swung in by a loading crane, but now
are loaded by a protected device
whose nets eliminate the chance of a
repetition of these losses.
But the harm has been done and,
according to the estimates of one ship
ping agent there, over fifty tons of
good Cordova ore lay on the bottom.
Then the prices began to soar, and
'In early 1916, when the allies ‘were
paying over 30 cents a pound for it,
the 10 and 12-cent ore that had been
.lost a few years before looked like a
gold mine to the mining and shipping
interests of that territory. So steps
were taken to reclaim the lost ore. A
•diving crew was employed and set to
■ work.
This seemed to have the effect of
the good old-fashioned gold rush. In
diviuals started diving—and specializ
ing in pneumonia. Then up from Se
attie came a couple of diving outfits,
and another appeared from down
Sitka way. More followed, and soon
quite a little fleet was operating. Not
always exactly within the law, per
haps, but certainly with great enthusi
asm.
The ore lay mostly close to the
docks, and this, of course, was salv
aged by its legitimate owners. But
hundreds of sacks had been forced
up. the narrow passage to the north
east by the incoming tide, or else
dragged out into deep water by the
outgoing waters. This, then, was the
natural “game” of the private diver.
Due to the constant milling of the
sand, many of these bags were buried,
some at great depth, and, according to
one diver, could never be recovered.
The bags of copper were round, in
some instances, miles from the docks;
and in one case, a half dozen bags
were found on a bar just off Hlnchln
brook island, fully twelve miles from
Cordova.
Just how much of this ore, In dol
lars and cents, has been reclaimed, no
one seems to know, but an estimate,
that is generally accepted as fairly
reasonable, sets it at about $25,000.
-♦
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH
Wednesday, March 19—Feast of St.
Joseph—patron of the church in Cor
dova. Mass at 8 a. m.
-«
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circulation manager.
-♦-*
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QUEER CUSTOMS
OF PEOPLE OF
NORTH RUSSIA
WITH THE AMRICAN TROOPS IN
NORTH RUSSIA, Feb 10 (Correspond
ence of the Associated Press).—The
habits and customs of the North Rus
sian peasant are sources of unceasing
wonder to the American soldier. The
peasants are primitive and are con
tent to reside where the average
American housewife would roll up her
sleeves and spend many days in scrub
bing before she would live. In these
wooden or log huts hundreds of Yan
kee infantrymen and engineers are
billeted this winter.
The Americans, generally speaking,
occupy one half of the house a.id the
‘family the other. The Americans'
half is as clean as constant "policing”
can make it. But as for the other half
there are chickens, "husky” dogs of
the Arctic type, and from two to four
generations of peasants wandering
more or less miscellaneously about
their one or two rooms.
Blit they keep tne chickens cooped
up part of the day,” one Detroit, Mich,
private told the Associated Press cor
respondent. ‘‘You see,” he added
“they only let them out in the morn
ing to ‘police’ the kitchen. That's
easier than sweeping out.”
The Russian family's side of all
these houses is airtight. It is bitterly
cold up here in the forests during the
six months’ winter and the peasant
doesn’t believe in wasting heat. His
windows are sealed up tight and never
opened. He doesn’t mind the resultant
odor. |-i .’
But the American does, and opens
the windows in his side of the house,
and the peasant shakos his head
gravely and worries for fear his
strange khaki-clad fuests will catch
cold. 1
But the American doesn’t catch cold
and neither does the peasant, for that
matter, in his airtight rooms. Both
systems seem to work equally well.
Since the cold weather ha3 really set
in, the soldier and civilian popula
tions have both been surprisingly
healthy.
One peasant habit which the Ameri
can makes countless jokes about is as
time honored and unswervable among
the Russians as it is strange to the
Americans. That is, sleeping on the
sieve. The Russian village stoves are
built of brick and clay or porcelain.
They are about as large as an ordin
ary American bath-room and flat on
top, except whore the brick chimney
pokes through. One stokes them once
or twice a day, until all the Wood is
burned out, and then closes them Up,
letting the heated bricks radiate their
warmth. The flat tops of these stoves
are bed spaces for the eldest or most
honored of the families. American of
ficers have surprised many peasant
hosts by declining invitations to use
these choicest of all beds.
-*
RULERS OF JAPAN
DISPOSING OF LANDS
TOKIO, Feb. 1 (by mail)/—The Im
perial household announces that $50,
000,000 worth of forest lands belong
ing to the imperial family will be sold.
These forests are mostly in Hokkaido,
the northern island, where the em
peror owns about one-sixth of the to
tal area. The sale will make possible
a profitable development of these for
est lands and enable the government
to increase its revenue by bringing
the lands into the class of taxable
property.
BULGARIA OWES
ENORMOUS SUM
TO HUN ALLIES
SOFIA, Bulgaria, Jan. i) (Corre
spondence of the Associated Press).
—Bulgaria is facing a financial crisis,
it is asserted. The war cost the coun
try more than $1,500,000,000, while its
estimated wealth is only $2,200,000,
000. The national debt before the
war was $160,000,000.
Of the national debt as it now
stands, Bulgaria owes to Germany
$660,000,000, which was advanced in
installments of ten millions, but last
winter Germany discontinued the prac
tice, and demanded payment for muni
tions in cash. Germany evidently was
not in the business of helping its al
lies for nothing, as the prices charged
Bulgaria for gas masks clearly indi
cate. For each mask it charged $16
and a sheepskin, as compared with
the cost of a similar article for the
United States army in England of'
$4.50.
Financial experts agree that the sol
vency of the country can only be pre
served bv the presentation of counter
claims against Germany. Even if
Bulgaria’s total indebtedness to Ger
many is outweighed by Bulgaria’s
counter-claims, oppressive taxes must
be imposed for a decade or two in
I order to meet the remaining debt, say
Bulgarians. The state revenues be
fore the last three wars averaged $50,
000,000 per annum. Recent taxation
added $20,000,000 to this sum. To fill
the gap between what Is possible to
i-alse by taxation and the needs of
the nation it is now proposed to con
fiscate wealth illegally obtained in ad
dition to drastic taxation of war
profits.
Under Germany’s tutelage .the finan
cial policy maintained by Bulgaria
sank the country deeper and deeper
every year in debt. It was the only
belligerent country which issued no
internal loan, but contented itself
with printing paper money to the total
of almost $500,000,000 at the normal
rate of exchange. As a result Bui
garia's currency has depreciated more
than one-half,. while the accumulation
of private wealth ran parallel to the
rapidly mounting state debt.
-♦
Job printing at Daily Times office.
“Bevo” Is Here
It’s a drink that surely fills the bill. !
Delivered to the trade or families in
large or small quantities
-y "~,y
, I, '*4
FREI) HAEF, Distributor
KENNY HOLDEN’S
Pool and BiUiard Parlor*
CIGARS, SOFT DRINKS AND TOBACCO.
FIRST-CLASS BARBER SHOP
IN CONNECTION
MUSIC EVERY NIGHT PHONE 15
CHAS. GOLDSTEIN & COMPANY
of Juneau, Alaska
Offer to the trappers and dealers of the North
the followinig prices for No. 1 Prime Furs:
Lynx, extra large No. 1.$35.00 to $37.50
Lynx, large No. 1. 30.00 to 35.0C
Lynx, small . 20.00 to 25.00
Mink, dark coast skins. 5.00 to 7.00
Mink, dark coast skins, small. 3.00 to 5.00
Mink, fresh water... 5.00 to 10.00
Land Otter. 12.00 to 15.00
Bed Fox, No. 1 large.. 30.00 to 35.00
Cross Fox, according to beauty. 50.00 to 100.00
Muskrats.75 to 1.50
Silver and Black Foxes, as to color
Wolverine .. 5.00 to 12.00
Wolves.'. 5.00 to 20.00
Ship ut your Furs! As soon aa receivod we will grade same and
wire our beat offer. If our prices are not oatlafactory we will return
the fura and pay transportation charges' on same both ways. —
References: Any bank In Alaska, Dexter Horton National Bank, Se
attle; National Bank of Tacoma, Tacoma, Wash.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
We operate the Urgent Fur Mam-factory north of San Franelaoo.
The Burkhardt
Hand Laundry
and Bath
"
Burkhardt Flats
Neatly Fitted up with Large
Porcelain Tuba. Everything
Clean and Sanitary. Open All
Night Phone 01—three rings.
I “The check book has a persuasion all = ;
its own.” —Cleveland =-j
The logic of a dollar is proverbial. j
All powerful, it is often the final and
convincing argument in business :
transactions f - _
Moral: A check book here is the sym- ._
bol of accumulated dollars J
L-^
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• 1
• •
| Sixty Steam-Heated Rooms, Electric-Lighted :
• •
i Hot and Cold Water in Every Room
| With or Without Bath |
I :
S Cordova House!
• •
• •
• •
| DOOLEY & GREENIG 5
• •
• •
• Headquarters for- Railroad and Mining Men j
1 Satisfaction Guaranteed :: Rates Reasonable :
* • 6
Alaska Grill
FRANK A. DOUGLAS, Proprietor
“The Home of Quality and Attention”
The Popular Restaurant of Cordova. Every
thing First-Class. Special Attention Given
to Parties
ONE VISIT TO THE ALASKA GRILL WILL MAKE YOU A
REGULAR PATRON
| Soliciting the Patronage |
I I of the epicurean and discriminating public, I desire |l
to call attention to a few of the reasons which I am
confident make this Grill a popular one and en- i
titled to their kind support. i
Better Cooks Better Cooking |
Better Service |
Tables and Booths for Ladies Banquet Room If
LINDIG’S GRILL J j
Phone 30 I
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtmmmimmtmm
■f t __
TIES ADS FOR SURE RESULTS
j