THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1918, at the postoffice at Nenana, Alaska,
for eniry as second class mail matter, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
“WHERE RAIL AND RIVER MEET”
Published every afternoon except Sunday, by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First and B Streets, Nenana, Alaska.
R. G. Southworth.....Editor and Manager
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Six Months, if paid in Advance__ 9 00
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MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for re-publi
cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also all the local news published herein.
A COAST DEFENDER
In view of ail that has been said
and written about the Alaskan En
gineering Commission, its alleged
extravagances and ill-advised loca
tions, it is pleasing to hear ex
pressions of confidence in the
ability of the commission to carry
the work to a successful completion,
and a refuation of the oft-repeated
charge that the Bailey location,
south of N'enana, was an inexcusable
mistake on the part of the engin
eers. An oldtimer of the coast
country, probably moved to action
by that Susitna miner who rushed
into print in Seattle in support of
the Wic-kersham charges, is the
latest to come to the defense of
the commission. He points out, in
a communication to the Anchorage
Daily Times that the Bailey location
was not so serious a blunder as
Wickersham would have us believe,
and the News knows of many here
in Xenana who hold the same opin
ion.
‘(From Judge Wickersham’s let
ter to the P-I,” says the "Oldtimer"
in his communication, “and also
from the remarks made in the
house in discusing the item for the
Alaskan Enginering Commission in
the sundry civil bill, it would seem
that a vital mistake was made bv
the commission in locating the
railway south of Xenana.
“Judge Wickersham and all of
the people that are now hammering
the commission will go into rhap
sodies about the wisdom, honesty
and foresight of the Alaska pioneer,
and they are not far out of the
way. But now let us look at this
piece of railway location in the
light of what the pioneer knew.
“The big country to the south
of the Tanana river first came tc
the notice of Alaska people by the
discovery of gold in the Kantishna
about fifteen years ago. At thal
time and during the years since
the country through which the rail
way passes coming this way ha;
been thoroughly investigated. Duke";
trading post, the site where Xenane
now stands, was the point froir
which all winter supplies to the
country south started ’ for year:
past. The route over which the
railway was constructed was gone
over many times in the dozen >:
so years before the line was located
It was at all times safe, althougi
the ice and high water of the Xe
nana had been watched for all tb
years mentioned. Why, therefore
should the commission engineer
be expected to have the insigh
that a river would make its be<
in a place that it has passed u]
since the world was built? As we!
might the original settlers in Her
culaneum and Pompeii be blamei
for placing a city where Vesuviu
might later cover them up; or tb
people of San Francisco have fore
sen the earthquake, or Galveston o
Dayton the floods that caused tb
loss of life and property in thesi
places.
“The writer is not and never ha
been a commission employe and ha
never received a dollar from them
But he does claim to know some
thing of the topography of tb
country over which the railwa;
is being built from here and i
fair enough to not lay blame wheri
it does not belong.
“Further, it would seem to tb
ordinary individual that while ou
delegate from Alaska should no
be expected to be a civil enginee
and railway builder, that he shouli
have known enough to draw a bi!
with sufficient plainness that th
people who were expending tb
money did not have to go befor
Congress at every regular and spe
cial session and thresh out tb
question anew before money wa
available to continue the wor
started. From the latter cause has
i been the big waste, if any there
be, in this government railway con
struction, and this fault it would
seem to one. is directly attributable
1 to the men responsible for the bill
—Delegate Wickersham. Senator
Chamberlain or whoever it was that
prepared the measure that is not
now nor never has worked satis
factorily."
While we have no doubt Senator
Sherman has a just complaint
against the landlords of the na
tional capital, the fact that he has
been held up by them will not
arouse much sympathy among the
people of the United States. Bedd
ing up senator-tenants is bad
enough, but it does not begin to
compare with the offense of Sena
tor Sherman ana his filibustering
colleagues, who held up the entire
nation at the close of the last ses
sion of Congress.
It may develop that those of our
territorial legislators responsible for
the failure to give Alaska workers
an eight-hour day. labored in vain.
President Wilson has asked the Con
gress to enact a nation-wide eight
hour law, and there is reason to
| believe that the recommendation
will receive favorable consideration.
A federal law would end wrangling
‘over the question at Juneau and put
•a “quietus" on Northern dissenters.
The sundry civil bill, to which
i annually has been attached the
item for railroad building in Alas
j ka, includes also this year an item
! of six hundred million dollars for
| the shipping board. This money
i is urgently needed at this time by
! the shipping board, a statement
! recently issued by the chairmar
making it plain that the work oi
building ships for the governmem
i cannot continue beyond the end oi
| the present month unless addition
1 al funds are provided by Congress
| That ought to help the Alask.
‘situation, for early relief for th(
\ shipping board, through the medi
! um of the sundry civil bill, mean:
! early relief for the governmen
AMERICAN MAKES
SAUSAGES AND ROLLS
FOR CZECH TROOP'
CHELIABINSK. Russia. — Ken
■ neth Miller, formerly head of th<
John Huss settlement at New Yorl
: city, is now directing an America!
Young Men’s Christian Associatioi
1 enterprise at Chaliabinsk, which i
i' greatly appreciated by the Czecho
! I Slovak troops. Having lived in Bo
.j hernia, he knows what best please
! j the Chech army, and so he estab
; lished a sausage factory and bak
> ery. The sausage factory is turn
. out tons of sausages and does ;
• busines of 300,000 rubles monthly
. !The work is done by 25 Germa;
.: and Austrian prisoners.
Every day the bakery is makin;
; eight thousand of the rolls so pop
:! ular in Prague. Everything is soli
at cost. In this practical manner
. Mr. Miller has “made good” wit!
; the Bohemians and people gener
•; ally. It was at Cheliabinsk tha
; j the Czecho-Slovak troops inaugu
.; rated their campaign against th<
’ Bolshevik i and Magyars.
• J Arthur Frame, former Fairbank
; attorney, who located at Anchor
■ | age when the railroad work started
! has just returned from the State
| to resume his practice in the coas
> town. He went Outside during th
. war. intending to join the army
. but peace came before he was abl
. to get into the sendee
i OLD PAPERS FOR SALE A"
; THE NEWS OFFICE
II
LEI ’ER BUCK!"
IS OLD wm
HELENA, Mont.—“Powder River
Let 'er Buck!" battle-cry of th
91st, Wild West division, compose,
of Montana, Washington, Oregon
and California troops, is the oh
warcrj of the Montana cowboy
Before it rang on the Argonne, i
had been heard for more than fift;
years from the Rio Grande to th
Canadian line, in many a hard
fought battle.
To grasp the significance of th
cry, one must master a bit o
geography. The Powder river rise
in Northern Wyoming and crosse
the Montana line near Graham, ii
the newly-created Powder Rive
county, to pass through that coun
ty, Custer and Prairie, in which i
flows into the Yellowstone rivet
between Blatchford and Kamm
“Powder river, a mile wide and a;
inch deep," was the battle-cry o
the puncher—and abbreviated, a
above, it became the battle-cry o
the Montana soldier in the grea
war. In the days when the Wes
was the West and the punche
reigned supreme, cowboys were mi
gratory. There were few who di<
not know the Powder river. It i
the cowman’s ideal of a stream.
It is nowhere a mile wide, o
course, except in flood, and it i
everywhere more than an inch dee]
—though it does sometimes threat
en to dry up altogether, in torri-.
seasons. But it is sluggish, wid.
and shallow. Here cattle may wa
ter in it without peril. Swift, deei
rivers mean loss of stock and con
sequent worry to punchers.
It was, moreover, a landmark—
or a water mark, perhaps it shoul.
be called. Flowing through th.
great stretch of plateau prairie ii
Northern Wyoming and Souther;
Montana, it could be seen from an;
low butte, for a long distance. Th.
weary puncher who had lost hi
way after a long day in the sad
die, after strays, would lope up ;
hill and locate himself by its wa
ters.
Whatever the cause, the cowme:
as a class knew and loved the Pow
der river. Those were rough days
skirmishes and pitched battles be
tween cow outfits were common
Gradually, the Montana punche
began to adopt “Powder River, Le
’er Buck!" as his cry.
The cry entered politics. Th
eastern, the “cow” counties bega
to use the cry at political mee1
ings and rallies. Then came th
Spanish war, and Montana sent
due percentage of punchers int
Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
When the Second Montana wa
organized, the eastern countie
piled in. They made “Powder Rh
er” the battle-cry of the unit wit
unanimous consent. They saw som
service in the “McDonal Rebellion,
in Butte, in 1914. Later they wer
to the Mexican border, where Pei
! shing observed them and saw the
; they were good.
Then, the Great War. The Sei
1 ond, one of the first regimenl
galled, became the 163rd Unite
States infantry. “Powder River.
1 Mile Wide and an Inch Deep, L<
: i ’er Buck!” was painted on the
1 regimental band. It was the officii
; warcry.
; As a unit, the 163rd never ei
'! tered a battle. When it reache
' France. Pershing distributed th
; men among the First and Secon
' divisions to fill the gaps in the rej
ular regiments.
’( From Cantigny to Sedan, me
ljof the outfit fought, and “Powd(
■ River” was heard in every battle.
I It was the drafted men that ga\
: the cry to the 91st division. The
II took it to Camp Lewis with then
' and there the cry caught the fane
I of the California, Oregon an
• Washington men, with whom the
1 were brigaded, and was adopte
• with enthusiasm.
The Germans heard the cry o
' the Argonne and in Belgium, an
Lthe 91st came back with a reputi
l tion second to none.
BRITISH SOLDIERS
■ TAKE TO HOT BATI
■ LONDON.—That British fetis
| the cold bath, has lost its attractin'
; for many soldiers who have r
‘, turned from France. The o
casional baths they got in rest bi
WANT ADS
FOR SALE—Team of young horses,
weight about thirty hundred.
' : Guaranteed to work single > or
double, wheelers or leaders, and
perfectly gentle. Vachon, Tolo
! vana. k21
' FOR SALE—Settee with cushions;
large round table top, 6 ft. in
diameter, and doors. Apply Casey’s
Warehouse.
Restaurant Tabs and Tablets at
the News Office.
DUG ACADEMY
SOCIAL DANCE
Sat. May 24
UNION MALL
Mrs. Belle Campbell - Director
: j lets during the war were ho*., and
s j they soon acquired the 'lot-bath
: habit along with a distaste for ei Id
water. One soldier who used to be
: a cold bath enthusiast, says;
• i “My experiments with cold baths
■ since returning from the front
[ have made me wonder whether the
;!cold bath habit is not really a
'pernicious fad, and to conclude that
■ I survived it only because I was
j broken into it when very young
i [and resilient.
“The first cold bath I had at
; home gave me the ‘blues’ all day;
. the next gave me a stiff neck in
. addition, and the third day I de
i j veloped rheumatism. They say that
. the British are a Class 3 nation
! physically. I wonder whether cold
. j baths have anything to do with it.”
I j Wives and domestic servants are
, i said to be opposed to the new hot
, i bath habit of the returned soldiers.
Hot baths mean the consumption
. j of more coal and require more
. work in preparation.
TWO DESERTERS
j ARE SENTENCED
t 10 20 YEARS
_ i COBLENZ.—Two American sol
j diers who went ahead of the Army
I
of Occupation during its march
across Rhenish Prussia last Decem
ber. donned German army uniforms
and had a series of thrilling ad
ventures, after a court-martial re
cently. were sentenced to twenty
years at hard labor. The men,
both privates, were charged with
^desertion, in addition to eight other
j offenses connected with their run
'• i away trip.
11 According to the testimony
-1 brought out at the court-martial,
t j both men spoke a little German.
j and after going ahead of the ad
. : vancing troops, fell in with a num
s ] ber of German soldiers, also de
dlserters. The Germans had stolen
a 1 a lot of food, wearing apparel and
t other articles of value, and, wit
r nesses said, induced the Americans
i]! to assist the Germans in rescuing
the stolen property from a cache,
i- | The two privates—Frederick Rich
d : man and Frank Richards—probably
e were the first Americans to enter
d | Coblenz, as they were more than a
j week ahead of the schedule of the
j Third army in its march toward
n i the Rhine. It was in a suburb of
i-' Coblenz that the Germans had hid
' den their booty—in the basement
«! of a German woman’s house. In
y some way the Coblenz police heard
i, of the thefts, and for several days
and nights had guards watching for
the thieves to appear to cart away
their loot.
When two supposedly German
soldiers appeared one night with
-i sacks and started to pack up the
,J articles, and refused to heed repeat
i- ed German commands to “halt,”
the German policeman began to
i fire. One man fell, wounded in
| the arm, and the other, after a
chase, was caught. When the two
were taken to the German police
I station it was discovered that they
1 were Americans, and they were held
until officers of the American army
i arrived.
l, i Under the circumstances, after an
is investigation, the Americans decid
;- ed not to file any charge against
:- the German policeman who had shot
1-1 Richman.
1 Wet Weather Goods
Rubbers, Boots, Rubber Shoes
j SAVE TIME AND MONEY
/ Raincoats, Slickers and Shoe Oils \
> ----
GO TO $
FOWLER & MORRIS
W»A\\\\V\VWW\\\\\VV\\VVtV\3kVVVV«\\\\\\VXNvv<
A Thoroughly Modern Hotel
The Southern
i
Tom Smith, Prop.
BLAINKFIELD EXPRESS
Clean Dry Wood for Sale
OFFICE AT THE ARCTIC
Hauling of All Kinds
RESIDENCE PHONE
Department of the Interior
Alaskan Engineering Commission
NOTICE
Passengers leaving on the train
for any point on the iine south of
town are required to purchase
tickets before entering the train.
Tickets can be purchased from
the station agent, whose office is
in the employment office, on the
ground floor of the general office
building, Alaskan Engineering com
mission.
Tickets will be on sale at any
time during office hours, and can
be purchased in sufficient time be
fore the departure of the trains.
Regular trains leave the foot of
A street on Wednesdays and Satur- I
days at 8 a. m.
NENANA LODGE No. 1193
L. 0. 0. M.
MEETS AT MOOSE HALL
FOURTH AND B STREETS
On Second aBd Fourth Tuesday!
At 8 P. M.
ALEX FOWLER M. V. TYLER,
Secretary Dictator.
I
i
!
ATTENTION
SHIP TO
GEO. R. GOSHAW, Inc.
ALASKAN DEALER IN
RAW FURS
SEATTLE NEW YORK
Alaska Building 127 W. 27tW Itr.*«
We do business direct with you and solicit your RAW FURS.
Your shipments are handled by expert traders and New York
Market Prices are paid on correct grading the day received If
desired, your shipments will be kept separate in order that our \
prices may be approved by you. Providing that our valuation
does not prove satisfactory, the Furs will be returned to you,
transportation charges prepaid. Ship by Insured Parcel Post or
Express. Ship in dry condition. Always enclose an itemized
list of contents with name and address. Also place duplicate
list on the outside of package or bale. All payments are made
by check on the Seattle National Bank, or in any other manner
desired. Special instructions, if any, must accompany shipment.
SHIP NOW
L ■■ J