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The, Nenana News
VOLUME NO. 2
NENANA, ALASKA SATURDAY, DEC. 15, 1917
WHOLE NUMBER 63
* KAISER WILL PROPOSE
FINAL OFFER OF PEACE
LONDON, Dec. 15.—In his Christ
mas message to the reichstag, the
emperor of Germany, it is reported
here today, will propose that a final
peace offer be sumitted to the Allies.
And in case the offer is rejected,
the Allies will be held responsible
by the kaiser, for the bloodshed of
• 1918.
The massing of German troops on
the Italian and Western fronts will
be used, it is understood, as an ar
gument in favor of the acceptance
of the Offer, the great array of
strength being intended to influence
the decision of the Allies. In case
of rejection of the offer the German
forces will be hurled against the
Allies in a final supreme effort to
crush them.
The Volks Zeitung declares that
the only battlefield remaining is the
Western front, toward which the
* hands of the clock of destiny are
! approaching rapidly. “Our enemies
| recognize this,” the article continues,
| “and are crying out for American
help. This does not matter. Jus
tice is about to end the war.”
The Germans have brought a large
number of their heaviest guns to
the Piave and North Italian fronts,
and the bombardment in those sec
tors has taken on increased violence
and range. Some of the German
shells are dropping eight miles be
hind the Piave line within a few
miles of the city of Treviso.
From Petrograd comes the report
of the arrest, by the Bolsheviki
forces, of Generals Kaledines and
Potolsky and the members of their
staffs.
It is also reported from Petro
grad that the Germans are now ob
| taining fats and other much-needed
J supplies from Russia.
' AGITATION STARTS
10 BUY SIBERIA
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15.—An
agitation has been started for the
purchase of Siberia by the United
States. A number of influential
newspapers have given their support
to the movement and it is receiving
endorsement in every quarter. There
is said to be a strong sentiment in
favor of the purchase in Siberia
and strong influence is now being
brought to bear on the American
government to start negotiations
immediately.
The acquisition of Siberia by the
United States would open a vast
territory of great wealth in gold and
other minerals to settlement by
American pioneers, many thousands
of whom are eager to embrace the
opportunity to assist in the develop
ment of the Russian territory.
COAST PAPER INSISTS
RIGGS WILL GET SEAT
The editor of the Seward Gateway
insists that Thos. K;ggs, Jr. is slated
for appointment as governor of
Alaska and that his name will be
sent to the senate for confirmation
sometime during January. The re
port, says the Gateway editor, comes
from the highest authority and is
not to be questioned. He says fur
ther, that Mr. Riggs returned to Ne
nana from the coast for the purpose
of winding up his affairs as railroad
commissioner with a view to aceept
ng the governorship. By the time
he reaches Washington, the same au
thority states, everything will have
* been lined up for the appointment.
“Those who have been in close
touch of political affairs,” the ar
ticle continues, “know that the name
of Governor Strong was sent to the
president by Secretary Lane about
two months ago. The name was re
turned by the president, simply
marked ‘unsatisfactory’ This is
regarded as conclusive proof that
a change is to be made at an early
date.
CROZIER SAYS MONEY
WENT FOR REVOLVERS
WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 15.—
During the course of his cross ex
amination yesterday by the senate
military committee, Chief of Ord
' nance Crozier admitted that a con
siderable portion of the $5,000,000
appropriated by congress for the
purchase of rifles had been used for
the purchase of revolvers.
ALASKANS GIVE MONEY
FOR HALIFAX VICTIMS
SEATTLE, Dec. 15.—Alaskans
have contributed the sum of $1287
to be forwarded to Halifax for the
relief of explosion sufferers in that
city. Residents of Ketchikan gave
$650, and the balance came from
Anchorage and other coast towns.
Mrs. Cleveland, of the firm of
of Howell & Cleveland, is a visitor
in Nenana, having made the trip
down from Fairbanks yesterday.
COAL SHORTAGE
THREATENS EAST
COLUMBUS, O., Dec. 15.—The
shortage of coal throughout Ohio
is assuming serious proportions.
Hundreds of thousands of men have
been thrown out of employment
during the past few days as the re
sult of the closing of many manu
facturing plants, and practically
every Industry in the state will be
tied up by the end of another week
unless the fuel famine is relieved.
Governor Cox sent a message to
Fuel Administrator Garfield today,
informing that official that it would
be necessary to close the hospitals
in this city unless coal could be se
cured immediately. He urged that
the Cleveland orders be given priority
GERMANS SPREAD TALE
OF YANKEE BARBARISM
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Dec. 15.—
Representatives of the German gov
ernment are busily engaged in cir
culating a report in Germany and
neutral countries to the effect that
a woman named Anna Uitetie was
executed as a German spy in the
United States. The circulation of
the story, it is believed, is intended
to offset the Cavell case. The state
department has issued an official
denial of the story, stating that no
such woman is known to the Ameri
can government.
TRAFFIC IS SUSPENDED
TO SPEED GERMAN PLAN!
GENEVA, Dec. 15.—Regular traf
fic on the railroads in Germany has
been suspended for a period of ten
days in order that the movement of
troops and supplies to the Western
front may proceed at top speed.
SLAV STAFF OFFICER
FIGHTS LAST BATTLE
PETROGRAD, Dec. 15.—General
! Skalon, of the Russian general staff.
| committed suicide yesterday. He
| was one of the Russian conferees en
gaged in arranging the armistice at
j Brest Litovsk. No reason is assign
ed for the act.
FELIX DIAZ KERENSKY
BESTS VON BOLSHEVIKI
j LONDON, Dec. 15.—Reports re
i ceived from Russia this afternoon
■ state that the Kerensky forces have
| captured the towns of Turmanvka
! and Kaluga, southwest of Moscow.
! KORNILOFF ON RUN NOW;
DEFEATED BY BOL GANG
LONDON, Dec. 15.—Advices re
ceived in this city today state that
General Korniloff and his followers
have taken to their heels following
their defeat by the Bolsheviki forces.
I
!
Smith’s Gun store, Fairbanks has
moved into the building formerly oc
cupied by Wile’s Emporium, on Sec
ond avenue, near the Red Cross
drug store.
CLUB MEMBERS
DISCUSS PLANS
10 HELP TOWN
The weekly meetings of the Ne
nana Commercial club are producing
results. At each gathering of the
members, the needs of the com
munity are discussed thoroughly and
numerous reforms have been in
augurated which promise to assist
materially in promoting the interests
of Nenana and the districts tribu
tary to the town.
The Kantishna road project was
brought to the attention of the club
at the meeting held last Sunday, at
the office of Commissioner Burns,
and steps are to be taken immedi
ately to provide the people of that
district with better transportation
facilities. Mr. John C. Murphy ap
peared before the club and explained
in detail the work that already has
been done in this connection.
It was pointed out that a suitable
road into the Kantishna would serve
| the double purpose of providing the
I miners of that district with better
means of ingress and egress and at
i the same time make the new McKin
ley National park accessible to tour
ists, many of whom can be attracted
to the Interior country when it is
known that the great mountain can
be approached within easy viewing
distance. The distance from the
railroad, at Lignite, to the boundary
of the park, is fifteen miles, and
when the park is opened to tourists
all of the travel doubtless will go
by that route, providing suitable
! roads are built.
The club also took up tne matter
of food conservation in Nenana and
a committee of W. H. Grigg, M. J.
Cooney and W. A. Coghill was ap
pointed to confer with the mer
chants and owners of restaurants
with a view to inaugurating meatless
days and other savings in food con
sumption in Nenana. When this
matter was up for discussion, it
was suggested by a number of the
members that a less rigid enforce
ment of the game laws would enable
Interior Alaskans to> have meat in
abundance, without drawing heavily
upon the Outside markets. It was
pointed out that large quantities of
wild meat are being killed for dog
feed in the hills, while residents of
the towns are denied the privilege
of enjoying the benefits of this
natural resource. The committee
on conservation also was instructed
to confer with officials of the Ne
nana Labor union with a view to
the inauguration of saving days at
the commission mess houses.
A committee consisting of Herman
Anderson, J. Cassin Williams and
J. A. Slippem was named to confer
with the members of the school
board on the matter of the school
tax levy. Secretary Joseph informed
the members that the assessed valu
ation of the town as fixed by the
school board is $750,000, and. that
a tax of five mills had been levied
to meet school requirements.
Questioned regarding fire protec
tion, Acting Townsite Manager W.
H. Grigg informed the club that
the mains laid during the fall were
ready for the water and that nothing
further could be done until the com
mission well had been completed.
The work on this well, he said, had
been seriously delayed by the cold
weather. The members of the club
were invited to visit the fire hall
for the puropse of familiarizing
themselves wth the mechanism of
the chemical apparatus, upon which
the town at present is dependent
for protection.
Robert E. Burns read to the club
a letter he had received from the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce, ask
ing the co-operation of the Nenana
Commercial Club in securing a
modification of a bill now before
congress, providing for the sale of
coal lands in the States and exclud
ing Alaska. A resolution was then
presented and passed, urging con
gress to place the coal lands of
Alaska also on aale, as an induce
ment to capital to develop the fields.
The names of J. Cassin Williams
and Paul Palfy were presented for
membership and accepted.
RIGGS PREDICTS EARLY ACTION OF CONGRESS
SEATTLE, Dec. 1 5-Thos. Riggs, Jr., member of the Alaskan Engineering
commission, who is in this city enroute to Washington, expresses the belief that ad
ditional funds for railroad construction will be appropriated by congress at an early
date. He does not anticipate any curtailment in the work and predicts that trains
will be running between Seward and the Tanana river within two years.
A number of bills were presented
and in ordering their payment, the
club voted to levy an assessment of
$4 against each member for the pur
pose of wiping out the indebtedness
of the organization.
Secretary Joseph read a letter he
had written to Col. Stevenson,
thanking the coast banker for the
interest displayed by him in the
needs of Nenana and urging the
establishment of a bank here in
the spring. The name of J. Cassin
Williams was mentioned as a desir
able man to have charge of#the new
I enterprise which, if established, will
be one of a chain of several banks
of which Col.Stevenson is the head.
The club will meet again tomorrow
afternoon.
NENANA LADIES HANNING
NEW RED_CR0SS DRIVE
The American Red Cross is start
ing a new drive to increase its mem
bership from five to fifteen million
members. The drive is to commence
on December 17 and end December
25. It is to be called the Christmas
j campaign for members.
Every man, woman and child in
the town of Nenana is urged to be
' come a member.
All members secured since April
of this year are urged to waive their
unexpired membership and take out
new memberships beginning with the
' first of the year.
Fairbanks is getting busy on this
subscription, and John A. Clark,
chairman of the Red Cross Christ
mas Membership Campaign commit
tee, has wired Nenana, requesting
; that a committee be appointed here
, to secure memberships.
The classes of membership are as
follows:
Annual membership, $1; Sub-:
scribing members $2; Contributing !
members $5; Sustaining members,'
;$10; Life members, $50; Patron;
members, $100.
• All memberships above one dollar'
| include subscription to Red Cross1
magazine.
Mrs. G. F. Cramer has been ap-'
pointed chairman of the Nenana'
committee, and just as soon as lists I
can be prepared the members of the
committee will start taking sub
scriptions for membership in the Red
Cross.
The Red Cross needs the money. •
Committee: Mrs. C. H. Hall, Mrs..
M. E. Smith, Mrs. M. S. Love, Mrs.
R. S. Hildebrand, Miss Jane Ander
son Miss Mildred 0. Anderson, Miss
Thora Slippern, Mrs. A. C. Ellen
son, Mrs. F. S. Ryus, Miss Helen ;
Kobe, Mrs. Alderman, Mrs. Mellish,.
Mrs. Lawrence, Mrs. Bishop.
SLAV SOLDIERS ORDERED
TO EVACUATE FINLAND
i LONDON, Dec. 15.—According to
information received in this city
this morning, all Russian troops
have been ordered to evacuate Fin
land. The report is unaccompanied j
by details.
_
Mrs. Carlton D. Ross was taken
ill yesterday and her condition was
such today that it was found neces
sary to remove her to the Commis
sion hospital, where she probably
will be compelled to undergo an
operation.
London.—“The submarine menace
is held but not mastered declared
First Lord of the Admiralty Geddes
in a speech made before the house
of commons yesterday. British ship
building, he said, still lacked consid
erable of replacing the losses.
There will be a meeting of Nenana
igloo, Pioneers of Alaska, tonight,
at the Duke building, on Market
■street. The meeting will be called
to order at 7:30.
CLUB BOOSTING PLAN
FOR NEW MAIL ROUTE
The Nenana Commercial club has j
become actively engaged in a move- i
ment, started by the Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce to change j
the routing of Interior mails to the
Broad Pass trail.
The matter was brought to the
attention of the club in a letter j
from the Anchorage organization, !
read at the meeting held last Sun
day. It was pointed out that the
distance between rail heads by the
end of next summer would not ex
ceed one hundred miles and that the
service between the States and In
terior Alaska points could be great
ly improved by carrying the mail
over the railroad, to the two ends!
of the line and by sleighs across;
the gap.
Realizing the importance of the
suggested change, the club decided [
to take immediate action and will
co-operate in every way possible
with the Anchorage and Seward
commercial bodies. Wires have been
sent to Commissioners Edes and
RigErs and to Delegate Sulzer, point
ing out the advantages of the Broad
Pass route and asking their assist
ance in prevailing upon the post
office department to make the de
sired change before next winter.
The Broad Pass route will reduce
the trail haul two-thirds, which is re
garded as a convincing argument in
favor of the change. And the rout
ing of lower river mail by way of
N’enana also will result in the saving
of many miles' and a considerable
saving in time between the Outside
and lower Tanana and Yukon points,
which doubtless will have much
weight with department officials.
CANTONMENT TROOPS
ARE NOT YET ARMED
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Dee. 15.—
It developed today, in the course of
the inquiry which is being conducted
by the senate military committee,
that half of the men at the can
tonments throughout the United
States have not yet been supplied
with rifles. In explanation, Chief
of Ordnance Crozier informed the
committeemen that the war depart
ment had concentrated its efforts
mainly to equip the troops which
had been sent to France.
TOWNSITE MANAGER
NOW ENROUTE HOME
Advices received at the townsite
office this week announced the de
parture from Anchorage of Town
site Manager F. S. Ryus who left
for the Interior on Tuesday. Mr.
Ryus made the trip out by way of
the Broad Pass trail and is returning
by way of Cordova and the Fair
banks-Chitina trail.
CHEMICAL ON RUNNERS.
The townsite chemical engine was
placed on runners during the week,
the change adding greatly to the
ease with which the machine can be
handled on the snow-covered streets.
Washington.—Senator Smith to
day roasted the Fuel administration
in an address delivered on the floor
of the upper chamber. He said ihat
a number of children had d ed from
cold in Michigan as the result of a
lack of fuel.
POSTOFFICE BILL MOVING
WASHINGTON, D. C. Dec. 15.—
The postoffice appropriation bill,
carrying a total of $333,000,000,
was approved by the lower house of
congress yesterday afternoon.
Jack Vachon, the Tolovana trader,
who has been ill in the government
hospital here for the past week, left
for his home this morning in com
pany with Henry Gruger. Mr. Gru
ger is bound for Ruby with his re
turn trip passenger, Miss Louise
Bouagevis.
Included in a party which left for
the coast via the Anchorage route
last week, were Ed Forbes, foreman
of the teams for Jhe commission,
and Lyman Longfellow, of the En
gineering department. Mr. Forbes
plans to spend the winter with hi?
family on the coast returning to Ne
nana in the spring.
Harry Shaw, of the commissarv
department, today celebrated his
seventy-fifth and last day in the
hospital.
[AMERICANS ORGANIZE
FOR BURIAL SERVICE
_
! WASIIINTON, D. C.. Dec. 15.—
A part of the work of the American
! soldiers in France will be to give
| proper burial to their comrades who
| fall in action. Announcement has
been made of the organization of
a branch of the army, to be known
! as the Graves Registration service.
The men comprising this service will
attend to the burial of American
, soldiers and have general supervi
| sion over their graves.
BOYS RAISE FLAG
AT SCHOOLHOUSE
A large American flag was un
furled to the breeze at the school
| house yesterday anti now floats
proudly from the top of the mast
which stands sentinel on the school
' reserve. The honor of raising the
flag to its lofty position was be
stowed upon Louis and Carlton
Schmidt, in recognition of the fact
that the boys are pioneer residents
of the town, having lived here before
the commencement of railroad con
struction. They attended school at
the mission before the town was
laid out.
An interesting feature in connec
tion with the flag raising is the fact
that the ceremony took place out of
doors, with the temperature hovering
close to 40 degrees below zero and
all the pupils looking on, unmindful
of the cold.
COMMISSION EMPLOYEES
SWELL RED CROSS FUND
The employees of the Alaskan En
gineering commission, in Nenana dis
trict, are doing their bit to help
win the war. They are making the
way easier for the boys at the front
by contributing liberally of their
earnings.
A monthly subscription is being
taken up in the disbursing office
from the commission patriots for
the American Cross. t'his money
as soon as the monthly subscriptions
are closed, will be forwarded by Mr
Cramer to Mrs. Franklin K. l ane,
wife of the secretary of the Interior.
The following sums have beer col
lected tc date and will be forwarded
to Washington on the next mail to
the States.
Nenana employees . $449.00
Camp 15 . 167.00
Camp 17 . 36.50
Camp 16 .. 70.00
Camp 9 . 100.75
Line Corrals .. 16.00
Total .-.....$839.25
Residencies Nos. 3 and 4 have not
yet made their return i.
Mrs. Harry Phillips is coming to
Nenana on Sunday to join her hus
j band here.