The Nenana News
VOLUME I
NENANA. ALASKA. MARCH JO. 1917.
NUMBER 25
EXTRA SESSION CALLED
TO COMPLETE PROGRAM
WASHINGTON. D. C.:—Although confined to his bed with a se
vere cold, President Wilson has issued a call for a special session of
Congress, to convene on April 16 for the purpose of disposing of im
portant matters which were left unfinished by the last Congress. The
call has been expected hourly since adjournment, and practically all
members of both houses are still in the city.
MERCHANT VESSELS TO BE ARMED.
The President has also decided to arm all American merchant
vessels for protection against submarines, under the authority given
him under the constitution, and it is expected that American com
merce on the high seas will be resumed immediately. The names
and movements of the vessels thus armed are to be kept secret, and
all newspapers and cable companies are requested to refrain from
giving out information of this character. It is not yet known whether
or not the government will supply gunners for the vessely so armed.
MARCONI SYSTEM OFFERED.
NEW YORK:~The entire system of the Marconi Wireless Com*
piny of America has been placed at the disposal of the United States
government in the event of hostilies.
PRESIDENT HAS SUPPORT OF WHOLE COUNTRY.
WASHINGTON:—The Navy and War Departments are being flood
ed with letters from business and manufacturing concerns in all sec
tions of the country, putting their entire resources at the service of
the government.
OPHIR TRESPASSER
HAS LAUGH ON LAW
The U. S. Commissioner at Ophir rec
ently found himself in a peculiar predica
ment, says an exchange. C. L. Baker of
that place was recently found guitly of
trespass ami fined 513. He refused to pay
his fine and demanded to be sent to jail.
There was no iail at Ophir and his term
would have expired before he could be
taken to the nearest one. To pay his
board in Ophir would have been expens
ive, so the commissioner had to suspend
sentence.
COMPETING LINE
IS SIDETRACKED
Information received from Fairbanks
during the past several days indicates
that the transportation company which
was organized during the early winter by
business men of the upper town, will not
place a steampr on the river during the
coming season. It is reported that the
company was unable to make satisfactory
ocean connections and it is also stated
that the cost of constructing a steamer is
such at present as to make the venture
impracticable.
The shipbuilding concerns along the
Pacific coast are unusually busy at pres
ent, building materials of all kinds have
advanced greatly in cost, and labor is
scarce and high priced.
IDITAROD MINERS
TO TEST NEW LAW
The validity of the territorial mining
law, passed by the last legislature, prob
ably will be tested in court when the
next session is held in Iditarod. The
question at issue is that section of the
law which requires the recording of assess
ment work. Several claims were jumped
shortly after the first of the year as the
result of the failure of the owners to re
cord the work done, notwithstanding the
fact that it is admitted by the jumpers
that the work was properly done. The
original owners are now trying to recover
the property,
Mrs. Stella Madole, who underwent
an operation for appendicitis a short time
ago, left the hospital yesterday.
CORDOVA RAILROAD
WILL BE IMPROVED
During the coming spring and summer
! extensive improvements will be made on
I the Copper River & Northwestern rail
| road, which connects Cordova with the
I Guggenheim copper mines. Superinten
! dent Caleb Corser is authority for the
statement, which appeared recently in
the Cordova Times, that a considerable
sum of money will lie expended in road
work and new rolling stock, made nec
essarv by the steadily increasing business.
Orders were placed during the winter
for two 70-ton locomotives of the Mikado
type, 40 flat cars for handling copper ore,
5 box cars, 2 oil cars, six motor cars for
switchmen, one locomotive crane, one
| steam shovel for the Chitina branch and
one gasoline driven air compressor for
tamping ties.
SYLVESTER HOWELL
STARTS FOR NORTH
According to telegraphic advices re
ceived during the week, Sylvester How
ell left Seattle yesterday on his way back
to Inter or Alaska. Mr. Howell went
Outside early’ in the winter to have a
look at the moving picture theaters in the
coast cities and it is expected that he will
| lie prepared to start work immediately
| upon the new theater which will be erect
ed on the Howell property at the corner
of Second and A streets.
i, London: The city of Bagdad, held by
the Turks since 1638, is being attacked
by the British forces, andaltho the Turk
ish forces are being concentrated to meet
the attack, reports indicate that the city
| cannot hold out against the British force
for any considerable length of time.
New York: Five hundred lreight
handlers in the employ of the New York
Central in this city struck this morning
for higher wages. Labor leaders claim
that this is the nucleus of a general
strike among this class of labor in the
terminal yards and shipping points of the
Eastern seabord.
Mrs. Campbell announces that the clos
ing dance of the season at her academy
will be given two weeks from tonight.
There will be the usual Saturday social
dance tonight, but none will be given
a week hence.
COMMISSIONER RIGGS
EXPLAINS SITUATION
Volume of Railroad Work
Will Depend Upon
Funds Allotted
To what extent railroad work in Alas
ka, and particularly in this division,
would be curtailed as the result ol the
failure of congress to approve the
Sundry Civil bill belore adjourn
ment has been a question of deep
concern to the people of Nenana, and in
order that there might be a clear under
standing of the situation, Thos. Riggs,
Jr., was asked yesterday to make a state
ment regarding the plans of the Alaskan
Engineering commission.
Mr. Riggs regrets exceedingly tliat j
ample funds are not available to rush the
work at top speed, as it is his desire, and
the desire of the other members of the
Commission, to complete the railroad at
the earliest possible date. But they will
do the best they can under the circum
stances, stretching the fvnds to the utter
most limit, and while construction work
during the early part of the season will
necessarily be limited, there is file prom
ise that the summer will close with the
work progressing on a much more pre
tentious scale. Mr. Riggs’statement fol
lows:
"The failure of congress to pass the
sundry civil act, containing the approp
riation for the "Construction of Railroads
in Alaska,” may result in serious incon
venience to the Commission. At the last
moment a joint resolution was agreed up
on, carrying an emergency appropriation
of S3,000,000. This sum must be made
to last until the general act, carrying the
balance of the appropriation becomes a
law. The new congress when convened
will take some time to organize and re
constructthe various held-up appopriation
bills, so I hardly expect that the major
part of the appropriation will become
available before August.
"Besides the £3,000,000 in the emer
gency appropriation, the Commission has
but little monev available to carry on the
work. Unfortunately the greatest liabil
ities are incurred at the commencement
of the season when the whole year’s sup
plies for both the Anchorage and Fair
banks divisions are purchased. Mr. Bailey
and I liave been slashing requisitions
right and left, so that we may keep the J
force at work. We will not be able to
carry out the former ambitious plans for
railroad building, but m all probability
construction as contemplated will be
pushed to the Nenana coal fields. Con
struction in the Coldstream and Fair
banks districts will not start until after
more money is in sight. The report that
the railroad will not go beyond Nenana is
absolutely unfounded. Fairbanks will
be reached just as soon as money and
labor will permit.
"The chairman, Mr. Fdes, is now get
ting in reports from the various divisions
as to their absolute necessities, and as
soon as this information is in his bands
he will make the allotments of funds. I
have no idea what this division will re
ceive, but it stands to reason that the
south end of the work will receive prime
consideration. Mr. Edes will, however,
give us every possible cent he can spare,
of this I am sure.
“The people of the town need fe^l no
alarm regarding the value of their hold
ings, for while we may make a rather
lame start this year, we are bound to
have the money sooner or later and will
then endeavor to make up for lost time.
"Until we can see what progress con
gress is making toward the final passage
of the act it would be most unwise to
branch out to too great an extent.”
Capt. C. W. Adams arrived from Cbena
early in the week on a brief business vis
it to Nenana.
y •; •
TERRITORIAL SENATORS
ARE BLOCKING SESSION
JUNEAU:—Although five days have passed since the convening of
the Territorial legislature, the senate is still hopelessly deadlocked on
the question of organization, and no business whatever has been trans
acted by that branch of the lawmakers. Five roll calls were taken
yesterday, making a total of eighteen, all tied on the vote for presi
dent. Heckman is the choice of the Wickershamitcs and Aldrich is
being supported by the opposition.
Senator Ronan suggested a compromise yesterday, his plan being
to give the presidency to Aldrich. Democrat, the secretaryship to Wm.
Eddy. Republican, and the office of sergeant-at-arms to Joe Baxter.
Democrat, leaving the offices of assistant secretary and messengers
to the Wickershamites. The suggestion was not received with enthu
siasm by the Wickershamites.
At a public caucus held Thursday night Senator Hubbard made an
appeal for Republican support, declaring that their assistance would
enable the Wickershamites to terminate the deadlock and prevent
further similar difficulties during the session.
Having lost patience with the senate. Governor Strong read his
message to the lower branch of the legislature yesterday afternoon.
Representative Sowerby Democrat, who was elected to succeed
the late John G. Heid. was seated yesterday.
ENGINE DISABLED;
LEAHR MILL STOPS
According to advices received in town
yesterday, the Lealir gasoline sawmill, ]
which has been insta led on the Tanana j
river about ten miles above Xenaua, has
been compelled to suspend operations as i
the result of an accident to the engine. ;
It is expected, however, that the broken
part can be repaired soon and that little
time will be lost.
COAST DOGS HAUL
POWDER FOR ROAD
Owing to the inability of the Alaskan
Engineering commission to transport sup
plies to the inlet bv water, it liecatne nec
essary recently to haul a shipment of ten
tons of powder over the trail by dog team.
The powder was shipped by train from
Seward to Mile 40, thence to the flats by
dog team and from there to Rainbow
Creek by double enders.
The powder was for the use of station
men on Turnagain Arm. more contracts
having been let during the winter than
was originally intended.
BOBBY TOUISSANT
COMES TO NENANA
Among the recent arrivals in Nenana
is Bob TouFsant, who cnuie down river
Irotn Fairbanks on Monday to accept a j
position with the Alaskan Engineering (
commission as assistant timekeeper. Mr. 1
Touissant is ail oldtimeT in the country,
having been for the past several seasons
connected with the Anierican-Ywkon
Navigation company. He was purser on j
the steamer Reliance last summer and |
last winter had charge of the laud office j
in Fairbanks.
JEPSON LOSES BOUT
TO RAILROAD CHAMP,
Nelsjepson. well known Interior wrest- ■
ler who spent a short time in Nenana |
last fall on bis way to the coast, is now j
in Anchorage, where he has appeared in j
a number of wrestling matches. His int- j
roductory bout was with a man named j
Peterson, whom he threw without difiu- j
cultv. A few nights later Jepson went1
down to defeat before Martin, the Ancb- j
orage champion, who scored two straight j
falls.
A. Siinson arrived in Nenana last night j
to take charge of the Siuison store.
“THE CORNER”
SUNDAY FEATURE
Tlie five-reel Triangle Feature Film
production, “The Corner," with Willard
Mack and George Fawcett in the leading
roles, will be the attraction at the Colis
eum tomorrow, Sunday, evening, and
is one of the strongest dramatic produc
tions ever shown in Nenana.
The story is one of unusual and timelv
interest at this time, as it deals with the
machinations of an avaricious stock man
ipulator who has ci nceived the plan of a
gigantic merger of the entire food pro
duction of the country, and shows the
methods employed by the stock gamblers
who are responsible for the present con
dition of the food supply in the United
States.
The other side of the story is portrayed
in a striking manner as well, and shows
the suffering attendant upon a monopoly
of the food supply of a nation. The lives
of one family are followed from the con
dition of comfort in which they are liv
ing at the time the Combine begins to
close in upon them and to raise the price
of food to satisfy their greed, to the ab
ject poverty into which tliev are driven
-lirough the lack of work for the father,
and the loss ol their substantial savings
and comfortable home through the fail
ure of the bank, brought about bv the
same Combine to further its own ends,
until the mother, driven to desperation
by the vision of her babes suffering from
hunger, takes to the street to secure food
for them, and the father, lnadecruel and
heartless by the treatment be lias re
ceived. brings retribution upon the prime
mover of tile Combine, and engineers his
destruction in tlie midst of the vast stores
of, food that be has so zealously guarded
from the people who could not pay.
The usual feature prices will prevail,
fifty cents for general admission, and a
quarter extra for reserved seats.
DENTIST DEPARTS
FOR LOWER RIVER
I>t. II. L Iledger, who arrived in Ne
nana about the middle of February, left
for tlie lower river on Tuesday, on his
annual pilgrimage to tlie Kovukuk coun
try. He will make short stays at Wood
cbop per,Tana nu and oilier point sen route,
arriving m the Kovukuk shortly before
the breakup, and returning to Nenana
some time iu July. I£c it, making the
ttrip with Roy Lund.