The Nenana News
VOLUME I
NUMBER 18
NENANA. ALASKA. JANUARY 20- 1917.
BAD NAM JAILED
l -
Enoch John Sentenced To
Eight Months For
Stealing
Enoch John, a resident of the native
village above town, is confined in the
► local jail awaiting transfer to the federal
lockup at Fairbanks, where he is to serve
a term of eight months on the charge of
embezzlement by bailee, to which he en
tered a plea of guilty before Commission
er Robert E. Burns last Monday
The Indian was taken into custody first
by the native officers, tried t before their
council and sentenced to serve 34 days in
their jail. But he refused to remain in
confinement, and after he had broken
out several times the natives appealed to
the local authorities to come to their assist
ance. Enoch was accordingly arrested
by Deputy Marshal Hagen, with the
^ above stated result.
The prisoner has a bad reputation in
Nenana as well as among his own people
in the native village, and but for the fact
that it was impossible to secure the need
ed witnesses at this time, he would have
been tried on the more serious charge of
stealing a gun from a white man. He is
also suspected of a number of other thefts
about town.
This case is the first to be confined in
the townsite jail since its completion
more than two months ago.
■
RAILROAD NEWS
More than 60,000 applications for po- j
sit ions are already on file in the Anchor- .
age office of the Alaskan Engineering
commission, and every mail brings fifty
or more letters from all parls of the Unit
ed States from persons desirous of enter
ing the service.
The total disbursements made by the
Anchorage office for the period December
8 to 14 totaled #81,363.67. The payment
of wages and salaries amounted to $50,
854.47; for local purchases $3092.63; to
contractors $24,398.93; other expenditures
$3017.64.
As an additional protection to the build
ings at Anchorage Terminal a volunteer
fire departnunt consisting of two crews
of five men each will be organized by the j
fire chief. It is proposed to have one
cr w subject io instantaneous call during '
the day and the other at hand for fires
during the night.
All timekeepers, assistant timekeepers,
railroad conductors, station agents and
other employes of the Alaskan Engineer
ing commission on the Anchorage divis
ion occupying positions which impose
responsibility for government money and
property are now required by the com
mission to furnish fidelity bonds to insure
faithful performance of their duties, The
amounts of the bonds vary from $1000 to
$10,000, in accordance with the nature of
tlie position and the responsibility en
tailed.
The cottages for married employes at
Matanuska have been completed and are
now occupied. The temporary structures
at that point have been torn down and
the force reduced to a minimum.
During the month of November the
Employment bureau of the Anchorage
division placed 464 men at work at var
ious points along the right of way.
The Seattle disbursing office of the
Commission, through which settlement
is made tor all supplies purchased putsule
of Alaska, disbursed during November a
total of $553,086.80.
A mixed passenger and freight train
leaves Seward three times a week for
Mile 40.
One of the most notable improvements
made at the Anchorage terminal during
the season just passed is the new machine
shop which is now nearing completion.
It lias a floor space of 22,500 square feet, j
The first shipment ol Matanuska coal i
over the government railroad was made
on August 15. By December 1 a total of
3795 long tons had been shipped from
Moose creek to Anchorage, all but 250
tons of which was consigned to the Com
mission.
The Anchorage townsite department
has a force of 19 employes, including the
townsite manager.
CONTRACTOR WILSON
AND WIFE VISITORS
Mr. and Mrs. Herb Wilson spent last !
Monday in Nenana, having made the
trip in from Happy with a dog team. On
Monday the visitors were guests of honor
at an informal dancing party at the Iin
gineering office, which was arranged by
Messrs. Bailey, Hayden, Richardson,
Shuman and Rotch.
Mr. Wilson was on£ of the party of
nearly forty men who comprised the or
iginal survey party which did the prelim
nary survey work of running the lines
for the railroad and of putting Nenana
on the map, and, with the five above
mentiontd gentlemen, they are the only
memebers of that partv remaining in the
employ of the Commission at present.
Mr. Wilson has a large contract at the
Happy end of the work, and came down
on business connected with the same.
He returned to Happy on Tuesday, ac
companied by Mrs. Wilson.
SWISS RESERVES
NEEDED AT HOME
Washington; The Swiss government
has instructed its representatives in the
United States to order all Swiss reservists
to return to theirowncountry immediate
ly, to report for duty.
AMERICAN DIPLOMAT
CLEARED OF CHARGE
Washington: State department offic
ials declare that Ambassador Vopicka,
whose removal from Bucharest was re
cently requested by the German govern
ment, has been cleared of the charge of
unueutral conduct.
FACTORY BLOWS UP;
MANY WORKERS DIE
London: A large munition factory in
the suburbs of this city was completely
destroyed by an explosion last night, and
many of the employes are known to have
been killed. The details have not been
made public.
GERMAN SUBMARINE
IS EXPECTED SOON
Bridgeport: The German merchant
submarine, Deutcliland, which isenroute
across the Atlantic with another cargo of
dyes and other German products, is ex
pected to arrive here within forty hours.
PRESIDENT URGES
SOLONSTO HURRY
Washington: President Wilson visited
the capitol this morning for the purpose
of conferring with Senator Kern and
other Democratic leaders, and to urge
upon the lawmakers the necessity of
speeding legislation in order to avoid an
extra session.
MISSING AVIATORS
FOUND ON DESERT
Wellton, Ariz.: Lieut. Robertson and
Col. Bishop, the two army aviators who
were reported lost earlier in the week,
were found on the desert this morning in
an exhausted condition. Blinded by the
heat, and in a famished condition, they
staggared about the desert for four days
in the hope of finding their way out.
CLEARIES ACTIVE
Number of Operators Are!
Mining on Creek
This Winter
Notwithstanding the fact that several
of the old time operators are mining else
where this winter, there is considerable
activity on lower Cleary and the Chata
nika flats this winter, according to A1
Ghezzi, well known Chatanika and N'e
nana merchant who arrived from the up
per river on Monday after an absence
of several weeks.
Sam Weiss is reported to have struck
pay on his property on 15 and he will
put on a crew of about fifteen men in a
short time.
A. J. Holmund is mining on the John
Matheson ground, also known as 15.
Conley and Danielson have an outfit on
15 creek, where they are operating oil a
small scale at present.
Dick Walters and Chas Schon are
working on another portioii of 15.
Geo. Johnson & Co. are prospecting on
the Noyes ground on 14 below Cleary.
Foster & Hungerford are preparing to
take out a dump on 11. On the claim
above A. C. Trosetli is preparing to sink
a shaft.
Larlson, Berg & Abbott are taking out
a small dump on 9 below.
Another dump is being taken out on 7
bench by Burns & Jorgeiis. The ground
1 is owned by Frank Brandon.
There is nothing doing on 6 and 7 this
winter, but it is the intention of l’earson
and Johnson to begin work early in the
spring.
Dave Hilty and Sam Ivy have started
work on 1 below, the ground Leing owned
by Chas. Ditmer.
On the Freeman bench, on the right
limit of the creek just above the town of
Cleary, Chas. Ditmer is taking out a
dump.
Dick Casteel has a lay on the Wicker
sham bench, on the left limit off Discov
erv, where Le is now engaged in sinking
a shaft.
Discovery claim probably will be worked
during the coming summer, it being the
intention of Frank Manley to install a
dredge on the property.
The only work in progress above the
Wickersham bench is on the Harry John
son bench opposite 6 above, where a lay
has been let by Leo Rogge, owner of the
ground.
There is also some work in progress on
Wolf and Chatham creeks.
BENEFIT PROMISES
PLEASING PROGRAM
Tickets for the Dethlefsen benefit were
placed on sale during the week and there
i is every reason to believe from reports
just received that a crowded house will
witness the splendid entertainment which
is being arranged by Commissioner Burns
and the management of the Coliseum.
Owing to the time required to stage a
nnnstrel show properly it has been decid
ed to eliminate that feature, so that the
program, as now outlined, will consist
of singing, vaudeville turns and moving
pictures. And the committee authorizes
the statement that the entertainment will
be well worth the price of admission,
which means that those purchasing tick
ets will receive full value for their money
besides assisting a very worthy cause.
The entertainment will be held at the
Coliseum next Friday night and will be
followed by a dance, for which an addi
tional charge will be made to help swell
the fund which is being raised for the
crippled watchman.
CLASSY PROGRAM
AT COLISEUM SUN DAY
The management of the Coliseum an
nounces an unusually attractive program
for Sunday night, consisting of a classic
four-reel feature and a particularly good
one-reel comedy. The title of the fea
ture is “.Midnight At Maxim's,"in which
appear the Broadway favorites, the I’aja
ma Girls, in all the latest dances. The
comedy is entitled "The Muddy Ro
mance.” The usual Sunday prices will
prevail, fifty cents for general admission
and a quarter extra for reserved seats.
There will be no picture show tonight.
WICKERSHAM GAINS
IN OFFICIAL COUNT
Juneau: The official count of the votes
cast in the First division was completed
by the territorial canvassing board this
afternoon, and it is announced that WickJ
ersliam has four more votes than were
credited to him by the unofficial count.
GRAYSON APPOINTED;
BITTERLY OPPOSED
Washington: There is much opposi
tion in naval and military circles here to
the appointment of Dr. Grayson as a
rear-admiral of the United States navy,
but because of the friendship existing be
tween the president and the physician it
is believed that he will get the place over
the heads of more than three hundred
eligibles.
DEWEY IS BURIED;
MANY AT FUNERAL
Washington: The remains of the late
Admiral George Dewey were laid at rest
yesterday in Arlington cemetery, the
resting place of many of Americe's de
parted heroes.
SCENE OF INQUIRY
SHIFTS TO GOTHAM
Washington: The “peace leak" inves
tigation which is being conducted by the
House Rules committee has been shifted
to New York, and the next session of the
probers will begin at the custom house in
that city on Tuesday morning. The new
scene of operations is taken as an mdica
tiob that the committeemen are about to
start after some of the big bugs.
THREE MEET DEATH
IN PORTLAND FIRE
Portland, Ore.: Three persons were
burned to death in a rooming house fire
which occurred in this city early this
morning. The building is a complete
wreck.
GERMANS CAPTURE
TOWN IN RUMANIA
Berlin: The war office announces the
capture ot the Rumanian town of Nar esti
on the river Seretli, following a two-dav
bombardment and a final hand-to-hand
encounter with the Russo-Rumanian forc
es which were defending the position.
NOTICE OF MEETING.
There will be a meeting of the Com
mercial club in the office of Commission
er Burns on Sunday afternoon at three
o’clock. Several matters of importance
are to be brought up for consideration
and all members of the organization are
urged to bepieseul.
The following persons were registered
at the Cooney hotel during the week:
Rov Lund, H. S. Scanlon, Pred Martin,
George Murphy, Ed McAdam, A. C.
Krew, Frank Tondro, Fairbanks;Herman
Kersler, Moose creek: Myron O. Bell,
Tolovana; N, J. Campbell, Howell saw
mill: John Payne, Bob Mitchell, George
Taylor, Nenana. •
SHIRTWAIST DANCE
A shirtwaist dance will be given at Mrs.
Campbell’s dancing academy on Wednes
day evening, January 24, and a splendid
time i9 assured those who attend. Dont
forget the date, Wednesday next.
IITORS DEFEATED
Nenana Players Capture
Opening Game
Of Season
In the presence of a large crowd of
basketball enthusiasts at the Coliseum
last night, the Nenana quintet defeated
the Fairbanks ball tossers by the score of
38 to 18.
The Fairbanks plavers did not reach
town until rather late, and were not m
the best of condition after their sixty
mile ride; they were also handicapped by
the size of the hall, the Coliseum floor
being somewhat smaller than that of the
Auditorium, in Fairbanks, But they put
up a game tight and are hopeful of better
results tonight, when the Second and
final game of the present series will be
played at the Coliseum.
The playing of the home team was
splendid throughout the game, the team
work and individual performance of the
local boys showing better than the visit
ors'. The work of Taylor at forward
was most consistent throughout both
halves, and Month, who got oil to a slow
start, finished the game in rare form and
completely outclassed his opponent.
The work of Huhbach in intercepting
passes held down the visitors’ score most
effectively, and his returns showed good
headwork and resulted in a number of
points for bis team. Ward and Meagher,
although their work does not show up to
as good advantage as the others’ in the
box score, nevertheless worked most ef
fectively in covering the field, and in
working the ball into shooting distance.
The game this evening will lie followed
by a dance, tickets for the same being
$1.00, ladies free.
The score:
Fairbanks—
Hausen, f.
Crippen, f.
Logan, c.
Woods, g.
lischilman,
f.
K
Totals: F'b'ks 18,
Xenana
Meagher,
Taylor, f.
Motnb,
Hubbacb, g.
Ward, g.
Hall, sub. f.
Nenana
4
14
18
88
i
jTHEATER IS BURNED
FIRE FIGHTER DIES
Seattle: The Grand opera house, on
Cherry street, and one of the old land
marks of this city, was practically de
stroyed by fire at an early hour this morn
ing. Assistant Fire-Chief Gillam was
killed and eight other firemen more or
less seriously injured. One of them, it
is believed, will die.
I The cost of living increased four per
j cent between October 15 and Novembtr
15.
i j
| FAIRBANKS NOTES j
Howard Merritt, manager of the Fair
banks Telephone company, Bob Menzies,
head of the N. C. heat and light depart
ment, Joe Fisher of the Fairbanks Cloth
ing company and F. S. Gordon, of the
Glass block have engaged passage for the
coast, and will leave for the States with
in a short time. Merritt will be accom
panied by his family/
Ernest B. Collins, GusConradt and W.
G. Jack are reported to have secured op
tions on Gohlstream from 12 to 24 below,
it being their intention to install dredges
on the ground. Jack was sent into the
Toiatlauika last summer toexpert ground
held by the Timmins-H tglies outfit.
An eveuing of whist and dancing is
being arranged by the Tanana club for
February 16.
Otto I/imen and IC. C. Clausen have
purchased the Driscoll bakery on Second
avenue. Driscoll will quit the country
in May to engage in farming in Oregon: