The Nenana News
VOLUME I
NENANA. ALASKA. JULY. 28, 1917.
NUMBER 45
- MORE RAILS COMING
Seattle—A shipment of -.100
tons of steel rails ami fitting
-f tons of stool rails and fittings
ware and 1,000,000 feet of lum
ber, all for the government
railroad in Alaska, left for the
North today on the steamship
Jnnean and barge Henry, the
former being loaded here and
the barge at Everett- The
rails, with the exception of 000
tons which are consigned to
Seward and Anchorage, are in
tended for Xenana and include
equipment for the new Happy
spur line, which is to serve
k for the present as an extension
of the Tanana Valley railroad,
recently acquired by the gov
ernment
TEXAS GOVERNOR IS
CHARGED WITH FRAUD
Austin, Tex.—Governor Fer
■'* gnson and several other state
officials of prominence have
been indicted by the grand
jury on the charge of misap
propriating public funds in
trusted to their care. The
action of the county investiga
tors lias caused a sensation.
WEALTHY FARMER DIES
AT HANDS OF TIIUOS
Rreinerton—E. A. Erickson,
a wealthy farmer, was found
murdered at his home this
morning, supposedly the victim
of thugs who sought the money
generally believed to have been
secreted in the house. No
trace of the murderers has as
yet been found.
LITTLE FATHER FALLS;
BREAKS LITTLE LEG
Petrograd—The deposed em
peror of Russia, who is now
confined at Tsarsko-Selo, the
favorite summer residence of
the former ruler 14 miles to
the south of this city- fell
from his bicycle while riding
in the gardens this morning
and fractured one of his legs.
SLAV CAPITAL QUIET;
MAY MEAN A CHANGE
London:—Advices just re
ceived from Petrograd indicate
that conditions are becoming
more settled in that country.
The capital, the dispatches say,
is more quiet today than it
• has been in several months.
CHICAGO SWITCHMEN
CALL ANOTHER STRIKE
Chicago—Following tin* re
fusal of the railroad companies
to grant the demands of the
switchmen, that branch of the
service is completely tied up
today. The switchmen on all
roads centering in this city
walked out on strike today
and there is the fear that other
operatives will join them if
the differences are not settled
quickly
SEATTLE BOOSTERS
START NEW CRUSADE
Seattle—Active members of
the Alaska Bureau of tlie Se
attle Chamber of eominerce
are uiakin.tr a concerted effort
to induce tin1 federal govern
nient bring about absolute free
trade between Alaska and Si
beria.
MORE AMERICANS GIVE
SUBMARINES THE SLIP
Paris— Another contingent
of Americans have reached the
Fn ncli coast in safety, having
disembarked at a French port
early this morning and left
immediatly for their quarters
inland. They were met by
representatives of the general
staff and accorded a royal
welcome. The trip across
the Atlantic was accomplished
without incident.
STRIKERS WOULD QUIT
RUT DEMAND TOO MUCH
Seattle—The street car op
eratives who are out on strike
are voting today on the pro
posal to return to work on the
basis that all differences be
settled by arbitration, including
the question of union recogni
tion. Officials of the compa
ny declare that they never will
submit to the recognition de
mand.
NATIVE SONS CAUSING
TROUBLE AT FRISCO
San Francisco—The cannery
strike has assumed such a seri
ous aspect that, the president
of the United States has been
appealed to for federal inter
vention to prevent further dis
orders among the local strik
ers and also those in the Santa
(Mara valley. The strikers
are demanding an increase in
wages on the grounds that the
cannerymen are charging high
prices for their product. The
employers claim that the high
price of tin forced them to ad
vance prices and that, for simi
lar reasons they cannot grant
tin* wage increase demanded.
ARCTIC" WANDERER IS
TO START HOME IX PALE
Boston—According to a let
ter received in this city from
M'Millan, the Arctic explorer,
that noted inuslier expects to
return to civilization during
tin1 coming fall, having stated
that he expects to arrive home
not later than September 15.
The letter was written at Etah
on November 8 last.
(iERMAX AIRPLANES
VISIT FRENCH CAPITAL
Berlin—The war office an
nounces that a number of Crew
man airplanes raided Paris
last night, dropping bombs on
railway stations and military
establishments and causing a
large amount of damage. The
raiders returned to the Her
man lines in safety.
JEWS FORM REGIMENT;
WEAR BRITISH COLORS
LONDON—The war office
announces the formation of a
special Jewish regiment which
will fight with British troops
on the Western front, under
the command of officers of long
experience.
RUSSIAN REVERSES ARE
HELP TO_N£W PREMIER
Washington, I). ('.—The re
verses suffered bv the Russian
military forces during the
past few weeks have greatly
strengthened the position of
Kerensky and his government
at Petrogrd. It has been de
monstrated, the dispatches say,
that the committee of soldiers
is unable to handle tin* army
There appears to be a general
demand for stronger discipline
and the view is expressed that
Kerensky will now be able to
carry out his plan to put the
country on a salid footing.
The strong repressive meas
ures inaugurated by Kerensky
are believed to be responsible
for the calm prevailing at Pet
rogrd today. American Am
bassador Francis has advised
the state department, that the
sitntion has improved greatly
in appearance during the past
two days.
TO WITHDRAW TROOPS
FROM liALKAXS SOON
—
Paris—According to state
ments made today by delegates
who were in attendance at the
Conference of Entente nations,
it is the intention of tin* Allies
to withdraw their troops as
soon as permissable from an
cient Greece.
A M ERICA NS QUITTI N< 1
DENMARK, SAYS REPORT
Copenhagen—American Con
sul-General Smith reports that
practically the entire Ameri
can population of Denmark is
now enroute to the United
States, the majority of them
having departed yesterday.
EMPEROR WATCHES
SLAVS AS THEY RUN
Berlin—The emperor was
present yesterday on the Gali
cian front near Tarnapol, and
watched his troops extend their
gains at the Seretli bridge.
The same report states that
the Germans are advancing
rapidly on both sides of the
Dneister river, administering
what are believed here to be
the final assaults on the crumb
ing Russian lines in Galicia
and Bukowina.
HEAVY WAR TAX IS
PLAN OF LAWMAKERS
Washington—Members of the
senate finance committee inti
mate that they will urge the
imposition of additional taxes
to cover a part of the addition
al seven billion war expense
estimated for this year. Their
plan is to raise two billion in
this manner and to supply the
remaining five billion by au
thorizing credits
GOODPASTURE DISTRICT
LIVELY THIS SEASON
Reports from the Goodpas
ture district, on the upper Tan
ana, indicate that there is con
siderable mining activity in
that section this summer and
there is the promise that quite
a number of men will winter]
there. The steamer Reliance is
now enroute up the river from
Fairbanks with a load of sup
plies for that and other dis
tricts, a fact that encourages
the, belief that a number of
creeks are being transformed
into producing streams.
MORE STEEL COMES
FOR THE RAILROAD
The steamer Tanaua deliver
ed another shipment of rails to
the Alaskan Engineering com
mission yesterday morning. Tin1
boat arrived shortly before S
oclock with two barges, one
loaded with steel ami rolling
stock for the Commission and
the other with merchandise for
Fairbanks- Tin* Tanaua pro
ceeded up river after a brief
stay here, and wiM come hack
down immediately to connect
at Gibbon with the packet
Louise, which is now enroute
up the Yukon from St. Michael
with several barges.
The Seattle No. 3 reached
port last evening with another
barge for the Commission, the
cargo consisting cliieuy of feed
ami provisions. A barge was
also in tow for Fairbanks. The
steamer will undergo inspection
upon her arrival at the upper
town.
The next steamer in will be
the Alaska, which should ar
rive here from Dawson within
the next few days.
LAUNCH HITS SNAG;
IS TOW'El) TO TOWN
The launch Sunflower- of Hie
Commission gasboat fleet which
was disabled this week as the
result of encountering a snag
a short distance above Wood
river, was towed into port yes
terday by the Midnight Sun.
At the time of the accident the
Sunflower was towing a raft of
logs and ties to Nenana and
was nearly submerged when
rescued by the Midnight Sun.
OUTLOOK NOT SO ILVI)
ON WESTERN FRONT
Paris—The military situa
tion of tin* Allies on the West
ern front, at the end of the
third year of tin* war is re
garded by competent military
authorities to be actually bet
ter than it was a year ago and
enormously better than it was
two years ago. It is better
prospectively also at this time
by reason of the intervention
of the United States
YANKEES ADOPT NAME
FOR USE IN EUROPE
Paris—Not having taken
kindly to the name of Sammy,
which was bestowed upon them
by the sourdough troops on
the Franco-1 Selgian front, the
Americans have chosen a new
sobriquet, adopting the name
of Amca-es, a combination of
the first two letters of the
words American Expedition.
Commissioner and Mrs. Rob
ert E. Burns have moved back
into their cottage, after an ab
sence of several days from the
inundated district. The water
did not quite reach the floor of
the house, but it was sufficient
ly wet all about the place to
make the going and coming de
cidedly difficult.
CIVIC IMPROVEMENTS
Uneasy over the delay of the
Land and Industrial depart
ment in authorizing (lie mm
meucement of work on tin* pro
post >d waior and sewage sys
tems which must be started
soon if 1 la* work is to be com
pleted this year, the Nenana
< ’ommercial clnh has taken the
matter n|> with .M r. A. < 'hrist
ensen in the liope that lie will
permit the work to proceed as
originally planned. At a
meeting of the clnh, held on
Tuesday night. Secretary lloht.
E. I’urns was instructed to
send a wire to the head ol the
department urging prompt ac
tion, the argument being ad
vanced that unless needed ma
terial is ordered at mice, it
canno reach Nenana in time to
he of nse this season. It was
pointed out also that pending
the installation of an adepnate
wter system, the town is with
out tire protection.
The elllh also discussed the
matter of further street im
provements and it is the hope
of the members that the de
partment will consent to the
expenditure of an additional
amount for that purpose.
Another matter dismissed
was the alleged abase of the
commissary privilege by cer
tain of tin* employees of the
commission- The statement
was made tlint persons not in
the employ of the government
are able to procure tobacco and
other articles through friends
who are on the commission
payroll, thereby ininrir to
that extent, the business of
town merchants. This matter
was taken tip with Mr. Higgs
later in the week and lie as
sured tin1 committee hicli wail
ed on him. that such transac
tions as were objected to wore
strictly against the rules of
the commission and that any
infractions brought to his at
tent ion would be dealt with
severely.
Referring to the future pol
icy of the commission with re
gard to the commissary, Mr.
Higgs stilted that action simi
lar to that taken in Anchorage
division, where the town store
has been closed, would not be
taken here because of the fact
that the commission can sup
ply its employees with provis
ions and necessary clothing
at it price much lower, on the
average than can be pnotml by
Interior merchants. <’losing
tin* commissary, Mr. Higgs ex
plained, would neeessitac an
increase in the wage scaie and
that, as has alrerfdy been ex
plained, is not possibe. The
chib, as a body, had not sought
the elimination of the commis
say, but report has it that
there has been individual agita
tion against the commission
store on the grounds that it
deprives ocal merchants of a
large volume of business which
would come to them if commis
sion employees were to do their
buying in town.
A sawmill at Douglas has
shipped a quarter million feet
of native lumber to Seattle
during the past several weeks.