' The Nenana News
__ _ _ _
VOLUME INENANA: ALASKA, MAY 26, 1917.// NUMBER 36
RIGGS IS INDORSED
• BY CLUB MEMBERS
Following the action of the Ter
ritorial Democratic committee, the
members of the Nenana Commer
cial club have unanimously indorsed
Thomas Riggs, Jr., for appointment
as governor of Alaska, to succeed
Governor J. F. A. Strong, whose
term of office expires this month.
The action of the club was taken
at the last regular meeting, held
at the office of Commissioner
Burns on Tuesday evening. Oth
er civic and political organizations
thruout the territory are taking
similar action and reports received
from the various sections indicate
that Alaskans are united on the
appointment. As a matter of fact
Commissioner Riggs is the only
man in the territory upon whom
the Democrats have been able to
agree and there is every reason to
believe that he will receive the
appointment, providing Secretary
Lane can be induced to intrust the
Interior end of the railroad work
to some one other than Mr. Riggs.
The appointment has not been
and is not now being sought by
Mr. Riggs, and if he is summoned
to Juneau to assume charge of the
territorial office his departure from
Nenana will be a matter of no
small regret to him. He has given
the assurance, however, that his
appointment will not affect railroad
building in this division in the
least, the work having already
progressed to such an extent that
its early completion will follow
naturally, as part of a general pro
program.
PLAYERS ORGANIZE;
SELECT A CAPTAIN
The baseball players of Nenana, in an
ticipation ol a busy season on the dia
mond, held a meeting during the week
for the purpose of choosing a captain and
outlining their plans for the summer.
Grady Summerlin was selected to direct
the players and from now on it is expect
ed that the boys will turn out regularly
for practice. The indications are that
sufficient material can be secured for two
good nines and before the season is very
far advanced it may be possible to put a
third nine in the field. The names of 27
players is on the list already.
The new suits and other equipment
which was ordered Outside is expected
here on an early boat and as soon as it is
received here a series of games probably
will start and the people of Nenana be
given the opportunity to witness some
exciting games.
1 MONGELLI SUICIDES
Nick Mongelli, an old time resident of
Fairbanks, committed suicide at the up
per town early this morning by shooting
liimstlf. He had been ill . the greater
part of the winter and took his life while
in a state of temporary derangement.
For a year or more prior to his illness he
acted as doorkeeper at the Thorne the
ater in Fairbanks.
N. C. BUYS PROPERTY;
WILL OPEN -STORE HERE
»
The largest real estate transfer recorded in Nenana since the founding of the town took place during
the week when the Northern Commercial company purchased a considerable portion of the Duke prop
erty on the east side of Market street. And of still more importance to Nenanaites is the announcemen
that the company will commence immediately to erect a large store building and warehouse and enter
the local field on a large scale.
The property purchased consists of five lots on the Front street end of the block facing Market. A
large part of this ground will be covered by a store building, and a warehouse will be built on leased
ground on the waterfront, opposite the store. The store building will be 32x74 feet and the warehouse
will be 35x100 feet. The work of putting up the buildings will be superintended by Chas. E. Lake,
who came to Nenana for that purpose as soon as the deal had been consummated.
The deal had been pending for a considerable time. Negotiations were opened during the early spring
but nothing definite was done until the arrival of Superintendent Volney Richmond and Fairbanks Agent
Geo. A. Coleman, who made the trip down river during the early part of the week for the purpose of in
vestigating local conditions. The decision to buy was made very shortly after their arrival here, and as
soon as the new buildings are ready for occupancy a large stock will be landed here.
Mr. Richmond was an outgoing passenger on the Tanana yesterday and Mr. Coleman returned to Fair
banks by launch this morning. No announcement has been made regarding the appointment of a local
agent.
LOYAL LEAGUE LIST
STARTED IN NENANA
A branch of the Alaska Loyal
League has been started in Nenana
and new names are being added
to the membership list daily. The
list can be found at the office of
the disbursing agent of the Alaskan
Engineering commission, and all
citizens of Nenana, of whatever
age, are invited to become mem
bers of the league, which was or
ganized for the purpose of assist
ing the government in various ways
in putting the country on a solid
war footing.
The league already has a mem
bership of nearly 500 in Fairbanks
and branches have already been
rganized at Brooks and in various
parts of the Fairbanks camp. It
is understood that the movement
has also been taken up in other
Alaskan towns and promises to
spread rapidly thruout the entire
territory.
Loyal league buttons may be
obtained at the local headquarters
and within a short time member
ship certificates also will be issued
from that office.
PLAYERS SUFFER
SERIOUS MISHAPS
Grady Summerlin is under the care of
the Commission doctors at the hospital
as the result of an accident which occur
red during catch practice on the baseball
grounds Wednesday evening. In tunning
to catch a fly the injured man stumbled
over an obssruction and fell heavily on
his head, causing injuries, the serious
ness of which has not yet been ascertain
ed, Mr. Summerlin appears to be im
improving steadily and it is hoped that
no complications will follow. v
On the same evening Sam Dumbolton
also had the misfortune to fall and is
now in the hospital with a broken shoul
der blade which will require five or six
weeks, in all probability to mend.
CIRCLE DIGGINGS
ACTIVE AS USUAL
That tile Circle district, one of the old
est producers in the territory, will cm
! ploy the usunl number of men this sea
| son and produce the usual amount of
! gold U the statement of J. T. Clifton,
proprietor of the Miller roadhouse, who
came to Nenana this week to consult
with Pr. M. E. Srmtli. He mushed over
the trail from the Miller house to Fair
banks and took the Reliance down the
river
The'Berry Dredging company has fil
teen men employed on|Mainmotlicreeks,
r<-port3 Clifton, and about the middle of
next month operations will commence
ou a big scale. The men are engaged at
present in thawing the ground and mak
ing other necessary preparations, under
the supervision of Jas. Hamil.
Pete Anderson has twelve men work
ing' on liis grounil on Mastadon, where
lie is operating with giants. Twelve men
also are employed on the Berry property
on Eagle. On Independence Bert Moss
has a force of six men engaged ill hy
draulic operations.
Anderson & Jewett are putting in a
ditch on Dead wood and making other
preparations to work that creek by the
hydraulic method. Jay Kelly has four
men working on Miller creek where he
has a good hydraulic proposition. Kelly
is oil the Outside at present, but is ex
pected in on an early boat, when he will
add tc the force in his employ.
WELLS FARGO HERE;
H1CKOK IS AGENT
Weils, Fargo & Co. have opened an
office :n Nenana for the transaction o
the usual business handled by that con
cern. Chas. Hickok, local agent for the
American Yukon Navigation copipany,
has been appointed representative of the
express company and will combine that
work with his other duties on the water
front, where he is comfortably installed
near the dock.
The new agent was appointed by Asst.
Supt. Booth who is now making a trip
thru the Interior on a tour of inspection.
He came in over the trail to Fairbanks
and came down river on the Reliance
Miss Mae Peterson, whose engagement
to Commissioner Robert K. Burns was
announced several days ago, aarived in
Nenana last night on a brief visit. She
was accompanied by Miss Genevieve
Creamer.
NEW LIBERTY BONDS
ARE FOR SALE HERE
For the benetit of those patriotic
citizens willing to assist their gov
ernment financially, Commissioner
Thomas Riggs, Jr., announces that
subscriptions to the new govern
ment Liberty bonds can be entered
at the office of the disbursing
agent in the general office building
of the Alaskan Engineering com
mission. Subscriptions aggregat
ing about $3000 have already been
received and it is expected that
the amount will increase rapidly
as soon as it becomes generally
known that the bonds can be pur
chased here. In fact, it is the
patriotic duty of every good citizen
to subscribe even though the pur
chase involves personal sacrifice.
The bonds are in denominations
ranging from $50 to $100,000,
and carry 3 1-2 per cent interest.
They call for a total of two billion
dollars and close on June 15.
Reports from Fairbanks state
that about $78,000 has been sub
scribed by the citizens of the upper
town.
DURGIN BABY ARRIVES
Telegraphic advices from Fairbanks
today announce the arrival ot a seven
pound girl baby at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Earl E. Ourgin. The father is as
sistant timekeeper in the employ of the
Alaskan Engineering commission.
Earle Welliver lost a portion of the in
dex finger on his right hand during the
early part of the week as the result of be
coming entangled in a snubbing rope,
with which he was endeavoring to stop a
launch m which he and several others
were making a trip down the river. Or.
Smith found it necessary to amputate the
finger at the first joint.
Finlay Graham is a Fairbanks arrival
jn Nenana, having come down river on
a short outing.
PIONEER ARRIVALS
TO CELE8RATE DAY
When the steamer Delta made
fast to the bank of the Tanana
river at Duke s old landing a year
ago today, the first party of Alas
kan Engineering commission em
ployees, office and field force,
were dumped on the beach to
make preparations for the com
mencement of railroad building on
the Interior end of the government
railroad. The steamer arrived at
four oclock in the morning and the
members of the company were
compelled to make camp in a
shower of rain, no preparations
having been made for their unex
pected arrival by the two or three
Commission employes who were
stationed at the landing at the time.
The nearest telegraph station was
located about seventeen miles up
the river.
In commemoration of the arriv
al of the pioneer party, those re
maining in Nenana will gather at
the Rust Place tonite at their first
anniversary reunion and dinner.
The event probably will be made
an annual affair.
The original partv was comprised
of the following: F. H, Bailey.
F. D. Hayden, Roy Lamb. G. F.
Cramer, J. C. Williams, M. T.
Murray, C. H. Hall. W. L. Packer,
Dr. M. E. Smith. F. S. Ryus, S.
H. Perham, A. J. Chandler, I. P.
Taylor. G. B. Richardson, K. B.
Ward, Earle Welliver, Hawley W.
Sterling. Harry Steele, E. G.
Forbes, Stephan Shuman. Otto
Blass, A. J. Orr, W. A. Dafoe and
Roy Dafoe.
CLUB PUTS BAN
ON LOOSE DOGS
The Kenan* Commercial club is of the
opinion that the time has arrived to pul
a stop to tiie dog nuisance and has re
quested the town management to take
some action in the matter. At the last
meeting of the club a committee was ap
pointed to ascertain what arrangements
could be made for impounding stray dogs
during the summer and it is expected
that further action will be taken as soon
as the committee renders a report.
The club also has urged the town man
ager to take steps to prevent horses and
other animals from roaming the streets,
endangering the lives Of pedestrians, es
pecially of children. This matter lias
already been taken up and the nuisance
will be abated immediately.
WOMAN SEEKS DEATH
Mrs. Jacob Samuelson, wife of the well
known Richardson freighter and merch
ant, made an unsuccessful attempt to
commit suicide this morning at Fairbanks
by leaping from Noyes’ bridge into the
icy waters of the slough. Drowning was
prevented, however, bv passersbv who
dragged~the woman from the stream.
Mrs. Clias. Hanover is a Dawson-bound
passenger on the steamer Tanana, having
, left for the Upper Yukon city yesterday
, morning. She will be away the greater
part of th£ summer.