THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1018, at the postoffice at Nenana, Alaska,
for entry as second class mail matter, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
“WHERE RAIL AMD RIVER MEET”
Published every afternoon except Sunday, by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First and B Streets, Nenana, Alaska.
R. G. Southworth.:. Editor and Manager
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION
Single Copies...Two Bits
By the Month, by Carrier or Mail.$ 2.00
Six Months, if paid in Advance.-. 9-00
One Year, if paid in advance.. 15.00
ADVERTISING RATES
Transient Display Advertising, per inch, per issue.$ .50
Minimum Charge .. i-00
Reading Notices, per line, per issue. -25
Legal Advertising, per line, per issue.. -20
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use for re-pubii
eatjon of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also all the local news published herein.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The Canadian Pacific Railway
company, owner of the ill-fated
steam-hip Princess Sophia which
foundered on Vanderbilt reef on the
ni^ht of October 25, causing the
death of more than 300 persons, for
the most part Northerners, is mik
ing the supreme effort to escape
legal responsibility for the disaster,
and there are some, at least, among
the relatives of victims, who ex
press 1he belief that the company
cannot be made to pay for the losses
sustained.
from testimony introduced during
the inquiry into the wreck, it would
appear that representatives of the
company, at Juneau and elsewhere,
did everything possible to rush assist
ance to the disabled vessel, and the
evidence does not show that instruc
tions were issued to Captain Locke
to hold his passengers until the ar
rival of the Princess Alice, which
was dispatched from Victoria imme
diately upon receipt of the news
that the Sophia had encountered
the reef. A score of boats were
sent from Juneau and other points
to the scene of the wreck, some of
them arriving on October 24, suffi
ciently early, according to the claims
of their masters, to effect transfer
of passengers from the imperiled
steamship. All agree, however, that
weather conditions were such on
the day following, as to render the
transfer of passengers extremely
hazardous, if not impossible. On
the night of the 25th, the Sophia
was. driven across the reef into deep
water, where all on board perished.
un me morning ol October g4
Captain Locke sent a wireless mess
agent to Agent Lowle. at Juneau,
advising him that he wanted “all
available boats to take off pass
engers.” On the following day
Captain Locke informed the Victor a
office of the company that several
boats were standing by, but that
it was impossible to take the pass
engers off because of the prevalence
cf a northerly gale and a heavy
sea- He also stated in this message
that the ship was “hard and fast on
the reef, with bottom damaged
badly, but not taking water.” The
disposition of the passengers at that
time, he said, was normal. The
vessel had been on the reef more
than 24 hours, and it was plannee
to make on effort to remove the
passengers the following morning
immediately after daybreak. T'i<
vessel sank during the night.
The failure to attempt to make
a transfer of passengers on Oetobc;
24 appears to have been the resul
of a difference of opinion betweei
Captain Locke and masters of sev
eral boats standing by. During thi
afternoon of that day, Captaii
Locke informed Agent Lowle tha
the gas boats were unable to re
move passengers because of thi
strong north wind prevailing. Lat;r
the same day, he wirelessed that ai
attempt would be made early thi
following morning to transfer thi
passengers to the Cedar, but whei
morning came the wind had in
creased in violence, and throughou
the day the water continued ver;
rough. The opportunity to effet
a transfer of passengers had beei
let pass.
On one point, at least, the evi
dence is undisputed. There wa
no actual attempt made to save th>
passengers during the two days tha
the Sophia rested on the reef. Oi
the first day several boats stooi
■ready to render assistance, and the
master of one of these boats claims
that he could have handled two
hundred of the passengers with com
parative safety.
All this has to do with the failure
of the company to transfer the
passengers to a place of safely after
the Sophia had encountered the reef.
If the owners of the ship cannot
be held responsible for that, surely
they cannot escape responsibility for
getting onto the reef, which is well
known to every navigator of Nor
thern waters, and easily avoided.
This is attested by the fact that the
Sophia was the first vessel to come
to grief at that particular point
in Lynn canal.
The News is of the opinion that
if the Sophia owners cannot be held
responsible for sacrificing the lives
of their passengers on an obstruc
tion so well known as Vanderbilt
reef, the owners of the Titanic were
done a great injustice when they
were compelled to pay for the loss
of lives which resulted from an en
counter with an iceberg, far re
moved from its normal course in the
North Atlantic ocean.
Alaskans are entitled to a greater
degree of protection than they have
received in the past. For years
they have been compelled to travel
on vessels which should have been
condemned, and through waters fill
ed with dangers to navigation, for
the most part unchartered and un
suspected. And not infrequently has
it happened that disaster resulted
from the incompetence or careless
ness of masters.
Whatever may come of the Sophia
investigation, it is to be hoped that
passengers henceforth will be sur
rounded with greater safeguards, in
the way of aids to navigation, rigid
inspection of vessels and strict oem
pliance with laws which will not
again permit owners of a wrecked
vessel to escape responsibility for
exposing passengers to avoidable
hazard. Alaskans are compelled to
pay exhorbitant prices for the priv
ilege of traveling to and from their
homes in the North; surely they are
entitled to at least a reasonable
amount of protection.
INCOME TAX CAMPAIGN
Slogans coined by the Internal
Revenue Bureau to stimulate early
and full payment of income taxes
reflect the changed conditions in
which the taxpayer finds himself
now that victory has been won and
! hostilities have ceased- The powers
of autocracy have been defeated
but the monetary cost of the su cess
i still is to be met, largely by the
taxes to be paid this year.
! “ ‘Army of Occupation’ sounds
i good but it needs your supoprt.”,
• says one of the slogans. Then it
■ asks, “Have you paid your income
‘ tax?’’
■ Another classes an income tax re
1 ceipt with a gold service stripe.
• Those who celebrated victory most
1 loudly are reminded that “tooting
‘ a horn on armistice day did not
■ end your part in winning a peace
: with victory. Paying your income
' tax makes more real noise than
• tooting a horn.”
i Persons who may be inclined to
grumble at the increased rate of
• taxation are given food for thought
bin the following:
i “If you think your income tax
t is . a hardship, picture what you
1 would have been up against had Wil
1 liam Hohenzollern won the collector
i
RED CROSS IS
GIVING AID TO
NEEDY SERBS
NISH, Serbia.—The health of the
population of Serbia is surprisingly
good. There have been few cases
of the dreaded typhus or even of
influenza. In both the military
and civil hospitals the work of'
Serbian doctors, whose number since
the war began has been reduced by
more than half is being supple
mented by British, French and
American physicians.
The American Red Cross has hos
pitals at Uskub and Monastir and
will establish others in Northern
Serbia if required. Major Daniel J
McCarthy of Davenport, Iowa, is in
charge of the hospital at Uskub, and
Dr. K. B. Keyes of Buffalo, of the
one at Monastir. There are Red
Cross doctors and dentists at Nisn,
Belgrade and other points.
In the Monastir district there is
Special Red Cross mission for the
purpose of training Serbian peas
ants in American farmng methods
and encouraging them to use mod
ern agricultural machinery.
At several places the American
Red Cross is distributing food and
clothing to an increasing number
of persons daily. A shipm^n* of
food and medicines which recently
arrived at Fiume has been sent into
Northern Serbia, and soon the Red
Cross will be caring for destitute
persons in almost every section of
the country. This work is being
conducted from Salonika, where
Major John P. Carey, of Colorado
Springs, Colo., acting commissioner
of the Red Cross Mission to Serbia,
is in charge. The commissioner to
Serbia, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas
W. Farnam, of New Haven, Conn.,
expects to establish headquarters at
Belgrade at an early date.
The weather is extremely cold and
fuel is very scarce. The Austrians
and Bulgarians deliberately wrecked
entire buildings in order to make
firewood of the flooring and window
frames. There is scarcely any netro]
in the country and ordinary kero
sene is selling at $5 a quart. The
country’s coal mines cannot be
worked because most of the miners
are still in the army.
Railroads and highways are in a
lamentable condition and present
many obstacles to the task of get
ting relief supplies to the Interior.
The enemy forces in their retreat
wantonly destroyed large sections
of the railroads, and as a result
certain regions must rely on auto
mobile transport. Only the most
powerful motor cars and trucks can
get over the war-worn roads. The
army has most of the country?
for transport or agricultural r>ur
horses and they will not be available
pose for some time.
CRUELTY CHARGE
IS NOT SUSTAINED
Commissioner Reed Heilig, ui
Fairbanks, before whom the case
against Dave Atwell, brought bj
R. M Brown, alleging cruelty t«
animals was heard, rendered hit
decision today, aquitting Mr. Atweli
of the charge.
ship job.”
Other slogans include:
“You stand up for the National
Anthem. Now stand up and paj
your income tax
“There were no delinquents a1
Chateau Thierry. Are you delaying
the payment of yuor income taxi
“Don’t try to fool your conscience
by cheering the returning soldiers
and forgetting to pay your income
tax. An income tax evader hasn’1
much on any of the other pro-Ger
mans.
“If you didn’t serve over there
you can serve over here by paying
your income tax.
“When the boys come home the>
will ask what YOU have done. Show
them your income tax receipt.
“When you pay jour income ta\
you get a receipt from Uncle Sam
What would William Hohenzollerr
have handed you?
“Uncle Sam still has a big jol
ahead of him. Help him by paying
your income tax now.”
YANKEE BUSINESSMEN
SEEK MEXICAN TRADE
i LAREDO, Tex.—American busi
' ness men have been preparaing for
a boom in Mexican business since
regulations governing exportation if
food ana geenral supplies to Mexico
have been modified. Representa
tives of scores of nationally known
1 concerns have passed through this
border city recently to arrange for
establishing branch houses or dis
tributing warehouses in Mexico.
Busness interests here believe th -t
Nvithin the next three months all
^special export restrictions will be
► removed and goods will pass into
Mexico as freely as before the
Mexican disturbances began Re
rent modifications have been so ex
tensive that the embargoes now
cover, only a few commodities.
The Wrangell fire department hai
an honor roll of ten names.
ws.s.
' "WAS. SAVINGS STAMPS
ISSUED BY THE
UNITED’STATES
GOVERNMENT
YOU
CAN
BUY
WAR
SAVINGS
STAMPS
NOW
i
[
i
Nenana, Where Ralls and Rivers Meet
WANT ADS
FOR SALE.—One pair of well
matched, high grade silver fox
skins. Simson’s.
i The sun on longer days will make
you feel like throwing away your
old hat and suit. Certainly those
old spots do not improve your ap
pearance, but fo<* a trifling sum you
can have them pressed, mended and
cleaned at Mrs. D’Orsay’s Tailor
Shop, Third and A streets.
NOTICE
Anyone cutting wood or timber
on Acre Tract No. 88 hereafter will
be prosecuted according to law.
RICHARD H. KNIGHT.
Department of the Interior
Alaskan Engineering Commission
NOTICE
Passengers leaving on the train
for any point on the line south of
town are required to purchase
tickets before entering the train.
Tickets can be purchased from
the station agent, whose office is
in the employment office, on the
ground floor of the general office
building, Alaskan Engineering com
mission.
Tickets will be on sale at any
time during office hours, and can
be purchased in sufficient time be
fore the departure of the trains.
Regular trains leave the foot of
A street on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Saturdays.
Peter Grandison who had been
timekeeper in the headquarters
office, has been transferred to the
store department. ,
Don’t Leave
ALASKA
Men wanting employment can
obtain work at good wages at
Juneau, Kennecott and Latouche.
If you go out you will only
come back “Butted” in the spring
TAKE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE
WINTER.
Two hundred men wanted at
Juneau and vicinity; one hundred
and fifty at Latouche and
Kennecott.
*•
ALASKA PUBLICITY
BUREAU
Juneau Alaska.
I
i
I
I
I
!
i
COLES AIR TIGHT
HEATERS
RANGES
OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS
Yukon Stoves and Drums
Air Tight heaters
Any Thing in the Sheet Metal, Plumb
ing or Heating Line
Tanana Sheet Metal Works
%
COONEY STAGE LINE
Nenana -TalKeetna
QUICK TRIP BEST ACCOMMODATIONS
Reservations at Cooney Hotel
NICELY HOUSE
^Vith Belmont In Connection
POOL CANDIES CIGARS
AND TOBACCOS
WARM COMFORTABLE ROOMS
PRICES REASONABLE
Ratei By the Week or Month
MRS. NICELY, Propriety..
Membership List
Nenana
Commercial Club
Anderson, Herman
Allred, Mrs. Clara
Bergman, Charles
Brown, Jess
Berggren, Ernst
Browne, F. D.
Bresnahan, E. I).
Blankfield, D.
Bowen, J. R.
Blair, Roy
Brooker, Ed
Bennett, J. F.
Ball, I. B.
Brown, Erie
Burns, R. E.
Coutts, VC r.
Calderhead, R. W.
Campbell, N. J.
Coghill, W. A.
Cooney, M. J.
Doner, Frank
Diven, R J.
Douse, Fred
Davis, Harry
Ekeland, Alf
Funk, A B.
Finlavson, K A. ‘
Fisher, Joe
Flower, J. H.
Foster, Steve
Gagnon, Wm.
Ghezzi, Alfred
Head, E. A.
Haslem, H. G.
Hagan, James
Hill, I., w.
Hagen, Hans
Hoey, Andy
Gray, E. B.
Gilcher, W. H.
Hyland, Mike
Isabel, L. C. *~ -j
Irvine, A. J. _ *
Johnson, A. G.
Jones, Frank
Julian, W. J.
Johnson, Joseph
Jepson, Peter
Joseph, H. B.
Koland, Knut
Ketooroky, John A.
I.aughlin, E. L.
Lund, E. E.
Lehr, Q. F.
Markus, George
Mortensen, Peter
Myers, R. R.
Moore, Frank B.
Miles, J. H.
McDonald, R. S.
Martin, G. S.
Morris, R. C. '
Nash, Martin
Owen, Harry
O’Keefe, Larry
Parks, S. E.
Pennington, G. W
Palfy, Paul
Packer, \V. L.
Ryan, W. A.
Rosburg, Herman y
Roth, Andy
Rodigkeit, Wm.
Sborgia, William
Shaw, Harry N.
Stol, N'els
Schmidt, Carl
Schaeffer, M. A.
Slippern, J. A.
Simson, Lipman
Scott, J. H.
Sellander, C. J.
Stone, A J.
Schmidt, Pete
Smith, Chas.
Smith, George A.
Southworth, R. G.
Spira, Frank
Taylor, Frank
Tunison, B.
Thompson, Theodore
Toussaint, J G. K
Tyler, M. V.
Taylor, Wm. J.
Verhaeghe, Cyriele
Van Orsdel, J. C.
Woods, Geo. W.
Williams, E. A.
Waechter, R. I.