THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
Application made April 1, 1916, at the postoffice at Nenana, Alaska,
for entry as second class mail matter, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Hub of Alaska —_Where Rails and Rivers Meet
Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by the Nenana Printing
Company, at First and B Streets, Nenana. Alaska.
R. G. Southworth .. ...Editor and Manager
Mr». R. G- Southworth ... .. Circulation
RATES OF SUBSCRIPTION
Single Copies____Two Bit*
By the Month, by Carrier or Mail......S 2.00
Six Months, if paid in Advance_:_ 9.00
One Year, if paid in advance_ 16.00
ADVERTISING RATES
Transient Display Advertising, per inch, per issue___$ .60
Minimum Charge __ 1.00
Reading Notices, per line, pet 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-publi
eatiou of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also all the local news published herein.
TAXES
There can be no return to norm
alcy that does not bring with it
some slight approach to normalcy
in taxation. It is. of course, much
easier to appropriate money than to
refuse to appropriate it and thus
save it. This is understood. It would
be strange if it were not under
stood by the American people, after
all the experience of which they
have been the victims. But it must
be said that they themselves are
largely responsible, for they often
demand that certain things be done
without stopping to count the cost,
or remembering that there will be
a pay day.
THE AMERICAN FASCISTI
The formation in Detroit of a
‘•fascisti” movement, designed to
spread over the country and combat
tendencies among aliens, doubtless
springs from good intentions, but.
like many a worthy purpose, it is
superflous. Many years ago there
■was an organization formed for
this, among other purposes. Men
got together and framed what is
known pretty widely as the Const!-!
tution of the United States of Am-f
erica. In the course of time the
membership has increased mightily
hut without changing “the purpose
of the first and only charter. Those
who subscribe to it thereby abandon
Bolshevism and many other things.
The only movement necessary in ■
this country is a continuing course *
of instruction in what is true Am-’
eriean!-m. Like the Fascists organi-1
zation in Italy, it is intended for
average folk, who people the earth
largely and intelligently. Like the
fascists idea, it has for its purpose
useful and industrious citizenship.
It is the only organization necessary
to the happiness and good govern
ment of the American people. Stick
to it.
Filings of 61 corporations, both
domestic and foreign, have been
dropped from the records in the Ter
ritorial Secretary's, office for failure
to pay annual taxes and file reports
required under Territorial statutes,
according to an announcement made
by Karl Thieie. Secretary. Of those
suspended. 43 were foreign and 18 1
incorporated under the laws of A
iaska.
Virtually all of those whose fil
ings were cancelled hare gone out
oi existence. The filings were can
celled under the provisions of Chap
ter 22, Alaska Session Laws of 1921
The domestic corporations affect
ed were: Alaska Development Cor- '
I
. poration. Alaska Investment Com
! pany, Alaska Pulp & Power Corpor
ation; Alaska Times Printing and
^ Publishing Company, Admiralty Al
I aska Mining Company, Anchorage
Oil and Development Company;
Consumers Protective Association;
' Brehemer Drug Company, Capital
! Oil and Development Company,
; Granite Gold Mining Companyt Jun
eau Packing Company. Mt. McKin
ley Fox Ranching Company. Xorth
i ern Packing Company, Inc., Pow
■ er Creeks Hydraulic and Dredging
Company. Primrose Mining Com
pany, Republic Fisheries Company.
Seldovia Fish By-Products Company
| Wesco Fish Company.
The foreign corporation stricken
! were:
Alaska Mines Corporation, Alaska
Oil Corporation, Alaska-Sumar.-i
Gold Mining Company. Algunican
‘ Development Co.. Ltd., American
Mining and Development Company.
American Tin Dredging Company.
Arctic Placer Mining and Milling
Company. Bainbridge Fisheries Co
Boston Group Gold Mining Com
pany, Chichaloon Coal Company,
; Chitina-Kuskulana Copper Company
of Alaska, Deep Sea Salvage Com
pany, Duncan Canal Mining Com
pany, Empire Provision and Pro
duce Company. Eskimo Gold Dredg-'
ing Company, Glacier Fish Company
Goemare Fish Company. Great Nor
thern Mines Syndicate, Grommes
and Ullrich. Hatcher Gold Mine
Company. Hastings Creek Dredging
Company, Hood Bay Packing Com
pany. Kenai Packing Company. King"
Salmon Fisheries Company (Ore.) 1
Kerkendall F. P . & Company,
Knights Island Alaska Copper Com
pany. Marathon Fishing and Pack
ing Company, Northern Copper Com
pany, O. P. Brown Lumber and
Box Company, Parks Mines and
Trading Company, Pybus Bay Fish
<£ Packing Company. Ready Bullion
Mining Company, Rex Alaska Min
ing Company Soc-keye Salmon Com
pany, South Alaska Fish Company,
Standard Salmon Packers. Inc.,
Susitna Dredge and Placer Company
Tee Harbor Packing Company. Tal
keetna Gold and Platinum Mining
Company, Tenakee Fisheries Mining
Territory Fish & Packing Company,
Todd Packing Company.
HERO OF NORTHERN WILDS
PUTS ALASKA ON THE MAP
Alaskan progress is handicapped
in many ways and one of the most
bothersome of these handicaps is
misrepresentation of conditions and
iaek of understanding in the States.
That Alaskans themselves are parti/ j
responsible for the failure of Out
siders to know the truth about
Alaska is made plain by the fol
lowing article which appeared re
cently in The Anchor, a Long Beach
California, publication. Mr. Robin
son is well known in Nenana. Achor
age and along the ‘Yukon river. He
was a deputy marshal on the Yukon
river and later became connected
with the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission. serving as special agent
for several years. The rapid spread
of crime in the States and need of
fearless and experienced bad-men
hunters there finally compelled him
to abandon his work in Alaska, but
not until he had got things in such
shape that they could be handled
by Deputy Jim Hagen. Special A
gent Bill Butler and other peace
officers along the railroad. WHO
HAVE NOT YET LEARNED THE
TRICK OF killing wild beasts with
a penknife and who are not in
Robinson's class when it comes to
mushing from St. Michael to Sitka
“in several days.”
Here is the fable:
AN ALASKAN NIMROD
Reminiscences of Jack London’s
Alaska tales—of bad men. tales of
hardships, sickness and death; some
of hair-breadth escapes from the
jaws of an Artie winter, or from
shipwreck, is the novel experience
of a Long- Beach mar,, Mr. John
H. Robinson, member of the Adven
turers’ Club and Arctic Brotherhood
Robinson wen: out to Alaska in
1897 as a “Chechaka,” a name giv
en to all newcomers, and during a
period of twenty years has been in
the service* of the United States
Government upholding the law and
maintaining order. After all he is
a hunter par excellence and some
of his experiences in this connection
are of interest. Moose and caribou
hunting is his favorite hobby and he
would take unknown trails in the
dense bush many times alone and
often accompanied by Indian guides.
On one occasion he was hunting
alone on horseback “up country"
on the trail of moose. A few bent
and broken twigs attracted his at
tention and following the trail he
was soon face to face with a bull
moose of enormous size, the most
ferocious looking animal Robinson
had encountered during his hunting
trips in Alaska. For some unac
countable reason, Robinson relates,
he was so attracted by the animal’s
daring in facing his antagonists that
he decided to watch the animals
movements. With a maddening rush
the moose took the horse unawares
and in the twinkling of an eye
gored the poor animal to death, the
blood flowing from an enormous
wound in its side. Robinson was
thrown from the horse in the com
bat and was the moose’s next tar
get. The seriousness of his position
as he lay stunned on the ground
and his great presence of mind en
abled him to jump back a few paces
as the moose advanced. Hitting it
with the butt of his Winchester
enabled him to momentarily stun
its advance, the animal retreating
a few paces. Following its example,
Robinson was enabled to handle
his rifle in a correct position, and
with a renewed rush by the moose,
shot true to aim. The animal drop
ped dead but at no period of this
incident was Robinson’s life safe
for one moment. The incident like
wise created no end of c~rr~,<*nt.
for hunters from all parts c-f the
country agreed that the animal was
the largest they had ever seen.
On another occasion Robinson
and a companion performed the
astounding feat of killing a moose
with a pocket knife. They were
both on their way to serve civil ^
processes and camped at a road- j
house. Resuming their trek they
were greatly surprised when after
a little way their dog team began
to show signs of uneasiness. Know
ing full well that game that season
was very scarce they decided to
gi\e the dogs full scope, and accord
ingly it was discovered that the trail
of a moose was ahead of them. The
dogs ran the moose down and had
it surrounded when both men real
ized for the first time that they
had left their guns behind them at
the road house, where they had
camped. Thinking quickly Robin
son’s companion espied a piece of
slate formation near the creek.
Grabbing a piece weighing about j
15 pounds he hit the moose on the
nose downing him. Armed with his
pocket knife, Robinson jumped on
the animal held it by its ears and
slit its throat with the frail weapon.
The beast was cup up and towed i
back to camp. The Indians in the J
district were elated to think of j
Marshal Robinson’s accomplishment ;
in killing the only game found in I
that region that winter without a
gun.
Not long afterward on another
hunting trip, he unearthed fossils
oof bygone centuries—probably the
of bygone centuries—probably the
trip two Indians accompanied him,
following the usual trails where
game were supposed to prey. At a
iittle clearing in the very interior
country, Robinson’s guides pointed
out to what was a virgin lode of'
coal. At once interested they began
to excavate, their efforts being re
warded some half hour later by
unearthing the remains of a gigan
tic fossil, which experts, with hesti
tanev. declared to be a Plasauras.
The "find” was talked over the
length and breadth of Alaska and
as a result gave much recognition
to Mr. Robinson's fame.
Perhaps the most dangerous of
Robinson’s experiences was in deal
ing with criminals and madmen. In
his position as dupty sheriff, he was
very often called upon to deliver
into the hands of the law fugitives
from justice. Bad men, gamblers,
men with a contempt for law and
order were prevalent in Alaska and
the task of bringing such men to
earth required a man of coo! mas
tery, persuasion powers and great
' courage. And Robinson was chosen,
for the work. Indeed, although he
has led a retired life for the past
two years, he is repeatedly receiv
1 ing telegrams asking him to resume
his old post to maintain order and
the suppression of liquor trafficking.
In the fall of 1898 an atrocious
murder was committed on the lower
Yukon by a man named Homer Bird
who had deserted his wife and fam
ily in New Orleans and gone to
Alaska in company with three men
and a woman. They decided to stak^
a claim and proceeded up the Yukon
on a skow. finally settling in a re
mote out-of-the-way place where
they erected a cabin. Differences be
tween them led to Bird emptying
his two muzzles on two of the men, |
shooting them in the back without
warning and instantly killing them.
He compelled the remaining man
and woman to bury the others in
the beach and kept them virtually
as slaves throughout the winter. In
spring word came of what had hap
pened. A posse was sent out and
returned to St. Michael with Bird,
landed him safely in gaol. He es
caped overnight, cutting his way
out and using a dummy in his place.
Robinson was then sent after him
ar.d followed his trail along the
vast Alaskan tundras. For several
days he could find nothing of his
A. A. SHONBECK
ANCHORAGE
LIME, PLASTER, CEMENT, FIRE BRICK, FIRE CLAY
Explosives and Blasting Supplies
COAL OIL GASOLINE LUBRICATING OILS GREASES
MAY and GRAIN
% _
man until he came to Sitka and,
learned of the fugitives whereabouts
Robinson caught him finally in a
weak and dazed condition so that
he had no difficulty in taking the
man prisoner, although he made a
hard fight before submitting and
gave the marshal quite a time of it.
The prisoner was first reprieved by
the late President McKinley but was
finally hung.
Skipping aiong to various other
events in the crowed twenty-two
years he spent in Alaska. Mr. Robin
son touched on a few more particu
larly, in which his life seemed al
ways in danger. He relates of an
occasion where in a drunken brawl,
over the gaming table, a miner
held up the entire saloon at tihe;
point of a g-un and killed the bar- j
tender. At the time he was out of!
town, exchanging prisoners on the ;
Canadian border, a very common
occurrence between United States!
Sherriffs and Canadian mounted po- j
lice. On his return a few days later'
he was acquainted with the facts j
and set out immediately in search j
of the murderer. The time of the
year was summer and the remark-.
able growth of vegetation and thics
foliage which is the heritage of!
an Alaskan summer was a gTeac j
inducement to any outlaw for a!
hiding place. From a little village j
he learned that his man, McDermott ;
had purchased provisions but fouri
days ago and had gone in a north i
erly direction. Following this clue ;
Robinson, with the shrewdness of a ‘
born scout, made a rapid calculation j
and decided on the hiding place of!
the fugitive. Knowing the trails to j
perfection he decided to go by a •
road seldom frequented save by ;
Indians. This in itself would shorter. -
his distance by two days. The road i
proved one wiim many obstacle
but Robinson continued to plod on-1
ward. On the third day. scanning:
the horizon he perceived a thin !
stream of smoke some few miles
away. Xoi daring to hope his man
was foolish enough to give a clue
Robinson continued to go forward
speculating’ that at most he would
encounter a small band of Indians.
In this he was mistaken. Creeping
along cautiously, and when only
within half a mile from the spot,
he realized that he had followed
the right trail. He could perceive
nothing of any importance and de
cided to get within shooting range
of the camp. Another twenty min
utes brought h:m to a spot where
he could observe but could not be »
observed. There was McDermott
trying to put new life into the
fast dying fire. In order to warn
his man he fired a shot over his
head. At once McDermott crept for
cover, but he had so camped that
he was open to Robinson’s firing
from almost every angle. Has
tily deciding on a plan of action,
Robinson took a pot shot at the
fugitives leg and as the man fell
with pain, at the peril of his life *
Robinson ran forward and dropped
on the man unawares. A tussle en
sued and the marshal gained the
upper hand, disarming his opponent
after a struggle that at times look
ed very black against him. The man
eventually was handcuffed and taken
back to Anchorage when he paid for
his crime.
Although the twenty-two years
spent in Alaska had in the main
been an adventurous one for Robin- g
son, he has been of great value
to the Alaskan Railway Commission
maintenance of order along the line.
LOCAL TRAIN SCHEDULE
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
Trains leave and arrive N'enana as
follows:
8:00 p m., Tuesday and Friday for
Seward and intermediate point-. *
Returning arrives N'enana 6:45 a.
m., same days.
1:30 p. m.. Tuesday and Friday for
Dunbar. Fairbanks and Chataniku.
Arrives N'enana 12:30 p. m., Tues
day and Friday.
Pullman sleeper charges: Lower
berth, J4.50; upper berth, $3.5<i
Tickets entitle holders to privi- ^
leges Observation car.
<
ATTENTION-TRAPPERS AND FUR DEALERS!
DON’T SEND YUUR FURS OUT OF ALASKA - SEND TO US AT ONCE
We Handle Only the Highest Grades that will Attract Attention in the St. Louis and
Chicago Markets. We have a Special Order for
6 Silver Gray Fox, 3 Black Pox and 3 Blue Pox
Must be Prime Skins. Send them at once by Registered Mail and we will send you the Highest Market Price
SEND US PRIME SKINS OF ANY ANIMAL
400 Water St. A. M. WHITE & CO., Ketchikan P. O. Box 902
Recently Advertising Agent Fouke Fur Co. in Northern Alaska