The Nenana News
VOLUME I
NENANA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, SEI‘T. 1. I'M7.
r.o
• Club Boosts Sale
Of Small Tracts
* i—_
For the purpose of encourag
ing the development of the agri
cultural land immediately
adjacent to the town of Xenana
the Land and Industrial de
partment of the Alaskan En
gineering commission has set
apart a number of small tracts
of desirable land, ranging in
size from two to ten acres,
which may be purchased from
the government at a low price
per acre and on very easy terms
the payments being extended
over a period of five years.
The plan was announced by
Manager Christensen during
his recent visit to Xenana and
the sale of the tracts has been
left in the hands of the town
site management, with full
authority to dispose of the.
tracts on the terms agreed
upon. The only restriction
placed on tin* sale of the prop
erty is that the purchasers
will improve the property im
mediately, it being the inten
tion of the department to dis
courage speculation.
The tracts are sufficiently
• large for'the needs of the av
erage Alaskan farmer and will
yield substantial returns if,
intelligently planted. In fact, j
the location of the tracts is.
such that a good market is as-:
snred from the start for a great j
variety of crops and there is,
every reason to believe that the,
land will increase steadily in j
value because of its proximity
to the railroad.
It is the policy of the Alas
kan Engineering commission;
4
to give encouragement to the
farmer and homesteader. Alas
ka grown product* is given pre
ference hy the purchasing a
gents all along the line and
farming machinery and other
freight needed by the farmer
to assist in the development
of his land is transported over
the government railroad at
greatly reduced rates.
The Land and Industrial
department has induced many
settlers to take up land in the
coast section tributary to the
railroad, with the result that
there are now several promis
ing farming communities in
that part of Alaska. Similar
results, it is believed, can he
obtained in the Nenana dis
trict, where there is a large
area of good soil and an equal
ly good market for the produce
of the farms.
The Nenana ('omnfereial
club is cooperating with the
Land and Industrial depart
ment in the land settlement
campaign and has already
taken steps to interest pros
pective settlers in the oppor
tunity offered of acquiring
good farming land on easy
terms. Data is being gathered
for the enlightenment of those
interested and circulars are to
he issured containing full in
formation regarding the plan.
These are to be distributed
broadcast throughout the In
terior and the campaign later
doubtless will extend to the
Outside, with the object of at
tracting farmers to the Nenana
valley.
TOWN TOT PRICES
APPEALJOMANY
The elimination of comne
titive bidding in the sale of res
idence property in Nenana
has enabled the townsite man
agement to dispose of a con
siderable number of pieces of
property during the past week
and there is assurance that
each lot purchased will he im
proved before the end of the
summer by the erection of a
home. The lots are being sold
with the understanding that
* improvements are to be made
within a reasonable time, this
restriction having been decided
upon by the management of the
Land and Industrial depart
ment to prevent purchasing for
speculation only.
Townsite .Manager Ryus re
ports that more than twenty
« lots have been sold since the
arrival of Mr. Christensen and
several houses are already in
course of construction on the
newly acquired property. The
lots were sold at their ap
praised value, and the prices
range from $25 upwards, de
pending upon the location.
The popularity of the new
sale plan, it is believed, will
attract many more purchasers
before the snow flies and insure
a much larger population than
j might otherwise be expected. j
AMERICA BUILDING
BIG AIRPLANE CAMP
—
American Training Camp,;
France—The American avia-1
tion field, which is now near-j
ing completion in this countrv, j
* is the largest undertaking of|
the kind in the world. The eor-j
respondent who is sending this j
report to the United States j
s|>ent five days inspecting the
work, being almost continuous
]y on the move in an automo
bile. lie reports that hangars
and housing for aviators cover
practically the entire tract,
which is more than ten miles
long and which will accommo
date, when the work is finished
15,000 machines and sufficient
men to operate them. Within
sixty days the work will he
sufficiently advanced to house
fifteen hundred planes.
This is the announcement
authorized by the military au
thorities.
AUSTRALIANS JAIL
INDUSTRIAL LEADERS
.Melbourne—The Australian
government has placed the In
dustrial Worker's of the world
under the ban, on tin* grounds
that the fraternity is an illegal
organization. This action was
taken because of the attempt
that was being made to start
strikes and destroy factories
throughout tin* island. Eight
of the leaders were recently
arrested and sentenced to im
prisonment for six months.
SENATE RADIC ALS
LOSE IN TEST VOTE
Washington—In tin* first test
of strength between the radi
cals and conservatives of the
upper house of congress, the
radicals were defeated by a sub
stantial margin. The test
was in tin* nature of a vote
on the Johnson amendment
providing for a maximum
war profit tax of 80 per cent.
The amendment was rejected
by a vote of 02 to 17.
Mrs. I. A. Alderman accom
panied her husband to Fair
banks on the commission
launch Sunbeam, which made
the trip up river on Thursday.
District Engineer F. H.
Railev went to Fairbanks on ,
tlie Sunl>eam on Thursday.
Springfield, 111.—The pres
ence of Mother Jones in this
city is regarded with ominous
forebodings by the local au
thorities, tly* fear being ex
pressed that the old lady will
stir the striking street car op
eratives to violence. Two ad
dresses were made to the men
last night and this morning
the situation has a much more
serious aspect.
MEN WILL INSIST
Seattle—Disregarding the re
quest of the government to re
main at their posts, the em
ployees of tin* Seattle ship
yards have set September fifth
as the date on which they will
strike, unless their demands
for more pay are granted hv
that time.
IS ON THE RAISE
Portland, Ore.—The opening
prices of the season for this
year's salmon catch are con
siderably higher than last
.year, due to tin* shortage of the
Alaska catch and the unusual
demand, both at home and in
Europe.
Seattle—The opening quota
tions on Alaska salmon which
are being telegraphed to the
East, run fifty per cent high
er than the average price* for
the past ten years.
COLISEUM
Program for Sunday
METRO PICTURES
B. A. ROLFE PRESENTS
THE EXQUISITE STAGE STAR
VALLI VALLI
in
Mrs. Fiske's Greatest Success
THE HIGH ROAD
Five Acts of Supreme Screen Play
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Five Acts of Supreme Screen Play
Show Starts at 8:30 Sharp
Note:—Hereafter the week-night shows will start at 8
General Admission, SOc. Reserved Seats, 75c
MANY ARTILLERY
DOES NOW ON
IN VERDUN SECTOR
Paris—Artillery duels eon-j
tiuue to rage in the Verdun
seetor, where the French are
hammering away at the tier
man positions with relentless
fury. The war office states
that the big French guns are
active on tin* east side of the
Meuse, where substantial gains
have been reported during the
past two days. German raids
to the north of the Aisne river
are reported to have been re
pulsed, with heavy losses to the
enemy.
KANTISHNA MINERS SEEK
-WINTER MAIE SERVICE
The miners of the Ivaiitishna
district have petitioned the
postottice department to pro
vide them with a regular mail
service and strong pressure is
being brought to hear, from
several quarters, to induce the
department to authorize the
service sufficiently early to in
sure* regular deliveries during
the coming winter.
The matter was taken up
with John C. Murphy several
weeks ago, when he was in the
Kantishna country, and he has
done everything possible to
bring about the desired results
at the earliest possible moment.
In addition to forwarding the
petition to the postottice de
partment, letters have been
writeh to Delegate Sulzer, vari
ous commercial bodies and to
individuals whose influence
will tend to hasten matters at
Washington.
One of the letters was sent
to tin* Xenana Commercial dubj
and that body will cooperate!
actively with the Kantishnaites, j
the matter already having been
taken up by the executive
board of the club. It is realized
by the members of the local
organization that the proposed j
service will not only benefit
the people of the Ivantislian j
but also attract considerable
business to Xenana, by virtue
of having the mail enrouted by
way of Xenana, the logical dis-.
tributing point for the Kan
tishna country.
WILSON WILL SUCK
10 THE VERY END
IS POPE’S OPINION
Home—Affording to inform
ation routing from tin* Vatican,
Pope ISenedirt lias arrived at
the conclusion, after a study of
President Wilson's note, that
the American executive is more
firmly set on the continuance
of the war to the hitter end
than the head of any other bel
ligerent nation.
PEACEADVOCATES
Minneapolis—Secretary Loch
tier, of the Peoples’ Peace
council, announces that the
convention which several of!
the Eastern cities have objected j
to, will be held at Washington.
1). at an early date.
BENEFIT PLAN FOR
THE REO CROSS
j
The ladies of Xenana, under
the leadership of Mrs. Thos.
Higgs, Jr., are j)reparimr to
stage another lied Cross ben
efit. On this oceassion the "uh
lie will he offered an enter
taiimient consisting of a varied
program, all of the details of
which have not been decided
upon. It is known, however,
that the benefit "ill be held
at the Coliseum on the night
of September tenth and that
a number of moving nictures
of local interest, taken by Com
missioner Ili w ill be shown,
in addition to a good comedy,
supnlied by the Coliseum man
agement. There will also be
musical numbers and other
attractions, as yet unannounced
and the program w ill be follow
ed by a lied Cr>|«s dance, which
is sure to be attended by the
entire dancing population, and
then some.
The funds realized from the
benefit probably will be taken
Outside by Mrs. Higgs and pre
sented personally to the officers
of tin* American Rod Cross
society, in the name of Xenana.
Mrs. Higgs is planning to
leave for the East toward the
;*tid of the month and will
spend the winter Outside.
SECOXD LII5EHTV
LOAX DATE FIXED
Washington—The month of
October will be devoted to a
•amass of the country for sub
scriptions to the second Lib
erty loan, according to an an
nouncement made today by!
'secretary of the Treasury Mc
Adoo The campaign will
lie started on October first and
prosecuted vigorously until
he first of November, officials
if the treasury department be-j
ng confident that the three!
tillions asked can lie raised in
hat time.
ATTACKED POLICY;
’ANT USE MAILS ;
Lake Fairview, N. C.—Fed- 1
;ral Judge Speer has refused
o restore the mailing privilege J
o Thos. Watson’s Jefferson ion
vhich was excluded because 1
if the attacks on the recruit
ng policy of the government.
KEEP YOUR MONEY IN
ZENANA. Exchange it at |
he Commission office for an!'
Tide Sam check. Good as gold j1
UNCLE SI Will
BUI nil OF IHE
Washington, l>. —1Miring
tin* coining week tin* govern
ment will begin tin* purchase
and distribution of tin- nation's
wheat crop, on the price basis
fixed by President Wilson and
Food <'ommissioner Herbert <’.
Hoover. The commissioner
states that he expects to see
the price of bread drop to ten
cents for a lb ounce loaf.
IS NOW IN EFFECT
Washington, l>. <—The fed
eral child labor law, which pro
hibits the employment of any
child under fourteen, in a fact
ory and limits the hours of
employment of older children to
eight, becomes effective today.
Merlin—The war office has
announced tin* recapture of im
portant positions in the Somme
sector, near the village of Le
catelet. Several hundred pris
oners were taken last night.
AUSTRIANS AGITATE;
EAGER FOR PEACE
< 'openhagen—Telegraphic ad
vices received from Merlin in
dicate that the German Nation
al league has demanded that
the government take vigorous
mensnres to check tin* agitation
for separate peace in Austria.
Sentiment, it is said, is ^row
ing stronger for peace rapidly
throughout tin* dual monarchy.
TO THE PCULIC.
On the eve of our deparam;
for the Outside I feel that it is
most timing that 1 should ex
press, for my Mite and myself,
the gratitude which, we feel to
ward the many friends we have
found in Xeuana for vour many
nets of kindness and your soli
citude for our wellbeing dur
ing our stay in your midst.
And I feel that I can host ex
press myself by Saying that
through those same acts \ou
Imve upheld all the best of
Alaska's traditions, and have,
more than anything else, made
it possible for me to bear up
under the burden of melan
■lioly which at times has assail
‘d me, and face the future
with confidence.
It 1ms been the endeavor to
personally thank each of von
For your interest in me during
lie period of my misfortune,
nit I realize that I have failed
n the full execution of this in
tention, and it is to those I
wish to direct this message.
1 desire each of you to know
hat your demonstration of true
'Headship is most fully ap
preciated and will never be for
gotten, and that tin* future will
•eturn to you a hundred-fold
lie kindness you have rendered
With hope that the future
lolds much that is good
n store for each of you I beg
o be remembered as
Sincerely and truly yours,
James E. Pethlefsen
[JOSE HUSHES—For sale, all
n bud. Rloom in September
(•2.00 each. C. D. Leckie.
ravern Cafe.