THE NENANA NEWS
Application made October 30, 1916, at the Postoffice at Nenana, Alaska, for
entry as second-class mail matter under the act of March 2, 1S79, by The Ne
nana Printing Company.
Published Weekly by The Nenana Printing Company
Day ok Pubmcation Saturday Kdithd by R. G. Sot thworth.
SUBSCRIPTION RATIOS:
Per month; l>v carrier.$ 1.00 Single copies. ivo 1
Six months, in advance ... 5.00 One year, in advance. 10.0C
XKNAXA, ALASKA,SATURDAY OUT. 0, 1917.
VALFAISU: ASSET
The local I)eini»cral.ic organ
ization, which was revived this
week by the election of officers
and the infusion of new life in
the 'membership, shoulld re
ceive the liberal support of the
community. A live Democratic
club is an assest to any town,
while tin* Democrats are in
control of the affair of the
nation, and the possession of
such an organization is of part
icular importance to N'enana,
where polictical influence at
this time is invaluable. Demo
crats are sufficiently numerous
here to make the club a power
in tin* territory and it is to
their interest to claim recog
nition. I5y starting now and
starting right, the Nenana
Democratic club will soon
be in a position to wield a
powerful inbuence in the polit
cal affairs of the territory and
it should ho needless to point
out that such an influence,
properly directed, would assist
materially in the growth of
Nenana and in the develop
ment of the surrounding dis
t riot.
Sent I lc To The Hexene
Despite I lie fuel that Seattle
and Seattleites have been fro
quently eitieised for their activ
ities in behalf of Alaska, the1
INiget Sound boosters have, in
reality, done the territory much
more good than harm. Alaska
is not old enough, not. sutlicicnl
ly well orgnized to paddle its
own canoe in all matters per
taining to tin' welfare and ad
vancement of the territory and
we should welcome the aid
which is frei|nently and volun
tarily <riven by. our Outside
friends.
The Sat tie Times made Od
orous protest in a recent issue,
against the threatened curtail
ment of railroad activities in
tin* North and reports indicate
that the chamber of commerce
and other organizations of that
city have been equally active* in
our interests.
“Increasin'* cost. of con
struction should not be respon
sible for a checkin}! or curtail
ment of work on the {Govern
ment's Alaska railroad, and
will not be" said the Times,
“if the federal authorities are
made to understand the urgent,
ncessity for carrying out the
original building plans.
“The fact that the line is
costing more than tweuy-two
per cent more than the esti
mate is important only if there
is reason to believe that sub
stantial savings could be effect
ed by postponing operations
until after the war. There is
no visible reason at present for
believing that such a saving
could be effected.
“The tiovernnient now is in
a position to get material at
extremely reasonable prices
because of its general super
vision over all industry during
a time of war. Transportation
rates to Seattle by steamship
northward are not likely to go
down very materially at
any time in the near future.
In point of fact, the only pos
sible saving would be in labor
expense and that might lie more
than offset by the advanced
cost of intermix after peace bad
brought about a relaxation of
government control over pro
duction.
“Having started this great
improvement, the nation should
not relinquish it at this time,
when any curtailment of build
ing operations would have a
most undesireable effect upon
general conditions in the terri
tory. Seattle, in conjunction
with representative Alaskans,
should take steps immediately
to lay the facts before the
Washington authorities, in or
dor to avert a decision that
would atl'ect every business in
torost in this city and in tin
Northland.
FARM 1IELF NEEDED
Who would have ventured to
prophesy three years ago that
the day would come when
farmers in Alaska would be
railing for farm laborers and of
fering them four dollars
p e r d a y a n d b o a r.d.
That is what has happened in
the .Matanuska farm district.
IS very class of produce has been
a wonder there this year, both
in tpiantity and quality. The
chief product is the potato and
it is a big one, the reports from
the coast district stating that
there has been an average yield
of from eight to ten tons per
acre.
A meeting has been held at
Anchorage, between the busi
ness men of that town and the
farmers of the Matanuska dis
trict, and an agreement enter
ed into whereby a fixed price
of $»>() per ton is detiuately
settled upon. Neither Anchor
age nor the Alaskan Engineer
ing commission wiil ship Out
side potatoes into Alaska, hav
ing promised to buy exclusively
from the farmers id' the dis
trict.
The slogan on the coast is,
“llse nothing but Alaska pro
ducts.” Keep the money home.
Huild up your own community,
your own Alaska. It is well.
.More power to Alaska.
NATIONAL A KM V CITIES
The Secretary of War says,
that there is now a nearly
complete construction of Hi
National Army cantonments,
representing the building of 1(5
cities, each to Ik* occupied by
40,000 soldier inhabitants.
Within three months from the
beginning of construction the
government will have expended
approximately $150,000,000, on
the above Hi cities.
These cantonments are at
the following cities: Louisville,
Ivy. Fort Sam Houston, Ayer
Petersburg, Chillicoth, Ameri
can Lake, Kockford, Little
Hock, Des Moines, Fort Wiley,
Atlantic, Columbia, Annapolis
Junction, Wattle <'reek, Wriglit
stown and Vaphang.
Each cantonment contains a
bout 1000 separate buildings,
paved streets, telephones, fire
protection, electric lights,
water and sewerage systems.
Within (i0 days 100 mills in
all parts of the country, ship
ped more than 500,000,000 feet
of lumber. About 24,000 freight
cars were used in transporta
tion of this lumber. From 5000
to 10,000 men have worked up
on each of these emergency
cities. Weekly pay rolls have
run as high as 1150,000. To
light these army cities 250 str.
lumps and 20,000 inside lamps
have been used at each site or
city. The cantonments are to Ik*
the dwelling places, for men
not accustomed to military
life but to all the conveniences
of tin* average American home.
Moth from the view point of
hygiene, comfort and attrac
tiveness. the War Department
has endeavored to make each
cantonment a model a n d
modern city and where tin* en
vironment will be conducive to
military efficiency and content
ment.
The government has about
completed arrangements, where
by the sugar industry will go
under government control. Fair
prices and equitable distribu
tion are assured. No definite
price has, as yet, been settled
upon, still there is a widespread
opinion prevailing that 7J4
cents per pound at refineries
will be the price.
I
ELSEWHERE IN ALASKA
The* lust issue of the lluby
jllecord Citizen prior to tli<
death of Publisher J. J. Filhin
: was the product of a new Merg
jenthaler type-netting daehine.
, .Miss Lida Ilriny, niece o
Abe Collins, of Tamarack, am
.Miss Edith Label le, (laughte
| of Fred Label le, also of Tama
1 rack, recently arrived at Hub.
to spend the w inter with' thei
relatives.
i -
The ISub.v office of the Alaski
llaod commission will he clos
ed during the coming w inter.
i
lluby merchants report at
active season of outfitting fo:
winter prospecting.
I)r. Heed, who has l>eei
practicing at Marshall am
other lower Yukon river points
is now located in the Iditam
district.
Juneau capitalists w ill short
lv he asked to subscribe to i
company to he formed for tin
purpose of taking a contract
to make cans for all the can
neries in Southeastern Alaski
as well as to operate a machine
shop for the overhauling am
repair of all cannery maehin
efy.
An old timer at Nome de
clares that in all his experience
he has never seen fewer men
trying to operate upon tin
beach, says an article in a Iat(
issue of the Nome Worker. <)m
can travel almost the entire
length of the coast without
finding more than half a dozen
men trying their luck in these
uncertain sands.
- \
Captain Franklin Johnson
of the F. S. cruiser l)e Kalb
has written the Anchorage
Times enclosing the first edi
tion of the New York Herald
published in France. This papei
is filled with summary new>
and deals in the main with
American personals and wai
news. The issue, under date ol
Sunday, July 1, gives an ac
count of the arrival in France
of America’s first fighting
army and the convoy, which
included the cruiser be Kalb,
Captain Johnson is the first
citizen enlisted from Anchorage
to set foot on foreign soil.
The Cordova school board
has engaged a fourth teachei
for the present term, increased
enrollment making the addition
to the teaching staff- ncessary,
I><> Sing, the Chinaman who
had his head chopped open at
1 nion hay a month or so ago.
is now walking about the
si reels of Wrangell. A photo
graph of Sing's head, taken
the day after tin* accident,
shows that he skull was cut
open for seven and one-hall
inches.
Cordova Chapter, American
Red Cross, has opened head
quarters in the Empress then
ter building, where Miss Clam
Sells is in attendance to sel
buttons,, take suhseripions foi
the lied Cross magazine am
solicit memberships. There wil
also be established a place foi
the ladies' committees.
The L. P. Davis Motor com
puny was recently organized
at Juneau and has taken ovei
the automobile branch of tin
Union Iron Works. The new
firm will handle two distinct
lines of business, that of celling
and repairing automobiles and
attending to the needs of tin
mosquito fishing fleet.
It is reported that recently
John Penglaze marketed bis
first shipment of brook trout
from Oliver inlet, selling his
catch of lot) pounds at 15 cents
a pound, to the Glacier Fish
company for shipment to tin
| The steamer Hazel 15. Third
constructed by Captain 8. C
Harrington at Wrangell, has
made its first trip up the Sti
. kine.
_.
! John J. Filubin, publisher
of the Kuby Record-Citizen,
I died recently at Nulato, where
lie was taken for medical
; treatment.
(}. \V. Green of Seattle lias
! accepted the superintendency of
1 the Douglas schools. Miss Fd
jna Mullock, of Seattle has been
selected as a primary teacher.
f -
[I Seward now has a fine auto
;• road and is advertising its ad
- vantages to sightseers and
t\ tourists. It is along some of the
r most beautiful scenery in
1 America.
i The City Council chambers
- at Ketchikan have the distinc
tion of flying one of the largest
■ flags in tin* country over their
i rooms. The flag, at least twenty
•feet long, was presented to
them by the heirs of the late
Mike Martin.
I Miss Avira Machelder has
, charge of the Ruby school this
l year, having been sent to the
J Yukon river town from Seat
tle by the department of ed
ucation of the Puget Sound
I city. Miss Hazel Mass had been
“i given the appointment hut was
j taken ill and could not make
I the trip in time to open school
j on October 1.
A dance was given recently
■jat Iluhy for the purpose of
■raising funds for the endow
: ment of a bed in the American
hospital at Neuilly, France.
The sum of $43 was realized.
Mrs. M. F. Herring and Pat
rick Gildea, both of Ruby, were
married recently at Tanana.
The first snow of the season
fell at Ruby on September 13.
Miss Camille Paddock, for
two years in charge of the
Ruby school, was married on
September lti to Seward ,T.
I Suggerly.
The residents of Douglas are]
rejoicing over the construction
in their city of a large foundry,
which will give employment to
a large force of men.
Fish handlers at Douglas re
ceive fifty cents an hour.
Juneau bakers have increas-i
ed the price of bread to ten!
cents a loaf straight." This is
made necessary, they explain!
“through the fixing of the price!
of wheat by the government.”!
Tin* Juneau $75,000 concrete j
school building is new in use,'
having opened for the'
term on September 10.
j , . - I
Men Kleinian, who lias op-j
era ted a clothing store in Ju
neau, under tin* name of the
j Alaska Clothing Company, has
tiled papers in voluntary hank-!
ruptcy. Klegman places his
[debts at $3783.84 and his as
sets at $2300.90. lie claims ex-j
emption of $1310.
Victor Florez, a Filipino.!
was recently arrested at Ju-|
neau charged with selling:
whiskev to an Indian. i
_ 1
The Alaska Hankers* Asso
ciation was formed recently at
j Juneau by the election of the,
, following members: President
M. M. Mehrends, Juneau; Vice-!
president, It. C. Woods, Fair
j banks ; secretary H. II. Post, |
[Juneau; treasurer, T. S. Scott,j
! Cordova. The ex(*cutive com
mittee consists of Sidney An
derson, Anchorage; Malcolm
Mrock, Cordova; Andrew Ste
venson, Skagway; C. C. Cole,
Nome; Lawson, Ketchikan.
The Treadwell company re
cently took a bond on mining
claims in the vicinty of Auk
May and is preparing for ex-:
tensive development work. This {
is the second property recently
taken over in the vicinity of j
Juneau for development work ]
by the Treadwell compan.
Mill Springer, Tom Owens,
Frank Wells. Win. Shaffer and i
Mokker brothers are on their j
way to Mroad Pass from Iron i
Creek where they have been do- i
ing assessment work. They have
many claims at Mroad Pass.
Commissioner Thos. J. De
vane brot a dead body from Ival
tag to Ruby on the 2nd of Sep
tember, but no one could iden
tify it. The remains were inter
red at Ruby.
WE HAVE THE
LUMBER
DELIVERY ON SHORT NOTICE
INDEPENDENT LUMBER CO.
I
A Voyage On The
Tanana River
When Le*ande*r swain tin
Helespont to bathe in tin
smiles and beauty of Hero
opine the water was more of <
tepid nature than the water o
the Tanana river is during tin
month of October; but shouh
there exists in the fronelim
wold that skirts the above men
tinned stream, a modern Leand
er, and should he discern on tin
opposite bank a chicken of tin
Hero type and concluded to cross
it would be presumed tliai
In* would endeavor to affect i
crossing by steamer. Now while
that would appear to the aver
age layman as the propel
Modus Operandi to fulfill love
laden desire, one should stoj
and consider dire possibilities
The writer, with his desire
neatly wrapped in a banelam
of hope, attempted to brave tlu
surging mumbling sprites thal
come tearing from the moun
tain scars toward the brine
de*e*p, where each and ewers
little /mite is moulded inti
hungry se*a, from the metropolis
of Tanana to a e-amp, then call
e*el Xemana, anel ae-cordingh
took passage on the ste*anu*i
Se-hwatka.
The writer was iele*ntfiie*i
by a tag signed by the Supt
of some e-ompanv them ope*rat
ing steamers between the above
named points, (perhaps sine-e
deceaseel) but Purser Proctoi
inelemtified the signature and
ae-e-epteel same for transporter
lion.
The officials of the company
then stationed at Tanana, re*
cognizing the merits of a slave
of the epiil, detailed! the ste*amei
Tanana to e-onvey the writei
three times betwe*en tlu* beauti
ful gedelen-elraped foliage em
broieleriMl to tlu* sides of tlu
Tanana river for about three
mill's along above* its estuary
for the purpose of impressing
the* magnitude of the surround
ing beauty upon his latent
brain, and if this was tlu* sob
object of those officials they
accomplished their desire with
a cracker on, for the writei
was so affe*cte*d that he wept
large numbers of fire tears
and it was necessary for stim
ulents to be administered te
re-establish normal neurasthen
ic throbs; in fact he was so af
fected that he was barely able
to transfer to the decks of the
Steamer Schwatka upon her ar
rival alongside*.
There* is where* tlu* story be*
gins, for this boat, laboring a>
she* was under a heavy ton am
with insufficient fathonts—oftei
being e>blige*d to elrag a barge
drawing four feet of watei
over bars sleeping epiietly be
ne*ath a pall e>f thre*e* fe*et ol
water, with a e-ahle; burying
“Deadmem” along tlu* shores
toiling, slaving and driving
through the darkness with e-ole
wind blowing a gale* that e-hill
e*el the workers t<* the* bones
officers and crew alike, reliev
ing e»ach other at the* strenu
ous task, until it was ace-omp
lishe*el and the be»at again float
eel upon the breast of the
stream.
These e-onditions existed and
overcome no less than six times
and if such could be* the* case
each successive feat was only
accomplished after renewed
activities were enlargeel upon
For seven days we plodded
along from where the writei
hoarded the Schwatka until
we* reachi^d Nemana, the <*nd ol
the boats journey, anel elurnjj
those* sevem days officers anel
crew slept but little —
Every day a day of toil
And every night a night e>f
moil.
Captain Looney, a young
anel efficient officer, assisted by
Captain Street as Pilot strove
manfully to overcome these
seeming endless obstacles, but
all in vain, for almost every
bend in the river concealed
some unseen foe to these mast
ers of navigation. They often
stood side by side at the wheel
all through the night observing,
consulting, a n d suggesting
! ways to wash a channel thru
which invariably had to be
, done before they could pass.
but every morning found them
‘ with a smile.
The work of the crew was
• equally couragous and entitled
to commendation, for during
' this strenuous voyage the writ
' er heard no word of,complaint.
‘ The Steward and his assist
1 ants in the cuisine department
are also entiled to much credit
1 for they not only performed
their respective duties but as
’ sisted in the navigation. Taken
ms a whole, tin* work was neat
ly done and such good fellow -
’ ship displayed that it would
not be easy to imitate, and has
1 no prototype.
A Passenger
FOR SALE
JUST RECEIVED
Large Shipment of
Plain and Fancy Doors
Windows and Window Frames
All Sizes
The lowest prices in town.
Table Legs, Transoms
Moulding of all kinds
Door and Window Stops
Sash Stock for Store Fronts
The above entire stock is com
posed of Outside seasoned
Lumber
liock faced ornamented Pressed
Steel.
House Lining in any quantity
One Tent, 20x40 ft.'
Linoleum and Rugs.
Carpet by the yard
Two upholstered couches at a
bargain
(’ash Register and Show Cases
Graniteware, Glassware and
Crockery
A1 uminum Percolators,.$2.50
"hinkets. Quilts and Pillows
Eiderdown Quilts
Sheets, Pillow slips, Spreads,
and Towels of all kinds.
SPECIAL MEETING
Scrim and Cretonnes. Lace
SIMSON’S
n
Wm. H. Smith
ATTORNEY AT LAW
NOTARY PUBLIC
THE SKOF HOUSE
Market Street at Second
Comfortable Rooms Spring Beds
Clean Bunks
EVERYTHING NEW and CLEAN
NENANA BEANERY
Cold Lunches, Hot Tamales
Chile Beans
SERVED 10 A. M. TO 2 A. M.
Tom Monagon
i
NOTICE
| All tents now in the dis
trict bounded on the west bv
• Main street, on the north by
Front street, on the east by
“B” street and on the south
by Third street, must be re
moved not later than October
15, 1917.
| The object of this regulation
i is to reduce the fire hazard
in the business district and to
aid in preventing the spread
ing of such fires as may occur.
F. S. RYUS,
Townsite Manager
Sept. 24, 1917.