THE NENANA NEWS
Application made October 30, 1916, at the l’ostoffice at Nenana, Alaska, lor
entry as second-class mail matter under the act of March 2, 1879, by The Ne
nana Printing Company.
Published Weekly by The Nenana Printing Company
Day of Publication Saturday Kditrd by R. G. Southworth
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NENANA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1918.
THE LAST WORD
The farmers of America have been
infomed by President Wilson that
the achievements of this year, on
one side or the other, must deter
mines the issue of the war—that the
toil, energy, devotion, self sacrifice,
intelligence and foresight of our
tillers of the soil will bring the war
to a triumphant conclusion by mak
ing futile “the schemes of Germany
to compel her enemies to starve with
her.”
We have no doubt that it is with
in the power of our farmers to pro
vide the sinews needed to keep our
soldiers and those of our allies in
fighting trim. And we have no
doubt that they will do their best
to make the soil produce abundantly.
But that, in itself, is not enough to
insure success. Our farmers must
have the co-operation of other class
es of Americans. There must be
sacrifices on the part of those who
consume, as well as redoubled en
ergy on the part of those who pro
duce. We who do the eating at
home, must conserve in order that
our fighting men may be well fed.
There can be no stinting in the
trenches. Men cannot fight on
empty stomachs.
Conservation, as applied to the use
of food, does not mean, however,
that we must starve ourselves. It
means merely that we must use
those foods sparingly which are
most needed in Europe—that we
must change our diets to conform
to unusual conditions. It is a small
thing that the government has re
quested of us non-combatants—a
very small thing when we think of
the sacrifices which are being made
daily by our boys in the trenches.
We should welcome t.hei opportunity
to do our bit and adhere closely to
the rules which have been promul
gated by our food administration.
The gravity of the situation can
not be exaggerated. The president
endeavored to make this plain, when
he said this week that “every man
in every business in the United
States must know now that his whole
future hangs in the balance—that
our national life, our whole econo-1
mical development will come under
the sinister influence of foreign
control if we do not win.”
PLACE FOR LOCAL CAPITAL
The announcement that coal land
leases may now be obtained in the
Nenana coal fields has a big mean
ing for Nenana. It means for one
thing, that there is nothing now to |
prevent the development of our In
terior coal resources; it means that
considerable tonnage wlil be ready
for the government railroad as soon
as steel has been laid to the coal
fields and that steaming costs
throughout the Interior country will
soon be very materially reduced; it
means that Nenana will be the dis
tributing point for all the coal
mined.
But while that will stimulate busi
ness greatly here in Nenana, it is
not enough. The opportunity has
been provided for still greater things
been provided for still greater things,
and it is to be hoped that there is
sufficient capital and enterprise
among us to control a large part of
the output of the nearby coal mines.
Local capital should be the first
to invade the field, the first to reap
the rich reward which is there for
those who go after it.
A REAL HELP
Alaskans will welcome the news
that a federal shipping board has
under consideration a plan to place
a number of steamers, tugs and
barges on the run between Seattle
and Alaska, to be used for carrying
supplies to the government railroad,
and returning with coal for Pacific
coast cities. vVith such a line of
boats, government owned and gov
ernment operated, Alaskans can
hope for material relief from the ;
excessive freightage charges which
they are now compelled to pay to
privately owned steamship com
panies. With ch a line of boats,
the government .ailroad will have a
great deal more freight to haul, for
it will be possible then for Nor
therners to import needed machinery
and supplies for the development of
new districts and the working of
old ones.
It is an open secret that the high
rates of the steamship companies
are doing more to retard the de
velopment of Alaska than any other
one thing. The service never has
been good, passengers have not been
safe and the movement of passengers
and freight both ways has always
represented an outward flow of
dollars from Alaska. Development
has been retarded, the settlement
of the territory greatly delayed.
Under present conditions, the move
ment of freight is limited to actual
necessities and the northern move
ment of settlers, homebuilders and
workers restricted to a degree de
cidedly hurtful to the territory.
But for the relief provided by the
government, it would have been im
possible for the farmers of the Mat
anuska valley to make shipments of
their products to the Outside mar- ,
kets during the past summer. The
unfortunate part of it was, the gov- ;
ernment had only one boat availazle
and there was cargo space for priv
ate shippers only on the south-bound
trips. It was plainly shown, how
ever, that freight and passengers
can be carried by the government ,
at a reasonable rate, and with more :
boats available it will be possible
for Uncle Sam to do the territory
a vast amount of good. We must
have government owned and govern
ment operated steamships event
ually to connect with our govern
ment railroad. Why not get them
now, while the government is en
gaged in the shipbuilding business
on a large scale?
i—
THE WORKERS WILL RULE
The war will create a new heaven
and a new earth. ,
The new heaven, peopled by those
shot out of life in its very fullness,
i will be very real; a country just
j “Over There’’ to those who have
suffered bereavement through the
war.
The new earth, according; to Lord
N’orthcliffe, the official jolter of
Great Britain, will be taken over
and placed under the command of
those warriors who escape death and
come back from the trenches with
the jrreat fact of brotherhood burn
ing like altar fires in hearts and
minds.
Before a large group of American
editors Lord Northcliffe recently
declared:
"‘It will be hell for those who did
not go to war when those forty
million who did, come back. They
will be different men when they
come back. Out there they are
bound together in bonds of com
mon fellowship. They have got the
idea that they have not had their
share of the world’s goods. When
they come back, they’re going to
demand their fair share, and some
how I imagine they’re going to get
it. Already they have formed their
organizations in France and in Eng
land. They have a well defined pro
gram of what they will do when
they return. And they even have
chosen the leaders they shall have
when they come back. Already
they’ve seized all the wholesale and
retail stores in our country. You
people did’nt even know those facts.
That brings us around to another
question, often asked. Are these
men, living for years in the intense
excitement of war activity, going
back, when they return, to the same
humdrum occupations they followed
before the war? I think not. Oc
cupations which men followed be
fore the war and thought they were'
manly, will be considered effemi-'
nate. They are thinking about a
state of mind, a state of life, phy-j
sical condition which will give to ’
the multitude of mankind the good j
things our competitive system de- j
nies them. Believe me, when these !
soldiers come home, they are going1
to rule. We’ve heard much discus
sion of the question whether or not
large fortunes are good for coun-i
tries. I happen to have a large for-1
tune, but I don’t believe large for-1
tuns are good for countries. And
we’re taking a practical means in!
our country to see that they don’t’
grow any more. We have an 80
per cent war tax."
ELSEWHERE IN ALASKA
Ned M. Stanton, former mayor
of Iditarod, is now training at
Gettysburg.
Joe McDowell recently arrived at
Iditarod from the Good News bay
country, bringing the report of the
discovery of pay on three claims,
some of which will go $1.80 to the
foot. The pay is from six inches
to three feet in depth.
Juneau’s fire chief recently issued
a notice to the effect that “owing
to the soft snow on the ground, it
would be impossible to use the big
fire truck.” While they were wait
ing for the snow to become packed,
the fire department distributed six
Yukon sleds about the city, equipped
with hose and other fire fighting
apparatus.
The Jualin mines at Juneau will
reopen before spring and will oper
ate on a larger scale than ever be
fore, according to word received by
Superintenden Charles G. Titus from
A. E. Goyette, vice president of
the Julian Mines Company, and gen
eral manager.
Many Alaskan ranchers who have
foxes for sale are receiving inquir
ies from Montana and Idaho in re
gard to the probable price of these
animals and the care necessary to
raise them. It is believed that fox
farming is to be tried in those
states.
R. H. Creecy, a negro resident of
Betties, was arrested recently on the
charge of having made seditious ut
terances. Nathan Creecy, his son
was arrested for failing to register
under the conscription act.
Numerous tracts of agricultural
land in the Chugach national forest
last September 29 were thrown open
to settlement and entry under the
act of June 11, 1906. The persons
upon whose request the lands were
eliminated from the national forest
were given a preferenc right to file
applications to enter their respective
tracts in the United States land of
fice at Juneau, Alaska, provided
they were qualified to make such
homestead entry.
H. G. McPherson, of Whitehorse,
claims to have a record laying flock
of one dozen hens. For several
months they kept the family supplied
with eggs and out of the surplus
$58 worth of hen fruit was sold.
Mrs. Winifred Hyland, of Tele
graph creek, recently knitted a pair
of sox and gave them to a friend
aboard the Princess Sophia, plying
between Skagway and Vancouver,
B. C., to be raffled. Quite a sum
was realized thereby. The winner
then gave them to a party return
ing on the boat and they were again
raffled. They now have won three
hundred and ten dollars, and have
become famous as the Hyland sox.
Arthur H. Miller, of Anchorage,
superintendent of Indian schools for
the southwestern district of Alaska
for the federal board of education,
recently completed a tour of 4,000
miles, beginning October 7 last and
including much of the territory from
Copper river to the most westward
of the Aleutian islands.
Conservative estimates place the
population of Nome at the present
time as between 800 and 900. Ac
cording to the report of the cus
toms house officials, the number of
people that arrived in Nome during
the season last summer was 787.
The number departing during the
same period according to the report,
was 1,343, to which must be added
eight more, who were taken aboard
the Pamatilla after the report was
made up, making a total number of
departures, 1351.
About 2,500 gallons of intoxicat
ing liquor, seized at different times
by the authorities, are held in the
Anchorage headquarters of the
United States marshal, await.ing in
structions from federal officials at
Washington city. Of the 2,500 gal-;
Ions, about 400 gallons are in bar-(
rels and kegs and the remainder j
is in cases, which number about 800.
A few natives from Eldorado re- j
cently made a trip to Nome carry
ing with them some splendid speci
mens of greyling and salmon trout f
which they disposed of at twenty-;
five cents each.
Deputy Marshal Sharpe of Ketchi- |
kan, recently arrested Frank Godi-j
ness, a Mexican, for selling liquor j
without a license. He saw a Mexi- j
can carrying a lot of liquor to an
other man’s house and later saw
Godiness emerge with a suspicious
looking bulge under his coat. He
j succeeded, by a series of short cuts,
; in reaching Indian town before the
Mexican, where he found tht man
{handing the liquor to a native.
A number of men from Wood Is
land recently registered at Kodiak
j for military duty and if they pass
j the physical examination will make
I excellent soldiers.
| A cod fishing station has been
; opened at Kodiak by the Northern
Fisheries company. The W. J. Ers
kine company is also interested in
the enterprise as their boats form a
part of the equipment of the new
I company. There is no longer any
\ need for the natives around Kodiak
j to be without food as they can fish
! for cod and make good money.
i -
j Jos. Viau, an oldtimer of Dawson,
| recently located a fox nest within
j two hundred feet of where he was
; working. He captured the inmates
securing two fine black fox pups,
which were sent to the Northern
Fox farm at Dawson.
James Ernest Malcom Beattie re
| cently went to discovery, Otter
| creek, with a string of fifteen dogs,
i Early in the evening the dogs, find
' ing themselves free, started for
i home without a pilot and arrived
| there about ten o’clock in the eve
ning with not a particle of rigging
broken and the sled right side up.
Wilson T. Hume, one of the attor
neys engaged in the litigation that
made Nome famous, has become in
dependently rich as the result of a
{judgment in the Ella Heim grub
| stake case recently decided against
! Jerry Wilson in San Francisco. The
amount is estimated to be $2,000,
000. Mr. Hume has fought the
case for the past seven years on a
; contingent fee basis.
Clyde Bremmer and Walter Bust
recently discovered promising quartz
leads on Turnagain Arm along the
government right of way. The two
men are making extensive prepara
tion to work the find on a large
scale.
SALE OF GOOD EATS
ON THIS AFTERNOON I
The sale of good things to eat
which is being held in the lobby j
of the Cooney hotel by the Friendly I
society of Grace Presbyterian church, j
was going full blast when the News :
went to press, and no idea had been ,
formed as to the amount of good |
things which were sold. All the i
ladies of the society turned out en !
masse and are taking various shifts I
in order that a good number of the 1
committee may be on hand all the 1
time. Pies, cakes, bread, cookies, -
ham and chickens are in abundance !
as well as tasty salads, and all are '
going fast. I
JACK CRAIG IS HELPING
UNCLE SAM WIN THE WAR
Jack Craig is only a yonugster,
eleven years old in fact, but at that |
he is determined to do his bit for
his country. Every quarter that
Jack can connect with, by running
errands or doing odd jobs, is quickly
exchanged at the postoffice for a
Thrift Stamp, and already he has
quite a card full to his credit. Jack
is very enthusiastic over the stamp
business and is setting an example
that might well be followed by some
of the older children. Every little
bit helps.
HOSPITAL NOTES
Mrs. Edgar Brooker, who has been
a patient at the Government hospital
here for the past forty days, has
now completely recovered and left
that institution today for her home. |
Mrs. William Landwehr left the <
Government hospital today and will <
be registered at the Cooney hotel |
for the next two weeks. '
Mrs. Albert Ghezzi is convalescing •
rapidly and expects to be able to <
leave for her home in the course of \
a few days. |
G. F. Cramer is back at his desk J
again, having practical! recovered <
from the effects of his recent oper- !
ation. J
OLDTIMER PASSES ]
Thomas Isaacson, a charter mem- }
her of Igloo No. 17, Pioneers of «i
Alaska, died at the Government hos- 3
pital on Tuesday, following an oper- 1
ation. The operation had been com- <j
pleted, but the oldtimer was still 3
under the influence of ether when 3
he passed away. The body was ship- j
ped to Fairbanks on Thursday, for *j
interment in the upper town. 3
MOOSE MASQUERADE
SCORES A BIG HIT
The first annual masquerade ball
held by the Loyal Order of Moose
last Saturady evening, at Labor
Union hall ,was an event that will
go down in the annals of Nenana’s
social history and long remembered
by the dancers here.
From the first rollicking one-step
to the Home Sweet Home waltz, the
big crowd was full of pep and the
masquers who crowded the big floor,
kept the judges guessing, so many
elaborate costumes being in evi
dence, that it was almost impossible
to determine who should carry off
the prizes. Gay Pierrots and South
Sea islanders. Harlequins and Span
ish maidens mingled with bold In
dian chiefs; coy country belles and
harem girls from the East. Even
Miss Europe, much wrecked, but
still in the ring, was in eveidence
last Saturday evening.
The Grand March, led by Director
Carlton D. Ross and Mrs. R. G.
Southworth, was one of the prettiest
ever held in Nenana, the dancers go
ing through the entire marcli to
the tune of martial music, while the
contestants for prizes acted out the
part or character they represented.
Following the march the masquers
were lined up in front of the judges’
stand, comprising Mrs. Wm. Taylor
and Dr. M. E. Smith, and the awards
were announced. The prize for the
best dressed lady went to Mrs. Theo
dore Brakke, who was beautifully
attired in a harem costume of crim
son and gold. Mrs. Jameson was
awarded the well merited prize for
the best sustained charcter, being
dressed to represent storm-tossed
Europe; Mrs. Jameson’s unique cos
tume and ability to act the part of
a girl from the battle-scarred con
tinent was well desrving of the de
cision of the judges. Mrs. Waechter,
as a country belle, won the prize
as the most comical lady charcter,
and ably demonstrated her ability
as a make-up artist. The gentle
men’s prizes were awarded to Ai
Carney, as best sustained character
and to E. R. Welliver, as most comi
cal gentleman. Al Carney repre
sented an old sourdough in full re
galia from mucklucks to mitts. Ear!
Welliver was probably the most com
ical on the floor his make-up as an
old outhern darky with the “rheu
matiz” combined with his inimitable
qualities as an imitator caused much
amusement among the spectators.
The judges were for a long time in
a quandary as to whom the prizes
should be awarded to as so many
were deserving of them and the
crowd was forced to make several
rounds of the hall after the grand
march in order that the judges might
be perfectly satisfied with their de
cisions.
A delicious light punch with wafers
was served throughout the evening
by members of the committee. The
hall was artistically decorated with
flags of all nations; the Stars and
Stripes being in prominence. Moose
banners and emblems, as well as
several large caribou and moose
skins, some of them marvels in etch
ing, were hung in the various cor
ners of the room. Colored lights
also aded much to the beauty of the
decorations. M. V. Tyler acted as
floor manager throughout the eve
ning and under his capable super
! vision, no hitch occurred to mar the
; succession of dances, which were
i played until long after two o’clock
i in the morning.
This is the first affair of its kind
j ever held by the Loyal Order of
| Moose in Nenana and so great was
: the success, that it is hoped they
• will continue their social evenings,
i as such good times are always as- ^
sured of the fullest co-operation
from the pleasure-loving people of
our city.
GIRLS ENTHUSIASTIC
OVER BASKETBALL
i Several of Nenana’s young ladies
| were on hand last evening for the
| first basketball practive at Union hall
| and showed lots of pep from the
' start. There is plenty of material
i 'n Nenana to form two good teams,
: an<l the public can look forward to Q
some exciting matches this winter.
The men have been practicing
faithfully for the past week and ex
pect to have their final tryout on
| Sunday afternoon, when the teams
j will be picked.
The girls will hold their second
practice on Tuesday night.
GOVERNMENT MAY PUT
BOATS ON ALASKA RUN
Washington.—Secretary of the
interior has written to the chairman
of the shipipng board endorsing the
plan to build a number of tugs,
barges and slow steamers for use
on the Alaska run, to carry supplies
northward for the government rail
road. Lane points out that the
boats can be used to birng coal
back to Pacific coast ports.
Before Going Skating, Get a Pair
of SKATES at SIMSON’S.
FOWLER & MORRIS
GROCERIES
DRV GOODS
COMPLETE LINE
LOWEST PRICES
We want you to give our Bread
a trial. When you have tried Tav
ern “Butternut” you will not be sat
isfied with any other.
! The Tavern!
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JUST RECEIVED
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> A FULL LINE OF
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Sterling Silverware
AND
JEWELRY
FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
TOUR INSPECTION INVITED
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