THE NENANA NEWS
Application made October 30, 1916, at the Postoffice at Nenana, Alaska, lor
entry as second-class mail matter under the act ot March 2, 1879, by The Ne
nana Printing Company. _
Published Weekly by The Nenana Printing Company
Day ov Publication Saturday Edited by R. G. Southworth.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Per month; by carrier.$ 1.00 Single copies ....
Six months, in advance .... 5.00 One year, in advance
NENANA, ALASKA, SATURDAY. SEPT. 22, 1J>17
Two bit
. 10.00
Tlu* frequent application of
the word terminal to things
pertaining to Anchorage is a
source of much annoyance to
the people of Seward, who are
inclined to criticise the Laud
and Industrial department of
the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission for encouraging the
inference that Anchorage is to
he more than a way station,
“('ut it out" demands the Sew
ard Post. "The Alaska Kail
road Record . . constantly
refers to the Inlet metropolis
as the terminal of the govern
ment railroad, in defiance of
presidential order, the general
order of things and the fact
that there can only he two ter
minals to a given line of rail
road. It is the ‘terminal yards'
the ‘terminal roundhouse' or
the ‘terminal something or oth
er' in every issue.
“As a matter of fact, the
word ‘division* is the proper
word and the only reason for
substituting terminal is a de
sire to kid the public long in
that section."
Xenanaites should be warned
bv tlu* fire* of Thursday. With
out the protection of an ade
quate water system for fire
fighting purposes, the town is
exposed to gravest risk and it
is only through the exercise of
individual caution that we can
hope to escape a general con
flagration. The risk is greater
this fall than it was a year
ago for the reason that old pipe
and stoves are being installed
now—material, for the most
part, that was in use during
the past year. 1'his used equip
ment should he subjected to the
most rigid inspection and dis
carded without hesitancy if
found imperfect. < 'arelessness
on the part of any one property
owner exposes the entire town
to gravest risk.
If we begin now to observe
precautions, it will have become
a habit with us by the time the
water system is installed, and
winter risks will be reduced to
a minimi 11.
In view of the fact that con
ditions generally throughout
Alaska have been considerably
upset by the advanced cost of
provisions and mining machine
ry, the suspension of the an
nual assessment law, which is
provided in a bill now pending
before congress, will be wel
| coined by many claim owners
| throughout the interior, who
would have been seriously em
barrassed by the necessity of
representing their ground this
winter. While the proposed re
lief was not sought or urged
by the small claim owners,
favorable action by congress
nevertheless will be appreciat
ed by them, for the closing of
the present season will find
many unprepared with funds
sufficient to pay for the requir
ed work.
REFINING GOAL
Goal is one of the few min
eral products used chiefly in
the raw state. It is a com
plex substance, the same as
raw petroleum, and may be
separated chemically into num
erous products of value,- leav
ing fixed carbon in improved
form for fuel. Now this is
precisely what we do, when we
refine coal oil. But the coal,
most of us prefer to burn as
it conies from tin* mines,- a
very wasteful proceeding, we
are told, in an editorial ap
pearing recently in the Metal
lurgical and Ghemical Engin
eering Magazine, of New York.
As a problem in chemical en
gineering it is believed that
the refining of coal offers at
tractive and wonderful possi
bilities. The article says: “A
Western problem of this type
is the refining of lignite.- a
coal high in moisture and vola
tile matter and for some uses
misuited to efficient consump
tion in the raw state. Bulle
tin 8!*, of the F. S. Bureau of
Mines, is devoted to the effi
cient use of lignite, recording
the studies and investigations
made in the lignite coal fields
of Williston, North Dakota.
“Gas. ammonia and tar are
the products of the destructive
distillation of lignite coal, and
the briquetted residue is in far
better shape, physically and
chemically, for use as fuel
than was the original coal.
The tar obtained is an import- j
Go to
NELSON’S
for yotir
SHOES
and Shoe Repairing
THE SKOF HOUSE
Market Street at Second
Comfortable Rooms Spring Beds
Clean Bunks
EVERYTHING NEW and CLEAN i
ant product,- for from it, may
lie fraetioned light and heavy
oils and pitch. In the Col
orado lignite fields, an effort
is being made to introduce
some of these distillates as
dotation oils. Coal refining
offers an opportunity for in
dustrial development in the
West, especially in Alaska
where lignite coals are abund
ant. The development may at
first be slow. Related new
industries must also be estab
lished. Pioneer work has be
gun. A start has been made.
We can forsee rapid and wond
erful. expansion with lignite
coal."
To the above we would add
the Xenana lignite coal fields
will one day astonish the com
mercial world. Think of the
many uses to which Xenana's
coal will be put. The future
for us is most promising.
VAX OlISDEL APPOIXTED
•Toe C Van Orsdel, until
recently in the employ of the
Alaskan Engineering commis
sion, has been appointed com
missioner of the Kantishna
district, succeeding William It.
Taylor. The order making the
annointement was signed by
Judge l.unnell on Tlmrsdav.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Orsdel will
leave for the Kantishna upon
their return from the upper
town.
CHURCH SERVICES
In Martin-M'Millan P.uilding
A Street
Sundav at 11 a. m., Morning
Sermon.
12:00. Sundav School
" :30 p. m.. Evening Lecture
‘‘The Tragedv of a Life”
Sneaker. Robert Joseph Div
<»n. I>. !>.. Presbyterian Min
ister.
The hall will be warm. Every
body welcome.
The government steamer
Oeneral Jacobs arrived from
the lower river todav, enroute
to Fairbanks for a shipment
of native potatoes, which were
purchased bv the war depart
ment from the farmers of the
up-river district. Several tons
of hay and oats and other sup
plies for the local station were
unloaded here.
ELSEWHERE IN ALASKA
Former Mayor M. J. O’Con-1
nor of Douglas, was recently
given a hanqnet hv liis many
friends at that place on the eve
of his departure for the States
to make his home. Following
tin* banquet Mr. O'Connor was
presented with a handsome
walking stick, the end of which
is made of old Alaska ivory,
studded with nuggets, and with
his intials artistically inlaid
j with gold.
! Superintendent Patching of
tin* Fortham hatchery has tiled
a sworn statement with the
i clerk of the federal court show
ing that 57,500,000 red fry
were released last year. This
entitles the Alaska Packers,
owners of the hatchery, to a
rebate of federal tax on over
!one-half million cases of sal
mon.
Nels Jenson, a Matanuska
rancher, found raising crops
during the mosquito season too
much®for his mental eouilib
jrium. and he was recently ad
j judged insane by a jury in the
j commissioner's court at An
'cliorage. Since being taken in
to eusody Jensen has been very
! violent.
A seaman Ernest Pearson
was taken into custody by the
Marshal at Nome, at the re
quest of the Captain of the
Pacific Steamship Co.'s steam
er Senator as a deserter,, Pear
son claimed immunity under
the new seaman's law which
permits men to leave not only
American but also foreign
ships in any American port.
He refused to be taken back
aboard the Senator and was
afterward released.
E. Coke Hill, of Ruby, has
been appointed assistant dis
trict attorny for the Fourth
Division by District Attorny
Iiob Conklin, a former min
er in the Ruby district, was
killed in action recently on the
Western Front, while fighting
with the Rritish forces.
Harry Husiou is building an
attractive log residence on im
pel- First street. When the new
lionie is completed, it will he
occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Carl
ton D. Ross, and Harry will he
the star hoarder. Mrs. Ross will
come in from the Outside dur
ing the later part of the month.
Jack Grady, an old-timer of
Oldtown, Cordova, died in the
hospital at that place recent
ly from an attack of acute in
digestion. He had been in the
employ of the Copper River
Railroad for many years.
According to reports reach
ing Nome. Dime Creek, the
latest camp in Nome section,
known since the earliest days
knon since the earliest days
of the North. Gambling, dance
halls and the other attractions
of the pioneer days are run
as openly as in the days of '98,
Captain E. A. Ludlow, of
Nome, died recently at the
Pioneers' Home. Captain Lud
low was one of the pioneer
whalers in the North Pacific
during the vears of the Civil
War.
Limestone Deposit Discoered
A limestone deposit has been
I discovered about TOO f<*et form
the Government railroad line
where it crosses Little Rabbit
Creek, near Mile 102 says the
Alaska Railroad Record. The
| deposit is exposed in the side of
a low hill, about 300 feet from
the hank of the creek. The dis
covery was made by S. F. and
C. R. Rhodes of Anchorage,
who have commenced mining
the product and have erected a
kiln of 10 ton capacity for
burning the stone. An analysis
of the product made by an as
saver at Seward, is as follows:
Insoluble silicious matter—
not over one *»er cent;
Ferric and aluminum oxides.
mot over one per cent;
Calcium oxide D»uick lime)
94.68 per cent, or 67.62 per
cent of pure calcium.
The first shipment from this
property, to Anchorage, con
sisting of seven tons of lime,
I
! was made on July 18. The
i owners are arranging to sell
the product for 83.75 per bar
rel, which is aT'oroximately the
present freight rate on lime
from the States. A sample test
ed by the Commission shows it
to he suitable for buildiu" pur
poses. The Comission is arrang
ing to use the product, and if
it continues to be satisfactory
and can be secured in sufficient
quantities no more lime will be
imported. Several of the con
tractors in Anchorage have
placed orders for the Alaska
lime and propose to use it on
buildings now under construc
! tion.
It is expected that the out
put of placer tin from the
Seward Peninsula this year
will reach a total of 300 tons.
i On her southbound trip re
cently the steamer Alaska took
on at Cordova 2100 tons of coo
per ore, 14.000 cases of can
ned salmon and 7,000 cases
of canned clams. _
In a letter recently received
at Nome it is stated that Miss
Sutherland, for several years
secretary to Dr. Caleb White
head, a former wellknown
Nome mining man, is at pres
ent driving an automobile am
bulance on the French front.
J. D. Jackson, of Seward,
recently sold his 320 acre home
stead to Frank Ennis, U. S.
commissioner then* who divided
the land into small parcels and
has offered it for sale.
The Juneau Chapter of the
Red Cross, assisted by the
: Thane branch, shipped out 8
boxes of supplies for the Red
< 'ross, comprising pajamas,
bandages and hospital necessi
ties.
Clerk of the Court J. W.
Dell, at Juneau, recently re
ceived a sack containing 500
silver dollars as bail for Gam
bler Ry Jim held to the grand
jury on a charge of threatening
to kill.
Gladys Ilurgess, wife of tin*
Northwestern Fishedies Com
pany at Nuslmgak committed
suicide by taking poison recent
ly. No cause is known for the
rash act.
The assessed valuation of tin*
taxable property of the town of
Juneau is $3,730.7<>S and the
rate for the year has been fix
ed at 10 mills.
_
Four cannery tenders are re
ported to have been lost at the
mouth of the Kuskokwim this
spring. The natives are enjoy
ing prosperity from the salag
ing of the cargoes.
Alaskan farmers are being
urged to dig their potatoes as
they can gi| a fair price for
them now by supplying the cur
rent demand.
M. I). Manchester, of the Yu
kon Gold force, while comini;
down the Hunker Iioad near
the Klondike* mess houses re
cently saw a big black bear
and two cubs in the middle of
the road. The mother bear
promptly disputed the passage,
thinking the Ford an enemy.
However, tin* driver slowed
down and kept coining. This
was too much for Rruin and
she beat a liastv retreat for the
hills.
Frank Garroll, who first es
tablished the office of Ingersoll
Rand Company in Juneau will
soon take charge of it after a
year’s absence. The office has
been temporarily closed because
the two men in charge went
to the South to join the Of
feer’s Reserve Camp.
Rutte—Fully half of Silver
Row conntv’s quota of drafted
men have failed to report for
service and the authorities are
now engaged in rounding up
the laggards. Considerable
trouble, it is believed, will be
encountered in getting the men
into the ranks.
It is a fact worthy of note
that the last boats are not tak
ing many people away from Ne
nana.
I
WE HAVE THE
LUMBER
DELIVERY ON SHORT NOTICE
INDEPENDENT LUMBER CO.
silver price helps.
| Par silver is quoted in the
Outside markets nt *1.00 1-2 an
I ounce, the highest quotation in
47 vears. This high price doubt- j
I less will stimulate interest in
j Alaska's silver mines and pros
Ipects, of which there arc* many
j scattered over the territory,
land create an incentive for
new discoveries.
Mrs. \V. F. Thompson came
down from Fairbanks on the
steamer Alaska, accompanied
by her young son, Lillie, who
will undergo an operation at
the commission hospital. Mrs.
Thompson is the guest of Mr.
and Mrs. R. S. Hildebrand.
The Xenana river is rising
again and threatens to cut a
new channel through the ball
grounds. ^
Lot 14, in block 21, belong
ing to the Emil Roatsch estate,
was sold at "ublic auction to
day, for tin* sum of *200.
There were three bidders, the
property finally going to W. H.
I Smith.
Mrs. It. L. l'.ernard, who has
been Outside for more than a
year, was an incoming passen
ger on the steamer ('anadian.
Mr. Bernard is foreman of the
News-Miner office at Fairbanks.
H. C. daekxon, former Fair
banks newspaperman, is now a
captain of artillery.
Miss. Camille Paddock, pop
ular Ruby schoolteacher, was
married recenth to Harry l!ag
gerly, at tin* lower river town.
Private advices received in
!Fairbanks from the national
! capital indicate that a year or
|more probably will elapse* be
i fore tlie delegate contest will
be taken tip for consideration
by the lawmakers.
Carlton 1). Ross has taken
the Cooney house, on tipper
A street, for the winter. Mrs.
lloss is expected from the Out
side on one of the last boats.
Mrs. Pona c'. Smith, of Fair
banks, has been advised that
her son Clarence R. Peck has
| received a commission as sec
ond lieutenant. He is now at
the officers training camp at
|the Presidio.
FOB.
BARGAINS
IN
Sweaters
Shoes
Shirts
Pants
GO TO
Paul Lescure’s
ELECTRIC PUMPS
DECK PUMPS
FORCE PUMPS
PITCHER PUMPS
WELL POINTS
Lang and Toledo
RANGES
JUST ARRIVED
Tanana Sheet Metal Works
-a
i
The steamer Slmsana arriveil
1 fr«m« Hot Springs yesterday
j with a cargo of 000 feet of
i lumber from tin* Woolard mill
ja short distance above 'the
j springs. The lumber is being
! unloaded on the beach, just
| below the Lehr mill, where a
yard will be established.
The Episcopal missionary at
| Tatiana has made the request,
of Judge llunnell that a new
recording precinct, to include
I the crossing, he established.
The reason for the request is
[that the law oP the territory
requiring marriage licenses
compels the natives to mush
to Chicken creek, a distance of
tin miles. f
—■ — V*
W. 11. Taylor, well known
mining man of the Kantishna
district, arrived from the Out
side on the steamer Canadian.
Mr. Taylor is enroute to Fair
banks from which place lie
will start for the Kantishna
in a few days, going in by way
of Xenana.
The Tanana Valley Agri
cultural association has been
awarded a contract to supply
the Alaskan Engineering com
I mission with fifty tons of
native potatoes.
j Another effort is being made
by Fairbanks to bring the Fort
Gibbon ball team up river for
ja series of games in the upper
town. The government boat
Jacobs will make a trip to
Fairbanks during the latter
part of this month and will be
there a day or more loading
potatoes and the ball fans are
trying to get the soldier team
at that time.
I__
F01{ SALE—Motor boat,
i with 12 11. P. Ferro engine.
| Inquire at News.
XOTCE TO CREDITORS
j In probate court. Territory
j of Alaska. Xenana precinct.
! James Puke, decasod.
j Notice is hereby given that
! the undersigned has been up
1 pointed by above named court
jexecutrix of the estate of
; James Duke deceased. All per
■ sons having claims against said
estate are hereby notified and
!required to present them with
j tin* proper vouchers within six
I months after the date of this
! notice to the undersigned exeru
jtrix at her place of business
in the town of Ncnana, Alaska.
|Dated at Xenaua, Alaska, Julv
!2.*5, 1017.
Mrs. Emma Duke
FOR SALE
JEST HEFEIVED
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
HEAVER HOARD in assorted
sizes.
Rock faced ornamented Presses 1
Steel.
House Lining in any quantity
One Tent, 20x40 ft.
Linoleum and Rugs.
Carpet by the yard
Two upholstered couches at a
bargain
Cash Register and Show Cases
Graniteware, Glassware and '
Crockery
Aluminum Percolators,.f2.50
Hlankets, Quilts and Pillows
Eiderdown Quilts
Sheets, Pillow slips. Spreads,
and Towels of all kinds.
SPECIAL MEETING
Scrim and Cretonnes. Lace
SIMSON’S