The Nenana News
*■ VOLUME NO. 2
NENANA, ALASKA SATURDAY, OCT. 27, 1917
WHOLE NUMBER 6
, AMERICANS TAKE
With the American Army on the
Frensh Front—The Americans are
in action. Troops took their places
today in the first line trenches on
the French front and the American
artillery fired the opening shot of
the war at six o’clock, since which
time there has been intermittant
firing.
The Americans marched to their
positions during the night, under
cover of a heavy downpouring of
rain, and without the Germans be
ing aware of the arrival of the new
troops.. The Yankees were most
enthusiastically welcomed by the
French soldiers. The nearest Ger
man trench to the Americans is dis
tant several hundred yards, but the
sector is one of the quietest on the
French front.
The American guns are being op
erated under the direction of French
officers who are familiar with the
locality. They direct the firing.
The first shell case has been sent
to President Wilson as a souvenir.
CLARK FLUNKS
ON OK CHASGE
1
St. Louis—Champ Clark has with
drawn the charge, made by him dur
ing the week, that a ring of New
York had conspired to retard the
sale of Liberty bonds with the ob
ject of forcing the government to
offer a higher rate of interest the
next issue. Clark admits that he
was misinformed.
' FRENCH LOSSES
ARE NOE HEAVY
Paris—Siebert, an American gen
eral, declares that the French losses
since the commencement of the lat
est drive along the Aisne river have
been very light. Siebert visited
the French advanced positions and
witnessed much of the fighting dur
ing the first day of* the drive.
i
•5
4.
i
t
MAN SHE LOVED
Casper, Wyo.—“I am glad I shot
him. If I can’t have him neither
can his wife” Those were the
words of Mrs. Bessie Fisher after
she had shot and killed Lawrence
Barrett, while the members of his
family unwillingly witnessed the
shooting. Barrett formerly lived
at Anchorage, where the Fisher wo
man became infatuated with him,
following him to this city after he
had left the Alaskan town.
BRITISH STILL GAINING
IN FLANDERS FIGHTING
London—The British have made
slight additional gains west of Pass
chendaele and east of Ypres, on the
Flanders front. Several German
counter attacks, launched during
the night, were repulsed without
difficulty.
The Oat Meal club has been re
vived and it is declared by members
of the organization that the coming
winter will be filled with club act
ivities.
FRENCH PRESS
GAINS IN WEST;
NEARING EAON
Paris—The French forces engaged
in the offensive operations along
the Aisne river, made further gains
today, capturing several important
villages and two thousand additional
prisoners, bringing the total number,
since the beginning of the present.
operations, to twelve thousand. The I
French also have taken 120 big Ger
man guns.
GERMANS MAY RETIRE
Copenhagen—Under pressure of
the French victory on the Aisne it
is considered likely that the Ger
mans will retire to the new Hinden
burg line, entirely deserting their
present positions. The Germans
have already prepared a new forti
fied line in expectation of repeating
the great withdrawal of a year ago.
FRENCH NEARING LAON
Paris—The defenses of the city of
Laon are crumbling before the un
ceasing bombardment of the French
along the Aisne front. The ad
vancing forces have entered and
passed the village of Filaf and are
now within easy artillery range of
the city of Laon.
FRENCH WADE RIVERS;
DRIVE GERMANS BACK
Paris—The village of Draeibank,
Papegoed wood and a number of
' fortified farms were captured by
the French forces in an attack
which was launched at an early hour
this morning on the Flanders front.
The war office also reports that
hundreds of prisoners were taken
The attacking forces were compelled
to cross two rivers, which they wad
ed, shoulder deep, in the face of a
deadl y shower of lead from the
j German guns.
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San Francisco—Delegates from
Seattle, Tacoma, Aberdeen and Port
land, representing the organized tel
ephone operatives of the northern
cities, have handed an ultimatum to
the management of the Pacific Tel
! ephone & Telegraph company until
! Sunday nigth to recognize the girls’
union which has been organized in
this city. Failure to comply with
the demand, the delegates declare,
! will mean an immediate strike along
; the entire Pacific coast.
I
DRAFTING IN ALASKA
EXPECTED IN JANUARY
! Governor Strong, in a wire to
Howard P. Curtis, chairman of the
i local exemption board, states that
the drafting in Alaska will not like
i ly occur before the middle of Jan
uary, dd^ending upon the Interior
mail service.
The Tyler home was the scene of
a pleasant birthday surprise last
Saturday night, the party having
been arranged in honor of Mrs. Ty
ler’s birthday. Cards and music
combined to make the evening pass
swiftly. Those present were: Mr.
and Mrs. J. A. Slippem, Miss Thora
Slippern, Mrs. Ed. Rust, Mr. and
Mrs. R. G. Southworth, Arild Slip
pem, Margaret Southworth and Mr.
and Mrs. Tyler.
i _
Assistant Engineer F. D. Hayden,
j of the Alaskan Engineering commis
: sion force, returned from the Fair
banks district early this week, hav
j ing made the trip over the Gold
' stream trail.
WORK CONTINUES
ON CIH STREETS
Notwithstanding the fact that
the ground is covered with snow and
the temperature declining steadily,
street and sidewalk improvements
are progressing without serious de
lay and it is the opinion of Town
site Manager F. S. Ryus that all the
work planned will be completed be
fore extreme weather conditions
compel a suspension of activities.
The work of installing the sewer
and water systems, which is being
done under contract by Craig Red
man, is practically complete. The
piping has been laid and all that re
mains now to be done is the back
filling, or refilling the trenches.
Street grading is also going ahead
steadily on Third street and that
job will be done within a very short
time.
It is the intention of the town
site management to build walks on
First and Second streets before work
is suspended for the year. The work
has not yet been started, but the
streets are graded and the sidewalk
grades are in readiness for the
walks.
By the time all the work is com
pleted, Nenana will have a system of
streets and sidewalks on a par with
those of any town in the territory.
RUSSIANS CHASE
Petrograd—11 is announced at
headquarters today that the Rus
sians are giving chase to the retir
ing Germans on the Riga front. The
i Slav troops are now advancing on
! a twenty-mile front and it is the
i opinion of military experts that the
! Germans have been withdrawn so
heavily that those who remain are
too few in number to check the ad
vancing Russians. It is expected
i that the enemy will fall back to
| the left bank of the Dvina river.
I
RUSSIA IN TO STAY
Washington—Dr. Frank Billings,
head of the Red Cross mission who
recently returned from Russia, de
clares that the Slavs are in the war
to stay. He says that general con
ditions in Russia are improving and
that the army is being reorganized
in a way that encourages the belief
i that it will be an effective fighting
force within a short time, perhaps
! a very few months.
WED 10 BAN
LEATHER IN SHOES
Copenhagen—Berlin newspapers
say that the German government
will shortly prohibit the use of
leather for the manufacture of shoes
except for miners, fishermen and the
military.
Frank Doner and Dick Ward re
turned to town this week from a
hunting trip in the Riley creek dis
trict, seventy miles south of Ne
nana. They shot one moose and
three caribou and saw many foxes
and ptarmigan. They report a
scarcity of grouse, however.
Commissioner and Mrs. Robert E.
Burns returned early this week from
a brief visit in Fairbanks. Navi
gation closed during their absence
and they were compelled to make
the return trip by way of the win
' ter trail.
Starting on November first there
I will be a federal tax of five cents
on each message sent over the gov
i ernment wires, to be paid by those
| sending the messages.
AUSTRO-GERMANS HIT
ITALIANS HARD BLOW
London—The most stupendous of
fensive operations undertaken by
the Germans since the early days of
Verdun, were launched against the
Italians yesterday, the Germans
combining forces with the Austrians
in the attack. The enemy advanc
ed on the Italians in such force
that the defending troops were sim
ply overwhelmed. Positions won by
the Italians by months of hard fight
ing, were retaken in the first rush
and the Italians were forced back
at several points beyond their own
border.
Dispatches from Berlin claim the
capture of sixty thousand Italians
and 450 guns. Several important
mountain passes were taken in the
first rush and the Italians have con
tinued to fall under pressure of the ,
Austro-German avalanche. The at
tacking: army now threatens the
Isonzo front as far as Wippach.
Rome—A semi-official statement
issued by the government this morn
admits that a bitter struggle in in
progress on the Isonzo front and j
that the situation is “certainly
grave". Having crossed the line
between Monte Canea and the head
of Judice valley, the enemy is now
apparently to reach an opening on !
the plains. The Austro-Germans j
made several strong attacks on the
Carso front, but the Italians are
holding their own there.
THE MEANING OF IT
London—It may be that the pres
ent great Austro- German drive on
[the Italian front is a desperate ef
fort to overrun the Italian plain
and invade France from the south,
thus getting at the rear of the Al
lied troops on the French front..
Should it develop that the German
hi^rh command really intends a
serious effort for the invasion of the
south of France, it is based upon a
desire to deliver a crushing blow to
the Allied forces in the West before
the Americans get fully into action.
SEASONED VETERANS
Berlin-—Reinforced by more than
half a million seasoned veterans, a
mighty Austro-German army has en
gaged the Italians along a twenty
mile front. The first battle result
ed in the capture of four thousand
Italians and prisoners have been ac
cumulating rapidly since.
FOOD ECONOMY :
TO BEAT SOBS
—
1 Washington—In reviewing the food
, situation today, Food Administra
tor Hoover declared that the fight
against the submarine would be won
if Canada and the United States
stimulated production and practiced
strict economy.
MILITARY EXPERTS SAY
GERMANS ARE BEATEN
Paris—Military experts believe
that the German armies in France
and Belgium are beaten and demor
alized as the result of the great
victories of the British and French
in West Flanders and along the
Aisne river.
IRISH PROBLEM CONSIDERED
London—The Sinn Fein situation
| in Ireland was considered at a meet
ing of the cabinet today but no de
; cision had been reached at a late
hour this afternoon.
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TWENTY-FIVE DOWNED
-.
Paris—The war office announces \
J that twenty-ve German planes were !
brought down yesterday in a number
of spectacular sky battles.
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Paris—Major Gen. Hugh L. Scott
former chief of staff, has arrived
in France on his way to the front
! to join the American forces.
Line Auditor J. G. K. Toussaint
and Assistant Auditor Earle Well
iver will leave for the end of the
■
line in the morning, to be absent a
couple of weeks
_ \
The Commission boys celebrated
Liberty Day with an informal danc
ing party at the engineering offices
in the general office building. The
evening was thoroughly enjoyed by
the large crowd present.
Halloween will be observed ir..
Nenana with a masquerade dance,
which will take place at the Colis
eum under the auspices of the man
agement of that popular amusement
place. The announcement has in
terested the dancing public to the
extent that everyone is preparing
a costume for the affair and a large
attendance is assured.
James H. Russell, who is inter
ested in a grading contract on the
right of way south of Nenana, has
been in town a couple of days, tak
ing in the sights. He reports that
his work is nearly completed.
Dave Caseaden. Jack Currv, Fred
Pauli, Sam Godfrey and Clarence
Dorflinger are recent arrivals at the
upper town from the Tolovana dis
trict. They report that the last of
the sluicing in that camp was sus
pended last Thursday and that very
little is doing now in a mining way.
FRANCE SECURES
LOAN FROM U. S.
Washington The American gov
ernment has extended another loan
to France, the treasury department
having made the necessary arrange
ments today to advance the French
government the sum of twenty mil
lions. This brings the combined
Allied loans up to $2,876,000,000.
BRAZIL DECLARES WAR
Rio de Janeiro—In a proclamation
issued by the president today, for
mal announcement is made of the
existance of a state of war between
the republic of Brazil and Germany.
MUST PROTECT SOLDIERS
Boston In an address delivered in
this city today, Secretary of War
Baker sounded a note of warning
to the communities adjoining war
camps. He declared that the com
munities must be kept morally clean
for the better protection of the sol
diers.
GOVERNMENT IS URGING
AMERICANS TO EAT LESS
Washington— Representatives of
the federal government are urging
the people ni all sections of the
United States to eat less beef, pork,
wheat, butter, and to check the waste
of food material.
I
All men whose registration cards
are in possession of the local board,
No. 19, City of Nenana, who intend
leaving this section of the country
or going outside the jurisdiction of
the local board, must leave their
postoffice address at the office of
the chairman of the board, in the
Commissary building, Alaskan En
gineering commission, Nenana.
Four Fairbanksans are enroute to
the coast to enlist in the army.
They are Rod Donaldson, Red Rick
er, Ralph George Keyes and another
man.
A wire received at the marshal’s
office at Fairbanks this week told
of the arrest at Rampart of John
Gray, who has been bound over to
the grand jury on a charge of as
sault with a dangerous weapon. His
bail has been fixed at $2500, which
he has been unable to furnish.
The arrest was the result of a
row between Gray and E. T. Town
send, the latter having received a
shot in the arm during the quarrel.
The injured man is also under bonds
the authorities at Rampart having
held him as a material witness. He
could not raise the bail and will be
held in custody until the case is
disposed of. Both men will be tak
en to Fairbanks to await the action
of the grand jury’.
KAISER PlIIS OFF
CABINET AFFAIR
! The Hague—Reliable information
| received here states that the kaiser
I is delaying his decision in the chan
j cellor crisis pending a conference
jwith von Hindenburg and other mil
itary chiefs. One report states
that the kaiser desires to retain
' Michaelis in his present position for
i the present but that when the proper
time comes he has a successor al
\ ready selected to deal with the big
problems which will present them
i ..
i selves when peace terms are dis
| cussed.
WEEKLY FORCE REPORT
I The weekly force report for the
I period ending October 21 shows a
| total of 71)1 employees on the pay
1 rolls of the Alaskan Engineering
[Commission in Nenana and Fair
banks districts, in addition to which
there were 137 stationmen and 66
stationmen’s laborers. The distri
bution of labor was as follows:
Camp 1, general . 9b
Construction . 102
Corral ^ 10
[Headquarters store’ . 54
I Townsite . 7
| Hospital . ^. 10
! Camp 9 96
, Camp 10 22
iCamp 14 . 28
■ Camp 15 87
Camp 16 . 82
, Camp 17 _. 16
1 Camp 18 8
Camp 19 „. 8
Residency 1 . 3
[Residency 2 .. 6
: Residency 3 . 21
Residency 4 .........10
Fairbanks office . 4
;Camp 102 ., 75
■ Tanana Valley Railroad . 43
\ One hundred seventy-six horses
were in use during the period.
SEATTLE WANTS THIRTEEN
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i Seattle-—Having subscribed an
even twelve millions to the Liberty
Loan, this city entered the last
! stretch of the campaign this morn
1 ing with a firm resolve to add an
{other million to the list.
Chicago—Dr. James Beagleson,
! of Seattle, has been elected vice pres
! ident of the clinical congTess of
the American College of Surgeons.
The Bureau of Fisheries is author
ity for the statement that during the
;six months ending June 30 there
! were landed at Seattle more than
: one million pounds of sablefish, val
: ued at approximately forty thous
and dollars. The campaign to pop
! ularize the consumption of this fish
! was inaugurated by the United
I States Bureau of Fisheries in Jan
uary. Besides the landings at Se
attle, considerable amounts were
delivered at Tacoma and other Pa
| cific coast cities.