The Nenana News
VOLUME NO. 2
NENANA, ALASKA SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 1917
WHOLE NUMBER 10
. CLUB BANQUETS
THOS. BIGGS, I;
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X
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The Nenana Commercial club, on
behalf of the people of Nenana and
surrounding district, gave a banquet
and farewell reception on Tues
day night, to Thos. Riggs, Jr., resi
dent member of the Alaskan Engin
eering commission, on the eve of
his departure for Washington, D. C.
It was a gathering of friends, who
had come together to have a heart
to heart talk and to say words, not
fulsome, but 'deserved and merited
praise, to this man,- Nenana’s guest
and friend.
Geo. W. Pennington, president of
the club, made a brief but appro
priate speech and introduced the
toastmaster of the evening, Howard
P. Curtis, general storekeeper of the
commission, of whom it might be
said,-“the brightest dinner is dull
without him and the dullest, a suc
cess with him.”. It was an inter
esting evening,- instructive, with fre
quent outcroppings of elequence and
a pervasion of sparkling humor, song
and story. Toasts were drunk to
the guest and his honored wife. It
differed widely from many banquets
in that there was an intimacy, fra
ternal spirit, of conditions and time.
And it must have been a matter of
pardonable pride to the guest of
honor to know and feel that his
past work in behalf of Nenana and
surrounding sections was appreciated
by a grateful people.
Mr. Riggs spoke words of coun
sel, cheer, hope and optimism for
Nenana and surrounding country
ThSt as in the past, so too in the
future, would his every word and
act, wherever he was, be for Alaska's
full and speedy development. He
dwelt upon the immeasurable devel
opment following the building of
the railroad,- a wilderness settled
and subdued,- uninviting and in
hospitable localities builded up into
prosperous and progressive commun
ities. He asked and appealed for
unswerving loyalty to flag and
and country, in the present hour of
trial. He thankked the people of
Nenana for this token of their es
teem, confidence and affection.
The final leave taking took place j
wdth, “God speed you, and early
spr.'rg safe return, when you will re
ceive from Nenana a ‘Cead Mille 1
Failhte.’ ”
The banquet was held in the Duke
building, on Market street, where
tables had been arranged to seat
the club members and their guests.
The lunch was prepared and served
by the Tavern cafe and was up to 1
the usual standard of excellence for
which that establishment is renown
ed. The menu consisted of a var- j
iety of meats, salads and the other 1
things which combined to make very
inviting spread. I
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SPOKANE NOT IN
DANGER; MAY BE
ELOAIEO SOON
VICTORIA, NOV. 24—The British
Columbia Salvage company has been
notified that the steamship Spokane,
which ran aground during the week
midway between Ketchikan and Se
attle, is not in a dangerous position
and probably will be floated within
t a couple of days. The Vancouver
^ Dredging company has sent an out
fit of gear to the wreck and the
work of floating the vessel is now in
progress.
When the Spokane struck, a piano
player, enroute from Anchorage,
rushed to the piano in the ship’s
cabin and averted a panic among
the passengers by playing quieting
1 airs. He soon had the frightened
singing notwithstanding the fact
that water was pouring into the hoid
of the vessel at an alarming rate.
W. C. Gagnon went to Fairbanks i
this week on a business visit.
SULZER ON WAT
10 WASHINGTON
10 URGE NEEDS
SEATTLE, NOV. 24—Delegate
from Alaska Chas. A. Sulzer has
arrived from the North on his way
back to Washington to be present
at the commencement of the forth
coming session of congress. In
speaking of his program for the win
ter, the delegate said that he would
make use of the wreck of the steam
ship Mariposa and the foundering
of the Spokane as an argument for
the appropriation of additional funds
for navigations aids and safeguards
in Northern waters. He will urge
money for more lights and buoys.
He said further that he would di
rect his efforts to the end that the
people of Alaska may be given bet
ter opportunity and better facilities
for developing the resources of the
North.
TROOPS 10
CAMBRAI DEFENSE
LONDON, NOV. 24—Reinforced
with fresh troops rushed from the
Eastern front, the Germans are mak
ing desperate efforts to prevent the
further advance of the British in the
Cambrai sector. The British have
paused in their attack at that tv ■
to renew the driving operation .a
West Flanders and slight gains are
reported from that quarter. Ad
vances were made at several places
where the Germans were taken by
surprise.
AS MAW AS
EXPEPECIED
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24
While declining to state the number
of American troops thus far landed
in France, Secretary of War Baker
said today that as many men had
been transported across the Atlan
tic as the war department had plan
ned, the movement having been
maintained according to schedule.
Pneumonia continues to reduce
the ranks of the regiments in train
ing at the various cantonments, a
report issued today showing that 96
deaths occurred among the soldiers
during the week of Nov. 16.
HOUSE SAYS
AIRMANS WANT
PERMANENT PEACE
PARIS, NOV. 24—Colonel House
and the members of the American
mission to the Inter-Allied confer
ence, arrived here today from Lon
don. They crossed the English
channel at the rate of 31 knots and
the trip was without incident.
Replying to the welcome accorded
the party upon their arrival here,
Col. House said: “There is a grim
determination among us to wage this
war until the world is freed from the
shadow df the spectre sword. What
we Americans want is the assur
ance of a permanent peace.”
CLUB MEETING
There will be a special meeting of
the Nenana Commercii-.l club at *
o’clock Sunday afternoon, at the
office of United States Conmissioi er
Robert E. Burns. Members are
earnestly requested to be present.
Geo. W. Pennington,
President
Despite the inclement weather con
firms prevalen; during :he pa t >
week, work along the right of way,
to the south of Nenana has progress
ed steadily. Bridg 15 has now been
crossed and steel laid for a distance
of about half a mile beyond that
point. From this bridge to the bank
of Lost slough, at 20-Mile, the dis
tance to be traversed is only about
three miles, with only one four-bent
trestle to be crossed, and the work
of laying track over this section is
expected to be finished in a very j
1 short time.
The new piiedriver, kown as Pile-1
driver No. 4, and which was recent- j
ly constructed at Nenana and mount- j
'ed on a flat car, will probably be !
| used to drive the necessary piles
across Lost slough, from the Nenana
; end of the grade.
Acoording to the present plans of
: the Commission, a 1300-foot trestle
I will carry the steel across Lost
slough, and the work of driving the
piles from the Camp 9 (20-Mile) end
of the grade, which was taken in
! hand late last summer, as soon as
flood conditions made it possible,
is progressing rapidly and about 750
feet of it has already been completed
With a piiedriver working from each
end of the grade, the work is ex-;
i pected to be completed and track
: carried across in a very short time.
The piles are now being driven on
an island formed by the action of
the flood of last summer. A big j
! drift pile right ahead and in the path
j of the piiedriver is being removed ,
by means of blasting, the work being i
; done by a force of men under Fore
man Jack Kinally.
Beyond the farther bank of Lost,
slough and to within about a mile !
of Residency 3 (35-Mile Camp) the
grade, which is composed almost en
tirely of gravel, is completed, and
ties have been distributed along this
grade in readiness for the steel gang
to continue their work as soon as
Lost slough has been crossed.
It is almost certain that train j
service to Residency 3, at 35-Mile,
will be established by Christmas,
and picnics and sight-seeing to tnat
section of the district are among
the possibilities during the present 1
winter. j
FARMER AND HIS SON MUST
ANSWER FOR DRAFT FAKE
SEATTLE, NOV. 24—James A.
Edwin, a reputed wealthy farmer of
Auburn, and his son, John, twenty
five years of age, have been con
victed on the charge of violating the ;
selective draft act. When the son’s |
name was drawn, he and his father
swore that the elder was dependent.
upon the younger for support.
TANKS WILL BE USED
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24—
When the big spring drive starts in 1
France, the American troops will be
equipped with the very latest in
“tanks”, the big fighting machines
which the British have used with
such success in their drives against
the Germans..
SKIRTS MAY GO HIGHER
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24— j
Ambassador Jusserand has communi
cated to the French style makers
that it is the desire of the United
States that the new styles in men’s
and women’s clothing be designed
with a view to simplicity, in order i
that as much material as possible ]
may be saved.
MAKE HASTE SLOWLY
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24— i
The United States government will
proceed verv ^autiously in dealing
with the Bol=heviki government and
peace overtures which now occunv
the attention of the new Slav rul- !
ers. This was made clear today i” 1
a statement issued by the depart- i
ment of state. j -
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AUSTRO-G ERM ANS
LOSING MANY MEN
ON ITALIAN FRONT
ROME, NOV. 24-Tho flower of the Austro-German armies have been shattered during the past two days
in the great struggle which is raging between the Piave and Brenta rivers. The great battle is still rag
ing, according to advices received from that front late this afternoon, and the losses on both sides have
been appalling. The enemy losses, however, have been greater than the losses sustained by the Italians.
Upon the outcome of the mountain battlo depends the result of the enemy’s greatest effort to break
the Italian defenses to the Venetian plain... The recapture of Monte Tomba was accomplished by the Ital
ians this morning by a succession of brilliant charges in the deep snow. Monte Pertice, in the same region,
has been lost and won four times At no point along the entire front have the invading armies made ad
vances today and at several points they have forced back. The battlefields in every direction are strewn
with dead and the wreckage of army equipment. Hand to hand fighting has been the order of the day at
several points on the front.
AMERICAN DESTROYER
POES SUBMARINE
OUI OF BUSINESS
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24—
The state department has been ad
vised of the destruction of another
enemy submarine by an American
destroyer. The report states that
the U boat was shattered by a depth
bomb and that after the bomb had
been exploded the diver came to
the surface in an apparently lifeless
condition. A cable was attached to
the craft, with the intention of tow
ing the prize to port, but the line j
did not hold. The fate of the sub
marine crew is not known.
TRAITOR TROTSKY FORGETS
KINDNESS OF UNCLE SAM
LONDON, NOV. 24—In an ad-1
dress delivered at Petrograd on Wed
nesday, Trotsky included in his re- [
marks a bitter denunciation of the I
United States, unmindful of the j
time that the American government I
sheltered him as a refugee from the
vengeance of the czar.
ITALIANS OUTNUMBERED
BUT HOLDING STOUTLY
ROME, NOV. 24—The Teutonic j
forces have redoubled their efforts j
to dislodge the Italians between the
Piave and Brenta rivers but although
outnumbered four to one, the Ital
ians are still holding stoutly to their
positions, which are advantageously
situated for defensive operations.
SLAV REPRESENTATIVE
CARRIES OLIVE BRANCH
STOCKHOLM, NOV. 24—Dis
patches received in this city late yes- j
;erday afternoon stated that a rep
•esentative of the Russian govern-1
nent had left Petrograd, bearing a
oeace offer to the German govem
nent.
CAISER SENDS DELEGATE
WITH OFFER TO RUSSIA ^
STOCKHOLM, NOV. 24—A rep
resentative of the Russian govern
nent is said to have left this city
’or Petrograd this morning, bearing
i peace offer from Germany and
Austria to the Russian government.
GRUBSTAKED NOME MAN; I
GETS HALF HIS HOLDINGS
- i
OAKLAND, CAL., NOV. 24—The
iupreme court has granted Mrs. El
a Heim her claim to half the hold
ngs of Jeremiah Wilson, in the
'tame district. Her contention was
hat she grubstaked Wilson to go to
Seward peninsula. The interest
iwarded her is valued at six million.
SHELLING AMERICANS
PERSHING’S HEADQUARTERS,
«JOV. 24—The heavy artillery of
he Germans has been active dur
ng the past two days, shelling the
American positions. Many shells
ire falling in the rear areas.
BRITISH BETTING READY
FOR ANQNHER ATTACK
LONDON, NOV.24—The fighting
in the Cambrai sector today was
confined chiefly between the British
advance guard and the German rear
guard. The major portion of the
Byng forces were occupied with the
work of consolidating the positions
already won and preparing for an
other dash forward at an opportune
moment. It is believed that the
major British offensive in that dis
trict is over for the present.
EXPLORER AMUNDSEN
GIVES HONERS BACK
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24
Captain Amundsen, discoverer of the
South pole and the Northwest pas
sage, called on the German minister
at Christiania yesterday and returned
to that official all the German decor
ations received from the kaiser. In
giving up the honors, Capt. Amund
sen said that he took the action as
a personal protest against the mur
der of peaceful Norwegian sailors
in the North sea on October 17.
The decorations returned were: the
Prussian Crown Order of the first
class, the Bavarian Luitpold medal
and His Majesty Emperor William’s
gold medal, for art and science.
GOMPERS IS RE-ELECTED
BUFFALO, NOV. 24— Samuel
Gompers, veteran head of the Amer
ican Federation of labor, was re
elected president of the organization
today, the convention being almost
a unit in the choice.
FORMER GOVERNOR DEAD
DENVER, NOV. 24—James Ham
ilton Peabody, governor of Colorado
luring the Cripple creek strikes of
1903, died here today.
PUBLISHER INDICTED
NEW YORK, NOV. 24^Jeremiah
A. O’Leary, president of the Ameri
can Truth society and publisher of
‘The Bull”, a publication recently '
aarred from the mails, has been in
licted on the charge of violating
:he espoinage act.
RUSSIANS DEMOBILIZING
I
_
LONDON, NOV. 24—Dispatches
received from Petrograd this morn- j
ing state that the Bolsheviki gov-1
;rnment has released the class of
1899 from military service, and that,
Jthers are to be demobilized within .
i very short time.
DR. HEDGER GOING OUT
—
Dr. H. L. Hedger has closed his
lental offices in Nenana and will j
leave for the Outride within the next
Few days, to be absent until the ear
y spring. He will make the trin to
Fairbanks on the Karstens auto, leav
ng Nenana Sundav morning. He
dans to come back over the trail.
SEATTLE PEOPLE
STIRRED; WILL CALL
MASS MEETING
j SEATTLE, NOV. 24—The minute
men of the Seattle patriotic organ
ization have decided to call a mas8
meeting early next week for the pur
! pose of discussing plans for clean
ing up the city so that the soldierrs
will be permitted to visit the city
from Camp Lewis. Mayor Gill
j continues to declare that he will not
resign and that he will not force his
; chief of police to retire.
ECUADOR REVOLUTION DEAD;
STARTED BY THE GERMANS
1 BUENOS AYRES, NOV. 24—The
| revolution which was the cause of
much uneasiness in Ecuador ten days
j ago, has been put down by the loyal
government troops and the leaders
I of the uprising have been placed in
i prison to prevent further agitation.
, The trouble is attributed to German
I influences inthe republic.
FLEET HEAD RETIRES;
SAYS HE IS NOT WELL
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24
Rear Admiral Capps, head of the
emergency fleet corporation, has re
quested to be relieved from further
service, his reason being that his
health has broken down. He de
nies that he has been fussing with
Secretary Daniels and that his ina
bility to get nloi't. with the s- rctary
is responsible for his desire to re
tire.
MILLION MEN READY TO
START SPRING DRIVE
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24
In response to an inquiry received
from the British premier, relative
to the number of men America can
send across the Atlantic to assist in
the operations against the Germans,
the administration will inform the
British government that a million
Americans will be ready to partici
pate in the spring drive.
COAL BARONS WARNED;
MUST LOWER PRICES
WASHINGTON, D. C. NOV. 24
Fuel Administraor Garfield has sent
a formal warning to the Michigan
coal operators, informing them that
the government is prepared to com
mandeer and operate their mines in
case they carry out their threat to
refuse to sell their coal at the prices
fixed by the government.
Dr. Malcom E. Smith was called
to Fairbanks this week to consult
with Dr. Hall on the case of Ed.
Bartlett, who is critically ill of blood
poisoning. Dr. Smith made the trip
to the upper town with the Com
mission dog team, Earl Welliver be
ing in charge of the outfit. A re
port received yesterday stated that
the condition of Mr. Bartlett was
considerably improved.