1
WAR DEPARTMENT
CLOSES stations!
ON VALDEZ TRAIL
ECONOMY WAVE HITS SIGNAL
CORPS IN INTERIOR
ALASKA.
A program of retrenchment in
Alaska has been inaugurated by the
war department, with the result
that six of the signal corps stations
along the Richardson Highway, be
tween Valdez and Fairbanks, have
been closed recently and the opera
tors assigned to other work. 1 he
signal corps office at Nenana also
is being closed this week and the
business transferred to the Nenana
office of the Alaska Railroad.
The trail stations which were put
out of business by the recent or
der include Salcha,^ Grundler (Mc
Carthy), Paxons, Gulkana, Tonsina,
and Beaver Dam. Their elimina
tion means that the men in charge
of the remaining stations will have
nearly twice the length undertaken
during the winter months, when the
wire is exposed to extreme cold and
heavy snow and wind storms.
The Nenana station at one time
was one of the most important in
the interior, particularly during rail
road construction days. But with
the completion of the railroad and
the use of the splendid railroad tele
graph line, the business passing thru
the signal corps office dwindled and
its final transfer to the railroad of
fice was a logical step as a means
of cutting war department costs. The
department has a splendid building
there and the detail at one time con
sisted of five men.
It is understood the department
does not contemplate any changes
in the stations along the Tanana
and Yukon rivers below Nenana.
There are seven stations left
along the Valdez trail.
BREAKUP CAUSES
DEATH OF WOMAN
BLIND NATIVE WOMAN PERISH
ES ON LONELY ISLAND
OF YUKON.
Forced to seek safety on a pile of
driftwood on an island in the Yukon
river when the ice started to go out
last spring, a blind native woman,
Belle Elwell, and her little daughter,
13 years old, were unable to escape
from the island after the breakup.
They remained there for 46 days, liv
ing on sprouts and roots which they
were able to find on the island. Boats
passed occasionally but so far from
the island they could not see the
plight of the blind woman and her
daughter. Finally the mother died,
leaving the little girl to struggle on.
Aid finally came on June 22 when
a party of Indians landed on the is
land and carried the girl to the mis
sion hospital at Fort Yukon.
It will be recalled by readers of
The Gateway that the blind woman
and her daughter started down the
Yukon, en route to Fort Yukon a few
days before the ice started to move.
When they did not reach their des
tination, searching parties started up
the river but no trace of them could
be found and it was generally believ
ed they had perished in the break
up.
WILL ESTABLISH SCHOOL
AT NAVAL RADIO STATION
The Bureau of Education has de
cided to establish a school at Mile 7
on the Copper River railway for the
benefit of the children living at the
naval radio station. There will be an
eight months’ term beginning Sept.
1, the supplies to be shipped in from
Seattle.
BANQUET POSTPONED
NON-ARRIVAL OF BOAT
Due to the late arrival of the S.S.
l'ukon in Seward, the Chamber of
Commerce banquet, which was to
have been held this afternoon at 1
o’clock, in honor of the incoming U.
S. Army officers, is shot full of holes.
Arrangements to hold the banquet to
morrow afternoon are now being
made.
INMATES OF RUSSIAN
PRISONS HAVE MORE
HUMANE PRIVILEGES
MOSCOW, July 17. (jP)—Prison life
in Russia has greatly improved since
the grim days of the Bolshevik revo
lution. A much more 'humane re
gime has replaced the terroristic me
thods which accompanied the change
from a monarchial to a democratic
reghne. From the hardened murder
er down to the inoffensive looking
youth accused of theft, prisoners eat,
sleep, mingle together and share the
same daily conditions of prison life.
Criticism is chiefly directed at the
slender quantity of food and lack of
outdoor exercise.
Only in the cases of the most dan
gerous criminal prisoners are found
such things as stone cells, iron bars,
and solitary confinement. All others,
even political prisoners, are given
large, well-lighted, tidy rooms with
iron cots, and a single blanket for a
covering. In most cases these rooms
are not even barred, and the in
mates are free to mingle among
themselves. Very little wTork is pro
vided, and the prisoners, therefore,
are free to indulge their hobbies,, to
smoke, play cards, read and have the
freest use of musical instruments
(their owm) and other forms of en
tentainment.
Paradoxical as it may seem, it is
this lack of work, according to the
prisoners themselves, which makes
prison life so difficult to bear. Judg
ed by American standards, prison la
bor in Russia is poorly organized.
In the larger jails there are carpen
ter shops, bookbinding plants, print
eries, basket-making departments
and machine shops, but the wTork is
sufficient only to keep about one
third of the inmates occupied. This
is especially true of the juvenile
jails, where the boys and girls are
allowed to pass their sentences in
idleness. This soon breaks down
the morale and spirit of the prison
ers, making them morose and des
pondent, and when they are releas
ed they are wholly incapacitated for
any useful pursuit.
Murder in Russia is relatively a
mild offense as compared to counter
revolution. The correspondent on a
recent visit to one of the Moscow
prisons spoke to a youth guilty of
triple murder, wrho wras serving only
three years, while in the next room
was a man accused of counter-revolu
tionarq activities, who was condemn
ed to death. Ten years is the maxi
mum for murder in the first degree,
but death invariably is meted out to
those found guilty of working against
the present political regime. The
Bolsheviks say this severity is ne
cessary in order to insure the sue
cess of revolution.
In another prison the correspond
ent talked with a priest, still wear
ing his clerical garb, who, according
to his own story, was sentenced to
three years for having censured from
the pulpit a group of young Com
munists. Across the corridor from
him was a physicial, of refined fea
tures and keen intelligence, who
was imprisoned for a similar term
because he refused to join the med
ical corps of the Red Army. In an
other roorii was a delicate-featured
soft-spoken student, who was given
three years for attempting to cross
the frontier without a passport.
Counter-revolution is regarded the
most grievous offense of which one
can be convicted in Soviet Russia.
The State Political Police (“Cheka”)
now called tlie “G. P. U.,” keeps an
ever-watchful eye on those belonging
to the old imperialistic regime, mak
ing scores of arrests every week on
even the slightest suspicion. Most
of the arrested persons are sent to
the famous Buterka Prison, on the
outskirts of Moscow, which has be
come known as the “Aristocrats’ Pri
son,” from the number of princes,
princesses, barons, baronesses, counts
and countesses interned there.
With a long list to select from, the
present queen of England prefers to
be known as Queen Mary. Her bap
tismal names are Victoria Mary Au
gustus Louise Olga Pauline Clemen
tine Agnes.
Miss Zoe Beckley, New York news
paper woman, visited Bucharest and
assisted Queen Marie of Rumania in
preparing the series of articles now
appearing in American newspapers un
der the title, “How a Queen Looks
at Life.”
The Silver Wave of
Ncree, Departs Today
for the Far North
The run from Seattle to Seward
was made in seven days, says Cap
tain O. Haugen, of the power schoon
er, Silver Wave, which small vessel
is on its way to Nome where, during
the remainder of the season will op
erate from Nome to the Kotzebue
Sound district, and which arrived in
Seward early yesterday morning.
Captain Haugen plans leaving port
today on the final spurt of the long
and tedious trip.
Fifty tons of general cargo is be
ing taken to Nome by the vessel,
but no passengers are aboard. The
Silver Wave left Seattle July 4, but
owing to a three-day delay at Ketch
ikan in picking up ballast and three
days in addition lost between Cape
St. Elias and Cape Hinchinbrook
when engine trouble was encounter
ed. The vessel is manned by a crew
of five men.
Th boat is owned by the Lomen
Brothers of Nome and is of new con
struction having just come off the
ways of a Seattle shipbuilding firm.
It is 65 feet in length and powered
with a 70 h.p. Fairbanks-Morse ma
rine engine, equal to making on an
average of eight miles an hour. Cap
tain Haugen has sailed in Alaskan
waters for many years and is quite
well known among the seagoing fra
ternity. He has called at this port
many times in the past and has many
friends here. Captain Soderholm,
who was to have taken the vessel
to Nome from Seattle, was taken ill
at almost the last moment with
rheumatism, and being unable to
make the trip, so Captain Haugen
was selected.
OYSTER HATCHERY
IN THE NORTHWEST
SEATTLE, Wn., July 17. (/P)—An
oyster hatchery to produce several
million eggs a season is the work
this summer of Professor Trevor
Kincaid, in charge of the zoology de
partment of the University of Wash
ington.
His object is to commercialize the
Japanese oyster which lays 7,000,000
eggs in a few days. Kincaid seeks
to retain these eggs and develop
them into oysters, though the hatch
ing of Japanese eggs has not previ
ously been successful in this coun
try.
The hatchery is near Bellingham,
140 miles north of here, and is one
of three oyster hatcheries in the
world, the other two being in New
York and Connecticut.
STEAMER YUKON IS
DUE SEWARD IN A. M.
According to late advices reaching
the local ot'ice of the Alaska S. S.
Co., the steamer Yukon, which was
expected to reach Seward this morn
ing from the South, will arrive in
port early tomorrow (Sunday) morn
ing. Her regular sailing time for the
south is at 4 o’clock tomorrow af
ternoon.
Get This
Point, It’s
Important
—the point of a Parker Duofold
is made of genuine jfw native
Tasmanian Iridium which costs
over three times as / / much as the
iridium used in/ / ordinary
fountain pen / /points. That’s
why the Parker 1/ Duofold is
called the 25- / / year point.
That’s why it Ifl is the cheapest
pen on earth [£/ at $7 — because its
usefulness is everlasting.
Lady Doofold or Doof old Jr.( 95
Gold Rina or Gold Pocket-clip
Included free.
Pack along a DnoSold
on your vacation
Ask To See It At
ORLANDER, the Jeweler
0. K. BARBER SHOP
Clean, Santiary Baths, Expert
Barbers and Reasonable Prces
Keep Us Busy.
HARRY BOWERS, Managed
Cal M. Brosius
Nails, fifty varieties, Automobile Glass,
Glass, Locks, Hinges,
Stockholm Tar,
Hyd. Lime,
Plate Glass,
Colors,
Chimney Brick,
Varnish,
Corner Bead,
Mirrors,
Medusa,
White Atlas,
Keens,
Metal Lath,
Cedar, Oak, Maple,
Arch Brick,
Fire Clay,
Plaster Paris,
Hickory, Iron Bark
Beaver Board,
Gal. Cor. Iron,
Pulleys,
Flooring,
Fir, Spruce, Maple,
Ceiling,
Rustic,
Roof Pitch,
BB1. Lime, Paints.
Glass Cutting,
Terps, Oils,
Fibered Plaster,
Stains, Putty,
Corner Lath,
Belting, Cement
Doors,
Windows,
Lumber,
Fir Lath,
Fire Brick,
Spruce Finish,
Mouldings,
Z-Lath,
Plaster Board,
Mahogany,
Roof Paper,
Building Paper,
Asbestos Paper,
Shingles,
Sash Rail,
Fir Finish,
LIBBY-OWENS WINDOW GLASS, Single and Double Strength,
Standard Oil Products, Rubber Matting, White Sand,
ASBESTOS STRIP SHINGLES, HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS,
METAL BASEMENT SASH AND FRAMES,
Sidewalk Coal Hole Covers Sidewalk Walk Lights, Etc.
CAL M. BROSIUS
BUILDING SUPPLIES
C.M.B.
CAL M. BROSIUS
Builders’ Supplies
When things Look
BLACK Phone the
Seward Steam Laundry
Telephone Main 148
HOTEL ANCHORAGE
F. I. REED, Proprietor
Rooms with Bath. Sample Rooms in Connection
Strictly Modern Prices Reasonable
Steam Heat Good Service
HOT AND COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM
Bus meets all trains and boats
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
HOTEL SEXTON
GEORGE SEXTON, Proprietor
8EWARD’S HOMEY HOTEL, WHERE THE OLDTIMER3
MEET
VAN GILDER HOTEL
HOT AND COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM
STEAM HEAT
J. S. BADGER
HOTEL SEWARD
OSCAR DAHL, Proprietor
HOMEY, COMFORTABLE ROOMS AND BATH
Convenient to Depot and Dock