UMOERWOOO A UNDERWOOD. N V.
IN THE FAMOUS GAILLARD CUT
U. S. Scout Cruiser “Omaha” in the Gaillard Cut, Panama Canal, on its way from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Coast, to take part in the ground maneuvers of the Pacific fleet.
HEAVY LOSS IN
EXPORT VALUES
SHOWN FOR JAN.
STATEMENT BY CUSTOMS INDI
CATES $1,135,610 LOSS OVER
SAME MONTH LAST YEAR
FUR SHIPMENTS DECREASED.
JUNEAU: Alaskan exports to the
States last month decreased SI.135.610
from January. 1014. dropping from
S2.41S.915 to S1.2S3.305, according to
the monthly summary of commerce
issued by M. S. Whittier, assistant
collector of customs. Decreases in the
value of fur shipments and copper ex
ported* were responsible for the de
cline.
The most significant figures contain
ed in the monthly summary are those
covering the shipments made by the
Government of fur seal pelts from the
Pribilof Islands, representing last
year’s take. The catch totaled IS.720
skins. These have a declared value
of only $150,004, which is virtually $S
each. The valuation is placed on the
furs by the Department of Commerce.
Three or four years ago the average
value given was $25 per skin, each
year since a smaller unit value has
been declared. This year’s valuation
is the lowest on record.
In contrast to fur shipments as a
whole, which lost in value, was the
gain made by the fishing industry
Xoimally January is a small month
for this business. In January, 1923,
the aggregate declared value of all
fisheries products was approximately
$368,000. Although the halibut fleet
was idle last month, the fisheries
jumped to first place in the export
commodity list with a total value ol
about $530,000, a gain of S1G5.000.
Fur shipments including seal skins,
declined from SI,182.970 to $237,398, a
loss of .$955,572. Included in the re
port of January, 1924. however, were
•all the mail shipments made during
the year previous, amounting to Sl.
llG.932. These are not shown in the
report for last month, indicating that
the loss is apparent rather* than real
since they will probably be received
in time to go into the annual report.
Kuskokwim Man Has
Probably Drowned
That August Scharfe, better known
as “Mountain Climber.’’ has met his
death in the treacherous waters of
the South Fork of the Kuskokwim,
seems to be borne out by reports
which reached McGrath early this
week from Frank Cioli’s South Fork
headquarters, according to Joe Oats
who returned here this week from
McGrath.
These reports are to the effect that
Mr. Scharfe left his camp near Frank
Cioli’s place some days ago to go over
his trap line, in covering which lie
was required to travel an oblong
course, necessitating three crossings
over the South Fork, the distance of
which all told might be anywhere
from 65 to SO miles.
Accounts and details are meagre.
About all that is known is that either
two or three of Scharfe's team of six
dogs returned to Cioli’s place while a
third was found frozen to death in a
trap.
Conjectures at this time are that
while crossing the river Scharfe and
his two wheel dogs were drowned, the
other dogs later making their escape
by gnawing themselves loose from the
tow line just afiead of the wheel dogs.
Four searching parties have been
unable to find the missing man.
WIDOWED SQUAW
TORTURES HERSELF
AT GRAVE OF CHIEF
WASHINGTON. Feb. IS—The spec
tacle of an aged squaw standing ankle
deep in snow in near zero weather at
the grave of her mate and venting
her grief by slashing herbelf with a
jagged piece of glass was described
by Superintendent William H. Donner
of the Fort Hall Indian Agency, Idaho,
in a letter to Indian Commissioner
Burke. Donner pictured scenes at the
recent burial there of Chief Pat Tyhee
a factional leader of the Bannocks.
Tyhee, more than 80 years old, and
six feet four inches tall, gained dis
tinction as a United States scout in
the Nez Perce war.
The 63-year-old widow, a spare and
withered woman known as Ahtaahgee
yane. or “The Bony One,” stood for
| three hours at the grave, barelegged
| and clad in a sleeveless calico dress.
I At intervals she hacked herself with
the glass. In this Superintendent
Donner wrote, she perhaps went to
extremes.
i “But this,” ne continued, “is a very
i old custom among these people, and
she, being a very old lady, it would
have been useless to have tried to in
terfere with her belief and convic
i tions. I want to say, however, that
| this custom is not extensively prac
j ticed except among the real old
I timers.
“I remember attending funerals on
| this reservation 20 years ago when
! as many as 15 or 20 women would
practice this custom at the death oi
a noted member of the family. The
custom is gradually dying out and will
be discontinued in the course of time
; without interference on the part of
'this agency.”
___
Miss Helen Filkey, 16, of Chicago
is probably the world’s champion girl
! runner and she shared honors with
the great Finn, Paavo Nurmi, in a
recent meet in Chicago, when she set
a new low record for women in 50
yard low hurdles of seven and three
fifths seconds.
Miss Helen Wainwright, champion
I American girl swimmer, will attempt
to swim the English Channel early
next summer.
I
I
Pacific Coastwise Jervice
^admiral line
STEAMSHIP ADMIRAL WATSON
Sails from
Seattle
Feb. 4th
Mar. 4
Arrives
Seward
Feb. 12th
Mar. 12
South from
Seward
Feb. 15th
Mar. 15
Calling at all regular Southeastern and South
western Alaska ports In eluding Seldovia and
Kodiak.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main 81 # Res.. Madison 40
STEAMSHIP STARR
*
STEAMER STARR WILL SAIL MARCH 1
i
San Juan Fishing and Packing Co.
G. C. HENDERSON, Agent
PHONE MADISON 13». SEWARD, ALASKA
Low Birthrate Menaces
Natives Amer. Families
| URBAN A, 111., Feb. 18—The size
S of the American family of native
stock in one generation has decreased
j 38 1-2 per cent, according' to R. E.
i Baber, professor of sociology at tiie
j University of Illinois, who added that
today the native stock of family has
less than three children, while it re
quires four, under the present mor
tality and marriage rate, to replace
the stock without increase.
“It is not necessarily a tragedy that
much of our native stock is dying out
and that our increase comes wholly
j from foreign stock, for foreign is cer
jtainly not synonymous with inferior,’’
I said the professor. “Yet few will ad
mit the desirability of such rapid re
placement of our native stock, for it
contains some of our most precious
population elements. When we see
13 per cent of our native families
childless, and 18 per cent more with
[only one child each, it seems to be sig
| nificant.”
Turning to the educational side of
the situation, Professor Baber declar
ed “far too many of our educated peo
ple either sidestep marriage or marry
too late in life to have a family. From
one half to three-fifths of our best
educated women are having no share
in producing the next generation, due
either to non-marriage or childlesj
marriage.
Eaton, Crane, Pike Stationery at
the Alaska Shop. tf
Brunswick Itadiolas, tne Kadiola de
Luxe at the Alaska Shop. tf
1 ___
l
; Let Morrison Fix it for you
Next to Crawford’s Shop
i
Successful experiments in acceler
jating the growth of chickens, through
i exposure to ultra-violet rays, fron
I lamps of fused quartz, have beei
made at the University of Maine
’Chickens kept under natural sunlight
j passing through ordinary window
j glass all developed rickets. As ultra
I violet rays do not penetrate glass. ,i
j is deduced that these rays are neces
jsary for proper animal growth, there
i fore beneficial in cases of rickets,
I which causes many deformities of
' children.
A new moving-picture kodak has
been developed for amateur use. witl
which films of moving scenes may be
made by simply pressing a button, a
small electric motor turning the
film. Printing the film is not neces
sary, as by a new process the film
may be reversed and projected di
reclty upon a screen or wall in the
S home or elsewhere.
_
Mrs. Sarah Frances Patterson, 84
still writes local news for the Demo
crat-News, published at Marshal, Mo.,
but has never learned to use a type
! writer.
Join the Chamber of Commerce.
Coming up, St. Patrick’s Day dance.
The Alaska Railroad
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD
8 A. M.
Monday and Thursday
TRAINS ARRIVE
8 P. M.
Wednesday and Saturday
Gas Launch
KENAI
FISHING AND HUNTING
PARTIES CARRIED DOWN
LAKE KENAI FOR THE
DAY OR TRIP. TELE
PHONE ARRANGEMENTS
TO MILE TWENTY
Louis Bell, owner
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
Southwestern Alaska Route Schedule
Vessel—
ALAMEDA
YUKON
ALASKA
ALAMEDA
YUKON
ALASKA
Scheduled
Lv. Seattle
February 17
February 21
February 2S
March 7
March 14
March 21
Scheduled
Ar. Seward
February 23
February 2S
March 7
March 14 #
March 21
March 2S
Scheduled Sail
from Seward
February 23
February 28
March 7
March 14
March 21
March 28
Steamers in the above schedule will make all regular ports of call
in Southeastern and Southwestern Alaska.
J. H. FLICKINGER, Agent
PHONE MAIN 125 SEWARD. ALASKA
AN EMPIRE BUILDER
As all railroads in years gone by have been the greatest
- contributing factors in development of the regions through
which they passed, so also is THE ALASKA RAILROAD each
day accomplishing much towards the building of an empire.
In place of the old, tremendously expensive and inconve
nient methods of transporting supplies of whatever character
over rough trails from the coast, there is now a modern rail
road that carries supplies and equipment in greater quantities
to and from the Interior, and along the way, in much less
time and at far less expense than was formerly required.
This great steel highway offering regular twice weekly
freight and passenger service between Seward, Anchorage
and Fairbanks; and tri weekly mixed service over the
Chickaloon and Chatanika branches, is at your service. For
further information write
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
mckinley park route
ANCHORAGE ALASKA
Special week-eend tickets (one and one-third actual fare) on
sale at all ticket offices