Picturesque Ex-Stage Driver
Carries Whip To His Grave
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 23.—“Car
ry me to my grave in a horsedrawn
carriage and put a whip in my
hand.”
It was the dying request of Cyrus
Willard Barger, one of the pictur
esque pioneer stage drivers of the
northwest country. And his friend
heeded it by taking him to his final
resting place at Silverton, Ore., in
a hearse drawn by two of the fin
est black horses that could be found.
His favorite silver-mounted whip
was placed in his right hand, in his
coffin.
For nearly fifty years Barger
drove stages in Oregon, Idaho, Bri
tish Columbia, Arizona and the Yo
semite valley. For forty years he
was a trusted employe of Wells
Fargo & Co., leaving the firm when
the march of progress removed
horses for motorized equipment. He
had charge of the company stables
in California and was known as one
of the best of reinsmen wherever a
stage coach rumbled over the rugged
northwest areas.
Barger first snapped a whip over
a six-in-hand at the age of 20. His
father, John Barger, was a ’49er
who settled land that is now part
of Silverton, the old home of the
late Homer Davenport, noted car
toonist. His mother was Rebecca J.
Barger, for years queen of the Pio
neer Mothers, and who died six years
ago in Portland at the age of 95.
Barger traveled the northwest
when Indians and road agents lay
in wait to ambush stages carrying
mail and bullion. His last drive was
out of Idaho when robbers held up
his bullion-laden vehicle as it rumbl
ed along the route from the Idaho
mines to Pendleton.
Barger was literally “driven in
doors” when the motor car sup
planted the stage coach. For sev
eral years the veteran reinsman
was night watchman of the Oregon
Journal of Portland, his death being
ale o.st coincidental with that of his
friend, C. S. Jackson, owner and
publisher of the Journal. Barger
drove Jackson into Pordl?to*i in
and Jackson later becau*.; ageni
* iji- the stage company for which
Baigei drove.
B «rger—his whip in lian 1 and vio
lin under his arm—was known
tin oughout the northwes* in the
early days. He drove stag* during
the day and played for dances at
the various stations at night.
The Pendleton Round-Up was an
attraction which brought Barger to
eastern Oregon every September.
There h eannually met his old friend
of the stage coach days, Dave Horn.
The two spent hours in recounting
the “good old days”—brought back
by the arena deeds at the round-up.
Barger was born at Silverton and
was married twice. Two daughters
survive him—Miss Edna Barger, of
San Francisco, and Miss Nellie Bar
ger, of Spokane.
HARDWARE, STOVES AND RANGES,
FURNITURE AND RUGS
GLASS AND CHINAWARE
PLUMBING. TINSMITH AND GUN REPAIR
SHOP
J. L. GRAEF
Service Is Our Watchword
BECK & WHITE
High Grade Line of
CIGARS, TOBACCOS, &
CANDIES
FINEST BILLIARD HALL IN ALASKA
A SHOWER BATH WILL
FRESHEN YOU UP; WE
INSTAL THEM CHEAPLY
ASK ABOUT IT
Tel. Adams 80
Seward
Plumbing
Company
Every day in every way
You enjoy your meals
AT
THE FISHER CAFE
Seward, Alaska Chas. Fisher, Prop.
Bread—two loaves for 25e
The “Saturday Evening
Roast’’
GET IT AT
Carstens Packing Co.
E. E. KURTZ, Manager
Free Delivery Phone Main 130
Veteran Held In
Peonage Will Be
Returned Home
LA FERIA, Tex., Feb. 23.—Federal
authorities plan to return Wilson Al
exander, who was released from as
serted peonage a few days ago to
his old home in Michigan. An in
vestigation of a report that in some
manner reached members of the Am
erican Legion of Brownsville led to
the discovery that Alexander was
being held in bondage on the farm
of William Stoddard near LaFeria.
This brought about the arrest of
Stoddard on the charge of peonage.
He was arraigned before United
States Commissioner Goodrich in
Brownsville. He entered a plea of
not guilty and was released on bond
of $2500, pending trial of his case
in May.
Held for Nearly Year.
It is charged that Stoddard held
Alexander, who is a World War
veteran in a state of peonage for
nearly a year; that “the prisoner
was compelled to sleep in a tool
shed with no fire and with no
wages for the entire time since Jan
uary, 1923.”
Alexander told of having re
ceived his bonus check from the
War department, but that after in
dorsing same he never received any
of the money. American Legion au
thorities took charge of the paroled
prisoner pending disposition of the
case.
Stoddard was Sheriff of Livings
ton County, at Flint, Mich., in 1921.
Alexander was convicted in the Cir
cuit Court of the Michigan County
of perjury and criminal assault. The
sentence of Circuit Judge Brennan
of the court was a term of five to
fifteen years in the State peniten
j tiary at Jackson, Mich.
Takes Prisoner with Him.
In January, 1923, Stoddard gave
up his office and announced his in
tention of going “west.” The Court
was asked to allow him to take Al
exander with him, on the promise,
it is now alleged by Federal authori
ties that the prisoner would be well
cared for, paid a living wage and
that periodical reports would be
made to the Court.
The Federal authorities at Browns
ville allege that the former Mich
igan sheriff took Alexander and mov
ed to the Rio Grande Valley coun
try instead of “going west.” x
It is further alleged by the Fed
eral authorities that Judge Bren
nan of the Michigan court has writ
ten more than 12 letters during the
past two years to the former Mich
igan sheriff and that no report had
ever been made on the prisoner.
“JAZZ” GIRL TRAGEDY
SEQUEL CHICAGO CRIME
Psychologists and psychiatrists
have struck an imaginary pin thru
the captured body oi' Dorothy Elling
son, 16-year-old San Francisco mat
ricide. They are examining her
mind and soul as an entomologist
peers at a strange moth he has cap
tured.
But this human moth has singed
wings. She strayed too near the
flame of carefreeness and away from
the safety of conventions and as a
result the Eliingson family is ruined
through the actions of the jazz mad
girl who slew her mother in a fit of
anger.
The opinions of these psychologists
are varied. That a mental twist
caused the crime is the opinion of
some. That environment caused the
trouble, others claim, while one
group holds out that Dorothy killed
because she was supremely egotisti
cal and self centered.
But her old grandfather, Nels
Erickson who lives in Minneapolis,
says that lack of religion caused the
trouble.
“She was a tricky little girl, but
quick to learn,” declared the old
man. “Dorothy’s mother tried hard
enough to bring her up right but she
would have nothing to do with re
ligion. That’s what caused the
trouble.”
The similarity of the reactions of
this girl slayer to her crime and the
Leopold-Loeb pair to theirs is
marked. Dorothy shows no terror
over her crime. She has expressed
her sorrow' that she was not a “stay
at-home” girl, so she might have
avoided her trouble. But Remorse
seems foreign to her.
A CARLOAD
OR A SACK
_C-O-A-L-1
HEALY LUMP, NUT OR MINE RUN,
BAXTER NUT OR MINE RUN
EVAN JONES LUMP OR MINE RUN
NANAIMO RANGE COAL
. IN SACK OR BULK
THE ALASKA TRANSFER
WOOD, ICE, HAY AND GRAIN,
TRANSFERRING AND TEAMING
TEL MAIN 17 ARCADE BLDG.
H. V HOBEN A F. DAVIS
Throughout her confession, made
in calm, unemotional tones and de
tailing without a faltering note each
step in the unprecedented matricide,
she preserved th esame demeanor—
she, Dorothy Ellingson, was still the
center of events—life was still a
thrilling adventure and she the
heroine.
Twice taut nerves snapped, but
each time the heritage of stoical in
difference from distant Norwegian
forebears stood her in good stead and
she became again the insolvable,
self-sufficient “jazz” addict—product
of a new age.
Bit by bit the drama in which fate
had cast her in the lead unfolded be
fore her as she sat in the office of
Captain of Detectives Matheson in
the whirl and rush of the state’s
most unusual murder.
She heard orders issued for the ar
rest of seventeen boy friends, com
panions in the Shanghai cafe, at
beach resorts, downtown hotels—
sleek-haired sheiks, many of them
who danced divinely and in whose
arms "I forgot my troubles.”
Some of these will be charged with
contributing to the delinquency of a
minor, a phrase that brought the
trace of a smile to lips that knew so
well the language of an older world.
Against others will be placed a more
serious statutory charge.
COAST BASKETBALL
SATURDAY—Idaho 32, Washington,
27.
FOR SALE CHEAP—One full size
bed, spring and mattress and a
I vacuum cleaner. Call Adams 146. tf
1 j Eastman Kodaks and supplies at
1 i the Alaska Shop. tf
CAN USE A FEW MORE CUS
TOMERS AT THE 0. K .BARBER
SHOP.
l ■ ) 1 -a-JLjJllB—
EUA 5 PALIr CH1 LI Ml U.
ELLIS BALL
CHILI MILL
The mill that takes the pros
pector off the labor market.
Cheaper than an trastra, more
efficient than a stamp mill.
MADE IN SIZES FROM
TWO TO FIFTY TONS
DAILY CAPACITY
Priced $150 to $1989
Investigate the Ellis Mill First
NELS HAGEN
ALASKA AGENTS
Write for information to
P. O. Box 1105
SEWARD, ALASKA
Races Halted After
Mishaps On Track
CULVER CITY, Cala., Feb. 23.—
The American Automobile associa
tion’s two hundred and fifty milt
classic was postponed until next Sun
day when, soon after the start to
day, the race was stopped becaus^
the track was blocked when two car
collided and one catapulted to th
top rail of the fence. Nobody was
injured.
SENATE APPROVES BILL
AWARD WORLD FLYur'S
WASHINGTON, D. C.. Feb. 23—
The Senate today approved the Hous
Bill which carries in it an award to
the World flyers.
!lllilll!lil!!!!l!llilllll!l!lll!
!ce Cream
MADE DAILY
HIGH GRADE
Candies
Framed Pictures, Photog.aphs.
Curios
SYLVIA’S
Phone Adams 128
TAILORING
Come In and Get Measured for
a Suit. Guaranteed Fit.
C. HENNING
Seward, Alaska
Take
THE FUR FARMER
MAGAZINE
and know the fur business. It
deals with every phase of fur
farming. Learn how others made
a success of farming fur bearing
animals.
Address
21 COLMAN DOCK
Seattle, Wash.
HOTEL OVERLAND
GORDON SHEA, Propr.
SPECIAL RATES BY WEEK
OR MONTH
New Heating Plant Just Installed
B-8
PIONEER CLUB
John Nash, propr.
SOFT DRINKS, CANDY
CIGARS AND FRUITS