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I Toyland in all its Splendor i
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STl X
Graef’s Hardware
Stoves and Ranges
Xmas Suggestions
Mechanical Toys, Electric Railroad
Trains, Tinker Toys, Teddy Bears,
Dolls, Large and Small Mamma
Dolls, Kiddy Cars and Toys
For the Babies
Electrical Goods and Percolators, Safety
Razors, Tree Decorations, Drums,
Toasters, Flat Irons, and
Toboggans and Skis •
MAIL ORDERS PROMPTLY ATTENDED ,0
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A
VALDEZ PIONEER
UNIQUE CITIZEN
The death of Adam Swan, pioneer
merchant, business man, and founder
of Valdez, marks the passing of one
of the most unique characters of the
Northland, and one who probably
had greater faith in its ultimate fu
ture than any man we have ever met.
Mr. Swan came to America when a
raw, unsophisticated boy, unable to
read and write the English language,
but full of enterprise and faith in the
country of his adoption. His strug
gles at this time to get by, were trag
ical. First one job after another was
tried, the young immigrant gradually
working west toward the coast. In
Chicago he secured a job in one of
the large hotels as pot boy, and in
time was promoted to second cook.
From Chicago to Peoria and from
the latter place to Colorado Springs,
he drifted, with a hope for advance
ment ever in his mind, and on the
lookout for the country of his dreams.
In Colorado Springs Mr. Swan be
came chef for one of the large hotels
of the city, and accumulated consid
erable experience and a greater in
sight into American customs. At this
0. K. BARBER SHOP
Clean, Santiary Baths, Expert
Barbers and Reasonable Prces
Keep Us Busy.
Thomas Jasper, Propr.
g-—-85
HOTE OVERLAND
GORDON SHEA, Propr.
SPECIAL RATES BY WEEK
OR MONTH
New Heating Plant Just Installed
F. B. MOORE
Gore Bldg. Adams 145
WALL PAPER PAPER-HANG
ING, and PAINTING
TINTING
SEWARD CLUB
CHRIST LARSON Prop.
POOL, SOFT DRINKS, HIGH
GRADE CANDY
time he was timid, unassertive and
very homesick.
Spending some time in Colorado
Springs, Mr. Swan accumulated a
snug sum, and lured to San Francisco,
engaged in the restaurant business.
Here he did fairly well until oppo
sition of the strong arm variety set
up, when one night he was fmt out of
business by a gang of toughs, backed
by his opponent and a crooked politi
cal system, as Mr. Swan was too hon
est and too green to pay for protec
' tion. This was in 1897.
In 1S9S rumors of gold penetrated
to San Francisco, and Mr. Swan in
company with a number of others,
bought stock in the La Ninfia, a small
fore and aft schooner, and after out
fitting her with provisions, or rather
paying the promoter of the scheme
§250 per man to outfit with, the party
sailed for where Cordova now
stands.
The promoter, also in charge of the
party, claimed to have traveled ex
tensively in Alaska, and said that he
had been on a revenue cutter which
sailed up the Copper river to where
the natives were wearing gold orna
ments, and fortunes could be washed
out of the sands. So little was known
regarding Alaska, that any kind of
story received credit, and the promo
ter found many victims.
After many weeks, beaten and bat
tered by the heavy gales, and anxious
for a sight of the El Dorado, the party
| reached Montague Island, and sailing
i around through the narrows entered
| the shallows at the mouth of the riv
| er. Here the party received the first
! insight into the character of the man
i they had trusted with their money and
practically with their lives. Instead
! of being able to sail up the broad,
placid river described by the promo
ter they could not get within several
miles of the mouth on account of
sandbars and shoals. The anxious
gold seekers marked time for a few
weeks, then demanded that they be
shown the paystreak. In the mean
time investigation showed that the
promoter had swindled them in their
stores, their meats being rotten and
the bulk of their supplies absolutely
useless. The crowd advanced upon
the promoter to hang him, and he
fainted. The doctor belonging to the
party took the man into his cabin and
barring the door threatened to shoot
any man who tried to gain entrance.
In a pitiable state of terror the pro
moter handed over all the money in
his possession to his victims and was
allowed to take the next ship back
to San Francisco.
The sails on the La Ninfia were cut
up and made into bags to hold sup
plies, and part of the outfit went up
the Copper River, while Mr. Swan, at
the head of the remainder took a small
boat and sailed up Prince William
Sound as far as what is now known
as Swanport, establishing camp there.
Mr. Swan stated that at this time
there was no Valdez, and the only
building was a trading post or store
near the mouth of Lowe river. Mr.
Swan took up land, built a cabin, and
later entered into the restaurant busi
ness. He acquired considerable prop
erty and became a man of prominence,
respected and esteemed. The collapse
of the Renry Derr Reynolds railroad
boom swept away most of his prop
erty, this shrewd promoter finding in
Mr. Swan’s opitimism, fruit ready for
the picking.
Of late years Mr. Swan conducted
the Emporium, and was building up
to a competency when illness caused
him to go outside to the home of his
son John. Here he remained until
death removed one of the kindliest
and sweetest charaters it has ever
been our good fortune to know.
Mr. Swan was unswerving in his
loyalty to Valdez, being intensely in
terested in anything which had to do
with her development. He was a vol
uminous writer on the subject, and
his writings carried unfaltering op
timism in the future. He held many
offices in the town, and spent con
siderable money in advertising mat
ter to send to prospective settlers.
Adam will be missed by the young
sters and elders of Valdez. It is to
be hoped that his passing was as pa
tient and uncomplaining as was his
life; that he has gone to that bourne
where prosperity abounds and optim
ism prevails.
PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT
METHOD ALL WRONG, CLAIM
WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 18.—Re
newed recommendations for transfer
ring prohibition enforcement to the
department of justice or creating a
new department for it directly under
the president were made by Clar
ence True Wilson, general secretary
of the Methodist Episcopal board of
temperance, prohibition and public
morals here today.
He had yet to meet, he said, “the
first temperance man in the ministry
or the laiety who was satisfied with
the way the prohibition law was be
ing enforced.”
Among the difficulties Wilson enu
merated was the use of the words
“intoxicating liquor” in the constitu
tional amendment. It was indefinite
and difficult of definition, he said,
and he added that had the words
“alcoholic beverage” been used it
would have saved years of litigation.
“It was a psychological slip,” said
Dr. Wilson, “for us to put the fed
real unit of enforcement under the
treasury rather than under the de
partment of justice.”
The young son of Mrs. J. C. Thomp
son of Davenport, la., was killed by
fumes as he stood near the back of
the family auto, running in a garage.
XMAS SPECIAL
SILK HOSE
$3.00 THE BOX
Three pairs to the box;
Black and Colors
TOYS! . TOYS!
Gifts for the entire
family
SHOP EARLY
ELLSWORTH'S
See Window Display
ANDY'S EXPRESS
MEETS ALL BOATS AND
TRAINS
Prompt and Reliable Service
Phone Madison 143
SEWARD GRILL
PRIVATE DINING ROOMS
Pleasant Surroundings
Courteous Treatment
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
MEXICAN BOUNDARY
DISPUTE WILL BE
SETTLED SHORTLY
CLAIM RICHEST PART EL PASO
BELONGS TO SOUTHERN
REPUBLIC
MEXICO CITY, Dec. 19.—The
long-standing boundary dispute be
tween the United States and Mexico
gives promise of being settled, and
negotiations to this end have been
opened, it has been learned.
All along the Rio Grande, that is,
frequently a creek and just as often
not quite that, there are bits of
territory which are alternately
claimed by both republics. The sur
vey originally was so faulty that no
one can say precisely where the
boundary is, and most of the records
| have either been misplaced or de
stroyed. To settle it, it is proposed
to run a new survey under the joint
supervision of the two governments,
agree on the survey and then con
struct blukheads and markers which
will keep the unruly rivers within its
bed, when it goes on rampage after
heavy rains, as it sometimes does.
One of the most striking instances
is that of El Paso, Texas. Years
ago the river changed its course and
added quite a large slice of territory
to the then crossroads cow town.
Since then one of the most wealthy
sections of the city has been built on
this land. There is no doubt in the
opinion of American officials that
this part of El Paso actually belongs
to Mexico, according to the original
survey and the old course of the
river whic hwas considered the
boundary. Some adjustment will
necessarily have to be made in this
matter, probably the payment of
some sort of a claim for the value
of the land.
Another instance is one that is
causing the customs offciials of both
countries a great deal of trouble and
losing them a vast amount of reve
nue. It is a so-called island that
the river has made. The river at
one time ran around a bend to the
north. It changed its course to the
south for about a mile and then re
joined the former river bed. The
ownership of this “island,” for there
is frequently no water in the river
at this point has never been deter
mined. Smugglers of every kind
make their headquarters here. They
ship countless taxable articles into
Mexico and into the United States
they, ship everything from Oriental' \
and drugs to liquor. Its present
status is a “no-man’s-land” for cus
toms officers, because they can have
no assurance of authority. If a
case comes up in Texas it is Mexico,
or if in Mexico it is the United
States.
Both governments are anxious to
have the boundary fixed for all time
and commissions to do so will be
named as soon as the present nego
tiations are completed.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, Mr. and Mrs.
Green, Mr. and Mrs. Pink, Mr. and
Mrs. Black, Mr. and Mrs. Scarlett,
Miss White and Miss Gray live in
the same block in Chicago. All are
white.
Ten years at school without being
absent or tardy is the record of Miss
Dora Melzer, of New York city.
Bath Brushes, 50 cents at J. L.
Graef's. tf
1
Do Not Bother Washing at Home
Send your washing to the
Seward Steam Laundry J,
Telephone Main 148
HOTEL ANCHORAGE I
F. I. REED, Proprietor
Rooms with Bath. Sample Rooms in Connection
Strictly Modem Prices Reasonable
Steam Heat Good Service
HOT AND COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM j
Bus meets all trains and boats
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
THE SEATTLE HOUSE
Under New Management
STEAM HEATED ROOMS BY DAY, WEEK OR MONTH
MRS. FAIRMAN, Propr. SEWARD, ALASKA
Over the Liberty Theater
HOTEL SEXTON
GEORGE SEXTON, Proprietor
SEWARD’S HOMEY HOTEL, WHERE THE OLDTIMERS
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