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VOLUME 19. NUMBER 249.
SEWARD, ALASKA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1924.
PRICE TEN CENTS
STEFFANSSON AGAIN IN LIMELIGHT
WITH CONFESSION OF SURVIVOR OF
THE ILL-FATED WRANGELL EX. PARTY
Make Public Why the United States Has Per
fect Claim on Wrangell Island—Came
Thru Confession of Survivor.
ANN ARBOR. Mich., Oct. 23.—Iljamar Steffansson, the not
v ' Arctic explorer, today made public why he claims for the United
States Wrangell Island. It was contained in a signed confession of
Harold Noice, survivor of the ill-fated Wrangell Island expedition
of 1921.
Disclosing to Steffansson as a hoax, Noice perpetuated in cir
culation the report that members of the expedition perished from
starvation and scurvy in the Arctic ice fields. Thirty-six pages
in the diary of his dead companions were admittedly torn from the
log book by Noice.
According to Steffansson, he attempted to finance a relief ex
pedition for the lonely island to rescue the unfortunate victims ma
rooned there but was unsuccessful in his efforts to do so and the
• plans were abandoned after a trying start.
According to Noice and his story that was syndicated through
out press dispatches was to the effect that his partners had starved
to death and that he (Noice) and Airs. Blackjack, the latter an Es
kimo were discovered in 1923 bya relief party that wandered their
direction.
Mrs. Blackject was reported to be a most beautiful type of
Eskimo having been picked up in Nome while the expedition was on
its way to seek forbidden territory. After she had been rescued
.she proceeded to the States with her rescuers to get that certain
amount of notoriety which usually accompanies such a return. Af
ter having her picture displayed in muc-luks and parka in several
of th ecoast papers sh egained recognition to interview the movie
studios and possibly join the Film Colony. About the time she left
Seattle clad in her parka and mucluks and a smile she received
a message from her husband protesting that she enter Hollywood
as that was no place for a decent respectable wife. She resented
his peadings and after arriving at the Southern metropolis learned
that her husband had died a heart-broken man—all because she ig
nored his final pleadings.
After appearing in many of the supposed-to-be Alaskan pro
duced pictures, Mrs. Blackjack yearned for her home, her class
of people and soon was seen buying a thru ticket for her native
home. She sailed from Seattle recenty, via Skagway and down the
Yukon and at last reports was safely huddled in her igloo telling
stories to those too unfortunate to see the big states.
DIRECT CONNECTION
FOUND BETWEEN
MORGAN AND PARTY
CONTRIBUTIONS TOTALLING $50,
000 GIVEN TO ADVANCE THE
REPUB. PARTY CAUSE.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 23.—
A direct connection between the big
House ol' Morgan and collectors of
the Pennsylvania slush fund of ap
proximately $350,000 for the Republi
can campaign cause, was established
in testimony given before the Borah
comittee investigating the LaFollette
charges.
It was shown that through the firm
of Drexel & Company, a Philadelphia
branch of the House of Morgan, con
tributions, totalling $50,000 were
made to the fund which was raised
in the interest of the Coolidge-Dawes
ticket.
BLIND MAN IS ADMITTED
TO BAR IN IDAHO
BOISE, Idaho, Oct. 22—A blind
man has just passed the state her
examinations and been admitted to
practice before the Idaho courts. He
is Din Carlos Haddock, of Paris, Bear
Lake county, who lost his eyesight
several years ago by the explosion
of his shotgun while hunting. He
passed with splendid marks.
RECORD DROUGHT FOR
WESTERN WASHINGTON
TACOMA, Wn., Oct. 22.—All rec
ords for drought were broken in
wetern Washington, the area between
the Cascade mountains and the Paci
fic ocean, in the weather year ending
Sept. 1. This region generally is as
sociated with heavy rainfall, but in
the last year only 22.79 inches of rain
, were measured by the weather bu
reau here. Records dating from 1884
make the average annual moisture
40.79. The banner year for rain was
1897, when the fall was 52.76.
Oldtimers comonly assert that
the rainfall is diminishing as the
forests that once covered western
Washington like a mat are being cut
away.
NO DANGER OF LONDON
BRIDGE "FALLING DOWN”
LONDON, Oct. 22.—London Bridge
is not falling down, despite the con
tention of the children’s song.
Following the partial collapse of
Waterloo Bridge, another of Lon
don’s famous bridges, scaremongers
began to aver that London Bridge
and other of the River Thames
bridges were in danger of collapse
one captain of a river tug even going
so far as to declare that he had per
sonally noticed that London Bridge
had sunk four inches on its southern
side.
City officials who have inspected
the bridge deny that it is in any
danger of collapsing, and gently in
timate that they think the tugboat
captain is engaged in a little leg
pulling,
London Bridge is good for years
yet, the officials state.
MRS. GERHARD JOHNSON
DIES, PUGET SOUND CITY
Mrs. Gerhard Johnson, wife of the
local mason, died at five this morning
in a Seattle hospita1 where she had
been for some time prior to her death,
Mrs. Johnson left here early the
•past summer for the States to secure
medical treatment, as her health had
been failing for the past year. With
iior went her daughter Ragnhild, who
was in Seattle at the time of her
mother’s death .
Mrs. Johnson was a prominent lodge
member of Seward, belonging to the
Rebekahs and other orders. Mr.
Johnson, who is at present in Anchor
age will probably leave for the States
on one of the first boats to superin
tend the burial. With him will go
the heartfelt sympathies of Seward,
as Mrs. Johnson was an oldtimer of
Seward, and beloved of the commun
ity.
WORLD’S UGLIEST MAN
TO HAVE FACE REPAIRED
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22.—“Bull”
Montana, the ugliest man in the
world, may follow in the steps of his
friend, Jack Dempsey, and have his
face remodeled.
Montana, wrestler and movie ac
tor, recently took the part of a
m'onkey in a screen production.
United States and
Canada Select Joint
Committee at Meet
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct.
23.—The North Pacific convention
which is in session in this city,
yesterday, signed with the United
States an established closed sea
son on halibut fishing. The dates
set are effective commencing No*
vember 16 and closing on Febru
ary 16 of each year.
An agreement also was provided
during the convention of the two!
countries whereby penalties will
be imposed on those who do not
heed the provisions set forth by
the committee.
The convention, also made pro
vision for the appointment of a
so-called joint commission, to be
composed of four members, two
from Canada and two from the
United States. The Committee se
lected will have, complete jurisdic
tion over the North Pacific fish
eries area, having power to settle
all disputes which may arise. Af
ter receiving their instructions in
Washington they will investigate
the halibut fisheries of the North
Pacific and make recommenda
tions for the much needed per
manent system which will serve
to advance the fishing industry
and tend to preserve and develop
to the highest obtainable degree
the conservation of same.
LDTIMER DIES FROM
HEART DISEASE; BODY
SENT TO ANCHORAGE
Ed. Evans, well known oldtimer
[ of the Anchorage district, succumbed
| to an attack of the heart yesterday
at Mile 52, where he was employed as
watchman at one of the snowsheds.
D. H. Williams, prominent funeral di
rector of Anchorage came as far as
Tunnel last night, and will take the
body back with him on today’s train.
According to information received,
Evans had been ailing for some time,
and after being released from the An
chorage hospital, was given employ
, ment by the Alaska Railroad at one
! of their snowsheds near 52, where
J he watched the steam plant, and
j sheds.
Early yesterday orning his body
| was found by workers lying just out
I side the door of his cabin. Evans ev
idently dying suddenly from an at
tack of the heart.
Mr. Evans was a member of the
I. O. O. F., and as far as is known
has no relatives in the territory.
ANOTHER SCHOONER
IS SWALLOWED UP BY
THE ARCTIC ICE FLOES.
NOME, Alaska, Oct. 23.—The gos
oline schooner, Silver Wave, of Nome
with four men aboard her, has been
carried off by the ice floes in the
Arctic ocean, it was learned here to
day. She was operating for the Lo
en Reindeer & Trading corporation,
under a subsidy granted by the Al
aska Territorial legislature.
WILSON ADMINISTRATION
RECORD IS VIEWED BY
DEMOCRAT OFFICE SEEKER
EMPORIA, Kan., Oct. 22.—Gover
nor Chas. Bryan of Nebraska, demo
cratic vice-presidential nominee, in
his third Kansas speech, devoted ten
minutes yesterday to an outline of
measures passed during the Wilson
administration, all of which were
adopted with one thought in mind—
“to give man an even break for his
money.”
“They were brought out and con
ceived in the interest of humanity,”
Mr. Bryan declared.
HEIRESS QUITS SOCIAL
LIFE TO BECOME NURSE
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 22.—Miss
Mary Cameron Packer, of Sun
bury, Pa., an heiress of the late
James C. Packer, millionaire law
yer and horseman, has forsaken the
social life to enroll as a student
nurse at the Presbyterian hospital
in this city.
The girl, formerly a student at
the National Park Seminary, in
Washington, is a member of a class
of thirty probationers at the hos
pital.
Town of Tenakee To
Be Sold By Uncle
Sam To Highest Bid
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Oct.
23.—Uncle, representing the Unit
ed States ,acted as a realtor today
when he advised the town of Ten
akee, near Sitka, that it was put
up for sale to the highest bidder.
The little hot springs town has
been divided into twenty-three
blocks, consisting of 141 lots and
contains a seventy-three-acre tract
which would be suitable for a
cemetery or school of some sort.
There are four sites laid out with
mineral hot springs which has
been set aside recently for public
purposes. The residents will have
first choice regardless of any out
side bidder who may plunge into
the deal.
The townsite has been recently
set aside from the Tongass Na
tional forest and should make an
idea- playground for oldtimers in
that there are hot springs on
the ground.
SIBERIA’S CROP OF
SQUIRRELS DESTINED
FOR WOMEN’S WEAR
RIGA, Oct. 23.—German fur dealers
return from Russia report that the
prospects this season are excellent
for a plentiful supply of squirrel
skins, especially from Siberia, where
there is an exceptionally good crop
of nuts. Whenever nuts grow abund
antly, aver the furriers, there are al
ways plenty of squirrels.
The nut crop throughout Russia
i is said to be better than in many
| years. One dealer alone has placed
j an order for 650,000 squirrel pelts,
for winter delivery. Most of these
will be made into women’s coats in
Liepsic, and some will be sold in
the United States.
ROUND-THE-WORLD FLYERS
HEADED FOR SAN DIEGO, CAL.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cala., Oct. 23.—
The round-the-world flyers, headed by
Lieut. Lowell Smith, arrived in this
city yesterday afternoon on their
way to San Diego where they seek
a much needed rest.
ORMER AM. LEGION
COMMANDER IS SHOT;
NO MOTIVE IS GIVEN
SHOT FIRED FROM PISTOL OF
ENRAGED HUSBAND OF ONE
OF HIS STENOGRAPHERS.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 23.—
Colonel John G. Emery, past national
commander of the American Legion
and World War hefo, and former
candidate for the United States was
shot in the left arm today by Ched
die Simpson, husband of one of Em
ery’s stenographers. Emery was tak
en to the hospital and will recover
as the wound inflicted by the en
raged husband was not considered
serious.
On his way to the county jail,
Simpson declared that he wished he
had killed the former legion com
mander. No motive was given for
the act.
HAWAIIAN SUGAR CROP
VALUED AT $78,000,000
HONOLULU, T. H„ Oct. 22.—The
1924 Hawaiian island sugar crop is
valued at $78,000,000, according to an
estimate made today by the Hawaiian
Sugar Planter’s association. The
estimate shows the sugar crop yield
—710,000 tons—will be the largest
in the history of the islands.
INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
AT EL PASO REOPENED
EL PASO, Tex., Oct. 22.—Mexican
officials here today reopened the in
ternational bridge at 7 o’clock yes
terday afternoon after it had been
shut down recently due to the re
fusal of gambling concessionaries to
close the public games.
R. C. Lecanda, personal represen
tative of President Obregon, was in
charge of the bridge closing, which
marooned about 300 American men,
wom,en and children on the Mexican
side. Mr. Lecanda said the step had
been authorized by the president be
cause of gambling being conducted
openly in Juarez.
PROGRESSIVE NOMINEE MAKES LAST
STAND ON AN ILLINOIS PLATFORM;
ADVANCES FAIR-DEAL GOVERNMENT
Says He Will Smash Capitalistic Economy In
the Eye; Both Parties Dominated By Wall
Street; Slush Funds Look Bad.
PEORIA, 111., Oct. 23.—Urging American labor to elect him
on the Progressive ticket in order that they may receive a fair deal
from the government, LaFollette came to Peoria last night to wind
up his campaign in Illinois.
“If elected,” LaFollette promised, “I will smash the economic
‘heir-archy’ which now runs the government.” lie repeated his
charges that both the old parties are dominated by Wall Street and
said that even now, the government is waging y bloodless and de
vastating war on its own people. The latest act of this war on
America, said LaFollette, is the eollosal slush fund which is being
raised by thb Republican and Democratic parties to corrupt the
American electorate. It is planned by them, to buy the election.
The Progressive nominee pledged himself thusly: “When I am the
president of the United States, I will enforce all lows equally, and
if you don’t like the law, I’ll enforce it until you become so sick
of it that you’ll repeal it.”
BISHOP DECLARES KLAN
HAS TAKEN OVER G.O.P.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 22.—
Charging the Republican party “now
has been taken over bodily by the
Ku Klux Klan in the north” and that
"alone among three candidates, Mr,
Cooolidge has refused to open his lipj
on the subject of the Klan,” Bishof
John Hurst, of the Methodist Episco
pal church, a worker among negrc
people, in a statement issued todaj
by the LaFollette headquarters, urg
ed “all negroes to support the La
Follette-Wheeler independent candi
dates.”
RULE PATRONS MAY PICK
AT FRUIT STAND’S WARES
LOS ANGELES, Cala., Oct. 22 —
This city’s aldermen have ruled it is
proper to pick and peck at wares
displayed in fruit stands.
“People pick and sneeze over my
fruit!” Peter Harrison complained
to the city council; but the aldermen
refused to pass an ordniance pro
hibiting these alleged actions.
TYPHOID FEVER COSTS
STATE MILLION DOLLARS
CHARLSTON, W. Va., Oct. 22.—
Typhoid fever cost West Virginia
more than a million dollars in cold
hard cash, last year, according to
state authorities, who insist the fig
ures are conservative.
Incomplete state death records
show 251 deaths from the typhoid
malady in the past year. The health
department estimates ten cases of
the disease to each death therefrom
bringing West Virginia’s typhoid
lecoid in 1923 up to 2,510 cases.
SHENANDOAH GOES
INTO MEXICO BY
MISTAKE; IS SAFE
?L PAS0, °Ct 23—The giant Na
vy s dirigible, Shenandoah, was sight
ed here en route to Fort Worth, near
this city, this morning at seven.
It was reported that the Shenando
ah had an unusually adventurous trip
■ from San Diego. The report stated
that she got off her course while in
Texas and at an early hour this
morning dipped her nose into the
ether above Mexico. It took some
little time to get wireless out and
when the operator succeeded in get
ting his message thru, the town of
Huechuca answered, which was near
by, and the Shenandoah got her bear
ing and proceeded in the direction of
Fort Worth.
SOLLER’S MILL AT GRANT
LAKE NOW IN OPERATION
Al. Sollers, well known in Seward
and vicinity, has completed his saw
mill at Giant lake and is now turning
out ten thousand feet of lumber for
Robert Michaelson, to be used on his
ground in Moose Pass. Al has com
pleted his wagon road from Trail
Lake to his mill on Grant Lake, and
when the freeze-up comes will com
mence freighting.
WATSON DUE TOMORROW
i Agent Blue of the Pacific Steam
[ship, reports the Admiral Watson due
4n Seward tomorrow morning at nine.
MAYOR EDWIN BROWN
TESTIFIES BEFORE THE
COUNCIL CIMMITTEE
; BROWN DENIES THAT HE PUT
OVER DEAL SO THAT S. & W.
COULD SELL PROJECT.
SEATTLE, Oc.t 23.—Testifying be
fore the City Council committee,
which is probing into the adminis
tration, Mayor Brown this afternoon
defended his appointment of T. H.
Bolton as civil service commissioner
of Seattle, and denied that the Stone
& Webster influence had anything to
do with the declared railway probe,
which had failed because his inves
tigator, E. B. Minich, was unable to
produce the final evidence needed.
The mayor hotly resented the quer
ies intimating that Stone & Webster,
that the latter having sold the lines
line to the city, were seeking thru
! him to exercise the measure which
gave the city of Seattle control of
the city lighting department and its
entire equipment.
Brown Continues.
SEATTLE, Oct. 23.—Continuing the
testimony before the city council
committee today, Mayor Edwin J.
Brown of Seattle denied that he had
sought wealth out of the suit to
break the Street Railway purchase.
Referring to the contract, Mayor
said that “I told Minich, my secre
tary in the matter and others that I
didn’t want a dollar out of this street
car deal. I want you to know that
there is enough in my estate to keep
my family if I never make another
dollar. I had sagacity enough to
know that if we were successful in
exposing this fraud, I could have the
governorship or the senatorship la
ter.”
He also declared that discord and
slander is besmirching the name of
the Spirit City. The mayor issued
a formal statement in which he would
call on a group of thirty-two repre
sentative citizen to step in and take
the facts as they find them and apply;
the remedy, be it the rod or the re
call.
ZBYSZKO GET DIVORCE
ON GROUNDS CRUELTY
ALFRED, Me., Oct. 22.—Wladek
Zbyszko, heavyweight wrestler, the
other day was granted a divorce from
his wife on the grounds of cruelty
and abusive treatment. The suit was
uncontested. They were married in
1921.
AMERICAN MOVIE MAN
SEES BERLIN MISERY
BERLIN, Oct. 22.—“After what I
have seen now at Berlin, I am con
vinced that the overwhelming ma
jority of the Berlin population lives
in misery and poverty,” aid D. W.
Griffith, American film producer, who
has been supervising two films near
this city.
“I guess that my good friends who
freely supplied me with misleading
information about German prodigal
ity divided their worthy endeavors
only between the Hotel Bristol and
the Palais de Danse, while visiting
here,” the film man added.