TANANA LEADER
V*1 T
Published Every Thursday at Tanana, Alaska.
SAM J. CALLAHAN. EDITOR
Ceo. M. Arbuekla. Manager ■
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THE ADMINISTRATION AND MONOPOLY
Taking for granted the truth of the statements con
tained in a short press dispatch printed last week that
President Taft and the administration are working strenu
ously for the immediate repeal of the Sherman anti-trust
law, in anticipation of a decision by the United States
supreme court confirmatory of the decree of the lower court
in the matter of the dissolution of the Standard Oil Com
pany, the President must now be the most discussed per
sonage not only in the United States, but in all the world.
If he has spent sleepless nights, as heretofore intimated by
the Outside press, over questions of party policy and ad
ministrative responsibility, the inevitable nightmare must
now be in attendance on his fitful slumbers.
The Unitad States circuit court, the four judges sitting
en banc in St. Louie, Nov; 20 handed down a decree dis
solving the Standard Oil Company, the nature of which
'was not only to return the control of the numerous subsid
iary companies to their separate stockholders, but to effects
ually preclude the re-formation of the holding company.
It not only enjoined the Standard Oil Company or its
agents from voting any stock it holds in the subsidiary
•companies, but also fox-bids the subsidiary companies from
paying the Standard Oil Company any dividends on the
stock it holds in them. In other words, should the decree
stand it would mean total annihilation of the Standard Oil
Company. The Standard company appealed to the United
States supreme court. Unless the decree is reversed or
modified it is supposed to take effect thirty days after that
•court’s final 'decision.
The suit was brought by the government in equity
proceedings, in April of last year; hence there could be no
fine imposed, and, were the law repealed, there would be
■no justifiable ground for enforcing the deci-ee, and it
would fail.
Thus, if the press dispatch is true, President Taft is
championing the greatest and most universally detested
monopoly in the world at a time when he alone seems to
be in a positipn to aid it, and at a time, too, when Mr.
Roosevelt is everywhere being lauded and hinted at as
Taft’s successor—Mr. Roosevelt, the detested monopoly’s
accredited enemy and the square-deal lovers’ most cher
ished idol. , •
The action attributed to Mr. Taft is that of an exceed
ingly bold man- or of one grown desperate in the unholy
.game of politics, or, maybe, of. one who finds himself in a
position where he can no longer play at make believe, as a
few skeptics profess to think Mr. Roosevelt had done.
At the time the decree was rendered Attorney General
Wickersham expressed gratification at the outcome of the
government’s action against the Standard Oil Company.
.As part of the “administration,” why has-lie now—if such
:is the case—experienced so sudden a change of heart ?
There will doubtless be plenty of light, thrown on the
matter when the Outside papers arrive. Meantime it is
confidently predicted that United States politics will make
mighty interesting reading for a time.
The Louisville Courier-Journal speaks of Taft’s figure
in the last presidential election as that of a, man of straw
upon a platform of imposture, and says the people who
.elected him were thinking more of dollars than of doctrines.
THE "WEATHER ArJD THE COMET
Variety is the spice of life. The truth of this old say:
mg applies to weather, just as it does to food, to driiik, to
social and scenic environment, etc. In interior Alaska this
winter, though, we will all admit we are getting a little
too much spice along with our climatic allowance. The
temperature has run over a variation of about 90 degress^
and often it has run up . and down so fast that it had to
stop and blow for a few hours before continuing the stunt.
Like the nigger’s rat trap, it caught its victims gwine an’
cornin’—by the nose and by the toes; and vied versa. It
would go up and snow awhile, then become variable and
blow awhile, then drop down low awhile, then up it Wouid
go awhile. So it is that the spice of life has b$en.so plen
teously sifted over our climatic rations that it-don’t taste
good any more. • •: .. : — ; "•••'' '
The comet is doing it alL ■ It was ^eh in the^sbiith
westem sky a few evenings ago, with its tail over the dash-,
board, headed this way, local astronomers aver, at the rate
of at least nine hundred thdhsand milera’day." If it holds
to the schedule its tail will Ije sweeping the landscape in
this vicinity along about the'first bV md«q.uijo time, when
atmospheric phenomena will he noticeable and perhaps
startling. Weather conditions will then appear to all ex
cept experienced meteorologists to be more settled, how
.ever, because by that time the changes will take place so
fast that they will become blended and will be indistin
guishable except through the medium of delicate scientific
instruments.
N. B.—Political and industrial disturbances always
come with the comet; but they will be felt Outside too.
THE MEL.ANCHOLY BEAR
It was a large white polar bear that filled with doleful sounds
the air, in far off Labrador; conversing with a walrus bold, it said:
"At last my feet are cold, and I am strong for war. These Arctic
regions used to be from brash Bud nosey strangers free, and that
was passing well; but now they’re always chasing through, and
every Eskimo’s igloo is simply a hotel. The frozen wastes with
sleds are gray and every day is circus day, with gorgeous street
parades; the dogs all night a-howling keep, until a moral bear can’t
sleep, and all life’s pleasure fades. There was a time when I could
roam in safety from my humble home, and bag an Eskimo; but
now, whene’er I leave my door, a gun is pretty sure to roar, and
wing me as I go. A half a pound or more of lead has flattened on
my shapely head, and made it feel quite numb; and every time I
take a walk some hungry hunter’s sure to knock my wishbone out
of plumb. And if we Arctic beasts are wise, we’ll simply have to
organize, if we’d avoid the worst; our banner we should straight
way hang: ‘The Arctic for the Arctic gang—the beasts that found
it first!’ ”—Walt Mason.
Was Known as Devil's Slough
The Manley Hot Springs, now famous as a health and pleasure re
sort as well as for the great abundance and variety of farm and garden
products grown in the vicinity, were discovered only seven years ago.
Prior to thad time the existence, or at least the character, of th.e springs
was unknown even to the natives. The Tanana natives called the
Baker Cteek slough the Devil’s slough and avoided it in superstitious
dread. It is related that a party ot them once journeyed up the slough
in winter. They were wonder Struck to see a lake of open water with
ducks swimming and quacking upon it. While they looked one of
their number suddenly.dropped through the ice and was seen no more.
Ever after the place was associated in their minds with the evil one.
In January, 1902, two prospectors from Rampa.t, Mike Eaboskv
and James Dalton, on a trip of exploration, found the springs by acci
dent. The}’ saw the valley with a bank of fog resting in it. Going
down to. the loot of the hill they came upon a serviceberry tree with tin
top branches hanging full of berries. Dalton had seen sei viceberries
before and proceeded to gather some. Labosky standing by, not know
itig they were edible. Pretty soon the soles of Laboskv’s feet got warm.
He put his hand on a rock on which he had been standing and found i:
to be hot. Investigation soon disclosed an abundance of hot watei
round about.
When the prospectors returned to Rampart and told the story o
the strange find, J. F. Karshuer became inleiested. He finally went
over and located the springs for agricultural pm poses. People laugh.
and called him "nutty,” but he built a cabin and made his lum: there
The balance is history too well known to need repeating.
When Karshne'r first went to the springs game of every kind was
plentiful. He had chiiken every day and the first winter trapped 14c
marten in the vicinity of his cabin.
Snow Too Deep to Prospect
Mil^e.Labosky, who has been prospecting on the Little Melozi side
of the Gold Mountain district this winter, and who was in Tanana a
couple of days the latter part of last week, said the snow in his sectioi
is deeper than heretofore heard of in this country. The snow N pretty
compact, but even so it is 6 to 8 .feet deep on the level, and in some
places deeper.
S. R. Hudson early in ths winter staked the trail from his camp to
the Yukon, where it crosses the summit, with 'stakes io feet long oi
more, placing the stakes on each side of the trail and not oyer ioo feet
apart. Not one of the stakes are now to be seen, all of them being
completely snowed under and the trail obliterated Hudson failed to
get all bis supplies in-from the Yukon. - He has a horse, which is use
less under existing conditions, and will have to take in his -.necesseries
on a hand sled. ' .
‘ - Trappers in the region have lqst their traps, even the blazes on
the trees that marked their lines’ being covered up.
Prospectors have had much difficulty in sinking shafts. A shaft
not completely covered would soon be drifted full of snow.
Mr. Labosky says there are a. gpod many marten in that region
but they range about the timber line and feed on ptarmigan, not being
able to catch mice on account of the deep snow.
The entertainment given by the
Fort Gibbon Dramatic Club at the post
hall last Saturday evening was a de
cided success in every way. The oom
edy. skit entitled “Domestic Bliss,” by
Messrs. McGinnis, Tobin and. Ann is,
afforded those in attendance many
laughs. At nearly eyery moment the
performers wirre greeted with' hearty
rounds of applause. 'Several of the
business men of the town received;
slight wounds in the fray. <
, Wv J_. Tobin, in stories, kept the
hudiende ro’aritig while the “real aot
<5ri’5 were making preparation for the
play,' • •«.' - ■' .*•'** 3.;v> “» ‘ w»
> Winterstein and Mitchell, in. Mlt.hJ!
Spirit of ,’76,’U were, applauded vigor
ously! while the female baritone sent
-every one into paroxysms of laughter.
In the.production of the farce-come-:
dy “That. Rascal Pat,’t’ W. J. Tobin, as
Major Timothy Puffjacket, carried .his
part exceedingly well, wlfiile McGinnis,
as Robert Llvfngstbife! was excellent.
Joseph Novak, as Patrick McNbggerty,
did very well.
The other members of the com
pany were all good, and it is to be
hoped that we have many more per
formances before spring arrives.
We are pleased to say that within a
few weelks the Old Guard Theatrical
Company will present “Vacation,” a
comedy in two acts. There are eleven
people in the cast. The play has a
good plot, with several thrilling scenes.
Watch tor the advance agent.
.Job Printing-at The Leader office.'
Estate of George W. Powell,
**' DECEASED.
Notice is hereby given by the under
signed! A. B. Culp, administrator of the
estate of George W. Powell, deceased, to
thp creditors of and all persons having
claims against said deceased to exhibit
them, with ’ the' necessary vouchers,
within six months after the first-'publi
cation of this notice, to said administra
tor at his residence in the town of Tan
ana, territory of Alaska, the same being
.the place tor the transaction of the
business of said estate in Fort Gibbon
precinct, Alaska.
A. B. CULP, Administrator.
Dated this 13th day of December, 1009.
Date of first publication, December
16,1909.
GOLDEN NORTH CAFE
Carrying the Best Supplies on the Market
OYSTERS, FISH AND GAME
IN SEASON
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Northern Commercial Co.
STAGE LINE
Carrying U. S. Mail. Passengers and Express
CONNECTIONS THROUGH TO VALDEZ
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---U
Going Outside This Winter? Subscribe for Leader
Stanley HeusaC
HOT SPRINGS’ NEWEST HOTEL
;':rst-C;acs Restaurant
Frank
Al'P 6IBBCN NO. 25, Arctic Britlir
hood, meets ever}’ Monday night
in A. B. Hall, corner Second at.
and Campbell ave. at 8:30 o'clock.
Visiting Arctics cordially invited to at
tend the meetings of the Camp.
| Phil Gallaher, Arctic Chief.
S ani j, Prop J. Husseli. Walle, Arctic Rec.
nta Fe
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