LOCAL NEWS ITEMS OF THE WEEK
What Is Transpiring In and About Cordova
I
MONDAY
W. D. Nealy and wife were among
the arrivals on today’s steamer.
Chas. Sinclair came over from Ka
talla, to visit with Cordova friends.
H. W. Ross has gone to Anchorage,
where he hopes to find something to
do.
Mrs. Josephine Angerman and son
left on this morning’s steamer for
Seward.
James Pish returned to Valdes to
day. after spending several days In
Cordova.
A. Christensen, of the Juneau land
office, was aboard the Evans, enroute
to Seward.
Mrs. H. W. Nagley, wife of a store
keeper at Susltna, was among the
Evans' passengers returning home.
Shorty Smiser, who spent last
spring in Cordova, has been granted
a liquor license at Brooks, In the Tolo
vana district
Miss Lucy Malllard, who has been
visiting her parents In Vancouver for
several months, returned home on the
Admiral Evans.
Delegate Wlckersham left for the
westward this morning and will visit
Anchorage to Investigate the railroad
situation there.
Peter Vachon. a Fairbanks and Tol
ovana merchant, was an arrival on the
Evans and left on this morning's train
for the Interior.
The funeral of the late George Van
Tassel will take place from Lambert’s
undertaking parlors tomorrow after
noon at 2 o’clock.
Capt. Ben Durkee the Katalla
launch man, was aboard the Evans
making the trip to Anchorage before
going to Seattle.
Mrs. Parke D. Griswold left on the
Admiral EvanB this morning for Val
dez, where she will spend a week or
ten days with friends.
Fred Schrenger has returned from
Katalla, where he spent the summer
running a mess for engineers of the
railroad commission.
Barney Simmons, of Fairbanks, left
on the Evans for Anchorage, where he
will Inspect the new railroad terminal,
before going to Seattle.
Lieutenant H. J. Mahaffey, of the
Alaska Road Commission, was among
the Evans' passengers for Valdez, re
turning from a trip to Juneau.
The steamer Evans had 1400 tons
aboard for Anchorage, including 200
tons of fresh meat, some railroad sup
plies and the balance foodstuffs.
E. R. Peoples and wife, of Fair
banks, arrived here last night and left
for the interior this morning. They
brought an automobile with them, with
which to make the trip from Chltina
to Fairbanks.
B. M. Stone, of the Seward Gate
way, and his wife, were returning
home on the Evans from a visit to the
San Francisco fair. They were ac
companied by the latter5s sister, Miss
M. Ryan, who will spend a couple of
months at Seward.
Captains Porter and Brown, who
have been making weather observa
tions at Katalla for several months,
passed through town last night on
their way to Seward, to make their
report to the Alaska Engineering
Commission.
Attorney R. E. Capers left on this
morning’s train for Kennecott.
Ira Smith was a passenger from
here for Seward on today’s boat.
Capt. A. E. Lathrop left on the
Evans for the westward, to look after
his moving picture shows.
Jos. Emperly has returned to Cordo
va from a several month’s trip outside
where he visited the Panama Exposi
tion and met many people from Alas
ka.
The Lighthouse Packing Company,
of Oregon, has all of its machinery
awaiting shipment at Seattle for Cor
dova, where a clam factory will be in
stalled. It is expected that the new
industry will be ready for operation
early in December.
The steamer Admiral Evans ar
rived last night about 11 o’clock, with
nearly 300 sacks of mail and the fol
lowing passengers for Cordova.
W. D. Nealy and wife, Mrs. C. Hay
son, E. R. Peoples and wife, Mrs. Joe
Bryson, Miss Lucy Malllard, A. C.
Johnston, T. J. Hendricksen, A. Shy
man, C. F. St. Clair, Qua. Gillis and
wife, Miss M. Durkee, J. T. Bradley
and J. M. Carlson.
The first of the series of dances to
be given by the “Jesters" this fall was
held Saturday evening at the Red
Dragon. ThlB masquerade dance prov
ed to be one of the most enjoyagle
evenings spent by the younger set The
costumes of all were commendable
and the different characters were es
sayed with a marked degree of pro
fessionallty. The prize for the best
feminine masquerader was given to
the crowd as It was Impossible to
choose, so close was the competition
and then one must remember the
green eyes.
i
TUESDAY
Last evening at 8 o’clock James M.
Lyons and Miss Lucy Maillard were
united in marriage in their new home
on Fourth street. The ceremony was
performed by Judge Edward F. Med
ley, United States Commissioner, and
was witnessed only by the relatives of
the bride who reside here, Those
present were Mr. and Mrs. Clark
Byers, Mr. and Mrs. J. V. Carter and
Mr. and Mrs. H, Maillard, and after
the silken knot had been tied the fes
tive occassion was celebrated in a
most appropriate manner.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Lyons are well
known in the community, where they
have resided for many years and have
a large circle of friends, all of whom
join in extending congratulations to
the young couple with best wishes for
a happy and prosperous voyage
through life.
WEDNESDAY
Miss Clara Rosswog, who has been
attending a business college at Taco
ma for the past four months, return
ed home on the Puebla today.
The steamer Kansas City sailed
from Seattle last night. She will
come direct to Cordova, via the out
side passage.
Joseph Chambers, J. W. Toole,
Michael Jordon and Wm. Grant are
among the Fairbanksans who arrived
on yesterday’s train and are on their
way to the states.
Burled this afternoon at 3 o’clock at
Eyak cemetery William Van Tassel,
Rev E. P. Zeigler officiating.
Superintendent Peterson and En
giner Ross, who went to Circle City
to install a large dredge for Clarence
Berry are now in Cordova and will
leave for Seattle on one of the next
boats, having completed their work
in the interior.
Fred Haef has just received word
of the marriage of his sister, Miss
Agnes Haef, a graduate of the State
Normal school at Monmouth, Oregon,
and Frank E. Butler, a senior in the
University of Oregon Medical school.
The marriage was the culmination of a
romance that began at Monmouth five
years ago. The bride is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Haef, of Ash
land, Oregon.
THURSDAY
Sam Miller and Bill Gilo left on
the Puela today for Latouche.
Chas. C. Johns, deputy collector
Internal revenue for the division of
Alaska, is spending a few days in
town on official business.
Rev. J. T. Corbett left on the Pue
bla this afternoon for Valdez, after
having spent several weeks in Cor
dova.
J. T. Bradley was a passenger from
here, for Seward, on today’s steamer.
Ole Berg is a recent arrival from
the Strelna, where he has been op
rating a copper property for several
years. He is on his way to the states,
where he expects to secure sufficient
capital to open up a shipping mine.
Miss Mabel A. Davis, who is repre
senting the publishing house of
Houghton Mifflin Company in the
sale of “The World’s Story,” left to
day for Valdez, after doing consider
able business in Cordova.
The City of Puebla brought a large
shipment of produce and general mer
chandise, consigend to A. E. Todd
at McCarthy.
FRIDAY
Negotiations are now pending be
tween a Portland concern and Jack
Dalton for the lease of sufficient
space owened by the latter at the
Cordova wharf for the purpose of
erecting another cannery here.
The skating on Eyak lake was good
last night and a large number of
young people availed themserves or
the opportunity to indulge in that
healthful outdoor pastime.
The youngsters having been en
joying themselves coasting on the
side streets, during the past couple of
days.
The Japanese residents of Cordova,
who have shown their loyalty to the
mother country by the celebrating the
coronation of the Emperor are not un
mindful of the kindly feeling that has
existed here toward them, and as an
appreciation of that fact they made
a donation of $100, to be applied to
some useful public purpose. The
money was turned over to Mayor
Slater and it was arranged that it be
given to the library fund of our
schools, to be used in the purchase
of additional books.
SATURDAY
L. L. Butler is home from his
month's vacation spent back East.
The steamer Northwestern has a
thousand tons of freight aboard for
Anchorage.
Mrs. H. N. Wilson has returned
from an extended visit among friends
in the states.
"Dutch” Blanchfleld was an arrival
on the steamer last night, on his way
to Fairbanks.
R. L. Vinlng, a Fairbanks business
man and owenr of "movie" shows,
is in town on his way to the Btates.
O. L. Schooling, of Fairbanks, ar
rived on yesterday's train, and will
leave for the states on the first
steamer.
J. F. Clarkin, who conducts a road
house at Nizina and also dabbles in
the mining game, is spending a few
days in Cordova.
F. M. Ford came up from Seattle to
accept a position in the \auditor’s
office of the Copper River & North
western railway.
Ben Simson, of the clothing firm of
Simson Bros., arrived on the North
western last evening and will return
to Fairbanks on Monday’s train.
K. E. Holden and J. A. Johnson,
railroad boys who were taking in the
sights outside, have returned from
their vacations and say Cordova looks
good to them.
Mr. and Mrs. John V. Lydick and
children have returned from Chicago,
where they attended the funeral of
Mrs. Lydick’s father, the .late An
drew Schneider.
From late reports received from
Brooks it appears that lots are in
great demand in the new camp, and
many people are having a hard time
holding on to their property.
Among the Cordova arrivals is J.
W. Toole, of Fairbanks creek, who
has invented an underground steam
shovel. He is on his way to the
states to arrange for its construction.
Superintendent W. H. Seagrave, ot
the Kennecott Copper Corporation
mines, the Bonanza and Jumbo, ar
rived in town on yesterday’s train
and will leave for the states to en
joy a much needed vacation.
Volney T. Richmond, general man
ager of the Northern Commercial
Company’s business in interior Al
aska, arrived from Fairbanks on
Friday’s train. He is on his way to
San Francisco, where he will spend a
couple of months.
Charles A. Kirstein, a clerk in the
office of the register and receiver of
the Fairbanks land office, is in town
on his way outside, where he expects
to spend several months, returning
with Mrs. Kirstein to Fairbanks
where they will make their perman
ent home.
POSTAL SERVICE IS
SLASHED TO PIECES
Through the machinations of a horde special agents, in
spectors, “gum-shoe” men, and what nots, a blight has been
cast upon Alaska, from the efforts of which it is just about re
covering, when another menace threatens us. In the first in
stance these government men were reprepresentatives of the
land department and clothed with a little authority, $75 a
month job and a $4 per die m expense account, were largely
responsible for the tying up of Alaska’s resources. And they
were not very particular as to the methods adopted to accom
plish that end- Honored men, and men of integrity were brand
ed as lawbreakers and in many instances were forced to pro
tect their good names in the courts but there is not a single
instance of recoi cl in which they did not secure a complete vindi
cation. The country finally having gotten rid of most of these
miserable wretches another branch of Uncle Sam’s business
throughout this section of Alaska is now feeling the effects of a
recent visit to the territory of one of the aforesaid mentioned
“gum-shoe” artists.
As a result ot a .puketing trip through Alaska tins sum
mer of Inspector IT, i! excellent postal service given in most
of the towns is to lv> Ul shot to smithereens- This doughty
champion of administr ,tion economy—always with a large
“E”—jumped into his buckler to declare himself the watchdog
of the United States treasury and upon his recommendation
the Postoffice Dt pai huent at Washington, having taken this in
flated creature seriously, have cut the allowances for clerk
hire to such a minimum that it may be necessary to give theee
federal jobs to the “bohunks” at Anchorage, who are working
on the government r; ilrond at a lower rate of wages than will
sustain a white man. Tn the Cordova office, which is the dis
tributing station for all the interior mail for eight months out
of the year, the allowance for clerk hire has been cut in two.
Of course the necessity of having a janitor in a building that
handles nearly .‘!00 sacks of dirty mail from each steamer is
the grossest kind of extravagance, and the position having
been abolished possibly it is the intention to have this man
Neil do the work—and he’s certainly more fitted for it then he
is to revolutionize the postal service.
As all in Cordova know there is no more loyal and faithful
employe of the postoffice than A. B- Cooper, who has made the
duties he performs his life work. That he, as well as the other
clerks, work from twelve to fourteen hours a day, at least three
davs a week during the winter, and' frequently a twenty-four
hour shift, counts for naught. Of course they are only sup
posed to work eight hours a day, but to only perform that
amount of labor, would greatly cripple the service by prevent
ing the quick dispatch of mails. Not content with wanting to
cut the salary of Mr. Cooper down from a third to a half less
than is being paid mercantile clerks in Cordova, this checha
cho disciple of economy has succeeded in convincing the De
partment that the force in the local office should be reduced,
presumably in order that those remaining On duty could put
in all of their time for the love of their country and’ in order
that a fool recommendation be carried out- Neil’s time in
Alaska was devoted principally to minding other people’s busi
ness in order that he might make a showing, such as it is, to
hold his own dinkv job- And, as usual, Alaska suffers for the
ignornace of such incompetents.
The reside nts of Cordova were naturally indignat when
they learned of the apparent successful attempt of Inspector
Neil to practically destroy the efficiency of the postal service
not only here, but throughout this section of Alaska. Through
the recommendations of this individual the clerical force in
the Cordova postoffice has not only been reduced, but the sal
aries also slashed until it looks as though the laborer is no
longer worthy of his hire. Not only has the local service been
crippled, but it remains to be seen how far-reaching an effect
it will have on the dispatch of mails from here to all interior
Alaska points- So thoroughly aroused have some of our citi
zens become over this parsimonious action that it would not
be surprising if the matter were taken up with the Department
at Washington, in the hope of not only rectifying a great in
justice that has been done to the public, but also to place the
proper stamp of disapproval upon the acts of this man Neil,
who is either not acquainted with actual conditions in Alaska
or has deliberately attempted to make a record for himself to
the sacrifice of the service. In either case he is totally unfit
to occupy his present position and the Department will be
made fully acquainted with all the facts, in order that it may
judge of his competency.
While in Alaska Neil also made a number of fool-hardy
recommendations to the local postmasters, which demonstrated
beyond any eiuestion that he did not have the good of the ser
vice at heart, but fortunately those holding federal positions
paid little or no attention to him, preferring to work overtime
gratis sooner than deprive the public of the present excellent
serivee it is receiving. But these matters will be fully gone
into later and expose made of the inefficiency of this inspector,
whose principal aim seems to be hold down his own job at the
expense of the postal service in Alaska.
STEAMER GOSSIP
OF LOCAL
INTEREST
The closing of the Panama canal
has caused a readjustment of steam
ship routes and sailings upon a
andge and costly scale. Coast to
coast steamers in domestic trade are
routing via Magellan. The steamers
Bennington and Burlington, recently
purchased by the Alaska Steamship
Company of the Rutland Transit Co.,
Ogdensburg, N. Y„ will be loaded at
New York and routed via the strait
of Magellan, this longer route
being necessary owing to the closing
of the canal This delay is also un
fortunate, as the vesels are badly
needed to handle the immense ship
ments of copper ore from Cordova to
the Tacoma smelter. Into which ser
vice they will be placed as soon as
they arrive on this coast.
Passengers on the Puebla.
The City of Puegla arrived in port
about 5 o’clock Wednesday afternon,
having come direct from Seattle to
Cordova, via the outside passage.
Her passenger list was as follows:
For Cordova—Olive Briggs. Clraa
Rosswog, Mrs. Fred Cameron, Herb
ert Comeron, A. Erickson, E. Nord
strand, Fred Dobson, Aulan Westam.
For Seward—W. E. Terrill, Peter
Rlchen, J. O. Johnson. A. Frank, C.
Dwyer, C. C. Kelson.
For Knik—J. Lounzi, J. F. McClown,
Mrs. Henry Claer.
For Latouche—Peter Dale. Jno.
Satre.
New Schedule Son Effective.
The steamer Alameda, leaving
Seattle November 17 will not call at
Juneau and only go as far as Seward.
The next sailing of the Alaska S. S.
Co. boats from Seattle will be No
vember 30 and thereafter there will
be a steamer leaving for Southwest
ern Alaska on the 10th, 20th ana
30th of each month.
Admiral Next Steamer South.
The steamer Admiral Evans is
still to the westward and will be the
first southbound boat, being due here
Sunday.
Wrecked is Wrecked.
On her way north to assist in sal
vage operations of the wrecked
steamship Mariposa, the Canadian
steamboat Otter ran ashore on St.
James Island October 9 and was com
pletely wrecked. The vessel was an
old one of wooden construction, 336
gross tons.
Have Cut Out Skagway.
The Alaska Steamship Company
boats have discontinued making Skag
way.
Laat Freighter for Anchorage.
The Seward, which is scheduled to
sail from Seattle sometime next week
will be the last freighter for Anchor
age until next spring.
Puebla Returns Inside Pasage.
When the steamer Puebla sails
southbound she will go via the Inside
pasage, calling at Juneau, Wrangel
and Ketchikan, omitting Skagway.
-:o:
The steamer Kansas City will be
here at midnight. She has a cargo of
freight, including explosives, and no
passengers.
The Admiral Evans leaves Anchor
age tonight, will aritve at Valdez
Tuesday morning and reach here that
evening.
The Northwestern is due at La
touche at 7 p. m., on her way to the
westward.
Mrs. Lena Morrow Lewis, of Ju
neau, an exponent of Socilism, is
making a tour of Southwestern Al
ska, and will deliver a series of lec
tures at Anchorage, Seward, Valdez
and Cordova.
FLAMES DESTROY
BIG STEEL PLANT
BETHLEHEM, Pa-, Nov. 10—A fire which broke out today
in the number four machine shop of the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany, almost completely destroyed the immense building, one
of the largest and' the most important of them all, leaving
nothing but a blackened steel skeleton where yesterday was a
great building employing an army of men. An investigation
of the catastrophe disclosed that the fire resulted from an ex
plosion of an elctric lamp. A spark from the explosion fell
into a pool of oil, and within no time at all the whole building
was in flames. It was impossible to control the conflagration,
and the character of the machines, many of them weighing
several tons, made it impossible to save any property. In the
machine shop were big guns totalling in value'several million
dollars, in various steps of construction, and they are a total
loss to the company- A thousand intricate and delicate
machines worth several million more were also destroyed.
The company was building big guns for the allies, and eight
hundred of these, almost completed were destroyed in the
blaze- This shop employed 2500 men, and was never idle, as
the employees were worked in day and night shifts.
ITALIAN LINER AND
ALL ABOARD SONK
ROME, Nov. 10—The Italian liner Ancona was sunk in
the Mediterrean yesterday by an Austrian submarine. Throe
hundred of the passengers and crew perished partly from shell
fire of the submarine and the remainder by drowning. The
Ancona had 83 first cabin passengers, 60 second cabin, and 339
steerage- The dead are mostly women and' children, the wives
and children of former emigrants to America who were bound
to the United States to join their families- While the identity
of the first cabin passngers has not yet been ascertained some
Americans are reported aboard- From the surviviors it is
learned that over a hundred shells were fired' at the Ancona
before the ship was torpedoed.
BERLIN, Nov- 10—The government has officially an
nounced through the news agencies that the Italian liner
Ancona was shelled and sunk because the vessel refused to
heed the demands of the submarine to stop- Failing to shut
down her engines when the first shot was fired’ across her bows,
the Ancona increased her speed and endeavored to run away
from the submarine. The submersible gave chase and the
shells and torpedo were fire dduring the pursuit.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10—The State Department has an
nounced that no action will be taken by this government in
regard to the sinking of the Italian liner Ancona, until full
particulars of the matter have been received.
WHEN YOU LEAVE
FOR THE OUTSIDE
take the
MILWAUKEE
One road—one management—one service all the
way through to Chicago. It’s The Short
Line to the East over
THE NEW STEEL TRAIL
For information and literature write or ask
THOS. TALLENT,
A. E. LATHROP,
A E. HARRIS, T. P. A., Juneau, Alaska
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL RY.
\g\ ALASKA
\ ^ STEAMSHIP CO.
Fact and commodious cteamerc calling between Seattle, Ketch
ikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway, Cordova, Valdez, Seward and
ANCHORAGE, via INSIDE PASSAGE.
Sails from Seattle— Sails from Cordova—
November 5-CITY OF PUEBLA_November 16
November 6-NORTHWESTERN_November 18
November 17.ALAMEDA.November 26
Regular freight service Tor Ketchikan, Juneau, Sheep Creek,
Treadwell, Douglas, Cordova, Ellamar, Valdez ard Latouchs. Explos
ives, S. 8. Seward. S. S. Seward, 5th; S. S. Latouche, 15th; S. S.
Cordova, 25th of each month.
This company reserves the right to change schedule of steamers
without notice.
Tickets on sale at up-town office Alaska Steamship Bldg. Baggage
or freight will not be received at the dock later than one hour before
sailing time.
F. B. TRACY,
General Agent
T. J. TALLENT,
Ticket Agent
COPPER RIVER & NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY
Good Passenger and Freight
Service to Interior Alaska
For Rates and Other Information Apply
DEPOT OFFICE