TANANA LEADER
Published Every Thursday at Tanana, Alaska.
Vel 1
SAM J. CALLAHAN, EDITOR No. 29
Coo. M. Arbuckle. Manager
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TO OUR READERS
Sam J. Callahan has accepted a position on The Leader. It
will be his earnest effort to assist Mr. Arbuckle in getting out
a paper worthy of the confidence and support of the people of
Tanana and the large country tributary thereto.
To the many friends of the Yukon Valley News Mr. Callahan
wishes to. express a high appreciation of their patronage aud
encouragement, and to bespeak a kindly thought for The
Leader. It is unquestionably good business policy that the
newspaper energy of Tanana ba consolidated into a single
working force, and it is hoped the people will comprehend the
advantage to themselves in having one well-supported and
efficient paper instead of two struggling and inefficient ones.
TRIALS OF OFFICIAL LIFE
Official life in Alaska has ever been attended by troubles,
none the less embarrassing because they may be unexpected
and appear unnecessary to gentlemen called from far-away
states to play important parts in the territory’s affairs.
A case in point is that of District Attorney Crossley of
the Fourth division. From the beginning it may be as
sumed that he realized more or less clearly that the affairs
•of a big mining camp like Fairbanks would keep him busy.
From his office we can conceive how he set to work to ac
quaint himself with immediate surroundings and prepared
to meet the condition that confronte l him, so far as it lay
within bis vision. Perhaps he believed himself strong
enough to sustain what early in the game must have im
pressed him as a disadvantageous position.
Being new to the country, however, and engrossed with
the cares of his new neighbors, it is scarcely possible that
he could grasp the huge dimensions of his district or pre
pare for the inevitable shocks that were to reach him from
unexpected quarters thereof. Therefore the district attor
ney’s feelings may be imagined when he began to receive
pointed communications from the department of justice at
Washington hinting that he was not properly enforcing
the law at various and several points on the map, of which
be had never heard, much less of the disorders complained
of. Of course the full portent of the Washington commu
nications are not publicly known; but it seems to be no
:secret that they were inspired by missionaries, who deal
«directly with headquarters, and their suddenness and un
expectedness must have knocked the breath out of a district
attorney who is not fully on to the game as played in
Alaska.
In order to fulfill the requirements expected of him, it is
known that Mr. Crossley has asked for the appointment of
two more assistant attorneys, one to be stationed atTanana
;and the other at Eagle. While the situation along the
Yukon river cannot truthfully be said to be lawless, the
appointments ought to .be made, so that cases may be pri
marily dealt with nearer their point of origin and the office
at Fairbanks relieved of the necessity of action in matters
the merits of which cannot possibly be understood there.
It remains to be seen what action the department at Wash
ington will take.
Meantime, no accident to the gospel ship Pelican has
been reported, and if Mr. Crossley’s situation continues
to hold a degree of humor, he will still have the sympathy
-of numerous rough-necks who are capable of looking at the
•■matter from a broad viewpoint.
THE TERRITORIAL BILL.
Miners and others, according to Fairbanks papers, are
devoting much time to the discussion of the bills introduced
into congress by Delegate AVickersham. Full criticism of
the various measures was invited Jt>y the delegate, and he is
too astute a politician and too well acquainted with Alas
Remember
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UP-TO-DATE ROOMS AND BUNKS, ALSO GOOD DOG HOUSES.
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Pool And Billiard Tables In Connection.
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kan characteristics to expect that they will not be attacked
at every vulnerable part—their weak spots held to the light
while by many the stronger points in their makeup will be
lost sight of. If the manner of man Wickersham is may be
taken as a criterion, he will pay heed to what he hears, ac
cept such suggestions as he believes will add strength to
the bills, and then fight for their passage by congress in
the shape he thinks the most feasible. He is not likely to
incorporate in any of them anything that his own judg
ment or conscience does not approve; for, to put it mildly,
self reliance is the finale of Wickersham’s philosophy.
Of the four bills what is termed the territorial bill is the
most important. The section in this bill more vigorously
assailed than others reads as follows:
Sec. 26. That all laws passed by the legislative assembly of the
Territory of Alaska shall be submitted to congress by the presi
dent of the United States, and, if disapproved by congress, they
shall be null and of no effect.
Really, it would appear that the objectionable features
of this section are microscopic, if not nonexistent. Note
the difference in the necessity for congress to approve laws
before they can become effective from the necessity to disap
prove them before they can become noneffective, and the
danger from the above-quoted section will be seen to be
small. If congress should ever find time and inclination
to nullify a law passed by the proposed assembly, (which
might not happen at all), Alaska would be in no worse
condition with regard to that particular law than it would
be—having no assembly of its own—should congress fail
to pass the law in question. And surely, if congress should
ever so nullify a law, enough good would still remain to
make us all thankful we had advanced from the position
occupied at the present time.
As a whole the territorial bill is remarkably good, and
Delegate Wickersliam, when he returns to Washington,
ought to know that in the fight for its passage he has the
backing of a people who, though scattered over a tex*ritory
immense in area, are as one on a subject so vital to their
future welfare.
FAMOUS WRESTLER
AFTER GOTGH'S TITLE
Another European wrestling marvel is to invade the United States
this year with the idea of wresting the world’s catch as catch-can title
from Frank C.otch and removing it to ioreign shores. He is Stanislaus
Cyganiewicz, known to the wrestling world as “Zbyszko,” and he has
sailed from London and wfil arrive in New York tomorrow,. Sept. io.
From all accounts, this Zbyszko is the greatest of all wrestlers ever
turned out by the other side, not excepting YousifF, the original Terri
ble Turk, whose heavily laden belt of American gold ballasted his car
cass to the depth of the Atlantic in the historic sinking of the La Gas
cogne, after he had beaten all of America’s best wrestlers, and was on
his way home with a ton, figuratively speaking, of American gold.
Zbyszko will come to America w:th the honor-bound promise of
Frank Gotch that he will give him a chance at the world’s title if he
succeeds in defeating the best of the American heavyweights outside ol
himself. Zbyszko wrung this promise from Gotch during the occasion
of the latter’s visit over there when he went to try to force Hacken
schmidt into a match after having beaten him here.
At that time Zbyszko, who is immensely more popular in London
than Hackenschmidt, posted $5000 with the London Sportsman to bind
a match with Gotch. Zbyszko kept after Gotch, not nagging, but in a
sportsmanlike way, offering to wager his own money and wrestle any
where, as long as he had a chance at the title. As every one knows,
Gotch refused to wrestle any one on the other side but Hackenschmidt,
and, when the latter crawled, the American came home. Before he
left he promised Zbyszko that if he would come to America and defeat
the wrestlers just a grade removed from Gotch’s class he would wrestle
him. It is in compliance with the conditions named by Gotch that
Zbyszko is now’ coming to New York.
Zbyszko doesn't come without a record, as did Yousiff Mahmout,
who campaigned the states last year, only to prove a mark for Gotch
when the pair finally met at Chicago. Zbyszko has beaten all the best
wrestlers of Europe, with the exception of Hackenschmidt, and it is
through his showing up of the latter that he won from the Russian all
his prestige with the London people. Hackenschmidt was more afraid
Zbyszko than he was of Gotch. He was finally persuaded to get onto
a mat with the American. He has steadfastly refused, in the face of
the most flattering and muuificent offers, to even get close enough to
sign the articles with Zbyszko. The latter beat Padoubney, who gave
Hackenschmidt his greatest struggle, easily in two straight falls, each
iess than 10 minutes. Zbyszko was formerly a strong man before tak
ing to the wrestling game. In this respect he was like Hackenschmidt.
Like the Russian, wrestling came to him like second uature, and he
was an immediate success. He is a powerfully built man, and in tbi
respect he outshadows Hackenschmidt in every particular. Zbyszko is
26 years old, weighs 270 pounds in wrestling togs, and is 5 feet 11
inches in height. His neck is 22 inches round, chest 55 inches, waist
42 inches, upper arm 22 inches, forearm 10 inches, wrist 13 inches, bi
ceps 31 inches, calf 19inches. Compare these measurements with
some of the noted American wrestlers and heavyweight boxers and
some idea of the mammoth size of the new wrestling invader may be
had.
Zbyszko is a native of Poland and is representative of the highest
Polish type. He is well to do in his own name and need not depend
on his wrestling ability to earn a livelihood, but he is a true sportsman,
proud of the wonderful attributes that nature has endowed him with,
and if he has a superior in the world at bis chosen game he wants to
find him.
Zbyszko’s most famous matches have been at the Greco-Roman
style, but since the assurance of Gotch that he may have a chance at
the catch-as-catch-can style, the foreigner has been daily familiarizing
himself with the fine points of the take-a-hold-auywhere style. His
bulk and tremendous strength alone would make him a hard man to
beat. The last word in favor of the foreigner is that he is one of the
cleanest living athletes in the world. He adheres to a strict physical
culture daily program and wastes none of bis strength in dissipation of
any kind. His endurance lias never been really tested, for he has al
ways won his bouts in last time, but his habits and strength would in
dicate that if put to it he could outlast any athlete now in the public
eye.
INJURIOUS TO HOME BUSINESS
Kverv citizen who deals with a mail-order house strikes a blow di
rectly at his home interests, says the Montoursville (Pa.) Republic, be
cause he is sending money out of the town that would do more good if
expended at home. The mail-order houses are both tricky’ and catchy’.
There are a number of suits against these houses in the west for mis
representating through the mails some of (lie articles they offer for sale,
and they are leaving no stone unturned to prevent the case from com
ing to trial.
They operate under a percentage of expense much larger than the
average successful retailer. Their cost of soliciting and following up
runs into amazing figures.
Can it possibly benefit a cornu:unity when the consumer sends his
money to Chicago? It is ceitainly true that if you take the cash to any
local house you can get as good service and quality as from any mail
order house. Is it not a significant fact that in the city’ of Chicago, tlie
home of the mail-order houses, the retailer instead of being wiped out,
is, on the contrary, in a flourishing condition? If the people of Chi
cago could get the quality they desire at a saving of 25 to 50 per cent.,
which is the usual percentage which the mail order house claims it can
save you on your purchases from your home dealer, then it is reason
able to suppose that no one else would be doing business in Chicago
but the mail-order houses.
The houses are constantly studying and adopting the best merchan
dizing methods, but the fact remains that, wherever the consumer has
been enlightened the mail-order houses have been deprived of business.
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