TANANA LEADER
Published Every Thursday at Tanana, Alaska,
BY GIB30N PUBLISHING CO.
Vo! 1
No. 19
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THE PEOPLE ARE UNANIMOUS
There are two or three newspapers in Alaska which
treat the home-rule-for-Alaska question as if it were still a
debatable issue among the people of Alaska. It may be
needless to point out that these newspapers are the en
slaved of corporations doing business in the territory. And
no corporation, great or small, whose object is aggrandize
ment and spoliation, want the people to rule. To them a
despotism is more preferable. It is cheaper. The corpora*
ation in Alaska which wishes only to do business on a
live-and-let-live basis, is not nearly so active in its opposi
tion to autonomous government—but these are few and
far between.
The people of Alaska settled the home rule question, so
far as it lay in their power, long ago. In two elections for
delegate they unamously declared for it. In fact at no
time has the hessian and tory corporate question had the
temerity to put an anti-home rule candidate for any'elec
tive office in the territory. Its policy is that of a skulker;
its only mission to obscure issues.
The home rule bill will be introduced at the next reg
iilar session of congress. The only opposition to its pas
sage will be that fabricated by the corporations and direct
ed by their paid lobyists. They may succeed in holding it
up for a time, but not long. For even the gates of hell
can not withstand a righteous cause—and Alaska corpora
tions can not beat—the gates.—Katalla Herald.
STILL COINING FRQSV3 CANADA
In spite of the considerable movement of American
farmers from Western States into Canada, the balance of
immigration still sets the other way, according to C. B.
Schmidt, commissioner of immigration of the Rock Island
railroad system. From official figures Mr. Schmidt reckons
that during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908—a light
one in comparison with the preceding twelvemonth—56,800
persons left homes in the United States for Canada, while
58,268 reversed the process, a balance of 1,966 in favor of
the United States. It is not the size of American emigra
tion to Canada that attracts attention, but its character
and the fact that there is any emigration at all from the
greater republic. Those who go are nearly all farmers.
Those who come are of many occupations. For every 1000
persons living in Canada in 1900 there were 200 Canadians
by birth living in the United States. The proportions
from other countries were: Germany, 40; France, 3; Great
Britain, 30; Italy, 15; Austria-Hungary, 10. Ireland alone
of all countries has sent here a larger proportion of her na
tive population than Canada.
THE NEW GOLD DELUGE
“Let us give up gold before it becomes too cheap for
monetary uses, and adopt silver,” exclaimed Chevalier in
1850. What would that French economist say if he were
here to read the story that the Rand district in South Africa
is telling these days, and what it has beon telling for many
months past? asks the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Ex
pressed in terms of dollars and cents, the gold yield of the
Rand in April was a small fraction less than 813,000,000.
As the tendency is gradually upward this average may be
expected to be more than maintained throughout the year.
Of the world’s $4-25,000,000 of gold product in 1908
the Rand contributed about $135,000,000. Probably it will
furnish $100,000,000 for 1909. The world’s aggregate will
very likely be at least $430,000,000, allowing for a falling off in
some of the other countries. The world’s gold yield is much more
than twice as great now as it was in the year in which Mr. Bryan
made his first campaign for President. It is much more than four
times as great as it was in the year in which Mr. Cleveland was
first elected. And the drift is steadily upward. On the world’s
prices and trade, what will be the consequence of this groat and
continuous expension of the gold supply?
Fifty-four years ago, when Chevalier sounded the alarm
against the gold deluge, the world’s product was $145,000,000.
That was gold production’s high-water mark until recent times.
The stream from the California field, discovered in 1848, was re
enforced in those days by the flood from the diggings in Australia,
which were found in 1851. These had more than tripled the
world’s output in eight years. But the downward tdrn started
after 1856, when California’s and Australia’s placers began to run
out, and the upward movement did not again set in until the open
ing of the new fields in Cripple Creek, the Rank, Klondike and
Alaska. The big bank in Chevalier’s country has more gold today
in its vaults than were in the government depositories of all the
great countries combined in his time, and the hoard is increasing
steadily. The world, however, is larger now than it was half a
century ago, and the-number of enterprises which appeal for ex
ploitation is far greater. The general level of comfort in most of
: the industrial countries is higher than it was then. Much of the
j expansion in the world’s trade in the past decade and a half has
j undoubtedly been due to the large increase in the gold supply.
! And there are no indications that the limit of increase is in sight.
CROSSING THE DIVIDE
Parson, I'm a maverick, just runnin’ loose an’-grazin',
Eatin’ where !s th’ greenest grass an’ drinkin’ where I choose,
Had to rustle in my youth an' never had no raisin’,
Wasn’t never halter broke, an' I ain’t much to lose;
Used to sleepin' in a bag an’ livin’ in a slicker,
Church folks never branded me—I don’t know as they tried;
Wish you’d say a prayer for me an’ try to make a dicker,
For the best they’ll give me when I cross the Big Divide.
Tell ’em I ain’t been corrallod a night in more ’n twenty,
Tell ’em I’m rawboned an’ rough an’ ain’t much for looks;
Tell ’em I don’t need much grief because I’ve had a-plenty,
I don’t know how bad I am ’cause-1 ain’t kept no books.
Tell ’em I'm a maverick a-runnin' loose unbranded,
Tell ’em I shoot straight an’ quick an’ ain't got much to hide;
Have ’em come an’ size me up as soon as I get landed,
For the best they’ll give me when I cross the Great Divide.
Tell ’em I rode straight an’ square an’ never grabbed for leather,
Never roped a crippled steer or rode a sore-backed horse,
Tell 'em I’ve bucked wind an’ rain an’ every sort of weather,
Had my tilts with A1 K. Hall an' Captain R. E. Morse.
Don’t hide nothin’ from ’em whethor it be sweet or bitter,
Tell 'em I’ll stay on th’ range, but if I’m shut outside
I'll abide it like a man, because I ain't no quitter,
I ain’t going to change just when I cross th’ Big Divide.
Tell ’em when th' Roundup comes for all us human critters
Just corral me with my kind an’ run a brand on me;
I don’t want to be corralled with hypocrites an’ quitters,
Brand me just for what I am—an’ I'm just what you see.
I don’t want no steam-het stall or bran-mash for my ration,
I just want to meet th’ Boss an’ face him honest-eyed,
Show him just what chips I got an’ shove ’em in for cashin’,
That’s what you can tell ’em wlion I cross the Big Divide.
—J. W. Foley in N. Y. Times.
Gay Deceiver Given
Year in Penitentiary
Kansas City, June 12—Chester
i M. Hamsher, in the Federal
court here, pleaded guilty to a
charge of signing his wife’s name
to love letters which he wrote
to Neil Johnson, a wealthy man
of Atchison, Kan., and he was
sentenced to a year in jail.
The - postoflice department |
could have made no objection to ’
the letters if Hamsher had not
been so mercenary in his mo
tives. “Please send $10 by re
turn mail—here are a million
kisses for you” —that was the
objectionable part of the letters
in the eyes of the officials.
The correspondence lasted six
months and Johnson was mulct
ed of nearly $500 before he was
aware of the deception and put
the case before the postoffice
authorities. Hemsher’s wife
knew nothing of the affair until
her husband was exposed.
Highest Masonic
Chief Resigns
Milwaukee, Wis., June 17.-*
The resignation of Judge Henry |
L. Palmer from the highest posi-!
tion in Masonry in the United
States, that of most puissant sov
ereign grand commander of the
Supreme Council, Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite, Thirty
third, Northern jurisdiction of
the United States, has been offi
cially pi omulgated among the
active members of the Supreme
Council, whose “Grand East” is
situated at Boston, Mass.
This resignation marks the
official close of the most remark
able Masonic record in history—
a continuous service as sovereign
grand commander of a period of
almost 30 years, and of 68 years
as an active member and officer
^n that fraternity.
When it is announced that two
hearts are made happy nowadays
it is difficult to tell whether a
marriage or a divorce has been
pulled off.--Milwaukee Sentinel.
Big Improvement
on Front Street
Road Commissioner Smith fin
ished the bridge on Front ave
nue in front of the Gilmour
property last Monday, and the
structure adds greatly to the ap-:
pearance of that thoroughfare.
The sidewalk that formerly
stretched along the ground’s de
pression at that place has been
elevated to the bridge level, and
railing has been placed along
both aides of it.
Died in Paris
M. Janne de la Mar, who for
years has been interested in the
Association Francais Mienierre
mine on Boulder creek in the
Atlin district, died in Paris of
rheumatic heart failure early this
spring. _
See us for Cloth Posters.
Kansas French in
Paris Stunts Tnwn
Independence, Kan., June 20.—The
vexatious question of what is behind
the fued that has been agitating In
dependence for more than ten years,
depressing tho city socially, financially
and otherwise, while other Kansas
towns in the gas belt hare grown into
booming, thriving muncipalities, has
at last been solved. The trouble all
arose over the gender of a French noun,
while the wives of two prominent In
dependence bankers were doing the
Continent. Years ago—twelve, to be
explicit—Mrs. George T. Guernsey and
Mrs. Adolph C. Stich went abroad for
for the summer. When tlioy reached
their hotel in Paris it was with a feel
ing of confidence that Mrs. Guernsey
directed the porter to carry “la” bag
gage to their rooms.
“My dear,” Mrs. Stich gently cor
rected, “you should say ‘le baggage’;
‘la’ you know, is feminine, and ‘le’
baggage is masculine. Don’t you
remember the rule?”
Now, Mrs. Guernsey didn’t remember
any such rule, and besides, she was
tired and hungry and perhaps a little
bit peevish. And there was the porter
standing there, and goodness only
knows what he might have been think
ing! So Mrs. Guernsey said only what
was natural and human under the cir
cumstances, and that was that she
would be immensely gratified if Mrs.
Stich would mind her own business.
That was all. The friends turned
their backs on each other.
Mrs. Guernsey had “la” baggage
taken to her room and Mrs. Stich had
“le” baggage taken to hers. The two
women returned on different steamers,
and the day they reached Independence
on different trains the war began which
has divided the town.
Mrs. Guernsey dropped out of every
club of which Mrs. Stich was a mem
ber, and Mrs. Stich struck from her
visiting list the name of every hostess
who entertained Mrs. Guernsey.
The business relations of the bankers
ceased. Mr. Guernsey withdrew from
every local enterprise in which Mr.
Stick was interested, and the latter
countered by withdrawing the credit of
of every business man who had his
name on the Commercial Bank’s books.
Business men say that if it were not
forvhe falling out of these two women,
Independence wouid be to-day a town
of .'10,000 instead of one of half that
number. _
The cheerful taffy giver
As he jogs along the way
Is the one who gathers favors
As the farmer gathers luiy.
He never in his travels
Is lacking for a friend;
He drops a bit of blarney
And draws a dividend.
—Nashville American.
Don’t stretch the truth; it is apt to
fly back and sting you.
Job Printing at The Loader office.
Remember
The Grand Hotel
WHILE STOPPING IN TANAKA
VP-TO-DATE ROOMS AND BVNKS, ALSO GOOD DOGHOUSES.
FINE WINES, LIQUORS AND CIGARS,
Pool And Billiard Tables In Connection.
Charley Chanquist Prop.
When you fail at every other Store
You Will Find What You
Want at
Tanana Commercial Company’s.
We are there with the Goods
GOTO THE
Golden North Restaurant.
Wliile In Tanana For Good Meals
And Best Service.
BEST GOODS ON THE MARKET
Meals at all Hours.
ED LEE Proprietor.