4 Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. ‘ iiie uchs oi me liav in Pictures” Member ol 1 be Associated Pres*
THE NOME NUGGET
VOL. 44. No. 139. NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, NOV. 20, 1942. Per Copy
40 Die Poisoning, Oregon Asylum
‘Alcan’ Military Highway Formally Opened Today
I
By United Nations, Contact Axis, ,
Converge Bizerte,, Tripoli, Bengasi
sy i mb led by the United N. 'ms since the start
of Bn war converged on Bizerte, Tripoli and Bengasi
in a triangle of fighting, in contact with Axis forces,
whil ■ Allied planes and parachut > trops built up air
power in preparation for a final assault to wipe out the
Germans and Italians in North Africa.
v Americans and British squeezed the last Axis
Tooth" I iVom the east and west, a motorized column
of Fighting French are reported driving up from their
Lake f r! base, 1200 miles to the south, to put the
Lo-ra Crass of the Fighting French into the battle,
aim vr 'h the Tricolor of French North Africa garri
sons w'rso joined with the Allies in sweeping' back out
lying Axis patrols.
J .*« u . (fen. Anderson’s first army of veterans of
FI and r, d
po'nk "i r
m a am i ta
Tunis and Bizerte against pro-Allied French resisu
. . /• ..dug ahead of Anderson’s ground forces,
Li ‘ i:d • and A me rxan parachutists are seizing vital air
fiei ' v. by follow-up units, and U. S. Army Air
. Forces and ihe RAF are already gunning their way
t throu h the Axis aerial screen.
$250j^0 Fire
flits Sitka
November 6
lire starting shortly before
midnight November fith in Sitka
destroy • t;,e TV. i’. Mills Build
ing, (•••"(ainin? stores with apart
men': : hove, ard al o Prosper S.
C.;.nt' ' rr-,. <^tore building and
wa”ei*< ■ e m TJncnln Street be
fore it win brought under con
trol afler a hard fight of three
hour. ■ ■■ the combined City,
Army and Navy fire depart
ments.
M r* , w estimated at Sd50,
Ofifl. 1 a* t’glly covered by insur
ance.
Ip the \V. P. Mills Building, a
frame vo-bny structure, con
strnctc.i c ars and years ago, •
were the Arcade Cafe, Sam Pap
pas, proprietor and C. E. Wort
man’s drug store.
Apartments above were oeou- 1
pied by I > Jia Tilson, .Tack
Gough. Johnny Homethko and
Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Wort
man.
Grease Fire
The blaze started from a
grease lire in the Arcade Cafe !
and the flames spread rapidly.i
The fire alarm was immediately I
sounded and members of the Sit
ka Fire Department were quick- j
ly at the scene.
The flames ate their way thru
the tinder-like frame W. P. Mills I
Building with a roar and soon at
tacked the Ganty Building.
As the fire raged. Army and !
Navy fire deparment hurried to i
the scene and bent every effort i
at controlling the flames and pre
venting them from spreading to
the Sitka Hotel on one side, sep
araed from the burning structur
es by a narrow space and the
building on the other side as
well, also the frame structure on
the opposite side of the street.
Fk'.mrs Spread Quickly
1' -.braes .spread «o quickly
('•)!. it was Impossible to save
; the bu ;in ■ < saMish
— nt o. personal and household
■' rtc in the apartments above.
it was over three hears after
t! fire was first discovered be
fore the “ail out and sole” sig
nal was given.
The loss of the Wortman Drug
Steve leaves Sitka without an
e lablisliment of I ke kind. Be
i:’es the complete drug line han
tiled h> the store, a large stock
>i Chri/tmas supplies. curios,
tc. v;an destroyed.
The Arcade Cafe was one of
♦ >..? well established eating plac
o of Sitka.
Wei 1 Stocked Store
The Canty Store building had
recently been entirely remodel
ed and a large uarehou.se extend
yd. Mr. Canty is now with the
naval forces and is a lieutenant
stationed at Ketchikan. Mrs.
Canty and J. P. Brightman have
been managing the establish
ment. The stock in the store and
warehouse was a large one, in
cluding groceries, meats, general
merchandise, sporting goods,
hunting supplies and clothing.
The only casualty suffered dur
ing the fire was Fireman Tom
.McNulty, who was treated for
suffocation from the smoke.
Several thousand dollars was
recentl spent by Mills on new
piling for his building and to
raise it to the new grade of Lin
coln Street, which is now being
paved.
Lincoln Street on which the de
stroyed buildings were located is
the principal thoroughfare of
Sitka and follows the waterfront
from the Northland Transporta
tion Company to Totem Pole
Park. On it are located most of
the important business houses
of the city.
Newspaper advertising
will develop new business |
for you.
Jn Opening Battle for Strategic
Tunis, German Blitz Receives
Drubbing From Allied Trooos
C 1
UNDATED, Nov. 20 (/I3) — Allied headquarters
announced that American and British troops, locked
in the first heavy fighting in Tunisia, have driven back
every German attempt to thrust out from their newly
formed lines around Tunis and Bizerte, whil / pro
Allied French soldiers captured a small Nazi force in i
eastern Tunsia. At the same time Hitler’s command
acknowledged that fleeing Axis columns in Libya aban
doned Bengasi, last escape port in North Africa east
of Tripoli.
United Nations headquarers said Allied troops, in
eluding American mobile artillery drubbed the Axis
| in three sharp clashes yesterday, destroying about one
third of a German armored column and driving two
others in retreat.
Even as Marshal Petain appealed to Frenchmen in
North Africa “to resist Anglo-Saxon aggression,”
French colonial troops are officially reported to have
bagged a group of Nazis attempting to push south along
the Gulf of Gabes in eastern Tunisia.
Dispatches said the opening battle for control of
the strategic North African buffer state developed be
tween 30 and 40 miles from Bizerte, the Germans us
ing their best medium tanks and dive bombers. Allied
. losses were described as “minor.”
American and British mechanized troops have
; now driven 50 miles eastward from the Algerian front
ier and are reported moving in climactic assaults cr
Bizerte and Tunis.
Alcan Highway
Is Formally
Opened Today
WHITEHORSE. Y. T. —It took
six men to clip the red. white
and bine ribbon at the Alaska
Yukon Territory boundary today
at the ceremony officially open
ing the new military highway
be ween Dawson Creek, B. C.,
and Fairbanks, Alaska.
|
A specially engraved pair of
shears was used by Charles Cam
sell. Northwest Territories Com
missioner representing Canada;
and E. E. “Bob” Bartlett, acting
Governor of Alaska, represent
ing the United States.
The other four were enlisted
men holding the ribbon and
were selected f or meritorious
work during the highway con
struction. Brig. Gen. James
O’Connor, head of the American
1 Army's Northwest Service com
mand. spoke at the dedication.
2 Young Soldiers
Be First to Drive
iOver Highway
WHITEHORSE, Y. T.. Nov. 18
(,/P) — Two young soldiers in a
small, dusry army truck, batter
ed from use, will take their
places in northland history on
Friday.
The truck, a sort of Cinderel- j
la’s coach, will be the first land ;
vehicle ever driven between the '
interior of Norh America and the |
I Territory of Alaska.
The soldiers are Corporal Otto
i Gronke of Chicago, and Private
Ex-Commandant
Marine Corps Dies
BALTIMORE, Nov. 20 iff1) —
Lt. Gen. John LeJuene, former
commandant of the U S. Marine
Corps, died here, at the age of
75.
Lend-Lease Sup
plies to Egypt Big
WASHINGTON, Nov. — The
President reported that the total
of lend-lease shipments for the
Egyptian fighting zone has reach
ed $636,000,000.
The hulk of shipments has
been in the last nine months,
during which this country ship
ped to Egypt more than a thou
sand planes and “many hun
dreds of tanks, of which more
than 500 were of medium type
20,000 trucks and a hundred
pieces of artillery.”
First Class Robert Bowe, of
Minneapolis.
Several months ago, the two
drove the truck on the fiwt
through trip to Whitehorse from
Dawson Creek.
Today they were chosen by
Col. K. B. Bush, chief of staff, of
the Army Engineers, to proceed
with the truck northward to Fair
banks after the Alaskan High
way's formal dedication.
Grinning widely when told
they had been chosen, both ag
reed they would be ready to
throw the truck into gear and
start for Fairbanks, Alaska,
when the dedication formalities
are completed.
3uy Defense Bonds and Stamp.
Forty Inmates Oregon State Hospital
Dead, Stricken by Unidentified Poison
SALEM, Oregon, Nov. 19 (/P) — Forty insane in
mates of the Oregon State Hospital are dead, stricken
by an unidentified poison, as the corps of physicians
sruggled to save the lives of more than 400 other men
and women. The poison was possibly contained in
frozen eggs and struck swiftly within 15 minutes after
dinner last night when the eggs were served.
The victims began complaining of violent cramps
within an hour, and the poison caused the first death
by 10 p.m., five hours after the meal was served. Ten
died by midnight and 32 by 4 a.m.
Forty eggs had been obtained from the Federal
Surplus Commodities Corporation.
Dr. J. C. Evans, harp:*, il superintendent .-aid the
vie ms ruf’cred nausea ami vomiting and them blood
hewed evidence of acute toxic poison big. He said a
eonditi n of respiratory paralysis and violent cramps
in the legs preceded death.
W omen War Work
ers !n Contes!
By CAHLTON F1TCIIETT
SEATTLE. Nov. 18 — Girls1
r.rwl wonif-r who work in cover
r.P.i and darks to keep ships in
the air for Pan-American Air
a- yesterday presented four of
their number as candidates in
TK- Post-JTiteilw oncer’s MISS
yi'Ti Ry contest.
They are Mrs. Ilazcl Hamilton
258- E. 4?nd St., stock room em
ploye; Miss Betty Van West, 1525
Harvard Ave., a painter; Mrs.
Edith Johnson, 2921 E. Madison
St.. a shipping clerk, and Mrs.
Alice McNail. 902 21th Ave., S.,
a painter.
Employes of tin* big a!r trans
povtation system here elected
them with elaborate ceremonies
i
and a lot of good-natured fun .
mixed with the serious purpose.
More than .200 men and wo-1
men employe of the shop gather
ed around a specially decorated
rostrum for the proceedings.
With four to he elected, seven i
nominees were placed on the el- !
ection ballot.
R. BeHaan. shop superintend- J
cut, conducted candidates, one i
at a time, to the rostrum, and N.
Mihailoff, maintenance person-;
) "1 director, made a speech out-,
lining merits of each aspirant.
After the seven paraded in the
manner of a style show, voting
began with Leroy liaine guard-1
ing tire poils. Men as well as
women voted and the four win-,
ners were presented on the ros
trum to receive applause.
Alaska Evacuee
Mrs. McNail, evacuated from
! Alaska, is caring for three small
children and has a brother in
the army. This is her first job.
Mrs. Hamilton, working on
the night shift at the service
window, is custodian of parts
and working tools. One brother
, is in the army and one in the
!coast guard.
Miss Van W’est quit her work
1 as a commercial artist to paint
; insignia on Pan American plan
es. She is a blood donor and be
fore going on the night shift at
Pan American shops she was a
junior hostess for the United
Service Organization.
Mrs. Johnson holds a respon
j sible position as shipping clerk,
i Ilcr husband and two sons are
in the navy and serving over
seas. She has three daughters
and four grandehTdrcn.
(Ml have ouslandir.g work re
cords and are popular because of
their enthusie r.i and cheerful
ness.
All aje hiding responsibl
positions filled in peace time by
men, who are oilier in the armed
forces rr ether essential war
services.
Their election hrings to 36, the
i.nnil er of candidates seeking
: title or MI?.;, VICTORY OF
PUGET SOUND.
War industries of the Puget
are? have le. s than a week re
maining in which to name en
trants in this fascinating contest.
Names of all contestants must
be in the hands of MISS VIC
TORY editor of The Post-Intelli
gencer not later than midnight
!• riday.
Though leading war industries
of the Puget Sound area are par
ticipating in the contest, there is
room for move. There is still
tone for any war plant employ
ing 35 or more women war work
er.s to join and choose candidat
es before the deadline.
This is not a beauty or popu
larity rontest. .Miss Victory of Pu
get Sound, tiie regional winner,
will he chosen on her merits as a
skilled and conscientious wo. ker
and because of her patriotic out
side activities. The sacrifices she
may have made of her normal
life to accept a war job also will
count in her favor.
Trip To Chicago
And she will he richly reward
ed for her victory. On being pro
claimed the winner, she will re
ceive a $500 War Bond, the gift
of The Post-Intelligencer.
As long as she lives, Novem
ber 30 and December 7 will be
unforgettable days on her cal
endar.
The first will be the day on
which she was announced the
winner of the title of MISS
VICTORY OF PUGET SOUND.
December 7, a date no Ameri
can will ever forget, will find
her in Chicago competing in the
national contest.
It may be the day she is chos
en MISS VICTOR!. THE TYPI
CAL AMERICAN WAR WORK
ER.
Her expenses to and from Chic
ago will be paid. If she wins the
national title she goes, also with
out expense, to Washington, D.
C., honored by high government
officials.
High School Gym Piayfield Jamboree Nov. 21
CASH DOOR PRIZE GAMES — FOOD — DANCING_8:00 P. M.