Miners & Merchants Bank
IDITAROD, ALASKA
Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Busin&rs Transacted Gold Dust Bought and Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT, SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN BANK
TERRITORIAL DEPOSITARY
OFFICERS:
CHARLES ROSS, President
JOHN HOLMES, Vice President
R. C, BUTTON, Cashier
ANCHORAGE LABOR UNION
MAKES SOME SUGGESTIONS
At u regular business meeting of the
Alaska Labor Union, held at Anchorage on
March 5. the following resolutions, which
will be forwarded to Secretary of the In
terior Lane, were adopted:
"Whereas, The government of the United
States is engaged in the important work of
building a railroad from the coast to the
interior of Alaska for the principal and
prime purpose of developing the wonderful
resources of the territory and providing
homes and employment for the increasing
population of the states of the Union; and
"Whereas, In order to successfully carry
out this purpose it is necessary to consider
the welfare of the people of Alaska, in the
first instance, and of those now residing in
and those who may hereafter become resi
dents of the territory; and
"Whereas, It appears to us that the prac
tice thus far pursued by the government
in the construction of the railroad has not
riven due consideration to the importance
of the matters presented in these resolu
tions; therefore be it
Resolved, by the Alaska Labor Union of
Anchorage, composed of 2,000 members,
That in the employment of all classes id
labor upon the government railroad in
Alaska, other things being equal, Alaskans,
and especially residents of the territory with
wives and families dependent upon them,
- hould be given the preference;
"Tli at the policy heretofore pursued by
the Alaskan engineering commission in
maintaining a commissary for the exclusive
use and benefit of its employes, where pro
visions, clothing and supplies may be
bought, should be continued at cost, and
especially is this considered important in
view of the continually increasing cost of
supplies purchased in the local markets.
"That all men engaged by the Alaskan
engineering commission in the construction
of the government railroad in Alaska are
‘employes* of the commission within the
meaning and intent of the federal law pro
viding for compensation in case of injury
or death, and that this is a beneficial law
based on principles of equity and justice,
and its evident purpose should not be de
feated, or its benefits diminished, by any
■peculiar kind of employment, or form of
''ontract used in the employment of labor.
"That the policy of the Alaskan engi
neering commission in providing clean, com
modious and comfortable living quarters for
the employes of the commission in An
chorage, free of charge, should be extended
as rapidly as possible to the construction
camps along the line of the railroad, and
should be made to include living quarters
for married men on the same basis as those
provided for single men.
"That a copy of these resolutions be sent
to the president of the United States, to
the secretary of the interior, to the mem
bers of the Alaskan engineering commis
eion, to the delegate from Alaska in con
grass, and to any other members of con
gress thought advisable by the Alaska Labor
j Union, and that a copy be given to the
j—"-4
; MANY GERMAN RESERVISTS
JOIN ARMY OF CARRANZA
l WASHINGTON. Feb. 24. Information
j received in Washington to the effect that
| between ‘.'00 and 3(H) German army reserv
ists have arrived in Mexico City during the
last thirty days sheds new light on the ex
tent to which the German government has
been preparing for eventualities with the
United States.
According to this information, with which
officials of the state department are under
I stood to be thoroughly familiar, these re
I servists made their way to Mexico City
j from various parts of Central and South
America and from the West Indies. They
are said to speak English and Spanish
fluently and to have in mind either identi
ing themselves with the Carranza army
or with any Mexican faction willing to or
ganize a force to repel any troops which
might be landed by the United States or
Great Britain to safeguard the American
and British oil fields about Tampico.
Coupled with the persistent reports of the
presence of German submarines in the Gulf
of Mexico and the mysteriously inspired
' proposal of General Carranza to prohibit
| the exportation of fuel oil and other war
i supplies from Mexico to the warring powers !
of Europe, these latest reports from Mexico
City are being regarded with some serious
ness.
Evidence of German intrigues in Mexico
has been accumulating since long before the
severance of diplomatic relations between
the United States and Germany. Ever
since the return to Mexico on January 8 of
Rafael Zuburan, Carranza’s minister to Ber
lin, there have been growing signs of a pro
German leaven at work in the Carranza
government. Consequently officials of the
state department were not altogether taken
by surprise when a week ago Carranza
issued his proposal.
-4
ADAM EXONERATED
The minister was preaching on little ]
things—how great events from trifling
causes spring, and an obiter dictum was.
"Did you ever reflect that a single man
, was the father of the human race?” Sev
eral members of the congregation subse
quently assured each other that they re
garded Adam as married. Manchester
Guardian.
GRAND BAR 8'YEAR0LD GIBS0N RYE
vesirriw JUAN DE FUCA and
FLAT CITY MARC ANTONY CIGARS
Thp g^rsa nrf ‘°'aatt
I SsU |eimf S E %)tf Mrs. Geo. Mutchler, Prop.
Nicely Furnished Rooms Barn for Horses and Dogs Baths in Connertjon
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
MERCHANTS' CAFE
GOOD MEALS
... ii ib— SHORT ORDERS mm
FIRST AVL OPEN DAY AND NIGHT ^ J™
Prop.
Fresh Meats
8*cond8t.IDITAROD IVIEAT CO- ***»<«>««»
j Get“More Money” lor your Foxes
! Black, Silver, Cross, Red, White and Blue, Lynx,
Bear, Marten and other Fur hearers collected in your section
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house in the World dealing exclusively in NORTH AMERICAN RAW FURS
a reliable—responsible—safe Fur House with an unblemished rep
utation existing for “more than a third of a century.” a long suc
cessful record of sendin g Fur Shippers prompt.S AT1S FACTOR\
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the only reliable, accurate market report and price list published.
Write for it-NOW—it’s FREE
A R SHUBERT Inr 25-27 WEST AUSTIN AVE.
B, u. jnuDt-i\ t, tnc. Dep, 66 Chicago, u.s.a.
ACTIVITIES OF GERMAN SPIES
IN PANAMA CANAL REGION
CAUSE OFFICIALS ANXIETY
NEW YORK, March 12. The New York
Times says that German secret agents for
months have been exerting every effort to
gain confidential information concerning
the United States navy, the fortifications
guarding the principal American ports, and
the Panama canal, is a fact known to the
government of the United States. From two
sources that are official it is known that
recently the navy department came into
possession of three letters by a man who
has been in a position to get certain confi
dential data concerning the navy, written
to officials of the German government, in
which this man, an American citizen of
German extraction, offered to sell “certain
confidential information.” Photographic
copies of these letters are on file in the
navy department, while other copies are in
the possession of the secret service.
It has also been established that on sev
eral occasions since the war in Europe
started German “surveying parties” have
been detected along the route of the Pan
ama canal. These groups of Germans, some
of them from German ships interned at
Panama, and others resident in that coun
try, are said to have mapped routes leading
to vital points along the canal route, and
also to have made note of the location of
power houses, lights and other stations
which, if -destroyed, would either block or
seriously impede the operation of the canal.
These men, however, were careful to re
main on the Panama side of the canal strip,
and so far as it is known, none of them
ventured across the line into the .territory
which is under the jurisdiction of Colonel
Chester Harding, U. S. A., governor of the
Canal Zone.
iUc Mainuciiw irgttiuwig w
tivities in Panama have been confirmed by
several army officers who are familiar with
the details.’ The matter has been made
the subject of several reports to the war de
partment, and all necessary precautions
have been taken to frustrate any efforts
on the part of "the surveying parties" to
damage the canal.
The man who offered to sell navy infor
mation to the Germans is well known in
both naval and civilian circles. He has
never held an official position in the navy
department, but at times has enjoyed per
mits the use of which made it possible for
him to gain confidential information regard
ing battle maneuvers of the Atlantic fleet.
The very- prompt work of the secret service
put an end to his machinations before he
was able to do any harm.
A few days ago a representative of the
New York Times asked one of the highest
civilian officials of the navy department re
garding the activities of “the man who !
tried to sell naval secrets to the Germans." j
“It is quite true that we have photo- [
graphed three such letters written by the j
man you name,” this official replied. “I am I
sorry, however, that it would not be good j
policy at this time to make those letters j
public. All that I can say at this time is
that the information you have is correct.”
It is also known that German agents in
bis country have been keeping on file ever
since the outbreak of the war in Europe
lists of German subjects in the United States
who would be relied upon to serve the
fatherland in the event of a German-Ameri
zan break. One of these lists, on which
appeared the names of more than 1,000 Ger
man subjects, is said to have been found
in the Von Igel papers, which were seized
vhen the office of that German agent, at
SO Wall street, was entered and searched
by the department of justice agents a year
ago.
The papers seized in Von Igel’s office—
Yon Igel was the successor in New York of
Captain Von Papen, the recalled German
■tiilitary attache—never have been made
public. The originals are understood to be
still in the possession of the department of
justice, while photographic copies of them
are in the hands of other government offi
cials whose duties involve the handling of
German plot cases.
For months secret service agents hail been
busy preparing for the diplomatic break.
Plans for guarding ships, navy yards, ar
senals, fortifications, wireless stations, cables
and munitions plants in all parts of the
country had been worked out in great de
tail.
It is estimated that there are at least
10.000 German, Austro-Hungarian, Bul
garian and Turkish agents in the United
States whose movements are watched by
the secret service forces of the government.
At least 5,000 of these men are said to be
in New York.
In addition to the secret service organiza
tions of the government the entire force of
customs inspectors in all parts of the coun
try, the police of all cities, the postoffice
inspection service, and various other agen
cies, federal, state and municipal, are work
ing hand in hand to protcet the United
States and its citizens.
-A
TO A COW
Corniferous wet-nurse of the human race,
Calm, comfortable cow, with placid pride,
Yielding your offering at eventide
To the brown goddess who, with rustic
grace,
Clad in a simple smock and apron wide,
Whose fickle folds make scant pretense
to hide
The lissome lines they roguishly retrace!
Now all alone, with brimming pail, she
wends
Her homeward way across the field, and
now
The pathway of the meadow slope ascends,
Till, gathered in the purple of its brow,
Her fading shape into the twilight blends,
Leaving to me the darkness—and the
cow.
—Oliver Herford in The Centurv.
-— -♦—
LOOK WHAT SNOW DID
JUNEAU, March 21.—A resolution intro
duced in the house of representatives by
Representative Snow of Ruby, indorsing
Governor Strong for reappointment, “be
cause of his fair and impartial administra
tion,” passed the house without opposition
yesterday afternoon. Soon after the senate
approved the house resolution by a unani
mous vote.
-♦ ---
FOR SALE—TEAMS
One team of horses and one of mules,
with sleds and harness complete.
NORTHERN COMMERCIAL CO.
------
Fresh Olympia and Eastern Oysters,
11.50 per can. Iditarod Meat Co.
♦oooooooooooooooo^
ALASKA NEWS
o o
♦oooooooooooooooo*
No Dogs for Pribiloffs
A special order has been issued by Secre
tary of Commerce Red field prohibiting the
landing of any dogs on the PribilolT islands,
and directing that all dogs now there be
removed not later than July 1, 1917, in
order to prevent molestation of the fur seal
and fox herds controlled by the govern
ment.
—O—
Railroad Work to Be Pushed
Work on the government railroad along
Turnagain arm is to be pushed from both
ends this summer, according to an an
nouncement just made by the Alaskan en
gineering commission. No particular point
will be designated as the goal from either
end, each district engineer having instruc
tions to do as much as possible and co
operate in the matter of distribution of sup
plies. Advices from Seattle state that bids
have been called for for 12,000,000 feet of
bridge timbers and heavy construction lum
ber, in addition to 1,000,000 feet already or
dered for the Seward division, and contracts
previously let for material for other divi
sions. Details as to the destination of the
latest order were not given out. No fur
ther statement has been made as to the
time by which the line between Seward and
Anchorage will be completed, but it is evi
dent from preliminary preparations that the
work is to be driven ahead at the fastest
gait possible. Reports from along the line
show that conditions are favorable, and that
the line can be opened as soon after the
bridges on the Seward end are rebuilt as
occasion may demand.
Porcupine and Seal Diet
A special to the Seward Gateway from
Katalla says that for two months the town
hda been without a shipment of food, and
that when the Watson arrived recently with
provisions the citizens were getting mighty
tired of porcupine, seal meat and clams.
■—O—
Jim Blaine Convicted
Jim Blaine, the Yakutat native who has
been on trial on the charge of cutting two
other natives at that place with a pocket
knife, was found guilty, according to the
Juneau Empire of February 26. According
to the testimony Blaine had made threats
against the woman in the case several times.
During the fishing season one day she be
came frightened when told that Blaine was
to return, and she had a neighbor lock her
in her house. Later her husband returned
from work and crawled through a window.
He was ill and went to sleep. Later Blaine
went to the house and entered through a
window. He told the woman to dress, as
her time had come. Blaine then attacked
and severely wounded her. He then went
after the man, but broke the knife before
serious damage had been inflicted. After
ward Blaine went to another house and tried
to secure another weapon.
Ketchikan Wint Fight
A Washington dispatch says that Ketchi
kan has won its fight ag;iinst Prince Rupert
as a fish center, Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, the
British ambassador to the United States,
having advised Ottawa to make it necessary
for the Grand Trunk railroad to discontinue
its exclusive concession to the Prince Rupert
fish houses, which, it is claimed, is ruining
the Ketchikan fish industry. More than
that, it may be said that an agreement has
now probably been made for the Grand
Trunk to operate a steamship from Prince
Rupert to Ketchikan to take care of the
American catch. The advice to Ottawa
was sent by the ambassador after he had
a conference with Secretary Redfield of the
department of commerce about the pending
congressional legislation prohibiting the im
portation of fish from Canada, fresh or
frozen, except under certain restrictions,
and rehabilitating the American salmon in
dustry on the Pacific coast. Canada desire?
to avoid this prohibitory legislation, and has
expressed its willingness to make conces
sions, so that the matter will end as indi
cated here.
Finds a Use for Limburger
Chief Goodetaw of the Copper river In
dians, who broke into print recently by
asking why the “deputy United States mar
shal in Europe did not put a stop to the
war over there,” has discovered an entirely
new use for limburger. Recently at Chitina
he was given a taste of the odiferous stuff,
and his face was a study in stolidity as he
munched a cheese-bedaubed cracker, says a
mast newspaper. His nostrils quivered as
do a rabbit’s while eating, and when he
was through his right hand went into the
proper trousers pocket and produced his
poke. Abstracting a silver dollar, he ten
dered it to the wit. “Hiyu bait. You
catchem dollar’s worth for me soon,” quoth
the chief. This was two week* ago, and
yesterday he came to town with twenty
lynx skins, which he traded in at local stores
for phonograph records, groceries, candy
and some blankets. Then he endeavored to
buy some more “hiyu bait.” “You know
whatcha callem, heap smellum. White man
put ’em on cracker. Indian he put ’em on
meat trap, catch plenty lynx.”
EMPLOYES OF RAILROAD
The number of employes of the Anchorage
division of the Alaska government railroad,
as shown by the payrolls on Saturday, March
3, was as follows, according to the Alaska
Railroad Record:
Commissioners’ office . 36
Shops and Yards. 136
Transportation service. lb
Store and dock departments. 136
Accounting department . 19
Disbursing office. 0
Townsite department.. 22
Steward’s department . 11
fospital department . 25
Telegraph and telephone department- ■ 59
Track, bridge and ballast—main line- ■ 97
Turnagain arm district. 184
Matanuska district . 208
Talkeetna district . 153
Station men and laborers, all district*... 965
Grand total ■ ■ ■ ■ -.2,072
accuracy
“I am delighted to meet you,” said the
father of the college student, shaking hands
with the professor. “My son took algebra
from you last year, you know.”
“Pardon me,” said the professor; "he was
exposed to it, but he did not take it.
Christian Register. _
For steam baths, go to the Snyder House,
Flat.
EARL BYERS AS AN AVIATOR
ATTRACTS WIDE ATTENTION
IN EASTERN NEWSPAPERS
_
In the last mail Postmaster Ansley re
ceived the following letter and newspaper
! clipping:
Rochester, Feb. 4, 1917.
William Ansley, Iditarod:
Dear Sir: 1 certainly cannot refrain
from extending to you my congratulations
for the manner in which you are to receive
your mail in the future. Lots of people
out here ask me what I think of it and I
only have one answer: “The very best
people from all parts of the world are in
Alaska, and we are able to do 'most any
thing.’’ And I guess I am not far wrong. I
inclose you a clipping from a Chicago patter.
Yours truly . O. SANDERS’’
The clipping is as follows, without any
attempt to reproduce the display headlines:
Will Deliver Alaska’s Mail by Aeroplane—
For *49,000 Yearly, Des Moines Aviator
Agrees to Make Two Trips Weekly
Des Moines, la.. Feb. 3.—Earl L. Byers
has one of the most unusual contracts ever
let by the United States government. He
has agreed to carry mail by airplane over
a route in Alaska at a compensation of
$49,500 annually.
Byers will make two trips each week be
tween Nome and a camp 381 miles inland.
He will carry mail and passengers, and his
service will bring the mining camp three
weeks nearer the outside world.
The country over which he will fly is
mountainous. There are no level tracts on
which to make a landing in case his engine
j should stop. In winter the snowfall is be
tween twenty-five and thirty feet deep.
All of these possible troubles were con
sidered by Byers before he took this con
tract. On a trial trip he carried four pas
sengers, the weight being one thousand
pounds.
The questions arise, Has Earl been string
ing somebody back in dear old Des Moines?
Has somebody been stringing the Chicago
newspaper? or Has Councilman Byers been
doing stunts with an airship unbeknown to
his fellow-townsmen ?
_▲_
ANCIENT GAME OF BUNKO
PULLED OFF IN CHICAGO
CHICAGO, Feb. 24.—Alaska "prospec
tors,” with cigar boxes filled with “nuggets”
and “dust,” are finding Chicago the original
Barnum town. Martin Lutz joined the
mourners’ corner at the police station the
other day. Martin is a tailor.
A prosperous-appearing customer came
in to be measured. Incidentally he re
marked that he was a jeweler. A few min
utes later tw-o "prospectors” entered. Slouch
hats, high tops, mackinaws and the rest, |
were all there. And so was the box of
“dust.”
They broached their proposition to Lutz, j
The jeweler, attentive, also was interested. |
After examining the “dust” he offered to
buy it all. However, being a good sport. !
he let. Lutz in on half of it.
When the tailor brought bis $1,500 in- 1
Vestment to the police station the detec- ]
tives made but one comment:
“Brass filings."
THE DIFFERENCE
“Well, George,” said the president of the
company to old George, “how goes it?”
“Fair to middlin’, sir,” George answered.
And he continued to currycomb a bay
horse.
“Me an’ this here hoss,” George said sud
denly, "has worked for your firm sixteen
year.”
'Well, well,” said the president, thinking
a little guiltily of George’s salary. “And I
suppose you are both pretty highly valued,
George, eh?”
“H’m,” said George, “the both of us was
took sick last week, and they got a doctor
for the hoss, but they just docked my
pay.”—Home Companion.
BUTTE LABOR CONDITIONS
A news dispatch from Butte, Mont., gays
that, postal facilities there are badly crip
pled owing to the inability of the postmaster
to secure clerks. The great boom in min
ing caused by the high price of copper has
taken every available man, and the wages
paid are the highest ever paid in this dis
trict. Common laborers are getting $4.j0
per day, and skilled miners proportionately
higher wages. As a consequence no one is
willing to accept the lower wages offered
by the postoffice department.
OPEN DAY AND NICMT
DISCOVERY
CAFE
FLAT CITY HOHBACK 4 DURAND
Set. the Grand and Bagoy's Bari
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
Big Stocks of Fresh Goods
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
WAX SIMEL
Store* at Crlppla city and Mouth of Tolatct
Best of Everything
A LI, THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Dav end Ni*ht
FINE WATCH REPAIRING
NUGGET JEWELRY TO ORDER
J. L. SALE, Flat Gty
PI ATAPn^ Mi? and small, primed on
I paper, cardboard or (Moth,
on short nolire, at Idltarod Pioneer ('flee.
Flat City's
Popular Resort
□ □
The
Branch
A. D. CURRIE
Marquette kk Rye
National Club Bourbon
Best Brands ot Cigars
BUDWEISER BEER
Family Orders Promptly Filled
HURST CIGAR STORE
PIPES AND TOBACCOS
FuD Line of Wellington Pipes, Wholesale
W»tover—WholwaJa Nica, Frwh Choeolatw, NuU, CandiM and Fwjitt
POOL BARBER SHOP
J. A. NELSON, Prop.
HARRY DONNELLEY
EEElE general merchandise
DISCOVERY. OTTER
Furs H-„?£*s’ Furs
IS IN THE MARKET TO BUY ONE THOUSAND FURS
Black, Silver, Crow and Red Fox, Mink, Ermine, Lynx and last
year's catch of Marten
IDITAROD FLAT
I NICELY FURNISHED ROOMS BY DAY OR WEEK
Warm, Clean Well Ventilated
OPEN DAY AND NJGHT
TUF PDfiODV Massas® and
I !S UllUuD I Bath Parior*
MEDBATEB, MINERAL VAPOR, STEAM, ■"}M
TUB, SALT AND FRESH WATER D£liEVl&
Caribou Sfc> Bet. Black and Wiftow Ste., on Waterfaeot
Elietric >Bd Faradie Massage Tmtmirts by Eipsrt Altwdiita
Lighted by Gm 3taMi by Gfrau