| IDITAROD PIONEER |_
Published ICvery Saturday Kyening at Iditauod, Alaska.
y0r 4 Geo. M Arbuckle. Publisher No 4
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
One Year. $10.001 One Month
Six Months . 5.001 Single Copy.
Advertising Rates on Application.
FOR GOYFRNOR OF ALASKA
F. A. Strong
ABOLISH THE POLL TAX
From an inquiry received here during the week from
Senator-elect ‘Henry Roden, asking for a statement of the
amount received from poll tax, and the cost of collecting
same, it would appear that the senator from Iditarod is
preparing an attack upon the tax with a view to its
abolition.
There are many reasons why the tax should be dis
continued, chief among which are its failure as a revenue
producer (the greater portion of theamount collected being
absorbed in salaries of officials and expenses of collection);
the lack of any sort of popular control of expenditures,
with the possible accompanying evils of graft and nepotism;
and its absolute antagonism to the ideal always to be
sought in inauguarating schemes of taxation, viz.: that all
taxes should be imposed in proportion to the capacity to
pay—all other systems being essentially unjust and worthy
only of the dark ages, when robber barons oppressed with
levies the people they feigned to protect.
Taking the first objection to the poll tax—its failure
as a revenue producer—there is ample evidence in Alaska
land right here in Iditarod) to prove that after the road
commissioner's personal charges have been met there is
very little left for actual road building—one case in the
Third division showing less than 10 per cent. The second
objection—lack of popular control of expenditures—is an
equally serious one. It is a monstrous injustice that petty
appointive officials should be empowered to waylay pedes
trians or stop men at their work and insist upon the pay
ment of an 88 tax of doubtful legality, with the alternative
of a jail sentence; especially when the taxpayer has no
more voice in the spending of the money than a malamute
pup; the road overseer expending the money according to
his own discretion, and as often as not regardless of the
wishes of the community finding the money. From the
standpoint of common justice a poll tax of any amount is
wrong in principle, inasmuch as it bears with oppressive
weigJat upon the day laborer, while the operator and busi
ness man does not feel its incidence at all. The day for
such methods of taxation is past.
With regard to the collection of a 84 poll tax in in
corporated towns the case is somewhat different. Not only
is the net amount collected proportionately larger, but the
taxpayers, through their town council, exercise complete
control over the expenditure thereof, Still the principle
of proportionate taxation remains as the only just one,
and for that reason the 84 impost in incorporated towns is
as indefensible as the 8S elsewhere—both are unjust and
should be abolished.
DEPUTY BASK
FROM OUTSIDE
Deputy Marshal Harry P. Sheppard,
who left here last August with a batch
of prisoners for McNeil island, returned
to Id i t a rod last Tuesday af'ernoon in
the pink of condition. The journey
from Seattle to Fairbanks via Cordova
and Chitina was accomplished in l.'i
days, but Mr. Sheppard was detained
in hospital at Fairbanks for a couple of
weeks on account of the accident al
ready reported in these columns.
Mr. Sheppard had the time of his
life while on the Outside, taking in
Spokane. St. Paul, Minneapolis, Chi
cago, Washington, and little old New
York. Regarding the latter place it
certainly is some town, and he does not
wonder at the natives thereof thinking
it the only place on earth. Mr. Shep
pard was there on election day, and as
his hotel adjoined the Roosevelt head
quarters he saw much of the fun. The
cost of living in New York is high,
even compared with Alaskan standards.
A simple hotel breakfast costs from 75
cents uii. while a full meal in any first
All Hours Alik& in This House
GOME ONGE AND YOU WILL COME AGAIN
FIRST AVENUE. SOUTAR & SUTHERLAND, Props.
AGAIN IN BUSINESS AT THE OLD STAND j
3
iditarod Safioonj
FRONT ST. Manuel Gularte, Prop,
Home a". Gedarbrook and Old Lewis Hunter
class place runs into several dollars.
| Rooms are $1 a night and up.
, Business on the Outside is good, par
ticularly in the East, where everybody
| seems to be busy. The business men
! of Seattle were complaining that trade
was not quite what it should be, but
that was the only kick he heard.
People in the East are still as igno
rant of Alaska as ever they were, and
it seems impossible to eradicate from
their minds the idea that the territory
| is anything but, a frozen waste.
On his return journey the deputy
1 marshal passed Mert Marston and Karl
| Thiele in Icy strait; they were on the
steamer Northwestern. He met the
Guggenheim party at Sullivan’s road
i house December 13. Tom McMahon
! was met near Copper (.'enter, Greg
'Stewart and Fred Vogler between Hot
Springs and Tolovana, and Joe Martin
dale a little above the Birches.
The Copper river was quite open De
cember 6. when Mr. Sheppard arrived
at Cordova, Ho had been expecting to
come in by way of the Seward trail,
but received sued) bad accounts of that
highway that he decided not to take
any chances.
A baby girl was born to Mrs. Ratitio,
of Discovery, last Saturday: Mother
and daughter are doing fine.
J SNYDER HOUSE Company Depot j
j Nicely Furnished Rooms FLAT CITY Large Drying Room j
The Restaurant formerly called The Rathskeller has been
turned into “A PLACE TO EAT” b, curlv mbi;so»,
i! TME? FLAT CITY, Robtr'f,V.
| £ KEEL ]ffl%J?l¥£Ju ■ front street
| Furnished Rooms, Clean Spring Beds, Bath, Dry Rooms,t,nd ewtyheToT»7e,en“ in |
Drink Eastern Beer
Miner’s Home Saloon
THE HOME OF THE “QUAKER MAID"
Foot of Willow St., Iditarod
FRESH |
SWEATS !
(
;
Beef, by the side,.$ .40
Veal, “ “ .50
button, bv the carcass.. .35
Fowl,, per lb.40
Halibut, “ .25
IP5TA8QP Hi EAT CO.
Se;ond St. Phone 15
TKF SWELLED HEAD
OUNG WINKLER worked for Jabez Beal!, who deals in
shoes and linseed meal- For years he was a valued
clerk, and Jabez warmly praised his work. And Wink
ler's friends would often say he should be drawing better pay.
“He owes his splendid trade to you; oh, what would poor old
Jabez do, if you’d decide to llee the coop? Tvvould surely leave
him in the soup.” Young Winkler’s head began to swell, so
many people stopped to tell him what a honeybird he was, and
clapped his back with fervent paws. So Winkler then began
to feel he was a bigger man than Beall, and he got grouchy,
mean and sore, because he wasn’t drawing more- He thought
if he resigned his job his boss would wail around and sob and
beg him for a while to stay, and doubtless gave him double
pay. And so, in haughty tones he told old Jabez that his feet
were cold. “My services are in demand; guod jobs await on
every hand You don’t, I fear, appreciate, how much I’ve done
to make you great ” Thus Winkler made his little spiel. “I’m
glad you quit,” said Jabez Beall. “In other days you did quite
well, but since your head began to swell you made myself and
patrons tired, and I had planned to have you tired.” Now
Winkler tramps around the town and hunts a job, and is turned
down, and while his world’s a thing of gloom, old Jabez’ trade
is on the boom. — Walt Mason.
s
Writing to the Iditarod Pioneer
from London on the eve of his de
parture for a trip up the Nile, Nat
Lyons, formerly of the Pioneer
staff, tells of a great new enterprise
in which he is interested.
lie was spending a vacation at
St. Ives bay, county of Cornwall,
when lie examined the character ol
the sands of the seashore and found
them to abound in placer tin. With
his Northern experience he knew
the value of the find, and had as
says made which showed the sands
to carry 15 pounds of tin to the
square yard. This tin is worth 40
cents a pound, or over j>6 a yard —
and an area of 1,200,000 yards has
been secured. A company to work
the deposits has been formed with
£500.000 capital fully paid, and lire
55 shares are already worth $8
Nat is financially interested in the
company.
Corn wall has been producing tin
for over 2,000 years, according to
history, and it is remarkable these
placer deposits have remained neg
lected so long, especially as it is
probable that the ancients had no
source but the surface deposits
from which to get their supplies.
STAMPEDE TO O’DONNELL RIVER
Rich pay is reported on the high
benches of O’Donnell river, Northern
British Columbia, and most of the min
ers of Spruce creek, in the Allin dis
trict, have deserted their claims to
stampede to the new diggings. The
extent of the pay is not yet known.
Louis Spitz got a license for his
saloon at Long City last month, Teddy
Shaw aud Andy Beckwith are running
the place.
CONDITIONS
Writing to Sun Bayles tinder
date of December 27 last, N N.
Jaffe does not present a very hope
ful picture of the Ruby camp. He
says:
“Business this month was rotten
—the worst I have ever seen
There was no Christmas trade to
amount to anything. For the pres
ent it don't look very good. What
it is going to be in the future it is
hard to tell; by the first of March
we will know.’’
Mr Jeffe is again casting bis
thoughts in our direction, for he
concludes his letter by asking about
trade conditions in Iditarod and
Flat.
Dan Sutherland also writes about
Ruby. He says there is nothing
new to report, but if much pros
pecting counts for anything the
Ruby section ought to show up
vtry big indeed. Continuations of
Long pay have been found, and al
though it is spotted, the senator
thinks a large amount of gold
should be taken out next summer.
POTLACH AT DISSAKET
There is a big potlach taking
place at Diskaket this week and all
surrounding tribes are taking part.
All last week the Diskaket na
tives weie making preparations,
fixing up cabins, and generally
getting ready to receive the guests.
Forerunners had been sent far atrd
wide carrying invitations and Hoii
kachek and other settlements had
signified the pleasure they would
experience in partaking of Dis
kaket’s hospitality,
CLOSE CALL I0R
BENJAMIN BOLD
Ken Gold, formerly of the Idita
rod postoffice, but latterly running
a roadhouse about 25 miles from
Cripple City, had a narrow escape
from freezing to death a few weeks
ago.
December 28 Ben started for
Mud river, traveling by way ot the
Lake Shore roadhouse. He bad
traveled but a short distance from
the latter place when the trail
forked in five directions. Taking
the one that bad been most used,
he followed it until lie came to a
cabin, only to find that the Finns
who had been prospecting nearby
had taken the doors and windows
from the cabin and left. Ben re
traced his steps to where lie had
left his sled and blankets, and de
termined to siwasli for the night
lie crept into his blankets, but it
was so cold—55 below—that lie
was unable to sleep. After a while
he got up and wandered around for
several hours, eventually arriving
at the cabin occupied by the wife
of a Finn prospector, who bad gone
to the Yukon. It was 4 o’clock
in the morning when Ben reached
this haven and he was all in and
almost frozen to death. Nothing
could have saved him in that in
tense cold, had he not fortunately
-tumbled on to the trail leading to
the occupied cabin
RUBY
Through having to break trail
on the Lewis cutoff for eight da\s,
the party consisting o! Jack Mutch
ler, llarrv Leland and Ed Labelle
were 14 days making the trip be
tween Ruby and Liitarod, arriving
in town last Sunday night. They
traveled with a horse and sled.
Shortly after striking the cutoff
heavy snowstorms were eneount
ered aid the traii was heavy in
consequence.
Regarding Ruhy the latest ar
rivals have little to report that is
not already known. A large nutn
her of men are still prospecting in
the hope of dropping on to some
thing, and there is a certain amount
ol mining activity on Long creek.
But in a business way the ramp is
very quiet with all supplies high in
price considering the location.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Carter are
among tire most optimistic peopile
in the camp. They are interested
m tb.e Keystone association, Long
creek, and from reports they are
receiving they expect to get a good
return on their original invest
ment.
It is generally conceded by those
coming in from Ruby at the present
time that as soon as the days get a
little longer and the trails improve
there will be a big movement in
the direction of Liitarod.
Red Ellis is expected back in March.
You’ll Save
Lots of Writing,
Time and
Worry
Bv ordering the name of
your wife, business partner
or friend who is now on the
Outside, placed on the sub
scription books of the
mum PIONEER
It’s the most economical
way to keep them posted on
the affairs of Alaska’s best
mining district.
$1.00 Per Hftonth
Post Paid
KEPT HIS EYE
ON THE LADIES
Among other valuable informa
tion brought in by F. E. Cleveland
upon his return from Cripple was
a complete census ol the feminine
element of the outlying districts.
There is a couplet which runs:
In the spring a young man’s fancy
Lightly turns to thoughts of Love;
but Dad seems to be built that way
summer, autumn and winter as
well; hence the interest he took in
the ladies during his absence.
The first thing Mr. Cleveland did
upon reaching a roadhouse was to
inquire if any ladies were around,
and in that wav he got every one
in the district catalogued, with the
following result:
Dikeman . t Cripple creek i
Diskaket . 2 Mud river 1
Cripple City 2 Ditna. 1
Total, 8.
RODEN WRITES REGARDING
COLLECTION OF POLL TAX
E M. Stanton has received a
communication from Senator Roden
asking details regarding poll tax in
this district, with the total amount
collected, and the cost of collecting
same. It is presumed the informa
tion is desired at the forthcoming
session of the Alaska legislature,
when an effort doubtless will be
made to abolish the unpopular lev)’.
Location No'ices at Pioneer office.
NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS
Notice is hereby given that the tax
books of tlio town of Iditarod, Alaska,
have been delivered to the undersigned,
municipal treasurer of the said town of
Iditarod, for the collection of taxes
thereon, and that the undersigned will
accept the payment of taxes at the of
fices of the Northern Commercial Co.,
at. Iditarod, Alaska, on any day. except
Sundays and legal holidays, between
the hours of 10 o’clock a. m, and 2
o’clock p. m. A rebate of 10 percent,
will be allowed on all taxes paid prior
to February 1, 1913.
CYRIL P. WOOD,
Municipal Treasurer.
Notice' of Forfeiture
To I*. Morency, J. Pierson and Dave Cascaden,
their heirs, assigns, successors or personal
representatives:
You are hereby notified that I have expended
in labor and improvements for year 1012 the
sum cf one hundred dollars—<100 —on the Moun
tain Home association placer mining claim, sit
uated in the otter Mining and Recording Dis
trict, Territory of Alaska, which has been duly
recorded t t the commissioner’s office at Idit
urod. The above amount has ben expended in
order to hold the said cla;m under the provi
sions of the law concerning annual labor upon
mining claims, be ng the amount required to
hold such claim. And you are further notified
that if, within ninety—90—days after the last
publication of this notice, vou fail to contribute
your proportion of said expenditure, ycur in
terest in said claim will become the property ol
the undersigned, yDtir co-owner
C L. JONES.
First publication January 1S, 1913.
Last publication April 19, 1913.
Ben Kokrine came in from Kolma
kofsky last Monday.
Dr. Heinrich Wortmann,
Physician and Surgeon
Offices: Iditarod and Flat City
Telephones at each place
DR. H. BEHLA,
Dentist
Offices, Pioneer Drug Stoie,
Flat City.
Appointments by Telephone
Wickersham & Roden,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Iditarod, Alaska
Michigan, 1881 Kentucky, 1891 Alaska, 1910
George Woodruff Albrecht,
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Fioncer Attornev of this Camp
E. M. STANTON,
Attorney at Law
j Office in Wickersham & Roden Bldgr,
Second Ave.
IN THE UNITED STATES COMMIS
sioner’s Court for the Innoko Pre
cinct, Fourth Division, District of
Max Sitnel, Plaintiff, vs. G. P. Mar
shall, John Doe and Richard Roe,
roaster and owners of Steamer “Ben
Hur,” Defendants.
SUMMONS.
I To the United States Marshal of tho
District of Alaska or any deputy:
! In the name of the United States of
I America we command you to summon
I G. P. Marshall, John Doe and Richard
Roe to appear before the undersigned,
a justice of the peace in Innoko pre
cinct in said district, on the 28th day of
March, 1913, at the hour of 2 o'clock in
the afternoon of said day. at our office,
at Opbir, Alaska, in the said precinct,
to answer the complaint of Max Simel,
founded upon a contract for the pay
j roent of money, and wherein he de
mands seven hundred and sixty-seven
and 65-100 dollars.
Given under my hand this 29th day
of November, 1912. W. A YINAL,
U. S. Commissioner and ex-officio
Justice of the Peace.
1
Notice of Forfeiture
I TO C. HARTYBACK:
I You. your heirs and assigns, are hereby not!
! fied that the sum of one hundred dollars -t oo
! has been expended upon placer mining claim
! known as the I.ucky Dog association. Arab
j creek, tributary of Willow creek. Otter mining
and recording precinct. Territory ol Alaska,
being assessment work for the year 1912. You
are further notified that if at the expiration of
ninety—90—days after the last publication of
this notice you fail or refuse to contribute your
proportion of such expenditure, your interest
1 in said claim will become the property of the un
j dersigned and his co-owners, under Section 23:4
! of the Revised Statutes of the L’nited States
DAN HAKTNKfT
First publication January 18. 1913
j Last publication April <9, 1913
HOME AGAIN!
ON THE WINTER TRAIL
ROADHOUSE
Meals All Hours.
Liquors and Cigar*
Tel: “Summit Roadhouss.”
The New Placer Law
The following is a copy of the law recently enacted by Congress amend
ing the mining laws of Alaska:
A bill to modify and amend the mining laws in their application to the Ter
ritory of Alaska, and for other purposes.
I’e it enacted, etc., That no association placer mining claim shall here
after be locate! in Alaska in excess of 40 acres, and on every placer mining
claim hereafter located in Alaska, and until a patent has been issued therefor,
not less than $100 worth of labor shall be performed or improvements made
during each year, including the year of location, for each and every 20 acres
or excess fraction thereof.
Sec, 2. That no person shall hereafter locate any placer mining claim in
Alaska as attorney for another unless he is duly authorized thereto by a
power of attorney in writing, duly acknowledged and recorded in any record
er’s office in the judicial division where the location is made. Any person so
authorized may locate placer mining claims for not more than two individual*
or one association under such power of attorney, but no such agent or attor
ney shall be authorized or permitted to locate more than two placer mining
claims for any one principal or association during any calendar month, and
no placer mining claim shall hereafter be located in Alaska except under the
limitations of this act;
Sec. 3. That no person shall hereafter locate, cause or procure to be lo
cated, for himself more than two placer mining claims in any calendar month:
Provided, That one or both such locations may be included in an association
claim.
Sec. 4. That no placer mining claim hereafter located in Alaska shall be
patented which shall contain a greater area than is fixed by law, nor which
is longer than three times its greatest width.
Sec. 5. That any placer mining claim attempted to be located in viola
tion of this act shall be null and void, and the whole area thereof may be lo
cated by any qualified locator as if no such prior attempt had been made.
NICELY FURNISHED ROOMS BY DAY OR WEEK
Warm, Clean Well Ventilated
OPEN DAY AND HOURS
Massage and
itma Bath Parlors
MEDICATED, MINERAL VAPOR, STEAM,
TUB, SALT AND FRESH WATER OCl/CllS
Caribou St., Bet. Black and Willow Sts., on Waterfront
Electric and Faradic Massage Treatments by Expert Attendants j
Lighted by Gas Heated by Steam |