| SDITAROD PIONEER j
rruusiiED Every Saturday Evening at Iditarod, Alaska.
Vcl 3 Gen. M. tt: buckle. Publisher No. 3
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
One Year. $10.00 j One Month . 1.00
Six Months .... . 5.00 Single Copy . 25
Advertising Rates on Aoolicatinn.
WHERE 'l HE SYSTEM NEEDS MENDING
“There is not one chance in ten thousand but (hat John
and Gus Nelson are dead, and that they were murdered.
Reports of the crime had been circulated throughout tin
lower Kuskokwim country before the middle of last Sep
tember. Yet no investigation has been made, and tin
possibility of detecting the murderer is growing more and
more remote."
So spoke a man just arrived from the Kuskokwim tliis
week. “Tin re is reason to believe that at least two ot-hei
murders were committed in the Kuskokwim last year," ht
continued. “In one case charred human remains werei
found in a burned brushheap, and when a United States!
commissioner was informed of the fact and requested to
go and see for himself, the reply was that there is no pro
vision for meeting the expense of such investigations and
there the matter ended. There is not a United States mar
shal or police officer of any kind the whole length ami i
breadth of the Kuskokwim valley. Now, what kind of « I
damned country have we got. anyhow V' asked the man,;
with warmth. “Foreigners over there often speak of the j
laws, or the provisions for enforcing them, with derision
and contempt: and what can an American say to rebuke!
them V
The strictures are well warranted. By common consent j
the law alone is looked to for the protection of person and !
property in Alaska, and the law’s inefficiency is a very gravt !
matter. That far there is no difference of opinion. Tin !
people directly concerned and the officials from the least oi i
them on the ground to the mightiest at the United State. 1
capital"are practically a unit up to this point.
The question is, What is to lie done about it: what is
to be the method ? In a large and sparsely peopled terri-l
tory like Alaska it is essential for officials to be invested 1
with extraordinary and ill-defined powers; to be prepared ;
to move quickly, on their own initiative, as the changin' j
population requires, and to la* authorized to depend mon j
upon their own sound judgment than upon the red tape oi j
complicated governmental machinery. Some scheme of tiii.- i
kind will have to be evolved for Alaska. Whether or no; !
action will be taken by congress this winter which .wil.j
bring such a condition visibly nearer is uncertain. It i- i
more uncertain still whether or not any system will b<
adopted lending something of local influence to Misapplica
tion of it.
It may be that the scheme will he formulated and ap
plied directly by the federal government. If so, the nearest
approach to military discipline and powers for the peace
officers would perhaps be the least objectionable. Does tin
proposition jar the good American nerves? Quite likely.
But it is less offensive than the jeers snd sneers of non
citizens and our self-acknowledged failme of 1he United
States to meet the emergency of the occasion. We are no1
in position to fear the consequences, either in point of pridt
in traditional institutions or of practical results from any j
change that may be inaugurated.
Iii passing, it is well to remember that the present sit
uation is not blameable, in any great degree, to officials in
Alaska. They are mainly decent, and as efficient as could i
be expected under the circumstances. Some of them in tin j
more responsible positions are prone to waste their energy '
on trifles while they are oblivious to tilings of great magni
tude: but that is a mere incident and is attributable to tin
strange conditions under which they labor. The fault- -01
more correctly speaking, the misfortune—is a natural out
come of the readjustment of ideals and methods of govern
ment which has been going on so rapidly in the United!
States that its unsuitableness for Alaska has been lost I
sight of.
CLOSE GALL FOR THE SCHOONER DUXBBRY
From a cable despatch to the Nome Industrial Worker it nppear^
that the schooner Duxlmry, which left St. Michael earlv in Novemb.-i
NOTICE
GENERAL LINE Or GROCERIES AND PROISIONS
Men’s Underwear, Sox, Mittens, Rubber Shoes, Felt
Shoes and Pacs, Mackinaw Coats and Pants
SHELF HARDWARE
Nails. Building Paper. Dog Fish
We solicit Inspection. Every article jruaranteed.
FAIRVIEW~TRADING CO.
First Class in Fact First Ave., Iditarod
BE A TTIE HOUSE
Furnished Rooms, Bath Rooms, Spring Cots Good Stables Adjacent
Drink Eastern Beer
Miner's Home Saloon
THE HOME OF THE.. '.‘DOAKER MAID”
'Foot*of* WIflow St., Iditarod
C. J. Hurley, President J. P. Gleason, Vice President A. Bruning, Gashier
I
Corner First Ave, and Richmond St., Iditarod
CAPITAL $50,000,00, FOLLY PAID IN GASH
General Banking Business Transacted Upon Libera!, But Conservative Lines
GOLD DUST PURCHASED UPON ASSAY VALUE
And we guarantee our assays against any of the government assay offices.
Clippings from your gold furnished you for the purpose
of obtaining check assays if desired.
We solicit your business, and assure you of our courteous, prompt and
careful attention combined with fair treatment, whether
your account may be large or small.
sg, sfj Corn-Fed Turkeys,
1 1 mL Fresh Eastern Oysters
___Fresh Veal and Mutton
Milk-Fod Broilers arid Boasting Chickens
iPITAROP RE EAT CO.
Second St. Phono 15
FOR FRESH POODS AND FAIR TREATMENT
Try IVicIViahon Fla,cl,y
LET HIM FIGURH ON YOUR OUTFIT
General Merchandise
FJiceiy Furnished Rooms ENCLOSE] cos kennels
The Cosinolfiy
-■ mac Jirwr mm.-_
Famous Old Quaker Maid Rye
DRAUGHT BURR, DOMESTIC CIGARS
Good Music Every Evening
—Flat City-- —
hth font teen I litarod passengers ior Seattle, had a very rough passage
One week after leaving St. Michael the Duxburv, then in Betiug
>ea, encountered a lertific storm with a heavy sea running, and in the
gale the vessel’s i udder was smashed. It seemed at one time as if the
vessel would be lost, hut able seamanship on the part of the captain
saved the day . l'he schooner put into Dutch Harbor, where the rudder
was repaired, and it was this which caused the long delay. It wa
erv stormy all the way, but the Duxburv weathered it all without any
rouble.
They were a glad lot of passengers who eventually arrived at
Seattle, but all spoke highly of the ability of the captain Indeed, be
fore leaving the schooner they pa-sed unanimously a resolution ex
pressing their thanks and high appreciation of the courage and presence
of mind of Captain Jorgensen, which qualities averted disaster
Fairbanks, Jan. 18.—Fast Wednesday, J. Hannon Caskey and
Beorge Falayetie Bellows, owners of liie Alaska Citizen, were indicted
by the grain! jury, on a charge of criminal libel prefetred by Peter
Sleil, a miner.
Still has been working for a number of years on a tunnel-site
proposition on the Tatiana, in the vicinity of the Tolovana mine, at d
he complains that it caused him great mental anguish when the Citizen
-ditoiially expressed the sentiment that ‘‘a rope was not good etu ugh
for the tunnel-site hog.”
The editorial was wiitten in May of last year. No name was men
boned, hut Peter Sleil wa- clearly indicated.
According to figures just published the output of placer gold from
the country tributary to Fairbanks is considerably less than half what
it was in 1909 The total amount of gold accounted for irr 1911 was
$4-7°5,000’ a,1<l this included such tar-away camps as Bonnifield, Kan
tishna, Tenderfoot, Hot Springs and even Gold Hill on the Yukon,
which are rro more in the Fairbanks region than the Old Inuoko is in
the Iditarod district Eliminating these distant camps, the Fairbanks
district was little ahead of Flat and Otter creeks The following
figures speak for themselves;
FAIRBANKS DISTRICT.
Coldstream, Pedro, Gil- Little Eldorado. 275,000
more, Engineer.$1,437,500 Cbatanika. 150000
Dome . 700,000 Other creeks . 3°7.500
Cleary . 375,000
Fairbanks . 375,000 -
Ester . 365,000 $3985,000
outlying CAMPS.
Bonnifield, Kantishua and Hot Springs $600,000
Teuderloot. $110,000 Gold Hill. 10,000
-—— --1
hunting grief.
My home should he a house of peace; there everything is slick
as grease. The wolves don’t have a chance to roar around my
handsome cottage door—they soon would get it in the neck; the
horn of plenty is on deck; the,larder's full of cake and jam, and
codfish balls and shredded ham. The hausfrau and her bunch of
kids would be as gay as katy-dids, if I could but my home enjoy
and not let outside ills annoy. But I must fret my durn fool sou!
o’er such thirgs as Alaska’s coal, the wiles of those blamed Gug
genheirns and Rockefeller-Morgan crimes. The wicked tariff
makes me sweat; our naval needs I can’t forget; and when I hear
that Hobson man predicting warfare with. Japan, all sunshine
leaves my haunted life, and I get up and beat my wife. I can’t in
dulge in harmless chaff; l can’t enjoy my phonograph; I can’t re
turn my wife s kind looks, or get much comfort from my books,
because the referendum fake has filled me with a blue roan ache.
What blooming fools we mortals be! With old Bill Shakespeare I
agtee. Our lives might he serene and calm, if we from grief would
step aside, and take the gifts the gods provide —Walt Mason.
i___
It was nearly eighty vears ago that gold was first discovered in the
territory of Alaska, says an exchange. The discovery was first made j
on the Aniak liver. The Aniak was discovered by Sitnouseu Kukeen, i
in 18,32, at which time he built a fort on the Kuskok a im. about twenty
miles above the mouth ot the Aniak He trained'the fort after himself
It was partially destroyed by natives in 1841, and rebuilt by Kolmak ff,
a Russian trader, and afterwards called Kolmakoff Redoubt.
In 1832 the headquarters of the Russian-American Fur company
were at Sitka, and supplies were transported from there to Lukeen’s j
Fort by way of the Nushagak river, Ticchi river and lake, down the j
Aniak to the Kuskowim. and thence up river to the fort.
In rR37 the yearly supplies were sent in by way of the mouth of
the Kuskokwim, and the old way was abandoned as a summer route and j
u-ed only ’or the purpose of sending out mail in the winter by means i
of dog-teams.
It was the only winter route the Russians ever used from am
point on the Yukon to Sitka, and was abandoned after they left the ;
country.
It was while on one of these trips, in 1832, that the Russians dh. j
covered gold on the Aniak, and it is known today as the Ycbow tivei !
of the Rus-ians It is not known whether they ever attempted mining j
011 a large scale, or whether they found gold in paving q tan i'ies, but
it is the first time on record of gold being found in Alaska.
---
A huge crowd at tlie Winter Garden
waited patiently through the opening
scenes of a witless, tuneless "revue"
for the appearance of the long-heralded
Gaby Deslys, says the New York cor
respondent of tiie Chicago Tribune.
Most of those present had spent a great
deal of money for their seats, having
bought them at auction the previous
week.
Gaby had been placed in the middle
section of the program. She was to
appear in a one act vaudeville sketch
entitled "Les Debuts de Chichine,"
assisted by a company of four, two'
Frenchmen, her maid, and Harold \
Crane, an American with a leading !
man’s physique and a good wardrobe, j
Gaby made her entrance on the arm i
of Crane, bowing, shaking her short ;
blonde curls, wiggling from one small i
foot to the other, much after the fash- j
ion of Eva Tanguay. When she spoke ;
it was in a strongly accented English, i
She was delaying as much as possible
the Englishman’s declaration of love J
and promising her hand to the man who
would find for her an opportunity to
make a stage debut.
Site wore a tight titting cap studded :
with brilliants and surmounted by a
tall black aigrette, which may or may j
not have cost a king’s ransom, and a
cable of pearls about her neck. Her
gown was of a delicate pink, over which
hung a long cape of green brocade,
edged withe roya! ermine. A moment
later she dropped the English and
chatted in her native tongue with her
two Frenchmen, one playing a dancing
master, the other a singing teacher, in
the sketch. They, too, pleaded for the
favor of her love and were in turn ap
prised of the conditions. The scene
changed, and Gaby was in her rose
bedecked bedchamber. Here she was
followed by the importunate singing
teacher, who told his love in song while
she threw aside her eloak and assisted |
with the chorus, Her voice is a so
prano of ordinary quality. The singing I
teacher being followed by the dancing
master, mademoiselle considerately but j
reluctantly retired to change her cos
tame to a dancing frock of black and ;
white, that had “not so much in front j
and a little less than half of that j
behind.” Her dancing compares favor
ably with that of a graduate chorus j
girl.
Following the disappearance of the
dancing master, mademoiselle again
retired, to reappear in a short skirted ■
affair of lavender chiffon over pink— j
mostly pink, Gaby. Atop her curls
was a simple nightcap of pearls fringed
with beads and carrying a cloud of
lavender tulle. In this she jumped
into bed. and when her suitors again
returned she fell buck o:t v.s .
with a fixed determination not, to have
a thing to do with them. Finally it
was the Englishman who returned
with the theatrical contract, there was
a bit of a dance by way of a finale, and
the first American appearance of Gab
rieli^ Deslys, former favorite of ex
King Manuel of Portugal, had been i
accomplished.
HOOSIER SELLS WIFE
FOR CENT AND A HALF
Kokomo, I:id.—Sold by kill of
sale lor a cent and a half to G -urge
Albaugh, of whom her husband
was j ah.us. was the testimony of
Mrs. Alice Ladv.bg, given in a suit
over domestic difficulties, and chief
ly directed to gain possession of the
child, Gilbert Ladwig
Mr.-.. L'dwig said that her bus
band, Archie J. Ladwig, signed the
agreement, and that Albaugh liter
dly carried it out by cutting a cop
per penny in two on a wood chop,
ping block in the lear of the Lad
wig home.
The court, unwilling to divorce
the parties, took the matter under
advisement
Select Outside Lumber, coi rugated
iron and rooting paper at Ross & Nes
i or's.
"SAVE THE PIECES!"
Robert Simpson,
OPTICIAN
Annual assessment, work blanks at
Pioneer office.
Sled covers, tarpaulins. It. Boas.
Dr. Heinrich Wort inarm,
Office at City l>r;;v Store, Tel
First A ye., Bet. Willow and Riehmoi i
(.flic? Hour ' :: to 1. j ioj. r t° *
CHAS. D, CARTER,
Bant I si
Offices, Pioneer Dru^r S
Fiat Greek
DR. F. W. HE RMS,
Dentist
Pr. Wort mann's Office.
First Avenue and Wiilow Street
DR. H. BE ML A,
Dentist
Gold St., Flat Ciiy, Opp. Grand lintel
Phone 1
ALFRED E. MALT BY,
Attorney at Law
Notary Putrue
Offiv;
J. S, HARDING,
Attorney at Law
Room 1, Iditarod Hotel
Iditarod. Alaska
CHAS. E. TAYLOR,
Attorney at Law,
Notary Publ;;\ < ’on -.vyancinfl.
uichtitoml St., Iditarod
Wickershzm & Roden,
A
Iditarod. Alaska
E. COKE HILL,
Attorney at Law
M. & M. Rank Bids', Iditarod, Alaska.
GEORGE WOODRUFF ALBRECHT,
Attorney at Law
Michigan, ’81 Alaska, TO Kentucky, SI
The Pioneer Attorney of this Camp
And All Kinds of PhotoLrruj'hic
Work Done.
MiSS TJERNSTRQM. MCDONALD HOTEL
Glean Furnished Rooms Fine Gate in Connection
COOD STOCK CIGARS AND LIQUORS
Large Stables, Warm Dog Kennels Open Day and Night
PASSENGERS FREIGHT EXPRESS
Leaves Griffin’s Store, Flat City at 8:30 a.m.: leaves Budweiser corner,
Iditarod at 3 p.m., daily except Sunday.
Goods consigned to Upper Flat and Otter Greeks delivered
same day as received for shipment
GRAND HOTEL, FLAT CITY
Nicely Furnished soms First-Class Cate Liquors and Cigars Pool and Billiards
_N. GLANTZ AND MRS. SWANSON _
MAX SIMEL, Oiskakel and OpHir tjity,,.
Miners' Supplies and Genera! Outfitting a Specialty
--—- - i- —w —-w.««r