Halites Bath} ffcospertar
VOLUME XIV. VALDEZ, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1918 NUMBER T
MANY UGHTS ARE
PLACED IN ALASKA
' . • «
Department of Commerce Report
Shows Mach Good Work was
j Done Daring the. I*ast Season.
A
The report of the Department of
'Commerce shows that during the past
«eason forty-six aids to navigation
were placed in Alaska waters and
five more are contemplated before the
iressation of work for the winter. In
addition good progress was made on
the new light and fog signal station
at Cape St. Elias on Kayak Island,
which will be placed in commission
■early next summer.
Thirty-two flash acetylene lights
were placed at so many different
points.
An electric light was placed at Sit
ka Harbor, a float light on Blunt
Point reef in Wrangel strait; an oil
Jens lan'tVtn At Tenakee, in Chatham
strait, Post lights at Beck island in
'Clarence strait. Rose inlet, in Tvelak
strait, and Akutan harbor, in the
Aleutian islands; beacons on the Fish
Creek dolphin in Tongass narrows;
Flase point retreat in Lynn canal;
Beep bay entrance, at Pearl strait,
and Priest rock in Unalaska bay.
“Good progress was also made,”
says the report, "in the construction
tif the new light and fog-signal sta
tion at Cape St. Elias, on Kayak isl
and. the illuminating and fog-signal
apparatus have been on exhibition at
the Panama Pacific exposition at San
Francisco and will be brought up anil
installed here next season. The con
struction party, with the exception of
a few men as watchmen and care
takers, left the cape on October 7,
having completed during the season
all reinforced concrete Work in the
tower, fog signal, storage building
and dwelling, except the first floor
slab of a dwelling and a portion of
the floor in the oil room. With fav
orable weather and labor conditions
the station will probably be placed in
commission during the season of
3916.
BARGE HUHITNA LOST
IN COOK INLET.
Seldovia: Capt Cramer with the
launch Travler arrived in Seldovia on
the morning of Dec.25 from Anchor
age, and reported that the barge
Susitna, Capt. R. Curry,had been
wrecked oi^ Kalgin island. Curry and
his crew built a skiff from the wreck
age of the* barge and pulled across
the inlet l'7 miles to Kenai.
The Traveler had a most unusual
experience was in the ice four days
and one flood tide carried them up the
north side of Fire island and stranded
them on the flats between the island
and the main land. The ice cake
which was holding them broke on the
flats on the ebb tide and released the
Haunch, the next flood tide carrying
them into Turnagain Arm and they
dodged the ice flows until they reach
ed free water.
He reports everything quiet at Ke
nai and the mercury down to thirty
below zero at one time. They did not
see anything of the barge Kate Dav
enport that was drifted somewhere
In the inlet.
HOOBIER BANKER DRIVES
WOLF IN DOG TEAM
- Driving a full blooded wolf, nine
'months old in his team, Deming
Wheeler reached Fairbanks yester
day from the coast. He has been to
the Tanana Crossing and Goodpas
ture , country buying furs and is
bound for the Koyukuk.
Mr. Wheeler brought with him a
large silver fox. The animal is a good
sized one and is very beautifully
marked. Mr. Wheeler is, as usual,
very reticent.
Within a short time he and his
party-jkill leave for the north, prob
ably tpund for the Koyukuk or may
be even as far as the shores of the
Arctic. This is the third trip that he
has made to Fairbanks.—Citizens.
George F. White, the assayer, was
an outgoing passenger on the Ala
meda for Tacoma. He is accompany
ing a shipment of ore from the Cop
per Coin mine at Drier Bay, Knight’s
Island, to the Tacoma smelter and
will make financial arrangements
while outside to develop the property
ea aa extensive scale.
» i
JURIST WIDE WEAVE
PX> RHOME WEDNESDAY
Judge C. E. Bunnell, of Fairbanks,
who arrived from the states on the
Alameda is being kept busy attending
to business affairs and meeting his
former fellow townsmen. He plans
to remain in Valdez until the middle
of the coming week when he will go
to Cordova en route home.
Th enext regular term of court will
open in Fairbanks on February 8, but
as both grand and petit jurors will
be summoned Judge Bunnell will ar
range to be in Fairbanks before Jan
uary 27, when the drawing for the
grand jury will take place.
While en route to his old home in
Pennsylvania Judge Bunnell stopped
in Washington and met President
Wilson, who was greatly interested
in the portion of Alaska over which
the judge’s jurisdiction extends.
PIONEER WOMEN
Friends are Invited in to Celebrate
the Event—Retiring Presi
dent is Honored.
Last evening the following ro-ter
of officers of the Valdez Igloo No. 2,
Pioneer Women of Alaska, were in
stalled by Past President Mrs. A. S.
Jensen, assisted by Mrs. Lucy A. De
Puy as marshal.
President, Mrs. E. G. Ames; Vice
president, Mrs. Harry E. F. King;
secretary, Mrs. A. G. Smith; treas
urer, Mrs. Ernest Erickson; histor
ian, Mrs. C. C. Howard; chaplain,
Mrs. Esther P. Davis; sergeant-at
arms, Mrs. A. von Gunther; trustees,
Mrs. Edith Graham, Mrs. Margaret
Erickson and Mrs. O. P. Hubbard.
Following the installation a num
ber of friends were invited^ in to
spend the evening and partake of the
excellent luncheon which had been
prepared by the ladies for the occa
sion.
A pleasant event of the evening
was the presentation of a beautiful
cut glass fruit dish to Mrs. Jensen,
the retiring president, in recognition
for her untiring interest ip the pro
motion of the best interests of the Ig
loo. Mrs. DePuy also presented her
with a beautiful potted plant.
The Valdez Igloo, Pioneer Women
of Alaska, has a large membership al
though the lodge is only one year
old. Its membership is open to all
women, pioneer women, or those
whose husbands or male friends were
in Alaska prior to January 1. 1900.
AliASKA HANDED BUNK
AT EXPOSITION
Writing to a Fairbanks fri md Wal
ter Hall, of the Rhodes-Hall mine at
Fairbanks, states that Alaska was
handed the bunk good and proper at
the San Francisco exposition. The
beautiful heart of golden grain sent
from Fairbanks, was placed in the
Pacific Coast Steamship company
displays and was later moved to the
exhibit of the Bureau of mines. In
both places it was in such a place
that it would have required a detec
tive to find it. The remainder of the
Alaska exhibit was scattered and on
the whole was a very poor adver
tisement for the territory. Hall had
sent a fine exhibit of his oreB and be
ing unable to find it hunted up the
man in charge and complained of the
conditions under which the quartz
was being exhibited. To his objec
tion he received the reply, “Oh. that’s
all right, nobody looks at it any
way.’’ Hall quit.
SEWARD WOODCHOPPER
LOSES BIO RAFT.
During the big storm which raged
at Seward a few days ago Tom O'Day
of that place, lost a raft of wood
which contained twenty-five cords,
Intended for the Seward market. He
had left Fourth of July creek for
Seward with the raft in tow of a small
launch, which was unable to buck the
storm. He anchored the raft about
a half mile off shore near the lagoon,
but when he returned next morning
the raft had disappeared. It is be
lieved that anchor rope gave way un
der the heavy ptraln due to the storm.
New Tonight.
A new show at the Liberty Theatre
tonight.
B. C. PLANNING
LIFE-SAVING JUG
Dominion will Place Powerful Vessel
on West Coast of Vancouver
• Island to Have Life.
VICTORIA: In an effort to pre
vent a repetition of the Carelmapu,
the Canadian government is planning
to establish a chain of life-saving
stations to extend from a point near
from Barclay Sound, where the Ban
fleld power lifeboat is stationed to
Quatsina sound and along the outer
shores of the Queen Charlotte isl
ands.
The advisability of maintaining a
lifesaving tug similar in type to the
United States coast guard cutter Sno
homish is also being considered by
the Canadian government authorities.
Manager R. C. Hill of the Seattle
Merchants’ Exchange and the United
States coast guard service in Seattle
Monday were asked for a description
of the Snohomish and the possibility
of a Canadian life-saving tug estab
lishing a systematic patrol of the west
coast of Vancouver Island, which is
known as the “graveyard of the Pa
cific.” If the craft is built she will
be stationed at Banfield creek, but
will spend most of her time in pa
troling the coast.
Seattle shipping men are great
ly interested in the plans of their
neighbors on the North to maintain
additional lifesaving stations and life
saving tugs on the west coast of Van
couver island. There is danger of
American vessels as well as those of
other flags losing their way off Cape
Flattery in foggy weather, or being
driven on the Vancouver island shore,
and shipping men all along the coast
are taking a deep Interest in the plans
of the Canadian authorities.
Since the wreck of the Chilean
ship Carelmapu, with a loss of nine
teen lives, the establishment of a pa
trol service on the west coast of Van
couver island is being urged. Ship
ping men emphasize the need of a
lifesaving craft capable of taking a
sailing vessel like the Carelmapu in
tow and saving her from destruction
on the rocky shore.
CUDDY BELIEVES
GOOD TIMES DUE
»
Has Kept in Close Touch with Devel
opment of District and will
Prepare for Future.
W. N. Cuddy, manager of the Val
dez Mercantile company, was an out
going passenger on the steamer Ala
meda this morning for the states on
a brief purchasing trip. He will vis
it Seattle, Tacoma and Portland be
fore returning to Valdez next month.
Mr. Cuddy, who is a live wire and
has kept in close touch with the min
ing and business development of this
section of the territory, believes that
Valdez is due for a period of pros
perity such as it has never experienc
ed in the past and he is haklng a trip
to perfect arrangements in order that
his bouse may realize the full bene
fit of the coming business prosperity.
There are certain agencies which
Mr. Cuddy believes will add to the
popularity of the Valdez Mercantile
store if he can arrange to handle the
goods here and it is largely for that
purpose that he is making the hur
ried trip.
Was Safely Captured.
The London Times says that some
of the best stories of the war come
from the base hospitals, and are be
stowed on the doctors in the same
spirit that grateful patients bestow
gifts on their medical attendants In
civil life. One told recently has trav
eled from the farthest outposts In
Mesopotamia. A Turkish officer, cap
tured in the Mesopotamia campaign,
asked and received permission to tel
egraph to his wife when he was
brought to Basra. His message read,
"Safely captured."
VALDEZ AERIE
IS PROSPEROUS
Fraternal Order of Ragles Installation
of Officers for Coming Year
Held last Night.
Valdez Aerie No. 1971, Fraternal
Order of Eagles, held their annual In
stallation of officers last night in Ea
gle Hall when the following roster of
officers to preside over the affairs of
the order for the coming year were
installed:
Worthy President, W. T. Scott;
Worthy Vice President, A. J. Dimond;
Worthy Chaplain, Norman Leopold;
Secretary, C. J. Todd; Treasurer, An
ton Carlson; Worthy Conductor,
Chas. Howard; Inside Guard, Ed. Pet
rie; Outside Guard, Ike Westerling;
Trustees, L. Graham, A. S. Jensen and
Chas. M. Day; Physicipn, F. M. ;
Boyle..
The Valdez Aerie of Eagles was or
ganized on July 13, 1911, with forty
members and it now has one hundred
and fifty-five members on its roll of
membership, and has played a very
important part in the social and bus
iness upbuilding of the community
ever since its inception.
Within six months after its instal
lation the aerie had erected their own
Aerie building and at the present
time have assets to the value of al
most 310,000. Their big hall has
proved a boon to Valdez as it has pro
vided a place of sufficient capacity for
holding public meetings, dances and
other forms of entertainment which
would have taxed any other hall in
town.
The Eagle’s popularity is no doubt !
largely due to the benefits which the
members receive from the closer as
sociation with their fellow Eagles and
the care and attention which they ex
tend to the sick or unfortunate mem
bers of the order. Since the installa
tion of the Valdez aerie less than
years ago it has paid out nearly two
thousand dollars in sick and funeral
benefits for its members.
Miss Della, daughter of Senator and
Mrs. O. P. Hubbard, is reported to
be ill with a severe cold.
CHAS. CRAWFORD
MAKES NEW START
Wilt Establish Modern Mill Machin
ery Plant Such as Was Destroy
in Big July Fire.
Chas. R. Crawford, the contractor
and builder, who was one of the
heaviest losers in the big Are of last
July when his planing mill and stock
of lumber was destroyed, received a
big shipment of mill machinery on
the Alameda, which he will install in
the building formerly occupied by the
stamp mill on the approach to the
Valdez dock.
Before the fire Mr. Crawford had
one of the best equipped mills in
Alaska and gave employment to a
number of men as he had worked up
business connections extending from
Cordova far to the westward.
The machinery received on the Ala
meda consists of a planer, sticker,
lathe and other equipment such as is
required for turning out window
sashes, doors and all kinds of fancy
work.
The stamp mill machinery will.be
dismantled and prepared for ship
ment to one of the Valdez gold min
ing properties which is approaching
the stage where the owners believe
they are justified in the installation
of a mill.
LOST: Small black loose-leaf note
book; finder please leave at Buffet
for H. W. Vance. *■ 2t
Ticket No. 3113 which won the new
Ford machine which was drawn for
at the Pioneer’s dance New Year’s
night, has been received by the com
mittee having the drawing in charge
from Jake Nafsted, of Tonstna road
house, who held the lucky number.
FRANCE WILL PERMIT
INSPECTION OF CAMPS
BERLIN: The Ministry of War
announces that after six months of
diplomatic negotiations France has
agreed to allow a neutral commission
to visit prison camps in Algiers, Tu
nis and Morocco, and that six Swiss
Commissioners are now on their way
to Africa.
The announcement says that the
Commissioners, who include three
physicians, will visit the French colo
nies in groups of two. They are tak
ing with them huge quantities of
medicines, clothing, bandages, and
presents and money sufficient to give
each prisoner 10 francs. They will
purchase such additional clothing and
supplies as may be necessary.
Before starting the Commissioners
visited several prison camps in Ger
many in order to make comparisons.
MINE VICTIM WAS
KNOWN IN VALDEZ
Man Who Was Arrested in Valdez
Two Years Ago for Wife Deser
tion Meets Death at Thane.
Investigation has shown that John
C. Byard, who was killed in a recent
mine accident at Thane, is the man
who was arrested in Valdez in 1914,
on a complaint sworn out by his wife
whom he had left in the East when
he brought another young woman to
the north. He was convicted at Sew
ard on a statutory charge and sen
tenced to one year at McNeil’s island,
and was discharged last August after
serving his sentence.
The girl also served three months
in Seward and continued to make her
home there until Byard was released
when she went to Seattle where they
were married, as Byard had been
freed by divorce from the wife whom
he had left In the East.
The case attracted considerable at
tention at the time of the arrest and
trial of the couple, as they had been
apprehended on orders from Wash
ington. The couple had been traced
by federal detectives across the con
tinent from Virginia, and were taken
in charge by the local authorities
soon after their arrival. During the
trial it was shown that Byard at one
time had been possessed of consider
able wealth which he had turned over
to his wife and family before leaving
the East. He was working as a la
borer when he met his death.
MAIL CARRIERS WILL
ENTER TRAM IN RACE.
Col. E. H. Revell, Seward-Anchor
age -Iditarod mail contrctor, is the
first of Alaska's best known dog
mushers to announce his intention of
competing in the Anchorage to Sew
ard dog race.
The colonel stated today htat he
would enter the big tea mof nine dogs
which he has at mile 34. These dogs
are very fast, but are much larger
than the type of dogs which gained
fame in the Nome-Solomon derby.
"This is a differetn course than
that out of Nome,” said Col. Revell.
“and I believe that the big dogs will
have a better chance.”
The race wil 1 be run under the
Solomon derby rules with no time out
for stops. The team making the fast
est time from start to finish will win
and the driver who takeB time on the
way for rests will do so at his own
risk. Each driver however will have
to finish with all the dogs started,
bringing any that are .disabled in on
the sled.—Seward Post.
AMATEUR NIGHT
LIBERTY THEATRE.
Last night was amateur night at
The Liberty Theatre, and the audi
ence enjoyed the added program im
mensely.
The stellar attractions were a duo
by Miss Rose Johnson and Earl W a th
ey, a monologue and recitation by
Pete Korth, the silver-tongued come
dian from the west, who recited sev
eral original compositions in a man
ner which met the appreciation of his
listeners; Miss Rose Johnson follow
ed with a harp solo, which was gives
with rare musical talent.
These amateur nights promise to be
a big success, and it is hoped that
the management will continue them.
DEPARTMENT TELLS
ABOUT FOX FARM!
May** Good Opportunities Exist in the
North and Reasonable Returns
for Work is Mure.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Jan. 8.—
Silver (ox (arming, the possibilities
of which have attracted considerable
attention in recent years because of
the money milady spends for silver
fox furs is under present conditions a
highly speculative and uncertain busi
ness, according to specialists of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Since 1910 the profits in the business
have been derived chiefly from the
sale of live foxes for breeding. Re
cently the demand for these foxes
has fallen off because of milady’s fan
cy changing, and in consequence a
sharp decline has ensued in prices.
As long as high prices for the pelts
are maintained, black and silver fox
farming offers good opportunities for
reasonable returns providing that the
location of the farm and other condi
tions are favorable.
The silver fox can be raised where
ever foxes live in a wild state but.
the fur will be of a superior quality
in the eastern and northern states.
A pair of good breeding foxes have
been known to bring several thousand
dollars each on the market, but com
mon silvers can be purchased for
breeding purposes for from $150 to
$200 each. The silver fox is very
nervous. The female is so nervous
she will often kill her young to pro
tect them from imaginary dangers.
Foxes require great care in feed
ing and a varied diet; which includes
meat, fish, mush, milk, bread and
table scraps. From $5 to $16 a year
for each animal must be allowed for
feeding. Only about half of the fe
male foxes produce young in any giv
en year, and as the average litter is
four cubs the annual increase on fox
farms does not average above 10#
per cent.
RAILROAD TO MILK
74 BRING KEPT OPKN
The Engineering commission is
still keeping the railroad open be
tween Seward and Mile 74 although
it is apparently experiencing consid
erable trouble in doing so. It is stated
that the road is being kept clear in or
der that construction work may be
gin first thing in the spring or as
soon as funds are vailable for the
work. Two crews are at work be
tween Six and Twelve clearing the
line and one bridge crew is replacing
old timbers and doing other repair
work in that vicinity.
The engineers in charge of tho
work have finished for the winter
and have made important changes in
eliminating curves and reducing
grades on a recently constructed line
as built by the engineers of the Alas
ka Northern. It is stated that many
changes will be made on the Seward
section which will eliminate the diffi
culties which were experienced by
the former management.
VALDEZ IGLOO WILL
INSTALL TONIGHT
The Valdes Igloo, Pioneers of Alas
ka, will hold their annual Installa
tion of officers this evening. They
have invited the members of the Pio
neer Women of Alaska to attend the
ceremonies and take part in the fes
tivities which will follow the instal
lation.
The officers to be installed were
elected last month and are as follows:
Thos. Hunt, president; Jos. McCoy,
vice-president; George W. Long, sec
ond vice president; Dr. von Gunther,
treasurer; E. G. Ames, secretary, J.
W. Frame, historian; A. J. Meals,
chapjpin. The directors to be install
ed are Ohas. M. Day and Sam Mc
Niece. Chas. Walker is the holdover
member of the board.
Logan Archibald, who started a
crew of men to work on the Guthrie
Beloli property op the 8houp bay
side on the divide, has suspended op
erations owing to the difficulties en
countered from the heavy snowfalls.
It required one man's entire atten
tion to keep the tunnels free from
snow, and the wind threatened to de
molish their tent,''SO the work will
be abandoned ustifearly in April,
after the close < t*fhe storm seasoa.