94? flatly |Jrofly?rt0r
PUBLUHIO BT
PROSPECTOR PUBLISHING CO.
U. B. SELBY, Editor and Proprietor.
VaLDEZ. ALASKA
Published Pally Except Sunday
Entered aa Second-Class Mail Matter,
July 23. 1*12. at the poatofflce ot Valdes,
Alaska under act of March 3, 1873.
due*none Oflice and Editorial Rooms
TEL. 188
Advertising Hates on Aoolicatlon
MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1017
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The Prospector wishes each and ev
ery citizen of Valdez a merry Christ
mas tomorrow.
Notwithstanding the war cloud
which lowers over our beloved coun
try we believe that this season of
peace and good cheer will be fitting
ly celebrated by both old and young
in a becoming manner, unobstenta
tionsly and with a spirit of thankful
ness for the privilege of celebrating
the natal day of the King of Kings,
the bearer of good tiding to all man
kind.
Tomorrow is Christmas. The day
will be celebrated in the trenches, In
the fields, In mid-ocean and In the
lowly cot and the princely palace. All
nations wil! unite in observing the
day in some manner. Bloodshed, war
and pestilence have never succeeded
in stamping out the spirit of Christ
mas. It is intrenched as lmpregnably
in the minds of the Christian nations
as the Son of God himself; as it is the
day which marked the birth of civil
ization.
While the hand of Mars has been
laid heavily upon the country, and but
few of us have escaped seeing some
relative or friend chosen for the sac
rifice, it is better that they go as
freemen than as serfs or slaves. The
institutions of ouri country and its
fundamental principles are endang
ered if we fail to send our bravest
and our finest to uphold them. The
dawn of another Christmas will see
a better, nobler world, with commerc
ialism, greed and oppression washed
out by the blood of our sons; as the
blood of the Son of God washed out
the sins of the weak and oppressed
upon this day several thousand years
ago, by an Ignominious death on Cal
vary.
In the words placed in the mouth of
"Tiny Tim" by the immortal Dlckins,
“We wish you all a Merry Christmas
and a Hapy New Year."
BALLYHOOING AN OFFENSIVE
With a blare of trumpet* the Ger
mans are apparently preparing (or an
operation on a gigantic scale on the
Western front. For some time they
have been rushing troops from the
eastern to the French front, and.
judging from their press-agent stuff,
they expect to strike a decisive blow
in order to bring about a military de
cision before the United States be
comes a real factor in the struggle.
Just why the kaiser is advertising
his offensive has not been disclosed—
for it is not often that any country is
ready to reveal its strategic plans.
Possibly it is because winter is com
ing on and the need of a pacifier for
the German people is imperative. Yet
it seems that the Italian successes and
the favorable Russion situation would
prove a sufficiently satisfactory talk
ing point for the war makers. One
possibility is that the object of the
billboard offensive is to strike terror
to the allied peoples, and another is
that the movement is only a feint and
that no grand attack in the West is
planned at all.
Yet It is evident Germany realizes
at least how formidable a factor the
United 8tates is going to be in this
war and is making the most of a pass
ing opportunity to deliver a maximum
stroke at England and France before
it is too late.
It is the consensus ot expert opin
ion now that the western front is des
tined to be the decisive battle ground.
All other operations are contributory
to the one grand object of breaking
the western front. If the Germans
cannot smash through, they know the
allies will do so ultimately should
the war not end through attribution.
They must exert their full energy
now, for the submarine war is falling
of its purpose and when spring comes
American forces will be pouring into
France by the hundreds of thousands.
It is impossible to believe however,
that Germany, with all Its reinforce
ments from Russia, can make any de
cisive showing in the West, even if
that is the object of the present man
euver. It was unable to do so in the
earlier stages of the war, when France
was bearing most of the burden of de
fense alone. New England and France
with Belgium, are in a better position
than ever before, and for over a year,
with a minor exception recently at
Cambrai, the ermans have been un
able to make the slightest headway
in an offensive on the western front.
There appears to be no reason why
the allies should not look forward
with assurance to the grand splash
which von Hindenburg promises.
Meanwhile, however, Aperlca must
devote its full energy7 to the task of
going to their relief at the earliest
practicable moment.
THE experience of all countries has
been that no government can oper
ate a public utility as cheaply as can
a private owner, and Alaska steam
ship lines and the Anchorage railway
project Is a good example. Had a pri
vate company been building this road
the first thing done would have been
to cheapen transportation by closing
the gap In the railway between Sew
THE EMPRESS
TUESDAY EAGLE HALL 8 SHARP
George Beban
“AN ALIEN”
PRODUCED by THOS. H. 1NCE Adapted From
The Sign of The Rose.
It would be impossible for us to tell you all
about this wonderful photoplay so our advice is
come tonight and we will guarantee you a pleasant
time with Mr. George Behan, America’s foremost im
. : A
personator.
■-—*- ~
Admission 30c
STEAM HEATED NEWLY FURNISHED
SEATTLE HOTEL
MBA. a. MILL. Propr.
VALDEZ ALASKA
ard and Anchorage, thereby cheapen
ing the haul to the interior city and
rendering it accessible daring the win
ter months. Not so the government.
They start on the long way to Ne
nana and the ocgl fields with no thot
of what is behind, and today parties
desiring to visit the interior city are
hiking merrily along as if the 937.
000,000 appropriated to build a rail
road had never been expended on an
experiment.
■ —
JUST what "operators” at Anchor
age are satisfied with the present coal
leasing law is puzzling the other
towns lu Alaska. It has retarded the
development of that resource as ev
erybody knows and is one of the few
things that Anchorage has favored—
unless it be the removal of all public
business and industries of the terri
tory to that ice-bound port.—Cordova
Times.
SUB W RITES
ON AMENTS
Encloses Secretary’s Opinion of Re
cently Enacted Bill—Says it Ap
plies Equally to Alaska
Washington, D. C„
December 12, 1917
Editor Prospector: Following the
passage by Congress of the Senate
resolution providing for the suBpeh
slon of assessment work on all min
ing claims during the years 1917 and
1918, I was surprised to find that cer
tain persons were attempting to dis
credit the operation of this law, so
far as Alaska was concerned. The for
mer Delegate to Congress raised the
point that the federal law could not
supersede the territorial law, and
some attorneys In Alaska attempted
to show that the Waakey Act, pass
ed in 1907, established requirements
for Alaska which were not suspended
by the resolution which passed the
<ast Congress unanimously.
Upon my return to Washington at
the opening of the present session of
Congress, I conferred with the Sec
retary of the Interior on the subject,
submitting some of the newspaper
comments which had been made on
the law.
Today I received the following let
ter from the Department of the Inter
ior, signed by First Assistant Secre
tary, Alexander T. Vogelsang:
Hon. Charles A. Sulzer, House of
Representatives.
My Dear Mr. Sulzer:
You have recently requested my
opinion on the question as to whether
Joint Rosolution No. 12, of the 65th
Congress, approved October 6, 1917,
entitled “Joint Resolution to suspend
the requirements of annual assess
ment work on mining claims during
the years nineteen hundred and sev
enteen and nineteen hundred and
eighteen,” applies to the Territory of
Alaska.
In that connection you BUbmit two
newspaper clippings from which it ap
pears that there is a difference of op
inion as to whether said resolution is
rendered Imperative as to certain Al
aska mining claims by Section 3 of
the Act of April 21, 1916, of the Al
aska legislature.
This Alaska Act is based upon and
follows with some amplification the
provisions of Section 1 of the Act of
August 1, 1912 (37 Stat., 242), which
reads:
“That no association placer mining
claim shall Hereafter be locatedJn Al
aska in excess of forty acres, and on
every placer-mining claim hereafter
located in Alaska, and until a patent
has been issued therefor, not less than
one hundred dollars worth of labor
shall be performed or improvements
made during each year, including the
year of location, for each and every
twenty acres or excess fraction there- (
of."
The mining laws or tne unuea
States, which were extended to Alas
ka, first, by the act of May 17. 1884,
(23 Stat., 24), and again by Section
26 of the Act of Jane 6, 1900 (31
Stat., 321), included said Section
2324, of the Revised Statutes, refer
red to in the Joint rseolutlon. These
laws were, as to lands In Alaska,
amended by the Act of March 2,1907,
(35 Stat., 1243), and said act of Aug
ust 1, 1912.
By the Act of December 1, 1913 1
(38 Statl, 235), entitled. “An Act to
amend section twenty three hundred
and twenty four of the Revised Sta
tutes of the United States relating to
mining claims,” is was declared:
That the provision of Section tWen
ty-three hundred and twenty-four of
the Revised States of the United
States, which requires that on each
claim located after the tenth day of
May, eighteen hundred and seventy
two, and until patent has been Issued 1
therefor, not less than one hundred
dollars worth of labor shall be per
formed or improvements made dur
ing each year, be suspended for the
year nineteen hundred and thirteen
as to mining claims situated on Sew
ard Peninsula, in the District or Terri
tory of Alaska west of longitude one
hundred and fifty-eight, west and
north of latitude sixty-four, so that no
mining claim which has been regu
larly located and recorded as requir
ed by the local laws and mining reg
ulations within snch area so describ
ed shhll be subject to forfeiture for
non-performance of the annual assess
ment for the year nineteen hundred
and thirteen.
The latter act was clearly a legis- i
latlve recognition, if not indeed a
. (Continued on Page Four)
WE WISH YOU
ONE AND ALL
A
|
MERRY CHRISTMAS
\
S. BLUM AND COMPANY
GOOD GOODS
Candy Kitchen i
L V. HUNT—b Owl Dra* Star*. j
FOUNTAIN DRINKS !
HOT--COLD j
LAUNCH DELLA
Capt. H. L. Rider
Weekly tripe from Veldes to
RUamar, Lendl ock, Fldalgo end j
way porta. Paaaengere landed j
at ell polata. |
Carrying freight and peaaen- j
gers. j
For ratea apply on board. 1
CAPT. H. L RIDER |
THE SOUTHERN
MRS. BLACKWELL, Prop.
Nice, Clean Rooms
Baths In Connection
PRICES REASONABLE
Phone 104
J. E. WILSON
Freighting to all points
in the third division.
JHorses bought and sold.
Phone 166.
Valdez Miners Union No. 188
-- Western Federation of Miners
W. M. CONLEY Praaidaat. k
Valdai AJaafca.
SEORCE M. BARRY SaJTaUry.
Valdai AUaka.
VALDEZ LODGE
N04«
laU. Ylaltsrs always wtiwM
9. M. BROWN. W. M.
BD WOOD. Saaratary.
Suggestion
A nice display of band-painted pic
tures at Rudolph's tf
Fresh taffy, chews and brittles, at
Hunt’s Candy Kitchen. tf
_
NOTICE TO COAL CONSUMERS
There is every reason to expect that
the price of coal will advance on
January 1, 1918, therefore, we will
advise all coal consumers to fill their
bins before that date as we cannot
contract for delivery at the preant
price after Dec. SlsL
tf VALDEZ DOCK COMPANY
Ansoo Films Will
fit any standard make o f camera.
They are the standard. Gay E. Cam
eron. tf
Read This
Oet your Xmas tree decorations at
Rudolph’s. tf
Christmas Suggestions
Some very pretty fur sets for the
little girls. Baby’s crocheted silk
caps. Little kid shoes with pink and
blue trimmings. Sweaters, three-pleoe
darling sets and leggings. E. Winter.
tf
OYSTERS
A nice lot of Fox’s Fresh Oyster
Cocktails Just reoeived by the Love
Whitley Co. tf
Just received a new line of Pyrar
In Ivory suitable for Christmas gifts
at the Valdes Drug Store. tf
Arctic Hotel
%
All Warm, Outside Rooms
Transient Trade Solicited
Special Rates by the Week or Month
Baths in Connection
PHONE 133 MIS. STKINC. Prap
SAFETY FIRST
Travel On The
“SHAMROCK”
Prompt Service
D.D. STEWART Master
\ *
PROFESSIONAL CARDS.
DR. S. WICKES MERRITT
Offices in Fish Building, adjoining
Tillikum Club.
Phone 00. McKinley Street
Contract Surgeon. O. S. Army
A. > Surgeon, U 8. Public Health Serv .
(Marine Hospital)
DR. H. COCKERILLE
Graduate Natleaal D«tr»r>ltr
Waahingtea. D. C.
DENTIST
In Vnldea Since 1898
PHONE 110
Office Rooms In Whaling PiIUBh
DONOHOE & DIMOND
/
ATTOmtBTI-AT-LAW
Office Ogpesltc OMrt Rtut
rbset a« YALon. alaika
JOHN LYONS a • It ITCH Hi
LYONS & RITCHIE
ATTOUBTI-AT.LAW
Office* la etallat Balldlag
Pkcaa ISA TaLDIL ALARMS
ROBERT SIMPSON Opt Q.
JTCNKAU, ALASKA
Glasses Fitted Lenses Ground
VALDEZ HOSPITAL
Private Room*
Terme Reasonable
jos. a. su.vunAx.nLC..n. d. rn*.
Jos. A. Lilverman PLTLM. D.
PHYSICIAN AND SURGDON
Office heart—1 te 4 p. m — 7 lelp.a(
Sunday by Appointment
Res. Tel. IT* Office TeL It
Boyle Block Valdn
LOVE & MEALS
Insurance
Fire-Surety BoncU-Life