Valdez Daily Prospector
PUBLISHED BY THE
Prospector Publishing Co.
TERMS.
Dally Prospector.
By carrier, per month.?i"-22
By mall, per annum.10-00
The Weekly Miner.
By carrier, per month.I .40
By mail, per annum.. *-uo
The Dally Prospector and Weekly Miner
Dy carrier to one address, per
month .-I***#
The Dally Prospector and Weekly Mln^
er by mall to one address only, net
year .*«-60
Business Office and Editorial Rooms,
’Phone IBS.
Advertising Rates on Application.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1914.
JUNEAU VERY POOR LOCATION.
It is our aim to make the Mail a
toiler in the interest of Alaska, and
all of Alaska. We may be a little
prejudiced in favor of our home city
and surroundings, but we honestly
declare that Alaska in general is a
close second, and we expect to each
week call attention to matters that
in the upbuilding of our territory will
demand the earnest consideration of
Alaska people. A matter that we
now have in mind is the question
of the most convenient location of
our territorial capital. We see the
necessity of considering this matter
nowr, because we are just contemplat
ing the erecting of expensive territor
ial buildings and we believe most of
our readers will agree with us that
Juneau is in no sense the most con
veniently located city for our future
capital. From a personal view, con
sidering location and all conditions
having a hearing in the case we
would unhesitatingly suggest Valdez
as offering general advantages over
whelmingly superior to Juneau for
our capital.—Ketchikan Mail,
a _.
THE "BOREDOM OF BATTLE."
Little by little the trench fighting
to which modern battle has deterio
rated is revealed in all its ugliness.
Life in the water-soaked and shell
swept ditches under incessant toil
and strain wear out bodies and souls
alike, until the wonder is that sol
diers have enough vigor and spirit
left to charge when the order comes.
The psychology of those exhausted
men burrowing in the mud is- thus
described by M. H. Donohue, an Eng
lish correspondent:
“Gradually one begins to realize
the boredom of battle, to acquire
some of that fatalistic indifference to
the chance of death which enables
the soldiers to stir their soup without
an Upward glance at a sky full of
jagged steel. Only now and then the j
old question comes to one: ‘This, or
the next?’”
And from the same correspondent
comes this eulogy on the brave men
who killed each other in one of the
fiercest fights of the Belgian battle
line:
“Nieuport is in ruins, destruction
has set its grim seal upon the town,
and all things living have long since
fled from the place as if from some
spot accursed. Nieuport is inhabited,
but it is by the dead. In unburied
heaps they lie thickly among the sand
dunes which surround it, and in the
town itself in the midst of the si
lent, deserted streets and among the
gaping, disheveled, houses. Belgian
and Teuton and Gaul lie there, having
met and fallen in the rude shock of
battle. Time will not be oblivious to
their heroic deeds, but at present they
lie where they fell, and sepulchre is
denied them because this vast zone
of the dead is still swept by the shell
fire of the contending armies.”
And Nieuport is only a trivial de
tail of a single campaign of a war
now grown so great that no man can
follow its operations or grasp all Its
horrors.—Ex.
THE WORLD’S STOREKEEPER.
Uncle Sam, General Storekeeper of
the World, is doing nicely, thank you.
He still has too much cotton on his
hands, but he’s succeeded In raising
that fl35,000,000 fund to carry a few
million surplus bales until he sells
the rest in the natural course of
trade. With his cotton exchange op
en again, there is a healthy demand
developing. And the bales he stows
away in the storeroom will keep.
In other lines of business Uncle
Sam has his hands full. Europe is
still keeping the cables hot ordering
provisions for her armies. And as
for manufactures, the nations are
waiting m line to have their orders
filled.
Two or three months ago Uncle was
considerably in debt and his foreign
creditors were yelling for cash. That
made it unpleasant, for, while Uncle
has plenty of good, hard gold in the
safe, he didn’t want to part with It.
Gold never looks so good as In war
time. But now everything Is lovely.
Hie stock of goods Is selling so fast
that the profits can take care of the
debts. And there’s no fear of the
shelves going empty.
It’s really wonderful the way that
account with Europe is being straight
ened out. In October, Uncle sold
abroad nearly $60,000,000 worth of
goods more than he bought. Thus
the "trade balance” in his favor can
celed that amount of indebtedness.
And paying off obligations at the rate
of $60,000,000 a month is going some,
even for the General Storekeeper of
the World.
The rate of payment is going up
faster than ever, too. Why, during
the first two weeks of last month the
excess of exports over Imports in our
ten leading seaports was more than
$32,000,000. The total favorable bal
ance in all the seaports, of course,
must have been several millions
more. That rate, if maintained—and
it will probably increase—will make
a favorable trade balance of $75,000,
000 or $80,000,000 for the month.
Uncle Sam will have no more
trouble with his foreign creditors.
And there’ll be no lack of ready cash
at home, either, with the new bank
ing system in force, and credit easy
in every part of the country, and for
eign capitalists scared by war haz
ards, beginning to look to the Unit
ed States for safe investments. Un
cle is feeling so secure and prosper
ous that he’s planning to open his
big Stock Exchange. When he does
<lt will be the only market for securi
ties on earth that amounts to any
thing, and he’ll have a practical mo
nopoly of handling the world’s corpor
ate wealth.—Ex.
(Continued from page 1.)
plies in the country a census of ani
mals is to be taken throughout the
German empire on Dec. 10. Cattle,
sheep, pigs, goats, and horses are to
be enumerated. As the result of a
conference between the government
and the Berlin bakers, the baking of
bread more than twice a day has
been prohibited in order to prevent
waste of grain due to the fact that
the public always insists on having
new bread. The sale of stale bread
as food for cattle is declared illegal,
and it is enacted that as much stale
bread as possible shall be rebaked to
appear as new. It is estimated that
these steps will result in saving 12,
000 pounds of flour per day in Berlin
alone.
Germany Prepares for Allies’ Inva
sion.
LONDON, Dec. 10.—An invasion by
the allies is feared by Germany, ac
cording to The Copenhagen Evening
News, which reports that extensive
preparations are being made to
guard against such an eventuality, j
The News says it has learned from
eye-witnesses that the Germans are
strengthening old fortresses in the
former Danish territory of Schles
wig-Holstein, as well as a line of in
trenchments, called the Dannewerk,
along the northern side of the Kiel
Canal. It is thus hoped to protect the
canal against attacks from the north,
for it is on the shores of Schleswig,
according to these reports, that an
invasion is feared.
All the German islands in the North
Sea, it is said, are now’ closely guard
ed, and strongly fortified positions
are being erected on the shores of
Holstein and along the western side
of the River Elbe.
Call for Warrants.
I will pay all city warrants up to
and including No. 4210 if presented at
my office in the Copper Block,
k 13 E. G. AMES, Treasurer.
DEMOLISHED BRIDGE AT WETTEREN. BELGIUM,
_ _
• MH. bjr Anwrtcu Press Association.
JOFFRE DIRECTS
French General’s Headquarters In
Village Schoolhouse 70 Miles
From Firing Line.
GEN JOFFHE’S HEDQtJARTERS,
Dec. 10.—The nerve center that
moves more than 2,000,000 men is in
a village school house 70 miles be
hind the firing line. The rare observ
er who is permitted to learn its
whereabouts, and approach, finds an
absolute contrast between the tran
quility here and the intense action
near the trenches. No cannon, ma
chine guns, or rifles can be heard.
The eommander-in-chief co-ordi
nates his information and arrives at
his decisions not only far from the
disturbance of actual conflict but in
the depth of the country, away from
the first and second lines of reserves,
the incessant movement of motor
transport, and the dislocation of civil
life. An air of repose surrounds the
headquarters, but life is intense here
also a twenty-four-hour day of study
and acts of judgment.
what young colonels you have
here,” remarked the correspondent to
a member of the staff.
"They are the men of the future,”
he replied. "Some of these young
colonels are at their desks at 5 in
the morning and go to their quar
ters, in pleasant private dwellings
near by, at 10 at night. They are re
lieved by others, and each sort of
work goes on throughout the night.”
Gen. Joffre has six subordinate
nerve centers in the six armies into
which the field forces are divided.
The six generals commanding these
armies—Generals Pau, Foch, Deal
stein, France d’Esperray, Castelnau,
and Manoury—each with his general
staff, are connected by direct tele
graph and telephone wires with head
quarters. Gen. Joffre often talks ov
er situations by telephone, receives
suggestions, and gives orders, which
are confirmed and recorded by tele
graph. He is also in direct and fre
quent communication with Field Mar
shal French and Belgian headquar
ters, and with Bordeaux and Paris.
A single sentinel paces in front
of the entrance. Except for a few
forester guards, there are no soldiers
in Gen. Joffre’s village except his
group of youngish men on his staff,
picked for their talents among the
50,000 officers of France. The roads
of approach are watched by gen
darmes, and it is impossible to en
ter the place except by a pass either
by the chief of Joffre’s staff or by
one of the few persons in the mili
tary administration authorized to
sign such a pass.
The headquarters of a commanding
general used to be distinguished by
the orderlies and horses in front, and
his rank could be reasonbaly well
determined by their number. Now it
is the number of motor cars. Some
of the long, high-powered runners are
usually lined up in the playground
of the school house. There is no
tooting of horns. The cars come and
l go quietly and sw-'ftly. The represen
tative of the British war office, Col.
Yarde-Buller, arrives, or the Russian
military agent, or an officer from the
immediate front, or a delegate from
the government), but for the most
part there is little coming and going.
The vast business of the drama is
transacted by wire. The meaning and
significance of it all can only be de
termined by events i emote from here.
When Gen. Joffre goes to the head
quarters of one of the armies he has
with him an automobile fitted as an
office. It looks inside very much
like the little drawing rooms attach
thehomeoe \
•ml
Copyright Harr bchauncr Sc Marx
Ask Us for
Christmas
Suggestions
3F you dont see what you
want in this store, ask for it;
we probably have it; if we
haven’t, we’ll get it for you.
We can’t give you a complete
list of Christmas things for men,
in the space we have here; but
we’ll send you one if you care
for it.
Hart Schaffner & Marx clothes
—Suits, Overcoats—head the list
—you couldn’t give a better gift
for $20 or $25 or $30 or $35.
Latest Styles of Neckwear
Bath Robes
Smoking Jackets
Lined and Un lined Gloves
Suit Cases and Bags
Shoes and Slippers
Stetson Hats
Gordon & Ferguson Fur Caps.
Initialed and Plain Handker’fs
Silk Handk’fs and Mufflers
Toys for the Children
ed to steamer cabins. A writing desk
lets down from one end. Two divis
ions are along the sides, and there
are convenient devices for docketing
the papers.
Gen. Joffre himself appears to be
in a grave, calm mood and in vigor
ous health.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
F. Anderson arrived in town from
out the trail.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry fDeyo have
f d into the Wulft building on Mil
lionaire Row.
Jut arrived from Chicago "Hold
heet” electric stoves, $2.75; alumi
num percolator, $2.50, at the Em
porium.
The dance at Liscum last evening
given by the post was a huge suc
cess. A big crowd left on the Don
aldson and all had a good time. A
fine supper was provided and the
music by the Pinkus orchestra was,
as usual, up to the standard.
The Emporium has received a large
stock of fresh candy and Christmas
novelties on the last boat and more
are coming. Don’t fail to see our
stock before buying elsewhere. Miss
Blomquist is in attendance and will
give your wants prompt attention, tf
13 At Table.
“13 At Table” tonight at the Or
pheum, also the following pictures:
“Sea Worms, educational.
“Poisoned Waters,” a legendary
drama.
"Hearts Entangled," Pearl White.
Copper River Lumber Co., Inc.
ALL KINDS OP
Native and f f TIV/IQ CD and Building
Puget Sound LiUIVlDfoV Material
CONSTANTLY ON HAND
Prices Right W. M. FINICAL, Mgr. Phone 18
Patronize a Home Industry
Pacific Alaska!
Navigation Company j
Alaska Pacific S. S. Co. Alaska Coast Co.
PUGET SOUND-ALASKA ROUTE
Steamers sail from Seattle j
Nov. 15th, Dec. 5th and 25th j
via the Inside Passage for Ketchikan, Juneau, Yakutat, Iva-j
talla, Cordova, Valdez, Seward, Cook Inlet points and Kodiak, i
PUGET SOUND--CALIFORNIA ROUTE |
Seattle-San Francisco, connecting with steamers Yade and j
I Harvard for southern California ports. j
Blcht reserved to change dates and steamers without notice
VALDEZ DOCK CO.
Local Agent
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP CO.
S. S. Mariposa and S. S. Alameda sail from Seattle
the 1st, 8th, 16th and 24th
EVERY MONTH
From Valdez south—7th, lSth, 23rd and 30th for Cordova,
Juneau, Ketchikan and Seattle.
Regular freight servloe for Ketchikan. Juneau. Sheep creek Treadwell.
Cordova. Ellamar. Valdez and Latouohe. Explosives. 9 S Seward. S 9 Seward. 5th*
S 9 Latouohe, 15th; 9 9 Cordova. *5th of eaoh month—Right reserved to change this
sohedule without notice.
F B. Tracy, Gen’l Agt- Valdo* Dock Co., Local Agt.
WEATHER BULLETIN.
Valdez, Alaska, Dec. 10, 1914.
STATION Above Below Snow. In. WKATHEU CONDITIONS
Wortman’s . 31 7 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Summit .J 32 24 Cloudy, calm, trail drifted.
Beaver Dam ....! 19 20 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Telkhell . IB 24 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Tbnsina ......... 18 16 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Copper Center ... 13 * Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Gulkana . 7 6 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Hogan v......... 21, / 2 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Paxson’a ......... 26 « Cloudy, calm, good trail.
McCaUum .. 28 6 Cloudy, calm, good trail.
Donn<$y ... 34 • Clear light winds, no trail.