IDITAROD PIONEER j
Published Every Sunday Morning at Iditargd, Alaska.
FRANK E. DECKER, EDITOR
Vsl S Ceo. M. Arbuckle. Publisher No. 4
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Advertising; Hates on Application.
CHANCE FOR ANVIL CHORUS
Alloodin’ at that question of a Director of Posts for
Alaska, we have to say that we have just heard something
very encouraging on the subject and would like to tip it off
to the press of the territory, in the hope that newspaper?
generally would get hep to the scheme, and all take hold
and pull.
The wielder of this particular typewriter has had much
to say during the last two years about what a lovely scheme
it would be to prevail upon Washington to'appoint a bos?
for the postoffice service in Alaska,—a man who would h;m
authority to do something worth while without waiting fen
word from the P. M. G. down there by the Potomac.
We have suggested that the office of Director of Posts
be created for the territory, and we have consistently host
ed Major John P. Gum for the place, feeling confident
that he knows more about the postal needs of the country
than any other man ever connected with the service here,
and could give us better and quicker results. Even while
postmaster at Fairbanks, Clum succeeded in getting outside
of his routine duties several times to make a postoffiee grow
where none grew before.
Now, Gum got called down for a lot of those stunts,
but if he saw a chance to provide an emergency service or
set up a postoffice where they were needed in a hurry, he
just went ahead and did it and took his medicine from the
Higherups later. Besides that, he knew when and where
these emergencies were and how to cope with them.
The conditions existing in the Iditarod this winter,
when the largest camp in Alaska is getting but a monthly
service and where the people are paying out good hard
dollars to keep their postoffice going and to get a little
extra mail, causes us to refer to this matter with consider
able feeling.
Its a dead, immortal cinch that the postoffice depart
ment at Washington, can never properly handle the mails
in Alaska without some representative here clothed with
considerable authority. We need a man who knows what
to do and who must not be afraid to do it.
Now, we have heard unofficially that the postmaster
general thinks we should have a boss and is very favorable
to this Director of Posts idea. If such is the case, a grand
fusilade by the papers of Alaska, coupled with a few swats
from Delegate Wiekersham might land the goods. We
understand that Hitchcock is quite approachable on the
subject, wherefore its up to the press to do a little 18-karat
approaching, and we wouldn't put on any pneumatic creep
ers either. Just get out and make a large noise as of some
body knocking of his favorite hobby and do it in unison,—
sure thing, we'll get some recognition from tho gallery.
CONSERVATION OF INTELLECT
Just why so many people get feathers in their cupalo
in Alaska is a hard thing to explain, considering that life
is clean as a rule, and the Northern air purged of any little
thinktank weevil that should bore away the foundations
from under throne of reason. But anyway, the thing does
exist here. People get funny notions under their skypieces,
and before one Knows it, the local jail is full of unfortunate
folks who have lost an even leavening of luminous lucidity,
and instead of a bastile where criminals should be housed
it 8 turned into an inadequate hospital for the mentally
halt and those to reason blind.
Caught up in a day, when perhaps suffering only front
W arm C o m fo rta ble
RADIATOR IN EVERY ROOM
GOOD, WARM DOG HOUSES
WILLOW ST, AND SECOND AVE,
I. NYHOLM, PROP.
WE SATISFY THE HUNGRY
TODAY-SPECIAL SUNDAY DINNER—TODAY
Everything in Season
WILLOW STREET T. L. McGRATK, PROP.
McDonald Hotel ’SSS?1
^EIRST AVENUE TELEPHONE 63
TURN YOUR FACE TO
The Mecca
For Inspiration
Corner Second Avenue and Willow Street
George Auten Dave Ferguson
Ladies' Fancy Wool and Silk Shawls at
ALL TAM O’SH ANTERS, 50c EACH
I. GOLDST: IN Front SI.
City Drug Stere
STM TIONER Y SPEC!ML TIES:
Score Cards for 500
Tally-Ho, Bridge Scores, many designs
Id it a rod Post Cards Flash Lights
Waterman's and Moore’s Fountain Pens
‘•CLEANLINESS" IS OHR MOTTO
A House for Warmth and Comfort
Morgan & Hammer, Props.
Warm Do;r Houses Popular Rates
! C. J. Hur.ey, Prssident J. P. G sasan, t ea Pres deni A. Brun'n*, Cashier
Corn err First Ave, aud Richmond St.. Ulna rod
General 3anklng Business Transacted Upon Liberal, Gut Conservative Lines
GOLD DUST PURCHASED U ON A-SAY VALUE
And ive guarantee out- assays against any of the government assay offices.
Clippings from your guild 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.
a mild attack of temporary mental derangement, these most
unfortunate people are taken to jail amid surroundings
more calculated to increase their malady than to help them.
Without, proper means for observing them, and frequently
with no time allowed for a possible improvement, they are
hailed before an insanity commission and adjudged insane.
After that there is no out for them until they can be ship
ped to Mt. Tabor in Oregon, where as frequently happens,
they are immediately discharged as cured.
For this state of affairs, the officers of the law are not
responsible. The law itself is defective, and congress is re
sponsible in paying absolutely no attention to our sick or
our indigent until this last year, when they seem to have
meddled just long enough to properly ball things up.
The fact remains howevei, that the care of the insane
in Alaska is one of the most important problems before the
people. They have been getting the worst of it right along
and will continue to get it, just as long as it is necessary
to hold them in jail to await the convenience of the season
before shipping them out to the Oregon asylum. True it is,
that detention hospitals have been provided for at Fair
banks and Norn , but thus far there seems to have been
nothing done but correspond with the powers tb it be ask
ing them if that b g appropriation be used to build a cabin
in the woods where the patients could take care of them
selves, or whether ic be given to a physician to look after
them in his back office.
We understand that the fine hotel at Manley’s Hot
Springs has been closed down on account of lack of patron
age, and the news suggests an idea. Why not make a de
tention hospital of that delightful spot where unfortunate
! folk whose lights have gone out can he housed in cleanliness
and comfort, to breathe the pure air of the open and to
receive the proper medical attention.
That hotel would make a detention hospital what is.
It could doubtless be secured by lease for the same cost as
those inadeqi ate stations already contemplated. It is
centrally located in the heart of Alaska, it is healthful, it
is an ideal spot for such a purpose. If Alaska is ever given
the privilege of taking care of her own iu-ane, there is the
place for the asylum. It they still must be taken over that
trying journey to Oregon, then ih ■ Hot Springs would be
the proper place to hold them until the journey could be
made with safety and comfort.
BITTEN BY APATHETIC BUG
Wednesday night a meeting of the liveonesof Iditarod
was called for the purpose of considering one of the most
important municipal pioblems that has come to the front
since the building of the town. This was the question of
whether or not this city should have asocial hall of a capa
city commensurate with the importance of the town and
the social and business activity of the coming season.
Among the thirty people in attendance at that meet
ing, about one-tenth of one per cent, were business men of
this city, this per cent, being that proportion of discerning
captains of commerce who have been able to see without
the aid of a smoked glass, that unless something be done to
provide suitable quarters for the holding of the spring
session of the federal court, that Judge Overfield i» most
apt to accept the invitation of the people of Flat to come
out and use their fine new building.
It is painful to have to comment on such apathetic dis
regard of an obvious duty. The fact that we must have a
big hall in this city sticks out as prominently as a sore
thumb ; the further fact that there are a lot of dead ones
in the camp who don't seem to care a continental cuss can
be sensed as acutely as a malignant carbuncle on that very
digit.
We need a good hall and we need it badly. The very thought
of not building it is unthinkable in view of the fact that, it might
lead to such dire consequences in the matter of the setting >f the
court. Therefore, why not come out of that wintry torpor and
show a few signs of speed. Sit up and take notice and bark if yon
want to, but in the name of this fair city, try and make a noise
like a hall.
T here is news of a big railroad strike that has paralyzed the
transpoi tation lines of the entire country. The tidings effect us
with peculiar poignancy for it is now almost a cinch that we will
not get our magazines regularly.
Ramps sells Bock cigars.
ALASKA-YUKON
CLUB GUIS
Mrs. S. M. Swan, formerly of Daw
son, now living in Los Angeles, in
writing to a friend in this city states
that the Alaska-Yukon Club which lms
>em formed in that city has been in
s rumental in assein! ling far more old
Klondikers than ever was dreamed
were in the burg. The officers of the
flub are J. J. 1 tut ledge, former Gold
Run operator, president; F. M. Shep
pard, former stenographer in tlie Yu
kon courts, vice-president; W. F. Shedd
second vice-president; Sam \Y, Wall,
• oriuer editor of the Dawson News,
secretary-treasurer; A. C. Edwards,
sergeant-at-arms. To show that, all tlie
officers are live ones in the community,
they have issued a card hearing the
tst of officials, giving the place of
business and t lie telephone number of
each. Ail evidently are active in the
harness in Los Angeles as they were
in the Nonh.
The club also numbers many other
live member--. Among tiie cl a er
members are Prof. Arnold F. George,
former editor of the Dawson News and
John L. Timmins, former Dawson city
aldermen. The club was organized in
time to participate in the grand annual
session of federation of states and terri
tories of the United States in Los
Angeles. At. the banquet in connection
with the congress 3,000 people were at
the tables. It is said to have been the
largest banquet ever held in any city.
—Dawson News.
WERE YOU EVER !N
PAISLEY, ONTARIO ?
If you have never been in Paisley,
then you don’t know anything about
the native heath of Bill Rose and Jack
Baird. Therefore we want to band out
to the thirsty public a few news notes
about Paisley, as culled from that
progressive journal, the Paisley Advo
cate.
Dr. and Mrs. Cassells, formerly of
Fairbanks, and well known in the
North were in Paisley recently visiting
the home folks. They were on their
way to New York where the doctor is
going for another postgraduate course
in medicine.
Choice spuds can he purchased in
Paisley at the rate of 85c for a bushel
and a half. By working three shifts in
one 24 hours, a man can make his
winter's grub stake.
Alexander Rose, brother of Bill Rose
of this city, is one of the leading horse
dealers of that vicinity. Besides rais
ing biooded trotting stock which com
mands fancy prices, he recently shipped
two car-loads of draft horses to Van
couver. _
THEY BRING DOST
AND SOME GASH
With a poke that bulged like a sum
met' sausage, auu a roll uf currency
that would choke a sewer, Johu Mor
row, partner of Chas. Ross of this city,
came in from his place of business at
Ophir last week and looked the town
over carefully. lie was accompanied
by George Frye of Ophir, the latter be
ing a partner with Paulson in the sa
loon business there.
Morrow & Ross are engaged in the
mercantile business at Optiir and Dts
kaket, and are the leading merchants
on the Innoko. John brought over
about $10,000 in gold dust, as the result
of some late-season cleanups.
They report healthy cotiditions in the
Innoko camp and are optimistic con
cerning the coming season. The two
departed Wednesday morning on the
return journey.
Hastening to Mother’s Bedside
Apprised of the fact that his mother S
is suffering from a serious illness which
holds forth little promise of recovery,
Leslie Kehoe, of Cheslev, Ryan & ]
Kehoe, left hurriedly for the Outside !
last Tuesday, driving a five-dog team |
which will carry him as far as Fair- i
banks. From that point he will take j
the stage and will proceed at once to j
Fortuna, Humboldt county, California,
the home of his folks.
Kehoe contemplates returning over
Leberge with the first water and will
bring in a stock of goods for his firm.
All cigars dealers sell Bock cigars.
Wickersham Will Hear This
—
From the Nome Nugget, which can
be taken as authority on the matter, it
has been learned that Jack Ousb,',
campaign manag&r for Ed. S. Orr, and
I chief sleuth on the trail of Birch, re
I cenlly paid a visit to Nome from Solo
mon. Jack is now deputy marshal
down there, and is already building
fences for the ne_:t political combat.
See .Johnstone for La Verdad, Bock,
El Preceedo, Optimo, Havana cigars,
tobaccos, Bicycle cards—wholesale dis,
tributor. _
Save the pieces 1 broken lenses re
placed at Simpson’s.
IDITAROD HOTEL
First-Class Accommodations Your Patronage solicited
Merchants Cafe
Wedding Dinners and Large Parties
a Specialty
Strictly First Class. Open Day and Night
Ciias 12 Miller & Ernest H. Slenter, Props.
SPECIAL PRICES
ON MEN’S
FURNISHING GOODS
BOUGH AND DRESSED LUMBER,
SASH, POORS, GLASS AND
BUILDERS' SUPPLIES
Mitarod
Dominion
Commercial Co.
Groceries, Hay and Grain
See Us Before Buying IDITAROD
Clark Lumber Co.
Phone 10—IDITAROD- Pliont 10
Rough and Brassed Lumbar
ALL KINDS OF FREIGHTING DONE, PROMPT
DELIVERY GUARANTEED.
Cheer and Comfort
*
AT THK
Miner's Kerne
SALOON
Miller & Jerman, Props.
Iditarod Stage Line
PAT KEYES AND PHIL NIAYHAN, PROPS.
Telephone Main 61. Office at Ophir House, Willow St. *
TRIPS EVERY DAY EXCEPT SUNDAY
Leaves Flat Creek .8:00 a. m. f
Leaves Ophir House, Iditarod.2:00 p. in. £