THE IDITAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning at Iditarod, Alaska
Vol. 7 CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor and Publisher No. 1S
Subscript
Ono Year . $10.00
Oix Months 5.00
on Rates
One Month . $1.00 j
Slnglo Copy .25 j
Advertising Rates on Application
FOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE
The time is approaching when the citizens of this
sec tic n should determine whether they desire to be
repr: ented in the territorial legislature, the Third
session of which will convene in Juneau in the spring
of 1917, and the members of which are to be chosen
at ne ct November’s election. The work of the two
sessions of that body already held emphasize the
need of the Interior to be represented by men who
understand its needs and are in touch with condi
tions as they exist here. In the last session this sec
tion was deprived of a representatve because of the
fact that no interest was taken in the matter, and
finallv. when no candidate was put forth by the resi-1
dents of the Iditarod district, the Non-partisan con- ’
vention at Fairbanks nominated a local resident at
a venture.
This year the voters ol the Iditarod and sur
round ng districts are to be given the choice of at
leas? two candidates, and although it is too muc h to
hope hat both may be chosen, the interests of the
distrie: could be intrusted to the hands of either with
full assurance that they would be cared for.
Two years ago the many friends of W. H. Kil
gore endeavored to persuade him to make the race
for the territorial legislature. He was compelled to
declii! ■ because of personal business ties. This year
he feels at liberty to make the race, and has con
sented to the use of his name for the nomination on
a non partisan ticket. Mr. Kilgore s known ability,
his knowledge of local conditions and his intense
Amerconism, coupled with his scholarly attainments, j
make him an ideal candidate for the position, and
no doi bt he would receive exceptionally strong sup
port throughout the district.
Another name that has been mentioned in con
nection with the legislative nomination is that of
W. A. Vinal of Ophir, United States commissioner
at that thriving cented of the Innoko mining district.
Mr. Vi lal is not personally known to many of the
residents of the Iditarod district, but those who do
know him speak in the highest terms of his ability
and hi devotion to the interests of Alaska, and espe
cially of the Interior, where he has made his home
for many years. The citizens of the Innoko coun
try, as well as those of the neighboring Kuskokwim
region, appear to be a unit in favor of the nomina
tion of Mr. Vinal.
It may be considered too early for definite action
by the citizens of this community, but it is likely
that arangements will be made for holding a mass
meeting for the purpose of determining the wishes
of the voters hereabouts in the matter. One thing
is certain, however. This section will not be un
represented at Juneau because of lack of interest in
the question.
PRINTING THE NEWS
jus- before the taking of testimony began in a
receni trial at Fairbanks Judge Bunnell called the
representatives of the three newspapers before him
and spoke of the difficulty of securing juries for
future i rials in the series of criminal cases on the
court c. endar if any of the testimony were printed.
Judge imnell did not make a request for the sup
pression of the news, and left the matter entirely up
to the newspapers themselves to handle as little or
as mud as they could agree upon. In that particu
lar case the wishes of the judge were respected, but
later ore of the newspapers announced that there
after it would print the testimony adduced in suc
ceeding cases.
Apparently the request of Judge Bunnell was not
made b cause of the expected salaciousness of the
evidem that was to be brought out, but because of
the fact that the readers of the newspapers would
be enabed to form an opinion of the guilt or mno
ence the defendants on trial, which might have
, cfrc: upon their judgment m case they were
diawn as jurors m succeeding cases.
fhe p oncer has no sympathy with those publica
tions v ich print testimony brought out in court
merely : ecause it is of a sensational character. It
always has appeared to us that it was a pernicious
practic- to publish by means of the printed page
what v culd be considered indelicate to publish by
word of mouth. Because a newspaper usually is
read by ill members of the family circle. It will
be found that the only thing which recommends
the pubi ration of such “news” as that brought out
at the T rbanks trials was that it was sensational
and help d to create a demand for the publications.
The new paper which panders to depraved tastes
may have a temporary success, as far as circulation
goes, bu? in the long run it will gam the disapproval
of right-tl linking people, even as its publisher must
despise his own methods.
Had J dge Bunnell’s plea been made upon the
ground that the publication of such stuff must have
an evil effect we could understand his position and
commend compliance with his wishes. But it was
made upon what we believe to be mistaken prem
k ,
ises. The old practice of excluding a man from
jury duty merely because he may have read in the
newspapers about the case upon which he was to sit
never had anything to recommend it; if followed to
its logical conclusion it would result in the selection
of a jury of ignoramuses or numskulls in many in
stances. Everybody reads the newspapers. And
when a sensational trial is taking place everybody
—generally speaking, and especially in small com
munities—talks about it. If the testimony be
printed, from carefully-prepared notes taken by a
trained reporter at the trial, what harm can result?
The matter is bound to be discussed, and it is far
better that discussion should be based upon reliable
news than upon the garbled statements of spectators
who relied merely upon memory.
The man who would form an opinion that was
unalterable by the evidence to be submitted to him
In court, and by the judge’s instructions, is not fit
for jury duty. To exclude a man from a jury
merely because he may be acquainted with the de
tails of a case is to argue the utter failure of the jury
system.
It is to be presumed that the average American
citizen is able to go into a jury room and give an in
telligent verdict upon the law and facts placed before
him even if he were acquainted with the whole de
tails of the case prior to the trial.
♦—
In disavowing responsibility for the many bomb outrages and
acts of incendiarism committed in this country against American
shipping and American industries, the German government am
German press have laid stress on the traditional friendship of
Germany for the United States. Vet it is noted that the notoriou
Von Papen. whose name was so closely linked with many of these
outrages, was decorated by the kaiser upon Ills return to the
fatherland after his dismissal by the American government. The
same also was true in the case of Dr. Dumba, the Austrian am
hassador, who was recalled at the request of President Wilson be
cause of his connection with the efforts to incite strikes in Amen
can manufacturing plants. Emperor Francis Joseph conferred
special honors upon him. also. Rather a strange method of show
ing that friendship, was it not? It is another instance where
actions speak louder than words.
- C
The following story, clipped from an exchange, probably ex
plains why some spinsters, even with the opportunities of leap
year, prefer a life of single blessedness: "A widower had long
laid siege to the heart of an elderly spinster, but finding that his
protestation of love met with a cold, response, he solicited the
aid of the vicar, who, after some demur, promised to do what he
could in the matter. Visiting the lady shortly afterwards, the
reverend gentleman broached the subject. 'Have you never
thought of taking a husband. Miss — ? He would be a protec
tion here.” he remarked, glancing at the valuable furniture and
ornaments adorning the room. 'Husband!' ejaculated the spinster
icily. ‘I have three pets which jointly possess all the qualifica
tions. I’ve a dog that growls all the morning, a parrot that uses
strong language all the afternoon, and a cat that stays out a;
night!’ ” ^ -ii
At least the sons of the kaiser cannot be designated as merely
ornamental soldiers. They appear to have been in the thick of the
fighting from the start of the war. A recent news dispatch says
that the wounding of Prince Oscar on the Russian front makes four
of the kaiser’s sons who have suffered bodily injury in the war. ac
cording to accurate records. Only the crown prince and Prince
Adelbert have escaped thus far. August Wilhelm, the kai-er's
fourth son, was wounded during the battle of the Marne by a bullet
in his left arm. The second son, Eitel Frederick, was thrown from
his horse in October, 1914, and suffered a damaged knee. Joachim,
the sixth son, was wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh in Sep
tember, 1914. Joachim also was nearly captured by the Russians
in the following December. He was rescued by a German aero
plane. Oscar, recently wounded, suffers from palpitation of the
heart, and collapsed from that complaint after a battle in 1914.
-O - --
The Fairbanks Citizen, which has filled its columns with details
of the trials of men accused of crimes against young girls in Judge
Bunnell’s court, calls attention to what it intimates is an unex
plained discrimination in the fixing of penalties in two instances
of conviction. An Indian boy was sentenced to ten years’ imprison
ment at McNeil’s island for a crime committed at Ruby against a
young Indian girl. A man named Badger, convicted upon three
different counts of offenses against young Fairbanks girls, was sen
tenced to six months in the federal jail and to pay a fine of S750.
In the latter case influential friends interceded with the judge and
the defendant’s attorney made an "impassioned plea" for leniency.
It is not recorded that much influence was invoked in behalf of the
Indian boy.
❖
An item of news is going the rounds of the press which re
lates that Theodore Shonts, who resigned the position of engineer
in charge of the construction of the Panama canal, and who was
held up to the scorn of his fellow-countrymen by President Taft
for abandoning a task of patriotism, has been getting along fairly
well since he quit his post at Panama. As president of the Inter
borough Rapid Transit Company last year he drew a salary of
$100,000, was given bonuses amounting to $150,000, and a Christ
mas present of $200,000. His successor at Panama, Colonel
Goethals, is still struggling with the problem of keeping the canal
open since its announced completion.
Juneau papers are making much of a Taku wind which
blew a brick clean through a candy store. We can go them
one better and show them a Valdez glacier wind that would
have blown that candy store through the brick. Valdez
Miner.
A local man who was once a resident of Valdez is authority
for a story that would seem to bear out the truth of the fore
going. He tells of a wind that blew so hard and so steadily there
that a pet dog of his was blown against the trunk of a tree and
held there by the force of the zephyr so long that he starved to
death.
-^
The newspapers of the ^territory are making much of a news
item which recites the fact^hat a Fairbanks girl has stepped from
a menial position in a hotel to that of wife of a mining operator
worth $500,000. Even though it should appear that the extent of
the bridegroom’s riches is not exaggerated, there is nothing re
markable about the story. It is characteristic of the country that
the laborer of today may be the capitalist of tomorrow, and that
is the main reason why the land has an attraction for men of en
terprise, industry and intelligence.
The employe of the postoffice department who has the say as
to what mail shall be forwarded to the residents of Interior Alaska
by the limited service over the winter mail trail evidently does not
favor the Daily Empire, published at Juneau. While cur people
receive certain Eastern publications with regularity, seldom more
than five weeks after date of publication, the issues of the Juneai
newspaper of dates from December 14 to 22 have just reached here.
Four months for the delivery of a newspaper published in the ter
ritory is quite long enough.
-^
One cannot help but wonder why, at the time of year when the
trails are at their worst and when the task of dragging mail over
hundreds of miles of country that has been denuded of snow by
the spring zephyrs is most onerous, the authorities should decide
that we are in such urgent need of forgotten newspapers which
were published last December. A few weeks more and rivers will
be open to navigation, and they would be just as serviceable at
that time. The time to be solicitous as to our needs with reference |
to mail service is before the stuff has had a chance to accumulate.
-♦
THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER
(All-Alaska Review)
It should always be remembered that the newspapers of the (
territory deserve all the support the people can afford to give
them. Without those newspapers Alaska would never have
reached the position which it now enjoys. When a business man
refuses to aid the paper of his community he is really refusing to
do his duty to that community. The Review in speaking this way
does not include itself. It speaks of the daily and weekly local
newspapers which are struggling along in the effort to keep their
several towns and districts before the public eye. An Alaska camp
without a new-sparer is dumb and partially blind.
AN ALASKA CHARACTER
WAS “BILLY THE HORSE”
(Anchorage Alaskan)
Another Alaska character has run his
race in this world of troubled mortals and
passed over to the Big Strike on the “other
side,” and the northland loses one more
of its early seekers of fame and fortune.
His name was William Elliott, but he was
known throughout Alaska as ‘ Billy the
Horse.” Elliott was taken to the govern
ment hospital a few weeks ago, suffering
from tuberculosis, and died last Sunday
morning. He was buried on fVednesday
in the local cemetery by his many old sour
dough friends.
Many stories are told of Elliott's esca
pudes up here m Alaska and down in the
States. It is said that when in Spokane
one time he had met tinancial reverses and
was “jumping sideways” as to where the
npxt lunch was to be found, and that any
chance looked good to Bill. There was a
mounted official there who rode a very fine
horse that looked good to him, so he
schemed and wondered how best he could
“borrow” the animal for a short period.
After watching and waiting, the opportu
nity finally presented itself one day, when
the horseman drove up before a store and
dismounted, going inside to transact some
business. But imagine that gentleman’s
surprise when he came out to drive away.
He looked foolish, wise, up and down the
street and around the corner, but no horse
was in sight. The search was kept up for
many weeks, hut without success. A deep
mvstery surrounded the disappearance, from
the fact that there apparently was no av
enue of escape from the town except by
way of a trestle which had to be crossed.
And how wag the horse to cross? That
was the question before the interested peo
pie. However, it subsequently became
known that the horse actually did cross the
trestle, for it was led’over after an ingeni
ous "pillow" had been made for its feel
hi the shape of half-fi led coal sacks, which
"Billy” tied around each foot, enabling him
to get the animal safelv over and away.
Time wore on and "Billy” and the horse
incident were forgotten. He drifted about
and finally reached Alaska, where he re
mined to the end, to sleep his last sleep
beneath the moss-covered earth and sigh
ing spruce.
“Bidy” struck it rich in the Nome dis
trict and commenced a meteoric career.
Among his many ventures was the pur
chase of a saloon, which he conducted until
crushed by its heavy weight, if lule at the
bar once a man stepped in whose face
seemed familiar to “Billy,” and he recog
nized him as the officer who rode the fine
horse he had “borrowed.” He asked him
if he had ever found his horse. “No, nor
the one who got away with him. It is
still the mystery of Spokane,” said the
man.
“Well, I’m the gent that ‘borrowed’ the
horse, and as he wasn't workin’ and I
needed help, I just ‘coaxed’ him dong on
my journey to some other place. Nice ani
in si, that, chief, ami he done nobly, so i
thank you for his use. Have a drink.”
He was a surprised visitor, but the horse
was on the chief.
Another one of Billy’s resourceful moves
was when he went imo a saloon and was
refused a drink. He .withdrew gracefully,
but came back sputtering like the fuse he
held in his hand. He had secured a “stick”
of pea soup, put up like a stick of dynamite,
and procuring a fuse, proceeded to the
saloon to “blow ’em all up.” As he entered
he lighted the fuse, which was sputtering
uncomfortably close to the stick of pea
soup when the proprietor and the “reserved”
seat holders observed his entrance. There
were more movements than one, and in the
mad scramble for “safety first” one fellow
broke his leg. Then “Billy” was the pro
prietor, bartender and porter all in one.
He helped himself to several “souses,” a
couple of ft 11 bottles, and vanished, having
enough “dynamite” left to give a first-class
banquet to the whole engineering commis
sion
♦ -
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROTH
ANSWERS INTERESTING QUIZ
Recently District Attorney Roth, at Fair
banks, received the following telegram from
a resident of Tanana:
“Can native or part native woman, mar
ried to qualified white man, vote at school
or city election? If they have residence
qualifications, can native or part native
men or women vote? Can native woman
of China, married to Chinese man, born in
the United States, vote?”
In reply the United States attorney wired
the following message:
“Native or part native women of any i
age, married to qualified white men, may
vote; native or part native with residence j
qualifications, who has severed tribal rein- !
tions, may vote; native Chinese woman of |
age. married lo Chinese man horn in the j
United States, may vote at school or muni
cipal elections.”
GUGGS SECURING OPTIONS
IN TOLOVANA DISTRICT?
(Fairbanks Citizen, April 3)
That Ft! Austin, the Iditarod manager of
the Guggenheims, who recently arrived in
Fairbanks from the Outside, came in this
way and went to the Tolovana country for
no other purpose than to investigate cer
tain Livengood creek property for his people,
I is the word received in Fairbanks during
the past week from Brooks. The ground
! already has been optioned, Tom McKinnon
, and Sam Godfrey having been busy during
j the past winter securing the contracts to
! purchase from the owners of the properties
, It is understood that if the options are
i taken up the ground will be dredged.
I The property under option includes all
I of the creek claims on Livengood creek
| from 2 below discovery to the head of the
(-tream. It is practcially all shallow ground,
i bedrock being found everywhere not deeper
| man tmrty tret. Ann that it contains vai
l ues which will pay to dredge has been dem
I oust rated by the prospecting which has been
j done and which showed that all of the
j ground contained “near pay/' which means
j that most of it will go about 75 cents to
i the square foot of bedrock.
And the gold is found from the grass
| roots si' the way to bedrock everywhere
j on the claims. However, it was not found
j anywhere in sufficient quantities to pay for
j working the ground by the methods gener
; ally used in Interior Alaska.
It is understood that no cash payment
j was made on any of the Fivengood claims.
O
First class dog kennels at the Regina.
❖
| Fresh Olympia and Eastern Oysters. SI 50
per can. Iditarod Meat Co.
—— ♦
FOR SAFE French Joe’s Roadhouse,
1 Seward trail; cheap. Apply Henry Roden,
I Iditarod.
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT Cl TV
Open Dev a n ri N i p h t
I Professional
Michigan, 1881 Alaska, 1910
Kentucky, 1391
George Woodruff Albrec+it
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney or Iditarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner Willow and Second Sts.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
C-HAS, E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue Iditarod
Fred Harrison
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Room 1 Over Merchants Cafe
DR. f^tOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DRUG STORE
DR. H. E. AtJRiNSER
Plusician and Surgeon
Office: Flat City Hospital, Fiat City
: Consultation Ilnurs in Forenoons ar.'l I y
Appointment
DR. H. BEHLA
DENTIST
FLAT CITY
,
Will Arrive in Iditarod by the first boat in
the spring
Se:ondSt. [OITAROD MEAl CO. Phono 15
Gold St., Flat City
Mrs. Geo. Mutchler, Prop.
Nicely Furnished Rooms Barn for Horses and Dogs Baths in Connection
HARRY DOs’i^ELLEV
IEEE GENERAL MERCHANDISE
DISCOVERY, OTTER
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
MERCHANTS’ CAFE j
BBggaaMg GOOD MEALS
bmms SHORT ORDERS iWBmiwrrBrnrii|
FIRST AVE. OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
Prop.
We Have a Complete Line of
A-l Groceries
In Hardware we carry Axes, Saws, Mauls, Wedges, Picks, Shovels, Sluice Forks, Stoves and Stove
pipe, Door Locks, Hinges, Files and other small hardware.
We have a Clothing Department where you can be supplied with Bib and Waist Overalls, Khaki
Suits, Woollen Pants, Overshirts, Underwear, Rubber Boots and Pacs, Socks, Mitts and Gloves.
If you are making the usual spring repairs on your house we can supply you with Building Paper,
Burlap, Oilcloth, Paints, Oil and Varnish.
Mg MAHON
GENERAL MERCHANDISE FLAT CITY