IDiTAROD PIOWEER |!
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT IDITAROD. ALASKA
,Wo|. 6 CHARLES A. DERRY, Lessee and Publisher *o. no
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| which can be handled advantageously at all fin es.
S er,
! publication If so desired._______—------ I
THE IDITAROD COMMERCIAL CLUB
The iditarod Commercial Club, launched this week, starts out with
every prospect of a successiul carter, ihe field for its operations is
wide, and with the hearty co-operation of the business community and
citizens generally it should be able to accomplish mucn for the good of j
die district and city. ,
No doubt some disappointment will be expressed that tnc member- j
dap of the club is restricted to residents of Iditarod; but tlm ex”kma-j
lion of this is most plausible. The difficulties of conducting the a flairs
of an organization where officers and members are loia wd 111 Q k ! ‘li
municipalities between which the transportation facilities are not t ie
best have been demonstrated by other associations. It has been urged j
that probably the best results could be obtained by organizations at
Rat City and Iditarod, co-operating for the genera! good of the district, j
and this plan no doubt will receive consideration. The influence of the!
two bodies would be immeasurable.
The wisdom of organizing such commercial bodies snou.d need no
urging upon our business men. Ii tney desire to taK.e full advantage ol .
the opportunities presented to them, such organizations are an absolute
necessity. An instance of concerted action may be cited ir. the case
of the Fairbanks business men in relation to the Tolovana district. No
sooner was it demonstrated that the newly-discovered creek was to be i
a producer than the wide-awake commercial organization of Fairbanks
,0F. steps looking to the building of a road to the district. Fhe matter
w as urged on the road commission in such manner tnat a hanusome ap
ropriation was immediately forthcoming, insuring the building of the
derired road. The local business men may find themseives similarly
situated. The Horsefly creek disinct gives promise of becoming a pro
ducer, and it should be a profitable field for the merchants of this city, j
Being located some distance from water transportation, roads will be |
a necessity. This promising business held should not be allowed to
become dependent upon other commercial centers oecause o. lack c,
communication, and a business man s organization is the only agent foi
the proper handling of the matter.
The mail facilities of the district could be greatly improved but
improvements will not be undertaken unless some representati’ e body
continually draws attention to the needs of the district, and points out
the instances in which the best results can be obtained from the service.
Instances will be multiplied in which the Id,tarod Commercial Club can
be of assistance in facilitating the business of the district, and the
name of every resident and well-wisher of the city and district should
be added to the roster of the club.
o
“AMERICA—IKE GLORIOUS LUNATIC”
An article which appeared in the Chicago Tribune when the oasis
in the relations between the United States and Germany growing out
of the Uusitania and Arabic incidents was uppermost in the minds of j
the people of this country will be read with peculiar interest now that
the negotiations with Great Britain m regard to the so-called German
blockade have reached an acute stage. The article suggests that the
United States would be in a somewhat embarrassing position were the
British government to impertinently inquire, “What are you going to
do about it?” In that case Uncle Sam certainly would need some of
that “spirit of Christianity which teaches us to influence others by our
example,” so glibly stated by that advocate of peace at any price, Will
u,m J. Bryan. The article is as follows:
If a disavowal of the sinking of the Arabic, or of the act which resulted in the
! - of American lives on the Arabic, is in f.-rm and substance satisfactory to the United
,-r.s government, we shall draw back again from the edge of reality.
As was observed after the third American note had been sent to Berlin, the two
ns are beyond the stage of words. It is to be act for act. It is to be a blow and a
: -r. We cannot talk any more. Our policy is defined. Germany's is to be fully re
vealed.
We submit our fate to the touch of the other nation’s will or determination, and.
k : ng ourselves exposed, continue indifferent to every urging of common sense, thus
r ' ing a nation which is a splendid fool among nations a glorious lunatic, unde
• to by thought of its uttermost weakness from attempting a deed requiring the utter
i:.i -t strength.
Ihe world might have admiration for such a glorious maniac of a nation, but it
• .11 nut fail, therefore, to profit from the fully, let the splendor of it be what it is.
Kwn if we avoid what might have been demanded of u«, how can we reconcile
. :.y pretense of national sanity with the course which we were and are pursuing?
The policy of the United States made war a thing of Germany’s selection. We put
the erection of events in Germany’s hands and, having done so. made no change in our
manner of national existence.
The least ready of the great nations submitted itself to the will of the most ready,
..ml. having done so, continued to conduct itself as if we had nothing to do.
If glorious lunacy could accomplish anything more superb it is beyond the imagina
n to conceive it.
Not an extra wheel in one of the United States arsenals has been turned; not an
• ra man has been employed; not an extra precaution has been taken; not a single de
ficiency of the American military establishment, notorious, clamorous and insistent as
•hey are. has been considered.
All the time, from the sending of the first American note after the sinking of the
I ..'itania to this period of intense end ominous silence following the sinking of the Arabic,
there has not been one public act of government which would indicate that the prospect
• f the American nation was clouded by a small threat of danger.
Here is a nation that cannot even find tents for a training school waiting the de
cision of the mightiest military nation of the world, waiting a decision whether it should
he peace or war, and not, in the meantime, making one new tent, one new wagon for !
military transport, one new ride, one additioal cartridge, one additional shell.
The Lord have mercy upon such lunacy!
The apparent indifference of the American people to the dangers
of a conflict with a fully prepared and active military nation may be ac
counted for by the supreme faith of our citizens in the ability of the na
tion to meet any emergency that may present itself. The well-known
resourcefulness of Americans is looked to to devise means of combat
ting the wonderful military organizations and mechanisms of the mod
ern fighting nation. A.n example of this was the general acceptance of
some rather vague remarks by Thomas A. Edison relative to national
defense, in which it was intimated that he had “something up his
sleeve” in the way of national defense which would make obsolete the
armament of any possible enemy. This sublime faith in the resource
fulness of the nation is fostered and encouraged by such articles as the
ollowing from the New Orleans State:
The other day, at the close of a week, the guncotton works at City Point, Va.. paid
oil a pay roll on which there were 17,000 names. During the week guncotton had been
turned out at the rate of 750,000 pounds a day.
Standing alone, these are two remarkable statements. They become yet more re
markable, however, when it is stated that, on the last day of October, 1914, on the area
covered by this plant there was no sign of a powder or guncotton factory.
Of course this gigantic industry is a consequence of the war, and all the product
it can turn out probably is sold before it is manufactured, to the warring nations abroad.
Hut so great lite demand and so large the profit of ils output that the plant will have
paid for itself several times over before the war comes to an end, and the foreign demand
lessens or ceases for the guncotton necessary to load the torpedoes and high explosive
shells which are dominant factors of the battles on sea and land.
However opinions may differ on the question of the sale of munitions of war,
Americans may find some comfort in the demonstration made at City Point of American
capacity speedily to develop plants for the manufacture of ammunition. The City Point !
factory is only one of many plants which have been established since the war to turn it
out. Its enormous product is eloquent of American resources.
There is, however, some consolation in knowing that this war is demonstrating
how quickly we could put ourselves in a state of preparedness when the occasion uri.-C':.
An adequate picket force of sea going submarines ought to shield us long enough to ac
cumulate stores of ammunition ample to meet any demands of our defenses.
This is the spirit which President Wilson and his advisors will be
confronted with in their campaign for a plan of national defense—the
belief that somehow we shall find a way out of our difficulties, no mat
ter how unprepared we are. There used to be just such a condition in
Great Britain, which believed intensely m “the standing luck of the
British army,” until cruel experience taught that nation that it had
placed reliance upon a mighty poor substitute for efficiency.
A ___
“ARMED MERCHANTMEN”
_
An ingenious defense of the German policy of attacking merchant-!
men is put forth by Captain Persius of the German navy, published in
Berlin and reproduced by the Christian Science Monitor. The conten
tion that because a vessel lias a hull which may be used to ram a sub
marine she is therefore armed is logical enough, but it is somewhat
startling. Detailing the article of Captain Persius, the Monitor corre
spondent says:
An “armed’’ merchantman, he wrote, is unknown to modern naval law. and was
altogether unknown at the present day until June. 191.", when it was discovered by the
fir.-t lord of the British admiralty, who placed guns and ammunition at the disposal of
British steamers, in order, as it was said, that they might be capable of defending thetn
>■ lvi - in time of war. Mr. Churchill’s armed merchantman has become a reality, but no ;
one is obliged to recognize it on that account.
Captain Persius reminded his readers that the German prize regulations of 1909
had been revived on June 22. 1914, and that a clause was added in which it was ex
pressly stated that any hostile action on the part of a merchantman would count as
piracy; and that “Nauticus” had written: “From a purely legal standpoint the intr>
buctien by England of the “armed" merchantman signifies a retrogression in the condi
tions governing and protecting shipping even in war, and from the cultural standpoint a
recourse to the naval warfare of past centuries."
Proceeding to examine what constituted an “armed” merchantman, the German
writer pointed out that, even without guns and ammunition, a merchant vessel was
“armed" against a submarine, since it could ram the latter with its hull, hence the defini
tion of the equipment of \n armed merchantman would be as follows: It consists of
small guns, rifles, hand grenades, and of the hull. The latter constitutes the most prom
ising weapon against a submarine. According to that definition, every English merchant
man today was a man-of-war, and neutrals had no right to trust themselves or their
goods to such vessels. In any case they could claim no indemnity for any loss incurred. •
for an indemnity could only be claimed for the destruction of goods if these were em- !
barked on merchant vessels.
Referring to the attitude of German submarines towards hostile merchant ship- i
ping. Captain Persius stated that since every hostile merchantman now counted as a man
of-war. the submarine commander was not only justified in attacking it. but it was hi^
duty to do so. Again, as each merchantman could use its hull against submarines, it
was perfectly comprehensible that the latter should attack without warning. If every
captain kept his boats ready to be lowered, he would have little difficulty in saving his
crew as soon as his vessel was torpedoed. It would certainly be far more agreeable for
our submarine commanders. Captain Persius concluded, if they had not to seek out mer
chantmen as an aim for their torpedoes, but so l-.ng as the armed merchantman exists,
the submarine war must be conducted accordingly.
In a second article the German expert discussed the action of the United States
government in permitting such vessels to enter and leave its harbors. Me observed that
this concession regarding armed vessels had been made when it was no longer possible for
German vessels to take advantage of it. and expressed curiosity as to how America would
succeed in justifying a decision which constituted an act of extraordinary preference for
the enemies of Germany, while it could be reconciled with no provision of international
law. and was contrary to all moral considerations.
--H)
Andrew Carnegie, the multimillionaire iron king, who expressed
a desire to give away all his wealth before he should shuffle off this
mortal coil and have no further use for it, but who finds that his riches
increase faster than he gives them away, may yet have his wish grati
fied —provided the right kind of appraisers are appointed to take an in
ventory of his belongings after his demise. It is a remarkable fact that
when taxes are to be paid on the great fortunes of this country the said
fortunes shrink immeasurably. The late Frank Weyerhaeuser, the lum
ber magnate, who cornered practically all of the valuable standing tim
ber in the Northwestern states, and who was reputed to be richer than
John D. Rockefeller, has been found by the executors, in a report re
cently submitted to the probate court at St. Paul, to have left a fortune
of but $30,000,000, instead of the more than a billion dollars which
he was reported to be worth. Mr. Weyer&ieuser was said to be heav
ily interested in the Great Northrn railroad, but the inventory showed
a railroad stock valuation of but $6,000. There was no mention of
the breat timber holdings m various parts of the country, including the
Potlatch Lumber Company of Idaho, which has a sawmill said to be
among the largest in the world. Also there was no mention of various '
paper and box mills in which Mr. Weyerhaeuser was reputed to be
heavily interested. A reason for this shrinkage in wealth may be that
the state of Minnesota will collect an inheritance tax of $900,000 even
on the valuation of the estate which was submitted.
I
-*
Let us hope that the campaign for national defense will not de
velop into a scriptural controversy. The President will find that the
peace at any price advocates will quote many texts suggesting the
policy of turning the other cheek to every one he cites which advo
cates a martial attitude. Also it may be said that scriptural abjurga
tions, like international law, have been relegated to the rear under the
plea of military necessity during the present European unpleasantness.
--♦
While no reports are forthcoming as to the value of the prospects
at Horsefly creek, the fact that outfits are constantly leaving the city
for that point, and that men are preparing to do prospecting and de
velopment work on a large scale is a good indication that the creek
will soon become a producer. The fact that some of the best-known
miners of the district have interested themselves there also is worthy
of note.
BOOSTING
Help your town along by boosting!
Wear a bright and hopeful face. Do
not be forever roosting somewhere near
the wailing place! You can’t help your
town by knocking, if it’s in a backward
groove, but some optimistic talking
does a lot to help things move. In
the mud one town was sticking, evi
dently anchored there, for her people
all were kicking, all were dishing up
despair. All were groaning o’er their
taxes, shedding teardrops in a stream,
all had hammers, clubs and axes ready
for each helpful scheme. So the vil
lage sat and rotted till a booster
landed there; soon the trouble’s seat
he spotted, saw the fungus in the air,
and he jarred the village croakers,
stirred them up to hump along, till the
place was frill of jokers and the breeze
was full of song. Citizens forsook the
habit of bewailing this and that, and
the timid business rabbit rustler! like a
tiger cat, and they all turned in ker
whooping, singing forth the hamlet’s
praise, and that hamlet, lately droop
ing. filled its neighbors with amaze.
Now, this story, true as preaching,
shows what one lone man can do, if
ii read of doleful screeching, he yells
‘‘cockadoodledoo!” For you stimulate
your neighbors every time you give
three cheers, and the harvest of your
labors will be reaped in coming years.
Walt Mason.
COST OF A BARREL OF BEER
It is estimated that in the manufacture!
of a barrel of beer (thirty-one gallons, ac-j
cording to United States revenue regula- ,
tie.ns' about 60 cents is expended. This in
ludes labor and cost of materials. The!
Champion of lair Play, the leading liquor!
organ, informs us that at 5 cents per drink
rhe profits on a barrel of beer range from
£12.40 to $28.35, according to the size of
the glass. These profits, it states, are ba-ed
on the sale of the beer without foam.
—♦—
A BAD CASE
The British Medical Journal is responsi
ble for the following: A young doctor in
Iowa had been telling the public that “the
ankle is placed between the foot and the
knee in order to keep the calf away from
the corn.
❖
DOGS FOR SALE, CHEAP
Fifteen good dogs. Iditarod Dog Ranch.
Inquire at Ramps Peterson's.
notTce of fcrfeiture
Po It. Schofield. and to your heirs, execu
tors. administrators and assigns;
Y an- hereby notified that the under
signed. a <•.. cwii'T. lias expended in labor
and iri• j>r • . • ;11«• 11f- ihe sum oT on.- hundred
doll-1 •- •' 1 1 y. .in 1- the \ .-ars
iota and i9ti upon that certain pla<vr
mining claim known a- The Happy .New
Year Association. situated at the head of
l-lat creek, a tributary <>f Otter creek, in
Otter recording district. Territory « i
Mask a. in whirl i y * * i i arc ihe owner of an
undivided one-eighth 'M interest.
mi! c.uh of y.in arc hereby notified
that if the expiration of ninety (»»»■
days a! :* ; the last publication of this notice
you have failed or refused to contribute
your share of the aforesaid expenditures,
y ur interest in said claim will become for
feited and will become the property of the
undersigned, according to the provisions of
Section -j MM or Revised Statutes of the
l Mill'd States.
DAVID STHMYDBPRo, Co-Owner.
Date of first publication. Sept. -i. 1913.
Date of last publication, Dec. 4. 19 1'.
FORFEITURE NOTICE
To Luther Hess:
Y u iii'*- hereby notified that I. tie* uncler
-iKtied. have expended during- the year nine
teen hundred and thirteen 19 13 one hun
dred doiars .sieo and during" the year
uinetei ti hundri d and !' uirteen 19 1 i the
-I'tii of one hundred dollars *109 - in labor
and improvements upon the .Mammy Asso
ciation piaeer mining- claim, on left limit
of Moore creek, a tributary of the Fak dna
rivei-. m Mount .McKinley mining- district.
Fourth dm.-eui, Territory of Alaska, notice
of which is found it) Volume 1 at I’ag-c 19o,
id' the records of said Mount McKinley min
ing- disfnei. in order to hold -aid claim un
der the pi’ovi.-iolis of Section 232 i of the
IP vu-ed Statutes, and the amendments
tliereto approved January 22. lssn, con
cerning- annual labor upon mining- claims,
being- the amount required to hold said
placer ruining- claim for the periods ending
on the 3ist day d' December. 19 13. and on
the 3 1st day of December, 1911.
And if within ninety days after the pub
lication of this notice you fail nr refuse to
contribute your proportion of >uch expen
1 a- i e-.-owner, your interest-in the
Mammy Association placer mining- claim will
nee tine Hie property of the subscriber, your
co-owner, who has made the required ex
p. nditure. bv the terms of said section.
FKCIL HAUL' )\Y.
First publication, net. 23, 19 15.
Last publication, Jan. 22, 1910.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
$ Broadcloth and Imitation <>
o Pony Skin Coats, $8.00 S
| SPECIAL THIS WEEK S
<> MRS. L. C. THORNTON §
OOOOOOOQOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
REGINA HOTEL
MRS. N. P. GILMORE, Prop.
Furnace Heat Good, Warm Rooms
DOG HOUSES IN CONNECTION
Best of Everything
ALL TIIE TIME AT T HE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITV
Open Dev and Night
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
CAFE
FLAT CITY HOHBACK &. DURAND
Bet. the Grand and Bagoy's Bars
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
Mutchler Eros.
GENERAL
FREIGHTERS
DAILY TEAM SERVICE
Professional
Michigan, 1381 Alaska, 1»10
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUN SELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney or iditarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Ollicc: Corner Willow and Second St.s.
Id'tarod Pioneer Building
CM AS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue Iditarod
Fred Harrison
ATTORNEY AT LAW
REGINA HOTEL PHONE 53
iJFf. fVlOOR.'E
PH /SICIAN AND SURGEON
DR. H. E. A U RI ,N! G E F?
Ofiice: Fiat City Hospital, Flat City
Consultation Hours in Forenoon* and by
Appointment
DR. H. I3EHLA
1
Appointments by Telephone
PLAT CITV
SeoondSt. f Cl S AKOO S¥l! Ei\T CO* p,lone 15
3
I The Grand
Nicely Furnished Rooms Barn for Horses and Dogs Baths in Connection
| HAF?RY DOMWELLEY j
j GENERAL MERCHANDISE
] DISCOVERY, OTTER (
•»„s«r°.; :-~.g^ic»5CTFyAgrt"s^v_y*t,‘y/i.,gp«gKi
I THE BEST OF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
I Caribou Cafe
EHBMHBBggHE GOOD MEALS !«——-™——
bhbbb^be SHORT ORDERS
FIRST AVE. OPEN DAY AND NIGHT ,0.T S0UT„
^ ^ ^ 1MMMB:alaMaaltt ~~~ ’ Prop.
WE HA VE ON HAND
A Nicely Assorted
Stock of
FRESH GROCERIES
Including the Most Popular
Brands in the Market
PIPES AND TOBACCOS
AXES AND SA WS
MAULS, WEDGES
STOVES, TENTS
COOKING UTENSILS
GRINDSTONES
GASOLINE LAMPS
Rugs, Linoleum, Burlap, House Lining
STANFIELD AND MEDLICOTT UNDERWEAR, OREGON CITY WOOLEN MILLS LOGGERS’
SHIRTS, SOCKS, MITTS AND GLOVES
McMAHON, Flat City