Iditarod Pioneer
ONE dollar per month ~_IDITAROD. ALASKA. SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 21, 1916 _ 20 cents mncorv
ENTHUSIASM FOR SULZER
RUNS HIGH ALONE COAST
JUNEAU, Oct. 20.—Senator Charles A. Sulzer,
the Democratic candidate for delegate to congress,
completed his campaign in the First judicial division
tonight with the largest, most enthusiastic and most
satisfactory political meeting ever held in this city.
It is conservatively estimated by persons well ac
quainted with the politics of Southeastern Alaska
that Senator Sulzer will have at least a majority of
1,000 over Delegate Wickersham in the First divi
sion.
Former Wickersham Leaders for Sulzer
JUNEAU, Oct. 18.—E. Caustin, the only delegate
from Southeastern Alaska to the Progressive Demo
cratic Wickersham convention at Valdez in 1914,
presided at the Grigsby meeting at Ketchikan last
night. Grigsby held his audience for more than two
hours, and gave an analysis of Wickersham s record
end presented the documents as proof. It was the
largest political meeting held in Ketchikan during the
present campaign.
Mayor Howard Ashley of Skagway, the Repub
lican territorial comitteeman for the First division,
presided at a great Sulzer meeting held at Skagway
last night. He pledged the support of Skagway to
Sulzer, whom he introduced as the next delegate.
Betting Odds Narrowing
NEW YORK, Oct. 20.—The Wall street “bears”
have launched a Wilson scare, and stock speculators
have lost much of their own confidence in the suc
cess of Hughes since the betting odds have begun
to narrow.
Chicago Leads in Registration
CHICAGO, Oct. 20.—This city leads all others in
registration for the approaching election, with New
York second. Up to last night the total registration
was 809,000.
*
Seattle Also Has Big Registration
SEATTLE, Oct. 19.—Registration for the general
election has reached a total of 98,000 in this city.
--♦
MAGNANIMOUS STANDARD OIL COMPANY
ASKS DEFEATED MEN TO RETURN TO WORK
BAYONNE, N. J., Oct. 19.—The riots of striking
laborers of the Standard Oil Company have been
ended by drenching rains. Several policemen have
been shot by snipers, but the crisis is considered
past. The company has invited the men to return
to work at the old price.
Violators of Injunction Must Pay Penalty
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.—The United States su
preme court has refused to review the conviction of
four leaders of the West Virginia coal strike of 1913,
who failed to obey an injunction order and were sen
tenced to imprisonment.
Railroad Shopmen May Strike
KANSAS CITY, Oct. 19.—The railway shopmen
of seventeen railroads have united in a demand for
an eight-hour day and more pay, and threaten to
strike to enforce their demands.
Canadian Railway Employes to Strike
WINNIPEG, Oct. 19.—The poll of the Canadian
Pacific railway employes shows that a majority of
the men have voted in favor of a strike. Both rail
way officials and labor leaders now believe that a
strike cannot be averted.
-«
WELL-KNOWN OLD-TIME NORTHERNERS
PASS AWAY IN WASHINGTON METROPOLIS
SEATTLE, Oct. 20.—Thomas Bruce, owner and
manager of the Hotel Savoy and cafe of this city,
and one of the founders of the Arctic Club, died at
his residence here last evening. Mr. Bruce was one
of the early stampeders to the Klondike in 1897, and
for several years engaged in the restaurant and hotel
business in Dawson, where he conducted the Hol
born, one of that city’s famous eating houses.
Jesse F. Cochran
SEATTLE, Oct. 20.—Jesse F. Cochran, who was
among the earliest prospectors for gold in Alaska
and northern British Columbia, died in this city yes
terday morning at the age of 93 years.
-4
WHEAT ON THE CHICAGO MARKET RISES
TO A POINT REMINDFUL OF PANIC DAYS
CHICAGO, Oct. 19.—Wheat today reached the
mark of eighteen years ago, when Joseph Leiter cor
nered the market by a sensational coup and was
later financially ruined.
Flour has reached the price of $10 per barrel,
and another raise is expected.
BIG BRITISH "GOLD ^SHIPMENTS CONTINUE
NEW YORK, Oct. 19.—Five million dollars in
British gold arrived here today, via Canada, making
a total received during the present year of four hun
dred million dollars.
' BOOB CREEK TRANSACTION
AROUSES MUCH INTEREST
AMONG LOCAL MINING MEN
A mining deal by which J. E. Riley, ‘he
Otter creek operator, acquires interests on
Boob creek, in the Tolstoi district, has been
the chief topic of conversation in Iditarod
this week. The deal was engineered by
Pete Mounier, who has made several trips
to the new district recently, and who a
short time ago acquired the interest of
John Greer for the sum of $18,000. It is
understood that he is interested with Mr.
Riley.
The interests acquired by Messrs. Mourner
and Riley consist of the fraction adjoining
Nos. 1 and 2 below, owned by Greer & Mc
Nulty; the lay of Greer & McNulty on No.
2 below, interests in No. 4 below, and the
half interest of James Pitcher in No. 1 be
low. The half interest of W. A. Vinal in
the latter claim was not involved in the
deal. Greer & McNulty thus dispose of all
of their holdings on Boob creek.
The prices paid for the various interests
are not made public by the interested par
ties, but the terms are generally known, and
from a reliable source it is learned that Mc
Nulty received $15,000 cash, Greer
$20,000, part cash, and James Pitcher re
ceived $10,000 cash.
The claims bought have been practically
proven, and some exceedingly good values
have lately been revealed. The claims in
volved comprise practically all of the
claims on Booh creek which have so far re
vealed pay dirt, although there are others
which have shown exceedingly good pros
pects.
James Pitcher, who sold his interest in
No. 1 below, is one of the original locators
of the creek, and it was his faith in the
new district that induced him to continue
work there after it had been practically
abandoned by others.
Mr. Riley states that work on the claims
will be continued during the coming winter
with the plant already on hand, which con
sists of two 50 horse power boilers and
hoists. As he puts it, he is “gambling” on
the property, as he has never seen it, and
has trusted to the reports of others.
ROUGH RIDER RETURNS
Early on Monday last the launch Rough
Rider (Captain E. J. Smith) arrived from .
Marshall, after delivering the big barge of
H. H. Porter at that point. The baree, con- ;
taining Mr. Porter’s stock of merchandise,
was left at “The Landing,” where it will
be convenient for the transaction of busi- j
ness until permanent quarters can be built
by Mr. Porter. The trip was a most inter
esting one as related by Mr. Smith, and
he is to be congratulated upon the accom
plishment of a difficult task.
CONTINUED WARM WEATHER
CAUSES A RESUMPTION
OF MINING OPERATIONS
The continuation of the mild weather,
accompanied by a downpour of rain on
Thursday night, has resulted in the Up
Grade Association, at the head of HP at
creek, resuming operations. The Up-Grade,
in common with all of the hill mines, had
been shut down in anticipation of an early
freeze-up. While there is no present indi
cation of the approach of cold weather, it
was thought advisable to take advantage
of weather conditions to put things in shape
for the winter. Thursday morning, how
ever, the outlook was so promising that j
(he sluice-boxes were again rigged up, pipe
coupled up, and a hurried call was sent to
Flat for the men, with the result that by
noon a force of fifteen miners was as busily
at work as during the early part of the
season. On Happy and Chicken creeks,
where conditions are not so favorable, work
had not been resumed at latest accounts,
but as there is plenyt of water there is no
reason why operations could not be con
tinued there but for the fear of a sudden
change in the weather.
The season promises to be a record
breaker in (be number of days on which
open-cut mining can be prosecuted.
So far as this section of Alaska is con
cerned, the political campaign which conies
to a close on November 7 next, two weeks
from next Tuesday, has been one of the
quietest and least exciting that has ever
been noted here. There is. of course, the
greatest interest in the contest, especially
for congressional delegate, and the presi
dential tight, although not to be participated
in by Alaskans, is a topic of all-absorbing
concern. But there has been no hurrah
campaign, no speech-making and the scenes
usually incident to a political campaign in
which so much is at stake. It has been sug
gested that political meetings at Flat, Idit
arod and Discovery be held by the Demo
crats in the near future, but so far as
known to The Pioneer no arrangements
have been made for them.
The Fight for the Delegateship
The principal interest of the election cen
ters on the delegate fight, in which there
are three contestants—Charles E. Sulzer of
the First division. Democrat; James Wicker
sham of the Fourth division. Independent
Republican, and Mrs. L. M. Lewis, also of
the First division, Socialist. In previous
years Delegate W'ickersham has carried the
Fourth division by big majorities, and in
the Iditarod region his majority has been
overwhelming. The vote in 1914 for the
Iditarod, Fiat, Discovery and \ alley pre
cincts was as follows:
W’ickersham . 191
Bunnell. 59
Brooks . 39
In 1912, when the population of the dis
trict was much greater than it is now, and
SUIT TO RECOVER GOLD
LEVIED ON BY MARSHAL
C. R. Peck, by his attorney, Charles E.
Taylor, has filed a suit in the district court
against L. T. Erwin, United States marshal
for the Fourth division of Alaska, to recover
possession of gold dust and amalgam valued
at $280 which was attached by Deputy
Marshal Thomas on July 12 last, on a writ
issued by Commissioner Geraghty against
the property of Charles Estmere.
The complaint states that on the 12th day
of July, 1916, plaintiff purchased from one
Charles Estmere a certain dump of gold
bearing sand and gravel situated on and
being the output of that certain placer min
ing claim known as the Wild Cat, on Flat
creek, the said dump having been thereto
fore mined by the said Estmere. That at
the time of said purchase the said Estmere
then and there delivered to plaintiff the
said dump and minerals contained therein,
and plaintiff then and there took actual pos
session of the same and then and there be
came the lawful owner thereof. That there
after, on the 12th day of July, 1916, the
said Erwin, through Thomas, seized and
levied upon the said dump under a writ of
attachment. Plaintiff informed the mar
shal that said dump was not the property
of Estmere. but was the property of plaintiff,
but was ignored by said Thomas, who caused
the dump to be washed up and took there
from all the minerals, which he carried
away. That plaintiff filed with the mar
shal his affidavit of ownership and made
demand for the property, which was re
fused.
He asks for the possession of the gold,
$25 damages, and costs and disbursements
of the suit.
---a
MARVEL CREEK MINERS SUED
The Northern Commercial Company has
brought suit in the district court against
Julien Bennett, commonly known as John
Bennett, and Arthur L’heureux, to recover
$6,350, together with interest and costs, on
two promissory notes. One of the notes is
dated December, 1913, and is for the sum
of $6,000, and the second is dated April 14,
1914, for the sum of $350. The notes were
executed in payment of goods, supplies and
merchandise sold to defendants while con
ducting mining operations on Marvel creek,
in the Kuskokwim country. E. M. Stanton
and Charles E. Taylor represent the
fplaintiff.
SEA WOLF MAKES FAST TRIP
The launch Sea Wolf, Captain Frank Lar
son, arrived at noon on Monday last from
Marshall, having made the round trip in the
fast time of nine days. The Wolf had as a
passenger for Dikeman Jerry Baker, the
old-time prospector and trapper, who went
to Marshall with the Porter barge. Jerry
has threatened to write a description of
that trip for The Pioneer, and those who
have heard his description declare that it
is bound to be of intense interest.
there were four candidates for the dele 1
gateship, the vote for Iditarod, Flat, Dis
covery and Dikeman was as follows:
Wickersham . 572
Gilmore . 23
Harrais . 32
Jennings . 43
It is quite evident that there has been a
revulsion of sentiment against Wickersham
this year, principally because of his atti
tude toward President Wilson and the Dem
ocratic administration, in whom it is gen
erally feit that the territory of Alaska has
found able champions; and from the fur
ther fact that the delegate has been but
little in touch with his constituents in this
section of the territory. He never has made
a visit to this section of Alaska, and the
claim is made that while he has worked
diligently in the interest of his home town
of Fairbanks, he apparently has had no
thought cither for the needs of this district
or the wishes of its people. Whether this
be true or not, it is a fact that he has lost
much of his popularity here. There are
those who confidently believe that the re
turns from the precincts included in the
Iditarod district will disclose a majority for
the Democratic candidate.
Charles E. Sulzer. the Democratic candi
date, while not personally known here, has :
made hosts of friends by his work in the ;
Alaska legislature, and during his summer
campaign, when he visited the Tanana and
Yukon valleys and the Seward peninsula.
His course has been watched with interest, j
A factor in vote-getting in his favor in the
mining communities such as Iditarod is the I
fight in his behalf that is being waged by
tiie miners of his home district, at the
town of Sulzer, where for years be has
operated copper mines. When he took
charge there, some fourteen years ago. he
inaugurated the eight-hour day voluntarily,
and has maintained it ever since. The
miners, appreciating this, are working tooth
and nail for his election. In 1914. when
he was elected to the territorial senate, he
received every one of the 58 votes in his
home precinct, a fact of which he has every
reason to feel proud.
Mr. Sulzer is an ardent supporter of Presi
dent Wilson, and in the event of his elec- j
tion would find himself in harmony with j
the administration, as it is coming to be i
generally believed that President Wilson j
will be triumphantly re-elected. At least ■
every Alaskan who desires to see the terri
tory developed will wish success to the pres- ^
ent administration. This desire will be ac- i
centuated by the attitude of the Republican |
candidate, Charles E. Hughes, toward J
Alaska. He is professedly ignorant of the j
territory's affairs, and so far has refused |
to commit himself as to his policy with ,
reference to Alaska. There are those who i
intimate that in the event of Hughes’ elec- j
tion there will be a cessation of work on
the Alaska government railroad.
For Territorial Senator
The contest for the territorial senate from
ihe Fourth district promises to be a pretty
contest. The nominees are Dan Suther
land of Ruby, on the Independent Wicker
sham ticket; Thomas McGowan of Fair |
(Continued on Page Three)
-— I
PROVISIONS OF ELECTION LAW
The new territorial election law makes
the following provisions governing elections
in the territory:
The district cleik sends official ballots to
each precinct in his division. Every ballot j
is printed on white paper.
The names of all the candidates are
printed on this official ballot of the divi
sion in which it is issued.
Each ba'lot is numbered on duplicate
stubs, the election officer retaining one
number, the other remaining on the ballot.
The names of the candidates will be in
alphabetical order. The delegate, legisla
tive officers and road supervisors are all
on one ballot, and there is only one ballot
box.
Two ballots will be furnished the elec
tion officers in each precinct for every vote
cast at the last election.
Sample ballots on tinted paper will be
sent by the disrtict clerk to each precinct,
that the voter may see exactly what the
official ballot looks like.
Booths or screens must be erected at
each polling place.
If official ballots for any reason are not
received by the election officers in any
precinct the voters are permitted to write
or print their ballots, but the judges of
election must give a reason therefor.
Every voter, whether male or female,
must be 21 years old.
If foreign-born, the voter must have re
ceived his second papers and be a citizen.
No required time of residence in a pre
cinct is now required.
Thirty days’ residence in the division is
required to entitle a person to vote.
Each voter registers at the time he ap
plies to vote, not before.
A voter eligible to vote in one precinct
can vote in any other precinct in the divi
sion by making oath that he has voted in
no other precinct in the division.
No idiot, insane person, or persons who
have been convicted of an infamous crime,
can vote.
No person loses his residence or privilege
to vote by reason of absence while in the
civil or military service, nor while engaged
in navigation on the water, nor for being
absent on business from the territory or di
vision.
Every voter must have resided in Alaska
one year next preceding the election.
A
“GOT” THREE WILD GEESE
Last Saturday morning Arthur Lindstrom
surprised a flock of ten wild geese on the
big sand pile just below the workings of
the Up-Grade Association claim, upper Flat
creek, and as they started to fly he brought
three of them to earth, while the others
continued their flight for the sunny south.
ATTORNEY NED M. STANTON
RETURNS FROM MARSHALL
E. M. Stanton returned on Saturday last
from Fortuna Ledge, where he had been
on a hurried business trip. He found the
new camp considerably torn up by the prep
arations for housing and accommodating |
the influx of people there, and while there !
was much activity, Ned expressed the opin- j
ion that it looked like a good place to get i
away from before the freeze-up.
Mr. Stanton was a passenger on the
Tramp, and that boat met the big barge j
of H. H. Porter a few miles from Fortuna j
Ledge.
According to reports there will be a great
deal of prospecting on the creeks adoining
Willow during the coming winter, and com
paratively few of the miners who had been
employed on the creek during the summer
were preparing to leave. There seems to
be a general confidence that more pay
creeks will be found, and should this prove
to be the case, Marshall will be a busy
place during the coming summer.
Chris Totland and Peter Dahl, who left
Iditarod some time ago for Marshall, after a I
stay of but a few days left for the Outside.
Tony McDonald, an old-time prospector
of this section, but lately of the Kusko
kwim, was sent to the Outside to receive
medical treatment. It will be remembered
that last winter McDonald spent some time
at the newly-discovered hot springs on the
upper Kuskokwim, and later was taken to
the new camp of Marshall. He will go to
Arkansas Hot Springs. He has been a suf
ferer from acute rheumatism.
Dr. Reed, who has been in the govern
ment service on the T ukon, was also a re
cent departure for the Outside. He will re
turn in the spring with hospital equip
ment, and will establish a hospital at For
tuna Ledge._
WHAT ROUMANIA RECEIVES
FOR PARTICIUATION IN WAR
LONDON, Sept. 20.—A Petrograd corre
spondent of the Daily News says:
“It is stated here that the conditions of
the Roumanian participation in the war
are extremely satisfactory. Not one foot
of Russian land has been promised to Rou
mania, nor has Roumania ever made any
such suggestion. At various periods of the
negotiations Roumania desired greater com
pensation than that finally accepted.
“This includes Transylvania, part of Bu
kowina, and those areas of the Austrian
empire where the majority of the popula
tion are Roumanians.”
-♦
Pete Mounier, John Greer, Pat McNulty
and Jim Pitcher, all miners from Boob
creek, in the Tolstoi, arrived in the city on
Monday morning last, being passengers on
the Rough Rider from Dikeman They left
on the return trip yesterday afternoon.
-4
Dr. Moore paid a short visit to the city
on Saturday last.
MASSIVE GERMAN FORCE
OVERWHELMS TIE SLAVS
LONDON, Oct. 19.—The German forces, under
General Von Valkenheyn, are pursuing the Rou
manians across their own border, and are only
eighty-five miles distant from Bucharest, the capital.
They have a much larger force than the entente
allies thought was available for the purpose. The
Russians are pouring in immense numbers of troops
to help the Roumanians to check the Germans.
Battle in the Air
PARIS, Oct. 19.—Forty allied aeroplanes made
a raid on the Mauser works at Oberndorf yesterday.
Nine allied and six German airships were lost.
Salve for German Conscience
BERLIN, Oct. 19.—Eye-witnesses of the air raid
over London on September 23d say that a bomb
exploded in a military barracks, killing four hun
dred soldiers.
---4.—
GERMAN UNDERSEAS FIGHTER RETURNS
AND THE SECOND REPORTED EN ROUTE
_
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.—The German submarine
fighting craft, U-53, is said to be en route home, and
! a second is reported to be the way here.
A patrol of United Stales torpedo boat destroy
ers has been charged with the double duty of en
forcing the observance of the neutrality laws and
j of saving lives in the event of further submarine
raids. Vessels have been stationed at various points
from Bar Harbor, Me., to New York.
The United States government will issue no state
ment in reply to the protest of the entente allies
on the subject of the German submarine raid off the
Atlantic coast, and the incident is considered closed.
BRITISH REITERATE RIGHT OF SEARCH
BUT PROMISE TO MINIMIZE INCONVENIENCE
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.—In the latest reply to
the protest of the United States against the seizure
of mails by the warships of the entente allies, the
British government reiterates its right to intercept
and search all mail found on neutral ships. They
promise, however, to minimize delays as much as
possible, and to remedy abuses.
The next move of the United States government
has not been determined.
-♦
CONSCRIPTION AS APPLIED TO IRELAND
IS ABANDONED BY BRITISH GOVERNMENT
LONDON, Oct. 19.—-Parliament, after a long de
bate, has decided by a majority vote that it is un
desirable to discuss Irish controversial domestic poli
cies at the present time, and has abandoned the pro
posed extension of the conscription act to the island.
GRAND JURY AT SEATTLE WILL INVESTIGATE
CORRUPT CONDITIONS RECENTLY AIRED
SEATTLE, Oct. 19.—Judge King Dykeman of
the superior court of King county has called a grand
jury to investigate the charges of graft, bribery and
wholesale bootlegging recently brought to light by
the Seattle Times. Startling disclosures are being
looked for.
_— A.
FIRE IN FACTORY PROVES FATAL TO NINE
NEW YORK, Oct. 19.—Nine lives were lost last
night when a factory was destroyed by fire.
-*
INTERESTING ITEMS OF WAR NEWS BY MAIL
Regrets of King Expressed
ATHENS, Sept. 22.—The regrets of King Constantine for the
vi< lation of the French legation during a meeting of the entente
ministers recently have been expressed to the French minister by
Count Mercati, the king's grand master of ceremonies. An Egyp
tian Greek has confessed that he was hired along with forty deni
zens of the gas house district of Athens to cause the disturbance
Labor troubles continue. The employes of the street car linos
of Athens and Peiraeus have struck and the postal and telegraph
employes have threatened to quit work on account of the in
creased cost of living.
British Forts on Wheels
LONDON, Sept. 22.- In the Somme sector armored ccrs
celled “tanks” have been used for the first time in the British
offensive. They can plow through fences, cross over tree stumps,
cut down small trees and cross shell craters and trenches. They
did tremendous execution, and the men with them captured many
prisoners and scored a wonderful success. Furious German coun
ter-attacks were repulsed.
Attempt to Blow Up Big Liner Frustrated
NEW YORK, Sept. 22.—According to a story brought to this
city by Judge Daniel A. Dugan, who has just returned from Hali
fax, the big White Star liner Olympic, loaded with troops, had a
narrow escape from being blown up by a German spy in Halifax
harbor. The big steamship cleared with 8,500 men on board, and
she was seen to stop suddenly at the harbor mouth. Patrol boats
shot out to her in response to signals, and those on shore could
see a flurry of excitement on the decks. Men were transfrrcd
to a patrol boat, which made for the town. There it was said
that she had as a prisoner one of the officers of the troops on board,
a lieutenant, who had been arrested as a spy. It was said that in
the bedding roll in this officer’s state room had been found suffi
cient high explosives to blow up the ship. It was also said that
he had been for five years in the Canadian service without sus
picion ever having fallen upon him. When searched incriminat
ing papers proving bis connection with the Prussian spy system
were found.
Portuguese Troops Operating in Africa
LISBON, Sept. 21.—Portuguese troops are operating in Mo
zambique, German East Africa.