THE IDITAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning at Iditarod, Alaska
Vo!, 7 CHARLES A, DERRY, Editor No. 53
AREUCKLE & DERRY, Publishers
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THE NEW YEAR
The year 1917 promises to be one of much material develop
nient in interior Ala-ka. and especially in the district immediately
adjacent to Iditarod, The new Tolstoi disiriet is as yet an unknown
nnnntitv in the mining situation, but enough mineral-bearing
ground has been brought to view to warrant the belief that in the
near future that district will become a considerable factor in the
gold production of this section. The old reliable Innoko district
cominues to pour out its wealth with generous hand, and indications
are that it will continue to do so for years to come. Hie numerous
streams in the great- Kuskokwim watershed, which are in a
measure tributary to this city and district, continue to be the
source of encouraging reports, and the coming year, etui many
rears to follow, will witness important operations in this great
section. Altogether, from a material standpoint, the future has a
re.-y tint.
The year 1917 likewise will see great developments in the gov
ernment's project for furnishing transportation facilities to Alaska,
and the Interior will Ire the greatest beneficiary. The close of the
coming year should witness the approach of the completion of
i nstru. iH n work on that great enterprise. While Iditarod and
immediate vicinity will not be directly affected thereby, in a gen
era! wry the railroad will be of much benefit to the district and
.fid considerably in its development. Besides, the completion of
the Seward.-!' urbanks project will make possible the beginning of
work on the proposed Kuskokwim-Iditerod branch from tide
water.
!n all probaliii'ty the close of the year will see the last of the
licensed honor traffic in the territory. The coining year may well
serve ;-s a period of preparation for the meeting of the new condi
tion.-. The people have spoken in no uncertain voice on this ques
tion. and it seems likely that those intrusted with the destinies of
the territory will make use of the time allowed by preparing to
meet the new conditions.
By the world at large the new year will be looked forward to
with hope for the termination of the work of carnage and de
struction wrought by the groat world war. There are hopeful
signs i>i the fact that at least one of the principal belligerents
ha.-- expressed a willingness to talk of peace terms. May a gen
era! ground of agreement be found that will redound to the happi
r.e.-s. pr: gross end welfare of humanity.
__A._
TERRITORIAL DIVISION
A question which is likely to receive considerable agitation
through ut the territory from now on i. that of dividing Alaska
into tw ■ territories. The idea seems to have bejen favorably re
(rived throughout Southeastern Alaska, and so far as has been
mu in able in the press of the territory, no serious objection ha
been r.i e l from any other section. As in the “full territorial gov
ernment'1 agitation, it is not quite clear what good purpose is to
be served in case the end sought is accomplished, other than to
provide another excellent berth for some perfectly good politician.
But in case the people of Southeastern Alaska succeed in impress
ing their views upon congress, it is not likely that the residents
of the Interior will take the trouble to attempt to thwart their
plans. It may be doubtful whether the success of the proposal is de
sirable, especially in view of the insistent but unsubstantial de
mand for statehood. Speaking on the subject, the Juneau Empire
comments upon the increase in population as indicated by the
vote at the recent election, which exceeded that of any other dec
lien by 3,POO. This increase, it says, is for the most part con
fined to the Pacific coast belt, and the returns indicate a u "■ :.-e
in the population of the Second and Fourth divisions. Continuing
it says:
It is apparent that the time has arrived when the terri
tory should be divided into at least two congressional districts.
This need promises to become more and more urgent with
the development of the coastal regions. It is quite possible
that the Fourth division may receive a substantial influx of
population with the completion of the government railroad,
but its geographical location is such that its development
along industrial and other lines will not be as rapid as that
of the coast regions. There is a sentimental interest in keep
ing Alaska intact until such time as it is ready for statehood,
but sentimental interest must give way to that which is ma
terial. The Pacific coast sections of Alaska have many inter
ests in common. They are geographically and climatically
alike; they have identical natural resources, end their progress
in material things would be greatly enhanced were they to
gether to form an independent territory.
J. K. Heckman, The newly-elected Kepimhcan senator trotn
the First division, said prior to the election.
My views are and have been for some time that the terri
tory should be divided. The interests of one section seriously
conflict with those of the other. In law-making, particularly,
this condition presents itself, and the ccntlict of interest is ap
parent all the time. The Second and Fourth divisions want
roads and insist upon taxing us to build them. In this part
of the territory we do not need many roads. Most of our
thoroughfares are natural watercourses provided by nature.
The taxable wealth of the territory is nearly all in the First
and Third divisions, yet those two divisions have equal repre
sentation with us and are therefiW^ -able to either block, if
not defeat, any measure proposed by the First and Third.
My personal conviction is that the First division should be
a territory by itself, and it is abundantly able to maintain such
a government . But if this is not yet possible, then the First
end Third should be thrown together as one territory, or even
a state, but the four divisions as one territory has not been
satisfactory, and in my opinion never will be.
Delegate James Wickersham is said to have tentatively ap
proved the idea, or at least a plan for securing two delegates to
represent Alaska in congress, a precedent for which has been set
in the case of the Philippine islands.
Of course the movement is a purely selfish one; but that is
no argument against it. It is more than likely that the best in
terests of the entire territory would be served by such a division,
even though it would tend to postpone the realization of hopes of
statehood. The interests of the coast section of Alaska are so dif
ferent from those of the Interior that there must always be con
flict. Furthermore, the dominating interests of Southeastern and
coastal Alaska generally are such as to dissipate all hope that they
can work in harmony with the people of the Interior. This has
been instanced already in various legislative acts which have been
put through under pressure from t lie big mining companies, and
there is little hope of reconciling the views of those corporations
with those of the independent miners and prospectors of the In
terior. Laws governing Interior Alaska should be made by resi
dents of the Interior, who understand conditions. It is quite likely
that the residents of this section would he willing to concede the
same privilege to the residents of the coast regions.
-«•
A REMARKABLE CONTEST
A difference of only nine votes in the total number cast in
the recent election for delegate in congress from Alaska, according
to the latest figures available, shows that the contest was one of
the most remarkable on record. When the fact is taken into con
I sidcration that these votes were cast in voting precincts separated
| by thousands of miles, and scattered over an area more then one
| fifth as large as the United States proper, the interest taken in the
i election is apparent and the more remarkable seems the result.
At the present time, in spite of the fact that the figures show
a lead of nine votes for Suker over Wickersham, the chances of
I election favor Wickersham. This is because of the fact that the
t precincts not yet reported are located 'n remote sections of the
territory, where news travels slowly. Delegate Wickersham has
been the representative in congress for nefrly eight years, and is
known at least by reputation to every resident, whereas in the
out-of-the-way places the name of Suker has never been heard.
It is probable that in some election precincts the receipt of the
official election ballots was the first intimation that Senator Sulzer
was a candidate for the office. Under such circumstances it is
more than probable that Delegate Wickersham would receive the
majority of the votes. The official canvass of the ballots will not
take place for some time, and it may be, with the vote so close,
the result will not be known for many weeks yet.
Whether Wickersham or Suker he successful, the contest has
furnished the people of Alaska, and especially the politicians, with
an object lesson which they may well take to heart. Delegate
Wickersham. conceded te be a man of much ability and consid
erable attainments, ha- received such a rebuke as may well daunt
him from ever again making the race for the office. And it is
not difficult to suggest the reason. So long as the delegate made
the canvass as a non-partisan he was invincible. No man in the
territory had a ghost of a chance to defeat him. Such a forlorn
hope had the nomination to oppose him become that the custom
was developed of offering substantial political rewards to the man
who had the temerity to take the nomination and make the race.
Republicans, Democrats, laborites, and representatives of all
classes of citizens found common ground on which to unite in sup
port of Wickersham, and each time he was triumphantly elected.
The revolt of his followers took place when he essayed to make
a partisan campaign, the objects of which purpose were apparent
to all. He guessed wrong on the political situation, and the result
has been that he has probably lost his seat in congress; and if not,
the result has been so close as to constitute a practical defeat.
Partisan politics lias no place in these delegate-hip contests;
but so long as it w'as to be made a political fight, the people nobly
rallied to the support of the President and his party who had
worked so intelligently and substantially for the interests of
Alaska and its people.
-A
A VEXED QUESTION SETTLED
The question of who started the great world war has been lost
sieht of for many months past, each disputant apparently being
satisfied with the showing made. And according to the way one
looks at the matter, the kaiser, “perfidious Albion," the French
and the Muscovite, each is responsible. But it transpires that
these theories a'l are wrong. For now comes the Budapest Hirlap,
the organ of the Catholic party in Hungary, and settles the matter
for all time, and future historians will find their work made easy
in consequence. According to the Literary Digest this newspaper
, gives the following information as to the real instigators of the
i war:
The cause fur the present terrible war must not be sought
in the murder if tin- heir apparent; this murder was only the
I fin; 1 signal fur many other murders past and to come. . . .
It has been proved that the archduke and his wife were mur
dered at the ins'Lmti.in of the Freemasons. The murderers
fhem-i-1’ is were Freemasons and the Society of Freemasons
supplied them with advice, encouragement and arms. For
our present misery neither British pride, nor Slav aims, nor
I Serbian insolence, nor Grey, nor I’achlitch are responsible, but
wholly and si 1 ly the spirit, the conduct and the aims of the
Freemasons They have conquered the.world with their dia
bolical power Freemasons have kindled the fire over our
I heads, Freemasons are operating with knife and bombs, Free
masons are making the pre.-ent war as inhuman as it is.
* '
INFLUENCE OF DEAD STATESMAN
(St. Louis Republic)
| What put Ohio into the Democratic column? The influence of
j a man who. being dead, yet speaketh- Tom Johnson,
i Twenty years ago the politics of the Main Chance seemed en
j throned in Ohio beyond the peri! of revolution. Mark Hanna was
i the best financial organizer in the history of Anteriorn politics.
| McKinley, a man who actually behaved in the absurdities of popu
j lar good through special privilege, gave to a bad cause the moral
I weight only supplied by sincerity. Forakcr's brilhancy end pres
tige impressed Ohio Republicanism on the imagination of the na
tion. McKinley had just been elected President, and it was writ
ten on the stars that his successor should be followed at the White
House by another Ohio Republican. Boss Cox held Cincinnati in
the hollow of his hand, while Mark Henna looked after Cleveland.
Ohio Republicanism had money, bruins, personal power, tac
tical sk'll and fhe strength that comes from organized self-interest.
It had everything except great ideas. In Cleveland there was a
steel-maker wun some new-tangled iueas about popular rights, and
the relation of popular rights to the stability of public institu
tions. Tom Johnson started out to make his ideas count. He en
couraged Bigelow' in Cincinnati and Jones and Whitlock at Toledo
to fight the good fight for dean government. He died beaten and
poor. But there stands as his monument the civic spirit and ma
terial greatness of Cleveland, and today we see in Ohio’s verdict
upon national affairs Johnson’s influence on the conscience and
will of Ohio’s people.
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon announces that he will in
troduce an amendment to the constitution of the United States
providing for the election of presidents by direct vote of the peo
ple. Such an amendment would work an entire revolution in the
scheme of government set forth by the founders of the republic..
It 13 doubtful f there be a general demand for this change, and
it is a certainty that the change would be bitterly opposed,
■- ♦
The Boston Herald notes the fact that Sam Blythe tells a story
about a Western man who went to hear Mr. Hughes and was
asked what he thought of the Candidate. He replied that the speech
was all right, but that Mr. Hughes looked like a man who, if he
were not a candidate, would vote for Wilson.
| Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pace Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pass |~~]
l Happy New Year 1
To All l
© g
“ a CO
IP8 j
nr N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska TT N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska _□
iNVUr fttnx's
(Alfred Tennyson)
Ring out, wild hells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night ;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new;
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false; ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out false pride in place ami blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant men and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
--—-^
THE ALASKA MINING LAW
(Valdez Prospector)
Much interest has been aroused by
Judge Brown’s decision in the Callaghan -
Thompson case, declaring a claim forfeited
because of failure to tile an affidavit of
labor not later than March 31 of the fol
lowing year. The decision was based on
the act of the territorial legislature of 1913.
The provision reads as follows:
“Such affidavit shall be filed with ihe
precinct recorder not more than ninety days
after the close of the calendar year in which
the work was done or improvements mam .
Upon failure to comply with all of the pro
visions of this section such claim shall be
come forfeited and open to location by otii
c-rs as if no location had been made.”
Judge Brown said he was reluctant to de
clare a forfeiture, but the law was im
perative. flis only alternative was to de
dare the law invalid. This he was still
more reluctant to do. He was obliged to
assume that the legi lators had acted know
ingly, although the next legislature had re
pealed the law.
ihe judge migni nave aauen rnai me
legislature that enacted this drastic for
feiture provision was composed chiefly of
miners. It all goes to show that when legis
lators tinker an existing law because it is
defective they should be very careful not
to prescribe a remedy that is worse than
[he disease. The object of the drastic for
feiture provision in question was to wipe
out the evil of permitting men to hold nu
morons claims without showing good faith
.n doing the annual assessment work. Re
gjuiring the filing of the affidavit subjected
a claimant to the risk of incurring the pen
alfy of perjury, and the law doubtless ha .
the effect of minimizing the '‘hogging'’ 01
mining ground without doing real assess
ment work. But the forfeiture clause war
so stringent a remedy that the legislature
of IGlo repealed it.
When a legislative act conies before a
court the judge has no choice but to up
held it, though he may himself think it an
unwise or unjust law, or else declare it in
valid because beyond the powers of the
legislature to enact. And every time he
does the latter critics and professional kick
ers howl that he is usurping legislative
powers.
--♦--—■—
ALASKA'S GREAT GROWTH
SHOV/N IN INCREASED VOTE
The vote of Alaska at the election last
week te.ls an edifying tale of the progress of
the territory during the last two years, says
the Juneau Empire of November 15. There
has been an increase of approximately 40
per cent in the total vote cast. When the
returns are all in it will be discovered tlia:
the total vote of the territory was nearly or
quite 14,000.
This great increase has been mostly m
the First and Third divisions. The First
division, until recently the smallest in th/
territory, and two years ago the second in
size, has become the first. The Third divi
sion. formerly the third in size, has become
the second, and the Fourth, which led at
all elections before the present, is now the
third in size, though it actually has in
creased. The Second, which was the second
in size during its palmy days, is now, as
two years ago, the fourth.
The First division cast almost 5,000 votes,
and at that the vote was more than 1,000
short of the possibilities. The vote on
Gastiqeau channel was considerably over
2,500, and it was more than 500 short of
its full quota.
There were more than 100 First division
voters out of the territory whose voting
place is Gustineau channel that were on the
Sulzer lists alone.
The population of Alaska is growing at
a rapid rate, and Gastineau channel is by a
long distance the leading center of popula
tion in the territory.
WHERE IS HOFFMAN?
The governor’s office at Juneau desires to
secure information relative to one Hoffman,
probably a Russian subject, who is supposed
to have died in Alaska in 1914. Informa
tion should be addressed to the governor’s
office, Juneau. 1
POLICY OF HENRY FORD
ASSAILED BY STOCKHOLDERS
DETROIT, Nov. 23.—Details of the ac
tion against Henry Ford begun by John F.
and Horace E. Dodge to restrain him from
investing profits in the extension of the
Ford automobile plant have been made
public.
In their petition the Dodge brothers set
a valuation of $50,000,000 on their inter
ests in the business, their original investment
being $10,000. They declare they are not
represented on the board of directors, which
is “dominated and controlled” by Henry
F< rd. The declaration of Mr. Ford that
here would be.no more special dividends in
addition to the GO per c^nt a year earnings
on the capital stock is quoted in the peti
tion.
Another declaration is that under the
Michigan laws the Ford Motor Company is
,:ii unlawful corporation, its capitalization
being two and a half times in excess of
the $25,000,000 set by the state.
“In the face of increased labor and ma
ter'al cost and the uncertain conditions that
will prevail in the business world war,”
the petition says, “the policy of H- nry Ford
in continuing expansion of business is reck
less in the extreme, and if he is permitted to
continue the policy the result will be the
destruction of competition on the sale of
this class of cars, and the creation of a mo
nop ly in the manufacture and sale of such
cars in vi: lation of state, federal and com
mon law.”
PENGUIN FRIED IN BLUBBER
WAS FEATURE OF THEIR MENU
Life on Elephant is and, on the Antarctic,
as it was experienced by the marooned men
of Lieutenant fir Ernest Shackleton's expe
dition, who were recently rescued and taken
to Chile, is described in a message recently
received from Punta Arenas and published
in the London Daily Chronicle.
“The day began,” says the description,
“with breakfast, which consisted merely of
penguin, fried in blubber, with a drink of
water. The morning duties consisted in
clearing away snowdrifts and catching pen
guin. Lunch was -served at 1 o’clock, con
sisting of a biscuit with raw blubber. The
afternoon was occupied with regular excr
cise over t track 100 yards in length.
“At a o’clock, when darkness fell, came
dinner, consisting of penguin breast and
beef tea. Lacking tobacco, the men smoked
grass from the padding in their boots, while
the pipes were carved front birds’ bones and
wood. The members of the party took turn
in reading aloud from the Bible, an en
cyclopedia, Browning, Bacon's “Essays,”
and Carlyle’s “French Revolution.” Satur
day evening was always marked by a con
cert, the feature of which was banjo play
ing. A banjo was the only musical instru
ment in camp.
“On one occasion there was a welcome
addition to the diet, when several undi
gested fish were found in the stomach of a
cal am! ready enjoyed. These were the
only fish obtained during our stay. In
August there was a change in the diet, when
limpets were gathered and seaweed was
available as a vegetable.
“We were in the midst of these limpet
and seaweed lunches when the rescue boat
was sighted.
“When was the war over?” was the first
question a.-ked.
-A
ACCORDING TO LAW
If a man were to give another an orange,
he would just simply say, "I give you this
orange,'" but when the transaction is in
trusted to the hands of a lawyer to put in
writing, he adopts this form: “I hereby
give and convey to you. all and singular,
my estate and interests, right, title, claim
and advantage of and in said orange, to
get her with all of its rind, skin, juice, pul
and pips, and al' right and advantage
therein, with full power to bite, cut, suck
and otherwise eat the same, or give the
same away, as fully as I, the said A. B
am now entitled to bite, cut, suck or other
-,vi-o eat the same orange or give the same
away, with or without the rind, skin, juice,
:-i lo or pips, anything hereinbefore or here
nafter. or n any other deed or deeds, in
strument or instruments of whatever nature
or kind soever to the contrary in any wise
not wit hst anding" Lufkin News.
A COlD DEAL
Mrs. A’oungbride—I’m getting our ice
from a new man now, dear.
Youngbride—What’s wrong with the
other man?
Mrs. Youngbride—The new dealer says
he’ll give us colder ice for the same money.
—Boston Transcript,
-♦
For steam baths, go to the Snyder House,
Flat.
Professions i
Michigan, 1881 Alaska, 1910
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney or Iditarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner Willow and Second St*.
Iditarod rioneer Building
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenue Iditarod
DR. MOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DR. H. E. AUR3NGER
; Physician and Surgeon
Office: Flat City Hospital, Flat City
| Consultation Hours in Forenoons and by
Appointment
FLAT DRUG STORE
DR. E. T. MALSN,
Ciiiropractor and Masseur
Diseases Cured Without Drugs
Chronic Cases a Specialty
Office: Gold St„ Flat
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Dav and Nlfjht
FINE WATCH REPAIRING
NUGGET JEWELRY TO ORDER
J. L. SALE, Flat City
PI Af’APD'a blfir and small, printed on
i LncnulyJ paper, cardboard or cl-ll*.
on short notice, at IdUarod Pioneer offlet
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
FLAT CITY HOH BACK & DURAND
Bet, the Grand and Bagoy’s Bart
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
j " '
French Joe's Roadhouse
SOUTH FORK KUSKOKWIM
DOC BACON AND FISH
FOR SALE
1
Big Slocks of Fresh Goods
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
MAX SIMEL
Stores at Cripple City and Mouth of Tolstoi
iFINNEGAN & CAMERON
t FLAT CITY
$ Agency for Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
£ TOBACCO CIGARS STATIONERY
* CONFECTIONERY AND BILLIARDS
a C. R. Cameron F- Finnegan
McMAHON
General Merchandise
FLAT CITY