THE iDiTAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning at Iditarod, Alaska
Vol. 7 CHARLES A. DERRY. Editor and Publisher No. 25
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THE MEXICAN SITUATION
ihc critical stale of affairs on the Mexican border
again emphasizes the delicate position m which the
government oi the United States is placed with ref
erence to that unhappy country. With one hun
dredth part oi the provocation which the United
States has endured from the Mexicans any European
nation would have landed an army of occupation
oa the shores of the offending nation. But the pol
icy and traditions of the United States are such that
this step must not be undertaken until everything
else has lailed. Taking into consideration the fact
that some of the factions in Mexico are desirous cf
shifiing the burden of Mexico’s problems onto the
broad shoulders of Uncle Sam, and the further cer
tainly that foreign diplomats in Mexico have plotted
to firing about American intervention, the patience
of the United States government in dealing with the
Mexicans can better be understood. If the end of
the tether has been reached, and the time actually
has come for intervention, the country will stand
unitedly by the President while regretting the ne
cessity which compels the tremendous sacrifices
ivj Hired.
ii-.c* deteal of any organized military forces which
Mexico might bring against an invad.ng army would
not be a serious matter. The occupation of the seat
or government and the mam centers of population
and business would not be a task beyond the re
sources of the present military establishment of the
United States. But the pacification of the country
is an entirely different matter. With a population
that lias ied on “revolutions ’ for years, with first
one alleged leader in the sadd'e and then another;
with an ignorant peon population which has found
the life of the military camps preferable to the con
ditions imposed upon industrial pursuits, the task
of bringing order out of chaos m Mexico would be
an interminable one.
The United States, should it undertake the task
of “cleaning up” Mexico, would be handicapped by
the same conditions which confronted it in Cuba
end in the Philippines. With an announced policy
binding it to refrain from the acquisition of new ter
ritory by conquest, it might easily secure the “paci
fication” of the country, only to find when its forces
had been withdrawn that the same anarchistic order
mould again prevail.
Were it possible to assimilate the people of Mex
ico with the citizenry of the United States, and were
they capable of adoption of American ideals and
government, the simplest way of dealing with the
Mexican problem would be to annex the republic
and make it a part of the United States. Such an
eventuality is impossible and undesirable. There
fore we no doubt will eventually have a repetition
of the Philippine muss, where for eighteen years the
L nited States has been administering the affairs of
an alien people, with no hope of reward save tire
satisfaction of having furthered the interests of civ
ilization and progress.
I he reluctance of the President and his advisers
tc enter upon this task is readily understood by
fair-minded men. The subjugation of the Mexicans
for the purpose of rehabilitating their government
will arouse animosities which never will be eradi
cated. But the safety and peace of our own borders
may compel the taking up of the stupendous task.
-»
BUYING "A PIG IN A POKE"
Although Alaska is debarred from participation in.
the presidential election that fact will not detract in
the least from the interest with which its citizens will
follow the various phases of the coming campaign.
The attitude of the candidates on the questions which
are agitating the minds of the American people will
be watched as closely in this territory as elsewhere
in the domain of Uncle Sam. When Mr. Hughes
elects to break the silence which has marked his
entry into the political arena his words will be as
critically analyzed in Alaska as in those common
wealths which will send representatives to the elec
toral college. In the meantime the pre-convention
editorials of the Republican journals make mighty
interesting reading when referring to Mr. Hughes
and his candidacy. The following article from the
Lowell Courier Citizen has attracted considerable at
tention, and has been printed quite extensively in
the Repul oilcan press. It may be that it is charac
teristic of Republican sentiment. At any rate it is
quite interesting at this time. It was printed under
the caption, “Hughes a Pig in a Poke”:
We cannot bring ourselves to feel the abounding enthusiasm
for Mr. Hughes that most Republicans seem to feel, or tell them
selves they feel. We should infinitely prefer not to take any
chances whatever at this time of all times. The one choice lies
between Wihonism and Rooseveltism, and it is infinitely better
not to make any experiments with vicarious representatives. We
till know Wilson, and we all know Roosevelt. If we don't like the
tatter we’d probably better stick to the former; if we don't, like
rh? former "bat sense i: there in trying out an unknown, who is
widely suspected of being more than “a Woodrow Wilson in whis
kers” ?
Neither arc we at all sure that the nomination of Mr. Hughes
is already so unquestionable as to warrant making up one’s mind
to it. The tiling to be remembered is that one wants a candidate
who can win. It may be that Mr. Hughes could win and one
might reason, from present indications, that lie could, but, after
all. it would be a pi: in case of buying a “pig in a poke.’’ Suppose
Mr. Hughes turned out to be a pacifist or a pro German? Do
you know, yourself, for sure that he is neither? How much do
you really know about him, anyhow? His one stock in trade up
to date is that nobody knows anything whatever about his view*
on any current public question of the first magnitude; and we
should dread to sav that this seeming asset will not, in due time,
turn out to be a fatal liability! This case is imj ortant enough
to tlie American people to demand absolute frankness and open
ness, and an entire absence of doubt. Vet the Hughes busino*
dep.cn.Is on doubt and assumption from top to bottom.
i>
“A 1 >t of people in this country are will'ng to do everything
for Germany except to go over and light for her,’’ says the H is
ton Transcript.
In spite of the glories of the great “Outside.” its pleasures and
its comforts, it is noticeable that the unanimous verdict of the
returning sourdough< is that “they ; tv gl id to be back.'1
If something awful does not happen to the “artist" who draw,
the cartoons for the Fairbanks Citizen we miss our guess. And
in ease of a tragedy being staged the editoi of the Citizen probably
will be held as an accomplice as the instigator of a murder.
- —*
Speaking of the mail service, a Flat City correspondent of Thn
Pioneer says: “No man has a right, to kick on any government!
service unk’-s also prepared to present a remedy.” Well, tho-e who
kiei against our mail .ervice always sug.e.-t a remedy heCer
: (n ice.
Wl.cn William Shakespeare said
“For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
Pul to the earth some special good doth give"
of ((Olive lie could not have had anything in mind comparable to
■he Alaska mosquito.
❖
It is noticeable that the Fairbanks Times*an i Citiren are s mm
what lax in the matter of giving credit to The Pi neer as the
source of their Iuitarod news. The vague statement, “news past
received by mail” from Iuitarod. is not extending that ct-ortc-v
which one newspaper has a right to expect cf another winch use.
it- news stories intact.
❖
C le.nol Roma, Mexican ambassador to Japan, was in Seat'd *
lecently on his way to his po.-l. He spuke freely to reporters con
cerning the Mexican border situation, and raid that, knowing con
ditions well and the strong fight that .• . me interests hud been
putting up to force Amerciun intervention, lie had no hesitation
in saving that the border raids were the work of American plot
ters.
-^—
Certain Ala.-ka newspapers are in the habit of pokmg fun at
those Outside publications which fall into the error of ] lacing
Dawson in Alasktf instea i of Yukon territory, t'auada. The slip
i< inexcu: able; but not more so than the prank-.* of some of
these same Alaska newspapers in placing Daw.-m news items un
der the general heading. “Alaska News.
-*
Pos-ibly after all that sea batik* may have been a victory ba
the British, and the .estimate of the lotid war calk a* may haw
been* correct. A Lond< n dispatch of June 4 qu Winstoi
Churchill as saying that Geram ny v as the gr ate.-t loser by the
battle. The German sea power, he s :•>•-. is crippl * 1 f« rover, while
England, with her powerful fleet of hops -i all loud- can v. !1
afford to lose those that she lost during tlu* bat-tk in order i<« c o
down the power of the Germans.
The Washington correspondent of a (.’hii ago dusty newspaper
calls attention to the fact that "Albert Baird Cummins a man
feared a: 1 respected on the door of the 1 niied (State; senate, is
dead set against booze, and is the first presidenlmi pos-ibbity e? a
major party that ever came out flat-footed in favor of prohibi
tion." “Thirty years ago," says Senator Cummins, "i sir aid
■have said prohibition was impractical. I mlrr the conditions that
existed then it would have meant putting ;:i the field two unregu
lated s alee ns to the one regulated saloon. Bui the \ ■ ill has
marched along in these thirty years until now there is rent..item
enough in the United States to abc h.-h the --at ■ n. the l uoe
S-tates ought to ab; lish it. and will." Bn: i‘ m-ro .- i inat
Albert B. was or.lv a pos.-ibililv.
'-4
A Springfield. I!!., dispatch says that the state board of ad
ministration has admitted to the SoMiers and Sailors Home at
Quincy the widow of Congressman Jerry Simpson of Kansas, well
known ail over the country as “Suckles- Jerry. During the civil
war Simpson fought in an Illinois reginumt, : ad hi- widow there
fore is edgible t> the Quincy home. Aside from : .-mall p-u-ion
the woman has been without funds for osme lime, aecorcting to
the report made to the board. Jerry Simp-on, m the stirring
days of the silver agitation, was one of several brainy men who
were responsible for arousing the people to think for themsolvr
on put.lie questions, and thrre are many widows iirawing munifi
cent pensions from Uncle Sam whose husbands rendered 1-a-s vii! ;
able service to the country than bid Jerry.
---
United States Judge Henry I). Clayton of Alabama some time
ago in addressing a grand jury in New York used some very
pointed language, and while it is of the extremist order, it may
be read with interest, hie said: “You gentlemen are entering
upon your duties as American citizens. It any of you have had
the misfortune to be born in a foreign country I iwpe that vim
can truthfully say now that you love America more than the land
of yi ur birth. I have no sympathy with any naturalized citizen
who is given to carping criticism of this government, nr who can
not ray that he loves America first, last and forever. If an; citi
zen has come here from another country to evade military service
let him not criticize our institutions lure. If he dt-.-tres to do «o
let him get off the face of the earth or go hack and light for the
country whence he. came. We do not care what foreigners or for
eign nations think of our methods of government. So far they
have proved pre-eminently successful. At present we are doing
our best to carry out the precepts of the great father of our
country, George Washington, by keeping our minds strictly on
our own business and avoiding entangling alliances or by meddling
in the affairs of European nations.”
__A
A BANKRUPT LEADERSHIP
(New York World
La.-t January James R. Mann, as Republican leader in the
l-.ou-c. was standing by the administration on behalf of reason
able measures fi r the national defense. Early last March found
him voting at the head of 101 other Republicans for the Mc
Lcnmre resolutions in surrender of American rights as demanded
by the kaiser. His leadership next found expression last week in
sneering and malevolent comment on the President s address to
congress in relation to the submarine crisis. At the end of the
week, posing in favor of an immediate enactment of the senate
army bill, he insistently acted so as to postpone consideration of
the measure.
This ends the descent of James R. Mann from a worthy posi
tion of house Republican leadership to a state where persona!
spite and obstructive demagogy are the governing factors. Only
three months—but the fall is as complete as that of Lucifer at the
lower deep of the depths.
Whatever may be the condition of Republican leadership out
side of congress, that of the house in congress is hopelessly bank
rupt, as all can see. It remains now to name a receivership to
take ever the wreckage and consider ways and means of rehabili
tation.
-♦
Germany’s declaration of war on Portugal finds the latter with
r large stock of German ships on hand to be used as targets for
the submarines.—Chicago Herald.
-4
WICKERSHAM’S BAD GUESS
(Juneau Empire)
Delegate Wickersham promises the people of Alaska two sen
ators and four representatives in congress if they will only vote
for him once more. That is one more representative than Oregon
has, notwithstanding that Oregon has 800,000 to 850,000 inhab
itants, and has been a state for fifty-seven years. Alaska has not
more than 50,000 white people.
That reminds one of the operations of the carpet-bag brigade in
the South when the then recently liberated negroes were offered
forty acres and a mule each for their votes,
POSTAL OFFICIAL WRITES
ABOUT OUR MAIL SERVICE
A citizen of Flat sends us the foil >wing
letter which ho has received from the office
of the second assistant postmaster general
at Washington. It will be of interest to
our readers:
‘‘Sir: In further answer to your latter
under date of January 24. which the post
master general has referred to me. relating
to failure of the department to furm.-h the
nost master at Flat with a supply of uk ney
order blanks for use at that office, and
aim regarding delay attending the tram
:; a ion ' f n ail a Idr »ssed to the po toff
at Flat, Ophir and btitarod, Alaska, I b g
it! inform you the matter has received care
fid attention.
“It has been ascertained from a report
recei ved from the fourth as.-hl ant po-imas
ter general that a supply of 2,000 domestic
money order forms was forwarded to the
po-tmaster at Flat under date of January
127, 1916, to provide that office with :n
ample supply of the equipment described.
“With regard to the dispatch of mails
from Reward for I litarod, Ophir and Ida*
via route 7S1I9, it has been ascertained
that tie contractor on tint route refill- !
i . c< :• -ent t rest n nt of
him vvh;eh world require a call at the Me
(11 ath and Ophir postoffic -. Mail fur Me
(hath is forwarded fno i Seward hy thi
route because if is due for di-uatch at To
kotna if the earlier doe- n t cull at M
(Truth. As it i- uncertain how long t! ■
carrier would trawl via Ophir, and a; i:
could, not be embraced on route ITS 19, it
v not preet'- V. 0 to in T ele Ophir on
that route and curtail the Ruby-Toko:na
roiite at Ophir, as suggested in ya:r coio
municatit n. Separate service i- nw-formc-'
oil route 7S206 from Ruby by Ophir !M
kntnn, so 1ir.it ii will h.' rn..r’v:r •.« i: ■ t
‘ho serviifc from Sev.u-rd bv To!-:, tua to
Mat and Iditarod is covered l y 1 sf'parn. :■
c- ii«rnct from the yorvice f;m IV' y 1;.
Ophir t■ > T«i!:i; a. M■■wrath being .-.'fY**-!
by the latter route.
“The rep *•*«*>:»' ntives rf tld- -
A!:* l a have r • —. 1 special ii.: 1 i'’. >n
ri 1h ■ i' e to a list appon ' ' nt ; :'
nia’-l “arr" rn r >r‘e 7S149. \v;»h a \iw\
to forwarding by that rrwm : II tv.:;*! p””
: :i le f r Mat and I. ip.r. <1 t!: ' tb” \v”:;;bt
li.-i-it v\i 1 ad not of.
“With regard t-» tie ePf '-b''! «h.d. d.,
post office r,t Oiibir should be in Tidv ; on
roipe 7S149 fn : Seward t I 'iarod
Mat. it is ii". t •• il • i such ait ion w i.l!
prove safisfart' iry. b eau.-e the d: a ■ !
from Seward of ir.ail for (Jpliir \ia the muV
fi i; • J;:' • 1 \V ■ 1 1 T -i'V ill H IV !y i V.l ■’
tlie aniov-n: rf !i;:;:l Mr lb'1 and 1 a =*•
I be f rwar-'lcd fivui Seward i.y t}*t - route,
ii »\vever. to provide a. Ido mb 1 1
fo-»* the evehuSHT? of in il- be’ w vo Opkir
and. ;he postotPef1^ at Mat a.fid I ii' v*"d
it ha been arranged v. i'h tin* eon'r-a-ior
r.11 route 7S149 to furry extra mail from
Tnk .ina to Ibherod at an incr a1 rat”
of c m;o to : ' b n. which it is l.ehe'td v. dl
provide tiia additional faclliiias de-ired Mr
ill.’ evT. of M‘*\V« 'll (V.h:. an.:
Mat a::d 1 iit nr »1. It i- l lowed tii” a.
ti< n taken will prevent further cai'.-e for
pent laint.”
- ❖
OF FRENCH
NiNE ilhl H \ iiAK
r.vRNSCOHOl-i II. Y:r<\ iknd-.nd.
M- y 20. When x Km; r, -- Iv.igemn O
France recently reii'hra'ed hr 90th binh
;lay at the residence where sire rare" her
exile frmn her own country, she bade f.er
to full il a yri he< y n a ic by Gy;
woman a! Maund it. Fu’.d that she won.1:
live somewhere about :t hundred ye..”"
She enmvs rein: t'kid!-' IteaFii, and is a, 1
to get ! i h ■ ■ . i !. : I
somewhat from himrne-s for many ye:.”
Fvery day she is taken out in a oath ch.ri
!•■■ cu/oy the open air, of which .-he is ex
1 remedy fi nd.
TI:e c-x-emprcs-- often enter; "ins visit rs.
mostly relatives, and with her on her birth
day were J’l'iiice AiCior Nap. lr H and i’rin
is Clementine and their faintly. In on,
wir.g of her house she has had apartment"
fitted up fur a number of w..mined British
officers, -and she paid a visit to them cit
the day of her nntiiver- iry and spoke t;;
them of their experience" at the front, foi
she exhibits keen Sfitere.-t in ti e war. On i
■■I'-.eral occasions she It as invited siua! j
parlies of the I -ss severely wound -d a: i t, i
ihem to dinner, and theis jireseuce :u tie |
table appears to have had a remarkable |
eiii ct cii ner spun.
The story of the Gypsy’s prophecy is told |
in connection wiih a slight aeeidfm wiii.iii
occurred to the liuh* Spanish princes wh.m ;
she was ( nl\ 13 She vs a girl of very
high spirit and one day when romping s-id
down the stair banister so fa-t that sht
da.-hed her head against a projection am.
fill unconscious. A Gypsy woman win. j
was passing the doorway entered and as- ;
si steel in restoring the princess, whose
mother was bewailing the accident.
“There is no danger, said tlie Gypsy.
‘‘Thn little lady will live to be about a lion
dred. She was born under the open sky
on the night of a battle. She will be a
queen.”
As a matter of fact, whether the Gypsy
knew it or not, the girl who was to become
empress of France was born at (vena a m
a tent in the palace garden, where her
mother had taken refuge during an earth
quake.
The princess herself was rather super.-1- |
tious, and when she was advanced to the j
emperor. Napoleon III, she was found one j
day by her mother in the act of working j
out a symbol of letters and figures, which ,
on investigation turned out to be her name, j
“Eugenie,” with the initials of her future I
husband. Louis Napoli-on Bonaparte, added, j
She added together the number of the fet
ters in accordance with their order in the ■
alphabet, which gave the following result :
10-5. I’-21. G-7, E-5. N il, 10, E-j, 0-12. I
N-14. and B-2, equaling 94.
Ever afterward she asserted she would
live to that age. Associated Press Corre j
spondence. ^
YUKON MAY GO “DRY”
DAWSON. V T., June 1. The legislature
of Yukon territory assembles in Dawson
on June 12. The “drys” are preparing a
petition for presentation at Ottawa asking
the Canadian government for prohibition j
of the liquor traffic in the territory. The
“drys” will ask the legislature to approve
the petition. They claim a big majority
in favor of the proposition.
--♦
Fresh Olympia and Eastern Oysters, $1.50 !
per cam Iditarod Meat Co.
FIRST ALASKA NEWSPAPER
The “Pabasapa Quarterly,” published by
the South Dakota School of Mines at Rapid
City. South Dakota, a copy of the Aj rd
number of which has been received, con
tains the following:
“The first newspaper published in Alaska
was the Sitka Times. Instead of being in
conventional type it is dressed in writing,
aid for this reason is all the more interest
ing • sj ig the d anta which
the people of the country tlmn had to
meet.
“Volume 1. V 1. was issued at Siiku
on Saturday, September IT lXgR, n hub
less than one year after the 1 mm I States
came into fill pe.-.-e*->ien of the territory.
1 he fir t officii 1 overt for the ] it
■ f Ala.-ka was made dm mg the pre.-idcncy
of James Buchanan. The purelm/e at the
price c f $7,200,00 ) was consu mi : ■ I M irch
30, 18*57, and firm:] tran frr of the t,irri
torv was made at Sitka. OtoB r IS of the
same year, di e ; P 1 r.umb-*r of inhabit
ants at that time was about thirty thou
sand, of wh iin {'■ s than five hundred were
white people. The v ! ■> of th * products
of Alaska .dm • its piuaha-e by th Cni; d
State.-, including fur li-h tv prodiu :- an 1
muicral'. i- approximately $’>00,000,000.
Bilk a, the early capital of Ala.-ka. is in
ninny ways the most interesting of 11 the
Ala.-kan towns. It is loci.ied on \, .y
famed f r it.; ! ramrendant l a'’.. Ii v\«
for seme years the cen ar of .\h. k. u in
i ere - - of ah kin<:.-. 1 »*: f m- i • :• oi
covrr of miner.d wealth throughout the
terril* rv } _•rnli; .lly takmn ;» % t.•;i
its imp : e.”
1 ••. , . 1 n reproduce inf ir plates
the ii’.-! nun .bar < . tie. Sib •• 1 • a- in i ■
dared form. ‘ The original.” it .-ay--, “is m
sheets, and each .-1 ■
both .• hies. The e T the sh ' - i- ap
■ :••• xbrialtly eight by t\v l v* inrl as. N ;!i|y
: il lb.es in t]»c criminal are in rad ink. T i:.
I'mpcr is a recent gib t » th"
Ylines from J -epb B. (i a- a;: . f • a.n i
editor of t he Rapid <T \ 1> lily 1. he
ha \ :m; r-\ eive 1 it years : a; f. • • a. 1.
t he dm- Will be *:u:.iu • i m 1 :t
exhiknion in the Bchoi 1 if Mi vhrr<
w 11 serve as i • t iter r srvu\
• T-ir ( f the early Id Try of ii i- : ■ Mi ::h
eai Ian i.”
0
MEW PROCESS OF IMAM MiG
V v :i in »>:t irn r•-' m: ar i“I". I•
••ith the i f th;:\v!i> r fr.i/«n
I-v electric iiy. and wi;h a:: m. a
r o':? by Mr. Qn.-.iu, < . • lime
it...: • <!• i f the Ottawa T I {.done (G.m
! • i,•. v d • i - (!*•'•! a red \ v !.: - :'V: !..• br»
u - with c! c*trici:y. ( id time t• r.vwu
' ■*!!) have bean in the KJ id:’. v
know Mr. 0, eb« v -Ik He » a- been •• ah
ir,y on ih- el err-wi ihaviny idea in Lt ..
(I> M. n.\ \d •••••
V I C. Hi:- -01. or e ri-'irr f xh * ,Tt. :: i
I)a lv Di.j a • h. v.> I :i tl. • I l aid M i: lay.
and next bey by ! .!:/•.■ b- ■ f the -a;.,r> -1,
e?n her ayi ? oi;r
town marsha5 ha- ia’wn to i <■; n.j; di.h. r
I Professional
Michigan, 1881 Alaska, 1910
Kentucky, 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Iditarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner V.’iilovv am! Second Sts.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
CM AS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Averrje Iditarod
Fred Harrison
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Room i Over Merchants Cafe
DR. E&OQRE
Pi!VCdC’AN AND SURGEON
DR. H. E. AHRiNOSER
Flivsician and Surgeon
Office: Fiat City Hospital, Fiat City
Consultnii.,n Him:r.- in Forenoons and i y
A; point went
DR. H. SEHLA
a
Will Arrive in Iditarod by the first beat .
the sprmg
a C , 0 a
fee wa a. O i acf y ? siS s ?.4
ALL TH *: TiMi; AT TI1H
A.rcaue Os.f©
I'LAT CPPY
Open Day and Night
FINE WATCH REPAIRING
NUGGET JEWELRY TO ORDER
J. L SALE, Fiat City
I
mj H
ss 3 ifj&H. Is <hi> a
E
_ _ f
s
i
s s=s 5 «*■ n c“*> ^ r%, ras? e /ft "1“ y
ScscndSi. iyi £ kStCyJ 1*3 fe A 2 Pliono |5 ?
Gold Si., Fiat City
Mrs. Geo. P>1utch!er, Prop.
Nicaiy Furnished Rooms Barn for Horses and Dogs Baths in Connection
' l<ARR^'^OWWSLLEYr ."
^ CPAJ 5558 S £9 ^BSr>'IiePn
DISCOVERY, OTTER j
| THE BEST CF EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME jjj
GOOD MEALS
SHORT ORDERS
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
ROBT. SOUTAR 8
Prep. g
Ore-oaries Hardware
Ola S3 ware Chin a ware
Clothing
Leather and Rubber
Footwear
McMahon
FLAT CITY