IDITAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Evening at Iditarod, Alaska.
Id I J Cco. M Arbuckle. Publisher No 48
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
One Year . .. .$10.001 One Month . 1.00
Six Months . 5.001 Single Copy. 25
Advertising: Rates on Application.
FOR GOVERNOR OF ALASKA
J. F. A. Strong
THE TAX LEVY
The financial status of the town of Iditarod is a sub
ject which has received considerable attention during the
past week or two. The report of the city assessor was
turned in this week, and although the board of equalization
has not yet commenced its labors, an estimate of the city’s
resources and liabilities is possible and timely.
Taking up the matter of the city’s liabilities first, the
following figures will show the probable expenditure neces
sary before the close of the financial year, March 31, 1913,
the figures being our own unless otherwise stated:
Net amount of city indebtedness at Nov. 18,
1912, as per statement prepared by the
municipal clerk . $4,874.70
Estimated expenditures to March 31, 1913
Public school fund. 1,000 00
Chief of police. 850.00
Light and heat. 450 00
Municipal clerk . 200.00
Assessor's fee anti additional expense
in connection with the tax roll 500.00
Sundries . 200 00
Estimated total expenditure . $8,074.70
It will thus be seen that the sum of §8,074.70 will be
required to pay off the present indebtedness and meet the
running expenses of the city to the end of the financial
year, and that is the amount which must be raised by taxa
tion. The sources of revenue are taxes on real and per
sonal property and federal license moneys, from which the
following amounts may be obtained:
Taxes on real and personal property, at the
rate of 2 per cent, on a total valuation
of $455,632. .$9,112.00
Less 25 per cent, delinquent
(absentees, etc.) . 2,278.00
-$6,834.00
Delinquent taxes, 1911, say . 1,000.00
License moneys. 1,000.00
Total estimated revenue. $8,834.00
It will be noticed that allowance has been made in the
above figures for a tax levy of 2 percent., which is the
maximum allowed by law. At first glance this might seem
oppressive and unreasonable, but when it is remembered
that real estate assessments are only 25 per cent, of what
they were last year, and that stocks generally are lighter,
the tax will not be found burdensome. In any case the
maximum tax is necessary if the town is to get out of debt
and present a clean slate to the council to be elected April
S next.
There is no question but that the money collected from
taxation will be wisely spent from now on. The council is
pledged to economy, and extravagance is a thing of the
past so far as city expenditures are concerned. That there
must be money spent occasionally on streets and sidewalks;
that school facilities for the children must be provided; that
a municipal clerk and police officer are necessary—all these
things are recognized, and money will be forthcoming for
the services as required, In addition the indebtedness must
be wiped off the books, and the only way to accomplish that
end is to fix the tax rate at 2 per cent. In succeeding
years it may be possible to get along with 1 per cent, or less.
Meanwhile let us pay up and look pleasant.
MORE SUBPOENAS
IN BARNETTE CASE
—
Fairbanks,November 2s.—Twen
ty-one additional subpoenas in the
Barnette ease have been served
here during the past week, and
those summoned are now on their
way to Valdez over the trail. Most
of them are people from the creeks.
The stage line is reaping a rich
harvest from the case, and will get
many of the passengers both going
and coming'back. Several special
rigs are being sent in to accommo
date the travelers and relieve the
congestion. The passenger list in
cludes four insane.
Annual assessment work blanks at
Pioneer office.
The Nev/ PlaGer Law
The following is a copy of the law recently enacted by Congress amend
ing the mining laws of Alaska:
A bill to modify and amend the mining laws in their application to the Ter
ritory of Alaska, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted, etc., That no association placer mining claim shall here
after be located in Alaska in excess of 40 acres, and on every placer mining
claim hereafter located in Alaska, and until a patent has been issued therefor,
not less than $100 worth of labor shall be performed or improvements made
during each year, including the year of location, for each and every 20 acres
or excess fraction thereof.
Sec. 2. That no person shall hereafter locate any placer mining claim in
Alaska as attorney for another unless he is duly authorized thereto by a
power of attorney in writing, duly acknowledged and recorded in any record
er’s office in the judicial division where the location is made. Any person so
authorized may locate placer mining claims for not more than two individuals
or one association under such power of attorney, but no such agent or attor
ney shall be authorized or permitted to locate more than two placer mining
claims for any one principal or association during any calendar month, and
no placer mining claim shall hereafter be located in Alaska except under the
limitations of this act;
Sec. 3. That no person shall hereafter locate, cause or procure to be lo
cated, for himself more than two placer mining claims in any calendar month:
Provided, That one or both such locations may be included in an association
claim.
Sec. 4. That no placer mining claim hereafter located in Alaska shall be
patented which shall contain a greater area than is fixed by law, nor which
is longer than three times its greatest width.
Sec. 5. That any placer mining claim attempted to be located in viola
tion of this act shall be null and void, and the whole area thereof may be lo
cated by auy qualified locator as if no such prior attempt had been made.
I HAVE JUST RECEIVED AND PLACED ON DISPLAY
THE LATEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS IN
Wallpaper
PAINTS, G!LS, ETC.
Now is the time to make your home « « q «kw»*.
comfortable tor the winter. H—J CiwT wf I|| eCr/ O
Willow Street n. O B^l f IL# &
Miner’s Home Saloqii
THE HOME OF THE ‘ ‘QUAKER M41D”
Foot of Willow St., Iditarod
TMF MOMF FLAT CITY' “pUwrie'
A A & Mm* A M V A WA And FRONT STREET
Furnished Rooms, Clean Spring Beds, Bath, Cry Rooms, a"d'"K””*™”in
Opp. Traction
Company Depot
Nicely Furnished Rooms FLAT G!TY Large Drying Room
From Iditarod 45 Miles To Takotna 49 Miles
FIRS T- CL ASS ACCOM M ODA TIO NS
Best Trail to the Now Strike on Bitna; 15 Miles to Deadwood Greek
JOE N. HONDA, PROP.
New York, November 22.—Hearing that President Taft would
return to the practice of law upon the conclusion of his term, An
drew Carnegie comes forward with an offer to pension off all ex
Presidents at the rate of $25,000 a year,
Washington, November 22. —President Taft thinks that it is
the duty of the United States government to protect ex-Presidents
after they have filled that high office, and that they should not be
objects of private charity.
[Anyone but Carnegie would see that it was an insult to offer
to patronize former Presidents from ill-gotten gains such as his.]
Seattle, November 22.—The members of the Alaska railroad
commission were the guests of honor at a banquet given in this
city last night. The function was an extremely successful one,
and the commissioners created a very favorable impression.
Major Morrow, chairman of the commission, made a most ef
fective speech. He dwelt upon conditions as he had seen them in
the North, and said that the great need of the moment was for
Alaskans to get together and work in harmony for the good of the
territory. At the present moment, said the major, there is alto
gether too much sectional jealousy, which must retard progress.
LITTLE GUGGS TO
OPERATE ON OTTER
Messrs. Chronister & EUinger,
of Otter creek, have given a lay on
Gumboot association, the Emer
gency association and the Four
Friends claim to the Little Guggs,
formerly of Flat creek, who intend
to work the ground next season.
The ground included in the lease
consists of about 1,400 feet just
above Red Ellis on Otter creek, and
just below the mouth of Granite.
The laymen have already started
to move their bunkhouse from Flat
and will start moving the plant later
on, so as to have everything ready
before the breakup. It is reported
they are going to put two 40-horse
power boilers on the ground.
Chronister & EUinger own half
of the Gumboot and three fourths
of the other claims.
QUARTZ ACTIVITY
NEAR FAIRBANKS
Fairbanks, November 25.—The
Newsboy mine has bad another big
cleanup, and the properly is look
ing better steadily.
The management of the Tauana
Valley railroad is planning an ex
tension of their line up Cleary creek
from Cbatanika, a distance of four
miles, for the purpose of accommo
dating quartz miners who are try
ing to open up properties in that
section.
CRIPPLE CREEK
HAS GOOD PAY
Fairbanks, November 23 —Good
pay has been located on the Golden
Channel association claim, Cripple
creek, and indications are that
there will be some activity on that
creek this winter.
The Fairbanks creek dredge is
still working, trying to reach a cer
tain point before stopping.
Several English experts have ar
rived to investigate ground on Fair
banks creek which they hold under
option from Tod Cowles and Jim
Funchion.
BIG GHENA HAS
THREE-FOOT VEIN
Fairbanks, November 25.--A
gold quartz vein three feet wide
has been discovered in the Big
Chena country, and traced for a
distance of seven miles. If the
vein carries the values claimed for
it by the discoverers it will prove a
very big thing.
PRETTY SOON
Pretty soon the north winds will
blow, bringing with them sleet and
snow, and such goods; pretty soon
tlie winter gale will go whooping
through the vale and we’ll hear it
moan and wail in the woods. Pretty
soon the spring will come, singing
gaily humpty-tura,lumty-loo; spring
with all her wealth of charms, sheafs
of flowers in her arms, spreading
o'er the towns and farms skies
of blue. Pretty soon the summer
days will come sizzling down the
ways, till man fries; and he’l! sally
forth once more, as he’s sallied oft
before, to demand the scalps and
gore of the flies. Pretty soon the
flying years will have led us, by tho
ears, to the end of the long and
hilly road, where we’s borne our
little load, then we’ll reap what
we’ve sowed, O my frieud! Pretty
soon this little life, with its foolish
ness and strife will be done; have
you made a fair renown? Do you
figure on a crown at the final going
down of the sun? Pretty soon we'll
be asleep and the willow boughs
will weep overhead; let us there
fore put up grass while the days of
sunshine pass, for we can’t do much,
alasl when we’re dead.—Walt Mason.
THIRTY PROSPECTORS IN
THE MUD RIVER DISTRICT
Capt. Albert Wile returned from
Mud river last Sunday, after an ab
sence of several weeks. He does
not bring much that is new regard
ing the district, but claims that the I
Finns have struck the pay. I he
other outfits have not been able to
get down yet. The McDonell out
fit and Frank Fontas’ party have
been occupied in getting their ma
chinery on the ground, a job of con
siderable difficulty, owing to ab
sence of snow. They will be start
ing work shortly.
There are about 30 men in the
district.
Coming out Wile met the Gug
genheim officials at the Lake Shore
roadhouse. He also met Tom Ait
ken, Ham Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs.
Beattie and others. Hamilton was
making poor lime, He was “all
in,” and some of his dogs were
lame. The Beatties were also going
along at a slow pace, but appeared
to be all right.
Otto Moses is doing well in his 1
Diskaket roadhouse, and Max
Simel is also fairly bus}-.
Capt. Wile says the trail from
Diskaket to Iditarod is very good.
There has been about a foot of snow
in the Mud river district.
STEFANSSON DOES NOT
LIRE THE MISSIONARIES
New York, October 20.—Vilbjalmar
Stefansson, who discovered the blonde
Eskimos in the Coronadon gulf region,
hopes to find a way to keep all kinds of
civilization, including religion, away
from them. He fears their speedy ex
tinction if civilization gets to them,
and he will go to Ottawa to ask the
Canadian government to issue a proc
lamation of perpetual quarantine of
the whole district.
“I want to shut out the missionary
as well as the trader,” said Stefansson,
who is himself a graduate of the Har
vard Divinity school. ‘‘The blonde
Eskimos don’t need the trader and
have a religion of their own, which
answers their purposes very well. The
most deadly disease that ever struck
the Eskimos was the measles. Fifty
per cent, of them die of this disease.
The missionaries and their supply
ships are as likely to carry measles as
are the fur traders.”
STATEMENT OF
CITY FINANCES
At a special meeting of the city
council held last Saturday evening,
T. L. Thurston, municipal clerk,
submitted a report on the financial
condition of the city as at Novem
ber )o, 1912.
The following figures show the
situation at a glance:
Net General fund debt $4,059.11
Net Salary fund debt. 835 79
$4,894.90
Less amount in Emer
geucy fund. 20 20
Net City debt . $4,874 70
Mutehler Bros, have built a big
stable near Discovery, Otter, for the
purpose of accommodating the teams
they are usiDg on the big wood contract.
TANANA ELECTS
FIRST COUNCIL
From a copy of the Tanana Val
ley News dated October 28 it is
learned that by a vote of 86 to 21
the citizens decided to incorporate,
and an election for membeis of the
city council and schoolboard was
held Monday, October 23.
There were 14 names on the bal
lot for the council and the seven
chosen to serve the city as council
men for the first term were as fol
lows: A. O. Adams, \V. Kelley,W
B. Rodman, Chas. Chanquist, John
Kehoe, W. Corning and John Clin
ton.
The following were elected mem
bers of the schoolboard: Mrs. John
Ellegood, director. Theodore Died
reich, treasurer; Mr. Grace, clerk.
The result of the election seemed
to meet the approval of nearly
! everyone in Tanana.
SAIL SLED BROKE
THROUGH THE ICE
On his last trip up river from
Holy Cross to Ntilato, Mail-Carrier
Lawrence met with a mishap, the
sled breaking through the ice on
the Yukon. For several hours the
sacks were submerged in water.
After they had been recovered they
were taken back to Holy Cross to
be dried out. It was found that
many of the addresses had been
washed off entirely and the letters
will have to be sent to the dead
letter office.
Most of the mail which comes
up from Holy Cross consists of
matter sent across the portage from
lower Kuskokowim poiuts, such as
Bethel, Goodnews, Aniak, Tuluk
sak, Quinhagak, etc.
Postmaster Thurston says it is
advisable, as a precautionary meas
ure, to address all winter mail mat
ter in pencil, rather than ink. A
large amount of mail gets wet dur
in the winter season in Alaska,
and while lead pencil marks are
practically indelible, most inks will
J wash off.
NEVER HEARD OF TEDDY DE ROOS
A man who had never heard of Theo
dore Roosevelt or George Washington
was among a number of citizenship ap
plicants appeaing before Judge Pike
in the superior court at Portsmouth,
N. H., last month.
Another w-ould-be citizen told the
i court that Abraham Lincoln was Presi
dent from 1789 to 1865 and was suc
succeeded by Washington, while still
j another w-as confident that William J.
Bryan presided at the White House
' now.
ORTiE GETS ON HER NERVES NOW
Chicago, October 20.—Mrs. McMani
gal, wife of Ortie, has filed a suit for
divorce. She says she can no longer
stand the odium connected with his
name.
PIONEER DRUG CO., FLAT CITY
Telephone us your wants in the line of
Phone From
McDonald
Hotel,
Idltarod.
Orders Promptly Filled.
Dr. Heinrich Wortmann,
Physician and Surgeon
J o
Offices: Iditarod and Flat City
Telephones at each place
DR. H. BEHLA,
Dentist
Offices, Pioneer Drug Store,
Flat City.
Appointments by Telephone
Wickersham & Roden,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Iditarod, Alaska
GEORGE WOODRUFF ALBRECHT,
Attorney at Law
Michigan, '81 Alaska, '10 Kentucky 81'
The Fioneer Attorney of this Camp
E. M. STANTON,
Attorney at Law
Office in Wickersham & Itoden Bldg,
Second Ave.
BASEL CLEIV50NS
Commercial Photographer
Agent Eastman Kodak Co. Flat City
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Open Day and Night
Best Accommodations on Winter Trail
KELLY
ROADHOUSE
Dlskaket
Mr. and Airs. Otto Aloses
Outfit Here for Innoko and Mud
River Camps
Dikeman
Roadhouse and Store
ROB! . COCKBl'RN, PROP.
Everything First Class
The Restaurant formerly called The Rathskeller has been
turned into “A PLAGE TO EAT” B» curlJaA0RIvNS0N'
> Beef, by the side,.$ .40
j Veal, “ 50
> Glutton, bv the carcass. . .35
> Fowl,, per lb.40
! Halibut, “ .25
i
iPITAROP tVlEAT CO.
Second St. Phone f5
Mil Hours Alike in This House
CARIBOU CAFE
GOME GNGE AND YOU WILL GOME AGAIN
hi . — — ■■ ■ ■ ———i.
FIRST AVENUE. SOUTAR & SUTHERLAND, Props.
AGAIN IN BUSINESS AT THE OLD STAND
Iditarod Saloon;
FRONT ST. Manuel Gularte, Prop.
Home Cedarbrook and Old Lewis Hunter Rye: