VOL 1(} VALDEZ, ALA8KA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1914 NO. 315
ALASKA CABLE IS OUT OF COMMISSION
SPOILS OF WAR
REACH miS
Much War Material and Guns Secured
By the Firench When Germans
Fell Back From Marne.
A correspondent of the London
Standard, in Paris, writing under date
of September 20th from that city,
tells the following story of the arriv
al in the French capital of the spoils
of war captured by the allies when
the Germans fell back from the po
sitions on the Marne river between
the 6th and 15th of September. The
story follows:
“During the last few days there
has been a succession of trains bear
ing the spoils of war to Paris, and
since yesterday morning alone twen
ty-three such trains have been count
ed. The astonishing quantity of this
Ill-assorted booty is powerful testi
mony to the rapidity of the German
retreat. There are cannon, gun car
riages, mitrailleuses, motor lorries,
truck loads of arms and ammunition;
in fact, it is estimated that since the
beginning of last week about sixty
cannon, thirty mitrailleuses, and forty
gun carriages have arrived here,
while the amount of ammunition cap
tured will considerably augment the
reported lack of this commodity in the
German armies.
“A wounded artillery quartermaster
at the station disdainfully regarded
one of these trains, and said, ‘All
these are not worth one of our good
seventy-fives.’
‘‘The cannon seem to be very pre
tentious and massive by the side of
the trim little French weapons. While
these latter are perfectly plain, the
former are usually engraved with
garlands of laurel or oak leaves en
circling some motto such as ‘Ultimao
Ratio Regum,' or ‘Pro Patria et Pa
trio.’ One inscription of ‘Deutschland
uber Alles’ had been altered by a
facetious soldier to ‘Deutschland unter
Alles.’ The pieces are stamped with
the imperial eagle and the number
of the corps or with an Imperial crown
surmounted by a symbol. Essential
parts usually had been taken away
before capture.
“The officers’ sabres that have been
brought here as trophies also are very
much criticised for their showy ap
pearance, which is out of all propor
tion to the apparent use of the weap
on. The ornate handle of wrought
copper is usually more remarkable for
the painstaking labor involved in its
making than for artistic effect. The
lacework design and thong with its
gorgeous tassel of silver silk threads
do not compensate for the narrow
thin blade, often of inferior metal,
not easily bending or regaining its
form readily when once bent.
“All souvenirs of the battlefield are
eagerly sought here, a fact that has
been taken advantage of by one in
genious street vendor. This man is
well dressed and has a mysterious
air, which makes him easily notice
able to easily interested habitues of
cafes of the boulevards, with whom
he gradually enters into conversation.
He gives circumstantial details of re
cent battles which he has been al
lowed to witness by his influential
relations on the battlefield, and then
hints to a large and interested crowd
that he has many sabres, casques,
etc., that he is willing to dispose of
for a small sum. His sales have been
so numerous that the matter at last
came to the notice of the police, who
found his precious trophies were all
taken in 1870.
"Some interesting facts are coming
to light about the battles In Belgium.
At Brussels three regiments of French
Infantry and the Third Zouaves fought
seven hours with only four cannon
between them. Their -losses were
enormous and the Zouaves had a flag
taken from them by the Germans.
These plucky soldiers were, however,
determined not to suffer this dis
grace, and, leaving the cannon, they
charged with their bayonets and push
ed the Germans back for the dis
tance of a mile. They regained their
standard but at terrible cost, for on
ly 300 of the regiment returned with
the prise.”
LOCAL BltEVmU.
William Morton, the Slate creek
mining operator, la lh town to spend
the winter.
John Grab-a-whisky, better known
as John Kacerosky or T. A. King, will
serve the Loping Annies and Lemo.,
no stick, at the Eagle Ball. * *
WRITER RETURNS
ERUMJNTERIOR
D. M. Buggies, representing the
Alaska and Northwest Mining Jour
nal, who has made a personal tour
of Alaska and Investigated at first
hand the mining properties and
prospects of the different camps, re
turned yesterday from the interior and
will sail south on the Mariposa. Some
of Mr. Buggies’ articles have already
appeared in his journal and more will
follow. The Alaska and Northwest
Mining Journal is making an effort
io secure the most reliable facts re
garding development in the north and
have a personal representative, gen
erally one of the firm owning the pa
per, make the trip each year to the
various sections and personally note
the development work. As a conse
quence the journal has published
much reliable information and is con
sidered one of the fairest and most
up-to-date mining papers dealing with
Alaska subjects and has received a
well-merited support from Alaska
mining operators.
Senator Lfst Nome Boat.
Officials of the Pacific Coast Steam
ship Co. announce that the steamship
Senator will sail on her last voyage
this year from Seattle for Nome at 10
a. m. October 10. The vessel will
leave Nome on her last voyage of the
year southbound on October 25.
WANT II. S. ENTER
STOCK WET
Philadelphia Bankers Suggest That
Government Take Shares Sold
By Europe.
' At a meeting recently held in Phil
adelphia, at which the leading bank
ers of that city took part. It was sug
gested that the United States gov
ernment enter the stock market and
purchase all the stock of American
corporations which were held in Eu
rope at the outbreak of the war and
are now being dumped on the Amer
ican market. It is believed that if
the government would buy and hold
the American securities which would
be placed on the market the day the
stock exchanges are opened that busi
ness could be resumed as It was be
fore the war. The stock exchanges
have been closed since July 30th and
dare not open because of the certainty
that ruin would result to thousands
of people if the stocks from Europe
fcre sold here.
Another plan Is to organize a pool
representing at least $1,000,000,000,
and made op of such financiers as
J. P. Morgan, Jacob H. Schiff, James
Speyer, and other bankers of inter
national reputation, which shall put
through the same scheme as outlined
for the government, namely, an is
sue of debenture bonds, which shall
be sold to the general public on a
six per cent, basis, the securities
bought to be held as collateral and
to be disposed of annually or semi
annually ns conditions best warrant.
Philadelphia bankers and brokers
take more kindly to the syndicate
idea than to the plan to have the na
tional government take up the for
eign-held securities. The govern
ment, they say, already has enough
obligations on its hands, and, too, the
demand for such bonds, secured as
they would be by the greatest credit
In the world, would be more likely
to supersede those of private corpora
tions.
JAP DESERTERS
' ARRESTEDAT NOME
Several Japs escaped from a steam
er at ome recently and were later
'captured and taken aboard of their
ship. They are said to be Japanese
students who sought to come to the
United States to perfect their educa
tion. The stringent immigration rules
which Japan has establlsheed made it
impossible for them to get passports,
so as a last resort they shipped as
ordinary seamen aboard the boat, hop
ing to make their escape when they
arrived In Alaska.
The Prospector office for Job work.
I
GABLE SHIP IS
MAKIN6 REPAIRS
*
Burnside Now At Sitka To Splice In
New Piece of Cable—Will Over
haul the Line.
The United States cableshlp Burn
side is near Sitka overhauling the
Alaska military cable, which Captain
Lenoire and the other officials of the
Signal Corps intend shall be kept In
good condition. Near Sitka a fault
exists which has caused the operat
ors much trouble, and only by pati
ence and great abili'y has the line
been kept open. The cableshlp Is
now at the scene and has picked up
the cable and will splice in a new
piece of cable over the rocky bottom
near Sitka, where most of the trou
ble has been located by the instru
ments at Sitka and Valdez.
Master Electrician Faust, who Is in
charge of the Valdez office, expects
o arrange for the transmission of
messages from Sitka to the Whitshed
wireless station, through the co-op
eration of the naval radio stations
and then life messages will be sent
to Valdez and on into the interior.
The officers in charge of the line in
tend to give a good service as pos
sible during the necessary shut-down,
while the cable is being repaired,
which may take a day or a week, all
depending on the condition in which
the cable Is found.
Bishop Rowe Is expected to arrive
in Fairbanks shortly after the freeze
up. He has written the missionary
at Chena that he is enjoying good
health and is looking forward to the
trip with pleasure.
SEEKING OEM
HUB
Perils and hardships would seem to
be sufficiently abundant in almost any
part of Europe Just now to meet the
demands of anybody whose inclina
tions and tastes lie In that direction.
Death in a wide assortment of fqrms
is offered, and even pressed upon the
attention, throughout the whole con
tinent and many of its outlying is
lands and possessions, and whoever
will utilize the provided opportunities,
as well as not a few thousands who
wouldn't if they could help it, may
get shot with large or small guns,
pierced by various forms of sharpen
ed and pointed steel, or, if of a more
timid temperament, can by searching
carefully find a corner in which to
perish quietly by starvation. About
the only method of demise at present
denied is that by freezing, and even
that will within a few weeks be free
ly offered in what are pleasantly call
ed the "theatres of war.”
Yet It is in circumstances lute tnese
that the Shackleton expedition has
started in two large parties for the
antarctic regions! Of course they
are not exactly seeking, but they are
deliberately risking, in that land of
almost perpetual blizzards, the fate
of Scott and his men—a fate in com
parison with which death amid the
i anaesthetizing excitements of battle
might be called, if not agreeable, at
least easy.
It is ‘‘significant of much,” as the
saying is, that the explorers had or
dered their scientific instruments in
Germany, but the war made the com
pletion of that transaction, as so many
others, impossible, and the announce;
men* is that they will have to get
along with Instruments of English
origin. The implication is obvious; at
any rate it will be so to the Ger
mans.
Probably the dangers of antarctic
travel do not quite equal those of
modern warfare, but the difference is
more than made up by the greater
deprivations and sufferings. And
among the deprivations, not the
smallest will be that of news. That
will continue, not for weeks or
months, but for years, even if all
goes well, as “well” is counted In
the antarctic highlands, and the sur
vivors of the expedition will return
to a new Europe, concerning the cre
ation of which they, almost alone of
men, will have had n<£ knowledge as
it went on. But the Ice fields call
and they must go. It is a strange
world.
J. C. Martin left thin morning for
the Ramsay-Rutherford mine.
' i \
*
EXPECT BAY
IN THE RACE
Westward Senator Likely Throw His
Hat In the Ring—Friends Believe
He Has Chance of Election.
—
L. V. Ray, president of the first
Alaska legislature, is expected by his
friends to announce his candidacy for
Ve-election to the Senate within a few
days. It is believed by his support
ers that with George Goshaw, Tom
Price, Dr. Chase, O. P. Hub
bard and Dr. German, the Socialist,
in the field, the election of Ray would
be easy, as the other candidates would
so split the vote that Ray could se
cure a plurality.
Ray supporters claim that the west
ward is entitled to a senator and that
from Seward west a great majority
of the voters will support Senator
Ray because of personal or geograph
ical reasons.
OLD GABLE IS
DOWN AND ODT
Burnside Playing With the Only
String Connecting Us With
the Great Outside.
The cable is cut. Now don’t get
excited, no Jap cut that cable. It
Is only the blank, blank Burnside
again on the job of interrupting our
only means of talking with the world
at large. The cut was made near Sit
ka where, for the past year, the cheap
American cable has been worn and
chafed, making it difficult to use. If
it were not for the experts, the best
in the army service, at the Valdez
end of the line, the cable could not
have been worked for the past six
months.
The Burnside, after being on the dry
dock for several months, had to butt
In just when Jack Bishop wanted the
news about the world’s series. You
will get It, Jack, because the wire
less will be working, but Just when
you will get it is more than any one
can tell. At any rate, the local office
will get that baseball dope for you,
Jack, even if they have to build a
new cable, so don’t worry.
It don’t matter about the war news.
We can make better news than the
dope we have been getting. “Ger
mans make gains,” next day “allies
push Crown Prince back," the follow
ing day “von Kluck is caught." Five
minutes after going to press we get
the startling dope that "von Kluck
is on the job and threatens the Brit
ish rear.” One minute the Russians
win a victory over the Dutchmen, and
then from Berlin some sauerkraut will
send word that the Russians are bar
barians and that thousands of them
have been slaughtered and the rest
ran like rabbits. So you see, dear
reader, that you lose little or nothing
when the war news doesn’t reach you.
We will getNome wireless dope butch
ered and almost unclpherable, but at
that it will be a big help and we
promise to get out a scare line or two,
because it helps to fill the paper.
No war news will be allowed to
pass the British censor at Dawson, so
the Canadian line is useless to the
Prospector. Messages coming through
Canada must all tell of great British
victories only or they don’t get by
that soldier boy.
Mipili
LijnOMGHT
The steamer Mariposa, Captain
CharleB O'Brien, was due to leave
Seward at 2 o’clock this afternoon and
is expected to reach Valdex early to
morrow morning. The Mariposa will
bring back a number of Valdexites
now to the westward.
Representative "Dad” Ingram, who
has spent a couple of weeks in Sew
ard and the Cook Inlet country in
the Interest of his re-election to the
legislature, is expected to return on
the steamer Mariposa in the morn
ing.
SOME TROUBLE
AMONG WIGKITES
Naming of Hubbard Has Caused Split
In Party Organization—Will
Reduce Wick's Vote.
The trinity, Frame, Dieringer, Wiki
del, in charge of the Wickersham
campaign, are having more or less
trouble these days if reports on the
street can be believed. Some oppo
sition to the control of the local
Wick machine has developed, espec
ially ov£r the naming of Judge Hub
bard, of Port Valdez, for senator in
opposition to Dr. Chase, of Cordova.
J. P. Simons, who, with Wikidel, was
heretofore considered the personal
representative of and spokesman for
the delegate, is no longer a leader and
must now be satisfied with a bark
seat. Wikidel, as one of the trusty,
still rules in the inner councils of the
organization. Representative Hoyle’s
advice is no longer considered or
sought, for it is generally known that
he preferred to have the Valdez Wick
ites remain with and support the Cor
dova nominee, Dr. Chase, and not split
the party organization. Hut the three
bosses who manipulated the so-called
Progressive Democratic convention,
decreed otherwise and insisted up
on naming Judge Huhbard, and they
did.
What effect the naming of two
Wick senators will have on the vote
for the delegate is, of course, a mat
ter that can only be settled when the
vote Is cast, but local politicians are
certain that it will reduce the dele
gates vote materially in Valdez and
Seward.
HE IS GILSON
WIEEJSIN WANT
The following letter, received by
Charles Kraemer, of the V'aldez Dock
Company, is self-explanatory. C. E.
Gilson is wanted by his wife, whom
he has deserted. Any one knowing of
his whereabouts should telegraph to
the lady, who 1ms a 23-months-old
baby and needs some money. The
letter follows:
Snohomish, Wash., Sept. 28, 1914.
Chas. Kraemer, Valdez, Alaska.
On April 14tli my husband, C. E.
Gilson, or Chris Gilson, disappeared
from his home in this city. He sail
ed on the Admiral Sampson April
25 for Alaski. He was :een by two
men who came down from there about
July 4, and they claim he is near
Cordova, but they will not give me
his address, as he asked them to say
nothing as to his whereabouts. These
men either worked with him or for
him. They claim he is working for
some mining company putting in a
road, doing the contracting and all
and as I understand it is building a
road into the mine. Mr. Gilson work
ed for years as manager of the Sno
homish Logging Company. He is an
Elk, Mason and Eagle. He is a man
31 years old, five feet eight and a
half or nine inches tall, weight 170
pounds, light complexion, blue eyes,
small scar across bridge of nose, high
forehead, brown hair, slightly bald,
little mole or wart at side of ear.
He is likely under an assumed name
or may be disguised. I kindly ask you
to do all you can for me in locating
Mr. Gilson if he is in your employ,
as there are papers here which it is
necessary for him to sign so that I
can get some money to support my
self and 23-months-old baby, as I have
been in very poor health and unable
to work.
Mr. Gilson was very heavily in debt
and we think this is the reason for
his leaving. If you should locate him
wire at my expense. Thanking you
in advance, I am,
Yours very truly,
MRS. MAUDE E. GILSON,
Box 741, Snohomish, Wash.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
Mr. and Mrs. Meyer Blum will leave
on the steamer Alameda for an ex
tended trip in the states.
O. P. Hubbard, who went to Sew
ard to campaign for election to the
Alaska Senate, is expected back on
the steamer Mariposa.
Mrs. Thomas Shepard is having an
extension built on her residence on
Sherman street and will also have the
building re-shingled.
Mark Gleason, Ernie Amundson
and E. Edwards left this morning for
the , Ramsay-Rutherford property,
where they will work this winter.
8ults pressed for $1.00 at Silver
man’s the tailor. Teh phone 198.
NORWAY WILL
REMAINJEUTRAL
CHRISTIANIA, Norway, Oct. 7.—
The press of Norway Is making a
consistent effort to maintain strict
neutrality. The newspapers publish
virtually nothing more than the offi
cial communications, giving the Eng
lish. French and German texts. The
Morgen Blade divides its columns
carefully, giving Just as much space
to German as to English news. The
Verdens Gang publishes more Eng
lish news, but this inference of par
tizanship is contradicted editorially.
Norwegian officials are equally cau
tious in maintaining neutrality.
Since the declaration of war Nor
wegian exports to Germany have in
creased vastly. Officials deny, how
ever, that ammunition has been sent
out of the country.
Th|e Norweigtan, arm/ has [been
partly mobilized, but the capital
shows no signs of military activity.
Norway’s most serious damage re
sulting from the war Is financial dis
location. She was in the midst of
developing her railroads, her water
power, and her agriculture. The war
eliminated all the capital borrowed
in France and left this development
arrested, with a public debt of 600,
000,000 crowns (about $160,000,000.)
A moratorium has been declared. The
Stock Exchange is closed, but other
wise local business is going on much
as usual.
DR. NANSON WARNS
NORWAY OF PERIL
Belgium’s Fate Here, He Says, Un
less She Prepares for War—
Urges Military Training.
CHRISTIANIA (via London), Oct.
8.—Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, former Nor
wegian minister to Great Britain, caus
ed a sensation here on Saturday night
when l e asserted before an assem
bly of leading members of the cabi
net and students of ChriBtiania Uni
versity that Norway’s situation was
as precarious as that of Belgium.
Dr. Nansen’s proposal for one
year’s compulsory service in the army
was received coldly by the members
of the government, but with cheers
from the rest of the audience. He
used the fate ft Belgium as an ar
gument for more ample preparation
by Norway.
"If Belgium had been prepared,” he
said, "Germany never would have vio
lated her neutrality and possibly the
whole war would have been averted.
Our position is as serious as Bel
gium’s. We are between two oceans
where big naval battles of the war
probably will be fought. Belgium
proved that neutrality without mili
tary preparation was not sufficient
protection.”
Dr. Nansen’s speech amounted to
a direct criticism of the present gov
ernment, the members of which he,
referred to as naive, self-admiring po
litical leaders.
“If among wolves you need your
teeth,” was the text of his address.
Dr. Nansen said that the longer Nor
way waited the more serious her po
sition would become. He urged her
to be worthy of her sister nation,
Sweden, which already had a one-year
compulsory service. Dr. Nansen spoke
favorably of Germany’s method of
training for the army, and said that
the result of the war would be a gen
eral conscription in England.
MEN SCARCE ON
TENDERFOOT CREEK
«
Tenderfoot, the Tanana river camp,
enjoyed the distinction of being the
only known camp in the Interior this
fall where sufficient men to carry on
operations could not be secured.
When the plight of the Tenderfoot
operators became known in Fairbanks
automobiles were started for the up
river camp with twelve men. The two
machines were compelled to pay ISO
to be ferried over the Salchaket riv
er, owing to the government ferry be
ing out of commission.
Does your roof leak. Try "Ebon
coat” paint from Rudolph’s. tf
HUE BEEF THE
LATEST OH MENU
Sailor* Have Eaten It for Year*—
Average Mammal Will Furni*h
Twenty Ton* of Meat.
A movement to form a company to
can whale beef was started on the
Pacific coast several weeks ago, says
an exchange, and the prospectus
shows what a great addition this meat
will be to the daily menu. With the
prices of food products rapidly ad
vancing, it is believed that whale
beef will find a ready market. Sailors
on whaling vessels have eaten this
beef for many years and have relish
ed it, finding it both palatable and
nourishing. It remained, however,
for the Pacific coast to realize that
It could be made a merchantable com
modity.
In former years the flesh of the
tuna was thrown away and it was on
ly recently that it was realized that
it was palatable and could he canned.
Tuna met with instant success, and
now, less than a year after the can
neries started putting it up, there is
a steady and growing demand for it.
It Is expected that it will be the same
with the canned whale beef.
It is proposed that the salmon can
neries be used to prepare the beef
for market. They are idle the great
er part of the year and this slack
season would be eliminated entirely,
owing to the fart that as soon as the
"salmon runs" are over the whale
beef would be coming in.
The average whale weighs from 25
to 80 and more tons, and the meat
Suitable for canning on each carcass
would run from seven or eight *o 3"
and 40 tons. An average whale with
about 20 tons of beef on its bones
will make close to 40,000 one-pound
cans of beef. One can will afford
a meal to about three persons. This
same whale will supply about 120,000
meals.
The cost of the meat is going to be
low. It is proposed that where the
whales are taken within a few hun
dred miles of the canneries the whole
carcass be towed ashore. Where this
Is Impracticable the meat will be cut
from the bones and pickled in brine
until the cannery ship reaches home.
Either way will be cheaper by far
than shipping steers to msirket.
Hitherto this valuable meat has been
thrown away.
It is expected that a number of the
Puget Sound Whaling companies will
go into the whale beef business ser
iously. The price of whale oil has
been reduced from about $2.50 a gal
lon to 55 cents, and this has made
serious reductions in the profits of
the business. The time is not far
distant when me wnaters win ue ac
companied by a canning ship which
will take the carcasses after the blub
ber has been removed and can the
beef on the high seas. This will save
cost and allow the whale beef 'men
to land whole shiploads of goods all
ready for market.
Whales will not be taken in the
same manner as of old. The old days
of harpooning from a whaleboat are
past, and now the whale is killed with
artillery. The gun is a short-barrel
ed howitzer mounted on a swivel in
the bows of the whaler. It shoots
a dart in thp head of which is a
time shell. The dart has a number
of barbs that prevent the whale
shaking It out of his side, and it is
connected to a winch by a thin, wov
en wire line. When a whale is
"struck” the mammal usually
"sounds” and dashes off for a short
distance. The winch hums and the
wire line runs out rapidly. This lasts
only a moment or two, and then the
bomb In the dart explodes, and in
a short time the whale is ready for
the oil and beef men.
As soon as the wire line slackens
the winch is started and the whale
reeled in. When the carcass reaches
the surface a hollow lance attached
to an air hose is thrust through the
thick skin, and the dead whale is
pumped full of air, so that it floats
high above the water. The removal
of the blubber and later the beef
then begins.
LOCAL BREVITIES.
Judge John Lyons is expected back
on the steamer Mariposa tomorrow
morning. __
Frank Walters, sergeant-at-arms of
the Broadway Rabbit Ranch, can be
found In the balcony calling oft and
acting as lookout at the Eagle Ball
Saturday evening. * *