Special Xmas Week Sale
All silver mesh bags and vanity cases to be
closed out at one-half price
All Casseroles at One-Third Off
^ ^ A large assortment of candies in beautiful Xmas boxes
from which to select.
Many durable and entertaining toys for the young folks
, OWL DRUG GO.
RUSSELL HERMANN, Manager.
STEAM HEATED HOT AND COLD BATHS
Copper Block Hotel
VALDEZ, ALASKA
“The House of Comfort”
PHONE 7 for men only
MERCHANT’S CAFE
FRESH BREAD AND PASTRY DAILY
Phone 63 Chas. Fischer, Propr.
HOPE TO COMPROMISE
MEAT SEIZURE CASES.
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Dec. 27.—
Prospects of settling out of court all
of the cases of American meat pack
ers, involving cargoes valued at
from $15,000,000 to $20,000,000,
^pending before British prize courts,
were discussed yesterday at a con
ference participated in by British
Embassy officials, Counsellor Polk, of
the State Department, and represen
tatives of the packers.
There was no announcement con
cerning results of the* conference but
it was said later it was entirely pos
sible that Great Britain might look
with favor upon a private and direct
disposition of these cases. Such a
step would eliminate the necessity for
special representatives which the
packers have urged the State De
partment to make in their behalf, in
addition to the note recently dis
patched dealing with the general sub
ject of interference with neutral
trade.
Four cases involving cargoes or
meat shipped from the United States
to neutral European countries already
^.ave been decided against the pack
ers by the prize court and appeals to
the Privy Council are pending. About
forty others are awaiting trial.
Chandler ^nderson, formerly spe
cial counsel for “ the State Depart
partment and Lf&yd Griscom of New
York, took part in today’s confer
ence as counsel for the packers. J.
Ogden Armour also was present.
JUNEAU MAN* CANDIDATE
FOR THE ANNANIA8 CI,UB.
W. F. Merchant, of Juneau, was
figured the other day in the “Truth
ful James” remarkable Alaskan yarns
department of the Seattle Times. The
story is about our old friend “Midd
leton Island" Smith, who was one
of the pioneers of this district but
has been gathered home. The story
follows:
“It’s an old story how ‘Middleton’
Smith, the fox farmer, captured a
Kwhale while, out halibut fishing and
drove the animal upon the heacb, but
did you ever hear how ‘Middleton’
trained that Cetacea to catch herring
for his foxes?"
William Friend Merchant, pioneer
automobile dealer in Southeastern
Alaska, was dining with his clh
school chum.Roscoe Drumheher, col
lector of this port, when asked the
question as a preliminary to inflict
ing pome of. his sea stories upon the
newoomer frem the sagebrush belt.
Drumheller looked interested and
slipped. Merchant the old Whitman
Indian sign to proceed.
“You see,” Mid Merchant, “Smith
lived a hermits life on Middleton Is
land nedff' Valdez, for a number of
years and made his living raising
foxes for the fur market. ‘Middleton’
went out.in a .dory to fish for hali
h but but when he dropped hU anchor
'ii caught in the blowhole of * whale
anil after aaexciting ride for an hour
Smith, with an par fofa rudder man
aged to beach the critter.
: Feeds Whale on Herring ..
"The whale was pretty tired when
it piled up on the:Mnd in front of
‘Middleaon’s’ shack apd the receding
tide scion had it high and dry. Smith
was a tender-hearted man and he
just couldn’t bear to see an animal
suffer. The whale thrashed around
on the sand for several days and was
slowly starving to death when Mid
dleton finally went out and brought
in a seine load of herring and gave
the poor animal a square meal.
“ Midleton used to tell me it was
pathetic to see that whale roll its
eyes toward him and attempt to show
him how grateful it was by wagging
its fluke.
“It was strenuous work for the fox
farmer to catch enough herring for
the whale and to supply his hungry
foxes, but he kept manfully at the
task, putting in his spare time dredg
ing a channel from the whale to deep
water and in a week or two he was
able to launch ‘Carrie,’— that is the
name he gave the whale—and she
dived into her native elements with
a gladsome wriggle to appear a mo
ment later with a spout of farewell.
Returns With Herring.
"But Carrie wasn’t gone long, for
it was back in the cove again at low
tide and when Middleton waded out,
it opened its huge mouth and display
ed about a ton of fresh herring.
Smith from that day on nev.er want
ed for fish to feed his foxes.
“Shortly after the steam whalers
began to operate in the North Pacific
‘Carrie’ disappeared, and I am in
clined to the belief that grieving over
the big animal’s departure hastened
‘Middleton’s’ death, for he died less
than a year later.”
ROCAIi PORT REACHES
HEIGHTS OK FAME.
1 The old saying that some are born
great, some achieve greatness, while
others have greatness thrust upon
them, was brought forcibly home to
day when a copy of the New York
Evening Son came to our desk with
Joe Spenard’s famous poem reproduc
ed upon its editorial page. This dem
onstrates that Valdez has a real poet
in her midst, as Joe has demonstrat
ed several times in our advertising
columns.
PROSPECTOR STAFF IS
REMEMBERED AT XMAS
The Prospector staff was not for
gotten by the good people of Valdez
when they were remembering their
friends Christmas. A big, big box
of choice candy was received from
Adam Swan of the Emporium ay,d
from several others, and several
boxes of cigars from others whose
modesty forbids mention’ of their
names. We expect to clean up the
gifts during the next, few days and
toil! then be ready for the presence of
a physician.
Too Mach Money.
“The manager pf my store," de*
dared the merchant to a little coterie
of friends, “is a peculiar genius. Why,
would you believe it when he draws
his monthly wages he keeps out only
a dollar or thro and sends the rest to
hi« wife in the Jt-t.
His listeners, wKhr one emeptlon,
who sat silent and reflective, gave
vent to Mud murmurs ot admiration.
"Now it may sound funny, but it is
true, nevertheless."
“Oh, I dop't doubt it at all," it
sponded the silent one, "I was only
wondering what he eonld do with so
much money." /, J' -
Spitzenberg and Wideeay Apples,
also all kinds of Cooking Apples at
Ames. tt
DEAN SWIFT AND HIS CHOIR.
Singsrs, Like Poets, Muat Be Very
/ Good, He Wrote.
A characteristic letter written by
Dean Swift in reference to an applica
tion by u Mr. Lovelace for a vacant
place in the choir of St. Patrick's cathe
dral. Dublin, appears in the appendix
to the thirteenth report of the histor
ical MSS. commission. Musical NewB
fives an extract:
“1 desire you will ask my Lord Ox
ford whether his brother Nathaniel un
derstands musick; if he does and rec
ommends Mr. Lovelace particularly
from his own knowledge, something
may be said. I have the honour to be
captain of a band of nineteen musi
cians (including boys); but my quire is
so degenerated under the reigns of for
mer Deans of famous memory that the
race of people called Gentlemen Lovers
of Musick tell me that I must be very
careful in supplying two vacancyes,
which I have been two years endeavor
ing to do so.
“For you are to understand tnat in
disposing the musical employments I
determine to act directly contrary to
Ministers of State by giving them to
those who best deserve. If you had
recommended a person to me for a
Church-living in my gift 1 would be
less curious: because an indifferent par
son may do well enough, if be be hon
est: but Singers, like their brothers tho
Poets, must be very good, or they are
good for nothing.”
SONG OF THE CARROT.
Tribute to a Modest Vegetable the
Poets Have Neglected.
Wliy does no poet arise to sing the
song of the carrot, the hardest worked
vegetable in the kingdom? Much is
said in favor of the plethoric pump
kin. the gathering of corn is a com
monplace theme, but the poor carrot
has been neglected—yes, even scorned.
For diversity of use the carrot has
pumpkin and corn backed over the
garden wall. Men feed carrots to cat
tle, increasing the dairy output. They
feed them to other stock sometimes,
improving its temper. A carrot arti
ficially hollowed with a knife makes
an elegant Japanese vase. Sufficiently
hardened by harsh contact with the
world, a carrot may be used for a
weapon, either operated like a mallet
with a handle or burled like a Russian
bomb.
Carrots are sometimes even used for
food by human beings. They are a
chief lngredieut in vegetable soup.
Mixed with butter they improve its
color. They maks better pumpkin pie
than pumpkins themselves. Served ns
Hubbard squash they make one wonder
why squashes were invented.
The answer to the high cost of living
cry is carrots. Johnson had his Bos
well. Whom will the carrot have?—
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The Black Maria.
The repulsive looking, hearselike van
used for the conveyance of prisoners
is universally known as the “black
Marla.” The term originated in Amer
ica. When that country was filling
with Immigrants from England a ne
gress named Maria Lee kept a sailors
boarding bouse iu Boston. She was a
woman of amazonian strength and.
according to the author of “More Anec
dotes of Bench and Bar." helped the
authorities to keep the peace. Fre
quently the constables invoked her aid.
and the saying. “Send for black
Marla." came to mean “Take him to
prison.” The sailors returning to Eng
land frequently used the phrase, and
so in the course of time the name of
bluc.k Marla Lee. shortened and altered
to black Maria, became the name* of
the prison van and remains so to this
day.-—London Globe.
A Little Too Much.
One evening a little boy entered a
grocery store end handed the clerk a
note which read: “I urn a poor woman
and have no money. My children and
1 are starving. Won’t you give ns
something to eat?”
The kind hearted clerk filled a large
basket with food and gave It to the
boy, who quickly departed.
In a few minutes he again entered
the store.
“What's the trouble now?" said the
clerk.
“Ma sent me back to get the trad
ing stamps.” the lad replied.—Every
body's. ___
*Yeur Position at Work.
In what sort of a position fs your
body when you work? Do-you know
that working bent over causes the body
to adjust itself—bcnea. muscles and
jdlnts-40 the unnatural poattloal Try*
to see that you have’ ekerctfe In recrea
tion hours which will offset the beat
over tendency.—Pittsburgh Press.
What It Left.
•'An' how did the storm trats ye,
O’HOollganf’ a northwest coast farm
er asked a neighbor one day. “Did nt
blow much away?”
“Bedad, Muldoon.” O’HooUgan re
plied, “fit' blew (very mortal thing off
me place, barrln’ the mortgage!”—Lon
don Tlt-Blts.
A Novelty.
Mamma—How shall I have (he ba
by*s picture taken 1 Papa—I wonder
! ft you could have It taken while he’s
asleep. I’d like to see how It looks
that way.—Puck. >
Literary Note.
Madge —My favorite authors are
.Browplny' and Henry James. I read
them over and over again. Marjorle
teu have tot—Life.
< <r < ■■■»>' _1
1 Oe to yOOr' hesom. knock there and
ask your heart what it doth know —
Measure For Measure.
ROUGH MUSIC.
An Evildoer’s Medicine, One Dose of
Which Is Usually Enough.
There are mure ways than one to
punish evildoers. Did you ever hear
of chastising a wife beater by means
vf “rough music?" No, this is not a
reference to the phonograph record
which the children have played with.
It Is even worse, it has been in use in
the southern counties of England for
at least four centuries, and it is so
effective that it is likely to persist for
several centuries to come. The one
disadvantage of this method of pun
ishment is that it punishes the victim
quite as much as it does the guilty
party. It is Inflicted on men and wo
men alike, but it Is most merciless
when it is directed against the hen
pecked husband.
When It is the consensus or opinion
In tbe village that a man or woman
has been guilty of conduct unbecom
ing a decent, self respecting burgher
tbe neighbors assemble at the home of
one of them, equipped with tin pans,
fire shovels, pokers, kettles, pairs of
iron potllds, cow horns and anything
else that will make a hideous noise,
and march In silence to tbe house of
the offender. Suddenly they break
forth with a raucous, deafening din.
When tbe rest of the village has been
aroused and there is a sufficiently large
audience tbe wit of the "rough music
band" lays the charge against the of
fender in verses that are not usually
distinguished for refinement and con
sideration. After this has been done
the band marches to every tavern In
town, where tbe charges are repeated.
One such punishment, as a rule. Is suf
ficient.—St. Louis Globe-liemocrat.
RAIN FROM A CLEAR SKY.
An Alleged Phenomenon Linked With
the Falling of Dew.
In English dictionaries we find the
word serein defined as a fine rain
which sometimes falls from a clear sky
shortly after sunset The word is
French, but lias become the interna
tional designation in meteorological
works for this alleged phenomenon,
which Is always described as quite
rare.
Has the phenomenon a real exist
ence?
The fact that a stereotyped descrip
tion of It has been passed on from one
meteorological writer to another since
the latter part of the eighteenth cen
ury Is by no means conclusive evidence
on this point, for science has perpetu
ated many myths by the process of
reiteration.
Professor Gustav Hellmann, in a re
cent publication of the Russian Mete
orological institute, sees In the concep
tion of the serein merely the survival
of the old fashioned belief that even
ing dew falls from the (clear) sky. and
he finds that the serein of early French
writers was identical with that “even
ing dampness” which was supposed to
be injurious to human health.
It still remains possible that rain
may sometimes fall from a clear sky,
though this is not likely to be a phe
nomenon peculiar to tbe early evening.
Some cases can be explained as due to
the oblique falling of raindrops, carried
horizontally by the wind, when the
clouds from which they came have
passed away.—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Maeterlinck on Medicine.
M. Maeterlinck might almost be de
scribed as a poet in spite of himself.
Bad the desire of his heart been at
tained. he would have been a doctor.
Some years ago he confessed to his
early ambitions In a letter addressed
to a French medical Journal. "I never
commenced the study of medicine,” be
wrote. “I did my duty in conforming
with the family tradition which or
dains that the eldest son shall be an
?,vocat I shall regret to my last day
bat I obeyed those traditions and con
secrated my most precious years to the
vainest of sciences. All my instincts,
all my Inclinations, attached me to the
study of medicine, which 1 am more
than ever convinced la the most beau
tiful key which gives access to the
great realities of Ufa”—London Spec
tator. |_.
Youthful Ganlu*.
Pascal wrote treatises on acoustics
at twelve, at which age he was busily
occupied In constructing elaborate cir
culating machines, and at sixteen he
published his treatise on "Conic Sec
tions," which Descartes refused to be
lieve was not the work of a great mas
ter. John 8fuart Mill was studying
Greek at throe, had practically matter
ed the language at seven and a year
later Wat acting as schoolmaster to his
younger brother* and Waters. John
Buskin actually produced a manuscript
work In throe volumes before he reach
ed hie seventh Mrtgday.
.. .. . ,,.i „f
QeldKWn
ft may not he generally known that
then Is cruelty In the keeping of gold
flab.' Half of* such captives die from
sheer Want of rest As flsb have eye»
so formed that theyxannot endure the
light to a glSsa vcMel they are in an
entirely wrong glace, as is evident
from th» way In which thnydasbnbont
sod go around and around until fairly
worn out __
Wen* Yet.
"Why is it nobsdyiikes Tomr
"Ob, he's one of thane ‘I told yon Mf
fellows." v i
"How about BUI r r
"He’s warns >yetr He’e one of the *1
could have toM you I* I'd wonted to’
variety."—Exchange.
Club Preeneofleatiene
“i think tt will rain before I get
botae/* 4‘ * *
"I know tt will storm when 1 got
there”—Baltimore American.
CITY EXPRESS
MEETS ARE BOATS AND NEVER MISSES \ TRAIN
Auto for Hlr e Day or Night.
Buy and Sell Anything.
Phone 82 J. A. SPENARD, Prop.
Independent Laundry Co.
Satisfaction Guaranteed I I Foot Keystone Ave
Telephone 66 I I Rouirh Dry 10c lb
When in Chitina Stop at the
CHITINA HOTEL
Finest Hotel ia the Interior—Well Heated, Clean Roods.
Bar in Connection. Rates Reasonable
UPPER TONSINA ROAD HOUSE
Best of Meals—Prices Reasonable
GENERAL STORE. - TRADING POST.
Telephone connects with Chitina.
General Freighting. knute nafsted. Mir.
1 VALDEZ REAL ESTATE AGENCY 1
S Real Estate, Insurance, General Brokerage c
o Absentees Business Properly Handled §
8 Treat Building, Alaska Ave. Telephone No. 60 |
Mead’s Sheet Metal Works
PLLMBING, STEAM AND HOT WATER HEATING,
Sheet Metal Work, Mine Air Pipe, Pipe and Fittings, Valves. Etc.
Motor Boat Supplies, Paints and Oils.
Located on Valdez Dock, Opposite Prospector Office. Phone 24
Pacific Alaska Navigation Co.
PUGET SOUHD Mninl PUSET SOUND
California Lillfi Alaska
ALASKA
Steamers sail from Seattle at 9 P. M. on
5th, 15th, 25th—EVERY MONTH
Steamer Sailing ISth rails Illamna and Kodiak—All Sailing call at Knlk
and Anchorage.
CALIFORNIA
Seattle to San Francisco every Wednesday and Sunday, connecting with
Steamers Yale and Harvard for Southern California.
Right reserved to change schedule without notice
RICHARD J. RINGWOOP, Mgr* Seattle) VALDEZ DOCK CO* Local Agt.
I
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP CO.
S. S. ALAMEDA AND 8. 8. NORTHWESTERN SAIL PROM SE
ATTLE THE 10TH, 80TH AND 30TH,
EVERY MONTH
FROM VALDEZ SOUTH—8TH, 18TH, 28TH, FOR CORDOVA,
JUNEAU, WRANGEL, KETCHIKAN AND SEATTLE.
Regular freight service for Ketchikan, Wrangell. Juneau, Sheep
Creek, Treadwell. Douglas, Skagway, Cordova, Ellamar, Valdes and La
touche. Explosives, 8. S. Seward, on the 6th; Latouche, on the 16th: 8. 8.
Cordova, S5th of each month—right reserved to change this schedule
without nottoei.
W. B. TRACY, Gcal Agent VALDES DOCK CO„ Local Agent.
When You Leave
For the Outside
,, , , *®ke*he •
U
•<. t ■>.: f -* :■■■-. - ; . >< ,
One raad—one management—one service all the way
through to Chicago. It’s the Short Line to die East
over
THE NEW STEEL TRAIL
For information and literature write or ask
J.; 6.' MARTIN,' Agent, Valdes, Altsluu ’
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE * Jk ST,, PAUL RY.
A. E. HARRIS, Freight and Passenger Agt,
V Juneau, Alaska.