IDETAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Evening at Iditarod, Alaska.
FRANK E. BECKER. EDITOR
Vo! 2 Cao. M. Arbuckle. Publlshar No. 18
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Advertising Rotes on Application.
A SPRING SERMON
Down in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, a
young German by the name of Cassidy got busy some time
ago and watched the predatory rich in their daily game of
handing the bunc to the common people. Do you know
what that young Frenchman found, Gwendolyn ? Well, he
discovered that “malefactors of great wealth” were getting
richer by doping up bad food for the great proletariat and
poisoning cheap candy for the children. He discovered that
the Standard Oil Company was trying to save enough
money to endow a Society for the Mesmerizing of the Mer
cenary Microbe, and to do so, was mixing glucose with acid.
Was the acid harmful ( Yes, it was just about as nourish
ing as strychnine and was particularly fattening for babies.
Besides it made the glucose white so confectioners could
use tons of it instead of using sugar which cost more. And
why were they doing this ? We will tell you Ysobel. They
were doing it to make money.
What, don’t you know what money is ? Well, money
is that particular medium of exchange formerly used by the
aboriginie for purposes of trade and barter, but now known
chiefly as the yard-stick of a man’s moral character and
sought after as a general admission ticket into the Kingdom
of Heaven.
Out m the States they are embalming sour milk tor the
little ones that they may buy more gasoline for their
pleasure buggies, but here in Alaska we are simply trying
to cut each other’s throat for fear the other guy will get
more mazuma than we.
Therefore our lesson this week, brethren, will be about
money and the evil thereof. Pausing for a moment in our
mad race for the gilded samoleum, we wish to point our
finger at a few patent evils before we get down off the fence
and chase ourselves as madly as ever.
We know a lot of individuals whose god is money.
They begin figuring before they get out of bed in the morn
ing bow they will do somebody on a bargain. They eat a
little less for breakfast because bacon is high and they go
around all day with a worried look on their faces for fear
night will overtake them without an added kopeck. They
are afraid to smile for feai someone will take it as a favor
able sign and ask a favor, they shudder at the fearful
thought that disaster might wipe out their hoarded gains.
Now that is no nice way to do. It don’t get them any
thing and besides, it spoils their complexion. Money is a
nice thing to have, but we know a lot of people who would
be much more companionable if they were broke.
Ihe spring is coming on and the season is about to
open while we are all getting ready for the big Marathon
after a few paltry bones. The merchant will polish up his
last year’s labels, the miner will try to work olf his salt
horse on the guy that trundles the wheelbarrow, the steam
boat man will patch up a bum boiler that threatens to blow
him into the next county, and the banker will give hi?
notes a close shave. Every man will be out with a dark
lantern and a jimmy trying to corner an unsuspecting
dollar and all the time the golden sunlight will be search
ing out the coy nooks and hollows while the summer breezes
tenderly tickle the tundra.
This is all very well to strive and be ambitious, but we
don’t give a tinker’s damn for the man who has acquired a
swelled nut with his thousands and who ceases to be human
and interesting. That man who thinks that a laugh is
frivolous gives us a pain, and the guy who won’t let go of
a dollar without a mournful expression might just as well
be laid away with yesterday and its seven thousand years.
Go after the money, friends and fellow citizens, but
don’t let it get on your nerves.
Phillips's Slayer
In His Last Novel
New York, March 1—The slaying of David Graham Phillips
the novelist, by Fitzhugh Coyle Goldsborough, in Gramercy Park,
recently, had a remarkable sequel yesterday when “Fitzhugh
Clayton” made his appearance in the first instalment of the last
novel of the young author. Friends of the supposedly-demented
violinist say that the character was probably drawn from the
aggrieved musician.
When the young Southerner shot the novelist and then killed
himself he left letters declaring that Mr. Phillips had written the
Merchants Cafe
ABSOLUTELY
FIRST-CLASS
Targe I’artien Catered To
Chas. K. Miller & Ernest H. Slenter, Props.
TO DO YOUR MINING
Three thousand and five thousand candle power, throwing a shaft of light
1500 feet.
Call at the Iditarod headquarters for information concerning the J. B.
COLT’S ACETYLENE LIGHT MACHINE.
Pioneer Sheet Metal Work«
JUST ARRIVED
Ladies' Sandals and Shoes
Fine Assortment of Wlon's Leather Belts
TgOLDSTEIN Fronts!
ITS MOTTO IS AS EVER :
Quality—Purity—Reliability
C. J. Hurley, President J. P. Gleason, Vice President A. Bruning, Cashier
Corner First Ave, and Richmond St., Iditarod
CAPITAL $50,000,00, FOLLY PAID IN CASH
General Banking Business Transected Upon Liberal, But Conservative Lines
GOLD DUST PURCHASED UPON ASSAY VALUE
And we guarantee our assays against any of the government assay offices.
Clippings from your gold furnished you for the purpose
of obtaining check assays if desired.
We solicit your business, and assure you of our courteous, prompt and
careful attention combined with fair treatment, whether
your account may be large or small.
IS NOW OPKN AT
THU OLD STAND ON
WILLOW STREET
Prospectors’ and Wtiners’ Supplies.
Snow Glasses, Optical Goods, Etc.
BEFORE BREAKUP
Willow Street, Iditarod Phone 46
Goldsborough family into his novel, “ The Fashionable Ad
ventures of Joshua Craig.”
This charge, seeming so slight a provocation for murder, did
much to create the idea that Goldsborough was demented.
Now comes the strikingly interesting incident—the publishers
of the novel call it a coincidence, but Golds borough’s friends pro
fess to see in it something deeper.
One week before Phillips was shot he sold to the Saturday
Evening Post the manuscript of his most rt cent novel, “The Grain
of Dust.” The first instalment of it appeared in the Saturday
Evening Post this week and introduced Clayton Fitzhugb.
Probable Line-Up of
the Summer Fleet
The Minneapolis—the sale of which was forced by the fore
closure suit instituted by Dave Yarnell—has been purchased by the
Dominion Commercial Company and E. R. Peoples. She will be
used to carry the freight of those two concerns to Fairbanks, be
sides what other freight she can get as an independent boat. She
will probably not appear on the Iditarod this season, unless it be
on the water of early spring, to bring in the balance of the cargo
she now has.
The Samson will be operated by Brumbaugh, Hamilton & Kel
logg and will ply between Dikeman and Holy Cross, having enough
freight contracted to keep her going all season. That company is
still taking contracts.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company, which carries the N. C.
Co. freight to St. Michael, and the Scbubach-Hamiiton Co. are re
ported to be working together in the ocean trade, both from San
Francisco and Seattle, and that their river steamers will connect
with and receive freight from boats of either company indiscrimi
nately. The first Seattle sailings for St. Michael are given as
June 1 and June 20, which, accoi-ding to experience, should permit
access to the Yukon about July 1.
Advices from Seattle of a week ago are to the effect that no
more freight could be booked over Lake Laberge on account of the
fact that the companies are already swamped with tonnage by that
route, indicating a large early shipment to this point.
Iditarod City Unique
In one way the city of Iditarod seems
to be unique. It has been incorpoiated,
has a city council, fire department,
police force, etc., etc., but has neither
a schoolhouse nor a place of worship.
Can any other city in the United States
not often that a town reaches the in
territory show a similar record? It is
corporation stage ahead of its first
church and schoolhouse, and if such a
condition has existed elsewhere it is
not generally known.
Shows Him in Missouri
St. Joseph, April 8—Boer Unholz
was knocked out last night in the third
round of his fight with Tommy Moore.
If you want your clothing cleaned or pressed
ring up Wiie the Tailor—Phone 68
Old Innoko Country
tt
In from the old Innoko country for the purpose of securing mining
machinery with which to work his ground to better advantage, Capt. J.
H McLean, one-time owner of the J. P. Light and the I.uella ofChena,
speaks very hopefully regarding its future
from Capt. McLean’s remarks it was gathered that the principal
drawback to the Ophir region was lack of capital. Left to its own re
sources the camp has not made very rapid progress and mining is still
carried on in a very primntive way. But in spite ol that and also in
spite of the difficulties of working wet ground the output of the camp
has averaged in the neighborhood of $300,000 per annum, or $1,000 for
every man, woman and child in the camp. This summer (he output of
past years is likely to be greatly exceeded.
Although the Innoko is practically a summer camp a considerable
amount of work has been dene during the past winter, principally on
Discovery, Ophir creek, where a large dump has been taken out. Little
and Spruce creeks also were worked throughout the season.
The ground is from 6 to 35 feet in depth, and runs as high as $2 to
the pan in places.
Considerable freighting has been going on from the K. C. Co. post
it Tokotua to Ophir, Spruce and Little. Horses have been used for this
purpose and the rate was only 2'/jC a pound. F.om the head of Gaues
over the divide to the old Berry house on the upper Tokotua the dis
tance is only eight miles, and most of the freight for the Innoko will
hereafter be sent via the Kuskokwinr.
It is stated that the N C. company are moving up the Tokotua
rod will locate near the K. C. post. The N. C. are also reported to he
contemplating sending their steamer St. Michael with her two barges
ro the Kuskokwinr this season, in which event they will give a through
rate from Seattle to Tokotua. The distance from Tokotua to Ophir is
only 22 miles with an easy grade.
With the exception of butter, ham and bacon provisions were
plentiful throughout the winter and although prices were high they
j were not oppressively so. Little currency is seen in the camp. The
usual wage is $i an hour or §6 a day and board.
Quite a number of men are going in from the Iditarod at present.
Hill and Linquist, who are working on 6*a Gants have some good
ground, and if they had a scraper would take out a great deal of money.
Felix Brazeau is working on Yankee close to the Oregon and the
Mayflower claims.
Howie has struck pay on 4!) bench cliim, right limit of Ophir.
Nine pans from this ground averaged 20c to I he pan. They are now
cross cutting and the pay gets better every day.
‘ Sam" and “Fete” have taken over the postoffice and cigar store
trora Judge Viual, who will devote iris energies solely to the develop
ment cf his ground 011 Spruce creek. The judge will employ 20 men
throughout the summer.
Big Hill Hunter is prospecting on (lanes. “Uncle Ben the Trap
per” is in the mining game and will take out a big poke this season,
l'om Boyd, Frank Whalen, Clough and Jones and B B. Smith are
freighting, the latter with dogs only.
Capt. McLean is on i-b Ophir. F'air pay has been found on Dis
covery, where they have located a streak 30 feet wide and three or four
feet deep. The panning shows values as high as $2.
The Captain returned last Phi.lay, but bis machinery will remain
here until the water runs.
Artistic Murders
Were His Specialty
—
St. Petersburg, March 10—Imagine a man of seventy—tall,
dignified, benevolent, a practicing physician secure in the confi
dence of the fashionable world—testifying in cold blood that his
business was and has been murder; that he inoculated his victims
with deadly germs, and you have a faint idea of the sensation pro
duced by Count Ivan Pantchenko, now on trial here.
Artistic murders, • ingly or in blocks, have been his specialty.
Russia has produced many infamous criminals, and during the
reigns of some of her monarchs marvellous crimes have been
committed there. But never in recorded history has one man done
such wholesale slaughter by such scientific methods.
Dr. Pantchenko has confessed to causing forty deaths by inoc
ulation. He has done it all for hire and his fees have ran into the
millions. He has used the germs of many deadly maladies and
every mysterious death of recent years is now laid at his door.
His trail leads even into the palace of the Czar and members of
the royal family have been his victims.
Li. Lowell, a resident of Dikeman,
came in yesterday. He says that the
trail is closed to teams and fast break
ing up.
Midget and other intermittent alarms
reduced to $2.50 next week at Simp
son's.
The Pioneer for Job Printing.
Just Opened
Best Equipped Drink Emporium in
Flat City
We Carry Only the ■
FINEST BRANDS
of Liqors and Cigars.
Mels Glantz, Proprietor