Halites Batty Prospector
___
_ VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1917 NUMBER 10
VOLUME XIV• _ _
iyilTir
REPORTED TODAY
doubtful if it will pass
House Committee on Territories Fin
ishes Up Work—Wickersham’s Bill
k for Proliibition Come Up—Prob
ably Will Not Pass.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 18.—
The House Committee on Territories
nas completed its work and will prob
ably introduce the Alaska “Bone
Dry” Bill of Delegate Wickersham's
today. Considerable doubt is express
ed as to tbe passage of the bill at
this session, owing to the pressure
of other business and the lack of
time.
The bill provides heavy penalties
tor having liquor in one’s possession,
confiscates boats carrying same, pro
hibits druggists from handling alco
hol and alcoholic medicines without
going through prescribed regulations
involving much red tape, and would
make Alaska the dryest spot on re
toM
DESCRIPTION OF ALLEN’S
NEW AERO MOTOR SLED
So many articles have appeared in
print of late regarding “Scotty" Al
len’s new motor sled, which is to sup
plant dog teams as a method of trans
portation in the Northland during the
winter months, the following descrip
tion of the vehicle from the Nome in
dustrial Worker may be of interest
to our readers.
A. A. Allen expects to test his aerc
sled this week and has the machine
practically assembled for this pur
pose. The machine is practically an
aeroplane except that it glides along
the ground and driving force has been
chosen in the matter of propellers
rather than lifting force. For that
reapon a propeller of very wide dou
ble blare proportions is selected in
stead of the usual narrow four blade
equipment of the aeroplanes. Two
small planes will give the machine
stability under all conditions of wind
and blizzard, and the machine is ex
pected to prove itself upon the first
test. Great interest naturally will be
attached to this new locomotive in
vention for it has within it the pos
sibilities of success. The great differ
ence between the Allan machine and
the variety of motor sleds which
have all been more or less an indiffer
* ent failure is that the new type is
propelled through the action of a
driving blade upon the air while the
others are driven by a variety of fric
tion contrivances upon the snow or
ground. Accordingly the new ma
chine is quite independent of the
condition of the trail and will depend
*or its successful forward movement
upon the steadiness of the motor and
the ability to overcome the air re
sistance and ground friction under
all conditions. The engine used is a
standard type of aeroplane engine,
with the difference above noted in the
type of propeller blade. Preliminary
experiments made outside were all
success'ful.
*" l _— __
HEAVY PEANUT CROP
VALUE IN TEXAS
DALLAS, Texas.—Twelve million
dollars Is a conservative estimate of
the value of the Texas peanut crop
for 1916, according to investigators
of the agricultural committee of the
1 Texas Bankers association, conduct
ing the safe farming and high priced
cotton campaign under direction of
William G. Breg of Dallas.
German Bonds Are Held.
LONDON, Jan. 18.—Sir Samuel
Evans, president of the British prize
eourt, ruled today that German bonds
come under the reprisals order ar.d
that German securities valued at 30
•00 marks which were seized while
•n their way in a letter to the State
Commercial and Savings Bank of Chi
cago should remain in court as prop
erty of enemy origin until the decla
ration of peace or until dealt with
as the court might direct subsequent
ly. The securities were seized on
board the Danish steamship Freder
ick VIII.
The steamer Mariposa sails fror.i
Seattle for Valdez and the North to
morrow at 9 o’clock.
REFORMER MUST FACE
DESERTION CHARGES
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.—From
treasurer of the island of Mindoro in
the Philippines and superintendent of
the Iwahing prison farm coloney, op
erated in connection with the Bilibid
prison, Manila, to an army private
charged with desertion, is the record
of Charles H. Lamb, who today
waiting the outcome of his court
martial in the guard house of the re
cruiting depot at Fort McDowell.
Lamb did some remarkable prison
reform work in the Philippines and
he is in hopes that his previous good
record with mitigate his charges.
CO " '
IS 116 NORTH
NORFOLK RECEIVES WARNING
Wireless Message Says German Vessel
Is Moving Northward—British
Cruisers Are Going South to inter
cept and Destroy.
NORFOLK. Va., Jan. 18.—The
wireless station here received a mes
sage this morning stating that the
German commerce raider which has
been operating off the coast of Brazil,
is now raiding northward and was re
ported to be about 1,500 south of
!Cape Henry. British cruisers are re
ported to be moving southward in
the hope of intercepting and destroy
ing the raider.
AEROPLANE RELAY
MAIL SERVICE PLAN
WASHINGTON, D. C.: A regular
six to 14-liour aeroplane service
between Chicago and New York will
be established by the Post Office De
partment if plans under construe-'
tion go through. Establishment of
the service, if finally decided upon,
will be done in connection with the
expenditure of the $100,000 appro
priated by congress for experimental
purposes.
Such an air mail service is en
tirely practicable, the statement says.
An average of eight hours per trip
can be maintained it is claimed. The
department plans include establish
ment of emergency stations every 22
miles, each equipped with powerful
lights, two landing stations and one
relay station. Planes would leave ter
minals at 6. p. m. and deliver mail at
destinations before 9. a. m. From
500 to 1000 pounds of mail would be
carried each trip.
The first landing station from
New York westward would be near
Williamsport, Pa., where it is plan
ned to establish a flying field with
hangars, tools, spare parts, oil and
gas supplies, etc. The first relay sta
tion would be at Niles, O., where
another machine would take up the
flight, with its first stop at Napoleon,
O.
PIGEONS LOSE LIVES
IN CONFLAGRATION
Out of the flock of fourteen pigeons
which made their headquarters about
the Pinzon and were great favorites
with the patrons, becoming so tame
that they would eat from the hand,
only one remains. The rest of the
flock lost their lives during the Are
of last week, having been burned to
death when the flames destroyed the
Pinzon.
Driver Rowbottom and the govern
ment dog team left for Wortman this
morning in an endeavor to get over
the Summit.
J. L. Steele, who is opening up the
Standard Copper property at Land
lock bay, returned to town last even
ing from a visit to tlfe mine.
Porter King went out this morning
and succeeded in bagging five fine
mallard ducks.
Hawaii Wants Elections.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 18.—
! Popular election instead of presiden
tial appointment of the governor and
secretary of Hawaii and exemption of
the Hawaiian and Porto Rican trains
used exclusively for carrying sugar
can from provisions of the federal
safety appliance law were proposed in
bills introduced today by Delegate
|Kalaninaole of Hawaii.
LOSS OF LIFE
UNCONFIRMED
MAY HAVE BEEN EXAGGERATED
Rio de Janeiro Report* that the Ger
man Commerce Raider Is Said to
Be the Converted Steamer Saint
Theodore.
RIO DE JANEIRO. Jan. 18.—The
teport received here yesterday that
four hundred persons had lost tho r
lives on vessels sunk by the German
commerce raider has not been con
firmed, and may have not been gross
ly exaggerated. It is reported here
that the raider is the converted Ger
man steamer St. Theodore.
SPECUyH
TO ASSIST IN INVESTIGATION
House Authorizes Rules Committee
to Employ Counsel and Hughes and
I'ntermeyer Are Being Considered
for Positiou.
WASHINGTON. D. C., Jan. 18.—
The House Committee on Rules, in
vestigating the alleged leak of the
German peace proposal, is consider
ing Charles Evans Hughes and Sam
uel Untermeyer as special counsel
in the investigation. The House yes
terday unanimously authorized the
committee to employ counsel to carry
on the probe.
GOLD EAGLES PAID EOR
PANAMA CANAL RETURN
Brought back to this country after
a sojourn in France for nearly 13
years $25,000,000 in U. S. gold ea
gles which were shipped to Paris in
April, 1904, during the Roosevelt ad
ministration, as a part of the pay
ment of $40,000,000 made to the old
French Panama canal company for
its equities in the canal, were depos
ited recently by the J. P. Morgan &
Co., in New York and Philadelphia
assay offices.
This gold represented the first im
portation in the form of American
gold eagles since the present move
ment began, the bulk of earlier re
ceipts having been in bar gold and
other forms.
With the receipt of the gold eagles
the total of gold imports for the year
are brought up to $678,000,000, ex
ceeding by several hundred million
the inflow for any former year.
NEW SYSTEM PLANNED
FOR ALASKA CABLE
Experiments which will revolu
tionize the methods used in the op
eration of cable telegrams through
the use of the type of receiving in
struments employed in radio commu
nication have been conducted by the
war department in Seattle and have
proved remarkably successful, ac
cording to officers of United States
Signal Corps today.
The experiments were made un
der direction of Lieut. Col. George
O. Squier, who has been seeking a
new method of receiving messages
over the government cable lines. A
series of tests were made in Seattle
on the Seattle-Sitka cable, 1,086 miles
long, by officers of the United States
Signal Corps under the direction of
the war depatrment.
The use of a type of receiving in
strument employed in radio commu
nication is said to permit the recep
tion of ordinary Morse signals by
ear, eliminating the necessity for
highly-trained cable readers and per
mitting the operations of ocean cables
under conditions that would make
communication impossible under the
present system.
It is expected that the new appa
ratus will be installed in Seattle and
at all of‘the Alaska cable stations in
the near future as a result of the ex
periments just completed.
Miner Ads. bring RESULTS.
AMERICANS ON !
SUNKEN SHIPS;
REPORTED BY BRITISH CONSUL
i
Sixty American Horsemen, a Foreman j
and Doctor Aboard Georgic and
Three Aboard the King George,
Sank Off Brazil.
PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 18.—The
British consul here reports that there
were sixty American horsemen, a
foreman and a doctor aboard the
Georgic and three Americans aboard
the King George. The British vessels
are reported to have been sunk by a
German commerce raider off the coast
of Brazil,
GERMAN AIMS
REPULSED SOMME
)
PRECEDED BY BOMBARDMENT
Teutons Attack In Force But Are
Driven Back—French Patrols En
ter German Trenches—Colonies to
Beai1 Burden War Debt.
PARIS, Jan. 18.—Following a se
vere bombardment the Germans at
tacked the French positions near Bi
aches, on the southern end of the
Somsfe front, but were repulsed vith
heavy losses. French patrols attack
ed and entered the German trenches
on the heights of the Meuse on the
Verdun front.
Japs to Send Sympathy.
TOKIO, Jan. 18.—si is reported
that a number of the leading Japa
nese propose sending a popular com
mission to the Entente countr'es in
April to express the sympathy of Jap
an personality to the governments of
these countries.
—
To Control Greece.
LONDON, Jan. 18.—Advices re
ceived here from Athens state that
the Italian military commission has
arrived there to co-operate with t-ie
other Entente Powers in controlling
Greece.
Colonies Bear Burden.
LONDON, Jan. 18.—A meeting
of the Imperial CouncSJ has been
called for next week, to which the
premiers of the various colonies have
been summoned to discuss affairs
connected with the war. The coun
cil plans to give the colonies greater
voice in the conduct of affairs be
cause they muBt shoulder a large pio
portion of the war debt. Premier
Lloyd George is determined to utilise
all the resources of the nation to
bring the struggle to a successful
conclusion.
1 • • 1 ' "
REAR ADMIRAL BENSON
WILL SUCCEED DEWEY
WASHINGTON. D. C„ Jan. 18.—
Rear Admiral William S. Benson,
chief of naval operations, and rank
ing officer of the navy, has been ap
pointed to succeed Admiral Dewey
as President of the General Board.
Basket Bail Tomorrow Night.
Two games of basketball will be
played tomorrow night in Moose hall
commencing at 8 o’clock between the
first Moose team and the first Liscum
team and the second Moose team and
the second Liscum team. A very close
contest is looked for in both games.
American Ship Now Greek.
PORTLAND, Me—P. H. Doyen
has sold the freighter America, built
here two years ago at a cost of $30
000 to a Greek syndicate for $126,
000. The freighter which is now in
New York has been renamed Olga
and will sail under the Greek flag.
George Strixner has resumed his
position as captain of the launch Ma.*y
Lee, after a vacation of two weeks.
Guy Banta of Ellamar, came up
to Valdez last evening and return
ed home this morning.
OIL SIGNS FOUND
IN SOUTH GEORGIA
ATLANTA, Ga.—Considerable in
terest is being displayed in parts of
Georgia as a possible oil field and
prospecting is in progress. Interest
seems to center largely in Ware
County, where a well has been bor
ed, and in possible oil deposits in
Ben Hill, Wilcox and Jeff Davis
counties. The State geologist of
Pennsylvania has looked into the field
and reports that he found evidence
of oil seepage in South Georgia. He
believes further investigation might
warrant development.
DEWEY FUNERAL
HELD SATURDAY
I
IX ROTUNDA of THE CAPITOL
v ■ m ■■ -l ■ -■
Department Offices Will Close and
Congress Adjourn—Navy Building
Is l)rai>ed in Blark—Warships Will
Fire Salute.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 18.—
Public services over the remains of
the late Admiral Dewey will be held
in the rotunda of the capitol on Sat
urday. The departmental offices will
be closed all day and Congress will
adjourn for the day in honor of the
[hero of Manila. The Navy building
has been draped in mourning and on
Saturday at noon every senior ship
of the American navy afloat will fire
the Admiral's salute of seventeen
guns.
MOKE ZEIGLER WEALTH
GOES TO ADOPTED SOX
_
New York: William Zeigler. Jr.,
adopted son of the baking powder
manufacturer, who died in 1905, will
soon receive $3,485,016 from the
Zeigler estate, according to an ac
counting filed in the Surrogates'
Court yesterday. The accounting of
the trustees, Mrs. E. Matilda Zeigler.
the widow, and William S. Champ,
shows that the toal estate was $11.
392, 724, which was to be held in
trust and the accrued income paid
to the son when he became 21 years
of age. One-quarter of the principal
was to be paid to him at 25 and the
other quarters in five year periods.
The accrued income, less all de
ductions, which was paid to the son
when he was 21 was $4,802,282. The
principal of the estate had increased
to $13,940,066 on July 21 last, on
which date he reached 25 and be
came entitled to a quarter of this
fund.
1. W. W. OPERATE IN
IDAHO LUMBER CAMPS
SPOKANE, Jan. 18.—Industrial
Workers of the World made demands
today for an eight-hour day, a mini
mum wage scale, revisions of the em
ployment system and improved liv
ing conditions on the lumber manu
facturers and logging contractors op
erating in Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint
and St. Maries lumber regions in Ida
ho.
MAN, 78, LICENSED TO
MARRY MISS OF BUT 19
MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo., Jaa.
18.—County Recorder Meyers today
issued a marriage license to Michael
Rinkle, 73 years old, and Elizabeth
von Vain, 19. It’s Rinkle’s first
marriage. He is a farmer.
Alameda Due Tonight.
The steamer Alameda left Cordova
about noon today and is expected to
reach here between 6 and 7 o’clock
this evening.
The roof on a cabin at Alaska and
Fifth avenue fell in from the heavy
weight of snow on it yesterday. There
are several cabins in town whose
roofs are threatened by the huge
masses of snow on them.
Chris Peterson shoveled the snow
off the walk on Front street yester
day.
Frank Kempfer reports about nine
feet of snow In the vicinity of the
Gold King.
A party of Signal Corps boys were
out after ptarmigan thiB morning, but
with little success.
WARM DEBATE
ON LEAK PR08E
DENOUNCED AS COLOSSAL FARCE
Mann Says Gross Impropriety to Em
ploy Hughes and Untermeyer As
Counsel— Complete Investigation
of Charges Urged.
WASHINGTON', D. C., Jan. 18.—
The investigation of the alleged leak
of the German peace note was the
subject of a lengthy debate in the
House this morning. The House Com
mittee on Rules was declared to have
fallen into disrepute through the de
lays and quibbling of Chairman
Henry. The committee is now squar
ing away for business and will carry
on the probe with all speed and thor
oughness. The Republican leader,
Mann, told the House that he believ
ed the committee will not consider
the gross impropriety of employing
Hughes and Untermeyer as special
counsel to aid in the investigation.
Lenroot of Wisconsin made an ur
gent plea that the investigation be
thorough and complete. Focht of
Pennsylvania declared the probe so
far to have been a colossal farce, and
demanded the shelving of the two
factions on the committee.
CROATIA NS CONDEMN
LAVISH CORONATION
LONDON, Jan. 18.—A dispatch to
the Exchange Telegraph from Am
sterdam says preparations for the
Hungarian coronation are almost
completed and that the indications
are that the ceremony will be carried
out with all the pomp of the days be
fore the war.
"The dress of Empress Zita." says
the correspondent, “is ready. It is of
white satin covered with golden or
naments, after the model of the
robes worn by the Hungarian queens
at all coronation celebrations. If
represents the labors of fifty workers
who devoted thirty days in making it
at a cost of 50,000 kronen. ($10,000)
The dress will be handed to the
queen by a deputation headed by the
Archduchess Augusta.
"On the ground that the corona
tion should not be celebrated lavishly
in such times of stress the Croation
opposition party, according to a dis
patch from Agram, has declined the
official invitation to the ceremony
received by the Croatian diet. Dr.
Pavelio. leader of the opposition, for
mally declined the invitation in the
name of the three opposition parties
and the members of the opposition
party then left the house.”
KING OP NORWAY
HONORS AMERICANS
SAN FRANCISCO: The Order of
Commander of St. Olaf has been con
ferred by King Haakon VII of Nor
way upon Charles C. Moore, presi
dent of the Panama-Pacific Interna
tional Exposition; and the Order and
Insignia of Knight of St. Olaf have
been given to J. Nilsen Laurvik who
was Norwegian art commissioner to
the Panama-Pacific International Ex
position and is now director at the
San Francisco Art Association, and
to Peter J. Halse, who is president of
the Norwegian American Auxiliary,
which was responsible for the par
ticipation of Norway in the exposi
tion. The Order of St. Olaf is the
only honor that is bestowed by the
Norwegian king.
Slight Changes Temperature.
This morning’s weather report
shows colder weather at Fairbanks,
the thermometer having dropped 7
degrees there in the past 24 hours, to
27 below zero. Donnelly and Mc
Callum also report a drop of about
5 degrees in the same time, while Ho
gan shows a drop of 12 degrees to 8
above zero. Salcha, Richardson, Mc
Carty and Paxson show a rise in tem
perature of from 1 to 19 degrees. On
this end of the line Gulkana shows a
drop of 10 degrees and Teikhell.
Beaver Dam, Thompson Pass and
Wortman also record lower tempera
tures ranging from 4 to 6 degrees
lower, but all above zero. Copper
Center registers 12 degrees colder
than yesterday. It is snowing at
Reaver Dam and Wortman.
John Wiles of Ellamar. is a visitor
in town, having come up last evening.