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'-:- VALDEZ, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1914. NO. 375.
VOL. 10. _^____________________________________________^____^___
LONDON DENIES GERMAN VICTORY
GIVES LITTLE CREDENCE TO REPORTS FROM BERLIN
REPORTS OF SINKING OF DRESDEN IS ALSO DOUBTED
BIG BATTLE IS NOW BEING FOUGHT NEAR WARSAW
RAILROAD STOCKS
TAKE A JUMP
Interstate Commerce Commission's
Permission To Raise Rates Five
Per Cent. Boosts Stock.
NEW YORK, Dec. 19.—The stock
«f all railroads jumped upward sever
al points yesterday when the Inter
state Commerce Commission announ
ced that the rates on freight ship
ments could be raised five per cent.
Considerable trading resulted. In
vestors have refused to buy railroad
stocks the past few years because
of the attitude of the publilc and
the rate regulators towards the roads
and the refusal to allow the compan
ies to charge enough to more than
meet operating expenses. The change
in policy resulted in yesterday’s heavy
buying, and the purchases continued
today.
It is predicted that foreign owners
of stock will endeavor to unload on
the upward market and the board of
governors heretofore opposed to
heavy sales will allow them provid
ed the market remains firm.
There will be few stockings hang
ing by Belgian fireplaces Christmas
eve—not many fireplaces by which
to hang them.
scMliiT
Little Countries Fear the Aggression
of Their Big Neighbors and
Seek Combination.
MALMO, Sweden, Dec. 19.—The
kings of Norway, Sweden and Den
mark are here holding a conference
regarding the advisahility of forming
a league of the three nations for mu
tual protection against aggression
during or after the present war, and
. also to provide for a full understand
ing regarding the measures to be tak
en by the three nations for the pro
tection of their neutrality.
The kings are accompanied by their
foreign ministers and high military
and naval officials, who are also aid
ing in the conference.
JUNEmTpEOPLE
AID THEBELGIANS
JUNEAU, Dec. 19.—The people of
this city have raised 15,000 to be sent
to the Belgian relief committee in
aiding the Belgians, who are suffer
ing as a result or the Invasion of
their country by the Germans. The
money was raised by public subscrip
tion and entertainments.
Subscribe for tne Prospector
Reports From Eastern Battle Line Indicate That Allies Are Making Constant
Gains—Opposing Forces Now Near Lille—Vienna Reports a Defeat of the
Russians At Piotrkowz—Russians Claim Victory At Sanok—Fall of Prze
mysl Is Expected—Number of German Ships Free To Prey On Commerce.
I
LONDON, Dec. 19.—The Russian
general staff is pouring several hun
dred thousand more troops through
Warsaw to meet the Germans. The
kaiser’s army is also strongly rein
forced. The reports from Petrograd
indicate that the battle will be won
by the s!de which can concentrate
the greatest number of troops in the
shortest time. The inexhaustible sup
ply of Russians should give the ad
vantage to the czar’s forces.
German Victory Doubted.
The reports from Berlin of a vic
tory for the German troops in north
Poland are not believed here as no
details are given out by the Germans
nor is the place where the victory
was won told in the dispatches. One
report Indicates the victory was won
in north Poland, others that the bat
tle was fought in southwest Poland.
Gains for Allies In France.
LONDON, Dec. 19.—From La Bas
see to the North Sea the allies have
pushed forward. The troops are now
near Lille. The fighting is constant
and day and night attacks continue.
iThe new troops are fast becoming
veterans and the allies expect to con
tinue to push the Germans back and
drive them from Belgium and France.
Troops Relieved Often.
The troops are not allowed to re
main long in the trenches but are re
lieved as often as possible. This has
aided the commanders in making of
I the new soldiers men who become
accustomed to the constant thunder
of the big guns and the bursting of
the shells filled with shrapnel.
Vienna Reports Russian Defeat.
VIENNA, Dec. 19.—The Russians
have been severely defeated at Piotr
kowz by the Austro-German forces
and the entire left wing of their army
operating about Cracow is in danger.
The Russians have been sending to
the rear the heavy artillery brought
forward to shell Cracow, but have not
retired with the main army and are
endeavoring «to hold out until the
Russian center can come to their aid.
The defeat of yesterday in north Po
land will force the czar’s officers to
make a hasty retreat or be cut off
from their base of supplies. The vic
tory at Piotrkowz gives the Austro
German forces the control of the rail
road line from Warsaw to the Rus
sian left wing.
Russians Report Austrian Defeat.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 19.—The Aus
trians have been defeated in the Sa
-nok district in the Carpathians and
the pass is now in the hands of the !
Russians, who will push forward into
Hungary.
Dresden’s Capture Doubted.
BUENOS AYRES, Dec. 19.—The re
port received here last night that
the British cruiser Glasgow had sunk
the German cruiser Dresden and the
later report that the Dresden had
been captured is not believed by na
val men. Investigation of the source
of the report has been made by news
paper men and it has been found the
story is supposed to have been sent
here by wireless from a British cruis
er. The British consul states that
he has no word of the capture or
destruction of the Dresden.
Many German Ships Still Free.
It is reliably reported that the Ger
man fleet engaged off the Falkland
Islands consisted of nine vessels and
that the German battleship Von der
Tann, a 28-knot boat, heavily arm
ed, and the Strassburg, Dresden and
Karlsruhe, are still roaming the seas,
besides a dozen converted cruisers.
The British have the Invincible, a 28
battleship, the Indomitable and In
flexible with the South Pacific fleet.
German Steamer Sinks.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 19.-—A German
steamer was sunk yesterday near
Trebizond on the Black Sea. The
steamer hit a mine placed by the
Turks near the coast as protection
against Russian warships.
Przemysl In Dire Straits.
MILAN, Dec. 19.—Reports receiv
ed here from Przemysl indicate htat
the city must soon fall. Famine and
lack of food are expected to force
the garrison to surrender unless re
lieved in a short time. The garrison
has made many sorties, but have lost
each time and the superior numbers
of the besiegers 'has allowed them to
continue *o draw the lines nearer and
nearer the city. Many of the outer
works and forts have been reduced,
hospitals are over-crowded and- sol
diers and non-combatants are suffer
ing from lack of medical care and
proper food.
Ambulance Members Held.
PARIS, Dec. 19.—The French gov
ernment has protested to Berlin
through the Spanish ambassador that
the Germans are detaining as pris
oners of war members of the French
ambulance, instead of sending them
back to their army in accordance
with the rules of the Geneva con
vention. A similar protest has been
made by *' e International Red Cross
Committee. The French government
at the same time advised the Ameri
can ambassador, who is charged with
German interests in France, that
members of German ambulances
would be detained until satisfaction
was received. Although there has
been no reply to the protest as yet,
a number of those serving in French
ambulances have been released since
the protest was tiled.
Frost More Deadly Than Bullets.
LONDON, Dec. 19—Officers invalid
ed home from the front say there are
at present about 1,500 British officers
and men suffering from frozen feet
in the base hospitals in and about
> (Continued on page Z.)
PARIS COUNCIL
ISSUES BONDS
PARIS, Dec. 19.—The city council
of this city decided today to float
a $30,000,000 issue of one-year
bonds. The government will take
$9,000,000 worth of the bonds and the
balance will be sold to the people.
FRENCR EXTEND
THE MORATORIUM
PARIS, Dec. 19.—The government
today extended the four months mor
atorium, issued at the time of the
outbreak of the truble in Europe, for
another two months. The stock ex
changes dare not reopen. The gov
ernment fears to allow the collection
of debts through process of the law,
because of the unsettled conditions
and has extended the closed period
for another two months. It is almost
certain that the stock exchange will
be closed during the present war.
Guy Banta came up this morning
from Port Wells.
‘One of the Bravest” at the Orph
eum tonight. This 1b a clever fire
fighting drama with sensational fire
escapes.
EMPRESS OF INDIA
BE HOSPITAL SRIP
SEATTLE, Dec. 19.—The big Cana
dian liner the Empress of India has
been purchased by an Indian prince
and will be outfitted at Victoria as a
hospital ship to be sent to the front
and aid in the care of the allies'
wounded. The news of the transfer
pf the steamer reached here today
from Victoria, where the transfer was
made.
grain!*
BREAK RECORD
NEW YORK, Dec. 19.—Custom re
ports show that 4,000,000 bushels of
wheat was shipped from this port
yesterday for Europe, constituting
the largest day’s shipment of grain
in the history of the port. The or
ders for grain from England, France
and Belgium continue Spain, Italy,
and Holland are also heavy buyers,
while the Norwegian steamers are al
so carrying ,big cargoes for their
home ports. All the neutral countries
have agreed to stop the export of
grain and its transshipment to Ger
many or Austria.
Imported Japanese baskets at Val
des Drug Co. tf
SEVERE COLD ON
THE MISSISSIPPI
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec 19.—The
cold wave continues throughout the
middle states, and all through the
Mississippi valley the people are suf
fering from its effects. In this city
one foot of snow has fallen and is
being driven *by a heavy wind, mak
ing conditions worse. Railroad traf
fic is at a standstill. A number of
people have been frozen to death.
RONE GRAFTING
TO AMLDIERS
PARIS, Dec. 19.—The Russian sur
geon, Dr. Voronoff, who, with Dr.
Alexis Carrel, discovered the meth
od of bone grafting in the Rockefeller
Institute for Medical Research in New
York, today announced the first suc
cessful application of the method in
the case of a wounded soldier at the
Russian hospital in Bordeaux. The
operation consisted of the transplan
tation of a piece of bone from a
monkey's arm to replace a splinter
carried away by a shell.
The soldier was suffering from par
alysis, and two inches of bone was
grafted into the arm with such suc
cess that the patieht Is now able to
use the arm normally.
DAWSON DREDGES
HAV^ALL QUIT
DAWSON, Y. T„ Dec. 19.—The last
dredge has quit for the season. The
weather is now so cold that it is im
possible to operate longer. The sea
son has been exceptionally good and
the outpyt larger than last year.
STEAMER ISTHMIAN
OUT OF DAAGER
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 19.—The steam
er Isthmian, which was reported in
a sinking condition 60 miles west of
this city, is now approaching the har
bor and is reported out of danger.
No details of the accident to the big
vessel have been received'. Several
steamers are standing by to render
aid and two revenue cutters are en
route to her to be of assistance if it
is needed.
The shorthand class will not meet
until after New Year’s.
The prisoners in the federal jail
would be glad to receive old maga
zine and books, and those who have
the same will confer a favor by tele- 1
phoning the marshal’s office and the '
books will be called for.
MEXICAN BULLETS
CROSS THE BORDER
Greasers Oo Not Mind the Concen
tration of Troops—Snipers Still
At Work.
NACO, Dec. 19.—The bullets still
continue to cross the border in spite
of the protests of the American State
department and the military officers
stationed along the border. The snip
ing from the Mexican side is delib
erate and is done whenever an
American appears near the border in
view of the Mexican trenches. Both
the Villaites and the Carranzaites ap
pear to take pleasure in shooting at
people on the American side. It is
reported here that the losses to Amer
icans have been, greater than the
losses in both armies engaged about
Naco.
A conference is being held today
between the American and Mexican
military men and it is hoped that a
settlement of the trouble can be ar
ranged and the Mexican troops so
placed a§ to make it Impossible for
them to shoot across the line.
The new troops sent here have
taken up positions back from the bor
der, but are in constant readiness to
cross the line if the order is given.
alimonYmust
PAY INCOME TAX
Revenue Commissioner Says Women
Must Pay—Women Insist Men
Must Pay Tax.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19—The In
ternal Revenue Collector today decid
ed that women who receive alimony
must pay an income tax upon any in
come so received. Many women have
Objected to paying the tax, claiming
that the courts had decided they were
to receive a certain sum and that
the husband must pay the tax. The
collector, however, insists that the
income of the women from any source
must pay the income tax.
It is expected that a number of
women receiving big alimony will at
tempt to have the courts reverse the
ruling of the commissioner and force
the men to pay the income tax or
be in contempt of court.
GOVERNORSTRONG
NOWJNMTLE
SEATTLE, Dec. 19.—Governor J.
t\ A. Strong of Alaska reached here
ast night from San Francisco, where
le went to arrange for the Alaska
ixhiblt at the Panama fair. Governor
ind Mrs. Strong will sail north In
i few days.