fOITAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning
at Iditarod, Alaska,
BY GEORGE M. ARBUGKLE
Subscription Rates:
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Vol. 8No. 43
CHRISTMAS TUESDAY
NEXT
Without the dour let sorrow lie;
And if for cold it hap to die,
We’ll bury’t in a Christmas pie,
And evermore be merry.
And Jack shall pipe, and Gill shall
dance,
And all the town be merry.
For Christmas conies but once a year,
And then they shall be merry,
Though others’ purses be more fat,
Why should we pine, or grieve at that?
Hang sorrow! care will kill a cat,
And therefore let’s be merry.
—G. Wither.
THE SLACKER QUESTION
More regulations have been re
ceived by the officials of Fair
banks regarding the slacker
cases, and every ruling made by
any of the departments seems to
be in favor of these duty dodgers.
Press dispatches from the States
show that courts are imposing
exceedingly light sentences on
men convicted as slackers and
treating them too leniently, says
the Fairbanks News-Miner.
In the case of the men who
are of foreign birth and who do
not speak the language of the
land and who are not able to read
English, there may be some ex
cuse, although the chances are
ten to one that every slacker
knew what he was supposed to
do to keep within the law. But
for the American born, or man
who reads and writes, there is no
excuse in the world and it is dis
gusting to read of courts through
out the whole country giving
these men a few days in jail, and
then restoring them to the posi
tions enjoyed by good patriotic
citizens.
To many old time Northerners
it would be the height of pleasure
to see the judges of th„e calibre
of old Judge Dugas, of Dawson,
who used to size up a prisoner
along the following lines on the
bench:
“Well, your counsel has argued
well and forcefully for you. You
come from good family. You
have never been convicted of
crime before, and you’have some
witnesses to say they think you
will make a good citizen when
you get out. The court will take
all of that into consideration and
be lenient. You will be confined
in the penitentiary for a term of
not less than 25 years.”
If such men could sit on the
American benches today in the
slacker cases and just look in the
book far enough to see what the
maximum sentence is, it would
make the rest of the country feel
safer, and would make the boys
who go to the front feel that they
are getting a square deal.
Long Life and Happiness to
the patriotic soldiers, and Long
Terms and Misery to the slack
ers!
Those are our sentiments.
During the holiday season at
hand the German foreign office
will not be bothered with any of
those troublesome “notes” from
Washington.
Nine days more, and then it’s
"curtains” for old Barleycorn.
Goodbye, .John !
THE SOLDIERS BACK OF THE LINE
The bravest battle that ever was fought!
Shall I tell you where and when?
On the maps of the world you will find
it not—
’Tis fought by the mothers of men.
Nay, not with cannon or battle shot,
With swotd or nobler'pen !
Nay, not with elequer.t words of thought
From mouths of wonderful men;
But deep in the walled-up woman’s
heart—
Of woman that would not yield.
But bravely, silently, bore her part— *
Lo, there is that battle field !
No marshaling troop, no bivouac song,
No banner to gleam and wave;
But, oh! their battles, they last, they
last,
From babyhood to the grave.
Yet faithful still, as a bridge of stars.
She fights in her walled-up town —
Fights on and on in endless wars,
Then silent, unseen, goes down.
Oh, ye with banners and battle shot,
And soldiers to shout and praise,
I tell you the kingliest victories fought
Were fought in these silent ways.
Oh, spot less woman in a world of shame,
With splendid and silent scorn,
Go back to God as white as you came—
This kingliest warrior born. —Anon.
-a
Frank Stanley Doing Well
His many friends in this camp will
be pleased to learn that Frank B.
Stanley, the Flat restaurant man who
went outside last summer to receive
treatment for an ailment of the ears,
was successfully operated on at the
famous inGrmary of Mayo Brothers, at
Rochester, Minn., where he was a pa
tient for about a month. Mr. Stanley
is now visiting a brother in San Fran
cisco, is in splendid health, and will
return here in the early spring, so he
says in recent letter received by
J. J. Smith.
-♦
FORTY SLACKERS CAUGHT IN RAID
Seattle, Dec. 15. —Naval au
thorities and Seattle police have
arrested forty slackers in the
Oriental quarter of the city, the
arrests being made in the early
hours of the morning.
---A-—
Greg Stewart is prospecting some
quarts leads on Nevada gulch, at the
head of Moore creek.
welcome ciGAR8Tof”L::::i
Cigars, Tobaccos, Choice ConfectionsA" KPooisR°So°Mnk6
Miners & Merchants Bank
IDITAROD, ALASKA
Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Business Transacted Gold Dust Bought and Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT. SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN BANK
TERRITORIAL DEPOSITARY
OFFICERS:
CHARLES ROSS, President
CLAUDE BAKER, Vice-President
R. C. BUTTON, Cashier
Fresh Meats
®«oonf! 3*. IDITAROD MEAT CO« p^oneisl
MR. WICKERSHAM
NOT IN ACCORD
WITH MR. LANE
Joint Resolution to suspend the require
ments of annual assessment work on
mining claims during the years 1917
and 19 IS.
Resolved by the Senate and Rouse of
Representatives of tho United States
of America in Congress assembled,
That in order that ladtor may be most
effectively used in raising and produc
ing those things needed in the prosecu
tion of the present war with Germany,
‘that, the provision of Sec. 2.324 of the
Revised Statutes of the United States
which requires on each mining claim
located, and until a patent has been is
sued therefor, not less than $100 worth
of labor to be performed or improve
ments to be made during oach year, be,
and the same is hereby, suspended
during the years 1917 and 1918: Pro
vided, That every claimant of any such
mining claim in order to obtain the
benefits of this resolution shall file or
cause to be tiled in the office where the
location notice or certificate is recorded
on or before December 31, of each of
the years 1917 and 1918, a notice of his
desire to hold said mining claim under
this resolution: Provided further, That
this resolution shall not apply to oil
placer locations or claims.
This-resolution shall not be deemed
to amend or repeal the public resolu
tion entitled “Joint resolution to re
lieve the owners of mining claims who
have been mustered into the military
or naval service of the United States
as officers or enlisted men from per
fotming assessment work during the
term of such service,” apptoved July
17, 1917.
Approved October 5, 1917.
October 11, 1917.
Iditarod Pioneer:
The President signed the above lavr
last Friday. I had wired you of its
passage and final approval, in order to
beat the mails in. Will you be kind
enough to publish the text of the law,
so that the miners and claim-owners in
the more remote parts of your district
may be properly advised of its provi
sions?
Thanking you, and assuring you of
my desire to work for Alaskans and
their interests at all times, I am sin
cerely, Chas A. Sulzer,
Delegate from Alaska.
From Mr. Wickersham
Washington, D. C., Oct. 12, 1917.
Editor Iditarod Pioneer;
Herewith is a copy of an act of con
gress which came from the public
printer yesterday. Notice it is an act
to suspend the United States law re
quiring the doing of $100 worth of
labor on each mining claim in each
year, and while it suspends the United
States law allright, it does not suspend
the act of our own legislature which
requires the same work to be done. It
is thought here to b« ineffectual in
Alaska, and may add an extra burden
on Alaskan miners by requiring them
not only to do their assessment work
on each claim, but also to file the affi
davit mentioned in this act.
I wish you would publish the act
with my notice below it for the inform
ation of miners. Very truly yours,
James Wickersham.
MR. WICKERSHAM’S NOTICE
The foregoing act of congress sus
pends (or repeals) Sec. 2324 of the
U. S. Rev. Stat., 1878, requiring assess
ment work on mining claims for the
years 1917 aud 1918, but it DOES NOT
suspend; or repeal Sec. 3 of the act of
the Alaska legislature of 1915, which
requires such assessment work to be
done in Alaska.
James Wickersham.
Secretary Lane’9 Opinion
(Reprinted from issue of Dec. 8, 1917.)
NO ASSESSMENT WORK
Washington, Dec. 7.—Secretary of
the Interior Lane, in defining the rea
olution passed by congress exempting
claim-owners from performing assess
ment work during the years 1917 and
1918, announces in a letter to the dele
gate from Alaska that the law applies
completely to ALL Alaskan mining
claims EXCEPT OIL CLAIMS, and
declares that it repealed the Territorial
law of April 21, 1915, as it is in con
flict; and, further, Sec. 2324 of the
United States Revised Statutes, the
department considers, covers Alaska
because of legislative recognition ac
corded said Sec. 2324 by act of congress
of December 1, 1913. Advise all par.
ties who may be in doubt as to the ap
plicability of this law to Alaska. I am
forwarding a copy of the secretary's
letter. Chas. A. Sulzer.
Cold Winter Ahead
Stroller White of the Douglas News,
has had an interview with “Ham
strung James,” a “pioneer” of that lo
cality, concerning the coming on of
winter weather. After giving the
Stroller some of the history of his life,
explanatory of his efficiency to judge
of the future climatically, he says:
“All indications point to a hard win
ter. Blue grouse have more feathers
on their toes than for sixty-two years;
willow buds are concealed beneath
four layers of fibre where) but two is
usual, there is a biting tinge in the
north wind two weeks earlier than for
forty-nine years, and the ghost of my
father that visit me in my slumber
warn me, in case I contemplate matri
mony, to got a fat one. I have spoken.”
--v
Cijrars, Graham-Courtne.v, best in the
camp, boxes of 25 and 50.
Pioneer Druff Store, Flat.
FLAT CITY
RESTAURANTamBAKERY
Front St., Opp. Flat City Hotel
Our Coifee Is Unsurpassed
All Kinds ot Pastries, Pies, Cakes and Bread
Tust Reopened!
TRY J. H. ROGERS’
I
For a Properly-Cooked Dinner, Tooth
some Steaks, Chops, Etc. Good Coffee.
Front Street at Willow, Idltarod
Big Stocks of Fresii Goods
_ |
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
RfiAX SIEVIEL ™
Stores at Cripple City and Mouth of Tolstoi
Professional
■ — ...... ....— — ... . --—-m.
Michigan, 1881 Kentucky, 1831
Alaska, 1910
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Iditarod
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
BANK BLOCK
First Avenus Iditarod
DR. MOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
DRUG STORE
J. WSLSOEVi REED, M.D.
Physician and Surgeon
Flat Hospital, Flat, Alaska
DR.H.BEHLA
Physician *"d
Surgeon
Dentistry in Connection
RESIDENT PHYSICIAN
Behla Hospital
Flat, Alaska
Fresh Bread for Sale Daily
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Day end Night
Front Street, Flat City Formerly the Bagoy Premises
Flat City Hotel ^°«»A;.",
_flflrg. J. E. Gunning, Prop._- Special Rates by the Week and Month
Open at AH Hours The Old Reliable Place
HENRY DURAND, PROP._Front Street, Flat
Gold St., Flat City
Mrs. Geo. Mutchler, Pro?.
Nicely Furnished Rooms Barn for Horses and Dogs Baths in Connection
Pioneer Sheet Meta! Works
GENERAL HARDWARE
Stoves and Graniteware Gasoline, Goal Oil, Etc.
The Only First-Class Dog Harness in Alaska
J. L. SALE,
LARGE ASSORTMENT
FLAT, ALASKA I
FINNEGAN & CAMERON
FLAT CITY
Agency for Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
TOBACCO * CIGARS STATIONERY
CONFECTIONERY AND BILLIARDS
C. R. Cameron J®*- F. Finnegan
A Merry Christmas to All
And Don’t Forget to Remember the Red Gross
THOS. McMAHON
FLAT, ALASKA