THE IDITAROD PIONEER
Published Every Saturday Morning at Idltarod, Ala»k*
Vo!. 7 CHARLES A. DERRY, Editor No. 52
ARBUCKLE & DERRY. Publishers
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THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
One of the most striking features in connection with the great
Christian festival of Christmas, which will be celebrated through
out the world on Monday next, is its psychological effect on man
kind generally. Not alone the devout follower of the lowly
Nazarene, but all- Deist, free-thinker, atheist, agnostic and skep
tiepay tribute to the spirit of humanity and charity of which
the birth of Christ is symbolical. It is lfleected in the daily life
of the people, in their home life, in their business relations, even
on the streets; and there seems at this season to be a spirit of
charity, of self-sacrificc, of love and devotion, of consideration
for others, more marked than at other times. It brings to ihe
surface unexpected and surprising traits of kindness and com
passion, and tends- to create a toleration for the weaknesses and
shortcomings of our fellow-men, and a desire to render service.
The Christmas spirit manifests itself largely in the making of
gifts, and while the society of Spugs, otherwise the Society for
the Prevention of Useless Giving, may rave at the extravagance
of this custom, it will continue, and will serve as a vent
for the feeling of good-will that permeates the atmosphere. Re
form in this matter is all very well to discuss at other times; but
as Christmas draws near it is relegated to oblivion.
So far as the children are concerned, Alaskans vie wun eacn
other in making the Christmas season one of delight to them.
There are so many in this remote region who are denied the
pleasures and comforts of home life, with the merry prattle of
children, that for the time being they take a proprietary interest
m the few little ones who are among us, and bestow upon them
that affectionate interest which, lacking children of their
own, must find an outlet in taking note of the children of
others. It is essentially a children’s holiday and festival, and
wherever there are children the spirit of Christmas will reign
supreme. Just as there are treasured memories of the season in
the lives of all grown-ups, these desire that the youngsters of
today shall have a like heritage of recollection of joyous and
happy days to reflect upon in years to come. In this mankind is
fulfilling the wish of the Master whose birth is the occasion of
all this good feeling and generous impulse.
The Pioneer wishes one and all. and especially the little folks,
a happy rnd joyous Christmas.
FIRST STEP TOWARD PEACE
It is meet that the German note to the neutral countries,
carrying a suggestion that the Teutonic nations are in a receptive
mood cn the question of peace overtures, should come at a time
when all Christendom is preparing for its great feast day, the
birthday of the Prince of Peace. At this season the hearts of all,
Christian and non-Christian, naturally turn to deeds of charity
and benevolence. The air is surcharged with unselfish thoughts,
and e?eh vies with the other in deeds of kindness. Naturally,
therefore, the Christmas season is peculiarly fitting for peace pro
posals.
But the world will not be misled into believing that the war
ring nations are yet prepared to lay down their arms. The ques
tions which brought about the terrific conflict are as far removed
from settlement as they were in the momentous days of July, 1914,
when the military forces which had been in preparation for years
were loosed, and carnage and vandalism w-as wrought whieh ap
palled the whole world.
If the war were concluded today it would be found that Ger
many had accomplished everything for which she had contended,
and more. With practically the whole of Belgium in her posses
sion. w-ith its outlets to the North sea and the English channel;
with its armies overrunning Poland and parts of Russia; with a
commanding position on the Baltic; with the road open to the
Black sea and the Dardanelles through the territory of her allies,
Germany's position is stronger today than even her most ardent
militarists had dreamed possible. Were peace negotiations to pro
ceed now, Germany would be in position to dictate terms which
would leave her undisputed master of Europe and tlie Near East,
and with the British India possessions at her mercy; and this she
could accomplish even by evacuating much of the territory now
occupied hy her armies.
Of course it is not expected even ny uermany mat me sug
gestion will be taken seriously at this time. 'Ihe only tangible
result of the German note is that the neutral nations are apprised
of the fact that whereas heretofore offers of mediation would have
open taken a? offensive meddling, now, owing to the commanding
position of Teutonic arms, they will be acceptable. The question
as to how these overtures will be presented will be a matter for
grave consideration by the neutral nations, and it is iikely that
some time will elapse before they are agreed upon, even should
the entente allies show any disposition to negotiate.
As to the entente allies, it is certain that they will not even
seriously consider offers of mediation at this time. That the
time is not yet ripe to offer mediation appears to be quite
clear from recent speeches of Llcyd George, the new premier,
which, tinged with n certain bitterness toward America, hold out
no hope that mediation by the United States or any other neutrtl
nation will be regarded otherwise than as an affront. Their posi
tion is that the German military machine, with its menace to
the rest of the world, must be destroyed, and any peace agreement
which does not provide for disarmament will be a shameful de
feat. The sacrifices they have been called upon to make will have
been in vain, and Germany will be in position to resume her career
of conquest at any time opportunity allows. Terms such as the^e
are unthinkable in view of Germany’s strong position. Conse
quently the war will continue until one side or the other is com
pletely exhausted. In this position France is as firmly intrenched
as is Great Britain, realizing that armed Germany means a con
tinuation of the menace of the past half century. Her attitude
was strikingly put by the French premier in the chamber of dep
uties last September, when, in answer to Socialist, demands for
peace. M. Briand said:
“M. Bnzon has suggested that it is possible for the presi
dent of the council to bring the war to an end. That is the
idea he is trying to propagate, and it is my duty to destroy
this propaganda. Your country, M. Brizon, has a splendid
past which should make you love her. This country was
seized by the throat after her assailant had passed over the
bleeding body of Belgium To this country, which has the
honor to be the champion of right, and which has poured out
its blood in floods, you say, ‘Stop the war; negotiate peace!’
You little know France, M. Brizon, if you think she can sell
her blood. What peace would you make for this country at
this moment? If peace were made now it would be a peace
of war and a menace to future generations. The treacherous
blow Germany tried to strike faded. For forty-four years
your country worked with a wound in her side. There al
ready gleams on her forehead the aureole of prestige and
glory. If you wish the ideas of justice to triumph, pray ar
dently for victory. Otherwise there would he a peace humili
ating and dishonorable and such ss no Frenchman could de
sire."
But in spite of the fact that present peace is unlikely, there is
hope in the fact that at least one of the combatants has indicated
a desire to negotiate. And of far more significance is the state
ment of the German chancellor, to the effect that Germany will
co-operate in the organization of an international alliance to pre
serve peace. Such an organization should make future wars well
nigh impossible.
AN INJUSTICE TO THE PIONEER
By way of introduction to an article on “Senator Sulzer and
the Forest Fund,” taken from The Pioneer, the Juneau Empire
says in its issue of September 22, which has just been received:
“The people of the Interior are seeing the light in the mat
ter of the forest reserve fund which the last legislature divided
among the several divisions of Alaska, notwithstanding the
law of congress providing that such funds shall be expended
for the benefit of the county or counties in which the forest
producing the fund lies. The Iditarod Pioneer, which was
one of the papers to condemn Senator Sulzer and the other
First division legislative members for opposing such a divi
sion of the money, now frankly and fairly admits that the
First division was right. Further than that, it says (hat the
people of the Interior, whether they agree that the First di
vision was right or not, should have nothing but praise for
Senator Sulzer for making a fight for what he believed to be
right.”
Now, The Pioneer never has considered consistency one ot the
cardinal virtues, and would not hesitate in the least to change
front upon any question upon which it found it had been in error.
But in this particular instance the Empire makes a grievous error
and an unfounded charge against The Pioneer. Far from being
“one of the papers to condemn Senator Sulzer and the other First
division legislative members,” The Pioneer was probably the only
newspaper in Interior Alaska to recognize the justice of the posi
tion assumed by Senator Sulzer and his colleagues. In an edi
torial on “The Forest Fund and Territorial Division,” published
in The Pioneer of September 25, 1915, we said:
“ * * * The point at issue W8s that the congressional
law creating the fund stipulated that it must be distributed in
the counties in which the forest reserves front which it is de
rived are located. As there are no counties in Alaska, it was
contended by the plaintiffs that the judicial divisions are the
| equivalent of counties, which in some respects they are. Un
der this interpretation Interior Alaska would have the use of
none of this money, as the forest reserves are in the coast di
visions.
“Looking at the matter from an absolutely impartial stand
point, it would se nt iF.t there is ground for complaint by
the residents of the 1 • division. The intent of congress
evidently was that ■> . riels in the immediate vicinity of
the forest reserves shout, be developed by the aid of the funds
derived therefrom, and while it takes a considerable stretch of
imagination to call the Alaska judicial divisions counties, they
are our nearest approach to those subdivisions. ’
-«
Many persons experience difficulty in explaining their sym
pathies with one side or the other in the great world war. The
World’s Work is handicapped by no such limitations, and puts
the matter thus tersely: “Every agency of liberalism, of freedom,
and democracy, cries for an allied victory. Every believer in the
divine right of kings, in the rule of autocracy, in the subjugation
of the people, must pin his hopes upon the vindication of the
governments of the kaiser and the emperor of Austria. '
While suggestions are in order, why not a school for spinster
hood and bachelorhood as well as for motherhood and father
hood?” asks the Chicago Herald, and continues: "There are
probably a number of things it would be good for spinsters and
bachelors to know.”
The Seward Gateway says: “Even in Circle City you travel
on roads built by the commission. Far-away Iditarod has its
roads to the creeks." We’re from Missouri.
TELLS OUR RIGHT NAME
(Fairbanks News-Miner)
I One of the most carefully and conservatively edited newspapers
! in all Alaska is the Iditarod Pioneer. “Arbuckle’s paper,” run by
! Arbuckle & Derry, end edited by Charley Derry. In the old tramp
■ printer days Derry worked on almost every big paper in the United
i States, and “set” the “copy” of many of the ablest editors the
• United States then had. He was always a thoughtful cuss, always
doing a lot of thinking and not much talking. Once he ran for
; one of the highest office.- in the International Typographical
1 Union, and came within an ace of beating the maxi who had
! held the office for many years. Arbuckle and the writer were
| companion tramp prints with Derry in those days, our trails
: crossing repeatedly. A few years ago Arouckle and Derry drifted
together again and Derry came to Iditarod and took a job on
the Pioneer, “doubling” on the “machine.” Since then the Pioneer
has become a newspaper almost in a class by itself. It is con
I siderate of everything and everybody, and doesn’t try to make a
tempest out of a teapot’s vaporings, but when it “lands” on any
proposition it does so with intelligence and force.
THE RIGHT SPIRIT
(Juneau Dispatch I
The Dispatch, speaking for itself, will be the first to offer
congratulations to the successful candidates, and will do all in its
power to assist them in all worthy things, and will be the last to
offer criticism, and then only in case candidates’ acts justify such.
Should Mr. Sulzer be elected, the Dispatch will not pre-judge him
and begin a campaign against him before he has fairly started for
Washington. It will get behind him for everything that pertains
to the industrial development and the social and moral advance
ment of the territory of Alaska. The empire builders of the North
land are too busy to quarrel and bicker over trifles or allow or
carry political bitterness and prejudices past an election. And
whoever may be elected, Wickersham or Sulzer, all Alaskans
should get behind the successful candidate and help him make
good.
Our volunteer soldiery has given a fine demonstration of the
two predominating passions of youth: first, to get away from
home, and then to get back.—New York Telegraph.
—--f
No wonder the Danube’s blue. Boston Transcript.
| Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pacs | | Ball Band Rubber Boots and Pacs _□
: Merry Christmas \
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| N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska | | N. C. Co. Sole Agents for Alaska ID
THE SWEETEST SONG
(Atlanta Constitution)
His battle song the warrior sings.
Where banners proudly wave.
Midst martialed hosts it grandly rings,
A ballad for the brave.
The sailor sings from shroud and spar
A song that's wild and free,
To please his mistress from afar,
Who’s waiting o’er the sea.
The lover ell his love outpours
In heart song to a maid,
To woo her like the troubadours,
With moonlight serenade.
The maiden sings, with tender tone,
The notes that softly tell
How close within her heart alone
lie shall forever dwell.
The matchless queen of opera fills
The heart and soul with song
That with an .inspiration thrills
A great applauding throng.
The choristers an anthem raise,
In plaintive minor chord,
A Christmas carol full of praise
For Him, the risen Lord.
i
But there's a song that always brings
Denr memories to me.
It is the song a woman sings—
The mother’s lullaby.
No sweeter song I’ll want to hear,
If the chance I am given
Some day to stand and listen where
The angels sing in heaven.
-♦
JURYMEN S CHRISTMAS FEED
WAS SAVED BY COMPROMISE
(Bill Nye)
There seems to be a kind of one-horse ef
fort now being made by the enemies of the
jury system to do away with it, and thus
leave us with the national fabric tottering
to its very foundation. There can be noth
ing in the whole mechanism of a free re
public more important and necessary to
the success of national security than the
jury system, a system which not only gives
every American citizen the right to submit
hi «grievances to a panel of twelve enlight
ened peers, but which insures to each juror
12 a day and board, with a period of mental
calm and intellectual rest which is priceless
as a soother and tranquillizer to the invalid
who generally sits on a jury by advice of
his physician instead of filling his system
full of opiates. Sea air and a change of
scene, of course, are good, but give us the
sweet, unruffled sleep of the juryman as a
health promoter by all means in place of
the expensive tea voyage and the high
priced-foreign hotel.
William H. Root was giving us his ex
perience this morning cn a Chicago jury,
showing how the free, unfettered love of
even-htnded justice is ever burning in the
i breast of the true American juror, even in
Chicago.
“I was empaneled,” said William, sadly,
“in a damage case there one time. I ’most
always fixed it so as to be drawn on a jury
when other avenues of employment seemed
closed, and sometimes I would make $35
or $40 a day, according to the nature of
the case. People have widely different no
tions about the market value of substan
! tisl justice. Some are willing to pay a
j fair commission to the poor juror, and oth
i ers are timid and reserved about putting up.
“This was a case where a kid had stuck
his foot through a defective sidewalk, and
injured the sciatic nerve so that the leg
was paralyzed, and the boy a sure enough
cripple for life.
I suit was brought tor MS.wu, ana it was
I proved up all right and a good case, but we
) had the blankety blankedest cosmopolitan
j jury you ever saw.
“We.'had a Polander that couldn’t speak
I r word of English, a deaf man from Osh
kosh, and a half-witted cuss from Blue
Island. Then there was also a Norwegian
on the jury who hadn’t been in the country
very long, and didn’t know a verdict from
a porous plaster.
“The whole mob was about the most
j ornery and trifling aggregation of unprejud
iced intellect you ever saw. The first thing
that we did was to disagree.
“It was the afternoon before Christmas
•hat they locked us in with two overworked
spittoons, a volume of ‘Greenleaf on Evi
dence.’ and a work on medical jurispru
dence. We looked at the pictures in the
medical work, read aloud a few pages on
the rule regulating the verdict in cases of
manslaughter and malicious tape-worm, and
then took & ballot.
“It stood all the way from 850 to 810,000.
We voted till about 3 o’clock Christmas
morning, and then I got mad. We had ex
hausted all the stories we knew, and ar
gued and cussed and swore, but the vote
stood just the same every pop. Finally 1
took the ‘Colonel’ to one side and made a
proposition to him. The ‘Colonel’ was the
only man on the jury (except me) that
seemed to know what the jury was for.
Most of the outfit seemed to think a jury
was empaneled mostly to disagree, and draw
their per diem.
“The ‘Colonel’ nodded, and said that was
all right when I conferred with him, and
I arose to address the free, enlightened, un
prejudiced and illiterate jury of my country.
“I said: ‘Now. gentlemen, you are aware
that we seem to be divided considerably on
this question. We are now beginning on
the Christmas holidays with about $9,000
between the two extremities of this jury. I
see no way of arriving at a conclusion until
after the usual Christmas festivities are
over. In a few hours the court will be
raking hot stuffing out of the open coun
tenance of a baked turkey, and asking the
various guests whether they will take some
of the light or some of the dark meat, while
we are here eating Bologna sausage and
Rip Van Winkle cheese. Before night the
counsel on both sides will be so drunk that
they can’t get home without a directory and
a posse comitatus, while we are drinking
cistern water and ruining our health. 1
propose we put on our ballots the amount
of damage we are individually in favor of,
and then we will add the whole gosh blasted
thing up and divide it by twelve. That will
be the measure of damages and the verdict.’
“They greeted my proposition with ap
plause.
“When the votes were examined they
found the Polander had voted as usual, and
so had everybody but the ‘Colonel’ and me
We voted $40,000 apiece. That brought the
average up to $9,000 for the cripple.
“We made out a verdict, signed her,
called in the bailiff, submitted our decision,
wished each other a merry Christmas and
went home.
‘Oh, I tell you, you can't abolish the jury
system. It’s one of the abutments upon
which rests the structure of freedom and
equity, and all those things. If you bust
the jury system you’ll have to abolish also
three card monte and other games of chance.
I tell you Americans will not be denied this
kind of mental relaxation. It's about all
the fun we have."
—-♦
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
COVERING INSANITY CASES
In order to remedy what is said to be a
defect in the laws relating to insanity cases,
J. H. Cobb, acting attorney general of the
territory, has prepared the following pro
posed amendment F6 Section 831 of the
Compiled Laws of Alaska, which congress
will be asked to pass:
“Whenever any person who has been ad
judged insane under the foregoing provi"
sions of this section shall, subsequent to the
said adjudication, and while confined in any
jail or detention hospital in the territory of
Alaska, evince substantial indications of
having become sane or of being restored to
his normal mental condition, the United
States marshal in charge of such jail or
detention hospital shall, upon observing such
naications, or upon being reliably informed
f them, notify in writing a United States
commissioner of such fact or of the in
formation brought to his ahet Jon, and the
commissioner shall therenpr- forthwith in
stitute a further or subsequent inquiry v.;ih
respect to such person’s then preset.; 0:0
al condition, which further or .-.ttb.-'.'.r ‘
nquiry shall be conducted in till re:,
n strict compliance with the foregoing pro
visions of this section. And if the jury
upon further or subsequent hearing shall
find the person to be sane or to have been
restored to his normal condition, thereupon
the commissioner presiding at the hearing
shall enter an order discharging such per
son, so found to be sane or to have been
restored to his or her formal mental eone
tion, and shall revoke and annul the - avr .
theretofore issued requiring such • :r-- n to
>e delivered to and confined in t ie a-ylur;
or sanitarium for the care a , ee; eg of
the insane of the territory of Ala
A
“NIMBLE NED’S" GtiAK, -3
SAVED BY THIS CLD-Ti. EK
(Washington Star)
On completing fifty continuous years in
the government service this afternoon, and
having decided to retire from his position,
Warren G. Bickford of the treasury depart
ment was presented with a gold watch and
chain, the gift of numerous friends.
Mr. Bickford was born in York county.
Maine, May 2, 1845, and at the beginning
of the civil war enlisted in the Sixteenth
regiment, Maine volunteers. He was se
verely wounded at the battle of Fredericks
burg, and because of these wounds was
i transferred for guard duty to the war de
! partment in this city. Bickford was on
i duty one night at the entrance of the war
j department when he heard footsteps ap
proaching the spot where the sandstone
steps had been removed to permit new ones
to be substituted. The man was close to
the steep jump-off, and Bickford sang out:
“Look out, old man, or you’ll break your
i dern neck.’’
The next morning Bickford was sum
moned before officials of the war depart
ment and told that he had saved the life of
Secretary Stcnton of the war department,
who, forgetting the steps had been removed,
was just about to step into the opening.
As a reward he was named as a private mes
senger, and later as a mounted messenger
to carry telegrams received st the war de
partment. For forty-seven years he has
been in the division of printing and sta
tionery of the treasury.
_ _a
HEINIE IS LOOKING THEM OVER
Senator Henry Roden of Iditarod arrived
from the north on the Al-Ki, and on Tues
day, accompanied by Martin Kildall. went
out with the launch Lorraine to look over
some mining prospects in this vicinity.-—
Petersburg Report, November 13.
GRAFTER IS OUT
CHICAGO, Dec. 12.—Chief of Police
Healy, accused of grafting, has resigned.
SET FOR JANUARY 8
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1- The Adi '.son
law test case has b set for Leering be
fore the supreme court on Jcn-’c.y S.
-*—
Fresh Olympia and Eastern 0> r.. . $1.50
per can. Iditarod Meat Co.
Professional
Michigan. 1881 Alaaka, HIS
Kentucky. 1891
George Woodruff Albrecht
COUNSELOR AND LAWYER
IDITAROD, ALASKA
The Pioneer Attorney of Iditarod
E. M. STANTON
Attorney at Law
Office: Corner Willow and Second Sta.
Iditarod Pioneer Building
CHAS. E. TAYLOR
Attorney at Law
EANK BLOCK
Flrit Avenue IdtU/ed
DR. MOORE
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
JUG STORE
DR. H. E. AURINGER
Physician and Surgeon
Office: Flat City Hotpital, Flat Cfty
Consultation Hours in Forenoons usd by
Appointment
FLAT DRUG STORE_
DR. E. T. MAUN,
Chiropractor and Masseur
Diseases Cured Without Drugs
Chronic Cases a Specialty
Office: Gold St„ Fiat
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THK
Arcade Cafe
FLAT CITY
Open Day end Night
FINE WATCH REPAIRING
NUGGET JEWELRY TO ORDER
J. L. SALE, Flat City
1
Pf ATARH^ an,i Mrial!- Pr,nlPtl
I LA til AUij paper, cardboard or ciotb,
on short notice, at Iditarod Pioneer oPdce.
OPEN DAY AND NiCHT
SCOVE
! CAFE
FLAT CITY HOHBACK A DURAND
Bat. tha Grand and Bagoy'i Bari
THE BEST ALL THE TIME
WE ARE HERE TO STAY
French Joe's Roadhouse
SOUTH FORK KUSKOKWIM
DCG i i.ICON AND FISH
FOR SALE
h!g Stocks of Fresh Goods
! " _
Everything for the Miner and
Prospector
MAX SIMEL TRADER
Stores at Cripple City and Mouth of Tolstoi
FINNEGAN Bi CAMERON
FLAT CITY
Agency for Ed son Diamond Disc Phonographs and Records
TOBACCO CIGARS STATIONERY
COKFECViONERY AND BILLIARDS
C. R. Cameron J**- F. Finnegan
MERRY CHRISTMAS
McMAHON
General Merchandise
FLAT CITY