SEWARD:—The Gateway to the Land of Opportunity—The Hunters’ Paradise—The Homesteaders’ Land of Promise
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Catevvay The Gateway
^ c " ~ -' i Kenai, Knik, Broad Pass
Matanuska _ o d Fields
PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY _LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULATION
N„, , Sl, SEWARD. THE GATEWAY TO ALASKA. SATURDAY, MARCH 27. 1915.___1Vn (>,lls t'"- '
ALL FIXED! GOVERNMENT PURCHASES ALASKA
#*#<***##*i»«>*«**'**»*»***,!*****'***
NORTHERN FOR $1,150,000—HALF PAID IN CASH
ATTORNEY GENERAL DECIDES GOVT.
CAN CONTRACT UP TO $35,000,000
Engineer Goes to Panama to Secure Equipment for Construc
tion of Railroad.—Purchasing Agency to be Established
in Seattle at Once.___
The Remaining Half of Price for the
Alaska Northern Railroad to Be
Paid in Two Years, But Attorney
General Says Further Action By
Congress Is Not Required.
WASHINGTON, March 27.—It is!
now stated positively and with all j
the authority necessary that the ne
gotiations for the purchase of the Al
aska Northern railroad are practical
ly closed. The price given for the
railroad is one million one hundred'
and fifty thousand dollars, half of the
sum to be paid down in cash and the!
remaining half in two years.
While the actual official announce
ment of the actual consummation of
the deal has not been made this ma>
be taken as an absolute fact. The
Alaska Northern railroad has beet,
purchased by the government and Se
ward has been chosen as the terminal.
The first step to be taken now after
the consummation of the deal is that
the purchasing agency for the engine
ering commission will be immediatel>
established in Seattle. An engineer
has already been sent to Panama and
he has already arrived there and is
selecting the equipment1 for use in the
construction work in Alaska this sum
mer. No statement has been made as
to what sort of equipment will be
brought from Panama to the north
but every useful article will be put
into use to save the expense of pur
chasing new equipment.
Next to the positive knowledge tha‘
the Alaska Northern has been bought
comes the announcement that the at
torney general has given his otFriat
opinion that the government can use
every cent of the thirty-five million
dollars without waiting for further
action by congress. Secretary Lane
asked the attorney genera! to look in
to the matter fully and find if the act
authorizing the construction of the
Alaska railroad at an expenditure of
thirty-five millions permitted the ad
ministration to use any sum up to that
amount without further authorization.
The attorney general after a study of
the matter stated this morning that
President Wilson has a perfect right
to make any contracts he likes if the
sum involved does not exceed the
thirty-five million. He can purchase
as many railroads as he wants to up
to that amount, the attorney genera!
says. The idea of the attorney gener
al seems to be, when his words are
carefully examined, that contracts up
to thirty-five million dollars can be
made by the president but the right
of the president to use thirty-five mil
lion dollars in cash may be question
ed before congress turns over the
money formally.
The negotiations fo.-. the purchase
of the Copper River and Northwestern
railroad have not been going on for
some time but there is a feeling in
some quarters that they might be re
newed now’ that the attorney general
has decided as stated above. At least
his decision means that the govern
ment can contract for either or bctli
railroad if necessary but at present
only one railroad has been taken over.
HOPE TO RAISE SUBMARINE.
HONOLULU. March 27.—The lat
est report from the scene where the
submarine F-4 sank is that the oper
ators hope to be able to raise her be
fore the end of the day. There is no
hope that the crew will be alive.
WANTED.
Smart boy at the Gateway office.
OLD RESIDENT
CONGRATULATES
REV. PEDERSEN AND FAMILY
WIRE TO SE
WARD. •
Tho Rev. Mr. Pedersen, forme* ly
the methodist minister ot Seward,
wired to Frank E. Balia;*.e today what
might be regaided a; congratulations
to us for securing the terminal but
which are really congratulations to
the people who “stayed with it."
The following is the telegram:
“Congratulate Sewardites. Town
selected railroad terminal. Second
Thessalonions, one four.
(signed) Pedersen family.
A biblical authority of our fair city
was requisitioned at a great expense
to tind out about that Thessalonian
business and forth came he after
much travail and tribulation and with
the good book opened at a certain
page. Thessalonions, one four, says:
“So that we ourselves glory in you
in the churches of God, for your
patience and faith in all your perse
cutions and tribulations that ye en
dure.”
GOMPERS TRYING TO
SETTLE THE STRIKE.
CHICAGO, March 27.—Samuel
Gompers has arrived here for the pur
pose of trying to settle the strike
threatened in the building trades.
The strike is expected when the
present agreement ends on May 1.
AIRMEN ATTACK
GERMAN TOWNS
BOMBARD HANGARS, RAILROAD
STATION AND BAR
RACKS.
PARIS, March 27.—Fleets of
French airships made successful raids
on several places in Germany yester
day. They bombarded the Zeppelin
airships hangars at Frescaty, the rail
road station at Metz and the barracks
at East Strassburg. The damege in
flicted in those places is said to be
considerable but there is much difficul
ty facing*airmen in the effort to esti
mate the real amount of such damage.
The other chief items in today’s re
ports are that a severe artillery en
gagement has been proceeding at
Nieuport and that the French captur
ed German trenches in South b land
ers. No sign of a general advance
by either side has yet made itself ap
parent although the weather is get
ting brighter and warmer every day
Indeed spring may be said to have
come in northern France and Flanders
and there is a feeling that the
deadlock may continue much longer.
Each side i3 so carefully and strongly
entrenched that the task of driving
one or the other out can only be ac
complished at a tremendous loss of
life.
BERLIN TELLS OF THE
AIR RAID ON MFT/.
BERLIN, March 27.—'The raid by
the French airmen on Metz resulted
in the killing of four soldiers of the
garrison of that fortress but no other
damage was done.
•> •> ❖ ❖ <• ❖ *> 4* 4* <*
❖ SAFE CRACKER GETS ♦
<* THOUSAND IN CHICAGO. *
> - •>
CHICAGO, March 27.—Safe crack
ers blew open five safes in this city
last night and succeeded in getting
away wth a thousand dollars. All the
safes were in a mail order house. The
robbers have not been apprehended.
SUBMARINE LOCATED
BUT CREW IS DEAD.
HONOLULU, March 27.—The sub
marine was located today at the bot
tom of the sea in three hundred feet
depth of water. Several attempts
were made to raise her and still con
tinue but they are apparently failures.
All hope that the crew will be found
alive has passed.
REPORT EITEL READY
TO LEAVE U. S. PORT.
German Converted Cruiser Expected
To Take Chance Agairst
Watching Warships.
WASHINGTON, March 27.—It is
reported here that the 'German con
verted cruiser Prince Eitel 1* rederich
is preparing to leave Newport News
and take its chances of escaping the
British cruisers which are said to be
in wait for her outside the harbor. It
is likely that she will try to leave
secretly although she must first se
cure her clearance papers. Owing to
her speed she may be able to get clear
away but the chances are against it.
REPORT DARDANELLES
FORTS ARE SILENCED.
Athens Receives Report but It
Has Not Been Con
firmed.
ATHENS, arch 27.—It is reported
here that the Dardanelles forts have
been silenced. The number of the
forts so reported silenced 13 not men
tioned and it is not thought possible
that all the forts could have been
meant. The story lacks confirma
tion, anyhow, and so many false re
ports have been disseminated that
more care is taken now be'ore accept
ing them.
JOHNSON WILLARD MATCH
POSTPONED TO APRIL 5.
As April Fourth Falls on Easter They
Thought Better of the
Matter.
HAVANA, March 27.—The fight
for the world’s championship between
Jack Johnson and Jesse Willard has
been postponed until April 5 as the
day orginally fixed, April 4, will be
Easter Sunday. There is nothing new
to be said about the men except what
has been said for the past few days.
Johnson is fit as a fiddle but Willard
seems to be confident. A large crowd
is expected to attend from the United
States and some are already well on
the way.
GANG OF ROBBERS LOOT
BANK IN OKLAHOMA.
OKLAHOMA CITY, March 27.—A
gang of eleven men robbed a bank at
Stroud today and got away with five
thousand dollars. They have been
chased and are now surrounded by a
posse but they are expected to show
fight and a battle will be fought.
•v <• .> •> •> <• ❖ •> •> •>
❖ EVANS HAS THIRTY *
❖ PEOPLE FOR SEWARD. *
❖ - ❖
SEATTLE, March 27.—The Evans
left last night with thirty passengers
for Seward and with two hundred and
thirty for all places. For Seward she
has twenty-one steerage and the fol
lowing first class:
H. F. Conklin, Felix Brown, R. C.
Pruce. B. H. Howard, Josiah Dawson,
Karl Thiele, Ed. Christian, Alex Reed
and T. B. Brownley. Most of the pas.
sengers are bound overland for the in
terior.
ALASKA GASTINEAU SPEND
ANOTHER HALF MILLION.
Another Power Dam to be Built at
Sheep Creek as Big as Fox
Salmon Creek.
JUNEAU, March 27.—The Alaska
Gastineau Mining company is prepar
ing to spend another half million dol
lars at once for the increase of the
output and for the construction of
another power dam near Sheep creek
which will bo as big as the Fox Sal
mon creek dam. This announcement
was made by B. L. Thane, the local
manager, today.
James M. Shoup, the father of
Arthur Shoup, a republican member
of the legislature, is a candidate for
Territorial Attorney General if that
office be credited by the legislature.
LESTER JONES
GETS PANNING
—
LEGISLATURE GOES AFTER THE
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
OF FISHERIES.
JUNEAU, March 27.—Lester Jones,
formerly deputy commissioner of fish
eries, was given a severe panning by
the senate yesterday.* He was refer
red to as the “junketing commission
er” and it was alleged that he secured
information from only one side of the
question relating to fisheries, and
that w as on the side of the fishing in
terests. His defence of traps and his
attack on purse seining w*as declared
to be in the interests of the corpora
tions who want to keep down w'ages
and stifle the independence of the fish
ermen. Sutherland, president of the
senate, scored the canneries for not
paying their taxes and on the whole
some w’arm speeches were delivered.
GERMAN AIRMEN RAID
CALAIS AND DUNhlKit j
Little Damage Done but Several
Bombs Were Dropped on the
Famous Old Towns.
PARIS, March 27.—German airmen
raided the cities of Calais and Dun
kirk yesterday and dropped several
bombs but little damage was inflicted.
The aviators flew at so great a height
that the guns of the garrison failed
to reach them and the enemy returned
unhurt.
MORE SENSATIONS IN
TERRE HAUTE TRIALS.
INDIANAPOLIS, March 27.—More
sensational evidence was forthcoming
today and last evening in the trail
of ths Terre Haute election scandal
cases. One witness testified that he
received money directly from one of
the city's officials for illegal voting.
FOR SALE.
Typewriter, practically new.
RUSH TO AID
THE AUSTRIANS
RUSSIANS FORCING BACK THE
ENEMY IN THE CAR
PATHIANS.
NORTH ATTACK STOPS
I *
PETROGRAD BELIEVES HINDEN
BERG HAS ABANDONED
NEW ATTEMPT.
PETROGRAD, March 27.—Ger
many is now rushing reinforcements
to the Carpathians to give much need
ed aid to the Austrians against whom
the Russian army has been victorious.
So successful has the Russian ilfens
ive been in the mountains that Bud
apest is seriously threatened. The
fighting is still desperate from Uszok
to the Dukla passes but the Austrians
are being steadily driven backward
into the heart of theii own country
and at a frightful loss. The coming
of spring weather is sure to have a
favorable effect on the Rusisan ad
vance as the winter sr.ows impeded
the progress of the invaders as usual.
No change ha» taken place on the
front near East Prussia. Hindenburg
has apparently abondoned the attempt
to reach Warsaw from the north a3
the line of Russian fortifications fac
ing him is altogether too strong. The
fall of Pre?emysl has acted most
favorably on the spirits of the whole
Russian army and never did victory
seem so sure.
GERMANS CLAIM AX
IMPORTANT VICTORY.
Berlin Report Says That in Severe
Engagements on the Meuse
French were Defeated.
BERLIN, March 27.—The official
report issued this morning contains
the information that in a severe en
gagement on the heights of the
Meuse the French were decisively de
feated and compelled to abandon im
portant positions. Nothing new is re
ported from North Poland but it is
stated that nothing unfavorable has
occurred in any part of the eastern
front. The German government has
also ?emi-ofTicially given out the in
formation that the attempt to force
the Dardanelles has failed utterly
while the Turks have been victorious
in the fighting in all parts of the
Asia Minor field of operations. The
greatest hopes are centered on Gener
al Hindenburg and the people seem to
think that good climatic conditions
alone are required to give him an
overwhelming triumph.
NEWS NOTES
The Iditarod mail left Mile Thirty
four this morning at 5 o'clock.
The ball game tomorrow will begin
about 2 p. m.
Felix Brown who is coming north
on the Evans was formerly a well
known business man of Nome. He is
now in business in Seattle and is a
brother of Gus Brown the Seattle
clothier
Messrs Kosenthal, Vance and Crabtree
arrived at Mile Thirty-four last even
ing and left there this morning for
Knik. The weather at Thirty-four
this morning was bright and beautiful,
all same Seward.
It is reported that a telegram has
come to Seward from the gentleman
who is representing a neighboring
town at Washington stating that Se
ward has been selected as the
terminal.
The big safe for the Harriman
National Bank has been shipped and is
expected to arrive here about April 7.
Should it arrive at that time the bank
will be opened about the day stated
before—April 15.
One hundred and eighty-five voters
were regstered at neon today.
That part of the beach down near
the railroad buidings is having new
tents and cabins almost every day.
The finest kind of job work as well
as the plainest is done by the Gate
way.
HERRON BRINGING IIP
DREDGE NEXT MONTH
SUBSCRIBERS TO KEEP
THE TUNNELS OPEN.
Fifty dollars were subscribed by lo
cal bisiness men to keep the portals
of the tunnels open on the railroad
during the winter for the convenience
of mushers. J. Newton performed the
work. The following subscribed five
dollars each:
Hank of Seward, Frank L. Ballaine,
Brown and Hawkins, Overland Hotel,
Carstens, Alaska Transfer company.
Coleman House, Whitehead Realty
Company, Seward Hotel and the Se
ward Commercial Company. -
TENNESSEE ABOLISHES
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Will Not Hang Men for Murder but
Will Do So For Criminal
Assault.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 27.—
The legislature has abolished capital
punishment for all murders except for
murder that might be committed by
men who are already serving life
sentences. Capital punishment will be
legal for criminal assaults and this
latter clause is meant to protect white
women from the assaults of colored
men. The clause to make capital
punishment stand for life termers is,
of course to prevent murder by those
who cannot be sentenced to greater
terms than they are already serving.
CATHOLIC SERVICES.
In order to #ive every one, who has
not yet done so, the opportunity to
receive the Easter Communion, th re
will be two Masses tomorrow and on
Easter Sunday, the first will bepin
at 8:30 o’clock and the second at 10:30
o’clock a. m.
BASEBALL GAME
FOR TOMORROW
SEASON OPENS WITH STRUGGLE
AGAINST STRONG NEW
TEAM.
The baseball season opens tomor
row, March 28, with a game between
the regular city team and a team
which goes under the name of the
Federals and will be constituted in
part of some of the new arrivals in
the city. So many new players will
appear on the Federal aggregation
that it wa3 for a time thought that
they should be called Chechacoes but
many of the players are men who
have been on teams before in other
parts of Alaska. Frank Ennis of
Walla Walla will be at the helm in the
Federal ranks and Frank Martin will
manage the Sewardites. Ennis says
they are going in to beat the home
bunch and there will be no monkey
work. He was formerly prominent in
charge of racing and other sporting
events in the East Washington city
and knows his business. Koontz of
Spokane and Burley, formerly a Nome
star, will be on the team, and a few
others that will give our bunch a big
run for the money.
DENIES ACCUSATIONS
OF ALASKA SOLONS.
PORTLAND, March 27.—Dr. Mary
Cole, one of the owners of the Mom
inside asylum denies the charges
made by the Alaska legislature. The
legislature passed a resolution to the#
effect that the patients from Alaska
were ill treated at the asylum, that
they were made to do nearly all the
work and that people who were not
insane at all are kept there. The
representatives of the institution are
quoted as saying that the members
of the legislature are acting through
ignorance of the treatment that
should be given insane persons.
See us before sending outside for
your iob printing.
SEATTLE, March 27.—Charles E.
Herron has made all the arrange
ments for placing a dredge on the
property near Sunrise which he and
Major L. H. French drilled la.st sum
mer and the dredge will be in active
operations within a few months. Mr.
Herron returned yesterday from New
York where he has placed the order
with the American Dredging and con
struction company for the big
machine. It has been arranged
through the company to have the
dredge built in Seattle and the con
tract provides that it must be finished
within thirty days. From Seattle it
will be shipped to Ship creek and
thence overland to Suniise where it
will be placed in operation without de
lay. Herron bought all of French’s
interests in January but Dr. 1\ T.
Barnes of New York will be associat
ed with Mr. Herron this summer on
Sixmile creek. He will leave Seattle
for Juneau on April 9 and will pro
ceed from that place to Seward. Her
ron has spent a time with Major
French in Trinity County, California
where the major has a dredge on the
Sullivan-Borger property.
HOPE ABANDONED FOB
AMERICAN SUBMARINE.
E-4 Given Up as a Total Loss With
the Lives of all Her
Crew.
HONOLULU, March 26.—The
search to locate the submarine F-4
which sank off this harbor yesterday
has failed and all hop3 has been
abandoned. The cause of her failure
to rise to the surface after submer
sion is a mystery. Some time, ago,
before the war. a British submarine
and her crew met they* fate in exactly
a similar manner and the cause has
never been discovered. I t can only be
assumed that the machinery of the
vessel failed to act when the attempt
was made to rise to thc‘ surface and
that the doomed crew v.as forced to
await their doom helplessly on the
floor of the ocean.
NEW ABSTRACT COMPAN Y.
An abstract and title company is
the latest business to be started in Se
ward. It has its offices in the Daggett
block and is composed of Messrs
Labaree, Whitehead, Poindexter and
Nuzum, all well-known young men of
this city who rightly feci that such a
concern will be of immense conven
ience to the people during the coming
big rush.
ITALY READY
TO OPEN WAR
EVERY MEASURE TAKEN TO
MARCH AGAINST THE
AUSTRIANS.
ROME, March 27. -Every measure
has now been taken by the ltal'.an
government and Italy* is fully prepar
ed to take the field. The conditions in
this city today are such that coming
war seems to have cast its shadows
before. The government has appar
ently failed in the effort to induce
Austria to relinquish the territories
inhabited by people of Italian nation
ality. In spite of the fr.ct that Aus
tria is facing the Russ an power in
the east it has evidently determined
to mebt this countr/ on i?s south.
There is still some hope here that
the Austrian government will grant
the Italian demands but the hope is
only slight. Austrian forces continue
tp mass on the southern 1 order.
Whether they will attempt to invade
this country or wait to onpose our in
vasion in the event of war cannot le
told.
Visiting cards, invitations, anything
pretty i* done by the Gateway Just as
well aa outside.
i