The Great Th« Creat
ALASKAN N'. ALASKAN
DAILY . DA1LY_
ADVERTISEMENTS BRING RESULTS _PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY_LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULATION
Vol. 10. No. 307 SEWARD, ALASKA. SATURDAY, DEC. 23, 191(».__Ten Cents the Copy
TORREON AND CHIHEAHIIA UNDER HIS
THUMB AND DIAZ HOEDS THE SOUTH
EL PASO, Dec. 23.—Authentic reports received from
United States agents in .Mexico, and sent to Washington
otticiallv. make it certain that Villa has captured Torreon
and is now in a much stronger condition than he has been
at any time since the United States troops were sent over
the line. Torreon is the important railroad center oi
i,. rthern Mexico and its possesion gives the bandit chiei
a tremendous advantage. The accounts say that he
inarched into the city at 1 o'clock on Friday and that the
Uarranzistas evacuated the place after a very briel at
tempt at resisting. The stroke places \ ilia once more at
a great height of power and the future looks worse than
ever. No estimate of his strength in men and munitions
has been made but that he must have a strong force to
take t orreon so easily is generally believed.
MEXICO TORN IN PIECES
EL PASO, Dec. 23. — Chihuahua City is now at the
mercy of General Salazar and \ ilia is dominating tht
whole of Northern Mexico without a doubt, according to
the latest news received here this afternoon. He will be
in possession of Torreon and Chihuahua City befoie
Christmas, he boasts, and he declares that he will execute
Gen. Murguia on the roof ol the palace. His boast is ap
parently easy fulfillment. Diaz and Robles have isolat
ed Mexico City with their forces in the south and evident
ly the state of Mexico is worse than ever. It was learneu
today that Villa is again seeking a conference with tht
United States, and as a first step he has ordered at Jimi
nez that American lives and property be protected.
—— - - 1 -
EXPECT BILLINGSLEYS TO
GIVE AWAY HIGHER CPS
■ ■
SEATTLE. Dec. 23.—Prosecutor
Lund in expresses the hope that the
Billingsleys who are now facing fed
eral charges will squeal on the of
ficial higherups who are believed to
be protecting the bootlegging com
bine.
CATHOLIC CHVRCH
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Solemn High Mass at midnight,
foliowe<l by a Mass of Thanksgiving.
The last Mass will be said at 9:30 a.
m. Benediction at 7:30 p. m.
The choir, will be under the direc
tion of Mr. Otto Moses and the organ
ist will be Mrs. J. R. Chambers. The
other members are Mrs. L. Harring
ton, alto, and Mrs. F. Johnston, so
prano. and Mr. Joseph Campbell,
tenor, and Mr. L. L. James, basso.
Concone’s Mass in T. will be rendered.
Community Christian Church
Regular Sunday school session at
11 a. m. Special Christmas Eve.
service at 7:30 p. m. Music by Quar
tette and soloist. Christmas story
sermon. Help us honor the Christ on
his birth night by worshipping with
us.
HARRY C. MUXRO, Pastor.
METHODIST CHI RC H
11 a. m.—“Christmas Gladness.”
12:13 p. m.—Sunday school. 6:30 p.
m. Young Peoples’ service. 7:30 p.
m.—“Christmas Tribute to Christ’s
Birth.” All are welcome at these
services. J* J* PA 17ON, 1 astor.
A CHRISTMAS TREE
The Methodist and Christian
Church Sunday schools will hold a
union Christmas service tonight at
the Methodist church. Presents to be
placed on the tree should be at the
church by 8 o’clock.
For your accommodation the •>
store will be open Sunday, Dec.
24 until noon. Will be closed *
• all day Christmas. Brown & •>
• Hawkins, “Quality First.” *
ii(>\ ERNMENT TRAIN PAYS
SAYS MEARS IN SPEECH
At a dinner given him by the Al
aska Bureau of the Seattle Chambei
of Commrece, Captain Fred Mears or,
December 11 spoke as follows:
“This winter, Capt. Mears said,
there will be employed, principally
along Turnagain arm, a force of ap
proximately 1,000 men. Besides the
vork above enumerated there has
been constructed about four and one
half miles of sidings, terminal yards
at Anchorage and permanent head
quarters and other structures, amt
there is now assembled practically all
of the equipment required for the
construction of the entire line also,
and progress from now on will be
rapid.
“Capt. Mears also said that the de
velopment along the line completed
has been more rapid than anything its
advocates anticipated, requiring the
operation of a daily passenger train
out of Anchorage until just recently,
when it was changed to a tri-weekly
service. The income from passengers
and freight, he said, has paid the run
ning expenses of this train, resulting
in a haulage of material for the rail
road construction without cost.”
O’REILLY LOYAL
TO ANCHORAGE
ANCHORAGE, Dei*. 14.—It isn’t
everyone who would refuse a posi
tion carrying the honored title ot
major just because the position would
>wke him away from Anchorage and
Alaska. But this is just what Jas.
E. O’Reilly did by wire this morning.
Mr. O’Reilly received a cable from In*
old friend, A. E. Griffith, yesterday,
offering him the position of superin
tendent of construction, with the title
of major, in the railroad contingent
that leaves the United States this
month for France. Mr. Griffith is one
of the most prominent railroad con
tractors in the northwest, and will
take a competent force of railroan
builders, consisting of engineers and
construction men, to re-construct the
government railroads of France that
have been wrecked during the present
European war.—Ex.
W. W. Getchell left on the Mari
posa this morning after his season’s
mining.
FOUND GUILTY OF
KILLING MOTHER
Teiper Jumps to His Feet
and Shrieks when Verdict
is Brought In.
BUFFALO, N. Y„ Dec. 2:!.—John
Edward Teiper leaped to his feet in
court last night and shrieked “My
uiod, this is not human” when the jury
Brought in a verdict of guilty in the
second degree against him on the
charge of murdering his wealthy
mother and his brother on Orchard
i'ark road last January. The jury
was out twenty-nine hours before ar
riving at the verdict. Teiper claimed
.hat the murders were committed by
.» negro highwayman who attacked
rimself and the two victims. After
the verdict and when the prisoner
had been cooled down he was led
iway in a state of partial collapse.
VLASKA MINERS SET UP
OWN ELECTION PRECINCT
NOME, Dec. 11.—Upon the action
:>f the territorial election canvassing
board next month will depend wheth
er Judge T. M. Reed, Republican, or
Phillip Corrigan, Democrat, will be
one of the four representatives from
the Second judicial division to the
third session of the Alaska legislat
ure. Corrigan is ten votes in the load
on the face of the returns, but if the
vote of the Utica precinct is thrown
out Judge Reed will win by one vote.
The point raised against the legal
ity of the Utica vote is that the Unit
ed States commissioner in Candle,
the district in which the Utica mine is
located, did not create a Utica pre
cinct. The miners there, when elec
tion day came around, decided that
it was out of the question for them to
make the trip to the nearest polls,
twenty-six miles away, so they organ
ized an election board of their own,
cast their votes in prescribed form
and sent in the returns to the com
missioner The returns from the
precinct give Corrigan a majority
over Reed of eleven votes, which, if
declared illegal, would return Judge
Reed a winner over the Democrat by
a single vote.
The canvassing board is made up
of the governor, surveyor general and
the collector of customs.—Ex.
AMERICAN GIRL IS
BRIDE OF JAPANESE
SEATTLE.—Miss Julie Evans, ag
ed 26 years, an attractive blonde
American girl, yesterday morning be
came the wife of Harry C. Watanabe,
aged 35, Japanese importer, said to
be related to the Japanese consul at
San Francisco. Justice of the Peace
Brinker performed the ceremony,
leaving out the “obey” in the rite and
making it read instead, “love, honor
and keep.” A. Kaufman, a commerc
ial saleman, acted as witness. The
couple will leave today for Japan on
their honeymoon.
When Judge Brinker prepared to
perform the ceremony in his cham
, bers at the city hall he was dazzled
by a wealth of diamonds which the
: bride-to-be wore. Watanabe said he
was in the toy business and that he
lived at Cleveland, O. Miss Evan*
gave her residence as Detroit, at the
county auditor's office when the li
cense was obtained.—Post Intelli
gencer.
Mrs. Stella Gibbs, wife of a wel
known member of the Commissioi
staff, returned this morning after :
visit to her friends in the States.
i LOGAN BILLINGSLEY IS
ARRESTED ONCE AGAIN
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 23.—Log
an Billingsley was arrested here to
| day in a hotel on a warrant that had
been telegraphed from Seattle. He
refuses to take the arrest seriously
and says the warrant was secured by
some under-handed work on the part
of his enemies.
GALE PLAYS HAVOC IN
STREETS OF NEW YORK
CHICAGO, Dec. 23. — An eighty
mile gale*accompanied by a thunder
storm played havoc with street signs;
and wires yesterday. For a time the
gale was so violent that pedestrians
had to be aided by policemen in
'crossing streets. The storm was fol-[
lew bv a springlike weather.
- * !
TINKER MAY PURCHASE
THE COLUMBUS TEAM
I _
CHICAGO, Dec. 23.—Tinker in as
sociation with Thomas Wilson, a mil
lionaire packer, is negotiating for a
three-quarter interest in the Colum
i
bus team of the American association.,
The price is seventy thousand.
—
HAGEN REINSTATED
SEATTLE, Dec. 23.—Patrolman
Hagen has been reinstated in the
force, notwithstanding the acceptance
of a bribe, because of his former good
and expert conduct.
BOTHELL ROBBERS ALSO
ROBBED A RENTON BANK
SEATTLE, Dec. 23.—The Bothell!
bank robbers have all confessed their i
guilt and have also cleared up by !
their confession other holdup myster
ies, including the robbery of the
Citizens Bank at Renton in October
1015 when they secured fourteen j
hundred dollars.
WENT ON MARIPOSA
The following went out on the
Mariposa this morning: W. J. Lau
she, E. F. Stewart, Elmer McNenee,
C. W. Johnson, John Kacer, Mrs. P.
M. Lennon, G. E. Hagle, R. Sackett,
John Bailey, F. Wilson, Grace Pierson
M. M. Beattie, Wm. M. Beattie, W.
F. Rohrbach, G. M. Kern, T. M. Hunt.
J. S. Lawrence, 0. P. Opsahl, A. Tin
nier, W. W. Getchell, R. H. Dobson.
GERMANY RECEIVES WILSON’S PLEA
FOR PEACE WITH ENTHUSIASM
1 ' - i
WASHINGTON DID NOT ORDER
DESTRUCTION OF LIQUOR
The liquor destroyed here a few
days ago was not destroyed by or
ders from Washington but by an or
der of Judge Hunnoll sitting on the
bench at Valdez after District At
torney Spence had applied for it.
The officials at Washington had noth
ing whatever to do with it. The or
der was made by the court on Decem
ber 20. Deputy Marshal FNans in
formed the authorities at Valdez of
ibc protests made here and he also
got others to write in protest against
the sale of the liquor, with the result
Mated.
DANCE TONIGHT WILL
BE UNUSUALLY PLEASANT
The dance to be given by the bach
ellors tonight will be one of the most
hilarious events of the whole year.
The arrangements have been fully
made and the holiday spirit is sure
to give the affair the necessary touch
te make it memorable. One of the
dances on the program will be ladies’1
choice and this is the last chance for,
four years. A dog on skates, drawn
hv “Zaz”, Alaska’s best cartoonist, is
i feature of the program.
COUNT NAILS TOMORROW
AT BROWN & HAWKINS
- tj
\
The counting of nails will take
place tomorrow, Sunday, morning at
10 o’clock to decide who has won the
beautiful velvet upholstered armchair
at Brown & Hawkins.
CAME ON MARIPOSA
The following were incoming pas
sengers from the places printed be
fore their names on the Mariposa this
morning:
From Seattle: Mrs. Stella Gibbs,
0. 0. Melvin, W. Bader, T. B. Gal
braith. From Juneau: D. Fowler,
G. C. Frame.
From Cordova: P. Sherman, W. B.
Phin, E. Shlow. From Valdez: Fred
Collings, Prof. R. Davis and wife,
Miss Lucy Hon. From Latouche: R.
H. Dobson and four steerage.
The name of John Kacer may be
seen on the outgoing passenger list
of the Mariposa, and this is nothing
less than the name under which John
nie Kacerosky will reach the summit
of fame. The Nie Osky is consider
ed unnecessary.
DELAY REPLY TO WILSON
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—An early reply by the bel
ligerent governments to the Wilson note is believed to be
unlikely. Officials still express the belief that the note’s
official reception in the warring nations will be more
friendly than published reports indicate.
CAPTURE RUSSIANS
BERLIN, Dec. 23.—The latest from Dobrudja is that
the Teutons are still advancing. Nine hundred Russians
were captured yesterday. Other fronts are reported
quiet.
BRITISH TAKE TURKISH TOWN
LONDON, Dec. 23.—The British have captured the
strongly fortified town of El Arish ninety miles east of
Suez. This town has been held by the Turks for two
! years and they had prepared to remain there but now they
have been forced to retreat from it and some distance to
the eastward.
ARTILLERY AT MONASTIR
PARIS, Dec. 23.—The intense artillery fighting took
11 place at Monastir last Thursday and continues to some
i extent yet. No infantry assaults have taken place be
cause of the unfavorable climatic conditions. _
i
BERLIN WELCOMES WILSON NOTE
BERLIN, Dec. 23.—A tremendous welcome has
greeted the peace note of President Wilson here. The
most favorable impression has been made by it in official
circles and the newspapers all feature the message in big
type. The proposals for peace discussion made by the
chancellor had almost been forgotten, smothered by the
unfavorable reception accorded it by the Entente govern
ments, but the American message has revived interest of
a keener kind than ever.
GERARD INTERVIEWED
BERLIN, Dec. 23.—Gerard, the Ameriran ambassa
dor, arrived today and was at once besieged by interview
ers who desired a statement regarding the note sent by
President Wilson. The ambassador refused to talk on the
subject but expressed the hope that a way will be found
leading to peace.
LONDON GETS INTERESTED
LONDON, Dec. 23.—The deepest interest was mani
fested here in the probable manner in which President
Wilson’s note would be received in Germany and now all
the dispatches from Berlin indicate that the German peo
ple have received it with real enthusiasm. It is also evi
dent that the Germans wish to have all the Entente argu
ments discussed officially as a preliminary to a general
discussion.
1
TEMPS SAYS WILSON MISTAKEN
PARIS, Doc. 23—The Temps, a journal carrying the
greatest political weight, says that the United States
cabinet neglected to weigh the real evidence regarding the
war before the note was sent by President Wilson. The
fundamental error, says the Temps, made by the Ameri
can president was the failure to pass upon the initial re
sponsibility for the war.
BRITISH TO BUILD SHIPS
LONDON, Dec. 23.—The premier is now working on
a program for the building of a large number of big
standardized government steamers for carrying cargoes.
The loss of merchantmen has become so great that mer
chant shipping is regarded as one of the vital problems of
the war.
RUSSIANS IN GREAT DANGER
BERLIN, Dec. 23.—The Teuton vice on both sides of
the Danube is now gravely imperilling the Russians in
northern Dobrudja. The Teutons are sweeping towards
Braila and Galatz at the northern extremity of the Dan
ube and may cut olF the retreat of the Russian army en
tirely. South of the Danube in northern Dobrudja our
troops are pressing the Russians towards the great
marshes that exist in that region and one of the most im
portant victories of the war may result.
STEAMER KANSAN MINED
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—Consul General Skinner,
representing the United States at London port, reports
that a mine has badly damaged the American steamer
Kansan but he is unable to give a detailed report of the oc
currence. '
- FOOD RIOTS IN DRESDEN
LONDON, Dec. 23.—Serious food riots occurred in
Dresden on the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth of
this month and troops had to be called out to aid the police
in quelling the disturbances. On the last day named
crowds of women raided the shops and several were ar
rested for using insulting language about the king.
- j
RUSSIANS ADMIT RETIREMENT
PETROGRAD, Dec. 23.—It is officially reported that
super Teutonic forces have attacked the entire allied
front in Dobrudja and that the Russians and Roumanians
have been forced to retire to the northward. Some un
easiness is felt in military circles because of the position
of our army in that quarter, backed as it is by marshes
and the great lower sweeps of the Danube. The fighting
in Dobrudja is greater now than at any period since the
invasion of Roumanian territory.