11 ~z . k The Great
• | ALASKAN I ' : 'timS ' ALA1KAN
DAILY | ^ ^ ^ ---
ADVERTISEMENTS i^i RESULTS _ PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY _ _ LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULATION
Z . v «... SEWABD, ALASKA, Tuesday, jam ary 2, 1917. Ten Cents the Copy
\ ol. 10, No. 313 ____ \_ — . -
WAR DEADLOCKED EVERYWHERE
IN EUROPE EXCEPT ROUMANIA
ENTENTE REFUSES PEACE
PARIS, Dec. 31—The reply of the Entente alliance
to the German peace proposal was handed last night to
Ambassador Sharp for transmission to Germany through
the United States. It refuses to consider what it calls the
insincere proposition which is meant by Germany only
as a military maneuvre to secure a German-made peace
and to disturb opinion in the neutral nations. In the re
piy the Entente nations declare that peace is impossible
without reparation and also guarantees lor the freedom
of small states. The note lays the blame on Germany for
the war, reviews the conditions and points to the wrongs
of Belgium which, the note says, has been guaranteed in
\ iolability. The note directs attention also to the speech
of the German chancellor in the reichstag in 1914 when
he pledged Belgium reparation for the shameful German
violation. The reply goes on to declare that Germany
} now offers peace on the basis of the present war map ol
Europe alone, and that this war map represents only a
superficial and passing phase, not the real relative
strength of the belligerents. Peace now would be favor
able only to Germany, the aggressor, the note asserts,
and the failure of Germany to offer reparation or re
stitution removes in advance any basis for negotiations.
*
LONDON" PLEASED
LONDON, Dec. 31.—The British people are in com
plete accord with the reply of the Entente to the German
peace proposals, l'he liveliest satisfaction with the re
ply is expressed by all the newspapers.
GERMANY HAS TERMS READY
^ BERLIN, Dec. 31.—Answering the Entente reply to
the peace proposals Germany announces that it will state
its terms when face to face with the allied representatives.
These terms are now ready, the imperial government de
clares. Heavy fighting is taking place in Transylvania.
The Teutonic forces there have entered entrenched enemy
positions and have pushed forward despite Russian count
ers. The Russians have again been retired along the en
tire Roumanian front.
SUMMARY OF FIGHTING
NEW YORK, Jan. 1.—A summary of the war activi
ties for the past day or two shows the belligerents virtu
ally deadlocked everywhere except in Roumania where
the Teutons are still progressing. Mackensen is still
pushing north in Dobrudja towards the Danube mouths
and his eastern flank has retired the Russians at the
Braila bridgehead. The Teutonic lines are also closer to
the Matchin bridge head opposite Braila. One thousand
Russians were captured yesterday.
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GREECE APPROVES WILSON
ATHENS, Jan. 1.—King Constantine today summon
ed the American minister and communicated to him the
text of the Greek reply to the Wilson note. The reply ap
proves unreservedly of the action of the American presi
dent. . .
c ’
HAIG MADE FIELD MARSHAL
LONDON, Jan. 1. — General Sir Douglas Haig has
been created a field marshal in recognition of his work in
connection with the Somme offensive.
SPAIN THINKS IT USELESS
i MADRID, Dec. 31.—Replying to the note of Presi
dent Wilson the Spanish government expresses the belief
' that intervention at this time in behalf of peace is pre
mature and useless.
BELIEVE CONFERENCE POSSIBLE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31. — Official opinion of the
Entente reply cannot be obtained here. Unofficial opin
~f ion, however, is apparently optimistic that a conference
between the belligerents is yet possible.
\
MONTREAL HAS i
AWFUL HORROR
—
FORTY-SI \ WOMEN CREMATED
WHEN ASYLl’M FOR
IDIOTS lURNEl).
MONTREAL, Jan. 1.—Forty-six
women were cremated on Saturday
night when the St. Ferdinand de Hali
fax asylum for idiots was destroyed
by fire. The place contained a hun
dred and eighty women inmates but
the building was entirely without fire
protection. The temperature was
twenty below zero and the hyurants
vere frozen, so making it impossible j
once again to save property and lives. |
One Sister last her life while heroi- j
rally attempting to aid in the rescue
>f the crazed inmates. The loss ot
property is a hundred thousand dol
lars.
_._ -
KETCHIKAN CHIEF LETS
Gl’N SHOOT PRISONER
KETCHIKAN, Dec. 20.—“Chief of
Police,” Grant, about eight o’clock
yesterday morning while attempting
10 arrest a drunk, shot him with his
revolver through the upper pail of
the left shoulder.” Such was in sub
stance, the first report of the shoot
ing that was brought to the Prog
ressive-Miner office. Oscar Olson,
the man who was shot said that he
remembered nothing. He admits that
lie was under the influence of liquor
yesterday and that the first thing he
remembers is when he woke up in
the city jail where he was given his
supper after having passed the day in
his bed. This morning he was taken
before the municipal magistrate who
fined hi niton dollars and turned him
loose.
At first the story was a revelation
.
An officer taking a shot at a poor
drunk carrying him to jail, keeping
him all day without medical attention
and the next morning bringing him
before the judge and fine him ten
dollars.
This story started the blood boiling
but was followed by an investigation
resulting in the following:
Oscar Olson went into a certain ci
gar store and had some ice cream and
for some reason or other, he was or
dered out. The chief of police said
to Olson that he was too drunk to re-1
main on the street and attempted to
take him to jail. On Olson’s refusal j
to ro quietly, the chief beinR without
usual club, drew his Run and aimed
to hit Olson on the shoulder, but evi-1
dently, his reach failed to land the
blow on the shoulder, the point of the
Run apparently strikinR just below
the top of the left shoulder and was
discharRed.
The chief claims that he was aware
that the Run exploded, but thoupht
nothinR of it and with the help of
another man, took the man to jail.
The man .not complaininR, he kept
THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOEEARS
EOSS BY EODAV’S EIRE J VAEDEZ
ALASKA FOURTH
NOW FMCOPPER
PROnrCTION OF MINERAL NOW
EXCEEDS FIFTY MILLION
I) O L L A K S.
%
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.—The Geo
logical Survey is now preparing a
mineral report for Alaska that will
show the production last year to be
fifty millions nine hundred thousand
The increase over last year exceeds
eighteen millions. One hundred anc
twenty million pounds of copper was
mined and Alaska now stands fourth
as a copper producer.
A. S. S. CO EXPANDS
SEATTLE, Jan. 1.—Aiaska trade
will be greater than ever this year as
a result of the development of mines
and fisheries, says Manager Laxter
of the Alaska Steamship company
which is now planning a great ex
pansion of its northern business. It
is reported that th* company bought
the freighter Stanley Dollar last Sat
urday and will use it on the Alaska
run.
APPLICATIONS FOR POSITIONS
(Alaska Railroad Record)
More than GO,000 applications for
positions are already on tile in tin
Anchorage office of the Commission,
and every mail brings f>0 or more
letters from all parts of the United
States from persons desirous of en
tering the service.
During the winter months, the
working conditions require that tht
forces of all divisions of the project be
reduced to a minimum, and, there
fore, applicants at this time are giver
little encouragement. It has beer:
the policy of the Commission in en
gaging employees to give preference
to residents of the territory anel to
former employees ot satisfactory
record. No elifficulty has so far been
experienced in securing suitable hel}
in Alaska for all branches of the
work, except in a few cases where
technical knowledge or skill is re
quired.
him in jail until he was sober and
brought him before the magistrate,
who, on the plea of guilty of being
drunk, fined him' the above amount.
It is said that it was not until hr
hail returned to his friend that h(
found he had been shot. His friern
immediately took him to a doctor who
dressed the wound.
No evidence could be found tending
to show malicious intent. “It was as
one man said,” perhaps carelessness
but more than that, I cannot see that
the chief is guilty of any crime.’'
This man‘added: “I fail to see thr
necessity for an officer to use his gur
on a mere drunk.—Progressive Mine)
REPULSE FRENCH AT VERDUN
BERLIN, Dec. 31. — The war office announces that
several attempts by the French to regain lost positions at
Verdun have been repulsed.
HARRY LAUDER’S SON KILLED
LONDON, Jan. 1. — Captain John Lauder, son of
Harry Lauder the famous vaudeville performer, has been
killed at the front in France.
k
ORIGIN OF FIRE
IS A MYSTERY
FINK EIDE AND NELSON RESI
DENCES COMPLETELY
DESTROYED
The origin of the fire which de
stroyed the fine residences of Anton
Hide and John Nelson this morning
cannot be accounted for. The fire was
first noticed about five o’clock an<
with a strong wind blowing the work
of saving the buildings was futile.
Roth are now nothing but piles ol
charred debris.
The lire was noticed by Rosie, tin
Nelson maid. At that time the smoki
was coming in to the room where
tin* Nelsons were abed and the flames
were roaring around the southeast
corner of the building. Mr. Nelson
first grabbed a lot of the clothes oi
Mrs. Nelson and got them out. On
returning to the bedroom he foun«
Mrs. Nelson and the children standing
in nightdresses with the smoke s<
thick that when he carried the child
ren out the door he was compelled t
bend low to get the air. Sweeping
to the south the flames caught tht
Eide residence and the fire had reach
ed the room of little Marit when hei
mother got her out.
The Hide house was demolishes
completely but the Nelson house wa;
treated less severely and some of tin
furniture taken out after the fire ha<
been extinguished is still good. Kver
some of the cut glass articles wen
uninjured. Mr. Nelson had a thou
sand dollars insurance and the build
ing is owned by Mrs. Carruthers.
His loss is about four or five thou
sand. Mr. Hide had a two thousand
insurance but the loss is over five
! thousand. The Hides succeeded in
saving nothing but one trunk and the
material loss to them is not greatei
.han the loss of many articles made
valuable by personal and family as
sociations. It is so also with the
Nelsons. The alarm was rung im
mediately and the fire department
quickly got on the scene but the
strong wind and the terribly cold
weather nullified all its efiorts. The
boys of the department and all the
other helpers suffered severely from
the cold and some of them had to
have aid to remove their frozen gar
nents afterwards.
Mr. Nelson says the fire began in
a space under the Summer kitchen at
the back of the house. There was no
lire in the back stove and only a neg
ligible fire in any other stove, and
even then the drafts were turned off
tight. He says no ashes had been put
out for several days and all this adds
to the mystery as to how the fire
•ould have occurred. A strange fact
connected with the occurrence is that
Mrs. Hide had a presentiment or
something unpleasant all day. About
ten o'clock in the evening she tele-*
phoned from downtown and asked
Mr. Nelson to look through his south
window to see if everything was all
right in her own place.
For the benefit of those who do
not live in town it may be said that
the two houses were the ones stand
ing on the east side of Third street
north of Lewell creek, the only two
houses on that side of the street. The
VALDEZ FIRE
VALDEZ, Jan. 2.—An incendiary fire which started
in four different places in the business section caused a
[ conflagration at 4 o’clock this morning that destroyed the
Golden North Hotel, the Arcade Cafe, the big mercantile
establishment of Blum & Company, the Empress Theatre,
the Pinzon Bar and cigar store, Louie’s Cafe, Max
Schmidt’s store, the post office, the Arizona House, the
Alameda House, the Ellis Block, the Haines Sheet Metal
Works and three residences. The estimated loss is three
■lundred thousand dollars which is only partially covered
oy insurance. The fires started in the Alameda House
and Ellis Block, both of which were unoccupied, and also
.n the rears of the Pinzon and Arcade Cafe which are on
die opposite side of the street. The post office building
.vas found afire inside after all danger was supposed past
aid that fire is also believed to have been started by an in
cendiary. One suspect is held by the federal authorities
pending an investigation.
MASQUERADE BALL
A QIC SUCC ESS
The masquerade of the firemen last
Saturday evening was one of the
greatest successes. The costumes
were execeedingly good and clever
and the large crowd felt in fine form.
Mrs. Hide secured the prize for tin*
1 jest dressed lady and Mr. Taigue for
the best dressed gentleman. The full
list of prize winners is not at hand
as this is written but it is remember-j
3i\ that Heine Haasch as an Italian
>rgan-grinder received a richly do
served reward. Miss Vida Rich wa>
a prize winner as Charlie Cb olin,
. I
Mrs. KUsworth. Miss Alice Hickey.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Mr. John
Xelson, and several others whose j
names do not occur in a hurry with-,
out the aid of the list were also win
ners. A funny part of the perform
ance came, when Mr. Frank Rallaino
\
went up with a door ticket for a lad>
and received as a prize a free supply
of water from his own company. Mr.
Virgil Rich and Miss Kvelyn Carlson
won first prize as waltzers. The
whole town was there and had a royal
time.
FACTS ABOUT THE
POPULATION OF ALASKA
According to the census report ol
1010 the total population of Alaska at
that time was 64,456. This is an;
average of about one person to every
ten square miles of territory. At the
time of the cession of the territory
from Russia, in 1867, the total popu
lation was estimated at 30,000, of
which two-thirds were natives. In
1880 the population was estimated at
33,426; in 1890, 32,452; in 1900, 63,
592, of which approximately 48 per
cent were white, 46 per cent natives
and 6 per cent Japanese and Chinese.
In 1890 the pure-blooded natives were
estimated at 23,531, of whom 6,000
were Haidas, Thlingets or other na
tives of the coastal region, 1,000
Aleuts, 3400 Athapascans and 13,100
Eskimos.
Eido house had been built only a year
or so. The loss to the two families
of their homes caused a depressed
feelinp all over town today and also
caused an uneasiness which is very
i apparent.
MESSAGES DELAYED —
BY VALDEZ I IKE
The cable office was menaced by
the fire at Valdez this morning and
the .staff thought it advisable to re
move the instruments so that mes
sages were not received this morn
ing. At noon came the first message,
the one telling of the tire. As this
is written at 1:20 p. m. No outside
messages had come but those which
were received on Sunday and yester
day have been printed. In reading
the outside messages in the Gateway
today it might be advisable to take
note of the dates as the messages for
the three days may possibly apnear
in this issue.
WOM AN’S ( LI B MKKTS
•
The Woman’s Club of Seward meets
January 8 at van Gilder Hall. Busi
ness meeting and program; Training
for Citizenship, Chap XXIl-XXYL in
clusive. Review and discussion led
by Mrs. Hill. “The Spirit of India”
—Mrs. Sexton. “Two Historic Isl
ands of the Levant”—Mrs. Sloan.
“The Work of the Fabians”—Mrs.
Sauers. “Democracy and a Daisy
Chain”—Mrs. Baughman.
ALASKA SEALS Ml’LTIPLY
RAPIDLY; WILL KILL 1917
The seal herds on the Pribilof
islands in Bering sea have increased
so rapidly since killing of seals was
prohibited that the government will
begin killing seals regularly this year,
according to H. J. ChristofTer, assist
ant agent for the U. S. bureau of
fisheries, who has returned to Seattle
from an inspection trip to the islands.
Mr. ChristofTer made the trip on
the steamer Elihu Thompson, with
winter supplies for the islands. The
Thompson took to Seattle 7.000 seal
skins killed to supply food for the
'natives on the islands. The skins will
be shipped to St. I^ouis where the
government will sell them at auction.
I-Ex.
—
HORACE DELINE RESIGNS
Horace DcLine has resigned his
position ns special disbursing officer
with the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission and is groins back to Valdez
to take up his old position in the
United States marshal’s office.
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