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PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY _LARGEST ALASKAN CIRCULATION
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VoL „ No .. SEWARD. THE GATEWAY TO ALASKA. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12. 1914._____Ten ( ent. the C»pr
POLISH FIGHT STILL RAGES
* BATTLING YET FOR POSSESSION OF WARSAW
SAYS GERMAN
TACTICS FAIL
P ETROG R A I> COR R ESPODENT
SAYS Tl'RNING MOVEMENTS
END IN NOTHING.
PARIS, Dec. 12.—The Petrograd
correspondent of the Paris Matin
wires his paper that the German tact*
* ic* in Poland which consisted in turn
ing the Russian right wing at Lowicz
and at the same time completing a
similar maneuvre on the extreme left
on the river Donajec have completely
failed. He declares that this failure
has reduced the Germans to the neces
sity of making bloody and useless
frontal attacks on the Russian center.
His story on the whole shows that the
enemy has by no means accomplished
the great things which have been re
ported and that the Russians are still
in a position to engage in a general
battle which may yet result in com
pelling the invaders to retreat once
more towards their own borders. He
reports the German losses to be of
such frightful nature as to make it
seem impossible that they can keep
up the struggle in their present situa
tion.
CITY COUNCILMAN GKTS
A SALARIED POSITION.
Councilman “Fat" Hew’itt was put
on as nightwatchman by the city coun
cil last night in the place of Mr. Tal
lason who had been acting tempora
rily for a certain reason.
WOMEN AND
PROHIBITION
YEA AND NAY VOTES WILL BE
TAKEN IN HOUSE ON BOTH
QUESTIONS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.—Yea and
nay votes in the house on special rules
for the consideration of proposals to
submit woman suffrage and prohibi
tion questions for constitutional
amendment was assured by the
action taken by the rules committee
today. The prohibition question will
be brought up in the house on Novem
ber 22 and after the disposal of it the
question of woman suffrage will be
taken up. The prohibition rule was
voted out unanimously that provided
eight hours for general debate. The
^ rule for the vote on the woman suf
frage was voted out by four to three.
The minority were all democrats.
WANT SEWARD TO HELP.
In a letter from the city counci! of
Fairbanks to the Gateway the request
is made that this city aids in raisin?
money for the American Red Cross
fund for the aid of the sick and
wounded and Europe. In the same
message, however, the letter states
that the Germans in Alaska have in
stituted a German Red Cross fund and
the letter warns those who want to
subscribe to the American Ped Cross
that the German Red Cross is a dif
ferent matter and vice versa.
Suggestive Xmas Presents, Cultery,
Silverware. Tabourettes, Smokers
Stands, Rifles, Furniture, etc., Brown
A Hawkins. “Quality flr~t”
DUTCH SEIZE SHIPS
WITH GERMAN GOODS
| Serious Occurrence Takes Place
Which May Involve
Holland
AMSTERDAM Dec. 12.—All Hol
land is excited today by the news that
the Dutch authorities have seized
fifteen river steamers at Hansweert
which contained grain and other kinds
of supplies which the Germans were
attempting to smuggle up to Antwerp
by way of the river Scheldt. The
German authorities contend that the
cargoes were prri’ate property and
the most serious consequences may
ensue unless the government of this
country releases the vessels at once.
To reach Antwerp from the sea it
would be necessary fcr the steamers
to go up the river Scheldt which pass
es through Dutch territory and the
government of Holland declares that
the cargoes were contraband of war
and their carrying through Dutch ter
ritory would mean a violation of Hol
land’s neutrality. Holland has been
forced to the action lest Great Britain
would regard the permission for the
goods to pass as a violation of neu
trality so that this country is be
tween the devil and the deep sea.
Needless to say there is much un
easiness here owing to the proximity
of German armies and the fear that
Germany will take the seizure as an
act of hostility.
TRAGEDY IN HIGH LIFE OR
THE TALE OF A C HIMNEY.
Thrilling Story Showing How Virtue
Is Rewarded In The Town
Of Seward.
Through his attorney Judge Green,
Mayor Boe brought suit yesterday
against George H. Conklin for the
sum of $32.50 but the case never
came to trial as Mr. Conklin paid the
amount and the costs. This ends one
of the most thrilling romances ever
enacted in Seward. The first chapter
in this stirring drama opened with a
deep plot about the giving of the con
tract for the building of the school
house. The second chapter introducen
a chimney and the final tragedy came
when the price of that chimney came
into court.
To review the piece briefly; Mr.
Conklin had the contract for the
schoolt building. When he came to the
conclusion it was found that the build
ing had been provided with no flue.
The council seemed to be divided
equally on the question as to whether
Conklin should build the chimney or
not. Finally it was agreed that he was
to meet half the expenses and the
council he other half.
Now Mr. Conklin, it is said, owed
Mayor Boe a personal debt of $250.
He gave Mr. Boe a check for that
amount and, to make a long story
short, when the mayor went to cash
the check at the Bank of Seward he
found that Mr. Conklin had on de
posit a sum which was $32.50 short
of the amount coming to Boe. This
$32.50 was just exactly the amount
which Conklin had to pay towards the
building of the chimney acording to
the compromise and as the mayor had
voted to make Conklin pay, Mr. Conk
lin is supposed to have been ambitious
to get even with his worship.
FINDS TWO BIT NUGGET
IN THIRD ST. CELLAR.
Frank Nickerson and J. L. Graef
Strike Gold Recently Cnder
Their Buildings.
While digging this afternoon in the
cellar under his house on Third street
Frank Nickerson found a nugget
I worth twenty five cents. Jack Ronan
i did the panning. About a month ago
J. L. Graef, the hardware merchant,
was digging in the cellar under his
; store when he ran into quite a pay
| streak. One pan taken by him had
about twenty cents and he still holds
the gold to show it. In both cases the
gold was found at something like
seven or eight feet below the surface
of the street and in the gravel where
there was no sign of bedrock. Mr.
' Nickerson after finding the nugget
panned quite a bit more but found
nothing else.
The gold found by Mr. Graef is
coarse but flat and apparently well
w'ashed or crushed.
NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE
AGAIN DOING BUSINESS.
General Trading Permitted in One
Hundred and Ninety Two Issues.
NEW YORK, Dec. 12.—The New
York exchange reopened today for
general trading in one hundred and
ninety two issues. These do not in
clude United States Steel and some
important stocks. The floor was
crowded with members and the gal
lery had its full quota of strangers.
The market opened with rush prices
I rising. Most of the trading was in
small blocks and only cash transac
tions were permitted to prevent reck
less speculation.
SERVIANS ONCE
MORE ADVANCE
-
NISH REPORTS EIGHTEEN THOU
SAND AUSTRIANS WERE
CAPTURED.
NISH Dec. 12.—The Servian
government officially announces that
the Servian army has reached the
Kolubara and have crossed that
stream near Valjevo as a consequence
of the defeat of the Austrians in
northwest Servia. Valjevo has been
occupied and the Austrians have re
treated to a considerable distance be
yond. The Servians have also occupied
Lazarevatz in the northern part of
Servian territory and on the whole
have regained a tremendous lot of
ground which had been taken by the
invaders on their march into the coun
try. The government reports that in
the recent fighting the Servian
armies have taken eighteen thousand
prisoners. The Austrian army is re
ported to be continuing its retreat
with the Servians hotly in pursuit.
FRENCH CLAIM
SOMHUCCESS
Germans evacuate west
bank of yser canal and
ALLIES OCCUPY.
PARIS Dec. 12.—The official an
nouncement this morning contains the
information that tho Germans have
evacuated the left bank of the Yser
canal and that the allies have once
more re-occupied it. The left bank
has been occupied on several occasions
by the enemy but each time he has
been forced to fall back. Artillery en
gagements all resulting favorably to
the French have taken place at dif
ferent places along the whole line
from the Belgian border to the Vosges
mountains. Some of the principal artil
lery fights took place near Arras, near
Naan peel in the province of Aisne,
near the forest of Lagrueris, on the
heights of tho Meuse and in the Vos
ges province. The fighting was all
long range work and no real advance
of position was gained but the effect
of the French fire was that several
ho tile guns were put out of action
and many artillerists were killed or
wounded. No infantry attacks are re
ported this morning in any of the
places along the line.
MAIL COMING.
The mail from Iditarod arrived at
at Mile Thirty Four last r.ight and
will arrive in Seward tonight.
ALL PEACEFUL IN
CITY OF MEXICO.
Gutierrez is President and Villa and
Zapata are Bosses of the Military.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.—Mexico
City remains so peaceful since the en
try of Provisional President Gutier
rez that the dispatches coming here
read as tame as if nothing had ever
happened in that republic. Villa and
Zapata are still in command of the
army, Villa being supreme. This ar
rangement will probaly last until Car
ranza is disposed of in one way or
another. The last named is evidently
still holding out obstinately against
the desires of the party in power and
has strong forces as well as posses
sion of important cities.
CORDOVA.—Saken Judas shot and
killed a native named Wassella about
15 miles above Naknek, and shot and
wounded Bandley Kovik, also a native,
at the same time. The natives had
been drinking native beer and were
all more or less intoxicated.
It seems Wassella had been abus
ing the mother of Judas, a boy 12
years of age, and he secured a gun
and shot Wassella through the fore
head, just between the eyes, killing
him instantly. Kovik heard the shot
and was coming to the fish house,
where the shooting occurred, to find
out what was the matter, when Ju
das fired a shot at him wounding him
in the chin. The last shot was made
because the boy was frightened and
not because Kovik or Judas had had
any trrouble. Judas has been bound
over to the district court charged
with murder.
—-- -
Tom Patterson, who is well known
in different parts of Alaska has ar
rived in the city and will leave soon
on a dog team for the Broad Pass dis
trict where he will look over the re
cently discovered ledge. He is a
brother of Dan Patterson who is well
known in Nome and Vale, Oregon.
GENERAL ASSAULT BY
ALLIES SOON COMING
Great Forward Movement Fx
pected To Drive Germans
Out Of France
BELIEVE CRUISER DRESDEN
HIDES IN PATAGONIA
German Ship Which Escaped From
Battle is Still On the Sur
face of Ocean.
VALPARAISO, Dec. 12.—It is re
ported that the German cruiser Dres
den which escaped from the battle oil
the Falkland islands has taken refuge
in un inlet on the Patagonian coast
with the hope of hoodwinking its pur
suers. The waters in the neighborhood
are supposed to be teeming with hos
tile ships in search of her and her
chances of escape are believed to be
very poor. While it is supposed that
she suffered some damage during the
tight, the injuries must not be very
great or she could never have made so
clean a getaway.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
DEFIES ARIZONA.
Refuses to Let Anti-Alien Law Be Ap
plied to Reservation and Forts.
WASHINGTON Dec. 12.—The na
tional government has refused to per
mit the application of the Arizona
anti-alien law to the govemnment re
servations and forts and all other
government property. The United
States has exclusive jurisdiction over
such areas and insists that the state
has no right whatever to make laws
for them whether they aro in the
state or not. The anti-alien law pro
vides that ninety per cent of the em
ployees of factories and individuals
employers must be citizens of the
United States and foreign govern
ments have already protested against
it.
PETROGRAD IS
AGAINWINNING
IS STILL WIELDING THE PEN
THAT IS MIGHTIER THAN
THE SWORD.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 12.—The Ger
man front has been pierced in two
places between Czestochowa and
Przemysl resulting in the severing
of the communication between the dif
ferent columns of the Germans oper
ating in those places. In the meantime
the Germans are making night and
day attacks on the Russian positions
betwen Lowicz and the river Vistula
and strong German reinforcements
are constantly arriving at that part
of the battlefield from all other quart
ers of the front with the evident in
tention to force a way to Warsaw by
sheer weighs of numbers. The Rus
sians are reported this afternoon to
be holding their own against the at
tacks with steadfastness and the re
treat has been coverted into a new
general battle in which the enemy may
yet be defeated and driven backward.
LONDON Dec. 12.—'That the as
saults being delivered now in spots by
the allies against the lines of the en
enemy is the forerunner of one tremen
dous general assault along the whole
line of battle to drive the Germans
out of France is the opinion of mili
tary experts and of all the people gen
rally. The renewed activities in
France on the part of the allies ar«.
very extensive but they have not yet
attained the dimensions of a general
assault. Berlin is already speculating
as to whether the allies are not now
beginning to take advantage of Ger
many’s pre-occupation in the great
Russian struggle by making a gener
al movement designed to push back
the German lines. Already the Ger
mans are being pushed back here and
there as if the allies were bent on
making movements of the nature of
tests to ascertain whether the Ger
mans have been weakened materially
by the withdrawal of large forces to
[ the eastern battlefields. It is un
doubtedly a fact that several Ger
man positions have been taken within
the past few days and it is evidently
the intention of the allied generals to
give the enemy no time while they
are hard pressed by the Russians in
Poland. It is generally conceded that
I if the Germans compel the Russians
to evacuate Warsaw the Germans
will be able to detach large forces for
service in France and Belgium.
BRITAIN IS STRONGEST
IN A FINANCIAL SENSE.
Owing to Her Foreign Investments
All Countries are Paying
Her Expenses.
STOCKHOLM, Dec. 10.—The
Svenska Dagbladet publishes a report
of Professor Gustav Sassel, a nation
al authority, on “Financing the War!”
He says in part:
“Those countries which are big
creditors of tho neutrals havo nat
urally a special strength in war time,
in that maturing liabilities are readily
taken up. This is most distinctly seen
in the case of England, which under
normal circumstances invests between
$60,000,000 and $75,000,000 per month
abroad, this being the normal form
for the application of the surplus of
England's balance against foreign
countries. Should England now, as
might be the case, cease to make these
investments the corresponding amount
would stand at her monthly disposal.
“This explains the excellent finan
cial strength of England just now.
England i3 the capitalist par excel
lence who can live on the returns of
her capital, and who, thanks to her
resources, can force the whole world
to contribute towards her war ex
penditure."
MANY BRITISH MARRAGES.
LONDON, Dec. 11.—One of the de
velopments of the war is the increase
in the marriage rate in Great Britain.
The last quarterly report, just made
public, shows a rate 3.1 per thousand
above that of the same period last
year. This is the highest rate recorded
for any three months period since
1906.
REFUSE TRUCE
AT CHRISTMAS
SOME OF THE POWERS TURN
DOWN PROPOSAL OF POPE
i BENEDICT.
ROME Dec. 12.—The Vatican an
nounced today that the efforts of Pope
Benedict to v~.uin a truce amongst
the warring nations during Christmas
has failed owing to the opposition of
certain of the powers enngaged. The
names of the powers refusing the re
quest have not been mentioned but
but they are sure to be learned soon.
About half the people of the European
nations engaged in the war are catho
lics who regard the pope as their
spiritual head but it is said that even
some of the most catholic powers
have declined to accept the pope’s pro
posal. Pope Benedict is declared to
have appealed particularly to King
Albert and the Emperor Francis
Joseph who are strong members of
vhe church. He also appeals to Emper
or William, about quarter of whose
subjects are catholics. The French
government since the vsar has shown
more friendship than usual towards
the Vatican and the French people
have been so affected religiously by
the sorrows of the conflict that they
are turning to the church more strong
ly than ever but for military reasons
some of the powers have decided that
a truce would be disadvtntagcous to
them and Christmas day will prob
ably witness the same slaughter as
any ordinary one.
REPULSED THEM
SAY RUSSIANS
PETROGRAD REPORTS GERMANS
DRIVEN BACK IN MANY
PLACES.
PETROGRAD, Dec. 12.—It is offici
ally announced this morning that in
the region of Mlawa in Poland several
fierce attacks of the Germans were re
pulsed and that the Russians have
again taken the offensive against col
umns of the enemy which are retiring
in disorder. According to the accounts
from the front the Russian forces have
now occupied good positions which
may enable them to foil completely
the German plan to take Warsaw. In
the region north of Lowicz the Ger
mans delivered attacks which can only
be described as ferocious but in all
cases they have been repulsed with
frightful losses. Whole divisions of
Germans are being thrown en masse
against the Russian positions one after
the other in a desperate effort to break
down resistance and force the Rus
sians to continue their retirement but
so far these attempts have met with
absolutely no success. The German
forces descending from the north are
reported to have been brought to a
complete standstill. South of Cracow
the Russian offensive is being success
fully continued and has not been af
fected in the least by the retirement
of the Russians in Russian Poland.
The bombardment of Cracow has been
delayed to some extent but it is hop
ed that the city will be soon invested.
MAIL COMING
The interior mail left Mile Thirty
Four at 2 o’clock this afternoon.