VOL. 2. NO. 68.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1917.
PRICE TEN CENTS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—A movemtent is <jn fqot in
Washington to have a joint congressional party visit Alaska
this coming summer, for the purpose of inspecting the work on
the government railway line and to examine into the require
ments in the way of more power for the Alaska legislative as
sembly. Secretary of the Interior Lane is in favor of the idea
and will be a member of the party if his duties will permit him
to leave his office for a sufficient length of time. Commission
ers Edes and Mears, of the Alaskan Engineering Commission,
are advocating the plan. At a conference held yesterday after
pn, to discuss the matter, there were present U. S. Senator
Key Pitman of Nevada, chairman wf the senate committee on
territories; Congressman Houston of Texas, chairman of the
house committee on territories; Delegate Wickersham, of Alas
ka; E. C. Hughes, a member of the Seattle Chamber of Com
merce, and Falcon Joslyn, the Fairbanks railway man. All ex
pressed themselves as being in favor of the idea.
WICKERSHAM PREPARING RESOLUTION.
As an outcome of the meeting, Delegate Wickersham is
busy today drawing a joint resolution which he will introduce
ih the congress, providing for the appointment of the congres
sional committee. The resolution will provide for the appoint
ment of six members, three from the senate and three from the
house, to be chosen from the senate a^d house committees on
territories, public lands, merchant gttaine and fisheries.
fche tentative itinerary of the jarty will be to come to
Alaska on one of the regular passenger fteamers. Arriving at
Anchorage, the party will remain for quite a time, inspecting
the railway work, the agricultural possibilities of the Mata
nuska valley, possibly ipake a brief trip to the Matanuska coal
fields abd the Willow creek gold cafitp. Departing from An
chorage, the party will go to Fsirbp^ks, via Cordova, taking
autos at Chitina and going over the wagon road.
Alaskaps here believe that the congressional committee,
accompanied by Secretary Lane, will be of vast benefit to the
territory, in that the solons and the secretary could gain first
hand information with respect to the boundless resources of
Alaska.
ON SWISS FRONTER
LONDON, Jan. 19.—Swiss newspapers assert that masses
of German troops are concentrating near the Swiss frontier.
General Basil, of the Swiss general staff, is convinced that an
invasion of Switzerland is contemplated by the German army,
; in order to reach France from that quarter. In anticipation of
this German move, the allies are preparing for the invasion of
Switzerland, by sending troops to Alsace, the logical point of
attack from Switzerland.
NINETEEN VESSELS SUNK BY RAIDER.
LONDON, Jan. 19.—Seven additional allied vessels have
been sunk by the German sea raider in south Atlantic waters,
according to an announcement made by the British admiralty
today. This thakes 19 allied ships that are known to have
been destroyed by the raider. All of the destroyed vessels were
laden with food supplies from South American ports and were
en route to France and England.
RAIDER FLEW DANISH FLAG.
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 19.—It is now believed that the Ger
man sea raider that is raising havoc with allied commerce in
south Atlantic waters ran the British blockade flying the Dan
ish flag.
UNITED STATES LEADS ALL NATIONS
IN THE rifLuE OF FARM PRODUCTS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—The department of ag
riculture, in a bulletin issued today, announces the
value of farm products in the United States for the
year 1916 as being thirteen and a half billion dollars.
This is the greatest value of farm products produced in
a single year by any other nation in existence, far sur
passing all former records made by this country.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—Gold
and silver production in America for
1916 fell below 1915, according to re
ports made public today. The de
creijjSe was over $8,000,000 for gold
Mid 2,000,000 ounces of silver. The
19l6.q>roduction according to mint of
ficials was: Gold $92,316,000, silver,
72,863/400 ounces.
California leads with a gold pro
duction of over $22,000,000.
Colorado is second with over $19,
000,000 and Alaska is third with $16,
240,300.
SEATTLE, Jan. 19.—The suit of
Oliva D. Larsen against Robert S.
McMillan, an Iditarod mining man,
is on in the superior court here. The
woman is suing the mine operator for
$50,000 for breach of promise. Ken
neth Mackintosh is the presiding
l. judge. Among the witnesses are
former Senator John Ronan and W.
R. Jamieson, a former Juneau news
£gpper man.
Oie A. E. C. is furnishingJJw elec-1
trie lights for the Sourdough Carnival
free of charge.
?
MOONEY TRIAL
ON IN FRISCO
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 19.—That
Mooney and Berkmann were the ring
leaders in an anarchist conspiracy
which threatened the life of President
Wilson, was charged by Assistant
District Attorney Cunha, in his open
ing statement to the trial jury, sum
moned for the trial of ’Mooney for
complicity in the bomb outrage in San
Francisco, in which a dozen persons
lost their lives.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—Sherwin
L. Whipple, a noted trial lawyer, has
been invited by the rules committee to
act as counsel in the leak investiga
tion.
COAL FAMINE
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 19.—This
city is facing a serious coal famine,
due to the shortage of curs and
steamships to transport the product
from the mines to the markets.
E 428,000 INI 1916
LONDON, Jan. 19.—According to Russian official reports,
the Russian armies captured a total of 428,000 Teutons during
the year 1910.
THROW SCARE INTO NATIVES.
ST. THOMAS, Jan. ID.—Thirty American warships ma
neuvering around off the coast of the Danish West Indies yes
terday caused a near-panic among the native inhabitants of
the islands, which now belong to the United States. t
WASHINGTON.—Alaska’s most fa
vorable season for farming known in
many years occurred throughout the
territory in 1915, according to the an
nual report of the four Alaska agricul
tural experimental stations for that
year, just published by the United
States department of agriculture.
Grain, of all the varieties grown, rip
ened and matured unusually early,
while vegetables and berries produced
abundant crops.
An agricultural reconnaisance of
Matanuska valley, through which the
projected government railway is to
pass, and to which many settlers have
already been attracted, is reported. It
is said that the region is well adapted
to general farming and stock Raising,
and that , the prospects for successful
farming probably are as favorable
there as anywhere in Alaska.
Promising, results were attained
during the year in the development
of hybrid strawberries combining the
hardy characteristics of the native
stock and the quality of fruit of sorts
cultivated in the states. The hybrids,
most of which were developed at the
Sitka station in southeastern Alaska,
have not been distributed because of
the belief that something still better
will be produced in the near future.
Success has been achieved in growing
certain vtfieties of apples in the coast
country, and what is believed to be the
first apple tree to bloom in central
Alaska, 4. Siberian crab, blossomed at
the Rampart station, about 75 miles
' j ' ' a
south of the Arctic circle.
Promising results have been obtain
ed in breeding more prolific early va
rieties of : the grains. Especial suc
cess has been had with spring wheats
and but little with winter varieties of
the grain. Work in breeding strains
of alfalfa better adapted to Alaskan
conditions than those now in use has
been continued. Encouraging growth
was made during the eason with a va-'
riety of vetch which sems to indicate
that this plant will be of considerable
value in Alaskan agriculture. Experi
ments-will be continued.
During the year work was resumed
at Die Kodiak Experiment station fol
lowing the volcanic disturbances of
1912. A recommendation was made
for provision for the crossing of Hol
stein-Friesian cattle with th£ hardy
Galloway beef cattle. The report says
that it has been demonstrated beyond
question that sheep do well on natural
pastures throughout the island and
coastal regions in the vicinity of the
station, and that in normal winters
these animals can maintain themselves
with little feed. •
For the development of a satisfac
tory beef animal for central Alaska
the report recommends anew the im
portation of yaks from Asia for cross
ing with hardy cattle. It is recom
mended that horse breeding be taken
up at the Kodiak station, since at
present none are bred in Alaska, while
many are imported at great expense
from the states.
DANISH WEST INDIES MAY BE RENAMED
dewey isles, to honor late>admiral
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—A joint resolution in
troduced in the congress today by Congressman Allen,
of Ohio, provides for the changing of the name
of the Danish West Indies to Dewey islands, to honor
Admiral Dewey, the hero of the Spanish-American
war, recently deceased. The resolution will undoubt
edly be passed by the congress, as sentiment favors it.
SEATTLE BUNK
CLOSES DOORS
SEATTLE, Jan. 19.—The state
bank examiner today closed the doors
of the Broadway State Bank ot Seat
tle and took possession of its affairs.
The bank is capitalized for $25,000.
WAR COLLEGE
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.—Briga
dier-General Kuhn has been appointed
a member of the war college by Pres
ident Wilson. The general has had a
long and honorable service in the
United States army.
CALEXICO, Jan. 19.—Several days
ago, an aviator attached to the Amer
ican army of invasion in Mexico was
lost and searching parties are scouring
the country round about in quest of
him. Aeroplanes are employed in
the search. Heavy fogs, which are
hanging over this region, are inter
fering with the search.
BILLINGSLEY
TELLING II ILL
SEATTLE, Jan. 19.—Logan Bil
lingsley, the self-confessed bootlegger,
is telling his story to the federal grand
jury. He occupied the greater part
of yesterday and is on the witness
stand again today. District Attorney
Reams is examining him for the gov
ernment. Billingsley’s story of graft
in official circles in Seattle is the talk
of the ctyy. He sensationally impli
cates Mayor Hy Gill, Chief of Police
Beckinghan) and. others in high au
thority, as well as those in lesser po
sitions.
f POSES u;s.
INTERFERENCE
, PITTSBURG, Jan. 19,-Judge Jo
seph Buffington, of the United States
circuit court of appeals, declared
against American interference in an
effort to bring about peace in Europe,
when he introduced former President
Taft, the guest of honor at a dinner
to the League to Enforce Peace, last
night. The judge’s talk was opposed
to the purposes of the league, of which
Taft is president
The Sewapd five will play the Fort
Liscum basketball team at Seward in
the near future.