“Bert Alexander, Longshoreman,”
is the caption of an article written
by Mabel Abbott about the president
of the Pacific Alaska Navigation com
pany, and published in the last num
ber of “The Nation's Business.” The
article tells of the rise of the young
steamship man who now heads the
most powerful transportation com
pany on the Pacific coast. The article
follows:
For a genuinely dramatic episode
in the great moving picture of Amer
ican business, attention is called to
the case of H. F. Alexander, of Ta
coma, Washington, who 22 years ago
was a longshoreman on the Tacoma
docks, is now, at the age of 37, head
of the Pacific Steamship company,
with a $12,0000,000 fleet, and as such,
the dominating figure in Pacific coast
wise shipping from the Arctic circle
to the Tropic of Cancer.
The Pacific Steamship company is a
recent consolidation of the two larg
est companies of the coast, the Paci
fic Coast Steamship company and the
Pacific Alaska navigation company.
The announcement focused the atten
tion of the public on a new and strik
ing figure that has appeared on the
screen of “big business.”
H. F. Alexander is a shipping giant
literally as well as figuratively. He
has big muscles on a big frame. He
moves with the unconscious strength
of an elephant and the lightness of a
cat. It must have been a joy to see
him juggle freight.
He was made a longshoreman in
1893 and 1894—the years that made
a great many people in Tacoma and
elsewhere do things they had not ex
pected to do. Alexander’s father and
grandfather were Harvard graduates,
and the boy was getting ready to fol
low in the path of tradition when the
crash came.
He had to earn money at once. He
had “got his growth” early, and was
as tall at 14 as he is now,—an over
grown youngster, with eyes some
what damaged by too much study. So
he made for the waterfront to sell his
strength.
He was set to trucking in a ware
house at 20 cents an hour, and soon
afterward became a longshoreman on
the wharf outside at 40 cents. He
stayed with the job until things began
to happen, in about the following or
der:
First, when he was 17 years old, he
obtained a place as clerk for a Ta
coma shipping firm.
Three years at this and then an
other position, with the Commercial
Dock company, of Tacoma. In the
same year, he obtained financial back
ing and bought the company, becom
ing its manager. He was made pres
ident when he was 21.
At 26, he had a chance to get an
option on the Alaska Pacific Steam
ship company, which owned two boats
in the Alaska service. The company
was capitalized at $500,000, and he
had two weeks in which to raise
enough money to get control. This
was during the hard times just be
fore the clearing-house certificate
panic. He raised the money from
merchants and shippers and business
men, most of them in Tacoma, and
was made president of that company,
also.
A year after the organization of the
Alaska Pacific, Alexander obtained
control of the Alaska Coast company
and was elected its president.
In 1912 the Pacific Alaska Naviga
tion company was organized as a hold
ing company, with Alexander, as usu
al, as president. The combined fleet
I became the “Admiral Line.”
Meanwhile, though the career of
, the young shipping wizard was at
' tracting the attention of all who un
j derstood the coastwise situation, he
j was not taken as seriously by all his
| townspeople as by the few who had
j the vision and the courage to back
I him. After all, he was only “Bert
! Alexander,” former longshoreman, a
boy whom they had seen grow up
along the waterfront and organize
companies “on a shoestring.” What
| chance had he with the old hands at
the transportation game ?
“They’ll eat him alive,” was the
: concensus of opinion.
However, the Admiral Line was not
eaten alive. It prospered and became
| famous for certain specific things
I Meals were one of them, and a pa;i
\ ticular and personal kinu of courtesy
was another.
Courtesy is the.', Alexander trade
mark. He has written a set of vari
ations on the theme which is worth
copying. It is printed on the menu
cards of the Admiral line, and also
hangs, framed, in the company’s of
fice.
Of the practical value of this prin
ciple, Mr. Alexander says, “It was
the go-to-hell policy of some of the
old companies that really made it
possible for us to butt in. They
went on the principle that if a man
wanted to send some freight to Alas
ka and they happened to have the
space, they’d take the freight; if not,
it didn’t make much difference. We
go on the principle that we’ll get his
freight up for him some way.”
Kis office in Tacoma overlooks the
docks where he trundled a truck 22
years ago. Only a little way down
the bay, the warehouses and wharves
of the first company he headed, the
Commercial Dock company, and of
che Pacific Alaska Navigation com
pany and the Pacific Coast Steamship
company, out of which the bigger con
cern with the simpler name has
grown, die end to end along a mile or
so of waterfront.
“From Nome to San Diego,” he
told a reporter who asked him the ex
tent of the new line, “—but we won’t
stop there.”
PjD^OOlOTOTOTOTOTO’oroo.OlO.aoToTOTOTOTOlOTOTOlC
NORTHERN
TRANSFER
COMPANY
CORNER FOURTH & D.
PHONE 47-Y.
C. P. PEDERSON, Mgr.
Pioneer Sheet
Metal Works
-—
YUKON STOVES
— AND —
j HEATERS
Corner Fifth and C Sts.
Anchorage • • Alaska
' AT THE EMPRESS.
Thursday and Friday, December 1
and 8, the Empress theatre will pre
sent a drama, comedy and Pathe News
all on one program.
| Pathe News first on the program,
l will show the American Derby with
I the usual exciting scenes at the race
[ track; citizen sailors, women garden
ers and destructive floods, which take
many lives. Following the Pathe of
fering, “The Builder of Bridges,” a
photo dramatization of the play bj
Alfred Sutro, replete with dramatic
action and enhanced by the widened
range of artistic scenic effects, will be
featured.
A Keystone comedy entitled, “The
High Spots on Broadway," complete
this very amusing and entertaining
program.
See Bartholf for that new harness,
Call between 5th and 6th, near C. St,
21
Dry and Green Wood for sale. All
lengths. Delivered any amount any
place in town. Reasonable prices.
Eureka House.
Make the Rainbow Creek Roar
House your first night stop out of An
chorage for the outside. Fine ac
commodations. Dog kennels. 81
DANCE
I
Boys bring your best girl Saturdaj
! night, Robarts hall. 12i
| .
; Diamonds, Lord Jeweler. 10?
-:
BELL’S PLACE, 831 4th Ave.
| Denver Rooming
House
Say, Boys, we keep warm all
night. Rooms, spring beds.
Everything new and clean.
BEDS, 50c.
WOOD
WOOD
WOOD
DRIED WOOD —ALSO GREEN WOOD
THE VERY, BEST THAT THE COUNTRY (MX
PRODUCE—SOLD AT RETAIL OR CARLOAD LOTS.
Sizes 8 or 16-foot, or 12, 14, 16 inches or any length desired.
PRICES VERY MODERATE.
See Me At Once For“Your Winter Supply.
MILO M. JONOVICH.
EUREKA HOUSE Box 1602 Anchorage.
The House
of
Clean Sport
ROBARTS’ BILLIARD
AND
DOWLING PARLORS
P. O. OPPOSITE.
THE COOK INLET
1 TRANSFER CO.
WOOD AND ICE
A SPECIALTY.
MARIUS BENSON
Mgr.
©®SXS®®®®S)®(SXs)®®®SXs)®(sXS®®gi®®®'
Central Barber Shop
Modern Equipment Throughout
New Sanitary Bathroom in
Connection.
417 4th Avenue.
PERSONAL SHOPPING BY MAIL
'T'HE items in Women’s and Chil
^ dren’s Wear, and Men’s Haber
dashery, that cannot be obtained from
j your home merchant may be ordered
from us, and will be sent POSTAGE
PAID to any Alaska address reached
, by U. S. Mail.
During the Holiday Season, as at all
'■ times, we shall be glad to study your
wishes in the selecting of Gifts, and in
properly packing and mailing them to
your friends. Let us send you the lat
est issue of our Mail Order News.
Address Mail Order Department “A”
FKEDERICK&NELSON
SEATTLE
H. W. NAGLEY
General Merchandise
< ►
SITSITNA, ALASKA J
Branch Stores:
Mc.DOUGALL
TALKEETNA 1
STRYE PHOTO STUDIO
(Next to Empress Theatre.)
Your PHOTO makes a nice
Xmas gift, appreciated by all.
Also the latest Photo Frames.
Photos Enlarged to any size.
We Do Kodak Finishing.
Develop, 13c. Prints, 3c up.
®®®®SX®XS®SXsXS®®S)€XS)<sX9(s>®®®®®®W
Butts’ Parlor
FOURTH, BET. G AND H.
Hot Chocolate,
Hot Malted Milk.
Fox Oyster Cocktails.
Hot Fox Famous Clam
Nectar.
Hot Beef Tea.
Reasonable Trices and a ^
Square deal to Everybody. |jl
Umjerene ciene t dobra ^
podvorba svakomu jednako. jpj
Wood Undertaking Co..
FUNERAL, DIRECTORS
LICENSED EMBALMERS
Anchorage Matanuska
Read The Daily Times and be an
tnchoraer booster.
a SEIDENVERG
527 FOURTH AVENUE
THE BALANCE OF OUR $30,000 STOCK MUST BE SOLD AT
Cost between Now and Dec.15. Building Sold. Must Vacate.
A FEW OF OUR PRICES:
:q:oioio:o:oio:o:o;q:oio:oioio:oio:q:oioioio:oioioioioioioi
1 FLANNEL WOOL SHIRTS.
Regular $5.50, Sale Price.$4.00
Regular $4.50, Sale Price . $3.00
Regular $3.50, Sale Price ..$1.75
Regular $2.50, Sale Price ..$1.10
Regular $5.50 Filson Stag Shirt, Sale Price ...$4.00
Mammoth Mittens, Reg. $1.50, Sale Priee .90c
Lined Mittens, Regular $1.50, Sale Price.75c
Canvas Gloves, two pair for.,.15c
Sox, All Wool, Regular 75c, Sale Price.50c
Sox, All Wool, Regular 25c, Sale Price.15c
COMFORTERS.
Regular $5.00, Sale Price.$2.75
Regular $8.00, Sale Price..$4.75
Regular $2.00, Sale Price .$1.25
LINED FUR CAPS.
Regular $1.50, Sale Price.90c
Regular $1.25 Toques. 65c
$4.00 Pilsou Parkas, Sale Price.$2.75
Ties, Regular 75c, Sale Price.35c
500 Pair Shupacs, Eureka Red Sole, Sizes'll,
32, Sale Price.$1.75
Regular $5.50 Pacs, Sale Price.$4.50
Regular $1.50 Rubbers.$1.00
Regular $3.75 Arctics .$2.75
MACKINAW COATS.
Regular $12.50, Sale Price.$7.50
Regular $9.00, Sale Price.$6.00
Regular $7.50, Sale Price. $5.00
Double Sheet Blankets, Reg. $2.00, Sale Price $1.25
All Wool Blankets, Regular $8.00, Sale Price $5.50
Double Heavy W.eight Blankets, Reg. $?>, . $1.90
ALL WOOL UNDERWEAR
O
o
o
c
D
c
b
Regular $5.00 a Suit, Sale Price. $2.75
Regular $4.50 a Suit, Sale Price . $2.50
Regular $3.50 a Suit. Sale Price.$2.25
Regular $3.00 a Suit, Stile Price.$1.75
Cotton, Regular $1.50 Suit, Sale Price.90c
| X- A Thousand Other Things Too Numerous to Mention. Fixtures For Sale |
H. SEIDENVERG, 527 Fourth Ave. Bet. E and F