THE NOME NUGGET
AN INDEPENDENT NEW8PAPER.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY—EVERY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
Q E O. 8. MAYNARD.. Sole Owner and Publisher.
Entered as Secend Class Matter, at the peetoffice at Name, Alaska,
Under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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FA LL A CIOUH VOXSBRVATIO N
In a timely communication printed elsewhere in the present i*=ue,
a correspondent calls attention to some of the features of the new federal
game regulations, which are of a character to warrant more than passing
attention, and asks who made them and upon what knowledge of essential
restrictions they are based.
Like him we would like to know who did, for, viewed from th«
standpoint of the average Alaskan, it is in some respects one of the most
uncalled for of all the numerous asinine things that Washington bureau
cracy has inflicted upon the territory in the name of conservation and
protection. *? J
As the writer points out. the new regulations prohibit shooting
foxes and other fur bearing animals with firearms of any character, but
allows full liberty in the use of traps, excepting only the device known as
the ’‘klips,” bear traps, or others with a jaw spread of more than eight
inches. Just why the killing of fox. inink. martin, otter, beaver and other
land fur bearing animals by means of firearms is forbidden, is« difficult
to understand. According to men who know the fur business, not one
in twenty foxes taken in this section of Alaska during the past ten years
was shot, altho many thousands were captured.
This in itself appears a most conclusive argument that the use of
firearms does not threaten their decimation to the same extent as traps.
As far as we are able to learn by inquiry among those who know, the
rame thing applies to practically every other fur bearing animal found in
♦he district; hence we may well wonder what in the name of common
eence dictated such restrictions. If it was aimed at conservation, where
does It conserve, since experience has shown that traps are a thousand
times more deadly than guns? Considered from the humanitarian stand
point. the regulation is equally absurd. Is it not better to kill by means
which act quickly, than to subject an animal to long hours, or perhaps
days, of agony in the clutch of a trap s cruel grip? You may not shoot
a fox, for instance, but you are given full authority to torture him to
death in a trap. Or. if he survives that, you can slowly club him into
dissolution if you will, but dare not send him to instant death with n
bullet through his brain.
It is also a moot question as to why dogs are barred frqm use in
the pursuit of fur bearers. Does some one back in Washington concieve
in wondrous wisdom that the use of dogs threatens their extinction?
Even when there were no fantastic regulations lo prevent, we never heard
of even a chechicko hunter who made a practice of using dogs to hunt
fur animals. Down in the timber belt, below the Yukon they may
occasionally employ dogs in pursuing fur game, but so far as we have heard
they are of little use. save in deer and hear hunting. One thing is
certain and that is that among the vast number of fur animals killed in
the territory before the parlous days-of conservation were thrust upon
ns by far away wiseacres, very few were brought lo an untimely end by
the use of dogs. So far as can be discerned the clause serves no other
purpose but to display how little was known about Alaska game conditions
by those who framed It.
The continuous open season on rabbits and hares Is another feature
of the law that is open to criticism As our correspondent suggests,
there are none to many in the country. Furthermore they are until for
food during a large part of the spring and summer. Were this not the
case the continuous open season provided by the new regulations would
certainly result in their Bpeedy extermination.
Whoever framed the provisions referred to, did so with apparently
no knowledge of the conditions obtaining in Alaska or what past ex
perience has shown with respect to the use of guns and dogs. h i,
true that the restrictions imposed will work no great harm to the fur
hunter, but why draw restrictions unles. an abuse exists or ts threatened
What is the sense of permitting a hunter to set out a thousand traps if
he desires and bar him from killing a single animal with a gun when it
ha. been amply demonstrated long ago that the gun is far less deadly
than the trap? If We are to be allowed to kill fur animals at all, why
not in the way that is most humane. It may be argued that animals
might be wounded and get away, but any hunter will tell you of dozens
Of instances in which their trap caught game has escaped, cruelly lacerated
and generally minus a paw, frequently as a result of the pain and fear
frenzied animal gnawing off Its limb, broken and shattered in the crushing
Flip, of the trap.
As our correspondent points out. whatever maybe the intvti. of
these restrictions, they are plainly not of a character to receive the op
proval of the sourdough and are likely not to meet with more than
scant observance, inasmuch as he knows by experience that their in.
ft'ingement will do far less harm to the fur resources than things that the
law permits. Conservation is fine and frequently necessary, but why
clutter up the law with unnecessary restrictions in pursuit of that coni
mendable object. To do so is only to bring into disrepute the laws that
impose them and result in surreptitious law breaking which might be
avoided through the use of a little knowledge and common sense by their
promulgators.
The Holiday season will shortly he with us. and it now behoove*
our wide atvake merchants to begin to plan their window displays and
arrange their advertising material, s> that the busy housewife can mak >
ber purchases to better advantage.
Editorial Views of Alaska]|Newspapers
SEEK AND VK SHALL Fl\l>
(From Fairbanks News Miner)
Again today comes Ol' Wilbur
creek, prospected for years and stak
ed on both sides from the center of
the creek to the summit of the di
vide. and registers further proof
that “gold is where you find it.”
Out of a 10-foot hole they took $80.
If John O'Connor could get a con
tract to dig 10-foot holes at $80
per. he would own the First National
Hank of Our Town in less time than
it takes to tell it.
Every creek in the Camp is a
“Wilbur" creek, if you only knew it.
And with the coming of the rail
road's completion in April. the
cheapening of supplies and mining
and the influx of working men.
“Wilbur!" will be the watchword of
the prospectors, just as was "Excel
sior" the watchword of the half
baked kid who passed the warm
cheeked maiden on the mountain,
refused to consider her invitation to
stick around a while, continued to
skelp the rise and froze to death
for his reward. That "Excelsior”
stuff is all right to teach kids, by
precept, but the "Wilbur” stuff has
it outclassed in the matter of worth
while returns.
Whenever you stop on the moun
tainside to think about it. the suc
cessful miners of the world always
DII) find their fortune at the bot
tom of the LAST hole they sunk,
and they kept on sinking holes un
til they landed at the bottom of the
right one They tell us that the
prospector has gone from the lan<l.
but the Wilbur creek and the Koko
mo creek finds show ti» that he is
still here to some extent, and entire
ly of the right class.
Keep on sinking as you can. and
some day you will be able to ex
claim “Wilbur!"
H'HKKK IS THU < <>.%!, ?
Five years ago this month the
government railroad to the coal
fields at Matanuska and Kska creek
was completed, and the Matanuska
branch at (’hickaloon four years agt.
Ever since these dates announce
ment has been made (in Washing
ton! that the Pacific coast would b
flooded with cheap fuel The Eska
mine was opened in 1ft 15. and has
supplied a limited local trade since
For five years published state
ments have been made by naval offi
cers that the steaming qualities of
the Matanuska coal were bettor than
those of any known deposits.
At the same time the residents of
Seward and other towns contiguous
and adjacent to these mines have
he n using r.ritish Columbia coal at
an enormous price.
With the present high cost of fuel
and the greatest shortage in history
it would appear that now was the
opportune time to market this vast
reserve, flood business would sug
gest that every effort be made to get
K T II K H
Spit on your hands, get. a good hold on tin* Seward Peninsula
bonds of affiliation, and pull ’em up closer. A chain may b<*
only as strong as its weakest link. HI T WITHOI'T \ CHAIN'.
THERE IS \« STRENGTH AT Al.l.. .Even a ptarmigan and
a timber wolf know there is power in K Pluribus I'nuiii.
For a long time the different localities of this District have
been backsliding into little hermit villages; there has been a
frightful lack of co-ordination. We have pulled at Congres
sional influence from every point on the compass, with the re
sult that we haven't gotten anywhere. We have been like
some dog teams we all know of: "Geeing” and "Hawing”
when the command was Straight Ahead.
The Nl'GGET wants a weekly news letter from every settle
ment in the District. It wants to print your activities, social
and otherwise, and it wants the feelings and expressions of
your community on the big issues confronting us all. It
wants your support by subscription. A larger paper means a
better paper. Huy it; read it. and send us your suggestions
as to how to better it. We would like to be a perfect mirror
of the Peninsula’s thoughts and desires. This will require
teamwork .
Just laying back there in your cabin, grumbling and growl
ing to yourself wont help any. Clear, consti-uctive criticism,
though, when given the light of day may accomplish wonders.
Get together. Appoint someone in your community as cor
respondent and let the World know you haven’t hibernated for
the winter. We might suggest that your local school teach
ers be interested in writing up your activities, and we will
make substantial remuneration for their literary labors.
Interest is what we want. The country is interested in us.
we are interested in ourselves.
Let's show them
ffhis coal on the market while prices
I a re higher than for years.
The residents of Alaska are ask
triumpets and beating of drum* 1»>
I coal experts is not for the purpose of
distracting the attention of nfliria!
| at Washington H is true that
; fields and saw "millions of tons
' ready for the fleets of the world.'
but where .ire the fleets?
It seems rather unkind to view
with suspicion the statements of so
many long-range geologists as to
I the quantities of coal In the fields
to tile Northward, but there is a
“nigger in the woodpile." some
where. and some one is handing li
the bunk.
THE TI!OIIH,i: WITH \I \SK\
The trouble with Alaska is that
it has been governed to death, ac
cording to the view of Thomas H
Drayton, as expressed in a statement
made recently to a Seattle newspa
perman, on the. occasion ol' the Sew
ard reformer’s visit to the Outside
to confer with Henry Ford on mat
ters pertaining to Alaska.
In discussing Alaska's business
stagnation ml gradual decline in
population. Drayton aid: "Then
are two causes, tin second being an
outgrowth of the first. The flr-»
servation” in Al ska means <t mess
of impracticable, unworkable and
entirely visionary fads. The second
cause leading up to Alaska's indus
trial and social coil • pse i- tile un
supportable burden of political job
holders which has grown out of tIn
so-called conservation policjJ.
"The Cummins bill now pending
that a Government owned line of
with the Governnient railroad in Al
aska. I am opposed to Govern -
any industry a private citizen can (
own and operate, but in this case we
have already sunk $52.o00.m»o in
the rnilAoad scheme, and we might
that the investment i- a total loss
unless we go on. We must lie coil-,
nected with Seattle at payable rates,
or we can never do any business in 1
the North worth mentioning."
\\ K lioru IT'S Tit I K
Friends of former Governor Rig.
are putting out "feelers" to find out
how he would be received as demo
cratic candidate for Delegate to Con
It is to be hoped that tit*- result ,
will be eminently satisfactory to
them, and that our recent executive
will make the race.
Education, after all. is a matter of'
experience, in school and out of it.
Even the wisest of men never cease !
to add something to their educ-tion.
nor do any of us ever get beyond the
point of needing a few finishing .
Mr. Higgs knows that his inti- |
mates regard him as something of a j
hero, or, at least, he is justified in ]
delieving they do.
A popular election, with Mr. I
Riggs as a candidate, would finally J
' rowlu<l<* his Alaska experience. anrt
wi' ar»* positive the res. it would Im
, beneficial t,, him whether flattering
While we did not •.riove at th'j
departure of Governor Kirks. ,v0
would hail with jov the arrival of
C. '.didate Riggs
Till; T«»| HIST TIUIIK
AN ALASK A V \SSFT
! Thu people of I.oi- Angeles mi
j dotibfedly icquired greuf wealth and
[enduring fame thru their enterprise
iii recognizing the value of the tour
i-i trade As a result it has build
f" the Pacific roast thousands of
i men and women from .ill sections of
| the I'nited States. And is it not
time for the people of Alaska to
awaken to the great a<1 vantages that
this nortbland possesses and to make
substantial endeavor to make this
tiie summer play ground for a large
army of pleasure seekers who an
nually hie themselves to resorts
where nature has not. even to a lim
ited degree, been so lavish in the
disposition of her wonders.
Where could a few week- during
tie- summer time lie more delight
fully spent than in and around Jun
eau. and over anil about Sitka, and
at Skagway. and Valdez and Cor
dova nd a score of other towns. A
combined effort upon the part of the
various communities should result
in drawing tourists to this section
■ udice to distribute a few pamphlets
necessary that the seed he planted
farther away, so that when the trav
eler visits the north lie comes pre
It is time now. in Juneau and else
where. to look ahead nd plan for
Valdez is being aroused to tho
value of proclaiming her tourist ad
vantages to the world, and will en
deavor to make known the delights
of a trip from there over the govern
ment highway that runs the in
terior And Cordova has been ad
vertising the scenic beauty of a ride
over their railroad, in sight of glac
iers. rivers and mountain, to an in
tensive mining section. And now
Skagway comes forth to "tell the
world" that there are no (lies on her
or that even buzz within -ight of the
finest townsite in Southeastern Alas
ka . lint it is by systematic work,
in conjunction with the steamship
companies and tourist agencies, that
can make Alask . bloom lik** the rose
Mv accepting tin* appointment as
Assistant V. S Attorney in the
Fourth Division. Senator Collins
automatically ceased to he a semi
tor Are there any more office
holders who must choose if they will
he federal or territorial officials,
if so. il would he well f<> step down
ed. Exchange.
!fi I.. K. WKITH S
« NOTARV ITBLIC ifi
* AT M GGKT OFFICE *
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