PIONEER BALL PLEASED
THE PEOPLE.
Perfection in Every Detail
.Marked the Society’s
Annual Effort.
The annual ball ot the Yukon.
Older of Pioneers on Monday night
maiked the close ot a very agreea
able holiday saason in Rampart.
A. 15. hall was appropriately and
beautifully decorated for the occa
sion, the mining implements, snow
shoes and other accompaniments of
a pioneer life in the north being
surrounded by bunting and ever
green which blended in pleasing
harmony.
The attendance included all who
wished to be present, and no former
day party of pioneers evei mingled
in more serene fellowship and dem
ocratic congeniality.
It was a pictuie of 1897 enlarged,
embellished, and set in present-day
surrounding-.
It fell short of perfection in one
respect alone—Capt. A. H. Mayo,
the pioneer of the Pioneers, was
not present. He had disappointed
all by attending to pressing duties
elsewhere. Of course he did not
realize how much his absence would
be felt.
Messrs, billy Leclaire and M. P.
Fleischman, assisted by others,
placed the public under obligations
by their talented work in decora
ting the hall. Mrs. Frank Smith
and Mr. Fleischman charmed ail
by their music. Pioneers John \V.
Duncan, Waiter Sundborg, billy
Leclaire, Tommy Laporte, Carlo
Jackitte, O. P. Goss and M. W.
Sinclair contributed to the smaller
details ot everybody’s enjoyment.
Miss Parke held the magic key
which opened every heart: she
graciously presided at table and
kept the merrymakers refreshed by
lre<|uent draughts of lemonade.
I’HANHKS IN THE
IHPLUMATH’ SKUYH E
Washington, Dec. 31. Ambus
liasMdot Choate to the court of St.
James desire* to retire. WhiteUw
Reed Mill succeed him Ambassa
dor Foster, ot France. Mill retire
March | Tower ol Germany and
McCormack ot Russia willcoutinuc
Clayton of Mexico will retire.
Conner ot China wilt succeed Da
vis. Thompson of hr.tad is to re
lieve C oner in Mexico in **oe year
William W Rockwell will go to
China.
POISON TOO PLENTY
ON THE TANANA
Mike Hess Frank, an Indian,
complains that woodchoppers up
on the Tatiana are scattering poison j
to kill fur-hearing animals, Frank !
says that hy tar the greater number
of animals killed in this manner
wander away and are not found, i
and do no one any good, and that
many others also die from eating !
the poisoned carcasses. He found
a dead fox and gave it to the man
put out the poison.
John Minook, in speaking of the
matter, said indiscriminate poison-1
ing should not he indulged in.
About twelve years ago, he said, |
foxes were very numerous and!
i
many very valuable black foxes
were secured. In a little time they
were almost exterminated by pois
oning. Now that they are begin
ning to get plentiful again no such
waste should be permitted a second
time. Minook was careful to point
out that the whites were equally
as much at interest as the natives,
and realized fully that experienced;
white trappers were not responsible
for the wasteful destruction.
MAY IRWIN WOULD
HELP NAN PATTERSON
New York, Dec. 31.—May Irwin,
the coon-song actress, offers to fur
nish $50,000 f>ail for Nat) Patter
son Site called at the Tombs to
day and left a letter lor Nan with
this import. Jerome declines to
discuss the matter.
A. B/s Honored.
After the late presidential elec
tion the local A. B.’s telegraphed
congratulations and the resi.lt of'
the complimentary vote in Ram
part. The lodge has received the
following card in acknowledgment:
"The President. With hearty
thanks for your congratulations.”
Alaska Wpathri* Outside
New York. Dec. 29.— Fierce
snow storms prevail in Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska and I >wa. Zero
everywhere.
KKSIGXKD TO FATK.
Tokio, Dec. 30. Russian sailors
from Sebastopol, now prisoners,
write a letter that Port Arthur van
not possibly held out. Russians
are resigned to their fate.
TACOMA SOI.I*.
Seattle. Ihrc 31 The steamship
Tacoma, loading beef for Vlad»von
tuck, is report'd to have been sold
to Russians
Mill Suv«riMt«u<l*nt Mirim iud
At Cium »t»t down ti>
WtltffUy.
RECEPTION SAI
S. E URETER
WINES,
LIQUORS
and GOOD
CIGARS
St. Louis
KBC
BEERS
The Highest Priced but
the Beet Quality.
OON
W. W. CROCKETT
BILLIARD
AND
POOL
ROOMS
12-)ear-old Crow Whiskey- The Only Stock.
Hoiiietliinjjc New - Try Our Apricot Cocktail
Tlie Flavor You Never Forget
Famous M. J. B. Whole Roast
Selected Mocha tmd Java Coffee
PACKED IN 1-2-5 LB. AIR TIGHT TINS
NORTHERN COMMERCIAL CO.
SOLE AGENTS
L'HRISTMAS-TIME
ON DORIC CREEK
Pioneer, Dec. 26, 1904.
With the mercury at 21 degrees
below zero, we started out 011 the
trail Christmas morning on our way
to pay a visit to some one. When
we came to Mr. Tliumm’s cabin on
Doric creek we found a warm wel
come, and lie prepared for us about
as good a Christmas dinner is we
ttould get anywhere.
Mr. Young gave 11s some music
and so did Mr. Climie; and with
Mr. Thumm’s courtesy and and
Joe Bush’s jokes we enjoyed the
day the finest kind. Those who
enjoyed the hospitality of the
Thumm cabin were Messrs. Gra
ham, Bush, Adams, Ilebb, Gaetz,
and Papin.
Mr. Thumm insisted we should
stay until after tea; and it was
about 9 o'clock in the evening,
after the moon was up, that we
started for home happy, feeling
that life is worth living even in this
far-away country.
"KAS4AL PAT”
10 BK PLAY KB
The A H. diaoutk troupe have
decided to produce un Tuesday,
Jan. J4, the one act farce-comedy
"Rascal rat." The public will
expect goad entertainment. and will
scarcely be disappointed
Messrs Heisi lim.iti anal Sens*
buum have con trac teal to execute a
new drop curtain tor the stage, and
will wave it completed m time lor
the "Rascal fat" perlortnaioe
Natives* On Hand
With the Blanket
Last Monday «vas the day se
lected by the Rampart Indians for
carrying around the blanket. The
occasion this year, as usual, was
accompanied by plenty of amusing
incidents, and the blanket was sel
dom held out in vain.
1 lie blanket ceremony is always
one of the principal holiday events
with northern Indians. It is usu
ally deferred till toward the end of
the festive season, when the arti
cles necessary for a merry Christ
mas time are becoming scarce: and
then the people congregate and go
from house to house with a blanket,
with four strong young iellows at
the corners, held before each door
for contributions. It it so happens
that the blanket is not weighted by
some friendly token, it is not al
lowed long to remain light, but
is hampered by some penurious or
impecunious paleface who is for
some minutes sent bounding ami
rebounding into the air. The
native women and girls all seem
exceed, glv pleased when the vic
tim of the blanket proves to be a
dandified person or one who is
noted for gallantry. Sleighs arc at
baud for the reception of such pres
ents as are thrown onto the blanket.
and usual!' goodly loads are col
letted. The natives keep up a
continuous chanting and never lose
their temper in case some white
brother glows obstreperous.
Such is the annual blanket cere
tnonv It is a fixture, amt Christ
mas would uo» be Christmas to the
Indians without it