AND COOK INLET PIONEER
®fm£0
VOL. 2. NO. 52.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1916.
PRICE TEN CENTS.
ALLIES’ REPLY TO THE
TEUTON PEACE OFFER
READY FOR DELIVERY
•
LONDON, Dec. 30.—The reply of the entente allies to the
central powers’ proposal for peace negotiations has been com
pleted. It could go forward today, save for the necessary form
ality of transmitting it, in its completed form, to the other
allied powers, before final delivery. This means that the de
livery of the reply will be made early next week. The text
of the reply, of course, will not be revealed for publication un
til it reaches the Teutonic powers. It is generally believed
here by those informed of the government's attitude with re
spect to the peace proposal that the entente allies will demand
specific peace proposals from the central powers before consent
ing to enter a conference for a discussion of peace terms.
tIVEIBRITISH freighters believed
SUNK BY AGERMAN SEA RAIDER
NEW YORK, Dec. 30.—Five British freighters, long over
due to arrive in New York from British ports, are believed to
have been destroyed by a German sea raider in mid-Atlantic
waters . On no other theory can the delay of the freighters be
explained. It is positively known that a German sea raider is
plying Atlantic waters, in quest of allied freighters engaged in
transporting munitions of war and food supplies from the Unit
ed States to allied ports. Two French cruisers are searching
for the sea raider, ace wding to information received here jg
BRITISH STEAMER DESTROYED.
LONDON, Dec. 30.—The British admiralty today announ
ces the sinking of the British steamship Westminster, by a Ger
man submarine, while proceeding, in ballast, from England to
Port Said. The vessel was attacked without warning. Four
members of the crew, who took to a life boat, were killed by
shell tire, after the vessel sank.
SPAIN REGISTERS PROTEST.
MADRID, Dec. 30.—The Spanish government has addres
sed a note to the German government vigorously protesting
against the sinking of Spanish ships by German submarines.
ANOTHER
The townsile authorities should open
a set of abstract books or at least in
augurate some system of keeping rec
ords of the many different assess
ments chargeable to city lots.
The Times has heard considerable
complaint from the Anchorage prop
erty owners relative to the belated as
sessment for “maintenance and oper
ation.” The notice is dated December
23rd, but only includes that part of
the assessment up to and including
September 30, 1916. One redeeming
feature about the notice is that the
amount is not payable until February
23, 1917. However, it isn’t compulsory
to wait until the last day of grace.
The management of the townsite
very clearly defines their delnquency
and their explanation is plausible and
they are conscientious in the matter.
Further they explain just what par
ticular assessments are charged to
maintenance and operation, viz: Fire
protection, garbage disposal, street
and sidewalk maintenance, engineer
ing and surveying maintenance and
part of the office maintenance.
For the first bom government town
there have been many contingencies
. arise that will not have to be met in
the balance of the government towns.
Experience is a great teacher. Taking
is on the whole they have done re
markably well and have the hearty
support of the people of Anchorage.
This is especially true from the fact
that the system of administration is
slowly but surely getting down to a
definite and businesslike basis of oper
ation. Moreover, the management has
been decidedly handicapped by counter
administration and delays in legisla
tion. Too, they realize their few er
SEATTLE, Dec. 30.—Mrs. Solner,
wife of N. B. Solner, a Seattle banker,
was robbed of a diamond brooch val
ued at $1,000, late last night. In the
absence of Mr. and Mrs. Solner, who
were out for the evening, the robber
entered their apartment at Adrian
Court, and purloined the brooch and
other jewels.
Aviators in Flight.
NEW YORK, Dec. 30.—Twelve avi
ators, ten of them attached to the ar-1
my aviation corps, are winging their j
way to Philadelphia today. The dis- j
tance is 150 miles as the crow flies, i
Marine Insurance Increases.
NEW , YORK, Dec. 30.—The pres
ence of a German sea raider in the
Atlantic has caused an eight per cent
increase in marine insurance rates.
rors and are always ready to rectify i
same and particularly in the matter of
future assessments.
In the future notices of maintenance
and order assessments will be mailed j
quarterly to property owners in the
business district and semi-annually in
the residence district. All other as
sessments such as street work, side
walks, clearing, grubbing, etc., will be:
charged against the property at the'
time of completion of the work.
, The townsite management is ener
getically endeavoring to get addition
al legislation in regard to city admin
istration, several matters pertaining
to the city’s betterment. Also there is
a legislative campaign movement un
der way that will undoubtedly termin
ate in the city of Anchorage being al
lowed a certain ratio of the money de
rived from lot sales and payments.
❖ u. S. NATIONAL BANKS LEAD THE REST ^
❖ OF WORLD IN FINANCIAL RESOURCES ^
❖ -- ^
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—The comptroller of the ^
❖ currency today announces that the resources of the na- ^
tional banks in the United States aggregate a total of ^
^ fifteen and a half billion dollars, which is greater than ^
❖ the resources of the combined banks of the remainder ^
❖ of the world. Within the past two years, the resources ^
[♦ of the American banks have increased four billion dol- ^
I ❖ lars. ^
TOKIO, Japan, Dec. 30.—Three hundred passengers, most
ly (’hinese, perished in the wreck of the Sankaku Maru, which
oceured recently off Chefoo, in China, according to estimates
made here by the agents of the big steamship. Many of the
victims of the wreck were killed by Chinese pirates, who board
ed the ship soon after it grounded on the reef. The pirates
plundered the vessel, killing tlios who resisted.
SEATTLE, Dec. SO.—The police
yesterday removed 200 pints of whis
key and 80 gallons of alcohol from
the drug store of C. E. Kelly, former
ly of the Klosson-KcUy Drug compa
ny, of Seattle and Nome. The chief
of police, yielding to the pleadings of
Kelly, refrained from wrecking the
drug store, as this was Kelly’s first
offense against the dry law, so far as
the police authorities were informed.
Kelly’s offense lay in having more li
quors in stock than the law permits.
WASHINGTON Pec. 30. — In
speeches in the senate yesterday, Sen
ators Poindexter Weeks and Suther
land displayed chagrin at the admin
istration’s handling of the country’s
international affairs, which, they de
clared, was after the fashion of se
cret diplomacy.
SEATTLE, Dec. 30.—The federal
grand jury has taken a recess until
January 9. In the meantme, federal
agents will be employed in investigat
ing those involved by the confession of
Logan Billingsby. A sensation is
promised as a result of Billingsby’s
confession, the purport of which has
not been made public as yet.
SEATTLE, Dec. 30.—Mrs. J. H.
Peterson, wife of a Seattle mechanic,
committed suicide by shooting herself
with a pistol late last night. She had
previously attempted to end her life
by the poison route, but was revived
before death ensued.
Only one day more and the loose
leaf book for 1917 will have its inning.
SEATTLE, Dec. 30.—The steamer
j Northwestern, en route on its first
trip from Portland to San Francisco,
rammed an unknown schooner, in a
dense fog prevailing in the ocean off
the Columbia river bar. The vessel
was badly damaged, but the crew is
safe. The Northwestern was injured
in the bow, but is in no danger. Cap
tain Hunter is in command.
ARE TO BE TAXED
FAIRBANKS, Dec. 30.—The Fair
banks board of equalization has passed
a resolution to impose a tax on all un
married men, not already subject to
taxation, on the basis of a two-hun
dred-dollar personal property tax.
BOND ISSUE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.—The
president today tentatively agreed
with the administration leaders on a
bond issue to meet part of the treas
ury deficit for the fiscal year which
ends June 30, 1918. It is estimated
that the deficit will be $180,000,000.
TACOMA, Dec. 30.—According to
the police authorities, James Foley, a
man about 56 years of age, entered
the police station here last night and
informed the desk sergeant that he
shot and killed “Diamond Dutch," on
the Nome sandbar 18 years ago. 'Die
man stated that he had never been
suspected of the crime, and that his
conscience had bothered him until
he could stand it no longer and he
had come to give himself up. The
police had no knowledge of the re
ported crime, but locked the man up
pending an investigation as to his
sanity, and will try to ascertain if
such a crime was committed in the
early days of Nome.
BERLIN, Dec. .'!<).— (By wireless to Savville)—On the Ver
dun trout and on the Soimne front, the (terman forces achieved
important sains in battles that are now raging. On the Verdun
trout, the German troops captured Oansferrilv, driving the
French from their positons. On the Somme front, the Ger
mans entered French positons on Hill 304 and on the southern
slope of Dead Man’s hill. In the latter front, the Germans ad
\ anced to the second and third defense positons of the enemy
mid captured seven big guns and took 200 prisoners. This is
the purport of the German official bulletin today.
GERMANS MAKING ADVANCES.
BERLIN, Dec. 30.—(By wireless to Savville)—The Teu
tonic armies under General von Mackensen continued their
advance in Wallachia, a province of Roumania, and are now at
a point 13 miles beyond Rimnik and Sarat.
F
KL PASO, Dec. 30.—The report that Provisional President
Carranza of Mexico is buying munitions of war from Japan
has been positively confirmed by agents of the American gov
ernment. The Mexican government recently paid Japan a
million {*esps for arms and war munitions. J
MAY TAKE OVER DRINK TRADE.
LONDON, Dec. 30.—The Daily lvxpress is nuthoritv for
ihe statement that the British government is planning to take
over the entire drink trade of Great Britain.
GERMAN AVIATOR DECORATED.
BLKLIX, Dec. 30.—(By wireless to Sayville)—Lieut. Gus
tave Defiers, a noted German aviator, has been decorated with
the order of pourle merite for meritorious services on the west
ern front.
The “Whole D-<1 Family” will be
there tonight; some in mask costumes
and some as spectators. Tonight’s
elaborate mask ball and carnival will be
a fitting wind-up of a week’s solid fun,
frolic and enjoyment. Eighteen (18)
prizes will be awarded and each prize
appropriate. Competent judges have
been selected, a five-piece orchestra
will furnish the music and everyone in
Anchorage knows and raves about the
splendid dance floor.
A prize will be given for the prize
waltz, for the best sustained, best
dressed, etc. In fact the prizes have
been so well distributed that there is
hardly a chance to lose.
Tonight’s mask ball and c^rpiva)
promises to be a second Marde Gras,
and starts at 9 o’clock at the ,neyv
Labor Union hall.
COMMISSION FOLKS
MOVE FROM HILL TO TOWN
Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Chase and Mr.
and Mrs. F. C. Kobeley moved from
Government hill to commission houses
recently completed in town, today.
Mr. Chase is a sourdough among the
commission forces, having joined the
Engineering Commission when the
members formally organized in Wash
ington city in the winter of 1914-15.
To accept this position, he resigned a
responsible situation with the U. S.
geological survey in the national capi
tol. He is now connected with the dis
bursing office in Anchorage. Mr.
Kobeley comes from the Panama canal
work and is the property clerk in the
Anchorage division of the railway
work, a position similar to one he
formerly held in the Panama work.
KAMLOOPS,Dec. 30.—James Char
ters, the village drunk, threw a lamp
at his wife, upon her refusal to give
him money with which to purchase
more booze, last night. The woman
dodged the lamp and when it hit the
floor an explosion followed that set the
house aflame. Charters and three
children were burned to death and
Mrs. Charters was badly burned.
NOTED BALL PLAYER
TO BECOME A BENEDICT
PITTSBURG, Dec. 30.—Hans Wag
ner, the baseball player, and Miss
Bessie Smith, will be married next
week, according to the Pittsburg
Chronicle. . .>
SPAIN DECLINES TO
SUPPORT WILSON’S PROPOSAL
MADRID, Dec. 30.—Spain has of
ficially notified the American state
department that she cannot support
Wilson’s peace proposal.
Submarine Launched.
SEATTLE, Dec. 30.—The U. S.
submarine N-l was successfully
launched from the ways of the Seattle
Dry Dock and Construction company
today.
H. C. Emery, of the Eska Creek
Coal company, arrived in the city on
this afternoon’s train and will spend
a week or ten days in Anchorage on
business connected with the company,
of which he is one of the managers
and owners.