Yukon Valley News
Vol. I. RAMPART, ALASKA, JANUARY iS, 1905.
No. 24.
AID FROM KUROPATKIN
WAS EXPECTED.
Stoossel Remained in Ignorance
of the Defeat Near
Headquarters of Third Japanese
Army, Fort Artln.r, Jan. 11.—
Captain Faunoda, t!ie Japanese
staff officer sent to Port Arthur to
inform General Stoessel of the con
tents of the message from Japan
that the garrison should 1 e treated
with the greatest consideration,
says:
“General Stoessel's first inquiry
was rhout the whereabouts of Ku
ropatkin. He remarked that he
last heard of Kuropatkin saying he
would relieve Port Arthur. Stoes
sel added that he sent out spies
who repotted Kuropatkin with a
relieving army at Kinchow, twenty
miles north of Port Arthur. Stoes
sel was plainly incredulous at my
statement that Kuropatkin had been
defeated an 1 driven back toward
Mukden; sol produced maps show
mg the position ot the two armies
near the Shakhee liver, and ga\e
Stoessel details ot Kuropalkin's de
feat, with fifty to sixty thousand
loss, which statement seemed to
amuse the Russian general.
"General Stoessel then asked
where the Baltic fleet was. I told
him some of the ships had not yet
passed Cape of Good Hope. With
a helpless expression General Stoes
sel said: 'Now that Port Arthur has
fallen there is no use of the fleet
coming farther '
"I then asked Stoessel what had
caused most damage to the garrison
during tin- siege He replied:
'Your rt-inch howitzers. After
they arrived our detet>si\e works
liecame useless.'
"The real cause of the war, in
Stoessei's opinion, was ignorance
on the part of the Russian fieople
of the fighting ifualitie* ot the Jap
anese. The first attack on fort
Arthur in February by the Japa
nese fleet was a ticmeuilous sur
prise.
"The torts, lie cxplatucd. were
only partly garrisoned by j,uu>
troop*, lie sattl he hail always op
jiused the scheme to give Swhoruff
spending money to bwiUl up fort
Ifitloey instead of Mushing the ite
fenses here at Port Arthur. Sak
arofl, engineer officer, died of dys
entery dining the siege.
“At first lie did not think our
artillery practice good, hut was
soon compelled to acknowledge
how good it was.
“After the couierence of nego
tiation Stoessel expressed great
gratification at meeting such pleas
ant gentlemen. Had not expected
such considerate treatment to be
accorded him. General Nogi ap
peared as an old friend rather than
commander of an army which had
forced him to surrender.”
ALASKA CENTRAL
CHANGES HANDS
Seattle, Jan. 10 —The Alaska
Central railroad has changed hands.
Chicago interests have been trans
ferred to Canadians. Completion
ot the road is to be pushed.
Wire is Working.
Communication was established
with the outside this afternoon. A
break had existed in the Canadian
wire.
Wagon Roads Assnml.
Washington, Jan. io. Aid for
wagon-road construction in Alaska
is assured.
('olorado Klectinn Muddle.
Denver, Col., Jan 20.—Oet of a
committee of fifteen, only three
democrats are named to canvass the
alleged liooelle gnliernatori.il vote
(treat confusion prevails.
K.isv Job.
W \V. Jacobs, the Knglish hu
morist, relates the following story:
"I was looking at a butcher
shop’s display, when the butcher
came out and said to an old man:
“Henry, I want you.”
“What do you want?” the old
man asked.
•'Why,*'said the butcher, ‘ I'll
give you a shilling and a joint of
meat if v011'1| kill all tin* dies in
my shop.”
“All right.” s.iul the old man.
“t’.ive me the shilling first and the
meat alterward."
The butcher handed out the shil
ling. Then the old man asked for
a stick about a yard long. This
was brought him He grasped it
firmly, went to the door wav and
smm!
‘ Now turn cm out one at a
time.
Big Snow in the East.
Erie, Pa., Jan. n.—The local
weather bureau observer reports
the heaviest snowfall reported here
since the office was established 33
years ago. For the last .>4 hours
the fall measures 13 8 ro inches.
Nan Patterson.
New York, Jan. 10.—Nan Pat
terson refused to accept bail.
New York. Jati 12—Nan Pat
terson has tonsilitis. A11 Oregon
man sends her $25.
HESSIAN CHRISTMAS
' BROUGHT NO .JOY
St. Petersburg, Jan. 11. Rus
sians celebrated Christmas heavy
hearted. The usual rejoicings were
absent.
[The Russian Christmas falls 011
Jan. 7, according to the modern
calendar]
Sightless and Speechless.
William A. Pinkerton tells of an
old-time confidence man wlo used
to do business in Chicago. He was
anxious to work unmolested around
a depot where a special officer was
engaged to protect the unwary.
The crook one day walked up be
hind the officer, whom he knew
pretty well, and suddenly reached
around and put his hands over the
officer's eyes.
"Can voit see anything now ?"
asked the "con” man.
"Not a thing,” said the other, as
he raised his hands. The crook
removed his hands and a gold
piece fell into each of the palms of
the officer.
The crook walked away laugh
ing. but the < fficer followed.
"Say,” he remarked, "if yon put
one of i hi se into my month I could
not even *|.<ak X. Y. Times
l iulcrgMiiiHl •‘li.*’
The running of the train in the
subway can lie heard distinctly in
some of the ha sc moots of the big
buildings along Mini street
Pig Tom Foley was doling in
one of the barlier chairs in a base*
nienl when a chain rumbled be
neath. F*>|y jumped up ‘ What’s
tha*. Ilenrv.'” he asked the barber
■ Nuttings," replied the (•rrnt tii
barber ''I»ot is der elevailed train
in d-r ground, dot’s all”.- New
York Sun.
OUTLOOK FOR PEACE
MORE HOPEFUL.
North Sea Commission at Paris.
Russian Prisoners for
Japan.
I’aiis, Jan. io.—Admiral Four
nier, of the French navy, has been
chosen by the president for member
of the commission to investigate the
North Sea incident.
Paris, Jan. 12.—The North Sea
commission has prepared a protocol
to be adopted tomorrow, and hear
ing of the case will begin. It is
expected the case will last a month.
Admiral Doubassoff, Russian
member ol the North Sea Commis
sion, is quoted in an interview as
saying that a proposition for hon
orable peace between Russia and
Japan would likely be? considered.
This is thought to be highly sig
nificant. Heretofore the Russian
embassy and other Russian officials
resented the suggestion of peace as
humiliating. M. Doubassoff has
just arrived from St. Petersburg
after a lengthy audience with the
emperor following the fall of Port
Arthur.
M. Witte Prime Minister.
St. Petersburg, Jan. 12.- Mura
vieff, minister of justice, resigned,
and will gn to Rome as ambassador.
M. \\ itte will become prime min
ister and minister of the interior.
It is reported 'hat M. Witte will
only accept the ministry of the in
terior on condition that he !>e al
lowed to enter into negotiations
with Japan with a view to peace.
Kussian Prisoners.
Port Arthur. Jan. 10. Five thou
sand Russian prisoners embarked
for Japan today. It was a pathetic
spectacle
Tokto, Jan. 10. General Nogi
reports a thousand officers and five
thousand men transferred to him as
prisoners Four hundred officers
accepted parole Rare. Japan, will
pri'bab v be the destination of the
Russian prisoners. I.ietiicnant-Gen
cral Fock, c ‘inmunder of the torts,
and t •eneral SBound. rontinanditiK
fourth division, decided tu remain
prisoners. Stoess«i and other* pa
ruled Wave Jan. li