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In The News
Nome Pioneer Press
Nome, Alaska
Tuesday Morning, October 29, 1907
Vol. 1, No. 3
Page 1.
MOUNTED POLICE HANG KEEWALIK INDIAN CHIEF
Special Night Service Pioneer Press.
Vancouver, Oct. 28. - A great uprising is taking place among the Indians of the
Keewalik district. For many days and nights they have been dancing and drinking,
threatening to start on the warpath against their white brothers. They have been
practicing that most terrible of all ceremonies, the devil worship. Among other
horrible things human sacrifices are offered to the devil. Sometimes a young
child is given up, the chief medicine man of the tribe, eating it bite by bite
while still it breathes and fights for its little life.
The Indians live far to the Interior, their many crimes having been the source
of great trouble to the authorities. Hearing that they were acting ugly again a
large squad of mounted police prepared an attack. Their camp was approached when
the Indians were in the height of one of their greatest dances. A struggling
squaw was dangling from a rope which was around her neck, and which was just
long enough to allow her to touch the ground with her toes. She was slowly
strangling to death when the police swooped down upon the camp and released her.
But they came too late for she died within a short time. Some of the Indians
made their escape when the police arrived, though most of them had too much
liquor to resist arrest.
As soon as the Indians had been bound the chief of the tribe was taken to the
center of the camp and hung with the same rope which cause the squaw's death.
The tribe, which is causing most of the trouble is known as the Fiddler Indians,
and are famous over the whole country for their brutality and treachery. The
Canadian government has been put to thousands of dollars expense and great loss
of life in efforts to quell their outbreaks and protect the lives of the white
settlers. The land in which they live is so fertile and game is so abundant that
they have never had to suffer or worry about their food supply. The country is
very valuable for farming purposes, timber and furs, but white men have been
very slow to locate there because of the Indians.
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SICKNESS
Seven Cases of Pneumonia in Town -- Four Patients in Hospital
There are seven cases of pneumonia in the city at the present time, according to
Councilman Rice's reports at last night's council meeting. Two of those are in
the Holy Cross hospital, and are being cared for by the public. There are also
two other charity patients in the hospital.
Councilman Chilberg inquired as to how it was possible for so many people to be
constantly in the hospital at the expense of the city. It was agreed that no one
should be taken to the hospital in the future without the sanction of at least
two members of the health committee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL NOTES.
Harry Johnson was taken to the hospital late last night, suffering from a severe
case of pneumonia. Dr. Weyerhorst is attending him. Johnson was night watchman
on the Three-Star claim all last summer.
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OBJECTS TO BILL.
Ross and Donnelly were recently given a contract to fix the steeple on the
Catholic church so that the electric lights on the cross could be attended to
without danger to life. When their work was completed a bill was presented to
the city for $250.
The council, believing that the bill was exorbitant, appointed Councilmen Rice
and Chilberg to inspect the work. Last night they made their report in which it
was recommended that but $50 be paid for the work. The council accepted the
recommendation, ordering a warrant to be drawn for that amount.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COURT NOTES.
The case of the Anvil Hydraulic & Drainage Company vs. Seward Ditch Company was
continued yesterday in the district court.
The suit of the Miocene Ditch Company vs. Nelson was ordered off the calendar
yesterday morning.
Because of the sickness of W. A. Gilmore, one of the interested parties in the
controversy, the case of Gibson et. al. vs. Ewing et. al. has been continued
generally.
Butler vs. Chilbert. Case dismissed.
Solomons vs. Steamship Indiana. Case continued generally.
The adverse case of Connors et. al. vs. Anvil Hydraulic & Drainage company has
been continued to the foot of the calendar.
Hultberg et. al. vs. Anderson et. al. Trail continued to be dismissed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DROPPED DEAD
Charles Petroff Succumbs to Weakness and Freezes to Death.
Charles Petroff, a miner, who has been living near Cunningham creek for some
time, was found dead near his cabin night before last. When discovered he was
lying on his side, face downwards, and in this position he had evidently been
for many hours for he was badly frozen.
Petroff has not been well for a number of days, a bad cold and fever having
confined him to his cabin most of the time. It is probably that i trying to
reach the cabin of one of his neighbors he fainted and before he recovered the
cold night had made him senseless.
The deceased was a member of the Eagles and the Miners Union. The funeral will
be under the auspices of the former organization.
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SHIPWRECKED SAILORS REACH NOME IN SAFETY
3:15 a.m. -- After clinging to a doomed vessel for over 24 hours, during which
time the cold wind and ice-like spray chilled them to the bone, two men, Capt.
Hull and Andred Cress, were rescued as eight o'clock last night from a watery
grave by the Nome life saving crew.
Capt. Hull left Teller Sunday noon with the little gasoline schooner, Anglo
Saxon, but because some natives had disabled his wheel by getting it caught in a
long coil of rope he put to sea with only a sail. The wind was fair but the
night was dark, and tho he bore three points further south than he ordinarily
would have done the sail caused the boat to drift shorewards much more than he
calculated. A heavy sea was rolling, and suddenly the little schooner struck a
huge rock which lies about half a mile from shore and about 12 miles above
Sinrock river.
The collision disabled the boat, making it impossible for Capt. Hull to do
anything more with it. They then drifted toward shore till within about a
quarter of a mile when a sand bar was struck, upon which they were thrown so
high by the waves that it was impossible to free the boat, an there they hung
for 24 long hours, with little hope of ever being able to reach land again. It
did not take long before they were chilled through, and from then on it was all
they cold do to hang on at all. Had not Frank Kleinschmidt sighted them when he
did and sent for aid they would surely have perished. When they arrived on the
Nome beach at 3:15 this morning Capt. Hull had had time to receive much of his
strength, stating to a Pioneer Press representative that he felt very good, but
Creson was frozen badly and had to be taken to the hospital immediately. When
the Pioneer Press went to press at 4 o'clock this morning he was resting easily.
Too much credit cannot be given Capt. Tom Ross and the life saving crew for
their prompt action in going to the rescue of the shipwrecked men. The night was
cold and the trip an exceedingly hard one.
Dee Preston, who was reported to be on the boat, is on the Mary Sacks, having
only recently left the Anglo-Saxon.
The schooner sank before the life savers arrived, and will probably be a total
loss. There was about three tons of freight on her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WILL ARREST CHIEF LARSON
L. Seidenverg Will Swear Out Warrant for Thief This Morning.
Chief of Police Larson will be arrested at 10 o'clock this morning, according to
L. Seidenverg. District Attorney Grigsby will issue the warrant, which will be
given to Marshal Powell for execution.
The cause of the trouble began yesterday morning, when Larson arrested
Seidenverg on the charge of obstructing the sidewalk in front of his place of
business. The latter claims that the sidewalk is not the property of the city,
as it is off of the street, but is used by him for a place to display his goods.
He alleges that Larson put him under arrest without giving him proper notice to
remove the construction, as is required by law, and even want so far as to
strike him a number of times before eye-witnesses who were in the store.
Seeidenverg accompanied the chief to jail, where he deposited $25 as bail money.
He then went to City Attorney Rustgard, of whom he tried to get a warrant for
the chief's arrest on a charge of assault. Rustgard refused to issue the
warrant, whereupon he went to Judge Fuller. According to Seidenverg, the
commissioner ordered the district attorney to issue a warrant this morning which
would throw the chief into jail, where he would have to remain till his hearing
could be had.
Seidenverg appeared at the council meeting last evening, at which time he told
his story, but the council refused to listen to him till after his trial in the
municipal court.
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PROSPECTIVE PLACER FIELD
Dawson, Oct. 18.--The Waugh party, which has returned from an expedition to Peel
river, brings news of having panned on several streams between Dawson and Peel
river, and of finding colors of gold everywhere along the route. Black sand also
was common.
The belt crossed by the party is 100 miles wide, extending beyond the Rock
mountain divide. The fact tht gold is to be found scattered over such a wide
area miners declare indicates that a rich placer field will some day be opened
in that region.
The expedition was in charge of Harry Waugh, of New Brunswick, San Francisco and
Dawson, to saw nothing of Seattle and Vancouver, or his new metropolis. Big Wind
City, at the mouth of Wind river, on the Peel.
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THE OLD PIONEER
Kataalla--An interesting figure in many parts of Alaska for the past 35 years
has been Peter J. Erussard. Born of an old French family,, distinguished in the
days of the revolution, he served in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, being at
that time but 16 years old. The year 1872 saw him in a three months campaign in
Africa, and at its cclose he determined to set out and retrieve the fallen
fortunes of his family which had been left by the vicissitudes of war "with a
name but no money." After casting about for a field of adventure he finally
selected America in preference to Africa of which he was thinking. He landed in
Seattle in 1872, but he had no vision of the future greatness, and finding only
a long log house in which was a dance hall and a saloon in one corner he passed
it up and went to Victoria, B. C., and soon after to New Westminster, and from
that place he started up the Fraser river to the gold fields. Making his way up
the river in a boat one day he met three dead bodies of white men floating down
the stream. He stood not upon the order of returning but returned at once to New
Westminster, and back once more to Victoria.
There he procured a canoe and began a voyage of exploration of Alaska which has
not ended yet. He went up the Skeena river country and into the Peace river
country and worked the Black Jack mining claim for a time. Then he joined a
party of Indians and became a trader, and in the course of his adventures he
passed by where Katalla now stands in 1873. In this section he secured gold
nuggets from Yakataga, a chunk of copper, some coal specimens and crude
petroleum. In 1875 he sent samples of the coal, oil and copper to San Francisco.
While in this region so many years ago, the little hunchback Indian, who may be
seen now around Katalla, was his guide.
Thus Mr. Erussard traversed the mountains and sailed the waters of the Alaska
coast until 1876 when he returned to Victoria, from thence going to Skidegate
and Wrangel, where his ventures were unsuccessful. In 1877 he went to Sitka, and
leaving there again came up the coast. In 1879 a party of prospectors that he
had sent out "stuck it rich" at Harrisburg, now called Juneau. He immediately
went there and located 72 claims, among them the now famous Treadwell mine, of
which he was subsequently defrauded after a series of exciting experiences.
Mr. Erussard was a pioneer of the Klondike, and has made several incursions into
remote sections of Alaska, where the footsteps of white men had never hitherto
been seen. Finally he returned to Katalla, one of the scenes of his early
adventures, locating here permanently seven years ago.
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Page 3.
CHANGES BOUNDARY
Scotcchman Transplanted by Bounday Survey and Glad of It.
Dawson--William Ogilvie, former governor of Yukon, who ran the first
international boundary line between Alaska and Yukon territory southward from
Yukon river, while he was off as much as 1,000 feet, did very good work under
the circumstances. Such is the declaration of G. C. Baldwin and Thomas Riggs,
Jr., head of the big American party of boundary deliminators.
It is explained by Messrs. Baldwin and Riggs that Governor Ogilvie did his
boundary work about 20 years ago, when there was no telegraph communication with
the outside, and when his only means of fixing the course of his line was moon
observations. Mr. Baldwin, who was one of those in charge of the advance party
fixing the line, states that at Snag reek, a tributary of the White, where he
stopped work for the season, the present line is 845 feet farther west than the
Ogilvie line.
At Poker creek, where the most valuable placer gold ground was crossed, the line
was 700 feet too far east. A good-natured brawny Scotch miner named McKeever,
who was working on Poker creek, was transplanted from Canada into the United
States the day the line crossed Poker. It was a memorable day for McKeever. He
had, according to the surveying party, no strenuous objections to make and
having had the necessary papers to start him on the way to American citizenship
his property is safe. But McKeever has a little matter to settle with the
Canadian government. He says that he has been on Poker several years, and had
been paying renewal royalty and other ees, and that he means to make a demand on
the Canadian government for a "blow-back."
Loucher, a Frenchman, has, as a result of the new line, an international claim.
One hundred feet is on the American side, and the other is on the Canadian. So
tyhere is a triple alliance, a man of French blood with a claim under two flags.
The one hundred feet will have to be treated as a fractional claim on the
American side, and the remainder as a fractional claim on the Canadian side.
Neither government makes any reduction for allowance of representation of
fractions. On the Canadian side $200 worth of work is required for
representation, and on the American, $100. So Loucher may have to do $300 worth
of work to hold what is only a five hundred foot claim. McKeever and Loucher
both had located originally on the Canadian side, where 560 feet was the length
of a full claim. On the American side 1320 feet is the length of a full claim.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOT AFTER HOGGATT
Special Service Nome Pioneer Press.
Seattle, Oct. 28--The Nome delegates who will represent the second district at
the Juneau convention are holding together exceedingly well. All who are here
hold daily meetings behind closed doors and seem to be arranging for some
surprise.
It is understood, however, that thee will be no aggressive condemnation of
Hoggatt by them. They will uphold Cale straight tho, but will not make the open
fight against Hoggatt that was expected.
This city is full f Alaskans, and the one subject of conversation when any two
of them meet is territorial government.
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STRANDED
Many Men Unable to Leave Valdez -- Lower Rates Made to Seattle
Special Service Nome Pioneer Press.
Valdez, Oct. 28.--Hundreds of men are stranded in this city as a result of the
railroad troubles here. There is no prospect of any work for them during the
coming winter, while few of them have money enough to get outside. Many are in a
destitute condition, some not having enough money to live another week.
The authorities, realizing the seriousness of the situation, cabled to Seattle,
asking the Northwestern Steamship Co. to make a special ten dollar rate from
Valdez to the Sound. The Northwestern Co. has agreed to make the reduction in
fare, and have sent north the Saratoga to take care of the unfortunate laborers.
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Page 4.
"RUBE" PIONEER
Operator from Tanana Has Novel Experience on the Great Outside
To gaze on an automobile for the first time in his life and experience the real
rube sensation, as he expressed himself, was the experience of A. J. Kelsey, of
Fairbanks, Alaska. He has been in the Tanana country ten years, and stuck pay as
the decade was nearing its close. He is now going East to see all that a man can
crowd into the few months that elapse between ___ and the opening of aviation up
North next year. Mr. Kelsey is an operator of prominence on Goldstream and the
Dome.
"Ten years ago I was in Seattle, and it was then little more than a town in
embryo," he said, last night. "I was here twenty years ago, also, when it was
hardly worth calling a hamlet, but when I saw the city today I stopped and gazed
with staring eyes and open mouth at the changes that have been wrought. It is
great.
"I have often read of the country fellow coming to town and standing on the
street corners with an awe-stricken look on his face watching the crow go by,
and my sensation today was surely akin to that of the man from the country when
I saw a stream of automobiles on Second avenue that would no New York proud. It
does a man good to come out of the North once in a while and take new interest
in life.
"Labor conditions in the Tanana country are improved. I believe they will
continue so. It seldom occurs to the man on the outside, but is is a fact that
in the north we pay probably the highest wages for unskilled labor in the world.
The North will give gold to the world for years to come, and it will in time,
give one country a citizenship that will produce world leaders. I witnessed the
opening of a public school just before I left Fairbanks, in which 178 children
were enrolled, two-thirds of them native born, and I was then struck with the
great possibilities that Alaska possesses, not only to production of gold, but
of men and women.
"We are for territorial government there, and I believe that in a short time our
wishes will prevail."
Mr. Kelsey went down 212 feet on one of his claims, and became known as "Deep
Hole" Kelsey, until W. O. Johnson, operating on the Chatenika, came along and
dug a hole 310 feet deep and robbed him of the title. -- Seattle P. I.
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WRECKED
Schooner Anglo-Saxon Goes Ashore - Three Men Cling to Mast
The little gasoline schooner Anglo-Saxon, which has plied up and down this coast
in past years, was wrecked yesterday in the surf 10 miles above Sinrock river.
At last reports yesterday afternoon thee was little chance of saving the boat,
while the three men who were clinging to the forward mast were in grave danger
of losing their lives at any time.
The Anglo-Saxon was returning to Nome from an extended trip up the coast when
the fatal accident befell her. It is supposed that either the engines refused to
work or that the rudder was broken, for though there is a high surf rolling
beyond Point Rodney the boat would have been able to keep outside of the
breakers if some such catastrophe had not overtaken her.
Though the boat is lodged on a sandbar near the shore it is impossible for the
men to reach any land without being drowned by thr waves. They lashed themselves
to the mast, but the wind was so cold, to say nothing of the icy spray breaking
over them, that it is feared they are frozen to death long before this time.
The news of the wreck was telephoned to Nome by Frank Kleinschmidt, who was
coming down the coast from Teller on foot. Immediately Capt. Thom Ross, of the
life saving crew, started for the scene of the accident with his life boat and
its heroic crew. They were towed by the tug Sawtooth.
It is feared that the life savers did not reach the wreck before the men had
perished, as it is about 40 miles from Nome, and they could not possibly cover
that distance before 7 o'clock last night. They wold then be greatly handicapped
by the darkness and cold. It is very probable, also, that the pounding of the
breakers against the boat has wrecked it long before any help arrived, in which
case it will be a miracle if nay of the men escape with their lives. Those who
were on board of her at the time of the wreck are Dave Hull, captain, Doc
Preston, engineer, and an unknown deck hand.
The Anglo Saxon is now owned by Captain R. D. Hunter, and was only recently
rebuilt at Solomon, where she was wrecked over two years ago.
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NEW TRIAL CALENDAR.
The equity trial calendar for the November term of court was set yestrday by
Judge Moore. The new term promises to be a very busy one, for not only are there
many cases, but some of them will occupy a number of days for trial.
The calendar follows:
Larimore vs. Nome & Sinock Company et al., Nov. 11.
Pioneer Mining Company vs. Nome Exploration Company, Nov. 11.
Methe vs. Fritch, Nov. 12.
Alden vs. Alden, Nov. 13.
Johnson vs. Steambship Zealandia, Nov. 15.
Sale vs. Meletus et al., Nov. 15.
McGrath et al. vs. Ruby Boulder Gold Mining Company, Nov. 18.
Whittard vs. Ruby Boulder Gold Mining Company, Nov. 18.
Hinds vs. Ruby Boulder Gold Mining Company, Nov. 18.
Vogel et al. Marland-Virginia Mining Company, November 19.
Galvin et al. vs. Maryland-Virginia Mining Company, Nov. 19.
Williams et al. vs. Marland-Virginia Mining Company, Nov. 19.
Morgan vs. Hendricks, Nov. 19.
Lewis vs. Anvil Hydraulic & Drainage Company, Nov. 20.
Code vs. Anvil Hydraulic & Drainage Company, Nov. 21.
Code vs. Anvil Hydraulic & Drainage Company, Nov. 22.
Anderson vs. Anvil Hydraulic & Draingae Company, Nov. 25.
Stevenson vs. S. S. Boverie, Nov. 26.
Peterson vs. Werner et al., Nov. 26.
Daly et al. vs. Unger, Nov. 27.
Lane vs. Berger, Nov. 29.
McNaught et al. vs. Gibson et al., Dec. 3
Caribou Mining Company vs. Howard et al., Dec. 4.
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City Scavenger Co., Successor to Fuller & Graham. J. Martini, Manager. Phone
Black 173.
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