SEO. LANE IN ANNUAL REPORT
FAVORS ALASKA R. R. MEASURE
Washington, D. C., Dec. 24—Sec
retary of the Interior, FrJ-nklin K.
Lane in his annual report approves
government construction and opera
tion cf Alaskan railroads He says
that various states throughout the
Union build wagon road?, not for
revenue to the state hut for the
general gooi.
I He believes that the construc
tion o£ government railroads should
be under the control of a board of
directors which should report direct
| ly to congress.
He believes that Alaska should
have a federal budget of its own,
j paying its own expenses.
| He also favors the opeuing up of
j Alaska coal landa immediately.
CHINESE
Wuchang, China, Dec. 24—Chinetl
educators and philanthropists aro
gathered here to discuss enlargemen
o' the Chinese Boy Scouts movement
Shanghai's Boy Scouts company,
which was organized one year ago
has proved successful and so popu
lar that the Boone University of this
city, organized a company which
made its *irst appearance at the
second anniversary celebration of th
birth of the Republic. The com
pany was organized by two senior
s'udents who were instructed by G.
R. Welch, scoutmaster of the Shang
hai company. The Wuchang com
pany today has seventy members un
der the command of Scoutmaster
Benjamin You.
The drill of the company as part
of the official anniversary pro
gram astonished Chinese and for
eigners alike. This included drill
with staves, life saving and first aid
fire fighting, ambulance work, pitch
Ing tents, bridge building with
staves. Morse and semaphore sig
nalling. bridge building with ropes,
and boxing.
WELLS-FARGO COMPANY
DECLARES ANNUAL DIVIDEND
New York, Dec. 24—The Wells
Fargo Exp/ess company today de
clared Its usual five per cent, divi
dend. The directors announced,
however, t- at under the present con
ditions of tie system dividends in
the future would be uncertain.
SAYS LIFE IS
VERY CHEAP
i
Berlin, Dec. 24—"Life was never
| as cheap as today. Upon the slight
est cause murders are committed.
| This is in part due to the habit of
| carrying concealed weapons and to
[ the fact that revolvers are as easy
j to purchase as toys, and available
! to any person who wants them.''
This is the way Dr. Schlichting,
president of the Berlin Criminal
Court prefaced his instructions to
yie jury before which perhaps the
largest number of murder cases
ever on the docket at one time, will
be tried. Particularly numerous are
the cases in which degeneracy and
moral perversity figure.
ALIENISTS DECLARE SCHMIDT
UNBALANCED MENTALLY
New York, Dec. 24—Alienists ap
pointed by the court to investigate
into the sanity of Rev. Hans
Schmidt, today reported that he is
mentally unbalanced.
MEXICAN FEDERAL TROOPS
ARE DESTROYING PROPERTY
Juarez, Dec. 24—Federal troops
j today marched into rebel territory
; and are destroying railroad bridges
| and telegrap l lines.
i McDonald's fresh Horehound Stic
! candy, the kind the baby likes, a
; Keller Bros. Drug Co. *
We Wish Yon All a Very
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I take this opportunity to thank
you all for a very liberal Christmas
patronage.
Our store will be open from 9:30 a. m. to 4 p. m.
ON CHRISTMAS DAY
H. J. LYNCH
SMALLEST REPUBLIC IN WORLD
ST LOGGERHEADS WITH M
Rome, Dec. 24—San Marino, the
smallest, ^ut nonetheless one of the
most obstreperous republics in the
world is again at loggerheads with
Italy. Recently the tiny republic
passed a law obnoxious to the Vati
can. The latter protested but San
Marino refused to budge. Then the
Vatican withdrew its minister and
immediately thereafter San Marino
withdrew its, and the two powers
are still at outs.
A little later, Sau Marino solicit- i
ed the gift from Italy of two anti
quated cannon and at once increas
ed its war footing by organizing
an artillery corps of nine members, j
Later it was discovered that the
republic was so small that there
wan no point within the kingdom
where artillery practice could be in
dulged in without the cannon balls
dropping in Italian territory and
thus creating a hostile act. San
Marino had no sooner apologized to
Italy for this than she again started
fresh trouble.
Like Prance, Italy and most of
the other powers, San Marino exer
cises a government monopoly on to
bacco from the sale of which it re
ceives most of its state revenue.
The government's supply is purchas
ed from Italy, and ordinarily
amounts to a half ton a year.
In 1911, however, the San Marl
nose did not chew and smoke bo
much as ordinarily and San Marino
purchased from Italy only a quar
ter of a ton of tobacco. This year
smoking and chewing is more J> ..u
lar and San Marino has demanded
of Italy that It come across with the
other quarter of a ton to which it
waa entitled iul911. Italy says it
won't and San Marino has all but
said that if it didn't, she'll take the
antiquated cannon which Italy pre
sented to her. and shoot the sur
rounding Italian territory, which
consists exclusively of barren nuln
habitej' mountains, full oi three inch
holes.
Frank Breeze, manager of the J.
M. Ruffner placer works; on O'Don
nell river in the Atlln district, is
here on his way to Vancouver, n. C.
He will stop at Prince Rupert for
a short time on his way down.
He says that on account of hav
ing been kept so busy the past sea
son o^i the work which is being
prosecuted by the company which he
represents he is no*, In a position to
give much information of the Atlin
district in general for this season,
but says that it is considered by all
with whom he has talked to be the
most satisfactory year that has
been exerienced by mining men in
the district for a long while.
On the Ruffner property, which
extends up and down the O'Donncll
river for about four miles, much de
j velopment work has been done. A
| number of drifts have been run in
on rim rock to prospect the bench
claims, at an elevation of about CO
feet above the creek bed. This
winter 20 men will be constantly
employed in this work.
The .development work so far
done has disclosed rich deposits in
| many places, but until the ground
| has been thoroughly prospected
there Is no way of determining the
extent of the pay streak.
Mr. Breeze will return early in th
spring to resume his labors.
IWIVEKSITY OFFERS Fit EE
INSTRUCTION' TO MINERS
The short session for mining men
given for the last sixteen years by
the college of mines of the Univef
sity of Washington will begin on
January 6, 1914, extending to April
1. This work is open to all per
sons interested in mining, -whether
prospectors, miners, assayers, oper
ators, or business men who wish to
gain technical instruction of a prac
tical nature in such subjects as
chemistry, mineralogy, geology, fire
assaying, stamp milling, ore dressing
metal mining, placer mining, coal
mining, mining law and surveying.
No examinations are held and no
fees are required, the sole require
ment being ability to read and
write English.
Instruction is given by tho regu
lar members of the faculty of the
university, among whom are seven
mining engineers, and the university
laboratories and library facilities are
available to all short session stu
dents registered for this work.
The work is scheduled daily from
S a. in. to 5 p. m. for three months.
Individual needs for instruction in
special subjects are met whenever
practicable. In the past, students
have registered from most of the
western mining states, Alaska and
British Columbia.
Fuller details can be obtained by
writing to the College of Mines,
University Station, Seattle.
MRS. FLACJG RE-ELECTED AS
/
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Chicago, Dec. 24—At a stormy
session of the board of school direc
tors for this city today, Mrs. Ella
Youn» Flagg was re-elected to the
position of city school superintend
ent.
A small expenditure of money to
Daily Alaskan itt a good paying in
vestment.
We wish every=
one a very
Merry Xmas
P. H. GANTY, GROCER
SKAGWAY, ALASKA.
ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS ALASKA
POLL AND LICENSE TAXES ILLEGAL
Juneau, Dec. 24—In an opinion
from United States Attorney General
McReynolds, which was received to
day by District Attorney Rustgard,
it is held that the territorial legis
lature cannot impose additional dut
ies on federal officers, including
commissioners, marshals, clerks, fish
commissioners or deputies, thereby
making void and of no effect the
poll tax and license laws of the
territory.
The above dtcision may mean an
extra session of the territorial leg
islature.
ORGANIZING
THE CHINESE
'
Nanking, Dec. 24—Chinese Chris
tians to the number of 170 are tak
ing preliminary steps toward the or
ganization of a Christian church to
be free of foreign control. At a j
called meeting of the Nanking Evan
gelical Association they decided to
found such a church to meet the
wants of the students of Christian
ity, and to draw into the church all
educated young men who profess to
be Christians but who do not attend
any of the existing churches. This
action is the outcome of a rousing
revival which foreign missionaries
held here last spring. Thousands
of Chinese attended and 400 signed
cards to indicate their desire to
study Christianity One hundred
and seventy of these objected to
joining churches which were domi
nated by foreigners. The plan to
organize a native controlled church
followed. The foreign missionary
body held several discussions over i
the action, appointed a committee1
to assist the Chinese in drawing up
the necessary constitution.
A'MAS SERVICES AT THE CATHO
LIC CHURCH.
Midnight Mass and sermon, 12.00
Second Mass at 9 a. m.
Third Mass and sermon 11 a. m.
A fine musical program has been
prepared by the choir for tonight's j
service. All are cordially invited j
to attend.
Ft. P. H. Turnell, g. J.'
The Princess May,will reach port |
between 5 and 6 o'clock and will sail
sometime before midnight tonight, j
SIGNS BILL
Washington, D. C., Dec. 24—At
one minute past six o'clock last
night, President Wilson Bigned the
currency bill, using four gold pens.
This morning the president pre
sented a turkey to each of the
White House employes, after which
he left on a three week's vacation
in Mississipi.
St. Louis, Dec. 24—The fight of
♦he Business Men's League against
the Baltimore and Ohio; the Chica
go, Burlington and Quincy; the Mis
souri Pacific; the Rock Island; and
nearly a score of other roads, on
the question of coal rates to 1 St.
Louis was resumed here Monday at
the federal building before the In
terstate Commerce Commissioner,
James B. Harlan. The whole fight
centers around a 20 cent arbitrary;
toll rate on all coal crossing the
railroad bridge into St. Louis from
East St. Louis. It is possible that
the Commissioner may also further
consider the request of the North
Springfield mines for a fifteen cent
cut under 'Egypt" based on the al
leged class relation of the railroads
and the Southern Illinois coal com
panies.
Just arrived. A fresh shipment
of i Augustine-Kyers Box Candy at
KELLER BROS. DRUG CO
Plenty of ^
Christmas Spirit In /
HART SCHAFFNER -
& MARX 4
Suits and Overcoats ^
We Have a large stocK of^
CHristmas Goods such as
Felt Slippers for Men and Ladies
Handkerchiefs for Men and Ladies
Bath Robes Gloves Silk Hose Shirts
Sweaters Ties Hats Caps J
Shoes Smoking Jackets
Drop in and look them over
WILL CLAYSON