Iditarod pioneer., 1913-12-27

ALASKA

That some fears for the safety of Captain Raoul Stefansson and his party of Arctic explorers are being felt by the officials of the Canadian Arctic Exploration Company, now located at Collinson point, is the report brought to Fairbanks by Olaf Swenson and Captain c. T. Pederson, who arrived there recently. Captain Stefansson's boat, the Karluk, was last sighted off Flaxman island on August l4 and was headed east.
 The man who hoisted the Stars and Stripes over the Territory of Alaska for the first time, in the then capital, Sitka, on October IS, 1867 IS now at Juneau. Ed Ledecke, the man who has this distinguished honor, IS an old pioneer of the territory, both in point of residence in the territory and in years He is now 79 years of age, and ap- narently hale and hearty, but has longing for the old town, and will therefore live ill the Pioneers home hereafter He IS ac- companied on his journey by John Beard sell, another well known old pioneer of Wrangell, who came to the territory in 1874 John Beardsell is an old Casssr miner and has made Wrangell his head quarters for years He is 76 years of age. They have joined Peter Hughes and Neal Barker, the pioneers from Fairbanks, at the Occidental hotel and will remain there until the Georgia leaves for Sitka, when they will take passage for the Pioneers home
 On the charge of obtaining money under false pretenses, w. R. Happy Moore was sentenced by Judge Fuller at Fairbanks to serve one year at hard labor in the federal penitentiary at McNeils island He had been previously indicted by the grand jury on two counts. and pleaded guilty to both, but on account of his former good record was given the minimum of one year on each ever, that the sentences may be served con currently
 United States Marshal Brenneman. at Val deg, has issued notices offering reward of $500 for information which will lead to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of the murder of Ole Nelson and Herman An derson on the Valdez trail near Willow creek some time in August.
 As a result of burns sustained in scalding water at the bottom of a shaft on No be- low, Fairbanks creek, late Saturday after noon, November p, Thomas Overland, miner died two hours after the accident happened shortly before 6 o'clock. The body was taken to Fairbanks for burial. Overland was about 2 years of age and native of Norway.
 That F. L. Putnam, formerly of Spokane. ance once chief engineer of the North Coast railroad, will be in charge of the construc- tion of a system of government railroads in Alaska in the event that congress passes the bill for this work, is reported from Washington, D. c. Putnam is reported to have some remarkable inducements for the Tlace, including strong letteres from big men in and out of congress, and his eng- neering ability is vouched for by Julius Krutschnitt of the Hartman system. Since Pltman's appointment as assistant chief engineer to the boaard in charge of the physical valuation of the railroads of the Uenited States he has been in Washington aiding the civil service commission in ex- amining applicants for positions under the board on physical valuations
 Efforts are being made to have the Cor dova Chamber of Commerce take some ac- tion that will assst in calling the attention of the government to the necessity of pro- tecting and conserving the ocean fisheries adjacent to the coast. It is desired that the
 
 enjoyed by the fishing population of the Northland.
 Secretary of Labor Wilson, in discussing the Alaska situation in Seattle on Novem- Der II, declared: "The government either must build railroads itself or make conces- slons to private enterprises to do so. The Alaska coal fields ought to be immediately developed not aloone for the use of the navy, but for the use of the Pacific coast industries and commerce" Secretary Will. son is strongly of the opinion that remedial legislation for Alaska will be enacted at this session of congress. He believes that the support of the administration will be sufi- clent to assure favorable action.
 Oldtime miners at Nome who have had