The Alaska daily empire., 1916-09-23
SEATTLE GIRL
 MASCOT OF THE
 ALASKA FISHES
Frances Mae Braid Is Kidnapped and Taken North by One Gang
 of Fishermen.
WILL PAY IN SEA EGGS

spirit and present only Tn the form of a newspaper print of her photo graph, Miss Frances Mae Braid, the daughter of Mir. and Mrs. J. Fred Braid of Seattle. braved the dangers of northern seas last summer com forted fishermen in their dreary daily drudge and like the good fairy. drew hundreds of laundering King salmon into the nets of the waiting boatmen, says the Times.
 So was the startled miss inform ed yesterday in a letter from Tyee, Alaska, Written in a neat legible hand in poor English and signed Big Swede." the epistle unfolded to the Seattle girl her many wonder ful feats of the summer.
 Each year. the unidentified ac- quaintance told Miss Braid. fisher men of Alaska cut the picture of some pretty Seattle girl from the latest edition of the Seattle Times before sailing time They post 1t in conspicuous place in the cabin. This girl becomes the mascot, the guardian angel of the vessel When a big catch is landed. the pretty miss is fairly worshiped by the gruff. hardened mariners of the north. When the catch is small they know they have displeased her and take many steps to make amends. But night and day during the trip she is the inspiration, the spiritual guide of their actions.
 Picture Puts to Sea
 This year the honor fell to Miss Braid. In the Seattle Sunday Times of May IA. 1916. a picture of the Seattle girl was inserted by her friends in commemoration of her sixteenth birthday. A copy of the paper reached the hands of the AL aska fishermen and immediately Miss Braid was "kiinapped'-by printed proxy-and tremendously installed as queen of the 1916 catch. And bending under her new burdens she put Co sea with the hardened mari ners, smiling serenely from her place upon the cabin wall.
 Through rough weather and fair weather she remained at her task of cheering the men. that is, her picture did. When the catch was large she rejoiced with them and when the fish ran low sue shared their sorrows. Many has been the private conversation between the pictorial likeness and a real fisher
 Then on August 24. the Big Swede" thought it was getting too cold for her on the ship. He took the picture from his cabin, sat down. wrote a letter and enclosed the news paper print. sent both by mail to Miss Braids Seattle home. It ar rived yesterday.
 With the young woman's permis- sion the letter is printed. lt said:
 Sorry She Must Go
 "I am sorry today because you must leave my boat and me. The weather here is getting too cold for you here and you are better off in Seattle
 "We Alaska boys every summer cut a picture of some pretty Ia coma-no. mean Seattle girl from The Times and take 1t aboard for good luck. And this year you have certainly showered good luck upon me. The best catch got was eighty-three salmon on spoon hook and some Of them weighed from six ty-fiye to seventy pounds and you kept me real busy that day.
 You were a little seasick at the time. though. and so you were not able to help me pull the fish aboard. But later on you were alright again. and l guess you would be a good sailor after a while.
 This is a little joke, of course. and you will please take it as such. If you would like some nice big sea bird eggs. found this summer l will send them to you.
 Best regards from Alaska and me.
 Big Swede. II. Lem"
 Miss Braid is the daughter of J. Fred. Braid. the hustling and popu- lar advertising manager of the Seat tie Daily Times.