davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-12-06

The compulsory farm plan
faced heavy attack in both houses.
The situation was further COM
plicated by wide differences in
the House and Senate measures
and the inability of some senators
to explain intelIigently the de-
tails of the Senate measure. This
was emphasized when Secretary
Wallace termed the measure
more restrictive than necessary"
and added that il might cost twice
as much as the $500, GOO. 900 limit
which President Roosevelt has put
on the farm program
The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-12-06

Key West, Florida, has the
most equable climate in the
country; with an average
range of only Ia Fahrenheit
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09
ANNOUNCES END OF MILLION DOLLAR
 BAKER" SPINDLE

sold to victims in every state of the Union, ranging from one to twenty dollars. This amount, however, was not the limit of loss of any particular individual. When the promoters found one willing, able and ready to pay, special attention was given him. Through false and alluring prom ises he was frequently enticed to part with his cash. The investi- gation revealed several persons whose contributions amounted to from one thousand to seven thou sand dollars apiece.
 The inspectors found that the promoters had represented that various banks and trust conpan- ies in Philadelphia were holding millions of dollars for Baker heirs," which sums were suppos- ed to represent rentals and other collections resulting from the alleged 99-year leases exc cuted by the Baker ancestors years ago. It was discovered by the inspectors that not a single penny was held by any of the financial institutions mentiono I'd in the literature of the promot- CTS.
 During the trials of the pro- motors of this sWindle, inspectors produced thousands of letters con taining false representations and promises mailed by them to their victims. It was claimed that Ja- cob Baker was a colonel or cap tain in the Revolutionary War and that in return for his mili- tary services he was given val uable land grants. Inspectors pro duced proof from the War and Navy Departments that there nev- CT was a Jacob Baker from Penn. Sylvania who served as a con- missioned officer in the Army or Navy during the Revolution Frthermore, no land grants were made by the United States gov ernment to any Captain, Colonel or other Baker in Pennsylvania on account of such alleged ser vice.
 Other promoters represented
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09

that the Treasury Department was holding vast sums for dis tribution among the supposed heirs. The inspectors proved that there were no such funds in the Treasury. IL was also claimed by promoters of the racket that mil lions of dollars were available for distribution to the purported heirs of Baker as result of the French Spoliations in idemnit- ies. This was proven to be false in every particular.
 Duing the investigation, in- spectors unearthed evidence to show that total of. forty-four different organizations at one time or another engaged in the operation of this gigantic swim dle. Most of them after conduct ing their scheme for a compara- lively brief period would fold up when the pressure from their vic- tins became too great. Some of the members, however, would in- spire the creations of new organ izations. They, in turn, would disappear after defrauding those victims it could entice into their clutches.
 These spurious practices contin ued for many years. Finally re- lief was requested from the Post Office Department. It was then the matter was put in the hands Of the inspectors of the Depart- ment who exploded the myth and secured evidence resulting in the conviction of twenty-four out of twenty-five swindlers who were brought to trial.
 There is no Baker state and there never had been such an es- tate that could possibly be the subject of such schemes. Some thing that started as rumor grew into a gigantic fraud. Thou sands of people were deceived in- to contributing their time and money for years without any re- turn or possibility of reward.
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09
UNICANERAL LEGISLATURE
 IS OPPOSED

The Ketchikan igloo of the Pio- neerS of Alaska, Aug l3 adopt e1 resolution protesting the pro posed adoption of unicameral Legislative system for Alaska.
 Under a bill introduced by Del egate Dimond, the people of Al aska would have the right at the next general election to vote on whether they want a one-house or two-house legislature. Once that were determined, congress could act or not, as it saw fit.
 The Pioneer resolution follows: Whereas, there is now pend ling before the congress of the United States bill providing for a referendum by the voters of Alaska on the question of whe- ther or not Alaska shall adopt the unicameral legislative system and abolish one house of its present legislature, and
 Whereas, the unicameral legis- lative sytem in new and com- paratively untried experiment that is contrary to the long estab- lished system of government in- troduced into the United States by the pioneers who colonized America and established this re- public, and,
 Whereas, the adoption of the unicameral legislative system in Alaska would necessitate reap portionment of the membership as between the various divisions of the Territory, thus leading to confusion and ill feeling in those parts of Alaska where the pop ulation has not increased as rap idly as in other sections.
 Now therefore, be it resolved, that the Pioneers of Alaska, igloo number l6, Ketchikan, Alaska, in
 the interest of harmony, and good i government and to avoid the ere ation of i'll feeling and section
 alism in this Territory, oppose the passage of said bill and re- quest the congress of the United States not to enact the same. And, be it further resolved, that copies of this resolution be dispatched to the several igloos throughout the Territory with a reuuest for similar action.'
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09
(Continued From Page Cne)

(Continued From Page One) the mythical estate. Other groups solicited "enrollments" at ten or twenty dollars each, in addition to memberships" with monthly dues.
 Inspectors assigned to this work thought it very unusal that an authentic will to such valuable property should remain unpro- bated for almost one hundred years. Through court proceedings the alleged will was obtained. In- spectors caused the paper and the writing thereon to be analysed by a chemical engineer and handwriting expert. It was dis covered that the paper on which
 
 the will was written was not manufactured until about 1890, over fifty years after its date. The paper had been artificially aged. The signatures of the wit nesses to the will had been forg- ed, it was discovered. The inform ation thus obtained by the inspec tors proved beyond a doubt that the promoters were attempting to pass off a forged and spurious in- strument to the thousands of per sons, who believed and were led to believe they were heirs to a vast estate.
 As the will in question and rep resentations of the promoters called for property throughout Pennsylvania as part of the all legged inheritance, it became nec- essary for the inspectors to trace in and out of the name of "Ba- ker" or Becker" and various conapanes in which they were in- terested every piece of real es- tate in the sixty-seven counties of Pennsylvania from 1882 to the present time. Over four hundred days were consumed in this work. The search disclosed that none of the property called for in the alleged will was owned by a Jacob Baker or any other Baker at the time it was purported to have been executed. It was fur ther ascertained that there is no vast unsettled and undistributed Baker or Becker estate anywhere in the State of Pennsylvania.
 Another false claim of the pro- motors of this sWindle was that Jacob Baker or some other Ba- ker had executed a 99-year lease to one Martin Yalas on property upon which most of the buildings in Philadelphia now stand.
 Another method by which mon ey was obtained from victims of the swindle was in the compila- ton and sale to them of so-called genealogical charts. Needless to say, these traced the ancestors of the victims back to the Baker or Becker of whom they were sup posed to be an heir. Charges for these charts ranged from one to fifty dollars or whatever the tra- fife would bear.
 Many of the sWindlerS organ ized into Associations" Lea gues," etc. Memberships were
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09
BILLS WANTED

Anyone having bills against the Northwestern Alaska Fair, are requested to immediately pre- sent same to
 A. POLET. Secretary.
The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-09

Old papers for sale at the Nome Daily Nugget Office at 25c a bundle.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
JUDGE ALEXANDER WOULD
 PROHIBIT LIQUOR TO INDIANS
(Alaska Daily Press)

Federal Judge George P. Alexander roundly scored the policy of al- lowing liquor to natives as the di- rect cause of practically every crime committed by members of the h. dian race in Alaska.
 Speaking from the bench before passing a seven years sentence on Dominick Peter McCluskey, 25-year- old Tyee native youth who had en- tered a plea of guilty to manslaugh- ter, Judge Alexander vigorously condemned liquor as the greatest evil force in the life of the Alaska native.
 q have sat here and watched many natives brought up for ser ious offenses," the judge said, "and almost without exception the trouble resulted from drinking. It seems that a natives idea of a good time
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

You saw it in the Sentinel
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
THE LIQUOR PROBLEM

It may seem an impertinence to question the findings of a Federal judge but it is difficult to under stand how Judge Alexander would enforce a law forbidding liquor to Alaska Indians. They are citizens, vote in all elections and have all the privileges of citizenship in ad- dition to all Indian rights and priv ileges.
 Moreover, there is much inter marriage of the races. How can a law say to one member of family. you can have liquor; and to anoth- CT: you cannot.
 Enforcement of our liquor laws is acknowledged to be a miserable failure. The presumption is, there fore, that enforcement is impos- sible; and if that is true how can we expect enforcement for Indians alone.
 For our part we see no difference between a drunken Indian and a drunken white. It is our opinion that if the white man would con centrate on cleaning house in his own race and enforce the laws as they stand, the Indian problem would take care of itself.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
:. MISSING MEN :.

Inquiries have been received by the Office of the Governor, Juneau, regarding the following persons supposed to be in Alaska
 George H. Bowman; Last heard of in Fairbanks about twenty years ago, supposed to be interested in a hotel and mine there. Sister Stella and brother Frank anxious to locate him.
 P R. Miller or Joe Ridmill6f: A blacksmith who left Montana for Alaska in 1916 has not been heard from since. He is slovak-german.
 Harry Leroy Place: Six feet three inches tall, age thirty-three brown hair gray eyes one foot larger than the other. Disappeared from Capi- stram Beach, California, in 1929 and believed to be somewhere in Alaska. It is feared he may be suffering from amnesia.
 Samuel E. Wagner: Last heard from three years ago from Angoon, Alaska, believed to be there, Seward or in the Klondike region and to own some land or be interested in mining
 Gabriel Richardson Young: A pio- neer of Dawson City and Cape Nome last heard from in Seattle in 1900 stating he was returning to Alaska, not heard of since. His brother Grah am, newspaper man, ts seeking in- formation of his whereaDOuts.
 Anyone having information in re- gard to these people IS requested to notify the Governors Office, Iu neau.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
OLD TIME GAMES ENJOYED
 AT ELKS LADIES NIGHT

First prizes in the whist games at Elks ladies night last night were received by Mrs. Fred Cunningham and George Gunderson and consola- tions by Mrs. George Gunderson and l. c. Bjorge. After refreshments were served the hostesses, Mrs Meadows and Miss Conrad, instituted a mum Der of old time games such as Fa- nous Names, Bird, Beast or Fowl, Musical Chairs. New Orleans, etc, which caused the evening to end on a merry note.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

The contract with the Evans Jones company for coal was cancel led before the explosion there. As sistant Educational Director c. W Hawkesworth, assistant educational director for the bureau, said, and the North Star will bring coal north from Seattle at the completion of her present trip for the Indian bu- reau schools and quarters in South eastern Alaska
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
COLISEUM STARTS DRIVE
 PIONEERS CHRISTMAS FUND

J. R. Brown, manager of the Coli scum Theatre. this week started the drive, in Wrangell for Christmas money for inmates of the Pioneers Home at sitka, a project which W D. Gross, owner of the Coliseum Theatre chain in southeastern Alas ka, has maintained for many years.
 Mr. Brown reports a gratifying to the drive which will be finished within a few days
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

FOR SALE-4-hole laundry coal
 burning stove. s6. Nora E. White
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

Recently members of the Peters burg Ski Club took some corrugated iron for the ski cabin out on the trail just beyond town. When they went to take it up to the slide the next Sunday, they found it full of bullet holes and altogether ruined for use.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

The Yukon will sail from Seattle on December IS as Christmas ship for the Alaska lines instead of the Baranof as scheduled.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
4lse CHRISTMAS HARVEST
 By ALISON sECOR
 in Successful Farming

0lD SANTA CLAUS V Some don't beiieue in him because He makes them spend.
 They like to borrow. but neuer lend Thai Christmas cheer Which permeafes fhis lime Of year. They are Hghtfsied cynics, these. They ncrer kHo,0 hot0 presents please The Hnle ksid;. aud others: The sisters and iho brothers: The care-lcorn dads and ioeary mothers. They nerer iaaraod 10 Gue Because h~Y naycf lcaned to giUe. You're got to fi m b lore you reap. II all you gel ytu i.,p
 Your sou' eeh tafraa. sterile, souF. II takes the poe
 Oj cheerful r.s To giUe -"a. ug.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

Howard J. Thompson, chief of the U. s. Weather Bureau at Juneau, recently left for Fairbanks by plane today to provide forecasts for Sir Hubert Wilkins and his crew On their mid-winter search for the lost Russian fliers. Thompson expects to return shortly after Christmas.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10
CONCERNING COLONIES

The colonies demanded by Chan cellor Hitler-the return of the colonies lost by Germany in the World War-are Togoland, the Cam eroons, Southwest Africa, Tangan- yika and the eastern half of New Guinea.
 Had the shoe been on the other foot! Had Germany won, instead of having lost, through the fortunes of the campaign, certain valuable and strategic parts of the earth, what would have been her reaction to the demand that she return such territory to the former owners?- Prince Rupert Daily Empire. is to get drunk and beat somebody up, perhaps kill them"
 Judge Alexander declared that at a recent meeting of the Territorial liquor board, missionaries had pro- tested against a proposed rule to withhold liquor from natives, call ing it discriminating.
 Think of it." he said Mission aries, supposed to be teaching the natives the better life, taking a stand like that!"
 There is something about the or dinary natives constitution, he said, that simply cannot handle liquor, without violent reaction. And when such is the case, they should be nnada to leave if alone
 For McCluskey, the judge said, he felt "very sorry, since you were, I am satisfied, the victim of one of these drinking bouts" After the seven years sentence was passed, Judge Alexander said, When you get out you will still be a young man, and I hope you will have learned to let liquor alone, and will teach your people to do the same. "
 McCluskey was accused of slay- ing Andrew Phillips, 45, with a heavy splitting maui on scow, after chasing him from a nearby boat, following a drunken brawl at Tyee last August 13. He will be taken to McNeill Island peniten- tiary.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1937-12-10

Have shower at Lowell's Bar Der shop. -adY
Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-16

agree that agricultural development
must go hand in hand with industrial
development, in that the farmers must
grow and produce many things es-
sential to manufacturing. If the
farmers in North Carolina will grow
enough of these essential materials,
it will not be long before the manu-
featuring plants will come here, in
order to be close to the source of sup
ply"
Mr. Monroe pointed especially to the
increased use of soya beans in indus
try, especially in the manufacture OF
plastics, also to the increased demand
for many other agricultural products
which are now essential to many in
dustries 1t will be the purpose of
this new department to bring the farm
ers and the industries in closer
contact so that they may cooperate
to the benefit of each other, Mr.. Mon
roe pointed out
While the headquarters of the new
department will be here in Raleigh,
it will carry on it's work in every sec
ton of the State and especially IN
those sections served by the Carolina
Power and Light Company, Mr.. Mon
roe said.
Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-16

committee hope to finish their WORK
and make recommendations to the en-
tire committee both as to policy ana
personnel.
So far as could be learned today
no one other than Pitts is now under
consideration for director of the prl-
son division and there is no other
applicant for the post with the pos
sible exception of l.. g. Wnltley' q
present assistant director in charge
of prison discipline. Indications are
that the new highway commissioners
and Chairman Dunlap are well pleas
ed with the work Pitts has done ana
is doing and that the prison commit
tee will recommend his appointment
as full time prison direction.
RumOrs Are AflOat
Yet the report has been going the
rounds for several days that Chair
man Dunlap is on a quiet hunt TOT
some one who could bring harmony
and cooperation out of the present
somewhat muddled prison situation.
For it is well known here that there
is a sharp split in the ranks OF the
prison employees, and among the poll
ticians to whom many of these pri-
son employees owe their jobs, one
group being very loyal to Pitts and
wanting to see him reappOinted, the
other group being bitterly opposed to
Pitts and wanting any one else but
Pitts named head of the division. 1t
is generally agreed that this faction
is composed very largely of the old
George Ross Pou-Stare Prison, group,
which have been hold-overS from the
old Pou regime and from the old
county convict camps. It is also gen
orally understood that Pitts wants the
authority to clean out some of this
group in order to bring about more
loyalty and cooperation in the prison
division, if he is renamed director.
There is no doubt however, that
there IS some sentiment among some
of the members of the new highway
commission in favor of trying to bring
obout a truce between these two fac
tions so that it will not be necessary
tc fire anybody and hence make as
few of the present prison employees
and their political hackers and fac
lions mad as possible. Reports cur
rent for some weeks are that one OF
the big things that has held up the
dppOlnILHeHI Ol E1ItS lbs OCOH lAoe
the prison committee does not want
to let Warden H. H. Honeycutt of
Central Prison go entirely and that it
is trying to find some other job for
him that will be almost acceptable.
] Some observers here think that the
suggestion concerning the appoint
ment of some one other than Pitts
as prison director is being fathered
by the group opposed to Pitts and who
might be in danger of losing their
| jobs if he is renamed.
Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-16
POWER COMP. ANY TO
HELP DEVEL0.PM
Carolina Company, lnaugu-
. rates Agricultural Serv-
\ ice in State
Daily Dispatch bureau.


i. Raleigh, July 16-Convinctsd 1nae Inc
agricultural and industrial oeve,ope
naent of the South in genera d anu %
North Carolina in particularly mas Jus1
haann and that the next few years
viii vdn witness tremendous stri,a es along along
both of these lines, the Caroli5 IA IA POW 20
er and Light Company has "a up a
new agricultural and industrial deve-
comment department which W i'll CO.
onerate with the State and wiatn the
Various sections served by the com com
nanv in further developing az. rlcul-
ture and industry, it was pointe[! out
here today by A. L. Moore, who Us IN
charge of the new division.
1--WE not only want to help the ia .rm, :,
ers of the State develop new ana
more lucrative type of agriculture IN
North Carolina, but we want to ZIP
bring moe industries to the Sta to- :9;
especially new industries which W III
help furnish a bigger market for pr O.
duets raised by the farmers" MONROE
said today. Leading economic exper' Is
Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-16
Johnson Does Not
Want Prison Job
Continued from Page Oneo

declared that he knew nothing OF any
such plan and that he would not De
interested in it, even if there were
something. of that nature in the WIND
while am interested in the prl7
son division both as a member OF the
highway commission and OF the spe7
cial committee studying the prison
set-up, the suggestion that l might
become head of the prison division
must have come from some ones INA
gination," Johnson said. 1T would De
impossible for me to accept the lop,
if it should be offered me-Dut II
won't be offered"
Commissioner Johnson would not
discuss the prison situation any fur
Their. But it was learned from a very
authoritative source that neither
Chairman Frank L. Dunlap, OF the
highway commission, nor the special
committee of which Dunlap, John
son and Commissioner T. Max Wat
son, of Rutherford county, are mem
bers has yet discussed personnel al
all and probably will not for a week
or ten days yet. This committee has
not had a meeting since June 20 and
no date has been set as yet for
meeting, although it was indicated to-
day that Chairman Dunlap and the
Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-07-16

State offices outside is much better,
since all of the state telephones are
automatic, so that it is not necessary
to call the state switchboard opera
tor. But in trying to get state Of
flee from outside, it is often necessary
to wait two or three minutes for the
State switchboard operator to answer
a call.
"If a privately owned telephone
company should permit it's service to
go only half as bad as the service be-
ing given recently by the State ex-
change, it would be jerked up before
the State Utilities Commission and be
compelled to give better service or
else sell out to some other company
that would give good service" an out
slider who has to make many calls tC
the State department said today. But
because this telephone exchange is
operated by the State, it seems tc
think that the type of service given
does not matter, although the taxpay
ers are paying for it. Whatever de
partment or division is in charge Of
this exchange should either get en-
ough operatorsto handle the traffic OF
o1lOu1O SCL SOIIAC VIII CdIl ldIOIc IL
Tor the service is undoubtedly terri
ble."
Many complaints are also heard O
the poor elevator service in most o.
the buildings, especially the revenu1
building. 1t is generally conceded
that the best elevator service is in tn,
| Agriculture Building, where Omeg;
| Powell still acts as chauffeur of tn,
elevator, in spite of the efforts o.
Commissioner of Agriculture w. Kerr
Scott to get her fired.