®hr g>ritmr& (Satniiajj_
Published Daily Except Sunday by The Seward Gateway Publishing C«
BERNARD M. STONE, President.
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People in a town of a few hundred population only in Alaska are less
provincial than the people of cities with scores, of thousands for populations.
The reason for th.s is to some extent that the people who live in Alaska
are people who have knocked around a good deal. A mining camp any place
is more cosmopolitan than towns founded on argriculture or some ordinary
commercial industry.
The great danger is, however, that if a town becomes too ‘•settled” and
the people begin to take a too deep interest in little personal aflaiis time
is a likelihood of provincialism setting in.
When a president of the I’nited States thinks it worth while expressing
Ins objections to the conscription proposal in an address to congress there
must be some remarkable reason. It may be only that the proposal for com
pulsory military training has been made by influential people and that it
has a large number of supporters, but it may he also due to some feeling that
there is really strong opinion that this country must some day have to enter
into a war with a great military power and that the question of conscription
is a vital one. The president is, of course, opposed to compulsory military
training for all citizens hut he would never have said so in his congressional
message if he believed the possibility of conscription a remote one. [here is
v. here the president’s remarks on the subject show their most important char
acter.
This country has always justly prided itself on its fine fighting qualities,
'liken all in all there is probably no people in the world that could face this
nation in arms unless that country had received superior training in the use
of weapons, but we have seen in the present great war what training and
preparation can accomplish. We have seen the countless millions of Russia
tail so far to drive what must be certainly inferior numbers of Germans out
ot Russian territory. We have seen greater science in submarine work destroy
large cruisers and we have seen better guns sinking warships while the war
skip that had the better guns remain untouched.
It is all very well to say that there are very few Americans who have not
handled guns, hut the handling of shot guns and ordinary rifles is of practi
cally no value as training for the use of the guns used in modern battles.
How very few men in this country could hope to hit a moose, let us sa\
at a distance of a mile or so. Not one of us has ever heard of such a thing.
Probably we never heard of a man who ever tired at anything further off
than a few hundred yards. Not one in a thousand know what it is to take
a long distance range.
But the real training comes in handling the latest war machines of all
kinds in making evolutions, in keeping your place in the machine of which
a soldier is a part so that the machine might remain effective.
To he able to do all this and a lot more training is necessary and if the
l nited States believes that it will ever have to fight a great power it would
he foolish not to prepare. But if preparation means conscription it would he
the greatest curse that could be inflicted in many senses.
KETCHIKAN’,—For several weeks
past considerable anxiety has been
manifest as to the whereabouts of Ole
Hamre. It was known or at least sup
posed that he started for George Inlet
four or five weeks ago in a skiff. This
morning Marshal Davies and James
Hart went up to his cabin in the east
ern suburbs and found the old man’s
dead body together with a deer he
had evidently killed and brought in.
Indications lead to the belief that the
body has laid in the cabin several
weeks. Ham re was an old resident of
the city ami a man well advanced in
years.
Lieutenant H. C. Jackson, former
ly reporter on the Fairbanks News
Miner, and well known throughout
Alaska, has evidently developed into
the sharpest kind of a sharpshooter
since he joined the state militia of
California and started to use a Spring
field. From a Sacramento, California
paper of recent date it would appear
that the old Fairbanks boy has ac
) complished the remarkable feat of
leading the marksmen of his state on
the rifle range in the short time he
has been connected with the national
guard.
Rotterdam, Nov. 5.—Much of the
news of the war gets into the German
press in the form of letters which of
ficers and privates at the front send to
their families. Written by men who
describe what they actually see and
feel, some strange mixtures of sen
sations experienced and actuality en
countered, result in documents ot
strong appeal and wide human inter
est. One of these appears in the Koel
nische Zeitung of September 16th.
“From a wild French forest, on the
I anniversary of the battle of Sedan
I
U'K’pt. 1) the best greetings. During
the la«t two days we have again been
at the extreme front, after we had
been given a chance to rest up and get
enough to eat. Our position is a dang
erous one, being well advanced into
the French lines, and we are obliged
to tight olT many attacks on the part
of an enemy superior in numbers.
“Yesterday we fought from early
morning till late in the night, oppos
ing Alpine chasseurs and negroes,
whose courage it would be foolish to
l question. The woods here arc very
| extended and cover a ground which is
much broken up. They are so dense
| that very often you do not see the
t enemy until you are within 50, even
50, paces of him, and quite frequently
we get so close to the blacks that we
can look into their eyes.
•*We are greatly indebted to the col
or of our uniforms. The French are
j constantly at a disadvantage because
j of their red pants and blue coats. The
i Alpine Chasseurs are fine fellows, and
in German uniforms they would make
a good appearance. In the French
hotel porter uniform nobody looks
smart. The chasseurs wear red or blue
knee breeches, ribbon-puttees, long
blue cutaways, and a blue cap. Pris
oners without arms make an appear
ance of utter neglect. There are pris
oners taken every day, because the
i ordinary French soldier is only too
ready to throw away his arms, make
J ‘hands up/ and shout ‘Pardon/
“It is now one in the afternoon, and
so far, we have not been disturbed.
The dead are buried, and now we are
lying under the trees enjoying a spell
, of quiet and the peace of the forest. I
COMMERCE CAFE
OPEN DAY ANPT NIGHT
established 1905 f. LtYIN/Prop.
Only fifteen More Shopping Days!
|| ^I. A As long as the gift giving custom of the Merry Yule
MnlkP tide P^vails there will be giving and receiving of presents
iVllJIlv/ af chrjs(mas Time. I don’t suppose that there is a man,
woman, or child in Seward but what in the past has had
some gift wished on them, as welcome as a flea on a hound
pups back. You have it and you can’t use it but you can’t
get rid of it. Don’t do that thing again.
T|"~ There are so many things that a man wa:its in our
IX line, and articles that a man will use and enjoy and ap
preciate and they don’t cost as much as a girncrack.
Take for instance Bathrobes. Of course no man uses
one after New* Years, but they are a nice tiding to hang
in a closet and then a woman can wear them wi;en she has
a sick head ache. Just to fill this demand a lot of them that
VOiiP^ C we are *° *r*v and £et r*d by Xmas for $7.50.
I vlll Did you see those new’ trail vests? Say there is some
thing that is class as far as the trail is blazed out. They
come in Moleskin, Corduroy, and Fustian, are all doe skin ;
lined and have a knit neck and wrists with big leather
faced pockets, and there is not a man in Seward, but would
~ B ~ really be tickled pink to get one from the proper party.
I ||TI C Have a look before you spend, remember, and they are
U11 lO only from $6.00 to $8.00 each.
Just to boost the give away, of something nice we have
decided to give every overcoat purchaser between now’ and
the 24th a present of twenty five per cent off, on our new
stock of KENYON BALMACAANS. They are the neat
II XI est, classiest, nobbiest warmest coats that have been seen
CpTllI in Seward since the new’ School House was agitated and
vvv I Ul if you want one, get it now’ Ladies sizes too. Remember
a $30.00 Coat Costs you $22.50.
Have you seen our new’ Socks yet. Well then you have
a treat coming. Just in some English made socks that are
nice enough to wear for a tie. They come in the late
p autumn shades and are all wool, ribbed and worth double
| X w hat we charge for them simply as rheumatism insurance.
VJ11 Drop in and see what we have for six bits.
LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TOO
THE MINER’S STORE
FRANK J. COTTER. Manager
Phone Adams 131 “Don’t forget the Parcel Post” Seward, Alaska
have just finished reading the news
papers to my worthies, and most of
them are taking a little noon nap.
Everything about us is peaceful. The
forest is fragrant with the smell of
foliage and pine needles, and the sky
luughs in a wonderful blue. It is hard
to believe that this is a scene on which
men are butchered—the scene of what
1 saw yesterday. Hut the dull thud
and thunder of artillery in the distan
ce reminds me of this.”
Two days later the letter is
continued:
“We arc out of our position. Yester
day we began another advance and at
tack on the enemy’s position. We are
still in the forest and so far as I can
judge from the map there are several
kilometers of it yet, part brush, pa it
high growth.
“This is dangerous territory for us,
because the alternating strips of high
trees and new wooil make it easy for
our opponets to get the best of us.
The greatest caution is necessary and
our advance is a matter of taking one
foot of ground after another. We just
advance 200 meters and then down
for cover. Hpllets begin to chirp thru
the air. Hut of the enemy nothing is
seen.
“When the trees are big enough
fairly good cover is offered by them.
Directly the fire opens the battle line
halts and falls flat to the ground,
ever man waiting and looking for a
traget. There is no shooting done M»re
with the German rifles except one has
somebody on the sight. But often
there is nothing to be defne but to ad
vance again, and to frighten the fel
lows with our ‘hurrahs.’ Along the
lines of travel stentorian ‘Fix Bay
onets,’ then comes the command ‘Mar
ch-March’ and the line springs to it’s
feet, plunges forward and a nerve
raking ‘hurrah’ smashes through the
woods. The enemy’s fire begins a veri
tab’e hail of lead. Some fall, but on
ward crashes the German line.
“As soon as we reach the position
of the enemy his fire ceases, and all
take flight. Our bullets follow them
and then many a ‘Red-pant hits the
dust. Hut our bullets do not find a
mark long—the enemy has disappear
ed; we after him, only to meet another
terrific hail of lead. Again we fall to
the ground for cover, and this time I
felt a blow—a bullet had struck my
cooking utensil. I owe my life to the
quick fall to the ground—for another
second and I would have never risen
again. Another bullet hits the ground
just beside me—but never mind that.
Up and at them—at the very side of
the fellow's.
“Wo soon reach our goal—a trench
of a slight elevation to the left from
where a heavy fire has done much
damage in our line. Many of us are
down, and others crawl to the rear to
get their wounds attended to .Now,
lire! The crest of the trench becomes
our target. The rattle of musketry
from both sides becomes deafening.
One of us will have to give in. Fire,
lire! We have learned how to shoot
| straight—the fire in the trench weak
ens: the trench itself is veiled now by
a cloud of dust raised by our bullets. |
“Advance, comes the command
aguin. We all are impelled forward by
the mad desire to get at them. One
hundred meters separate us from the
enemy. Many sacrifices are demanded
| in the final charge. Again the enemy’s
lire weaken—then it almost ceases.
“Advance,” shouts somebody. The’
fellows must be driven out of the tren
ches. Some of them already are leav
ing, but our bullets lay them cold as
they run. Another halt—another ad
vance. Only fifty meters to the tren
■ ch—barbed wire entanglements block
1 our progress.
“But the fellows in the trenches
have lost faith in themselves. They
desert their position in masses—run-,
ning, scrambling, stumbling, falling
! —some in a manner that shows they
! will never rise again. We forget to
take cover. Standing, we pour fire
i into the groups of fleeing men. Good
! comrades fall—cry for help—bid you
farewell with the last breath. Fare
well good friends, we must advance.
“Soon we have disposed of this
enemy, who has laid so low many' of
us. The barbed wire is hacked through
j with our bayonets. We reach the
trench. It is filled with wreathing,
I struggling bodies. We aimed well. In
the ditch lies a kaleidoscopic mixture
of bodies swathed in blue and red—
| and pale ones from which glassy eyes
1 look into the azure sky.
“But on with the pursuit. Some of,
us remain behind to disarm the
wounded so that they cannot fire in
1 our backs. Many others sprawl, fal
' ling on the soft forest floor.
“The height is taken, but the day is
not yet done. Everywhere the French
have taken prisoners to stem the tide
of retreat. There is yet many a bloody j
encounter, but we get the enemy out j
of the forest and once they reach the
open our waiting artillery does the
rest. Our share of the work is done,
the gruesome forest and its experience
are ours.
‘“You have done well/ said our
corps commander. ‘With you fellows
I’d fetch the devil out of hell.’ ”
IT DAVC TOCETIT
I I rAT d FROM THE
mum HMHM CO.
SEATTLE- "It’s Better and Costs Less”
THE EMPRESS MALLEABLE
RANGE
Is the BEST
and the Greatest
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With this Range you get every unit of heat
frnm tho fliol I —There is no better range made; the
IIUIII lilt llltl J EMPRESS Malleable Range today
stands preeminent as the original malleable range after which
all the other malleable ranges are patterned.
-It is made In the largest malleable range factory In the world
and every part that goes Into every EMPRESS Malleable is
fully guaranteed.
Catalog Sent on Request
hire Co
Second Ave. at Pine St. SEATTLE
SEWARD COMMERCIAL CO.
SEWARD’S UP-TO-DATE BUSINESS HOUSE
_—DEALERS IN
Staple and Fancy Groceries
Boots, Shoes and Hardware
JUST ARRIVED
A complete line of Dishes, Cut Glass, Case
roles and Alluminum Ware
We (iuarantee Every Article to (live Satisfaction
Exclusive on Crosset Shoes, Victors
Victrolas and Victor Records
JUST A TRIAL WILL* CONVINCE YOU MOW MUCM WE
APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS
SEWARD COMMERCIAL COMPANY
FURNITURE AND HARDWARE
COAL MINER’S AND COLD MINER’S SIEFIIES
Doors & Windows
Lang’s Ranges
I X L Parlor Heaters
Gasoline Stoves
Cook Stoves
Camp Stoves
Air Tight Heaters
Oil Stoves
Alcohol Stoves
Spark Plugs
Jump Coils
Batteries
Granite Ware
Aluminum Ware
Asbestos
P & B Paper
Mulihoid Pooling
Tar Paper
Deafening felt
Weather Strips
Gasoline
(j.is Engine Oil
Niariue Engine Oil
Valve ()il
Elaine < )il
Floor Oil
Linseed < >il
Cup (jrease
Paints
Lacqueret Paint
Asphaltum Paint
Brushes
Varnishes
Turpentine
Japan
Denatured Alcohol
Coal Tar
Lamps
Lanterns
Tents
PHONE BLACK 4
Rifles
Shot Guns
Ammunition
Fishing Tackle
Giant Powder
Caps
Fuse
Bench Forges
Blacksmith’s <’oal
Bellows
Wheel Barrows
Cutlery
Fire Clay
Fire Brick
Lime
Cement
Glass
Hope
Mercury
Seinb Twine
J. L. GRAEF
PACIFIC ALASKA
NAVIGATION COMPANY
ALASKA PACIFIC S. S. CO. ALASKA COAST CO.
PUGET SOUND-ALASKA ROUTE
Steamers leave Seattle every ten days each month on the
5th, 15th, 25th,
ADMIRAL WATSON AND ADMIRAL EVANS
via the INSIDE PASSAGE, for Ketchikan, Juneau, Yakutat,
Katalla, Cordova, Ellamar, Valdez, Latouche, Seward,
Cook Inlet Points and Kodiak Island.
PUGET SOUND-CALIFORNIA ROUTE
Seattle to San Francisco, connecting with steamers Yale anj Har
vard for Southern California Points.
Right reserved to change steamers und sailing dates without notice.
B F. WATSON, General Agent. WAYNE BLUE, Local Agent.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO. «
Steamers Alameda and Alariposa sail from Seattle
every eight days tor Ketchikan, Juneau, Cordova,
Valdez and Seward.
S. S.'DORA leaves .Seward 15th of each month for Cook Inlet points and Dutch Harbor.
Regular freight service for Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Sheep Creek,
Treadwell, Douglas, Skagway, Cordova, Ellamar,
Valdez, Latouche and Seward
Freight Steamers sailing from Seattle each month: S. S. Seward. 5th;
S. S. Latouche, 15th; S. S. Cordova, 25th
(S. S. Seward carries Explosives)
<$TRight reserved to change this schedule without notice-*#
p. B. TRACY, General Agent C. B. GUPTILL, Age.’.t
Hotel Seward
W. A. M’NEILEY, Pnop.
MODERN CONVENIENCES
RATES SI.00 TO S2-50 PER DAY
HOT AND COLD WATER BATHS ELECTRIC LIGHTS
The Bor gen Grocery
Staple and Taney Groceries
Handles the Best Canned Goods from the Pacific Coast—Best
Treatment to Everybody and Prices Bight— Goods
Delivered to All Parts of the City
GUS BORGEN, Proprietor
Phone Main 134 Clayson Building, Seward
Pioneer
Hotel
F. B. CANNON, Prop.
Knik
Alaska
KNIK’S LEADING HOTEL
NO BAR
Accommodations for Ninety Guests
Large General Lobby
Private Lobby for Ladies
Best Rates : : Best Treatment
Best Accommodations