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ALASKA DAILY EMPIRE J. F. A. STRONG Entered as second-class matter November 7. 1912 at the postottlce at Ju neau. Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Que year, by mail $10.00 Six months, by mall 5.00 Per month, delivered 1-00 JUNEAU. ALASKA. DECEMBER 11. 1912. OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE WESTWARD. It occurs to The Empire that the people of Juneau and this section of Alaska should take more interest in the southwestern portion of Alaska. Specifically, we mean the Prince William Sound section and the country beyond. There lies a great do main containing coal and oil and copper and gold. Anl al though Alaska is truly a country of magnificent distances?a vast region where miles immeasurably spread seem lengthen ing as they go?after all it is our neighbor, and though our in terests may not be identical, still we have much in common and that section and its people should be cultivated. There is where the great coal fields of Alaska lie, and it is from that section that in the coming years all Alaska and a great proportion of the great Pacific coast will get its coal supply. It offers unlimited opportunities for expansion and development of a permanent kind There, too, will be found the oil which will supply the peo ple of the North Pacific coast, and its copper possibilities are practically unlimited, both on the coast and in the interior of the great valley of the Copper river. Here, we are, or at least we should be, more interested in the coal development of the Bering river and the Matanuska coal fields. For we need the coal. And we will need it more and more as the years go by and the population of Juneau and ah the Alaska panhandle increases, as it will by leaps and bounds. This is no fanciful picture. It is just a plain statement of unadorned, unadulterated fact. Alaska has not had a square deal in many ways, but more especially with regard to its coal lands and their development. The growth of the Prince William Sound country has been grievously retarded by reason of policy adopted by the present administration and the preceding one. A fabian policy such as has been pursued is not the kind that is beneficial for an undeveloped country. The energies of two Washington administrations seem to have been directed?not along the line of least resistance?but along the line of how not to do things for the territory; and how to prevent those men who are willing to try from accommplishing something real and tangible. From a knowledge of conditions and of many of the men who have endeavored to obtain patents to coal lands in Alaska, we are compelled to say that they have not been treated, in a number of cases, with justice or equity. But above that the people of that great section have suffered sorely as a direct re sult of the blundering methods of government, of bureaucracy, coupled with a profound lack of knowledge of the conditions. And a potentially rich country lies dormant. And it will contin ue to remain unproductive until a safe and sane policy replaces that under which the territory now struggles, and which it has to endure as best it may. Just two weeks until Christmas, and no winter yet?unless it should butt in after this gets into type. Maybe, after all the Japanese current has slipped landward. MORE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. One of the best advertisements that any town or city can have is to be well lighted. Two of the best lighted cities of the world are Seattle and Los Angeles and this fact has been noised over all the land. And it pays. An ill-lighted town gets an alto gether different kind of publicity?not a desirable one. Let us begin at home. Juneau is not well lighted. Its street lights are inadequate. There are too many dark places, and pedestrians stumble along?sometimes in a darkness that might be felt. When steamers arrive in the night and remain for a few hours, if the business streets were better lighted, many more people, who are passengers, would visit the town and incident ally increase its business and take away with them a much more favorable impression. # And more than this. Those of us who live here would be more comfortable, and we would take much more pleasure in life were we permitted to walk in well-lighted thoroughfares after the mantle of darkness has enveloped the earth, during the short days of the winter. Therefore let there be more light. It will be an excellent investment. Never cry out until you are hurt. Also never say die. By inference the dispatches tell us the Colonel will retire as the leader of the Bull Moosers. As a plain matter of fact, however, the Colonel will continue to stand at Armageddon and battle for himself?and the party. TAFT, CIVIL SERVICE AND THE AXE. To some thirty-odd thousand fourth-class postmasters, whom he placed in the civil service recently, by executive order, Pres ident Taft has now added twenty thousand or more skilled labor ers in the navy yards of the country. Thus does the work of ex tending the civil service increase, and incidentally, the standing army of employees of the country, mostly Republicans; so also increases the indignation of the Democrats, who thus see tens of thousands of men confirmed in places for life or good be havior, which they themselves would like to fill. But while he is thu3 shutting out the Democrats, President Taft is not overlooking the Progressives, or Bull Moosers. When ever he finds that any of the latter federal officials have been guilty of what Grover Cleveland called "pernicious activity, off go their heads." Recently President Taft for this reason re moved Dupont B. Lyon, United States Marshal for the Eastern district of Texas, and Eugene Nolte, marshal for the Western district of the same state. Lyon is a brother of Col. Cecil Lyon, the head and front, the alpha and omega of the Progressive party of Texas. Maybe it was for removals such as these and the appointment of his own partisans that Senator Poindexter declared that Pres ident Taft should be impeached for "flagrant misuse of the ap pointive power." At any rate the President is using the axe with the deadly precision of a sixteenth century headsman, and he is showing extraordinary devotion to the expansion of the civil service, much to the disgust of both Progressives and Dem ocrats. He is thus arousing animosity in these parties, and with the incoming of the Democratic administration, reprisals may follow and officials who should be permitted to fill out their terms may suffer removal. This is a condition that may arise and the civil service system and faithful discharge of duties on the part of government officials may count for naught?something which would be deplored by all those who believe in maintaining the highest state of efficiency in public life. ' I I CHARICK I if JEWELER ? ? & ? d OPTICIAN ? f Mlllll I-M-hHH-M-i IIIIIHII GREAT CEMETERY OP HUGE BEASTS A Council Bluffs, la., dispatch says: Excavations now being made in build ing the new lino of the Milwaukee Kallroad in Western Iowa are bring ing to light the great monsters of the I Pliocene and Miocene ages as to at tract the attention of scientists. Already the excavations show the immense burial Held to extend from Sioux Falls, S. Dak., to Hamburg, la., und from the Missouri river to a point half way across the State of Iowa, embracing probably 40,000 square miles. From the great area thousands and thousands of pounds of what were once bones of giant animals of an other age are being brought to the surface almost daily. So common are they that they no longer attract the attention of the workmen. Instcnd, they are being used for ballast aloug with rocks and gravel which come out with them. The huge quantity of remains shows that in the far past Western Iowa was much more densely populat ed than it is at the present time, and to support this population the terri tory must have been covered with a growtu so dense that the most luxur iant forest of today would seem bar ren when compared with it. The Spanish conquerors are cred ited with having brought the first horses to America, yet 1,000,000 years before the days of Columbus the prai ries of Iowa literally teemed with the forefathers of the present-day horse. Some of these were gigantic in stat ure, while others were scarcely larger than an ordinary dog. The railroad graders are bringing up their remains by the ton. The days of the Iowa prehistoric horse were also the days of the Iowa prehistoric camel. This Iowa camel was no small affair, according to the fossil bones which are dally brought to the surface. He was big and strong and would compare favorably with the best of tho kind in a modern circus. Klephants? u ineir remains art* a - criterion of their numbers, any little <? Iowa county could furnish as many elephants as the whole of Africa can today. There were a dozen different < > species, ranging from what would to- , > day be called a "baby elephant" to the ' J enormous Elephas imperutor, the gi- < ? gantlc mammoth with tusks like tele- < > phone poles, feet the size of a eel lar door, a trunk long enough to reach < ? around large trees, strength enough <? to uproot them, and teeth large J [ enough and strong enough to cat <? them. < > In fact, one tooth recently discov ered had a grinding surface nearly 12 < J inches long, 4% inches wide, and was <? 11 inches deep. With a' mouthful of I ? that kind of teeth, the groat animal ^ could easily chew up and masticate <? a pretty good-sized tree. <> < > < > DURAZZO. \; < ? o The Balkan turmoil is stirring our <[ historical and geographical memories. <? For a thousand years or so no one <> has thought much of Durazzo. But it was a famous port when the Romans called it Dyrrachium. It was the < > nearest point acrosB from Brunduslum < > ?which is now Brindisi?and was chosen by Cicero as his place of pleas- < > ant exile. In fact, Brunduslum and <? Dyraachiun; were the Dover and Ca- <> lals of the Romans, and now once \' more Durazzo is springing into im portance. <! Job Printing at The Empire Office. 44 CANDIDATE FOR A THRONE ONCE GLAD TO GET A CIGAR. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 11. ?Prince Aracne Karngeorevlch, the King or Servia'B brother, who has been mentioned as a candidate for the prospective throne of Albania, re sided here some years, earning his living teaching language. His mail got him many pupils who became very fond of him. His income was so lim ited that he could only afford to hire a tiny furnished bedroom, in which Ills lessons were taught. During that period King Peter worked on a Social Democratic newspaper published in Switzerland. When Peter was called to the throne Arseno left Copenhagen and went to Servia. His former pupils are watching him with keen interest, boasting of having had a possible king as a teacher who was made happy by an invitation to take a cup of coffee and gratefully accepted a penny cigar as extra remuneration for instruction. LIVE FROG SEALED YEARS. James Young, of KansaB City, Kas., says demonstrated that the the ory of a frog living without food or water is correct. Young made an ex periment after reading a statement that frogs have been known to live hundreds of years while sealed in a brick wall. Obtaining a frog, Young placed it in the hollow of a tree and sealed the hollow with cement. Years passed and he forgot all about the frog. Young says he was a mere boy when the creature was shut in and that a few days ago, when the tree waB broken open the frog leaped out as live and hearty as when it had been sealed up. FEMMER <t RITTER. See this firm for all kinds of dray mg and hauling. We guarantee sat isfaction and reasonable prices. Coal delivered promptly. Fcmmcr & Rit ter'8 Express. Stand Durford's Cor ner. Phone 314. Residence phones 402 or 403. ??? HIS CULTIVATED TALENT. "That man Grigaby seems to de light in showing off his (literacy and cheap slanginc8s." "Yes. He's been very successful." "Sucessful! In what?" "Didn't you know? Why, he writes the verses for nearly all the rag-time ballads." The newest and bent, the original Idea and the modern thought in Christmas goods is seen everywhere in Valentine's bright, fresh stock of Jewelry, silverware, cut glass, and every other thing that you may de Biro for presentation. ??? NOME BANKER MARRIED. Frank H. Thatcher, president of the Alaska Banking & Safe Deposit Co., of Nome, and Miss Claire Ferrin, were married recently at the bride's home, at Berkeley, Calif. Subscribe for The Empire. Professional Cards R. W. JENNINGS ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Lewis Building, Juneau Z. R. CHENEY ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Lewis Building, Juneau Gunnison & Marshall ATTORN EY8-AT-L AW Decker Building Juneau Alaska H. P. CROWTHER U. 8. Deputy Surveyor * U. 8. Mineral Surveyor Office?Lewis Block ? Juneau N. WATANABE DENTIST Office Over Purity Pharmacy Juneau .... Alaska The Juneau Steamship Co. U. S. Mall Steamer GEORGIA Juneau-Sitka Route?Leaves Juneau for Hoonah, Gypsuni, Tenakee, Kllllsnoo and Sitka? 8:00 a. m., Nov. 5. 11. 17. 23, 29. Dec. 5. 11. 17. 23, 29, Jan. 4, 10, 16, 22. 28, Fob. 3, 9, 16, 21, 27, March 5, 11, 17, 23 and 29. Leaves Juneau for Funter and Chatham, 8:00 a. m?Nov. 17, Dec. 11, Jan. 4, 28, Feb. 21, March 17. Leaves Juneau for Tyee, 8:00 a. m.?Nov. 23, Dec. 23, Jan. 22, Feb. 21, March 23. Juneau ? Skagway Route ? LeaveB Juneau for Pearl Harbor, Ragle River, Yankee Cove, Sen tinel Light Station, Jualin, El dred Rock Light Station, Com et, Haines, Skagway,, 8:00 a. m. ?Nov. 3, 9, 16. 21, 27, Dec. 3, 9, 15. 21, 27, Jan. 2, 8, 14, 20, 26. Feb. 1, 7. 13, 19, 25, March 3, 9, 15, 21, 27. Returning leaves Skagway the following day at 8:00 a. m. WILLIS E. NO WELL. MANAGER HUMBOLDT STEAMSHIP CO. The Alaska Flyer ?? S. HUMBOLDT I The Alaska Flyer NORTHBOUND DEC. 8 SOUTHBOUND DEC. 9 DOCKS AT JUNEAU CITY WHARF Seattle Ofllce, 71G Second Ave. GEO. BURFORD, Agent IM 1M 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 I 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 1 I I 1 111 1 111 111 1 11 I I 1 I I I 1 ? ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO. - STEAMERS CALLING AT KETCHIKAN. WRANGEL, PETERS- ?? I! BURG, DOUGLAS, JUNNEAU, HAINES AND SKAGWAY !! STEAMSHIP DOLPHIN ?? NORTH NOV. 28, DEC. 9, 21 !! SOUTH NOV. 29, DEC. 10, 22 !! Tickets to Seattle, Tacoma, Victoria and Vancouver. Through tickets to San Francisco. !! !! ELMER E. SMITH, Douglas Agt. WILLIS E. NOWELL, Agt. " ? ??M 1 1 1 1 1 M 111 111 111 1 111 111 1 LI 111 1 I 1 1 1 1 II 111 1 1 1 1 111 1-K ?? NORTHLAND STEAMSHIP COMPANY Operating S. S. ALKI and S. S. NORTHLAND S. S. ALKI, South, DEC. 7 First Class Fare to 3eattle $19.00 Second Class Fare to Seattle $12.00 H. C. BRADFORD, Mgr., Pier 4, Seattle. SOWERBY & BELL, Juneau JOHN HENSEN % CO., Douglas CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY CO.-B.C. Coast Service Sailing from Juneau for Port Simpson. Prince Rupert, Swanson, Alert Bay. Vancouver Victoria and Seattle PRINCESS MAY .* DEC. 19 | Front and Seward Sts. C. P. R. TICKET OFFICE J T. SPICKETT. A*t. - | ALASKA COAST CO. jj ? > For Yakutat, Katalla, Cordova, Ellamar, Valdez, Latouche, Seward, , ? I! Seldovia?SAILS FROM JUNEAU " :: S. S. YUKON NOVEMBER 24 I! SAILS FROM JUNEAU FOR SEATTLE AND TACOMA I j j connecting at Seattle for San Francisco and Southern California ports | j S.S.YUKON DECEMBER 4 " Right is reserved to change steamers or sailing dates without notice. For further information apply to ?' S. H. Ewing, Juneau Agent. ALASKA COAST COMPANY, Seattle ? ? 11111 ii 11111111111111;1111111111111111111111111111111 FERRY TIME SCHEDULE JUNEAU FERRY & NAVIGATION Co.?Operating Ferry Service Be tween JUNEAU, DOUGLAS, TREADWELL and SHEEP CREEK Lv. Juneau to Dousria* and Trcadwoll ?8:00 a. rr.. 9:00 a. m. 11:00 a. m. 1:00 p. m. 3:00 p. ra. 4:30 p. m. 6:30 p. m. 8:00 p. m. 9:00 p. m. 11:00 p. m. rl Lv. Tread wcll for Juneau *8:25 a. m. I 9:25 a. m. | 12:00 noon 1:40 p. m. 2:25 p. m. 4:55 p.m. 6:55 p. m. 8:25 p. m. 9:25 p. m. 11:25 p. m.' Leave* Doufflaa for J menu "?8730 a. m. 9:30 a. m. [12:05 p. m. 1:45 p.m. 3:30 p. m. 5:30 p. m. 7:05 p. m. 8:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 111:30 p. m. Lc?vch Juneau daily for Sheep Creek 11:00 a. m. 4:30 p. m. ? Leaves Sheep Creek for Juneau 11:40 a. m. 5:10 p. m. From Juneau for Sheep Creek Saturday Night Only 11:00 p. ~nT for Juneau Returning Leaves Sheep Creek 11:40 p. m. Leaves Treadwell 11:45 p. m. Leaves Douglas 11:50 p. ni. 4-1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 11 I 111 M I I M-M-H I 1 111 M 1 III III 1 111 I iii i 1 H" I OCCIDENTAL HOTEL AND ANNEX J Restaurant in Connection Established 1881 European Plan " COMMERCIAL MEN'S HOME !! FRONT ST. JOHN P. OLDS, Mngr. JUNEAU, ALASKA ?? 11 i ii 1111111111111111111:11111i11111m 11 m m i l ii 111 We Are Headquarters for ij DRY GOODS, CLOTHING / . BOOTS AND SHOES, FURNISHINGS STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES ALASKA-TREADWELL GOLD MINING CO. ?' i ?