Digital Bob Archive

APRIL 1918 - PART 2:

The war in Europe was especially worrisome to Gastineau Channel residents who had family members overseas or about to be sent overseas, but the real scare that spring was a diphtheria epidemic that had started near the end of March and continued into April and taken several lives. The schools continued to be closed and many meetings and social events were canceled, including the Saturday night jitney dances at the Arctic Brotherhood Hall on Third Street. Dr. L.O. Sloane was appointed city health officer and he worked with Dr. L.P. Dawes, the territorial health officer, and Dr. P.J. Malone, the U.S. marine health service doctor, to curb the epidemic.

There was no dramatic and highly publicized dog team relay to bring anti-toxin serum to Juneau, as there would be seven years later when Nome suffered a diphtheria epidemic, but a supply of serum was rushed from Seattle by steamboat and with it the doctors were able to stop the spread of the disease. There were deaths, however, and the people of Juneau were especially saddened by the death of bright and cheerful 14-year old Charles Curtis Fremming who, despite being deaf and dumb, was a favorite errand boy and newsboy.

Food conservation, including wheatless days and meatless days, continued to be a major part of the local war effort. A group of women met in the Elks Hall and formed the Juneau Food Club whose announced objective was \"to work to educate all of the women of the Gastineau Channel in the necessity of saving food and all household products, and to teach them the best ways of accomplishing such savings.\" Royal A. Gunnison, the Food Administrator for Alaska, addressed the group, and so did Mrs. Allen Shattuck, Home Economics Director for Alaska, who offered suggestions for using some of the substitute foods that were available. Mrs. H.J. Fisher was elected president of the Juneau Food Club, with Mrs. Guy McNaughton as vice-president and Mrs. A.M. Mathews as secretary. Soon after the meeting, Food Administrator Gunnison was able to announce that he had received word from the national Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover, that as a result of an unusual supply of hogs, meatless days and meatless meals need not be observed during the rest of the month.

Douglas resident John Haho received word from Washington that he had been awarded the contract to carry the mail between Juneau and Cape Fanshaw where a settlement was growing up and becoming a fish processing center. Haho 5mmediately put carpenters to work installing berths and adding cabins to his 58-foot gasboat, the Pheasant, for the accomodation of passengers. The Pheasant was powered by a 25-horsepower Eastern Standard engine. On the mail route she would make stops at Taku Harbor, Limestone Inlet, Snettisham, Sumdum and Windham Bay, and would make the trip once each week.