Digital Bob Archive

MAY 1918 - PART 1:

This was the fourteenth month in which the United States was engaged in war in Europe or on the high seas, and the effects of the war were being felt more and more on Gastineau Channel. More and more Juneau men, many of them with family members in the area, were up at Fort William H. Seward near Haines for induction, or at one place or another in the States for training, or actually in the combat zones. And other men, either ineligible for war service or not yet called by the draft, had gone south to work in the shipyards or in other high-paying jobs.

The local economy had been severely impacted in 1917 by the cave-in of three of the Treadwell mines. And now the manpower shortage was threatening two operations on the Juneau side of the channel, the Alaska-Juneau and the Alaska Gastineau. \"Juneau is slowly dying for lack of workingmen,\" Bart L. Thane of the Alaska Gastineau told the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He was stretching things a little when he added: \"Juneau will simply close its doors if conditions are not changed. We need 700 to 1000 men right away and it is up to Seattle to help us out.\" It is not reported that his plea brought any great horde of men rushing northward.

While there may not have been any real hardships here because of the war, there were inconveniences and annoyances. Some foods were rationed, others were simply in short supply. There was a new annoyance after May 1 when U.S. Marshal Josiah Tanner received instructions that all shipping facilities were to be guarded with increased vigilance. As a result, said the Marshal, after May 2 no person would be allowed on any of the docks in the area without a permit issued by himself. Tanner let it be known that the permits would be issued only to persons who had business on the docks. The order, which was also enforced in other towns, virtually eliminated one of the pleasures and pastimes of residents - meeting the incoming steamboats.

Despite the war, some things went on as usual. In May there was a visit to Juneau by the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine from the Afifi Temple of Tacoma who arrived on the steamer Alaska of the Alaska Steamship Company. The delegation was headed by Governor Ernest Lister of Washington and Mrs. Lister. He was said to have been the first state governor to visit Alaska while in office and the Listers were guests of Governor and Mrs. Thomas Riggs, Jr., at the Mansion on Calhoun Avenue during their stay. Events during the visit of the Shriners included a parade, several dances and a trip to Taku Glacier, which was easier to reach at that time than was Mendenhall Glacier.

The Douglas School Board hired Miss Helmi Aalto, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
August Aalto and a graduate of the Douglas High School, to teach one of the grades in the Douglas Public School in 1918-19. She had been teaching the school at Afognak.