BOUGHT FOR AN ICE PLANT
To William H. Brewer, who died at
his home in New Haven recently, be
longs much of the credit for the pur
chase of Alaska. It was he who was
largely instrumental in persuading
President Johnson and Secretary Sew
ard of the advisability of that move,
says the New York Tribune.
“I urged three reasons upon Sew
ard for buying Alaska. ’' said Professor
Brewer, recently. ‘ ‘ ‘ First, we need it
for its fisheries rights. ’ I said to him.
‘What a great thing for America if
we owned the Banks of Newfoundland.
See how much the fishing industry
built up the Dutch republic. England
has always fostered her fishing indus
try, and see her results!'
“Second, I said that Alaska must
become a great source of ice for the
Pacific coast. How laughable that rea
son appears now! Yet it was a very
scientific argument then, and the com
pany wuicii cuuiruw tuc usmug
tries of Alaska was originally only an
iee company, according to its charter.
‘‘The third reason was a very senti
mental reason, but I am inclined to
think that it is being demonstrated
by the events of later years. I said
that the climate and scenery of Alaska
were of pecuniary value. It was a land
of unequaled sublimity and grandeur.
The Alps have brought millions of dol
lars into Switzerland. The White
mountains have brought fortunes into
New Hampshire. Both will in time
yield to Alaska in mountain scenery.
1 can still see Seward smile as I told
him that the people of the United
States would in time want to visit Al
aska for the sake of the scenery. I
said I might not live to see the time,
but that a nation lives longer than a
man, and that the time would surely
come when trips to the northern reg
ions would be commonly made for
pleasure.”
Seward was convinced, but Johnson
proved more difficult. A -while after
Prof. Brewer’s conversation, however,
the president visited New Haven, and
there the advocate of Alaska met him
and completed his work.
Prof. Brewer was an expert on the
subject of the horse. More than 30
years he predicted the coming of the
two-minute racer. He also advocated
the use of horseflesh as food.
He won considerable reputation as a
traveler, and was much at home in the
northern regions. He also had climbed
several of the highest peaks of the
Rockies. In the recent Peary-Cook
controversy he stood up for the dis
credited explorer and declared that
both men might have reached the pole.
STORIES OF STRIKES
“Is there really anything to these
reports of gold strikes you so often
print in your paperV’ a lady at the
post asks.
Yes, there is really something to the
reports; the facts are given as nearly
accurate as possible. The source of in
formation regarding gold discoveries is
always stated, and the old-timers rely
to a certain extent upon the credibility
of the informant.
Life in Alaska makes gamblers of us
all. Men take long chances in the
north. They undergo untold hardships,
n^eet many disappointments, and toil
often for years without results. When
all their resources are gone they return
to the towns to earn another grubstake
or, perchance, induce some merchant to
furnish them an outfit so that they can
start out afresh; for the born prospect
pector never gives up. They are the
men who each year push the frontier
line further and further to the north.
In many cases the prospector, -when
he does strike it, never fully reaps the
benefit. Often claimants rise, as if
from the very dirt in which the pay
is found. Long drawn out lawsuits fol
low, and if the prospector wins he finds
that a goodly share of his riches has
gone to the attorneys.
On the other hand, men in towns are
imposed upon by some ‘ ‘ prospectors. ’ ’
These imposters secure a grubstake
from a business man, and then loaf
around some saloon; perhaps going out
into the hills for a change and looking
over the country. Coming back they
report that they “could not get even a
color.” This type is soon spotted,
however, and the real prospector gener
ally finds someone who places faith in
him. Indeed, many bona fide prospec
tors refuse to be grubstaked, preferr
ing to earn their own.
It is said out of every ten men who
follow prospecting die poor. The men
who stake them, however, (and remain
comfortably in town), often have a
better chance of becoming rich. But
what would this country be without
the prospector—the conqueror of the
hills, the blazer of the trails, the hard
iest of pioneers!
Men follow one another like sheep,
but there must be a leader. In a stam
pede each knows his chance of getting
in on rich ground is as good as the
next man’s. But a prospector will not
believe his own brother. He has to
see for himself. A stampeder, on the
contrary, is a staker first and a devel
oper later.—Yukon Valley News.
WILL NOT REOPEN BREWERY
M. J. O ’Connor has purchased the
Adsit brewery, but he has no inten
tion of manufacturing beer. As soon
as he can get ready he intends to con
vert the building into a hotel.
For two years and a half, the brew
ery building and the brewery machin
ery has been an elephant on the hands
of the owner back in Maine. At the
time of O. H. Adsit’s death, the brew
ery had not been in operation for some
time, but, the rent was regularly paid.
On his death, Richard Johnson, who
died a few months ago in Juneau was
the administrator of the Adsit estate,
and he had long since found the estate
in a tangle he could not untie. The
brewery having been so long in dis
use, parts of it, as the tanks for in
stance, were not in shape to be used
again as a brewery and could not find
a ready sale for sufficient money to
pay the debts.
Furthermore, there was a mortgage
on the machinery taken by the Tread
well company for money loaned to. as
sist a Douglas island industry, and
when the administrator had
been in possession long enough to be
possessed of the true state of affairs,
there was also the landlords bill for
rent. The property was in the hands
of the court, the landlord felt some
uneasiness in setting it out into the
street, and for two years he wrote oc
casional letters to his friends here, ask
ing them to suggest ways and means
whereby he might get rid of the in
cumbus. This Mr. O ’Connor will now
undertake to do. •
The new owner has a force of men
at work making such repairs as can
be made with the machinery in the
building. The fact that it is Mayor
O’Connor who is to convert the build
ing into a hotel, is sufficient guarantee
that the structure will be a credit to
the island. It was the need for a ho
tel as well as the profit, which has in
duced the mayor to take it over.
\
INSPECTORS BUSY
“The office of the United States lo
cal inspectors of steam vessels has been
a very busy place since their return
from western Alaska points,’’ says a
well known steamboat man. “There
have been numerous violations of the
steamboat inspection laws and 'these
matters have all to be investigated and
later on, if grounds for charges are
found they are preferred and the
guilty ones have to stand trial. There
is no good reason why this state of
affairs should exist, particularly in this
locality where the office is within easy
reach of all concerned and where there
is always on hand for distribution cop
ies of the laws, rules and regulations
and pilot rules and the various bul
letins issued by the department. In
addition to this the inspectors them
selves stand ready at all times to ad
vise as to the right course to be per
sued in all matters relating to the reg
ulation of steamboats and licenses.’’
The United States local inspectors
of steam vessels left for Ketchikan
pn City of Seattle Thursday morning
for the purpose of inspecting the
steamer Vigilant at Ketchikan. While
enroute Inspector of Hulls Whitney
inspected the motor boat of J. F. Con
nor at Petersburg as to her seaworth
iness at the request of the owners who
are to change her name to that of Valk
yrie.
Douglas
Commercial
Club
Alaska jewelry Co.
EXPERT WATCH REPAIR ING Alaska
$t. Ann's
£Rfca41i
Douglas
Don’t Forget the
ANDERSON TOBACORY
Near the 8a,w Mill, Douglas
THE ECONOMY
of hand work showi. in the life of
the linen. t
DOUGLAS HAND LAUNDRY
Front Street
Hugh Day
BILLIARDS AND POOL
CIGARS AND TOBACCO
Bring that old suit down and let us A O
look at it. Chances are we can make it vAV/V«/J-/ MO 1 i£j W
Better let us put a new collar on your overcoat now. It will turn
cold one of these days.
DOUGLAS CLEANING AND DYE WORKS
Good Plumbing
THE LITTLE SHOP *
DOWN THE STREET
GAS FITTING AND TIN WORK
Front St., Between D And E
J. MINKOVE
Pleasurable Duty
Posibly you have need of a hank. If
so, it becomes our pleasurable duty to
invite you to come to this bank. Your
account, no mater how small, will be
gladly received. ONE DOLLAR will
start a Savings Account. Safe Deposit
Boxes for rent. All business dealings
strictly confidential.
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:
Henry Shattuck, Pres. J. E. Beale,
Cashier. F. W. Bradley, John Reck, P.
H. Fox, Geo. F. Miller.
4
FIRST
NATIONAL
BANK
JUNEAU, ALASKA.