THE AVALANCH
VOL. I
McCarthy, alaska, Saturday, September 23,1916.
NO. 7.
Senator Sulzer Here
Senator Charles A. Sulzer,
Democratic candidate for dele
gate to congress, addressed a
large and enthusiastic audience
in the town hall on Monday ev
ening. Senator Sulzer gave a
keen logical talk on the issues of
the day. As a speaker he is
forceful, clear and eloquent. He
dwelt largely upon the questions
of enlarged powers for the ter
ritorial legislature and increas
ed appropriations by the federal
government for roads and trails.
He also came out squarely upon
the eight hbur question saying
that his experience as an opera
tor proved conclusively that la
bors’ demand for ‘eight hours
work, eight hours play and eight
hours rest’ was just, equitable
and economical His fair and
fearless stand upon this ques
tion won him many converts in
this c imp.
J udge Win. O’Connor, who in
troduced the speaker, spoke for
a few minutes upon the nation d
issues. He pleaded lor the el
ection of Senator Sulzer as an
endorsement of Woodrow Wil
son, and read a telegram from
the President which read as fol
lows:
Executive Office, Asbnry Park,
N. J., Sept. 15, 1916.
T. J. Donohoe, Democratic
National Committeeman, Veldez,
Alaska.
I very earnestly favor the el
ection of Chas. A. Sulzer as del
egate to Congress from Alaska.
Woodrow Wilson.
During the afternoon Senator
mingled freely among our citiz
ens. He was accompanied by
Mrs. Sulzer and their little son,
Bill. Mrs. Sulzer is a thorough
Alaskan herself, having been a
resident of the Territory prior
to their marriage. William is a
tine, sturdy ‘native son, and he
is proud of it. Upon their arri
val here they were met at the
depot by the local committee
and they then went to Kenne
cott where they stayed for about
three hours meeting many of the
voters working at the lower
camp. No meeting was held
there owing to lack of hall and
limited time. Coming down in
the auto Senator Sulzer received
a first hand acquaintance with
the kind of roads we have to put
up with in this section.
In an interview the senator
expressed himself as astounded
at the resources and promise of
this community. He considers
this the greatest copper belt in
the world, and was also delight
ed with our climate conditions
and prophesies great develop
ment in this section. One thing
which particularly impressed
him was the number of old-tim
ers in the community. This he
said indicated stability and pei
manence. He also compliment
ed us upon the substantial char
acter of our business houses and
buildings and upon the improve
ment of streets now under way.
Fatal Accident
The body of Oscar Erickson
was found m asha.it oi Johnson
Creek in tne Cinsana a ween
ago. George Gosiiaw, who re
turned irorn the interior camp
two days ago brings the story
ox another tragedy of the In or in
land. When Goshaw went into
the camp about two weeks ago,
he asked for Erickson, who was
an old friend from Valdez. No
one had seen him lor some time
but his dog was wandering a
round from camp to camp, ap
paretly without a master. Go
shaw went to Erickson’s camp
and found cooked food moulder
ing on the table and concluded
that some accident must have
befallen him. He sent for help
from Carl Whitham’s camp and
an investigation of the premises
showed that a shaft had been
worked lately. There was about
fifteen feet of water in the shaft.
After several hours of baling the
body was discovered. It seem
ed, from the evidence, that Er
ickson had started a fire in the
shaft after he had eaten his sup
per and was sitting on a box
waiting for the fire to burn,
when he was overcome by gas
or fire damp. There are small
veins of lignite coal in the nei
ghborhood and a pocket of gas
from one of these is supposed
to have escaped. Erickson had
spent eleven years fei Alaska.
He was about thirty two years
of age and had a father and sev
eral brothers in SanFranciseo,
California. The body was bur
ied at Chisana on the 13th.
George Goslnw returned the
first of the week from Chisana
where he has been attending to
mining interests for about cwo
weeks.
The postoMce d jpartment has
allowed one trip with mail to the
Chis na during the mo th of
October and further provision
has not been made for winter
service to that camp.
Pat Gueren and D. K. Mc
Donald of Spokane, Wash, are
enroute to McCarthy to make
examinations of the Tjosevigant;
Barrett copper properties whici
they have stocked and placed 01/
the market.
0. F. M. Cole lias left with a
pack train of freight and mail
tor Chisana.
F. R. Barnes, M. A. Heckey
ind H. C. Davis returned today
from a trip to the Lac&inaw dis
trict where they have been on
mining business.
The best line of flannel over
shirts, John B. Stetson and Mai
lory Cravenetted Hats at Lau
rie Bros.
Sam Means is in town from
the Chititu district.
G. C. Gwinn arrived today
| from Chisana with a big pack
train and eight passengers.
Word reached here that Mr.
Cole lost two pack horses on his
way to Chisana.
A Lucky Escape
What might well have been a
serious accident, happened on
the C. R. & N. W. Ry. last Sat
urday. While the train was
crossing the Kuskalana bridge,
a mud slide at the Strelna ap
proacb, overtook the last three
cars, two freight cars and the
passenger coach, breaking the
coupling connecting them with
the rest of the train and rolling
them over and down the bank
for tifty feet or more. A num
ber of passengers were aboard,
none of whom were injured.
Harry Wilson, the conductor,
was bruised and scratched up
but not severely injured. Ed.
Sommers, the brakeman, was
chased around the baggage com
partment by a hot stove and on
being overtaken by the stove, re
ceived slight bn ms. The wreck
ing crew was summoned and
succeeded in replacing the cars
on the track in about twenty
four hours, when the train pro
ceeded to McCarthy. An exam
ination of the freight in the two
box cars revealed a large quan
tity of winter underclothes, ina
ckintws and other drygoods con
signed to Laurie Bros, well mix
ed and mingled with new laid
eggs, butter, beans, crackers
and other supplies for the local
snares.
The Copper River Railroad
has been very fortunate in the
operation of its road ever since
construction times. Other than
a few accidents to trainmen there
has been no casualties, which
fact speaks well for the condit
ion of the roadbed and care of
company in operation.
A. E. Todd sold lot 5 in block F
to Alfred Ohstrom for a consid
eration of $375. Mr. Ohstrom
intends to build soon.
In last weeks issue we made
mention that Geo. W. Handy
had arranged with Peter S. Er
ickson to handle stock in one of
his copper properties, this is a
mistake, the deal was not closed.