JUDGE ALFRED S. MOORE IS DE
LIGHTED WITH CONDITIONS
IN FAMOUS DISTRICT.
MEETS MANY OLD FRIENDS.
Present Development Work Regarded
As Sufficient to Indicate Making
in Near Future One of Richest
Camps in Country.
Alfred S. Moore, of Beaver, Pa.,
who for eight years was United States
district judge at Nome, and who at
present is visiting in Anchorage, re
turned yesterday from the Willow
creek district where he spent a week
making a thorough investigaton of
the famous quartz camp.
Judge Moore expressed himself as
being delighted with every hour of
the trip and returned to Anchorage
highly elated over the prospects of
the Willow creek region, which he
says has a wonderfully bright future.
In fact he terms the Willow creek dis
trict as the ‘'Horn of Plenty” for An-,
chorage and prophesies that with the
investment of sufficient capital in the
properties and their systematic oper
ation, the Willow creek district prom
ises to make one of the largest and
most productive mining camps in
Alaska, if not in the United States.
Surprised at Development.
“Notwithstanding the many favor
able comments I had previously heard
in reference to the camp I was not
prepared for the extensive operation
and the signs of active development
evidenced in the district,” said the
Judge.
“The men who have brought the
district to its present state of
operation deserve great cred
it for they have virtually paved the
way for the development of a great
gold mining camp from which resi
dents of Anchorage will receive un
bounded benefit. Anchorage is nat
urally the base of supplies and outfit
ting point for the Willow creek dis
trict and business generally in this
city will be materially profited by
further development of the district.
In my conversation with the operators |
I am firmly convinced of their univer- j
sal faith and optimism. Even a
‘Doubting Thomas’ may visit thej
camp and after a careful investiga
tion return a firm believer in the won
derful future of the district, which is :
figurately studded with gold.
Inadequate Transportation.
“I can well understand that inade
quate transportation facilities have
retarded operations. This important
problem, however, is being solved by
the efficient work of the Alaska Road
commission, which is making good
progress on the Knik-Willow creek
wagon road. This road leads to the
heart of the mining district. The
building of the government railroad
has also helped matters and in this
connection I must say that the admin
istration cannot do too much towards
developing all Alaska and especially
this particular section which is sur
rounded by so many natural re
sources.
Visited rnneipal Mines.
On his trip Judge Moore visited the
Martin, Independence, Gold Cord, Ma
bel and Willow Creek Development
company’s properties and was very
favorably impressed with existing
conditions. In referring to his trip
the judge spoke gratefully of the
courteous treatment he received from
the different operators and prospect
ors in the district. He was pleased to
meet several old-time Nome friends
at the mines, among them being John
Johnson, who is superintendent of the
Martin Mines and who was the first
operator at Nome to take pay out of
the third beach line.
Entertained by Mr. Maritn.
Judge Moore spent an entire day at
the Martin mine and was taken over
the property by Wm. Martin, who is
having a very successful season. Mr.
Martin has recently installed an air
compressor drill and will work a crew
of men all winter.
At the Independence mine Judge
Moore met L. S. Robe and spent sev
eral hours in looking over the Inde
pendence property. He also visited the
Gold Cord, which was closed down on
account of water but will start oper
ations next spring. W. S. Horning,
who is in charge of the Gold Cord,stat
ed that the company would probably
install a mill next spring but that un
til its own mill was installed it would
continue to use the Independence mills.
The Gold Cord vein is very rich and
runs through the Martin and Inde
pendence properties.
The Mabel mine has had a very
successful season and will continue to
operate as long as possible.
Judge Moore had the pleasure of
handling a $5,000 gold brick just re
torted by Thomas Cavny, manager of
the Mabel mine. The judge spent sev
eral hours in going over the Isaacs
property on Reed creek, which has
been taken over by the Willow creek
Development company. This compa
ny has made arrangements for exten
sive operations. This property is
ideally located and has an abundance
of water power. Recent tunnel devel
opment has opened up a large vein
of valuable ore and other work will be
done on the property this fall in prep
aration for active operations next
spring.
Work is progressing nicely on tH“
Shough property which has been tax
en over by Major L. H. French and
associates.
Colorado capitalists have made a
deal for the Arch group, although
Fred Laubner and the Bartholfs still
retain their interests.
Godell and Fern are negotiating
wth Spokane parties for their claims
in the neighborhood of the Talkeetna
Mining company’s property.
The Gold Bullion has been working
in pay ore all season and will keep a
crew of men in the mines during the
winter.
Several important mining deals
have been made within the past sixty
| days involving Willow creek proper
ty and at least three large deals are
pending. There are several out
side mining operators and engineers
in the district at present investigat
ing the field.
Dinner With Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding.
Judge Moore was entertained at
dinner by Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Spauld
ing, who have erected a very fine hos
pital at Mile 32 for the benefit o^ the
miners in the district. The judge al
so enjoyed his stay at the Fish Hook
Inn, whch is managed by Sam Mc
Millan.
The judge feels that the trip to
the Willow creek district was a dis- j
; tinct success both from the viewpoint
j of pleasure and education. He was!
accompanied on the trip by E. L.i
Bedell.
Judge Moore will leave in a few days
for a visit to the Hope and Sunrise |
districts and expects to return to his !
home in the states in a week or ten j
days.
CALICO, CALIFORNIA, DEAD FOR
MANY YEARS, SHOWS SIGNS
OF LIFE AGAIN.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Sept.1
28.—Calico, once bonanza silver camp
of California, is showing signs of life
since silver took its upward trend in
the money marts of America.
Calico was one of the famous camps
in the early eighties and is said by
mining men to have reached its zen
ith in 1885, when silver sold at $1.13.
Then that metal began to go lower,
I and soon the camp fell into silence;
the miners and those who made their
gains from the worker all drifted to i
other camps, with the exception of a:
handful of grizzled men whose faith
in their camp and their mines never I
waned through long years of inactiv
ity. They have waited on at their
camp, in the hills near Daggett in
this county.
recunar kock formation.
Calico, so named because of a pe- j
culiar rock formation in the surround
ing hills that gave a spotted effect to j
the slopes, was a low-grade producer, j
with vast ore bodies. The “Silver I
King” and the “Garfield” were its
i great mines, with the “Waterloo,” an
immense low-grade producer. Some
of the fortunes of California came
from its shafts and tunnels, notably
that of Governor Robert W. Water
I man.
Since the silver market has shown
| improvment, engineers and mining
men have visited the old camp, they
are beginning to place modern ma
j chinery, and a new cyanide plant is
now handling 400 tons of tailings from
the old dumps each month. There are
2,000,000 tons of tailings there, so the
mill has a fair run in sight.
Will Pay Fair Returns.
Mining men say that with im
proved extraction methods, ^th the
substitution of automobiles and light
trucks for delivery to a nearby rail
road instead of the old-time pack
trains and with the general advances
in mining science, the old ore bodies
can be made to pay fair returns.
The camp may “come back” as a
producer, they say, but it will never
be what it was. The hotel in the ear
ly days was called the “Hyena
House” and the rooms were dug out
of a big rock on the hillside. The
wildest license prevailed, with games
of chance running day and night, and
all the amusements of the frontier
supplied in plenty. Modern laws,
faster transportation, and better
# MINING s
LET UNCLE SAM DO IT.
Falcon Joslyn, owner of oil wells at Katalla, believes the
bill now pending in congress providing for leasing of oil lands
will in a limited way solve the oil problem so far as it con
cerns consumers in Alaska and on the Pacific coast.
Uncle Sam might fill “the long-felt want” referred to by
Mr. .Joslyn in a recent interview at Juneau, by extending his
dustrial activities beyond the field of railway building. He
has in building the Alaska railroad demonstrated that govern
ment ownership is a mighty good thing for all except a very
small fraction of the people, and he might now go into the bus
iness of producing and refining oil from his own fields and
wells.
In connection with this subject of government ownership
mid operation of public utilities the Washington Times gives
the public something to think about in the following editorial:
The price of gasoline “must go up” because battleships
are burning crude oil and England requests from us a million
barrels a month.
Meanwhile, the government owns thousands of millions of
barrels of crude oil that the private oil trust is pumping out
every day.
\\ e repeat for the information of the government that oil
lands belonging to the government and the oil trust adjoin. The
trust pumps out the oil that belongs to the government from
underneath the government land, of course—while the govern
ment “conserves” its oil supply, like some old hen sitting on
a door knob.
It is to be hoped that there will be no talk in congress or in
the executive department of “leasing” government oil lands.
The oij that the government owns belongs to the people. It
shouldn’t be leased to some clever individual who will see how
much lie can steal from the people peddling out the oil.
The government should pump its own oil, supply its own
: battleships and the battleships of its allies, manufacture gaso
lline, sell it at a fair profit, and MARK THE TRUST do the
I same.
It would he shameful if the government should take the
I property of the people, and turn it over under a lease, to be ex
ploited by corporaton rascals. /
\\Te got some idea of oil trust influence or ownership in
! congress when the letters of the distinguished Mr. Archbold
| were published. We shall get another plea when congressmen
■ ome to vote on the subject of leasing the people’s oil proper
| lies to the notorious oil trust.
Let the government supply the crude oil to the battleships
from government-owned oil lands, then regulate the price at
which the oil trust shall supply the gasoline. Or, better still,
manufacture gasoline, find what it costs and regulate the price
accordingly.
i here is no more reason whv the public should be robbed
by gentlemen that “own” this oil beneath the land, than by
other gentlemen that “own’f the coal beneath the land.
Edward Norman, one of the first
to realize the great mining opportuni
ties of the Yetna district has returned
after a successful season and will
leave for the outside on one of the
early boats. Mr. Norman is the Alas
ka representative of the Yuba Dredg
ing company of California, one of the
strongest organizations in the states.
He reports that owing to the excessive
rainfall during the past summer the
amount of development work in the
Yentna district was necessarily cur
tailed, but that considering the condi
tions existing throughout the season,
the results were satisfactory.
Thomas Harris, who is superin
tendent of the great Marysville
| drede in California and vice-president
of the Cache Creek Dredging com
i pany, accompanied by Mrs. Harris,
| are in town and are guests of the Ho
tel Anchorage. Mr. Harris is very
enthusiastic concerning the future of
the Cache creek country and feels
that as soon as the roads and the
j trails are in better shape great im
j petus will be given to the develop
i ment of the district.
I _
John E. Fern, oldtimer in Alaska
I and a stampeder of the first class, is
I down from his property in the Willow
; creek district, which is situated near
the holdings of the Talkeetna Mining
company. He says that he and his as
sociates will work all winter and they
expect to get their property in shape
to do the maximum amount of devel
opment work next spring and sum
mer. While in town Mr. Fern is a
guest of the Hotel Morrison.
A rich strike of high-grade gold ore
was recently reported to have been
found on Harris creek, in the Kus
kokwim district.
communication will help to build the
camp for business, but will keep it
within the law of the books instead of
that of the frontier.
The body of Fred Mills, formerly
employed as clerk in the store depart
ment at Anchorage, who was drowned
on August 12 while crossing the
Chulitna river, was recovered Septem
ber 6 by J. R. Uhl, one of the packers
employed by Locating Engineer
Browne. The body was found at a
point 2V2 miles below where the
drowning occurred, and was buried
on the bank of the river by members
of the locating engineer’s party.
HOUSE WITH SLIGHT CHANGES
ADOPTS RESOLUTION ABOL
ISHING CLAIM WORK.
Congress at this session is expected
to enact legislation doing away with
the necessity of performing any as
sessment work on mining claims this
year, according to a message received
by the Daily Times from Charles A.
Sulzer, delegate in Congress from
Alaska. This law would be entirely
distinct and of wider scope than that
recently enacted exempting persons in
the military or naval service of the
United States from doing assessment
work on claims owned by them.
Adopted by Both Branches.
A resolution "abolishing assessment
work on all mining claims has been
adopted by both the senate and house,
but because of slight amendments
made by the house to the proposed en
actment, it must go to a conference
committee composed of representa
tives of both branches of congress. It
is expected the conferees will report
an agreement next week.
Owners of claims, when the law
goes into effect, will be exempted from
doing any assessment work upon fil
ing, before the end of December,
with the recorder of the district, no
tice of intention to take advantage
of the provisions of the law.
Text of Message.
The text of the message from Del
egate Sulzer follows:
“House of representatives adopts
senate resolution abolishing assess
ment work on all mining claims dur
ing present calendar year. Because
of slight changes made to original
resolution by house, conference with
senate is necessary, but I expect
measure will finally be enacted into
law by middle of next week. It will
be necessary for claim owner to file
statement to effect that he wants to
hold his claim, with recorder of min
ing district where the claim is record
ed, by last of December.”
GUGGENHEIM PREDICTS
SILVER AT $1 PER OUNCE
Daniel Guggenheim has allowed
himself to be interviewed on the price
of silver. He predicts a further rise
in the quotation to $1 per ounce. In
cidentally he mentioned the cessation
of production in central Europ as a
reason for the scarcity of the metal.
The sedate Mining and Scientific
Press is unable to accept this state
ment at its face value, discounting it
heavily as follows:
“Writing in the Gerard, or Tamma
ny-Hearst, style we would say that
‘as a rule no large amount of silver is
produced in central Europe. Of
course, silver is very valuable and
any large mines, in consequence,
would be controlled by the Yunkers,
who are Prussian squires, usually
counts of many quarterings. As a
matter of fact, most of the silver
credited to German production is ob
tained from Australian ore which is
smelted by skilful professors from
Freiberg. These metallurgists arc
hard workers and refuse to drink beer
until the silver in the cupel has
brightened. This important stage of
the^ process, as a rule, of course, is
marked by the fact that the noble
technicians acquire a noble thirst
which they alleviate out of mugs
made, naturally, out of #the silver
they produce. This is another reason
for the scarcity of silver in the Ger
man empire, which was founded by
the Elector of Brandenburg many
years ago.’ We commend this valu
able information to Mr. Guggenheim’s
attention. Meanwhile we may be per
mitted to state that in normal times
the production of silver in Germany
is about 15,000,000 ounces and that of
.Austria - Hungary 2,000,000 ounces.
The larger part of the German pro
duction is won from foreign ores, not-'
ably the zinc-lead concentrate shipped
from Broken Hill for treatment in
Rhenish Prussia, so that the total do
mestic yield of silver in the two en
emy countries is not more than 10,
000,000 ounces out of a world pro
duction of 250,000,000 ounces. Ap
parently, therefore, the interruption
of mining in central Europe is not an
impoi-tant factor in accentuating the
demand for silver.”
According to a report received at ‘
the marshal’s office at Fairbanks,
mining activities in the Tanana Hot j
Springs district have been seriously
hampered this season by the opera-.
tion of the eight-hour law. A number !
of the plants have shut down and oth- !
ers have worked with a decreased j
force.
A report from the Hot Springs dis
j trict of the Tanana states that Boul
der creek, which was staked several
years ago and allowed to lapse, was;
the scene of a strike last fall and
winter, with the result that about 40
men have been employed there this
summer.
C. A. BARTHOLF AND DAVID MIL
LER LOCATE FOUR CLAIMS
ON CRAGGY CREEK.
ASSAY RUNS $225 TO TON
Timber and Supplies for Development
Will Be Freighted to Property as
Soon as Cold Weather Hardens
Roads.
With samples of quartz rich in free
gold, C. A. Bartholf and David Miller
came to Anchorage late yesterday
with the news of the discovery of a
fine vein of ore on Craggy creek, one
and a half miles below the Gold Bul
lion Mining company’s mills in the
Willow creek district. They staked
four claims, which takes up all the
ground penetrated by the vein. They
plan on early development of the pro
perty, and just as soon as snow and
cold weather makes traveling good
they will freight in timber and sup
plies. Next spring or early next sum
mer, they expect to have a mill on the
i ground.
“The vein crops out eighteen inches
on three of the claims,” said Mr.
Bartholf, “and from this outcropping
we took samples of quartz. Free gold
can plainly be seen in the rock. We
had some of the samples tested at the
assay office of the Gold Buillion Min
ing company and they ran 12.38
ounces in gold, or a value of $255.89
a ton. There is no outcropping of the
vein on the fourth claim, but the vein
trends into it, and on it we found a
very rich piece of float.
Will Be Worked Through Tunnels.
“The property can be worked prob
ably to the best advantage by tunnel
ling, and as soon as winter weather
hardens the roads, we shall take in
lumber and supplies. We think we
have made one of the richest discover
ies in the history of the Willow creek
district.”
Mr. Bai'tholf has prospected and
mined in this district for eight years.
He is the locator of the Gold Cord and
Mohawk mines in the W’illow creek
district.
Mr. Miller has been in this part of
Alaska seven years, and in the Willow
creek region for the last two years. He
has been engaged in the contracting
business and has spent a great deal of
time prospecting.
Completes Assessment Work.
Charles Ward arrived in town this
morning from the Willow creek dis
trict where he has done the assess
ment work on the claims owned by
Judge M. J. Conroy and Nicholas
Gaikema.
If you want a thoroughly
reliable test of your ore
send samples to
Assays on
Gold and Silver $1.50
Copper . 1.50
Lead . 1.00
FALKENBERG & LAUCKS
ASSAY EES
95 Yesler Way .... Seattle, Wash.
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W
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5ASH, DOORS
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SEE HIM BEFORE YOU BUY.
Telephone 88-R.
Fifth and K.
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Reflect the Prosperity of Anchorage by wearing a j§
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