COOK INLET PIONEER
AND KNIK NEWS
VOL. 1
Anchorage, Alaska, Saturday, August 26, 1915
NO. 12
Son Accidentally
Kills His Father
A sad tragedy occurred at
Swanson river, Kenai peninsula,
one day last week, when a son
mistook his father for a moose
and shot and killed him.
The circumstances of this af
fair, as brought out by a coro
ner’s inquest held here Monday
under the auspices of Judge
David, are substantially as fol
lows:
Albert C. Brown and his son
George C. Brown, went for a
moose hunt in the Swanson river
region, a place famous for this
majestic member of the deer
family. By a prearranged plan
the father was to go one way,the
son another, to make the circuit
of a given area. The father
changed his mind, evidently, af
ter starting out, and sought to
reach his son hv a direct route,
rather than follow out the origi
nal } law The son, of course,
knew nothing of this, and seeing
the tall grass moving naturally
thought a moose was causing the
di tin nance and fired. The ball
entered the heart of the father
and death was almost instanta
at
neous.
The coroner’s jury brought in
a verdict that death was caused
by accident and the son exoner
ated from all blame.
The victim was born in Alaska
51 years ago. He had resided
almost continually in the Cook
Inlet country from the time of
his birth. For years past, dur
ing the winter months, he had
the mail contract from Homer to
Kenai. The son who killed him
s 17 years of age.
The remains were brought here
by the steamer Tyonic, Captain
Kose master. The remains were
taken to Kenai for interment.
Lack of Rain
Curtails Gold Crop
C. W. Harrington, the mining
engineerof Valdez, who has been
on a trip of investigation of the
Cache creek and Montana creek
district, reached here Tuesday,
and departed Friday to take a
look at the Cook Inlet district be
tween this point and Kamachak
bay. He is using a launch on
the trip and expects to be gone
for some two weeks.
Discussing the Cache creek
district, Mr. Harrington said the
gold was there alright, but due
to the lack of rain the gold pro
duct would not be as great as
usual this year. He inspected
the Montana creek region and
found a good looking quartz vein
but has not had an opportunity
to run samples taken from it,
hence is not in a position to speak
as to values. He likes the looks
of the country, which will be
tapped by the government rail
way.
5>
<
J
Kind Words for Casey
The Carson City (Nev.) Ap
peal, under the caption, “Casey
bobs up in the Northland,” says:
AJ. Casey McDannel, one of the
*rly boosters in Southern Neva
da, where he made and lost sev
eral fortunes, has landed in Alas
ka, and a copy of a paper pub
lished at Anchorage, near Cook’s
Inlet, received at this office yes
terdaystates that he is preparing
to build and start a hotel at that
place.
His plan is to build on the
lines of the celebrated ‘Casey’
hotel at Goldfield and if this idea
is carried out the hostelry will
soon become the most famous in
the Northern Circle. ‘Casey’ is
a rustler and his many Nevada
friends hope that he is again on
the road to fame and fortune.
Success to him.
Thirsty people always call at
Hertel’s, 4th avenue between C
and D sts. x
. * FOR SALE Ton of food sup
jL plies a good assortment of first
0 class articles for sale in the
; Ochetna district. Also, 1000 feet
of hydraulic hose. Outfit is lo
j cated in a good trapping and
L prospecting country. Will be
| sold reasonable. Call at this
W office.
Willow Creek
Is a Winner
“Every year the Willow creek
gold camp is gaining in perma
nence and gives evidence of
evolving into a big free gold
camp,” said Wm. Martin, one of
the largest and most successful
| operators in the district, who
I visited Anchorage this week.
“All of the mines working show,
with each succeeding year, an
i improvement, and larger ore re
| serves are revealed as work pro
| gresses. ’ ’
Another producing mine will
be added to the camp next year.
William Bartholf, one of theorig
inal discoverers of the camp, and
largely interested in the district,
has gone to the states to secure
a 40-ton stamp mill that will be
placed on what is known as the
Mable property, an excellent
showing.
Death Calls Old
Resident of Inlet
J. F. Sumner died Saturday
last at the Sitka hot springs, a
victim of heart trouble. Death
was not unexpected, due to the
condition of the sick man when
he departed from Knik some six
weeks ago, in the hope of gaining
relief at the springs.
Sumner was an old-timer
around these parts. He plied the
waters of Cook Inlet for years
past, being an exceptionally ca
pable marine engineer. For a
year before his death, he was
employed at the Olympus bar, at
Knik. The news of his demise
came in a message to his former
employer, A. F. Davis, of Knik.
Sumner, for some reason, went
under the name of Joe Bush, and
there are but few people around
here that knew his real name.
Will Issue Daily Edition
Plans are being perfected by
the Pioneer management for the j
installation of a daily edition, in ,
connection with the regular
w'eeklv edition now' published.
The plans under consideration j
contemplate much additional
equipment for the office, not the!
least of which will be a typeset
ting machine. Up to this time a
daily edition was out of the ques
tion, from a business or news
standpoint, but now that things
are getting settled and commun
ication with the outside will per
mit a telegraphic service, the
time is ripe for the improvements
planned. It will necessarily take
a little time to bring about these
important changes, but the Pio
neer has unbounded faith and j
confidence in this town and the
surrounding country and proposes
to back that confidence by a sub
stantial expenditure.
The Chickaloon Club is the
name of an organization that has
been formed by ladies of the
Commission for social inter
course. It starts out under most
auspicious circumstances and the
members are entering into the
spirit of the affair with a com
mendable interest.
Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Hertel’s
daughter. Mrs. J. B. Nestor, for
merly of Portlond, Ore., arrived
on a recent steamer, to make her
permanent home here. Her sis
ters, Miss Josephine Hertel.aged
16, and Florence, aged 9, will ar
rive on the steamer Alliance, due
any day now.
E. J. Hertel has about com
pleted the construction of a fine
river boat for use in Inlet w'aters. [
He is awaiting the arrival of an
engine and when it comes, the
craft -will be ready for launching. i
Tobacco, candy, fruit, nuts and
soft drinks, at Hertel’s on 4th
avenue, between C and D sts. x
Just received at Pilger’s a
big shipment of shirts. x
Wanted Young lady wishes
situation as cashier, waitress or
clerk. Has had experience. Re
cent arrival. Apply this office.
\
NEWS OF WEEK
IN R.R. MATTERS
Following the completion of
several tracks in the yards at
Anchorage, the steel gang start
ed on the main line work this
week and up to last evening had
laid rails as far as the mile three
post. Commissioner Mears states
that the Commission expects to
have the steel as far as Mata
nuska Junction by Christmas,
Work started yesterday on the
marine railway and dry dock lo
cated just north of the govern
ment warehouse. This particu
lar kind of a railway is to be used
in transferring boats, barges,etc.
from the water to the winter dry
dock which will he situated back
from high tide mark some 600
feet. _____
Since construction started last
Spring only two deaths have been
recorded, due to accident on rail
road work, and only one death
from sickness. With upwards
of 1300 men employed and the
usual new and unsettled condi
tions of a construction camp and
a city in the making, this show
ing js remarkable. The Com
mission and the health officers
are certainly to be complimented
on their success in keeping the
death rate down to the minimum.
The name of Mr. Harry Locke
will go down in history as the
driver of the first locomotive on
the government owned and ope
rated railway system in Alaska.
The first trip was made over the
completed tracks in the yards ut
Anchorage at 8:15 p. m., August
8th. Mr. Locke fills the position
of harbor master and master me
chanic for the Alaskan Engineer
ing Commission.
Contracts let between August
19th and August 26th.:
Swanstrom & Co,, stations 4820
to 4830. Grading.
Townsite Events
of Past Week
Yielding to a demand for lots in
Anceorage, chiefly for residence
purposes. Superintendent of Sale
Christensen Wednesday evening
conducted the third sale. Forty
lots were sold for an aggregate
sum of $8,200. Mr. Christensen,
accompanied by his stenographer
Martin W. Prasch, departed on
the launch Swan, enrouteto Sun
rise, Friday morning. He is en
route to the states, unless de
tained by official business at Ju
neau.
A substantial building, 25x40
feet, will soon be erecteed for the
accommodation of the townsite
manager, town engineer and the
office force. Bids will be called
for, for the erection of the build
ing within a week or ten days.
Within ten days the new road
beginning at First avenue and E
street and following low grades
up to Fourth and E and Fourth
and H will be completed, adding
an improvement to the transpor
tation problem from the docks to
various portions of the city
proper.
Under the direction of the
townsite manager and supervi
sion of the town engineer gangs
of men are now employed in
grubbing and clearing Fourth and
Fifth avenues, prepacatory to
making a gravel roadway for the
accommodation of traffic.
Other street improvements un
der way, let out by contract, are
as follows:
Grubbing on G street Carl
Cullendar et al.
Clearing and grubbing on
Ninth avenue, from C street to
east boundary Shiman et al.
Grubbing E street, from Fourth
to Fifth avenues Gene Jackson.
Grubbing on G street, between
3rd and 4th avenues.
J. L. Denny & Co., to cut 50
' tons hay, Homer hay camp.
H. W. Robertson, to cut 50
tons hay, Homer hay camp,
Nick Sakish & Co, 1000 ties,
miles 2 to 5, Ship Creek.
McLaughlin & Kennedy, plumb
ing and sewer connections, Com
mission’s residence district.
Emil Nelson, stations 4440 to
4960. Culverts.
II. A. Kinney & Co., laying
sewer pipe and constructing man
holes, Commission’s residence
(list rict,
II. Evans & Co., staininjjr and
painting postoffice, Anchorage.
Louis Rican & Co., grading
road from dock to lownsite.
The S, S, Sinaloa left port last
evening jor Seattle, after dis
charging her cargo from anama
for the Alaskan Engineering
Commission. Her. complete car
go consisted of 155] tons (lead
weight, which equals 2130 Pms
measurment. The Sinaloa will
load flour and salmon at Seattle
and Tacoma for the west coast
ports of South America.
The S. S. Sinaloa will coal on
her way to Seattle at the Bluff
Point coal mines. These mines
are situated on the shore of Cook
Inlet some 15 miles north of Sel
dpvia. They are leased and ope
rated by John A. Herbert. The
Tyonic, Capt. Rose, will handle
the coal from the mine to the
Sinaloa,
The S. S. Alliance will ar
rive today with a full cargo
aboard, 1000 tons dead weight,
consisting of 200 tons of rails for
the Commission, 100 tons for the
Cache Creek Mining company
and a general line of freight for
the commercial interests of this
section.
What might be termed the first
unit of the new city of Anchor
age is rapidly nearing comple
tion and shaping into one of the
most attractive cities of the Pa
cific coast. Anchorage is within
sight of the highest mountain in
North America Mt. McKinley.
This wonderful mountain is situ
ated 140 miles northwest of An
charage and on clear days forms
one of the most beautiful sights
in the world. Mt. McKinley is
the highest mountain in the world
alx>ve the line of perpetual snow.
During the summer months the
snow and glacier capped summit
extends into “The Land of the
Midnight Sun’’ that is, the top
of the mountain is favored with
the direct light of the sun during
the entire 24 hours.
The government free camping
site, adjoining the town on the
southeast, is rapidly becoming
one of the more important sub
urbs of Anchorage. To date ap
proximately 60 tents and cabins
have l>een erected. Many of the
cabins show a substantialness
that Iproves Anchorage will be
the popular wintering place of
no small number of workingmen.
Streets are being cleared to the
addition and other improvements
made which will make it a very
desirable and well-kept district.
For furniture and store fixtures
see Wilkes. Shop on H street
between Third and Fourth aves.
Wanted Woman to iron at
Union Laundry. Fourth avenue,
between H and I streets.
For Sale- New L. C. Smith &
Bros, typewriter. In perfect con
dition. $85.00. Apply L. C.
Smith, care Cook Inlet Pioneer
office.
Rail Contract
for Local Road
Seattle, August 19. The Colo
rado Iron company of Denver,
has landed the contract for five
thousand tons of seventy pound
rails for forty-five miles of the
Alaska railroad. The sum in
volved is one hundred and forty
eight thousand dollars. The first
shipment will be made in a week
and thirty per cent will be ship
ped on or before the 3d of Sep
tember. The balance will be
shipped in October, The same
company has received the con
tract for eighty-five hundred dol
lars worth of angel splices. The
United States Products Company
of California furnishes belts and
spikes to the value of seventy
five hundred dollars.
Good Advertising
by Smith & Co.
At the office of J. II. Smith &
Co., corner of Fourth and G
streets, there is on display a mon
ster turnip, which weighs 23
pounds, and a large head of cab
bage, which for quality would be
difficult to excel anywhere. Then
there are samples of wheat, rye,
barley, oats, clover and buck
wheat.
All of these products were
raised in the Matanuska valley
and most of them were sown
June 1st.
It is the plan of the firm to
constantly keep on hand samples
of products raised in this vicinity
as an advertisement of the agri- j
cultural and vegetable raising
possibilities of this country. Mr.
McClinton, a member of the firm, ;
is now in the Matanuska valley
looking over the situation, and
the samples were sent down by
him.
School Building Assured
The matter of a school housed
for Anchorage appears to be
; solved, due to the fact that Pres
ident Smith, of the local Cham
! her of Commerce, will agree to
erect a suitable building for the
purpose and rent it to the school
board. Director Wendler, of the
school board, made a statement
with respect to school affairs at
the meeting of the chamber last
evening. It appears that all that
is lacking to get school matters
under way is a place to house the
teachers and children. In this
situation, President Smith came .
to the rescue with a promise to
supply the need.
The school board has applied to
the governor for funds to defray
expenses for the ensuing school
term. Three teachers. |the di
rectors figure, will be required
to handle the situation in any
thing like a proper manner, as
there will nearly a hundred pu
pils report when school opens.
The Chamber of Commerce is
also taking a laudable stand in
school matters and proposes to
ask the congress, through Dele
gate Wickersham for an appro
priation of $50,000 for a school
building at Anchorage. The del
egate takes a keen interest in
Alaska schools and there is no
doubt whatever but that he will
come to the front with his pow
erful aid it) this matter.
Through communication from
Anchorage* to the outside was es
tablished Thursday, by the com
pletion of the telephone line from
this point to Kern creek. Super
intendent Jackson figured on fin
ishing the line last Saturday, but
the work was hindered by un
forseen difficulties arising. Old
timers on the job. aside from the
superintendent, were Foreman
Conners, Jimmie Hill and Harry
Whittemore. The work of in
stalling a telephone system from
Anchorage to Old Knik will now
be initiated.
Wanted Woman for a few
days to clean house. Inquire at
Pioneer office,
Get a furniture man to make
your furniture, finished complete
Shop H st. between Third and
Fourth aves.
For Sale Good tent, 18x24, at
this office.
Prominent Men
Visit Anchorage
The arrival in Anchorage this
week of Duncan M. Stewart, who
came ami departed Tuesday, on a
brief trip from Sunrise, recalls to
mind the early history of the
Alaska Central railway project
and the big, progressive man in
financial circles who was an im
portant figure in that concern’s
all airs, for it was Duncan M.
Stewart, an optimist concerning
Alaska and especially this part of
it. who, as general manager of
the Soverign Bank of Canada, of
1 oronto, came to the rescue of
the Frost syndicate of Chicago,
and supplied the railway with
funds with which to construct a
considerable part of the line.
The withdrawal of the Alaska
coal lands, right in the midst of
the construction period of the
Alaska Central, in 1906, discour
aged the railway officials from
further efforts, as the Matanuska
coalfields were relied upon to fur
nish a tonnage for outhaui.
^ The selection by the United
States government of the very
same route as that chosen bv the
Alaska Central system is very
pleasing to Mr. Stewart, in that
it conclusively proves the sound
ness of his business judgment in
making the loan. Had the coal
fields not been withdrawn, the
Alaska Central system would
long ere this time been completed
to the Fairbanks district and a
highly profitable railway line
constructed.
Mr. Stewart is largely inter
ested in mining on the Kenai pe
ninsula. He had a good word to
speak for Anchorage, for, as he
says, he is a booster for a!1-party
of Alaska, and sees in the devel
opment of the Knik arm a big
aid to coast towns. He has but
recently arrived on the peninsula
from New York, and is accom
panied by J. Curtis Patterson, a
noted civil engineer of Philadel
phia, who is making his first trip
to Alaska. “If 1 were a younger
man,” said Mr. Patterson to the
Pioneer, “I would come to Alaska
to remain. I am greatly impress
ed with the evidence of prosper
ity and the future prospects of
this great country.”
Mr. Anderson, who is Mr.
Stewart’s mining manager, made
the trip with them from Sunrise.
Census Will Be
Taken Next Week
Under the auspices of the town
site manager, a census of the
new town will be taken Tuesday
next. The census will be taken
primarily for the purpose of get
t ng an estimate of the probable
consumers of water, preparatory
to installing a permanent system.
Questions that will be asked
by the enumerators are:
Name.
liOt and block number.
Married or single.
Is family here?
Number of children.
Number of children of school
age.
Intend to remain.
Intend to occupy your own
premises.
If so, location.
Occupation.
Complimentary to Mrs. Fogelstrom
Mrs. F. B. Standiford gave a
delightful bridge party Wednes
day last, in honor of Mrs. Fogel
strom, who is leaving for Cali
fornia. The hostess was assisted
in entertaining by Mrs. Harry
Locke and Miss Dickey. Among
those present were: Mrs. Mears,
Mrs. Tubby, Mrs. Rodman, Mrs.
Reedy, Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Mc
Dermott. Mrs. Manning, Mrs.
Moyer, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Chapin,
Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Jackson.
Pilger’s, near corner Fourth
and H.__
FOR SALE Team of horses,
new Weber wagon and new har
ness. Inquire Crescent, co-ner
Fourth and C streets.
Wanted Reliable party as
partner in trading post. Inquire
this office.