MHALI., SKikT sl'AMJ’KflK
IS OX TO LEWIS RIVER
While reports are fragmentary
and not altogether in harmony, it. is
a fact, nevertheless, that there is a
quiet stampede, rather small in pro
portions, to the Lewis river section,
led there by ruiuors of the location
of w-liat is termed a‘•'white channel,”
which is reputed to be the source of
the gold found in Lewis river. This
so-called white channel, according to
the Pioneer's informant, is believed
to cross near the headwaters of
Lewis river and the lieluga river,
and the theory is that it Is the an
cient rive.- btd that is the fountain
head of the ; id found ip the rivers
which crosscut it.
The Pioneer’^ informam says the
gold found in Lewis river is coarse,
as a rule, and he points out that this
is at least strong circumstantial evi
dence that it nas its cour** in an old
channel, rather than in 1 tartr.
stringers in the immediate vicinity
of the rivers.
Last week a half dozen stampedere
departed for the scene, to investi
gate the matter and upon their re
turn the Pio: mt is promised more
definite information. In the mean
time, because of the meagre reports
of a substantial nature, there !»
nothing to get excited about, but it
is hoped that the white channel the
nrv is the correct one, for it woald
mean a thriving mining camp on that
side of the inlet.
Klondikers will recall that It Is
a white channel that was the source
of the rich placers of the famous
Dawsoon camp, hence white channels
are immensely popular, from a min
ing standpoint. Thej are called
white channels because of the pre
dominance of white quartz.
There it a small movement up
Ship creek, led there by reputed
placer discoveries, but this report is
likewise very vague and indefinite.
BKLIOWS LOCATES
SWEEP MOUNTAIN COPPER
4. G. Bellows and party returned
yesterday from points on the upper
MatanUska river. While In that sec
tion Mr. Bellows located for himself
and associates the well known Cop
per Lead on Sheep mountan, above
Hicks creek.
These copper properties have now
become valuable, owing to the con
struction of the government railroad |
into that section. The ores consist
of glance, bomite, and also the lower
grade sulphide ores known to miners1
as yellow copper. These properties
ait tributary to Anchorage.
their development would give an
added impetus to mining in this sec
tion.
Mr. Bellows reports the Mata
nuska in fine condition for travel,
and several outfits were met enroute
to the Nelchina placer country.
SEWARD TO WORK FOR
TRAIL IMPROVEMENT
SEWARD, Dec. 14.—At a big
meeting of the Seward Commercial
Club, held last night, a resolution
was passed backing up Anchorage in
its request for an Improvement in
the trail from this town to the Cook '
inlet metropolis. Messrs. Cotter,
McGrath and Peel were named as a
committee to draw up a resolution
to be wired to the Alaska road com
mission at Valdez, urging Immediate
action. Captain Lathrop, Ray Lar
son and Frank Cotter, represeenting
Anchorage, attended the meeting
and spoke to the resolution.
ODD FELLOWS MEET
AM) FORM A CLVB
At a meeting held in the school i
house on Monday evening, the 13th I
inst., attended by a large number of |
Odd Fellows, the Anchorage Odd
Fellowk Club, lately incorporated
under the laws of Alaska as a fra
ternal, benevolent and social club,
was regularly organized by the adop
tion of a code of by-laws and the
election of officers. N. E. Ohlsson,
one of our leading merchants, and a
pioneer in that line, was elected
president, and Max Finch secretary.
The club will no doubt have consid
erable to do along social lines this
winter, several important events of
a social nature being now under con
sideration by the members of the
club.
SEWARD TO AID IN
TRAIL REPAIR MATTER
REWARD, Dec. 13.—There will
be a meeting of the Seward Com
mercial Club this evening for the
purpoose of taking up the matter of
trail repair between Kern creek and
Bird creek, as proposed by the An
chorage Chamber of Commerce. The
committee from Anchorage, com
posed of Messrs. Larsoon, Lathrop
and Cotter, will be in attendance.
That the republican territorial
convention will be held at Seward
to March is regarded as a settled
fact.
FhEnSEB BEsimwjmitr
TO DELEGATE WICKERSHAM
Realizing the expectancy with
hM'i residents of Anchorage and
outlying districts await information
with respect to an emergency appro
priation by the congress so that rail
way'work may be continued on the
Matanuska branch line throughout
the winter, the Pioneer sent a query
to Delegate James Wickersham, ask
ing him for information for our peo
ple as to the status of the matter.
The query read:
Anchorage, Alaska, Dec. 14.
Hon. James Wickersham,
Delegate from Alaska,
Washington. D. C.:
What doing with respect to emer
gency appropriation for continuation
of railway work on Matanuska line*
Wire our expense.
COOK INLET PIONEER.
This message was filed Tuesday
afternoon, and presumably reached
the national capital the following
morning. The line was interrupted
Wednesday morning, hence there has
been no opportunity to receive a
reply up to the time the Pioneer
went to press today. The Pioneer
will receive a reply, alright, as the
delegate Is very considerate in
promptly responding to legitimate in
quiries and lie realizes the import
ance of the matter to this com
munity.
In private conversations here, and
in a speech before the Arctic Club in
Seattle, the delegate declared he was
going to push the emergency appro
priation through at liie earliest op
portunity.
VALDEZ PAPER IN ERROR
REGARDING WICKERSHAM
In publishing the statement that
Delegate James Wickersham, while
in Seward and Anchorage. In public
speeches made an attack on Colonel
Wilds P. Richardson, president of
the Alaska road commission, the Val
des Prospector is led into error in it*
consistent endeavor to malign the
delegate, in his Anchorage speech,
the delegate made no reference to
either Richardson or the Alaska road
commission.
The delegates speech in Anchor
age was devoted to a commonsense
alk with reference to the railway
project, a matter that is nearest the
earts or the people of this part of
a. He gave us some sound ad
vice, and frankly told us to exercise
a little judgment and not furnish
enemies of the railway project with
ammunition for our own undoing.
The Pioneer is not nnmiprtfni of
the fact that there is differences be
tween the delegate and the president
of the Alaska road commission, and
with these dinerences It. Is not con
cerned. The delegate is able to fight
his own battles.
The Pioneer is devoted to tne
Alaska railway project because it
3pelis prosperity and development
►Ms part of the great territory
of Alaska. In fact, its beneficent ef
fects will be felt throughout the
whole of Alaska. This paper be
lieves that Delegate Wickersham
*akes a similar view and will lend
his powerful aid in securing further |
appropriations, to the end that work |
on the railway project may be con
tinued throughout the winter
Should this prediction come true
and we have no doubt on that score
the people of Anchorage and the sur
rounding country will rise up as one
man in sounding his praises. aaJ If
he again seeks political honors at
the hands of the people, he may rely
on the voters of this community to
show their appreciation.
The Alaska railway project is the
one vital issue with residents of this
part of Alaska. The friends of that
project are our friends.
W. S. PerkinB and Jack Su*l'.er
land arrived from Seward last even
ing, bringing 600 pounds of freight,
with seven dogr;. ’"’lev were five
days on the trail, ar.d ' i l to break
trail the greater part of the distance
They found the deepest un' ruherj
snow between miles 45 and 60—be
tween three and four feet. On the
Rird and Ship creek divides the new
snow was six feet deep, but here
they found men in the employ of
Col. Revoll, the mall contractor
breaking trail with three horses and
double-enders.
The greater part of the freight
was for Carroll & Co., “That Man
Logeroann,’’ and late papers and
magazines for the Cook Inlet News
Service. They report that severa
dogs have been killed on the trail
and during'the night that the tem
perature reached 25 degrees below
zero, last week, one horse perished
because of exposure.
Messrs. Perkins and Sutherland
will start on their return trip to
morrow.
The recent break in the xVlaska
cable is reported to have been caused
by the cable being picked up by a
ship’s anchor. The break occurred
at Port Townsend.
LOCAL NEWS OF THE WEEK
(From Monday’s Dally.)
Reports reaching here state thai
the gold dust cavalcade will revel
Anchorage about Thursday.
Charles Harper, the well-know-:
mining man, reached here by do)
team from Seward yesterday.
The launch E4'th G., which made
a trip to Anchorage from Juneau th<
past season, was wrecked in Lyni
canal recently.
Dr. Good, a dentist from Iditar d
passed through yesterday, enroute tc
the states. Dr. Good formerly re
sided at Knik, and Is well known .1
this part of the country.
N. B. Ohlsson has opened a; stor<
on Fifth avenue, between 1 and K
streets, and carries a complete lint
o' high-gra(le groceries, etc. A
home bakery in connection. Mr
Ohlsson is well known to the An
chorage public because of his con
nection with the local postofflee. H<
resigned his position to enter busi
ness here. Ohlsson is among the
old-timers in Alaska, being amont
the first to enter the Slate crees
mining district back of Valdes
Until his arrival here last spring, he
had made Valdez his home most ol
the time since his arrival in Alaska
in 1898. He Is a man who is held
in high esteem by all who know him.
SEATTLE, Dec. 13.—Miss Mar
garet McConnell, of Seattle, was
married to Mr. B. Frank Vatson
yesterday, in the presence Of a few
warm personal friends of the con
tracting parties. The bride is a
charming young lady of Seattle,
while the groom is one of the best
known and most popular steamsnlp
men in Alaska. He is the general
agent of the Alaska-Pacific Steam
ship Company, more generally
known as the Admiral Line, and has
a host of friends in all the Alaska
ports.
The teachers and pupils of the
Anchorage school appreciate very
much the kindness of the Alaskan
Engineering Coommission in supply
ing them with a bell. The need tor
a signal has been great, especially
since the mornings are so dark.
The high school students have
found almost constant use for the
four books of reference considerate
ly donated by Mrs. W. L. Batch
These books are a nucleus around
which to form a splendid library in
the near future.
Fred Tracey, the genial general
agent for the Alaska Steamship
Company, is enroute to Los Angeles,
and wedding bells will ring soon
after his arrival there, according to
a newB item in the Juneau Empire.
This item ctates that Mr. Tracy’s
prospective bride is Mrs. Edith Wil
kinson Steel, the former wife of
Harry G. Steel, postmaster at Cor
dova aird editor of the Cordova
Times.
The Pioneer cannot vouch for the
truth of this news report, as none of
Mr. Tracy’s numerous friends in An
chorage. so far as the Pioneer has
been able to ascertain, know any
thing about his prospective mar
riage.
(From Tuesday’s Daily.)
, Mrs. L. F. Shaw has received a
card from her sister, Miss Eleanor
Lyons, stating that herself an
brother, Mr. James C. Lyons, are
touring Southern California in an
auto. They attended the fair in Ran
Francisco.
A. G. Dickinosn, old-timer, is ar
ranging one of the niftiest, dainties
'tie eating emporiums in the town
his location being on Fourth avenue
and D street. The place will be
opened tomorrow night and will be
ct4ed’ “Dick’s Kitchen.”
William Greer, from the Chesto
china country, and Paul Heath
reached here yesterday, coming over
the trail from Seward. Mr. Heath
proceeded to Knik today, and later
will go up the ousitna river, where
ho is concerned in mining claims.
Thursday evening, at 8 o’clock, at
Robarts’ hall a meeting will be held
for the purpose of taking pre'imi
nary steps for the formation of a
kennel club, or some such urganl'-.a
tion, to pull oft some winter sports
in Anchorage. Live wires are iskin.
the initiative in the matter, and suc
cess is bound to follow.
Other Alaska towns, notably
Nome, have achieved a great deal of
advert'sing, and had lots o' clean
sport as well, by the pulling off of
dog team races, ski races and the
like. These are primarily winter
sports, and there is no reason at »H
why they should not successfully be
pulled off here. This town boasts
swell roads for short dog team races,
and a long race, aay f'om Anchorage
to Knlk and return, would make a
fine course.
All Interested In the matter are
urged to attend and lend t '.vir sug
gestions toward making a carnival of
winter sports.
At a business meeting of the
Northern Light Whist Club, held last
night at the club s room in the Fow
ler building, Captain Franklin John
ston was elected temporary chair
man. He appointed various com
mittees. It was decided to defer the
election of permanent officers of the
club until the regular meeting
Thursday night, so that all may have
a hand in the choice. The ladles
especially are requested to partici
pate in the election. New members
are joining the club, until now the
membership reaches nearly a hun
dred. When this number is reached,
no more will be taken in, because of
a lack of accommodations.
(From Thursday’s Daily.)
H. C. Gill, Captain Denny a».«2
Frank Johnson, who have been to
Seldovia, arrived overland from
Seward yesterday.
Communication between Anchor
age and Seward was interrupted this
forenoon, but the difficulty will be
overcome this afternoon.
Recent arrivals over the trail re
port that the camp of N. O. Ander
son, at the forks of Canyon creek,
and all of its contents were de
stroyed by Are one night last week..
The fire had gained such headway
when discovered that thq. five men
who occupied tne cabin did not
have time to save their personal ef
fects.
The launch Traveler, captain
Cramer at the wheel, will depart for
Oooae hay this afternoon. Upon the
return of the Traveler from that
paint, Captain Cramer says he will
make a trip to Seldovla, leaving "hebe
Saturday.
At a meeting of Christian Scien
tists, held at the McCain studio last
evening, ft wag decided to organize a
society, rent a hall nd hold regular
meetings hereafter. Twenty ladles
and gentlemen were present. An
other meeting is to be held Sunday
Right at the same place, at which
the hall committee will report.
H. P. Warren, the railway en
gineer who has lately assumed th
position of assistant t& Commis
sioner MeSrs, is a comparatively re
cent arrival from the Panama canal
zone, where he had charge of the
building of the great, government
fortifications for the protection of
the canal.
One of the biggest wrestling
matches ever pulled off in this part
of the country will be pulled off
Saturday night at Robarts' hall. The
contestants will be Casey .Tones, of
Takotna, one of the greatest wrest
lers and boxers ever developed in
the Northwest, and Swan Challstrop
better known as the Young Vlk’nif.
The Young Viking has met and de
feated Buch wrestlers as George
Isaaks of Los Angeles, and Herman
Gerig, the amateur champion of the
United States, but as Casey .T ines
has never met defeat In the past four
years, he thinks he will have litt'e
trouble In besting the Viking. Beth
have been in training for some time
nast and are in the pink of c wdi
tlon. , .
In a preliminary bout the Terrible'
Dutchman and Sarrala will wrestle.
Sarrala thinks he can throw the Ter
rible Dutchman in twenty minutes.
Both wrestlers have been in the
game for years, and will surely put
up a good go.
(From Thursday’s DaHy.)
Dr, Frank M. Boyle, mayor of
Valdez, has disposed of his drug
■store business at Valdez, and will go
to New York city to take a post
graduate course In medicine. In the
spring he will return to Alaska, com
ing to Anchorage, where he will
erect a substantial business block on
his corner lot here and enter the
drug business. * Mrs. Boyxj has gone
on a trip to the Panama canal zone,
and will later poin the doctor In i
New York
George Brown, 17-year-old boy of |
Seldovia, was very proud of the fact
that he had killed a moose until he
was fined $50 by the U. S. commis
sioner because the moose was of the
female persuasion. Sentence was
suspended awaiting a second offense.
Brown is the boy who accidentally
killed hlg father recently while hunt
ing.
Several persons, found guilty of
violating the law with resnect to the
sale of intoxicating liquors In the
town of Anchorage, were handed
!nnn today fa Ut* commissioner's
| court.
THAU* REPAIRS ARE
ORDERED BY LANE
President A. J. Wendler, of the
Chamber of Commerce, today re
ceived the following, which Is self
explanatory:
' Washington, D^c. 16-17, 1915.
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce,
Anchorage, Alaska:
Your telegram with respect to the
opening of the trail between Anchor
age and Seward was referred person,
ally to Secretary of the Interior
Lane, who is telegraphing Commis
sioner Mears. The trail will be
opened.
James Wickersham,
Delegate from Alaska.
LANE'S DEVELOPMENT HOARD
The telegraphic dispatches inform
us that Delegate James Wickorshan
has introduced a b\ll in the lower
house making a practical applica
tion of Secretary of the Interior
Lane's development board plan
The secretary’s experience in the
interior department office has con
vinced him that it would vastly a'd
Alaska if there were a board, or
commission, as one may term .t, to
have jurisdiction over federal mat
ters arising in the territory. This
I commission would have control of
the fisheries, the fur and game, the
coal and oil lands, and such other
resources as are now distinctly
under the Jurisdiction of the federal
authorities and are not subject to
legislation by the territorial assem
bly.
These federal matters, now under
tne' control of various departments
at the national capital, would be
shifted to OHe central control, name
ly, the department of the interior,
which would be represented officially
in Alaska by the development beard.
The members of this board woult
have large powers of discretion, sub
ject to approval only by the Interior
secretary. The board would sit at
will at the call of the chairman in
any town or community in Alaska
and adjudicate . such matters as
might properly come before it. This
would do away with all appeals to
the departments at Washingtoon.
Federal matters jvouid be handled
expeditiously with a^l first-hand in
formation being available. Order
would be brought out of chaos.
Theoretically speaking, the devel
opment board scheme listens well.
Practically speaking, it would large
ly depend on the personnel of the
board. If all the members of the
board were thoroughly Informed,
broad-minded Alaskaas, we should
be delighted to s«^ lie t consumma
tion. If political upstarts from the
states are given the positions, we
should have little faith in their abil
ity or disposition to handle the af
fairs committed to their keeping by
the powers accruing to the board.
The Pioneer, therefore, approves
of the development board, provided
bona fide Alaskans shall constitute
the membership. Otherwise, we
shall not be enthusiastic over the
change.
We believe that one member of
the board should come from each of
the four judicial divisions of the ter.
ritory, with the governor as ex
officio chairman.
YES, LET’S' HAVE SOME RACES.
It seems to us entirely fitting that
Anchorage, as one of the most promi
nent and prosperous communities in
Alaska—with a future that appears
especially bright and auspicious—
should indulge in some clean, whole
some outdoor sports. Enterprising
and enthusiastic men, of the town, of
like mind, have taken ho' 1 of the
nflttee, with'the result'that'oirThurs’-'
a ay night a meeting will be ffeld
for the purpose of perfecting an or
ganization and discussing the whole
situation.
The consensus of opinion, so far
as the Pioneer has been able to as
certain, favors the formation of a
kennel club, to pull off some first
class dog team races. The matters
of detail as to courses, purses, etc.,
will probably be taken up at the
meeting.
There are some mighty fine dog
mushers In Anchorage and other lo
calities near at hand, who perhaps
would be willing to lend a hand to
make the events successful. Dog
team races are wholesome, clean
sports, and on this theory the Pio
neer takes pleasure in endorsing the
movement.
The Pacific coast eating Pacific cod
under New England labels, presents
the paradox of a fish ficttlon that is
true.
A message contained in an ordi
nary pint Mason fruit jar was picked
up at Bellingham, Wash., bearing
the date August 18. 1912, which
read: "Ship going down. Off Cape
Norbe, Alaska. Jim Hall.”
CHAIRMAN KDK8 TALKS
OF COMMISSION PLANS
While in Seattle ,on their way to
tne national capital, Dolegate Wiok
ersham and Chairman Edes, of the
Aiaskan Engineering Commission,
were royally entertained at a ITan- 4
quet in their honor at the Arctic
Club. Both gentlemen, of course,
responded to toasts, and Chairman
Edes said in part:
•'Providing we get the necessary
appropriations and have no labor ,
.difficulties, the road can be complet
ed in about three years. Personally
I do not think that it could be built
economically in any shorter time, '
because of the extra expense in
working very far beyond the llmfts
of the steel. This season wo were
able to carry on roadbed construc
tion and grading independent of the
rails, as we had water transportation
all the way. I hope to see an ap
propriation of $9,000,000 for next '
season, and will ask for such a sum
through the department.
"Our Important work next season *.
will be connecting up with Seward.
This will take about a year. We
should be shipping coal by the spring
of 19X7 if everything goes all right,
and Anchorage will prove an im
portant point for a terminal aa well
as Seward. Anchorage has been of
great value to the work this summer
because of the ease with which
equipment c&n be unloaded there,
and It will retain its importance."
“PICKLED” MARINERS
SAID WITH ANCHOR DOWN
On the last trip of the steamship
Farragut out from Anchorage, those
on board sighted a small schooner
near Kodiak and steering for that
port. The little vessel had a crew
of two men and a cargo that included
a barrel of whisky. Because of a >
light and adverse wind, the man on
the day shift at the wheel of the
windjammer dropped anchor, left
the sails up and Joined his com
panions In the more congenial occu
pation of absort ing “oil of glad
ness” in the cabin, which wa* far
more comfortable than the cold
deck. When the man on the night
shift came on detk a stiff breeze had
sprung up, but the anchor remained
down because he hadn’t been In
formed by his companion that It had
been dropped. Darkness prevented
the steersman from noticing that the
schooner wasn’t making any head
way, while the stiff breeze, the slop
ing deck and music of tlfi waves
gave him the impression that the log
ought to be recording shout ten
knots an hour. n *
When daylight .bhoke, the vessel
was the same distance from the
shore as the night before.
Then up came the day pilot with a
large quantity of the whisky stowed
away inside his belt and with alter
nate shifts to port and starboard.
The mistake was discovered, and the
last seen pf the boat she was tacking
Into the harbor with apparently as *
great a Jag as the man at the wheel.
CIRCUIT COURT RULING
AFFECTS MEN’S CLUBS
The federal court of appeals at
San Francisco has handed down A
decision denying the petition for a
rehearing in the cqse of the Enl
Club, of Nome, Alaska, which ap
pealed from a decision of Judge
Tucker, of the Second division, re
quiring the club to take out a fl.OOb
liquor license If It wished to sell in
toxicants to Its members. The deci
sion has been awaited with a greet
deal of interest throughout Alaska,
as the Tillikum Club 4n Valdez and
the Tanana Club In Fairbanks were
similarly affected by the rulings of
Judge Tucker. The attorneys for J&e ’
Eni Club pleaded the men in Alaska
outnumbered the women five to one,
and because of the lat> of home life .
and ties the men needed the recrea
tion afforded by clubs of this char
acter, for without them, they would
patronize saloons, and the morals of
the community were better preserved
in a club. In Its decision the court
said that the lack of women In the *
territory had nothing to do with the
matter, as the judges were bound by
the Ia^r and could not consider the
social aspect of the case, and that on
legal grounds there was no error h*
the decision of Judge Tucker, which
must be upheld.
Sheldon Flynn, of Juneau, who has
been confined to the federal hospital
jail In Juneau, having been adjudged
temporarily Insane as a result of
overwork, causing him to break '
down physically, has been taken to.
a private sanitarium by nls brother.
The eontractors intended to send
in more previsions, but waiiod too
long, and unless thev can make some
arrsneetoeni to .end supplies to
them from Hope, the cutters will not ,
be able to work all winter, as
planned. *