ANCHORAGE WEEKLY TIMES
AND COOK INLET PIONEER
COOK INLET PUBLISHING CO.
Anchorage, Alaska.
CHAS. E. HERRON, Publisher.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Anchorage Weekly Times $3.00 per year, in advance.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR THE DAILY.
Single Copies.$ .10 Six Months (in advance) ...$ 5.00
One Month...1.00 One Year (in advance) 10.00
Entered in the Anchorage Postoffice June 5, 1915, as second class matter
under the Act of March 3, 1873.
For President—Charles Evans Hughes.
For Delegate to Congress—James Wickersham.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1010.
POLITICAL CHAMELEONS.
Each change in national or state administrations devel
ops the human species that might properly bo termed politi
cal chameleons, for like the chameleon, whose chief clmrat to;
istic is its ability to change color at will, tlu political chame
leon flops from the republican to the democratic party, or
vice-versa, according to which party is in control. In the case
of the insect-eating lizard, nature has provided the color
changing attribute for purposes of protection. In the case of
the political chameleon, his frequent “conversion” is a selfish
policy adopted to keep himself connected with a government
job.
Alaska has many of these political chameleons within it
confines . There are office-holders in the territory who have
served under republican administrations, and who, when the
democratic party gained power, continue to remve their
monthly stipends. And these former “republicans” are now
loudly shouting in behalf of the democratic party. And if. a;
now seems positively assured, the republican.■ win in the na
tional election, they will stoutly maintain that they were al
ways republicans and make a big effort to remain in office.
We attack the subject of the political chameleon not from
a party standpoint at all. We admire a democrat who is a
strong party man; who is a democrat in victory or defeat. Sue's
a man is a democrat from principle,—not for inert! office.
When the democratic party stepped into power, every republi
can office holder should have tendered his resignation -urtk
with, and if he declined to resign, he should have been kicked
out. And when the republican party steps into power on the
fourth day of March, every self-respecting democrat will ten
der his resignation, and democrats that don't resign should
likewise he kicked out.
li ni’A ha foilli txtIi aIattat. In ill aoa r* 4- t i o 1 aI i'SU i» • \ 1 rl
ers who change with every administration. If wo ai\ republi
cans, let us he republicans all the time. And if we are demo
crats, let us be democrats all the time. We will then gain the
respect of our political adversaries, however much we may dif
fer with them in matters of principles. But for the politic.?;!
chameleon, the smooth individual who is anything to hold of
fice, contempt for his selfishness and weakness are his just
dues. He is about as near nothing as anything in nature can
be. He is in politics for profit, rather than for principle.
From a democratic standpoint, the chief complaint rr u’.nd
President Wilson is that he has not “played the game ac
cording to the accepted rules.” Spineless r. publicans hove
been retained in office as opposed to the claims of die isilh
ful party workers. When a democratic rdministration n i
power, the democrats are entitled to the federal offices, ami
by the same token, when the republican party gains the reins
of government, republicans should fill the olfices. This is one
of the legitimate fruits of the victory at the polls, because an
administration is entitled to have members of its own party
in control of things.
There is much in the Jacksonian theory of government
which proclaims that “to the victors belong the spoils.” There
are very few offices indeed in the United States government
that cannot be filled by the average man. It is all rot to de
clare that certain men must be retained because they are so
competent and experienced that it would be disastrous to the
service to relieve them. There have been cases where it was
generally accepted that certain office-holders were indispens
able, but when death happened to call one of them, things went
along about as usual. The governmental machinery didn’t
stop for a second.
There is considerable fiction attached to the belief with
respect to the intelligence of mankind, in that some few are
held to be vastly superior to the common mortal. As a matter
of fact, environment is the controlling factor in the destinies
of the human race. The accident of birth is what makes one
man differ from another, and .so-called genius lias been aptly
said by Edison, himself regarded as one of the most illustrious
of the favored ones, to be one-tenth genius and nine-tenths un
remitting toil.
Henry D. Reynolds, in a signed article in the Valdez Pros
pector, gives warning to those individuals whom he alleges
took advantage of his financial condition at the time of the
wreck of the Reynolds Alaska Development company, and de
nuded him of valuable properties. He gives them a limited
time in which to make restorations by their own voluntary
acts, failing in which he will call the law to his aid in an ef
fort to compel restoration. The announcement will not be
hailed with delight by some of those who achieved financial
gain growing out of the distressed condition of Mr. Reynolds.
The very frank statement of the mover in the enterprise has
already had the effect of shaking the foundations of the glacier
town. What the result will be remains for the future to deter
mine.
The information reaches us that the Alaska Northern rail
way will operate throughout the winter from Seward to Kern
creek, the end of steel out of the Resurrection bay town. It
is to be hoped that this may prove true, as it will vastly aid
those who may wish to travel this coming winter and will like
wise aid in getting the mail here.
The United States has entered into a parcel post arrange
ment with China under the terms of which packages up to 11
pounds in weight may be sent from any postoffice in the first
named to any postoffice in the last named country at the post
age rate of 12 cents a pound. Having some slight knowledge
of the parcel post service between the United States and Can
ada, one is disposed to wonder if the agreement with China
provides that petty customs officers in the United States shall
not tear parcels to pieces in looking for an opportunity to col
lect a few cents in duties.
District Court
for Trial of Civil
Cases, Convenes
The district court convened at 10
o’clock this forenoon at the Elks’ club
room, Judge Fred M. Brown presid
ing. The following is the calendar,
civil cases only being heard this term:
Stuart Maxwell vs. J. Casey Mc
Daniel. J. L. Waller, attorney for
plaintiff, Murphy & Almy for defend
ant.
Thos. McLaughlin vs. May Cody.
J. C. Murphy for plaintiff.
Collin Murray vs. Mercy Roxana
Murray. Arthur Frame for plaintiff,
C. D. Murane and J. J. Finnegan for
defendant.
Louis Meleff vs. Steve Crist, Mur
phy and Almy for plaintiff, Arthur
Frame for defendant.
J. A. Curley vs. Martha White.
Murphy & Almy for plaintiff, Arthur
Frame for defendant.
H. W. Nagley vs. M. A. Ellis, et al.
Murphy & Almy for plaintiff.
Margaret Hilda Bell vs. Fred Schil
ler Bell. Murphy & Almy for plain
tiff.
Geo. H. Conklin, et al, vs. Catherine
Ashton, ct al. Murphy & Almy for
plaintiff, C. H. Sundmacher for de
fendant.
Anna Gleason vs. George Gleason.
Murph; \ Almy for plaintiff
J. F. G'.eson vs. Hugh Barela/, ..t
al. A. F. Stowe for plaintiff. C. II.
Sundmacher for defendant.
Hulda Victoria lathrop vs. Robert
flloomiicla Lathrop. John M Reid
for plaintiff. J. M. Waller for defend
ant.
N. J. Gaikema vs. S. S. Cramer.
Murphy & Almy for plaintiff.
J. A. Palmer vs. Geo. Roswell. Mur
phy & Almy for plaintiff.
Olga McCullough vs. Fred D. Mc
Cullough. Murphy & Almy for plam
r;ff.
M. O. Cameron vs. Louis Jensen. ' .
V. Ray for plaintift, J. J. Finnegan
and Arthur Frame for defendant.
Franklin Johnston vs. H. W. Buch
atd, et al.
Anna E. Ashton vs. Wright Ashton.
C. H. Sundmacher attorney for plain
tiff.
J. Casey McDaniel vs. E. M. Cul
bertson, et al. Murphy & Almy for
plaintiff.
Chas. Maehl, et al, vs. Alaska Crow
Creek Min. Co. Lyons & Ritchie for
plaintiff. L. V. Ray for defendant.
Mrs. Wickersham
Ardent Advocate
Of Preparedness
NEW YORK, August 23.—“I am
tired of blushing for my country,”
said Mrs. Wickersham, wife of George
W. Wickersham, attorney-general in
President Taft’s cabinet, today. “Nev
er did I think to hang my head as I
have been forced to do during the last
three years.
“I am a m> ^ber of the women s
committee of the National Hughes Al
liance purely on the score of patriot
ism. Personally I am an anti-suffra
gist, but all my energies and interests
are concentrated on the coming elec
tion.
“I long to be proud of my country.
I need to be proud of it; proud of our
spirit at home and proud of our repu
tation abroad; and I want to pass
that pride on to my son and my
grandsons.
“We must stand before the world
as a nation composed in strength but
absolutely ready at every point tu
back up its ideals when action is
necessary.
“I think the real issue of this cam
paign is patriotism and I think a
great many of us of varying political
convictions are going to work togeth
er for the welfare of the country.
“I am a firm believer in clearly de
fined political parties, but there arc
times and conditions in the political
history of a country like ours when
we must all unite on the big issues
and agree to differ about the lesser.
“As an anti-suffragist I am not
concerned with political organizations
as such, but as a citizen of this coun
try I am deeply concerned for its wel
fare.
“Do I believe preparedness must be
made an issue? Yes, indeed. And I
want every man and woman in this
country to be made to feel a sense of
responsibility about serving it in some
way. I want people to learn that pre
paredness cannot be settled entirely
by congress; that it is an individual
matter and that we must take it up
individually to make it national.”
Road Work to
Aid Cache Creek
Ross Kenny, foreman of the work
on the Knik-Willow creek road, arriv- 1
ed in Anchorage yesterday on the ■
launch Swan and left last night for 1
McDougal in the interests of the Alas
ka Road "Commission. Mr. Kenny
has had a force of 12 men working '
between miles 28 and 35 since the first !
of July and has accomplished good !
results. Most of this work has been 1
done on Fishook hill, where the grade '
has been materially cut down, making !
the heavy haul in this vicinity much
easier. Other work in regard to the 1
ordinary maintenance and bridge re- 1
pairing has been done and the crew
will continue the work until October
1, with Oi’caf Trick in charge.
Mr. Kenny’s men will spend some
time in the Cache creek district and
with assistance from the Cache Creek
Dredging company will locate a wag
on road from the Kahlitna river
bridge around the contour of Peters
hill to Cache creek. This road is
about 30 miles long and is the crying
need of that important section of the
country and has been wofully neg
lected for a number of years.
Wickersham
States Position
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Aligust 2, 1916.
Ed. C. Russell,
Juneau, Alaska. •
Telegrams received from you and
Messrs. Thane and Coppemoll advis
ing me to submit to the demands of
the Shackleford organization and sur
render the power and rights of the
people of Alaska in relation to the
appointments to Alaskan office in
case Governor Hughes is elected pres
ident in consideration that Mr.
Shackleford allow his committee of
four from the Seward convention and
his followers in the Republican Divi
sional convention at Juneau to en
dorse me for delegate. My letter of
March 30 addressed to the delegates
at the Republican Territorial conven
tion at Seward is my final word on the
subject. I will not barter away the
smallest right or power of the people
of Alaska, or my own right and duty
as their representative to Murane,
George Irving, or Shackleford for
their endotsement or support or that
of their blind followers. I decline to
accept any nomination from Shackle
ioru s uiiciutiiui lzeu cummmce ui lour
from the Seward convention or to ap
prove that plank in its platform es
tablishing boss rule in Alaska. That
plank will be repudiated by the re
publican national administration and
the senate will refuse to confirm any
one appointed to Alaskan office who
approves it. I shall support Hughes
and Fairbanks and their national plat
form, and be a candidate for delegate
to congress from Alaska on the peti
tion of her citizens free from corrupt
boss rule, and I shall be glad to have
the endorsement of the Juneau con
vention on that basis. If I am defeat
ed on this platform I shall have at
leSst have preserved my own self-re
spect. (Signed)
JAMES WICKERSHAM.
Commission to
Adjust Tariff to
Be Non-Partisan
WASHINGTON, August 23.—In
naming the forthcoming tariff com
mission the president, it is known to
day, is determined to get entirely out
of a political atmosphere. The chan
ces of any aspirant who is recom
mended by a politcian will go glim
mering.
President Wilson is said to have a
constitutional aversion to appointing
a man to a job when the man is rec
ommended by a politician. The rea
son is that almost any senator or
congressman will recommend a man
if he comes from his district.
Frequently the candidate may be
personally unknown to the solon. He
comes in for the regular form 0. K.,
many times a rubber stamp affaii
that never comes to the congress
man’s attention at all.
While the president was wrestling
with the farm loan board personnel,
tie received several hundred recom
mendations. One day a group of con
gressmen came to the white house to
recommend a certain man. Not one
af them knew the man’s full name or
inything about him. One of the group
iesired him and the rest were helping
Boost.
A senator was asked following a
conference with the president if he
aad at any time added to the names
an the prospective list of the farm
aoard experts.
“Why, yes,” the senator replied, “I
believe I did recommend someone. It
was several days ago and I really paid
ao attention to it. I don’t even re
member the man’s name, but he was
from my district, I'm sure.”
Examples of this are found in the
filling of supreme court and cabinet
vacancies, too. A hundred lawyers
were recommended by political advis
ars for the place now occupied by
lustice Brandeis.
Word has been received from Ne
lana to the effect that A. G. Pearson
md I. P. Taylor of the land survey,
narrowly escaped drowning recently
vhen their boat capsized in the Ne
lana river. Pearson is said to have
saved Taylor’s life.
Charles Spurgeon, who for the past
fear has been engaged in placer min
ng in the Taylor bay region, south
iastem Alaska, reports having made
i strike near Baird glacier. He took
>ut ten ounces of gold in six days
vith a rocker from his find.
The Territorial Board of Dental
Examiners is composed of Dr. W. E.
5uber, of Ketchikan, president; Dr. E.
3. Kaser, of Juneau, secretary-treas
irer; Dr. E. O. Hale, of Cordova; Dr.
1.. W. Fromm, of Nome; Dr. Robert
i. Myers, of Fairbanks.
A temporary contract to carry the
nail between Juneau, Skagway and
vay ports has been let to the Gasti
leau Transportation Co.
Grand Jury at
Ruby Returns
4 Indictments
RUBY, August 16.—During the
first week of the session of the grand
jury at Ruby, two men were indicted
for grand larceny; one man was in
dicted on four counts for selling in
toxicating liquor to natives, and one
secret indictment was returned. There
were not-true bills returned against
three people also.
Kaltag Nicolai, who is accused of
murdering his wife by beating her
to death, was one of those indicted.
He has been held since his arrest at
Kaltag last winter, shortly after the
death of his wife.
Charles Grover is arrested on •*
charge of first degree murder, alleged
to have been committed at McGrath
a couple of months ago.
Charles S. Covey, who was arrest
ed for the larceny of a dog team at
Tanana, was indicted for grand lar
ceny. He was arrested at the coast
during the early spring and brought
back through Fairbanks and down
river to Ruby.
Nellie Douglas, who was arrested
here more than a year ago, charged
with petty larceny, and who served in
the federal jail for the offense, is up
for grand larceny. She was indicted
and with Charles J. Bell was indicted
for the same offense. Slim Sheldon,
who was accused of having been im
plicated in the deal, was freed by the
grand jury for lack of evidence.
Ralph Bah’o, who was accused of
assault wita a dangerous weapon,
was freed by the grand jury return
ing “rot a true bill” in his case.
R. E. Dunbar, who was up Iasi year
on a charge of selling liquor to In
dians, and who was freed, Was allow
ed his freedom today for the second
time on the same charge, the granj
jury holding that tnere was insufn
cien? evidence to justify his being
h/ul for trial.
All of these cases are expected to
come to trial at the Ruby term of
court within the next week or ten
days.
Sourdoughs Form
Copper Company
(Cordova Times)
Captain Armstrong, formerly of
Cordova, who for 15 years has lived in
Alaska, and a syndicate of Arctic
club members have practically com
pleted the arrangements to send a
crew of men to open up a copper
property at Portlock harbor, adjoin
ing the new copper strike on Chica
goff island, made by a Nome and Se
attle syndicate headed by E. E. Flem
ing. Armstrong has a 20 year lease
on the property, which is thought to
be a continuation of the vein opened by
the Fleming syndicate.
R. E. Welsh, assayer of the Chica
goff gold mine, started a few men to
work on the Armstrong lease and
made a thorough examination of the
ground. He believes a new copper
district of importance has been dis
covered. There is some high-grade
ora, and every indication of a large
tonnage in low grade ores.
The syndicate plans to begin driv
ing a tunnel and making other devel
opment work immediately. Among
the Seattleites interested with Arm
strong are Frank Wright of the Car
lisle Packing company; George A.
Baldwin, formerly of the Kennecott
mine; John Rosene, a Seattle steam
ship man, and J. D. Trenholme, secre
tary of the Mexican-Pacific company.
Noted Lecturer
and Writer Tours
Interior Alaska
-- .
(Fairbanks News-Miner)
Gathering data and pictures for his
series of lectures on Alaska, Prof.
Lowell Jackson Thomas arrived in
Fairbanks at an early hour this morn
ing and will remain here for at least
one week. Last year he made a trip
to the north, but he only got as far
as Dawson, in addition to visiting the
southern and southeastern coast
towns. During the winter he made
almost daily tours out from Princeton
to the main cities of the east, lectur
ing on the north.
To a representative of the News
miner this morning Prof. Thomas ex
plained briefly some of his views as
to the Alaska lecture field. For a
number of years, he points eut, there
have been two classes of lecturers on
Alaska; the missionaries and the
mountain climbers. Everybody in the
north knows the class of lecture out
up by these two brands. Now Prof.
Lowell proposes and is actually
spreading some bona fide information
regarding the north, going into detail
to show the various industries as they
are, and telling of the possibilities as
they have been proven.
For several years Prof. Thomas
lias made a systematic study of Alas
ka, obtaining all the reading matter
hie could from the governmental de
partments and gathering what he
:ould from his trips to the north.
On the present trip Professor
rhomas is carrying a motion picture
machine and is getting some good il
lustrations for his lectures. He has
ri si ted many of the coast towns and
s going to make a study of the others
lefore he returns to the states.
.
' WRITTEN FOR THE TIMES. BY A. S. KOCH, SECRETARY OF THE
ANCHORAGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
——rca Aiiciiur
age, following the main line of the
government railroad to Moose creek,
then over ten miles of the main line
from Matanuska Junction to the Knik
wagon road, which leads to the heart
of the Willow creek mining district,
he finds himself in a truly virgin
country, a new land, and equaled no
where in the variety of scene and ac
tivity and in future possibilities.
It is a revelation indeed to come up
on the agricultural lands of the Mat
anuska valley and the many farms
under cultivation. The crops of
wheat, barley and rye, to say nothing
of the potatoes, peas, beans and other
garden truck all prove beyond a shad
ow of doubt the exceeding fertility of
the soil and the fact that farming in
Alaska can be carried on with as
great success as in any of the north
western states. Arriving at Moose
creek, an interesting trip to the coal
mines was in order. Under Mr. Do
herty's able management the mine at
this place is rapidly assuming the
character of a real coal mine, the ca
pacity now being 100 tons per day. It
is expected that if transportation fa
cilities may be had, Anchorage will
be supplied with coal from this sec
tion before the snow flies. The tent
town of Moose creek is another sight
well worth while. A view of the
town, situated as it is in a basin sur
rounded by tall mountains and nes
tling beside the bank of the creek, re
minds one of the early mining camps
of California as described by Bret
Harte. One of the leading citizens
there, Mr. Chas. Peters, assured the
scribe that he “would rather be a
pebble in the bottom of Moose creek
than a totem pole in any other town
of Alaska, excepting Anchorage, of
course.”
Returning to Matanuska Junction
the next morning, left for Camp 156
on the main line that afternoon, One
cannot fail to be impressed with the
all-around efficiency that prevails
along the line of construction, the
cleanliness of the camps, and the
courtesy of those in charge. They de
serve much credit for the workman
like, thorough and progressive man
ner in which the work is being car
ried on. If this part of the railroad
is a criterion for the future road to
Fairbanks, then it will be as finely
constructed and as scenic a route as
there is in America.
Camp 156 is situated on Wassilla
lake. Wassilla lake, a garden spot as
fine as the sun ever looked upon! Tin
air contains a soft, intangible some
thing that makes one glad to take a
long breath, and the clean, fresh
smell of the woods is fairly intoxicat
ing. Here you have mountain, wood
land arid valley, scenery in quality,
variety and quantity that decisively
outclasses most of the show places so
enthusiastically described in the rail
road and steamship folders. It is
hard to realize that this ideal spot
lies at our very door. It is a verita
ble sportsman's paradise. Nimrod ar.c.
old Isaak Walton must have frequent
ed Wassilla lake in the long ago—or
some place similar—in order to have
acquired such proficiency in their spe
cialties. The thrill of a struggle with
one of the monster Wassilla trout,
even if you lose him, will ever prove
a magnet to draw you back in strong
desire to have another try. I lost
several of them, each larger than its
predecessor.
with regret 1 left Wassilla lake be
hind me for Willow creek. Here the
road is bad—quite thoroughly cut in
to a series of chuck holes and mud
pud(^s. The road house accommoda
tions, however, are very good, espe
cially that at mile 31%, known as the
“Fishhook Inn.” It is under the man
agement of the genial and well-known
Fred Laubner, who serves a meal fit
for royalty. It is not often that one
is glad to be hungry, but such is the
case when you arrive at Laubner’s.
A walk of about three miles from
31% brings you to a good trail which
has been built to the Mabel mine, sit
uated on the Little Susitna river. Re
ports indicate that this mine will br
a big producer. Two miles further oi
are the mines located along Fishook
creek, some of the most important be
ing Martin’s, the Independence, the
new Bartholf strike and the Sun.
Moon and Star. Reports of these
mines as told in the pages of the An
chorage Daily Times are not exag
gerated—in fact they are very modest
statements of the true conditions.
Crossing Granite mountain you
come to the Gold Bullion property lo
cated on Cragie creek, where I spent
the night. The improvements consist
of a group of buildings, a 12-stamp '
mill and the farthest north cyaniding
plant in the world. The milling plant ;
is located in the valley. Aerial trams '
connect the mill with the main work- 1
ings, and the latter are connected !
with one another by a system of cai
trams. In these upper workings sev- '
eral hundred feet^of tunnels have beer ]
constructed, and a mess house, black
smith shop and bunk tents are located i
here. The mines are very dry and the i
miners themselves, some of whom I 1
was personally acquainted with assur
ed me that they were quite contented i
with the living conditions inaugurated i
this year by the new general mana- ]
ger, ivir. j. u. t.o:;;er. me writer
wishes to take !':!.• opportunity to
thank and cxp.ro s his appreciation to
the urbane sun- ido dent, Mr. J. L.
McAllen, for th: r u: eous treatment
accorded him, and r’ o to Mr. Blod
gett, the mine fore, inn, for th- time
and effort spent in conducting him to
the many points of interest.
Owing to the fact that my visit to
this section was hurried, I was una
ble to take advantage of the many
offers of the other mine operators to
visit their properties and gain addi
tional information, but hope to be
able to accept their kind invitations at
some later date.
In summary, the writer ventures
the prophecy that the development of
the Willow creek district will proceed
with leaps and bounds, and that when
transportation costs have boon re
duced from five cents to one cent per
pound, by the construction of the
railroad to within 15 miles of this dis
trict and the wagon road put in bet
ter shape, Willow creek will be one
of the largest gold producing camps
in America.
To the pessimist and the skeptic
who are in doubt as to the future of
the country with a radius of 100 miles
of Anchorage, I strongly advise a trip
through the Matanuska valley and the
Willow creek district, the newest and
most promising sections of Alaska. If
that doesn’t open their eyes and
change them into optimistic boosters,
then theirs are hopeless cases, indeed.
Old-timer in
Alaska Passes
Over Divide
(Fairbanks News-Miner)
With his family of babies and his
wife at his side, Robert J. Geis, one of
Fairbanks’ most respected citizens,
breathed his last at 10:15 o’clock this
morning, having been called by the
angel of death to render an account
of his stewardship in this world. Be
sides the family, the only persons at
the bedside when the patient was
summoned, were Charles L. Thomp
son, his partner for many years, and
the nurses.
Regarding the death Mr. Thompson
says that Mr. Geis realized that he
was going, although nobody had told
him so. He was perfectly conscious
and kissing his babies and wife, bid
them all “good-bye.” Without even
breathing hard he closed his eyes and
passed to his eternal rest.
Twenty years a pioneer in Alaska,
ever ready to extend the hel; ing hand
or to help in a worthy cause. Bob Geis
was one of the most widely known
men in the north, and one whose death
everyone will feel.
Robert J. Geis was bom in New
York city 55 years ago. When but a
boy he shipped before the mast and
made several trips around the world.
Later he became a locomotive engi
neer and worked at the business in
Mexico, the United States and in
South America.
In 1897 he went to St. Michael un
der contract with the N. A. T. & T.
company to install a steam heating
plant. In the spring of 1898, he went
to Circle, and after spending one sum
mer on the creeks mining, he entered
the hotel business, in partnership with
George Herrington. While he-a, he
married Miss Minnie Dahl, who now
survives him.
In 1903 Mr. Geis came to Fairbanks
and has resided here ever since. He
is a charter member of Fairbanks Ae
rie of Eagles, and Fairbanks Igloo of
Pioneers of Alaska. Last spring he
was elected a member of the common
council of the town. He also has been
a member of the park commission and
its chairman for the past four years.
The deceased is survived by a wid
ow, four children, and a sister in New
York.
COMMISSIONER RIGGS
STARTS ON OTHER END
FAIRBANKS, August 18.—At the
office of the Alaskan Engineering
Commission it was announced that the
first contracts for clearing the right
of-way for the railroad from Fair
banks toward Nenana, was let to Emil
Beuchaine. This contract is for two
sections of the right of way and the
contracts for clearing two others were
let to Victor Brown: Both men are
expected to take up their work im
nediately and push it through as
juickly as conditions will permit.
There were 19 bids for the work,
some of them ranging high in price,
vhile others were close and reasona
>le, according to Mr. Riggs, of the
Engineering Commission.
As soon as possible other sections
vill be staked out and aclls will be
nade for bids. With plenty of con
tactors to try for the work, there
s no reason why it cannot be pushed
•apidly and considerable grading will
>e done at this end this summer.
The figures of the various bidders
ire not made public and will not be
nade public, so that contractors need
xave no fear on this score.