ARCTIC NAVIGATOR BELIEVES INLEI
NMBLE THROUGHOUT WINTER
Captain Louis Klafinch, master of
the gasoline schemer Bender Bretli
ers, frozen in at the mju.lh cf the
Kushokvis: river, r.v.'! who passed
through Anchorage enroute to the
states, wires a concern in thife town
that after January 1 there is avail
able for charter in San Francisco the
steam schooner Ruby, 500 tons ca
pacity, and he signifies his willing
ness to handle the vessel on the run
from Anchorage to Seward during
the remainder of the winter season.
The vessel is flat-bottomed and can
land on the beach anywhere and un
load cargo.
While in Anchorage, on his way
outside, Captain Klaflnch took oc
casion to study ice conditions In the
inlet, with a view to getting a vessel
for the run suggested. He is con
fident that the inlet is navigable
throughout the winter months. His
long experience in the Arctic ocean
A PROSPEROUS GOLD CAMP.
In yesterday's Pioneer we nad oc
casion to publish a resitme of the
gold product of the Willow creel:
camp since its discovery. The in
formation is substantially correct;
indeed, if anything, it is too con
servative. At that, there Is revealed
a really remarkable showing in the
matter of high grade gold quartz
veins. The aggregate production
since the first stamp mill was in
stalled in 1908 will average about
|50 per ton. To the mining man,
this speaks volumes for the richness
of the veins. And the gratifying
thing about the Willow creek camp
is that It gives every evidence, after
years of mining, of being a long
lived cainp. The three properties on
which mills have been installed ap
pear to show better results with de
velopment. In fact, it may well.be
said of the Willow creek camp that
it is the banner free gold camp cf
Alaska. . In Nevada, for instance
such a camp would call forth a wild
stampede, and thousands of prospect
ors would surge the hills in quest
of other veins. In the Willow creek
camp the mining operators are dili
gently pursuing the development of
their holdings, taking out fine profits
considering the limited time they
operate the stamp mills, and doing
no boosting or booming whatever.
But some day. the Willow creek
camp will come into its own. and
where now but three mines are pro
ducing, there will be perhaps a score
of paying properties. The camp
offers an inviting field for the en
deavors of the legitimate mining
man who wishes to develop a prom
ising mining property.
A wrestling match tor the middle
weight championship of Alaska will
he pulled off Saturday night at Ro
barts' hall, the contestants being the
Young Viking and Hjlmar Saralla.
The contest grows out of a challenge
issued by the Young Viking and
published by the Pioneer, which was
accepted by Saralla through the
same medium. Both of these mus
cular young men are no strangers in
Anchorage, both having performed
on the mat in events heretofore
staged. They have, however, never
been contestants, and there is keen
rivalry as to which is the better
man. The last event on the wrest
ling mat proved such, high-class,
clean sport that it guarantees a
crowded house at the performance
Saturday night. The match will be
best, two out of three falls, catch
as-catch-can.
As a preliminary, Casey Jones will
wrestle with an unknown.
Two more new engines for use on
the Copper River & Northwestern
railroad were shipped by rail from
New York on November 13. They
are expected to reach Cordova at an
early date, when a new schedue of
two trains per day will go into effect
between Cordova and ChRina.
Fairbanks i» nearly $20,000 in
debt, and is getting further into the
hole, the expenditures for October
being $1,668.62 greater than the
revenue. The valuation of real es
tate has been boosted $300,000 more
than it was last year, bringing the
assessed valuation up to nearly
$3,600,000.
A mail carrier on the lower Yukon
is reported to have nearly lost his
life when his sled and dog team
went through the ice. He managed
*o save everything, including the
mail he was carrying, but nearly per
ished before reaching shelter. For
tunately ,the weather was mild, or
another tragedy would have been re-;
ported.
anil Bering sea makes his opinion
valuable in this respect.
To the Juneau Empire, on his way
south, Captain Klaflnch gave the fol
lowing interview:
Captain L. Klafinch, the captain
of the steam schooner Bender
Brothers, which was frozen in on the
Kuskokwim river, was a passenger
on the Admiral Evans this morning
enroute for the states. He came
over the winter trail from Iditarod
to Seward, and reported no difficulty
in making the trip.
While in Anchorage, Captain
Klaflnch looked the situation over,
and believes the main difficulty in
the failure of steamers landing
freight at Anchorage is due to lack
of proper facilities to handle the
barges He believes he can operate
a boat this winter between Seward
and Anchorage, and may embark on
the enterprise if sufficient induce
ments in the way of business offers.
(1RAXD CHRISTMAS WEATHER.
It makes us smile, when we open
our mail and read letters from fit
dear ones at home. Invariably, they
are so solicitous about our bodily
welfare: they labor under the i:n
pression that we who reside here are
in a region so remote, so uncivilized,
so unbearable climatically and so
cially, that life in this locality is not
worth the living. These impressions
are gained through lack of knowl
edge about Alaska. The tremendous
size of the country is not appreciated.
The southern or Pacific coast section
of Alaska is confounded with the
Arctic circle. And we who live here
assist in keeping up this illusion by
continually sending our friends pic
tures in which winter scenes are the
feature. The first thing a chechaco
does upon arrival in Alaska, if snow
happens to be on the ground, is to
have himself photographed riding
behind a dog team, after he has
bundled himself in all the robes he
can lay hands on. The recipient nat
urally shudders with cold when he
sees the picture: he wants none of
that in his.
Vnn> n, K *■ nrn tVin fanto «Kmit thp
I climate on Cook inlet. Cold in win
ter, and warm in summer. But in
neither season is the climatic condi
i Mon extreme. We believe it would
have been difficult anywhere on this
round globe to have found more de
lightful Christmas weather than that
' enjoyed by Anchorage. The school
I children, guests of the local Elks’
! flub, were taken about the town in
sleighs provided for the purpose, and
enjoyed a huge, wholesome, health
giving ride. And, spoaking of chil
dren, Alaska is noted for its rosy
cheeked. full-chested specimens that
are being reared—forming a nucleus
of a hardy, healthful, robust race
that will be equipped to fight the
hattle of life much better than the
hot-house progeny of other sections
of the I'nited States.
And the outside newspapers in
form us that Anchorage, especially,
is short of food supplies and that
suffering has been the consequence.
This is all news to those of us who
I've here and who have first-hand
knowledge of the situation. There
may be two or three cases of indi
vidual want in this community. It
would be strange indeed if there
were not, out of a population of some
three thousand inhabitants. This
newspaper knows of no single cane.
If it did, it would take about fifteen
minutes to relieve the distress, for
there are hundreds of fine, whole
some, unselfish people living here
that would not sleep if they knew
that any one was in want of the ne
cessities of life.
While our friends in the states are
pitying us. we in turn often pity
them. And we have the belter un
derstanding of the true condition,
for we have lived where our friends
now live, while they have never en
joyed the wholesome, life-giving cli
mate of Alaska.
HA1I.WAY EMPLOYES HAI>
THE BIG FEED,- CHRISTM.V
—
Railway employes who are pa‘ -ong
of the government mess house are
loud in their praises of the sumptu
ous repast served on Christmas Day.
The p'ece de resistance was coast
chicken, and plenty of it, cooked to
the queen’s taste, while included in
the desserts were plum pudding.
Christmas cake, ice cream, nuts, can
d'es, etc.
The ladies of the Commssion gave
a Christmas tree in the bachelors'
club room for the benefit of the,
bachelor employes of the CommiB- j
sion, and a huge time was enjoyed!
by all.
LOCAL NEWS OF THE WEEK
(From Monday's Dally.)
************
BORN.
On Christmas morn, to the
wife of Commissioner F. Mears,
an eleven-pound baby boy.
Mother and child doing wel..
Thd Commissioner attended the
Elks’ Christmas tree festivities,
and was tho recipient of contf
gratulations upon the increase
in his family, especially on such
an auspicious day.
■g-tt****-****-** *
George .Jackson, a former Nome
mining man, who has been in An
chorage for some time past, w’as
stricken ill on Christmas day and
conveyed to the government hospital
for treatment.
Alaska pioneer pension checks
have been received by two residents
of Anchorage—J. O’Connor and Pat
rick Daly, sourdoughs of the north
land. The checks were received by
Commissioner David Friday evening
and handed to the old-timers on
Christmas day.
(From Tuesday’s Daily.)
Tn his Christmas greeting tc
Commissioner Mears and his men.
Secretary of the Interior Lane says
he is doing everything possible to
make the New Year a happy one for
the officials and men who are on tho
Job here. This, of course, means
that the secretary has in mind the
emergency appropriation and its
speedy passage through the con
gress. This is the best news that
Anchorage could receive, and we
have faith that the Pioneer will soon
be permitted to publish it, not as a
hope for the future, but as an ac
complished fact. B *
Mr; Fred B. Tracy and- Mrs
Edythe 'Wilkinson Steel were mar
ried in San Francisco on Christmas
Day. The information came in a
message received by Mrs. .Martha
White, of the White House, in An
chorage.
Ain nnekanx tfin Juiot !
known steamship man in Alaska I
having been purser on Alaska liners,
since the early days of the Klondike
stampede. Several years ago he as
sumed the position of general agent
of the Alaska Steamship -Company,
and in that capacity passed the
greater part of the past year In An
chorage. The bride Is a charming
accomplished young lady, a daughter
of I)r. Wilkinson, a pioneer physteian
of Nome.
Jack Sutherland, of the Cook
Inlet News Service, left for Seward
this morning with a team of nine
exceedingly fast dogs and three pas
sengers. He expects to make Resur
rection bay in two days’ travel, and
after resting up his dogs expects to
return with a load of magazines and
peirodlcals, in order to fill the de
mand made upon him by the public.
On his former trip he covered 'he
distance to and from Seward in the
rcmcrkable time of five days and
four hours.
(From Wednesday s Daiiy.)
Thomas Riggs, Jr., one of the
members of the Alaskan Railway
Commission, has come forward with
a very practical sufigestiop-jgme
that would mean but a very slight
expense, but would result in opin
ing up possibly of more mines than
ten times the amount invested in any
other way, namely, the appointment
by the secretary of the interior of a
competent mining engineer to make
the preliminary examination of like
ly properties. He suggests that the
territory pay the salary of the en
gineer and that the owners pay his
actual expenses while engaged In the
examination. A great many owners
of claims are not in a position to pay
a competent engineer to make a
superficial examination, and it is
hard to induce capital to expend
possibly thousands of dollars to in
vestigated piece of property on the
word of the prospector alone. This
could well be done with propriety,
considering Alaska's remoteness.—
Ex.
L. P. Byrne, who owns an auto
mobile, is seriously "ontemplating
the inauguration of an auto passen
ger and freight line between An
chorage, way points an 1 Kink. Tom
Neely, who will operate the auto, it
it should he decided to place it on
the run, is said to be confident that
with slight repairs fo the trail at
one or two points, the machine can
east'y accomplish the round Dips in
l»s» than a day.
The committee in charge of the
dog team racing events met yester
day afternoon and talked over plans
for raising the necessary funds so
that a suitable cash prize may ibe
was about decided that one way to
get hold of a piece of money was to
pull off a high-class vaudeville show.
There Is some good talent In An
chorage, ami there would be little
difficulty in staging a good perform
ance. »
Thomas Reilly and Mrs. Launders
will establish a roadhouse at Mile
63 on the Seward trail, to be called
the Portage Roadhouse. This is re
garded as a very desirable location
for a roadhouse, as it is on the main
through trail, as well as being at the
point where the Portage bay tra.
joins the main thoroughfare. Mr.
Reilly and Mrs. Launders will leave
here tomorrow for the scene of their
activities.
(Prom Thursday’s Daily.)
The U. S. mail is doubl'ng over the
Bird creek summit today, and will
probably not reach here until late
tomorrow night.
George Carrol, of Carrol & Co
departed this morning, enroute to
I Seattle, called there by the serious
Illness of Mrs. Carrol.
Mrs. Marie Wilson, assistant post
master, who has been on a visit to
Seward, is returning, and will be
here with the mail tomorrow night.
Frankltn Reedy, the 10-year-old
son of Dr. and Mrs. E. S. Reedy, was
operated on for appendicitis yester
day, Dr. Reedy performing the op
eration, assisted by Drs. Stoughton
and Carmichael. The operation was
entirely successful.
Harold Howard, bringing Messrs.
Sinclair and Lon Wells from Knik,
reached here this forenoon. Howard
and Smith own a sawmill plant at
the Landing, and have taken over
the Nylen roadhouse at that point.
Howard comes here to secure a saw
yer and a cook, and will depart in
the morning to get things going.
CHRISTMAS DAY WAS
MODEL OP DECENCY
As an evidence of the good order
maintaining in Anchorage, it may he
said that on Christmas Day there
were no arrests made by the mar
shal’s office. The town had a “dry”
Christmas, and enjoyed itself about
as well as those towns where saloons
are permitted, it can well be doubt
ed if another town of the size of An
chorage in the wide world can pro
duce a similar record of decency and
good conduct, especially on such an
auspicious holiday. And yet, in the
opinion of the poorly informed peo
ple in the States, Anchorage is con
sidered a wild and woolly place, al
most beyond the limits of civiliza
tion. The facts are that it is a mod
ern, up-to-date community, that
that knows the difference between
right and wrong. Here, the disor
derly element is so vastly in the mi
nority that it counts for little, and
when one of the undesirable number
does happen to get too conspicuous,
the majesty of the law i* invoked to
put a quietus on him.
RHi RACE IS PROMISED.
At a meeting of the Anchorage
Kennel and Sports Club at Robarts’
hall last night, the matter of dog
team racing events came up for con
sideration. It wap the general opin
ion that at 'least two events should
be pulled otf. One, a short race
from Anchorage to Matanuska Land
ing and return, and the bigger event,
from Anchorage to Seward and re
turn. It was figured that for the
short race a purse of *150 should
be raised, *75 for the winner, *50
for second money, and *25 for thtid
money.
With respect to the big event,
Frank Cotter, who is but recently
from Seward, informed the club that
the Seward Commercial Club looks
favorably on the matter and would
P’-obably be willing to raise half of
the purse necessary to pull off an
exciting event. It will probably re
quire about *1,500 to stage an event
That will attract the best dog teams
in the country. One thousand dol
lars for first money, *500 for 3eeoni
prize, and the entrance fee to go to
the third in the race.
After considerable discussion, the
whole matter was left in the hands
of President Shonbeck and a com
mittee of three, consisting of Frank
Cotter, E. M. Campbell and Fred n.
Wood.
In the meantime, Secretary Fisher
will correspond with the Seward
Commercial Club and get its views
on the proposition.
The membership fee was definitely
placed at *3 per annum, and "Monday
will be the meeting night.
David Lott, a young boy of Wran
gell, has heeg sent to the asylum at
Morningside.
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
❖
CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM SEC. LANE
TO COMMISSIONER MEARS AND MEN
Washington, D. C., Dec. 24, 1915.
F. Mears*
Commissioner,
Anchorage:
Every one here comments most favorably on the
pluck of yourself and men in staying in through the
winter. Hope you will enjoy a Merry Christmas. We
will do our best to give vou a Happy New Year.
FRANKLIN K. LANE,
Secretary of Interior.
«>'00<>00<>00000000
Gold Production of Willow Creek
The Willow creek gold quartz ‘mines are located on tributaries of t
Little Susitna and Willow creek, S6 miles from Knik and about 16 miles
rrom the government railroad survey. At present the supplies are freight
ed from Knlk on the government wagon road and winter trail, amounting
to several thousand tons per year.
The veins are fissure, located in grano dyrite, and are opened for long
distances, on one vein for more than 8,000 feet continuously, with higl
average value, ore chutes showing permanency and quantity.
The mines of the Willow creek district, on which mills are installed,
operate only during the time sufficient water power is developed on the
respective properties, which is less than one hundred average days per
year.
The climatic conditions are more favorable than in many districts
where continuous operations are successfully carried on all year. There
is efficient water power which could be developed, within five miles of
the mines now working, which would allow continuous milling.
The following is substantially correct of the output and tonnage of the
Willow creek mines:
Alaska Free Gold Mining Company.
Output tons season of 1912 .... 525 Recovered bullion
Output tons season of 1913
Output tons season of 1914
Output tons season of 1915
1,200
3,600
3,000
Recovered bullion
Recovered bullion
Recovered bullion
$1 0,00,1
43,301
153.001
150.001
Total tons . 8,325 Total .. 356,301
The property of the Alaska Free Gold Mining Company is operated
under a lease to William Martin. The original equipment consisted of
one 10-foot Lane Chilean mill. During the season of 1915 an additional
10-foot Lane mill and a cyanide plant with a capacity sufficient to handle
the tailings from both mills were added. This property was the first loca
tion made in the district, in September, 1906, on Fish-hook creek.
It.rtAn«nflMu* Milling fVkUirUftflY. *•'
Output tons
Output tons
Output tons
Output tons
Output tons
Output tons
Output tons
Formerly
season of
season of
season of
season of
season of
Reason of
season of
Alaska
1908 .
1909 .
1911 .
1912 .
1913 .
1914 .
1915 .
Gold Quarts Mining Company.
11 Recovered bullion
100 Recovered bullion
236 Recovered bullion
680 Recovered bullion
17 5 Recovered bullion
600 Recovered bullion
1000 Recovered bullion
$1,700
3,200
13.000
8,700
5,600
i s, o o ;>
30.000
Total .. 2802 Total . $80,-2
it)
The property of the Independence Mining Company was equipped
1909 with a prospecting mill of three 35'0-pound stamps, with a capacity
of four tons per day. In 1912 one Nlsson 1.350-pounds single stamp
was added, increasing the capacity to 10 tons per day. This property
was located in 1907, and is on Fish-Hook creek.
Gold Bullion Mining Company.
Output tons season of 1909
Output tons season of 1910
Output tons segson of 1911
Output tons season of 1912
Output tons season of 1913
Output tons season of 1914
Output tcfns season of 1915
75
22
500
1000
1000
1700
3000
Bullion recovered
Bullion recovered
Bullion recovered
Bullion recofered
Bullion recovered
Bullion recovered
Bullion recovered
$16,000
35,375
53.000
76.000
54.000
132.000
135.000
TotaJ . 7501 Total . $501,375
In 1909 two 1,000-pound stamps were installed on the property, having
a milling capacity of seven tons per day. In 1910 five additional stamps
were added, increasing the capacity to 23 tons per day. in 1914 about
one-third of the bullion was from the recovery of gold in the yarded tail
ings by the aid of a cyanide plant installed during the year. The claims
are on Craggie creek, located in 1908.
Recapitulation.
Total tons milled .
Total bullion recovered ... $93., &
Showing an average per ton of over $50.
Five additional stamps will be added to the Gold Bullion.
A new mill will be built at the Independence Mines.
A new property, the Mabel Mining Company, will be opened up and will
install a mill in 1916. _ r
Preparing for Work on Matanuska Line
James O’Reilly, superintendent of
construction on the government rail
way project, departed today on a
two-weeks’ trip up the Matanuska
valley. He goes for the purpose of
making preliminary arrangements
for the inauguration of work on the
Matanuska branch railway line.
Commissioner Mears is confident
that an emergency appropriation
will be passed by the congress, very
soon after the session convenes
again, January 4, and on this theory
is working to the end that no valu
able time shall be lost in getting the
work under way as soon as th!
necessary funds' become available
The winter work content} .ated is
largely in the matter of getting
equipment and supplies at the points
desired on the proposed construc
tion, while the snow remains on the
ground and the rivers are frozen.
This condition permits comparative
ly easy" transportation, as against
the difficulties attendant in summer
time. A team of horses, with double
ender, can haul a tremendous load
on the ice in the rivers, and the pro
posed railway line hugs very ctoselv
the Matanuska river, hence the ad
visability of getting the material in
while advantage may be taken of
the easy transportation available.
At the instance of Secretary of the
Interior Lane, Secretary of the
Treasury McAdoo asked for an ap
propriation for immediate UBe of
two million dollars. This appropria
tion bill is now in the hands of
Chairman Fitzgerald, of the house
committee on appropriations, and he
is on record as declaring that, sa
far as he is concerned, and h(^ J
about the whole thing in the matted
of appropriations, Secretary Lane
can have all the funds he wishes for
the Alaska railway project. As an
aside, it may be said that Hr. Fitz
gerald was a candidate for a su
preme court judgeship in the state
of Itew York in the fall election, and
was defeated. While the Pioneer
has no wish to glory !n the congress
man’s defeat, it may be fortunate
for the railway project that he re
mains at the head of the appropria
tions committee, in lieu of another
who may be less enthusiastic about
the development plan.
Chairman Edes and Commissioner
Riggs are at the national capital.
While in San Francisco, the chair
man was successfully operated on
for an abscess In the ear.
While not officially stated, it is
rumored i.bout here that a steamer
will arrivo during February. If the
emergency appropriat'd: goes
through, it is almost certain that a
vessel will come In with supplies for
the Commission.
4
r