WARM CLOTHES FOR
1 COLD WELATHER
| _ |
Nowadays when you lay out good money
I you. want good value more than ever
WE HAVE IT • |
Wool Mackinaws from.$10.00 to $20.00 |
Dressy Overcoats from. 22.50 to 40.00 |
I All-Wool Underwear in Many Weights and |
All Sizes
CLAYSON’S
JEWELRY
| We Have the Most Complete Stock in
Cordova
I |
•S Snow Glasses of All Kinds. If You Want the Correct Time, Call 43 g
;S
I PAUL BLOEDHORN
Watchmaker and Jeweler
RESOURCES OVER A MUTUAL
TWO MILLION SAVINGS
DOLLARS SOCIE1T
The Modern Way of Saving
is by mail where Uncle Sam protects
your funds until they reach us. j
Our funds are invested only in first mort
£a£es on improved real estate, in city,
state and U. S. Government Bonds
For over 17 years rri per annum
we have never \\ on savings
paid less than w left ■with us
BOOKLET MAILED FREE
PUGET SOUND SAVINGS S' LOAN ASSOCIATION
founded 1901
Third & Pihe St. ♦ ♦ ' * ♦ Seattle, Wash.
NOTICE TO WATER CONSUMERS
This Company has spared neither time
nor expense to give Cordova a continuous
WATER SUPPLY. To do this the Company
must have your co-operation to stop the waste
that occurs from letting the water run to avoid
freezing the pipes. Where we find this con
dition still to exist we shall SHUT OFF THE
WATER for the winter without further notice.
ALASKA PUBLIC UTILITIES
First Street Phone 13
t
CONGRESS MAY
BUY LOWER
CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14 (by As
sociated Press).—Romantic Lower
California again has come into promi
nence through the introduction in con
gress of a bill looking to the pur
chase of that Unique peninsula.
"Baja” California, rejected by the
United States after the war with Mex
ico as “the tail-end of an earth
quake,” though recognized as rich in
natural resources, is least known, ac
cording to the few who have made a
scientific study of the peninsula, of
any area of similar size in the west
ern hemisphere.
Lower California, romantically
styled “the mother of California,” has
figured in modern history for 400
years. It was in 1527 that the Span
ish captain-geperal, Fernando Cortez,
sent one of Balboa’s veterans, Alvera
de Saavedra, from Tehuantepec, on
the west coast of Mexico, with in
structions to try to find a strait sup
posed at that time to form a link in
a route from Mexico, or New Spain,
as it was then known, to the newly
discovered Spice islands, known to
later generations as the Philippines.
From Cortez’ time down to the pres
ent there have passed in review
through the pages of Lower Califor
nia’s history Spanish conquerors, Jes
uits, Dominicans and Franciscans, and
plunderers from many lands; United
States troops during the war with
Mexico; filibusters intent on setting
up an independent government, and
lastly, the contending factions for su
premacy in Mexico’s national admin
istration since the overthrow of Por
nrio uiaz as president.
It was Diaz who bestowed on Lower
California the title of “pobre Baja
, California,” descriptive of her con
dition in recent years, and which,
translated, means "poor Lower Cali
fornia.”
Diaz’ description fits the country
just as well as to its topographical
aspects, and in some other respects,
for it is a jagged peninsula, 760 miles
long, carying in width from 30 to 150
miles, and traversed throughout its
length by an irregular ranage of bar
ren mountains of volcanic origin,
breaking off abruptly on the Onlf side
and rambling off in a series of low
hills to the Pacific coast. It has been
described by its most recent explorer
as "a land great in its past and lean
in its present; a land where the rat
tlesnake and the sidewinder, the tar
antula and the scorpion multiply, and
where sickness is unknown and five
score years is no uncommon span of
life—a land of strange contradictions.”
While a territorial state of Mexico,
it nowhere touches other Mexican soil,
being separated from the mainland
by the waters of the Colorado river
and the Gulf of California. In 1910
the population of the entire peninsula
was given at 52,244. There is but
one railroad in the country, aside from
"wheezy” mine tramways, and that
one from Mexicali to Yuma, hut sixty
three miles in length. The "camlnos,”
or roads, of the mission days have
fallen into wretched state, and in
many places have been practically
obliterated.
The peninsula Is rich in mineral
wealth, at least one of its silver mines
in the southern district having been
operated since 1748. Gold, silver, cop
per, iron, coal, lead, gypsum and salt
are found, and valuable marble for
building is everywhere abundant. Min
ing experts agree that the mineral re
sources have hardly been scratched.
Cactus and mesquite have given
place in valleys where irrigation has
been possible to the cultivation of
deciduous fruits, figs, dates, cereals
and vegetables. Rainfall is scanty
and insufficient to support vegetation.
Tobacco, cotton, grapes, sugar cane
and native melons are grown. Horses
and cattle, as well as sheep in lim
ited numbers, are found in the most
fertile valleys.
The pearl fisheries of La Paz, on
the Gulf side, have been worked since
the first Spanish landed, and have
netted fortunes to those who have
succeeded to the franchises covering
the fisheries. Whale fishing has been
carried on successfully for more than
a hundred years off Magdalena bay,
on the Pacific side, which has fur
nished also a ground for target prac
tice for the warships of the United
States.
The Californias, Baja and Alta Cali
fornia, the latter the state north of
the Mexican boundary, were chris
tened from a Spanish romance popu
lar in the time of Cortez, entitled
“Sergas de Esplanadian,” in which the
island of California was mentioned as
situated “on the right hand of the
Indies, very near terrestial Paradise.”
The first parment settlement on the
peninsula was founded at Loretto in
1697 by Jesuits, who afterwards estab
lished a settlement at La Paz. After
the expulsion of the Jesuits the Fran
ciscans were allowed to carry on their
missionary work, and later the Do
minican monks were granted similar
privileges.
ruuuwiug cue aiuuug tii« muic un
portant events of historical interest
from the landing of the Spaniards
down to the overthrow of President
Porfirio Diaz, in 1911:
1579—Coast visited by Sir Francis
Drake.
1633-83—Five unsuccessful attempts
made to establish settlements.
1697—Jesuits found Lorett mission.
Pious fund, for the maintenance of
missions, founded.
1751—First wine grapes planted by
Jesuits.
1767— Jesuits expelled after having
founded twenty-five missions, fourteen
of them successful.
1768— Franciscans permitted to en
gage in missionary work on penin
sula.
1772—Dominican monks given same
rights as Franciscans.
1802—Monthly mail route estab
lished over El Camlno Real.
1822—Admiral Lord Cochrane plun
dered San Jose del Dabo, Loretto and
Todos gantos.
1847— United States declared war
against Mexico. Troops occupy Todos
Santos, La Paz and other points.
1848— War ended with treaty, of
Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1853—William Walker of San Fran
cisco led filibustering expedition into
peninsula and captured La Paz. Un
dertook to set up independent state,
including Sonora and Lower Califor
nia. Walker tried in San Francisco
and acquitted after failure of expedi
tion.
1855—Santo Domingo mission last
one given up by Franciscans after
secularization act. Penal colonies
established at La Paz and on Carman
island.
1859—President Buchanan sent en
voy to President Juarez of Mexico to
negotiate purchase of Lower Califor
nia. Juarez refused to sanction sale.
1879—Marquis de Leon organized
revolution, which died within a year.
1879—Lower California divided Into
two districts, with La Paz as the cap
ital of the South and Ensenada as
capital of the North.
Successive revolutions which have
held Mexico in the throes since Por
firio Diaz resigned, in May, 1911, have
not greatly disturbed Lower Califor
nia, except for the effect brought about
by changing administrations. Aside
from filibustering raids charged to
Americans, occurring at Tia Juana
and Mexicali, in 1911, whatever
trouble has occurred has been of In
significant proportions. Selso Vega
was Jefe politico of the northern dis
trict under Diaz. Francisco Madero,
when he assumed the reins of Mexi
can government, appointed General
Vasquez in Mega's place.
General Esteban Cantu, now mili
tary governor of the northern district,
assumed charge of affairs after ar
riving at Mexicali, in 1911, and with
his consent Villa appointed General
Avllez in 1915 as jefe politico of the
district. general Aviles and Cantu
split over Aviles’ efforts to popularize
Villa's paper money, and Cantu as
sumed control of both affairs of state
and military matters of the district.
The southern district is under the ad
ministration of General Angulo, an ar
dent Carransa adherent.
--• ■ ■
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO.
Regular Sailings eBtween Seattle,
Ketchikan, Juneau, Cordova, Valdez,
Ellamar, Liecum, Latouche and
8eward
Prom Seattle Due Cordova
15 ALAMEDA 20
25 ALASKA March 2
Note.—Steamer Alaska does not go west of Cordova,
frequent sailings of freighters carrying explosives
This schedule subject to change without notice.
F. B. TRACY, Agent
»■——
— " - - •
THE NORTHERN CLUB
F'RED HAEF, Prop. Phone 4”7
POOL, CARDS, TOBACCO
Soft Drinks of All Kinds
THE POPULAR CORNER
CORDOVA ALASKA
Pacific Steamship Company
Alaska, Washington, California
Alaska Route
OFFICE EMPRESS BUILDING
Safety Courtesy Service Speed
WESTBOUND SOUTHBOUND
Farragut Curacao
Leave Cordova Leave Cordova
Feb. 18 th Feb. 19 th
Thrfe Sailings per Week from Seattle for San Francisco, Los Angeles
and San Diego. For further Information Call
W. A. BROWN, Agent
^Office Phone 223 Re.id.nce Phone m
_
_,..w.w.v.w.v.v.v.v.w.vx*x*:.:*:^^
| ALASKA TRANSFER COMPANY |
j Transfer :: Storage :: Coal and Wood
AUTO SERVICE—DAY OR NIGHT |
I Office, Northern Hotel Bldg. Phone 85 |
1 NORTHERN MEAT MARKET 1
| — --- |
| Wholesale and Retail Dealers in j|
| Fresh Beef, Pork, yeal, Mutton |
§ and Provisions |
g S:
| Particular Attention and Prompt 8ervice Given to Orders from i-i;
Milling Camps, Roadhouses and Interior Points
| Halibut and Other Fresh Fish of All Kinds Will Be Kept |
in Stock When Available jiji
SMITH & GLASSBRENNER, Props. |
•S
Copper River
and Northwestern Ry.
Trains leave Cordova for Chitina every other day
and return from Chitina to Cordova on the following
day. Trains between Chitina and Kennecott run every
other day, making connection with trains between Chit
ina and Cordova.
The above schedule subject^to change without no
tice.
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular
Passenger Trains between Oordova and Chitina.
Freight received and delivered at Oordova
, Wharf from 9 a. m. to 5 p- m., except Sundays.
Tickets on sale at Seoond Street Depot office
one hour before departure of trains.
CALEB OORSER Superintendent
D. L. LEATON, Ticket Agent