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Clean Up and Paint Up. It Will Promote Health and Prosperity
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I'-is?" 1 The Cord wa Daily Times glE
VOLUME ONE. NUMBER ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN CORDOVA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1915 PRICE TEN CENTS.
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EDITOR LEAVES II
ESTATE
KANSAS CITY. April 20—The will
of William Rockhjll Nelson, owner
and editor of the Kansas City Star,
who died last week, has been made
public. He gives the entire estate
to his wife and daughter for their
life. Upon their death, the estate
will be sold, and the proceeds used
for the benefit of the public.
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ORR STAGE LINE
The Orr Stage Company will try
the experiment of operating automo
biles on the government trail be
tween Chitina and Fairbanks next
winter, according to a statement made
by Volney T. Richmond, general man
ager of the Northern Commercial
Company, who own and operate this
line. Mr. Richmond arrived from
San Francisco on yesterday’s steamer
and is stopping at the Windsor hotel
untiil Thursday, when he will leave
for his headquarters at Fairbanks.
When asked by a Times representa
tive if there was any truth in the
report that the stage company intend
ed putting automobiles on the line,
Mr. Richmond admitted that such a
plan had been under consideration
for some time, and arrangements had
been perfected whereby the experi
ment would be made. “Of course
you understand that the last winter
has been an exceptional one as to
climatic conditions, and while It has
been possible to operate autos on the
Chitina trail at intervals and with
light loads, to maintain a regular
schedule of three trips a week and
provide not only for the carrying of
passengers, but also heavy shipments
of mail and express, requires machines
built for this purpose. In order to
find out if it is feasible to operate
cars, during the winter season, on this
run, we have already shipped two Jef
frey trucks into Fairbanks, and they
will arrive there about the latter part
of May. These autos are in use by
the government and are recognized
as the most powerful and best adap
ted machine for the most difficult
roads. We will try them out in
freighting from Fairbanks to the
creeks this summer, and do not ex
pect to expeifience any trouble in
demonstrating that they are the ma
chine that will do the work. If the
experiment is successful and heavy
loads can be hauled over the inter
ior roads, there is no reason why they
cannot handle the snow on the gov
ernment trail during the winter
months.”
ROME, April 20—Within tlu* past twenty-four
hours persistent reports have been current here to
the effect that the grave international questions con
fronting Italy will he solved in the near future by
the early conclusion of peace between the belliger
ent nations of Europe. These reports have been
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it fleeted in high quarters of the government, and
have been credited’ by careful observers of interna
tional politics. The source from which those re
ports come give some warrant to the belief that
they are founded on fact. Everything points in
the direction of peace, and the result as affecting
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] Italy’s claim to Trent ami Trieste is the vital ques !
'lion troubling the Italian people today. The fact
| that the advent of spring has not resulted in ag
gressive hostilities on a large scale is considered sig
; nificant, and as substantiating the views of those
who believe an early peace is imminent.
TWO TORPEDO BOATS BLOWN UP
SALONIKA, Greece, April 20—Two Turkish
torpedo boat destroyers wen- blown up by mines to
day while crossing through the mine belt laid across
the entrance to the Bosphorus by Russian ships.!
The mine belt was laid while the Turkish fleet wasj
cruising in the Black Sea, and they are now unable
to return to their base in the straits. The remain
der of the fleet was saven by destruction by the fact
that the torpedo boat destroyers were a long distance
in advance of the other ships, and the explosions
caused when they struck the mines warned the fleet
not to go ahead. The fleet has no mine sweepers
with it, and must remain in the Black Sea until the
straits are cleared. It is believed here that there
are no mine sweepers available t’or the purpose.
No Recommendation by Commission
WASHINGTON, April 20—President
Wilson's decision on the route of the
proposed government railroad througn
Alaska puts In motion the most ex
tensive governmental railway project
since the linking of the East ami the
Pacific coast by the tiana-continental
railway system. Like the latter, the
new project has the two-fold aim of
opening the way for pioneers and set
tlers In this new and almost unknown
region of vast virgin resources, and
at the same time providing an outlet
for these resources to the seaboard,
and trade routes to the Pacific states
and the Orient
The new problem has the added
problem of climatic conditions in this
far-northern region, its short seasons,
and a country of mountains and gla
ciers quite different from the plains
ucross which most of the trans-conti
nental route stretched. Already, how
ever, the development of Alaska has
dispelled much of the popular idea of
a region of snow and ice, and has
disclosed rich and fertile agricultural
sections in addition to the boundless
resources of coal, popper and other
trtinerals and fur bearing animals.
Thus far private enterprise has de
vised the only means for penetrating
this little known region, but now for
the first time the government takes
in hand the building and operation of
a railway 1,000 miles long, running
through the heart of the country.
President Wilson had before him an
enormous amount of data on Alaska
to aid in his decision as to which of
the proposed two routes from Prince
William sound to Fairbanks should be
followed. He had no recommenda
datlon from the Alaska Engineering
Commission which made the investi
gation, however, the commissioners
confining their report to a full state
ment of the facts regarding eacn
route.
Since the bili appropriating $35,
000,000 for the construction of the
line last year, the commission has
had hundreds of men at work locat
ing and surveying along both routes.
Additional information has been
placed before the president as it be
came available and in anticipation of
the beginning of work early in the
spring the commission has been mak
ing inquiries as to the equipment
available on the Panama canal and on
oilier government tasks and other
wise making ready to fling a well
equipped construction army into the
northern territory as soon as the
president’s decision was made known.
Each of the proposed routes—one
known as the Cordova-Fairbanks route
and the other the Seward-Fairbanks
route—contemplated the purchase of
an existing railway line. The ques
tion lay in either Seward on the west
shore of Priince William sound, or
Cordova on the east shore as the tide
water terminal of the government
system.
The two routes were approximate
ly tile same length and estimates of
construction costs did not vary wide
ly. The issue before the president
probably lay in the price at which the
existing lines could be obtained.
Neither route presented serious engi
neering difficulties.
From Cordova, on the eastern shore
of Prince William Sound, the Copper
River & Northwestern Railroad, con
trolled by the J. P. Morgan Co., pro
vides an outlet for the copper mines
at Kennecott, and reaches Chitina,
132 miles distant, following the west
'bank of the Copper river. Not far
out of Cordova the road runs paral
lel to the coast line and crosses the
Sheridan glacier flats. Making its
way across a network of smaller
streams which give the river an out
let to the sea, the line finally turns
northward and passes between Miles
and Childs glaciers, follows the course
of the Copper river all the way to
Chitina, where It turns east again to
reach the copper mines.
It is from Chitina that the proposed
route to Fairbanks, via Cordova, con
templates the building of 310 miles
of new road. The line would contin
ue up the Copper river until the river
swings to the east, then strike di
rectly towards Ewan Lake without
serious grades to encounter. Beyond
the lake the route ties close to the
shores of the Tangle lakes, that well
deserve their name, until it emerges
on the broad delta where rise the sour
ces of the Tanana river up which the
final stretch to Fairbanks would be
laid.
This would form the trunk line, but
as feeder branches are contemplated
to the Bering river, Matanuska and
Susltna valley regions to open the
vast coal and other mineral deposits,
the total mileage of the proposed
branches would be 420.
Two routes to the Bering river
field were suggested, one via Katalla
and the other via Lake Charlotte. It
has been urged that the Katalla route
would open the coal road to attack
from open sea in case of war, while
the Lake Charlotte line, 12 miles in
land, would be protected from ship's
guns by intervening hills
From Seward, on the west shore ol
Prince William sound, the Alaska
Northern Railroad winds through the
hills to Kern creek, on the shores ol
Turnagaln Arm, of Cook Inlet. The
distance is 71 miles and the company
is operating only a light gasoline cat
most of the time, heavier equipment
passing over the line only when min
ing machinery is to be moved inland.
It was proposed to continue the road
along Turnagaln Arm for thirty miles,
then swing northward up the east
shore of Knik Arm, crossing that in
let at its head and follow* the Susit
na valley to Chulitna pass, emerging
on the banks of Chulitna river. Fol
lowing the Chulitna to Broad pass,
the line would make « right angle to
find its way via the canyons of the
Nenana river to the banks of the
Tanana along which the final stretch
to Fairbanks would lay.
It was suggested that during the
summer months Knik horbor, on the
east shore of Knik Arm would be an
available terminal, saving 115 miles of
rail haul to and from Seward. The
harbor Is ice closed in winter, while
Seward and Cordova are both ice free
roadsteads.
Cordova harbor, it had been report
ed, is more desirable for a treminal
of the line because the great depth of
water at Seward makes anchorage
difficult. The Seward route, how
ever, was closer to the coal fields and
to the known mineral belts than the
Cordova line and it was argued that
the route of the Copper River rail
road made It subject to the moods ot
the glaciers among which it threads
its way into the river mouth.
All reports looked to the eventual
extension of the system to the Yukon
from Fairbanks and also discussed
additional branches to tap productive
localities.
Probably the greatest tonnage for
the system will come from the coal
mines of the Matanuska or Rering
river regions. Whether the Bering
field would supply suitable coal for
navy use or not has been a matter of
controversy for years. A report on
navy tests made in 15)12 was submit
ted to congress last year which said
the Bering river coal was not suitable
for the navy unless a higher grade
of product was discovered when the
deposits were explored for develop
ment.
The coal consumption of the Pacific
coast has been estimated at 1.500,000
tons annually, exclusive of the 150,000
tons or more that the navy will need
each year. «
What the government thinks of Al
aska is indicated by the expenditure
of $25,000,000 for a railway, or almost
five times the $7,200,000 which the
United States paid Russia for Alaska.
Prom Alaskan territory gold bullion
worth more than $200,000,000 already
has been produced nearly thirty
times the purchase price of Alaska—
and the total of Alaskan resources in
furs and fisheries as well as minerals
probably now exceeds $500,000,000.
All government experts agree that
♦he surface of the mineral deposits
has hardly been scratched as yet.
Lode mining has been confined to the
costal regions, easy of access. Trans
portation of machinery and supplies
has been heretofore too difficult a
problem in the interior to permit the
working of any but fantastically rich
placer deposits.
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Only' one of the many copper de
posits has been more than prospected
and yet copper worth $15,000,000 has
been shipped from the territory.
Alaska has a population of about
65,000, half of whom are white. Twen
ty thousand of these white pioneers
are in the central region through
which the new trunk line will operate
and there are indications that their
number will be quadrupled before the
whole line is in operation.
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CAPETOWN, April 20—The British South African troops
are continuing their invasion of German Southwest Africa,
and so far have met no reverses. They occupied the im
portant town of Keetmanshop yesterday, entering the city
without resistance. General Botha is in command of the
troops, and he now controls the railroad to Windhoek.
\f yf yr w Ho o
NEW YORK, April 20—President Wilson arrived in this city today to attend the annual
luncheon of the Associated Press, held at the Waldorf Astoria. A big crowd was waiting at
the station when the president’s special arrived, and he was loudly cheered on alighting. The
president rode in an open carriage to the hotel and received an enthusiastic reception from
the people along the route.
At the luncheon the president was the principal speaker and liisf remarks received the
closest attention from the diners. He declared that the neutrality policy of the United
States in the present European conflict was not a petty or cowardly desire to avoid trouble,
but because the government was convinced thatthere was something greater to do in the pres
ent emergency than to fight. He said in part:“A groat distinction is coining to these United
States; the distinction of being a nation of self control and of self mastery. Such a nation
is bound to ->lr. - an important part in adjusting the affairs of the world once the lighting is
ended.” He said the war was rapidly approaching its climax.
CHICAGO, April 20—The great Chi
cago, Hock Island & Pacific railroad,
whose lines extend from St. Paul on
the north to Galveston on the south,
and from Chicago on the east to Den
ver on the west, had a petition for a
receivership filed against It today.
The petition was filed by the Ameri
can Steel Foundries Co., and alleges
that the railroad company Is insolvent
and unable to pay its bills.
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James Carscadden was a passen
ger for the westward on the steamer
yesterday, to look over the field at
Seward and Shp Creek with a view of
going Into business.
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Jersey Creamery Butter. 65c. for
2 lb, S. Blum & Co.
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Flor De Hoveras CHEAP HAVANAS
ask for the MONAPCII SIZE.
M BATTLE RAGING NEAR YPRES
ONBOTH ES
LONDON, April 20—1The battle that is now progressing
between the British and German forces for the possession of
Hill Sixty, southeast of Ypres, is the most important encoun
ter along the British front that has occurred since the battle
of Neuve Chappelle. The British troops now dominate a
part of the Zand'foord ridge, a line of hills southwest of Ypres
and commanding the road from Ypres to Menin. The losses
on both sides have been large.
SYRACUSE, April L’O—The libel suit of William Barnes, the Republican political boss of
New York, against ex-president Theodore Roosevelt, continued in session today, ami was
attended by a crowd that overflowed the court room. The attorneys for Barnes rested their
case after introducing evid’encd calculated to prove the alleged libelous statements uttered
against their client by Roosevelt. Barnes has been for years chairman of the Republican
State Central Committee. The ox-president went on the stand in his own defense and prac
tically told the story of his life, his aims and aspirations, his political campaigns and his pres
ent endeavors. Against the objection of Barnes’ attorneys, the presiding judge held’ that
Roosevelt had a right to prove the existence of a corrupt alliance between business and poli
tics, or between Barnes and Tammany Hall.
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CHICAGO. April 20—The Chicago &
Northwestern railroad has placed
spring orders for new equipment to
talling three millions of dollars The
new equipment will include additional
freight cars, and new steel passenger
trains. The offloialB of the road feel
that the coming year Is going to be
the most prosperous in the history' of
the road and are making preparations
to Ithndle an anticipated large in
crease in business. Business observ
ers judge the prosperity of the coun
try by the prosperity of the railroads,
and general conditions in the market
are reacting optimistically In sympa
thy with this large buying order.
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COMMITTEES
The meeting of the common coun
cil last night was short and business
like. All members were present
except Councilman floss. The ordi
nance fixing the salaries of the town
officers for the current year was pas
sed, and the only other business of
Importance that was transacted was
the appointment of the standing com
mittees for the ensuing year by May
or Slater. The following appoint
ments were made:
Assessment and Collection of Tax
es—Chairman 11. C. Ross, E. J. Davis.
\V. L. Smith.
Streets. Street Improvements, Sew
erage and Wharfage—Chairman, W.
I,. Smith, B. Howard, T. C. Pice.
Fire Protection, Light and Water—
Chairman, T. C. Price, V. A. Schmitz,
E. J. Davis.
Public Health and police—Chair
man E. J. Davis, W. L. Smith, B.
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Howard.
Finance and Claims—Chairman V.
A. Schmitz. T. C. Price, H. C. Koss.
Priuting and Elections—Chairman
B. Howard. T. C. Price, E. J. Davis.
Judiciary—Chairman H. C. Ross, W.
L. Smith, E. J. Davis.
Public Buildings and Impovements
—Chairman B. Howard. W. L. Smith.
H. C. Ross.
Indigents—Chairman V. A. Schmitz,
B. Howard, H. C. Ross.
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The steamer admiral Evans is due
to reach Cordova tomorrow at noon.
She has a few passengers for here
and also a three days mail.
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Fresh Cordova Eggs at O’Neill &
Slater Co’s.
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Some cooking at the Windsor grill.