4m 1 1 "I
Crockery
The Largest and Best Assorted
Stock in the Interior of Alaska
Cur Prices Are Right
SI MSOPM’S
SKIRTS AND DRESSES STILL SELLING AT $5
*- i
Dr. J. R. 80WEN
DENTIST
Prices Most Reasonable
THE BOWEN BUILDING
The sun on longer days will make
you feel like throwing away your
old hat and suit. Certainly those
old spots do not improve your ap
pearance, but for a trifling sum you
can have them pressed, mended and
cleaned at Mrs. D’Orsay’s Tailor
Shop, Third and A streets.
Ke^at?. Alaska's Interior Fuel Depot
»)
Hi
Be Prepared for Gold Weather
We Have a Large and Varied Assortment of the Leading Brands ot
MEN’S CLOTHING and FURNISHINGS
MACKINAW COATS MACKINAW PANTS
Army and Navy Sweaters SPORT SHIRTS, Heavy Wool
SWEATER COATS WOOL SOCKS, All Weights
UNION SUITS and TWO PIECE GARMENTS
GENUINE DANIEL GREEN FELT SHOES
BALL BAND ARCTICS
WOOL BLANKETS BLANKET SHEETS COMFORTERS
I
SEE OUR BRUSSELS and WILTON RUGS, ALL SiZES
Bisse.l’s Vacuum Sweepers Electric Vacuum Sweepers
lit
We Carry a Full Line of
MINERS’ and TRAPPERS’ SUPPLIES
and Can Furnish Y'our Outfit Complete at Special Prices
NORTHERN COMMERCIAL CO.
Wj
Burgess-Karstens
AUTO STAGE
Fairbanks-Nenana
Fast Comfortable Trip - - Fare $15
Reservations at The Terminal
Fairbanks Office at Pioneer Hotel
A Thoroughly Modern Hotel
The Southern
Tom Smith, Prop.
IF YOU EAT ICE CREAM
CANDY-FRUIT-OR CHEWING GUM
IF YOU SMOKE CIGARS
CIGARETTES OR TOBACCO OF ANY KIND
IF YOU DRINK CIDER
OR ANY KIND OF CARBONATED DRINKS
OR IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A MOMENT’S
RECREATION OR AMUSEMENT, TRY
THE ARCTIC
DAVIS & TAYLOR, Prop*.
ALSO NICELY FURNISHED, WARM AND COZY ROOMS
FOR RENT AT REASONABLE RATES
CLUB EXCURSION IS
ENJOYABLE OUTING
The Businessmen's excursion to
j the end of steel on the government
railroad, south of N'enana. which
was given yesterday under the aus
pices of the Nenana Commercial
club, fully accomplished the purpose
for which it was planned. Informa
tion of a character to fill the ex
cursionists with confidence in the
future of the Xenana district was
gathered in abundance, and the trip
proved fully as enjoyable as it was
informative.
The excursionists, more than a
score of them, left town on a special
train at ten o’clock Saturday night
and, after reaching the Crossing,
spent the remainder of the night
on board the cars, which were pro
vided with comfortable sleeping ac
commodations. After an early break
fast at the railroad mess the follow
ing morning, the excursionists set
out in two directions, one party,
headed by United States Commis
sioner R. S. McDonald and Town
site Manager Car! Schmidt, going
over the hill to the Totatlanika
quartz belt, and the remainder of
the crowd, under the chaperonage
of Superintendent of Construction
W. L. Packer, continuing on to the
end of steel, four and one-half miles
beyond the Crossing, from which
point they mushed to the Burns
coal mine, four miles beyond, and
then to the mouth of Lignite creek,
two and one-half miles still farther
out. Returning, the two parties
reached the Crossing at about four
o’clock yesterday afternoon, just in
time to enjoy the turkey dinner
which had been prepared for them
by Chef Ed Williams, who had come
in from the track camp for the day
for the special purpose of preparing
the meals for the hungry visitors.
The start home was made at 5:30,
the train arriving in town shortly
before ten.
The excursionist?, first of a!!,
vert favorably impressed by
the business-like appearance of
everything pertaining to the railroad.
Yesterday was the first time that
many of them had traveled on the
road, and they were not a little
surprised to find the work progress
ing so speedily and smoothly, par
ticularly in view of the fact that
the work is being carried on under
conditions quite unlike those ob
taining in other parts of the world
where railroads have been built.
The fact was apparent that winter
weather is no deterrent to track lay
ing or to the prosecution of much
of the other work.
At the end of steel the excursion
ists found a construction train and
the steel gang actively engaged in
track-laying under the direction of
Foreman Thomas K. Blakey. A
couple of miles farther out the line
a pile driver and force of men were
bridging a slough, and here again
it was apparent that frost conditions
had been overcome. Steam is used
to thaw the ground where a pile
■ is to be driven, after which the
driver hammers the timber into posi
tion without difficulty- Still far
ther beyond the end of steel, smaller
crews are engaged in building cul
verts, and close to the Burns coal
mine a number of men are hurry
ing the grade for the 1000-foot spur
track which, is to connect the mine
1 bunkers with the main line. All of
J this work, it is believed, will be
j completed within the next four or
‘five weeks, including the laying of
1 steel to the end of the present
grade, close to the mouth of Lignite
creek.
The present plan of the Commis
sion is to suspend tracklaying oper
ations south of Nenana when the
| Burns mine has been tapped, and
jto begin work actively on the Fair
I banks branch. But there will be
| much other work to be done on the
main line during the summer, such
as ballasting and maintenance and
it may be possible to keep a force
of four hundred men constantly em
ployed throughout the season on the
grade south of Nenana. This work
will be taken in hand as soon as
the frost has left the ground.
The Quartz Belt
Immediately after breakfast thoie
that purposed visiting the quartz
district struck out over the hill, tb->
start being made at 7 o’clock. This :
party consisted of Carl Schmidt, Eli i
Gray, A. W. Liliiedale, Neil McCall,!
John Cook, R. S. McDonald, A. J.;
Ghezzi and J. J. Murphy. Favored;
with absolutely ideal weather for
mushing the walk to Eva creek, on
the Totatlanika side of the divide,
was much enjoyed by all and those i
who were making the trip for the
first time were impressed with the
easy grade over the divide, which
apparently would make possible the
eontruetion of a wagon road at
small cost.
Arriving at Neil McCall’s cabin,
Eli Gray was invited to get busy
with the bean pot and other essen
tials of a good feed, while Neil'
brought the blow-pipe into play and ;
demonstrated the values in some of1
the rich samples he has taken from
his workings. Eoth did excellent
work, and it was a very well con
tented party that arose from the din
ner table and started a tour of in
spection of the neighboring quartz'
properties- This completed, 'the;
start for the steel was made at
12:45, and after another enjoyable
walk over the hill, the Crossing was;
reached at 4 p. m. T%vo hours had
|
been spent looking over the quartz
properties, ard the walk, totaling
a distance of 22 miles, had been
made in seven hours.
I he Burns Mine
The revelation of the day awaited j
the excursionists at the coa! mine,j
which is being developed by R. E.:
Burns and associates, the partners
being John Bernard and Andrew
Anderson. The mine was a surprise ;
to all, both in amount of work done
and in quality of coal encountered; •
and after a thorough inspection of
the workings, there were none who1
doubted the ability of the enter-1
prising operators to keep the In
terior coal market well supplied with j
a good quality of fuel for many
years to come.
Mr. Burns conducted the party'
to the face of the main tunnel,1
known as Tunnel No. 1, which ,runs
into the mountain a distance of:
approximately 450 feet, with fine
looking coal under foot, over head
and on both sides the entire dis-1
tance. The coal seam in this tun
nel has a width of about eighteen
feet, extends upward for a distance 1
of 90 feet and downward for a dis
tance as yet undetermined, but sup-;
posedlv for a very great distance.'
A raise has been started every fiftv
feet in this tunnel, and when the!
completion of the railroad will per
mit of more extensive operations, j
the owners of the mine expect to
take out about one hundred tons
of coal daily. There is a second:
tunnel, known as Tunnel No. 2, j
which is 350 feet in length, includ
ing crosscuts
The coal at the face of Tunnel i
No. 1 has the appearance of high!
grade Lignite, and analyses show
that it runs only about five per,
cent ash and only slightly more than
20 per cent in moisture. The coal j
is used with satisfactory results for;
steam making at the mine, for heat-;
ing purposes in the cabins, for heat-;
ing and cooking at the Singleton'
roadhouse nearby, and also in the 1
pile-driver boiler, where no diffi- j
culty whatever is experienced in
mantaining steady steam pressure, j
New bunkers have just been com
pleted at the mine, with a capacity,
of 300 tons. The coal spur track ■
will be laid beneath these bunkers,
and the sixteen shutes will make it
possible to load two cars at the same j
time. A small mine track connects j
the bunkers with the tunnel and :
two mules will be employed in haul- j
ing coal cars from and to the face.
The top of the bunkers is almost
on a level with the tunnel.
Another improvement at the mine
is an office building and living
quarters for Mr. and Mrs. Burns, i
This building is now in course of
erection and will be ready for occu
pancy at an early date.
Burns & Co. have a contract to
supply the Alaskan Engineering
commission with 5,000 tons of coal
and delivery on this contract will
start just as soon as transportation
facilities are provided.
WATCH
THIS SPACE
TOMORROW
CIGARS
R
CANDi
POOL
! THE PORTLAND
5 JACKSON & EKELAND, Preps.
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A Picnic Country.
From the Burns mine, the excur
sionists continued on up the valley
to the roadhouse conducted by Jack
Singleton, where the party were serv
ed dinner, the genial roadhouse man
although taken unaware, setting up
a splendid meal without delay or
confusion. Some members of the
party then mushed to a' point near
the mouth of Lignite creek, where
they viewed the beautiful scenery
and consumed a considerable time
in an attempt to count the innumer
able coal ledges exposed to view on
the mountain sides in all directions.
The Lignite district,in the opinion
of the excursionists, is an ideal
place for picnics and excursion par
ties, and there is already talk of
arranging a big outing, which will
include a barbecue, for the 21st
of June. Within a few miles of
the right of way, on the Kantishna
side, are great mountains, snow
capped and jagged, where mountain
sheep abound. Frequently it is
possible to see sheep from the top
of the hill, just back of the Lignite
roadhouse, and it is a comparatively
ihort hike to the hunting grounds.
On the other side of the Nenana
river, one may ascend Lignite creek,
where the mountains on both sides
and much of the creek bottom have
much the appearance of being solid
coal, so numerous and large are the
coal veins exposed to view. There
is also some placer gold mining on
this stream. The Healy river, not
far distant, is another place of
scenic beauty and a short distance
farther up the Nenana valley is the
the wonderful Nenana Canyon, than
which there is no more picturesque
spot in Alaska. In fact, the entire
region is pronounced by those who
lave seen its wonders, to be equal
to Switzerland, and the many other
tourist-attracting countries com
bined. And it is much easier of
access.
The short-cut route to the Kan
tishna district taps the right of way
iear the Singleton roadhouse, and
it is possible that some day a good
: wagon road or perhaps a branch of
the railroad, will be built from that
point, making possible side trips into*
Mt. McKinley National park and the
Kantishna mining belt, where big
game hunting can be combined with
i sight seeing.
The Excursionists
The excursion party was com
posed of the following well knowr 4
N'enanaites: Q. F Lehr, Ed Lund,
W. H. Gilcher, J. A. Slippern, Her
man Anderson, R. G. Southworth,
K. S. McDonald, George Markus, O
M. Jackson, Ira Ball, William Tay
lor, Carl Schmidt, Alfred Ghezzi,
Eli Gray. Wm. C. utts, Herbert Tuni
son, John Cook, J. J Murphy and
Mr. and Mrs. Art Lilliedale. Arthur
J. William^ of Fairbanks, was also
a member of the party, and the ex
cursionists were accompanied by
Superintendent of Construction W.
L. Packer and Chief Steward Jess
Brown, the former in the capacity
of chaperon and the latter in the
capacity of mess supervisor. On th> »
return trip the party was accom
panied by Mr. and Mrs. Robert E.
Burns, who are making a brief visit
in town on business matters.
The excursion was arranged by a
committee of the Commercial club
composed og Robert E. Burns, W
H. Gilcher and J. A. Slippern.
—
Charles Trundy returned from a >
trip to Talkeetna last night, and is
now getting ready to go back to
his mining claims in the Kantishna
country.
Dr. R. R. MYERS
DENTIST
ARCTIC HOTEL
CLOSING OUT
Our Large Stock of Furoiture, Rugs,
Beds, Bedding, etc. Anderson
Bros. & Norland
We Carry tke Best Grade of
MACKINAW SHIRTS, COATS and PANTS
Finest assortment of Men’s Socks, Daniel
Green Felt Shoes and Slippers, Moccasins,
Wool Blankets and Comforters
A Full Line of Miner’s and Trapper’s Supples
FOWLER Sc MORRIS
GROCERS
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