ALASKA ISLAND
SAID BE LAST
OF FREE RANGES
CATTLE COUNTRY OF OLD WEST
HAS VANISHED, BUT—A NEW
COWBOY LAND IS PREDICTED
IN THE FAR NORTH.
Jack McCord Tells Reporters
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Gives Col
umn, relating Interview with Dy
namic Seward Resident.
A canvass of the insistent, persist
ent and consistent boosters for Alas
ka, fails to bring out anyone who,
wherever they may be traveling,
breaks into print so often—and to
the credit of the Territory—as Jack
McCord, who departed from these
climes a few weeks ago, to complete
final plans for drilling for oil next
spring in the Inniskin region, which j
work this season has kept him and j
a force of men employed all sum-1
mer, and at a cost of several thous-!
ands of dollars. Mr. McCord is giv- j
en a column in a recent Sunday edi- j
tion of the Seattle P.-I., which pa- j
per has one of the largest circula
tions in the Pacific Northwest, reach
ing thousands of home and places of
business. The article follows.
Cattle and sheepmen, ever forced
westward by tillers of the soil and |
builders of cities, soon will make
their last journey West. This final
Westward march will take them with
in the shadow of the Far East.
This is the belief of Jack McCord
of Seward, Alaska, dynamic leader
in Alaska development, who describ
ed in an interview, at the Olympic
Hotel, lands of “milk and honey”
which are awaiting the coming of
modern Josephs and their flocks.
ALASKAN OPPORTUNITY
These last ranges of the West,
McCord disclosed, are on the is
lands lying just to the eastward of
tile Alaskan peninsula in the vicinity
of Kodiak Island and are part of the
territory of Alaska.
Warmed by the Japan current,
which gives them a mild year-round
climate, lush grasses grow waist
high in their rich soil, while cool,
clear streams insure ample water
supply for the herds of sleek, fat cat
tle and droves of sheep McCord vis
ions in their valleys.
“Few people have visited these is
lands,” McCord pointed out, “and
consequently their mild climate is
little knowu. But I have made a
close study of them and I know that
cattle and sheep can graze eleven
months out of the year, while ample
hay to feed them the other month
can be produced with a minimum of |
effort. Government statistics show!
that in thirty-five years the lowest j
temperature experienced at any of'
these island points along the Japan
current was two degrees above zero.”
IN KATMAI REGION
Th majority of the islands, McCord
related, lie within range of the fa
mous Katmai volcano, wonder of the
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes on
the mainland, and their soil has been
enriched by volcanic ash deposited in
eruptions of the volcano many years
ago.
And they are not without romantic
legions such as are often told on Al
askan trails about the island of Chir
ikoff, one of the group farthest from
the mainland, which was used as a
penal island in the days when the
Russian czar ruled Alaska.
“I have been assured by steamship
companies of the utmost coperation
in efforts to place cattle and sheep
on these islands,” McCord said, “The
shipping question should not prove
a difficult barrier to surmount, how
ever, as it is well known that ocean
freight is moved far more cheaply
than can be done by the railroads.
AS TO STOCK SALES
“There is one fact that should be
made plain at the outset, however,
It is not a field for a stock com
pany promoter. As a matter of fact,
any such promotion scheme would
be doomed to failure because the
general public could not be induced
to buy shares in this kind of an en
terprise. They couldn’t be properly
informed concerning the islands, and
the average small speculator, would
not care to risk investing in cattle
or sheep.
“But for the cattlemen and sheep
I
man whose herds or flocks are grow
ing too large for the rapidly dimin
ishing range, it will offer an inter
esting and profitable venture. To
them it would mean merely transfer
ring part of their cattle and sheep to
new grazing grounds."
Under present regulations, however,
the islands cannot be leased by the
government, with the exception of
twelve now large devoted to fox
farming and all of which do not lie
along the Japan current.
CIVIL WAR SCRIP
McCord himself has obtained a
large strip on Sitkalidah Island, near
Kodiak Island, by use of scrip issued
Civil War veterans which he was
able to purchase in Oregon. This
scrip, good in exchange for land in
any part of the public domain open
to settlement, is now very scarce
however, and to facilitate develop
ment, McCord has prepared a bill
which he will have introduced in the
next session of congress making pos
sible leasing of land on all the is
lands off the Alaskan coast.
He plans to occupy all of Sitka
lidah Island, which is twenty-five
miles long and eight miles wide and
contains 20,000 acres so that in the
event leasing is made possible he
will have right of priority. At pres
ent he has twenty pair of blue foxes
on the island, a few sheep and a
small herd of thoroughbred cattle.
“Scotty" Allen, famous dog team
driver of the North, is acting as his
island superintendent.
AT THE HOTELS
At the Sexton.
Mrs. W. J. Taylor and children,
Anchorage; S. R. Capp, Washington,
D. C.; T. F. McAtec, Cantwell; Wm.
Nielsen, Gogguing; J. T. Yakum, Se
attle; G. W. Gucker, Seattle; Isa
bel Rowntree, Gertrude Stern, Nena
na; John L. McGinn, Pat McLaugh
lin, Fbks.; C. M. McCauley, Los An
geles; E. Peterson, Long Beach; Mr.
and Mrs. P. W. McCarthy, Talkeetna;
Cecil Cox, Anchorage; Katherine G.
Kane, Anchorage; J. A. Herbert, Sel
devia.
At the Van Gilder.
Catherine M. Schultz, Anchorage;
H. G. Ilderton, Norma K. Mullarky,
Buffalo, N, Y.; Mrs. R. D. McCree,
Fbks; Mrs. Y. A. Gresham, Mrs. \V.
B. Chew, Long Beach, Cal.; Char
lotte Vermont, Los Angeles; Mr. and
Mrs. Sol Simonson, Anchorage; Mr.
and Mrs. Morton Gregory, Tacoma;
Wm. C. Steinmetz, Anchorage; C. H.
Kiel, V. C. Clauson, Juneau; Niel
J. Harmins, Anchorage; Hawley W.
Sterling, Anchorage; Carol Bayer,
Freda Ede, Anchorage; B. Mihilich,
Gogguing; Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Gor
don, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Pollard, An
chorage; Geneva Johnson, Hanno
ver, N. D.; Mrs. R. H. Humphrey,
Berkeley, M. J. Anderson, Anchor
age; S. Langone, Mrs. I. James, J.
P. Morgan, Seattle.
At the Overland.
Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Brinks, Seat
tle; Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Johnston,
Perry, Alaska; Mrs. A. A. Hopkins,
Seattle; Mrs. F. A. Colley, Seattle;
D. Hart, Ketchikan; Rev. and Mrs.
A. M. Lampert, JJnalaska; Mr. and
Mrs. V. Rivers, Anchorage; F. A.
Sturdevant, Washington, D. C.; R.
J. Mattecheck, J. M. Nye, O. J. Ash
ford, Seattle; N. E. Heckey, W. E.
Leske, G. B. James, Anchorage;
Fred Hansen and Miss Cecil Cox.
At the Seward.
Win. Linn, C. A. Larsen, F. Eng
wall, James Ross, Swan Lind, A. F.
Wain, L. I. Powell, Portland; Mrs.
Mabel Harris, Seattle; Wm. Carden,
Karl Spath and Karl Wagner.
A cat awakened the family of T.
Wholey of Goshen, Ind., when their
hourse took fire and all were enabled
to escape.
Miss Marion Fletcher rejected Har
ry Hunt, a noted British criminal law
yer, 20 years ago, but recently mar
ried him.
Mrs. Clara Beddard, aged 74, wras
arrested in New York for shoplifting,
but was only given a light sentence
on account of her age.
Miss Esther Harmon of Chicago
was severely stung when she sat on
a bench under which bees were gath
ering.
Three confidence men, two of w'hom
claimed to be Americans, swindled C.
C. Chaukour, an Egyptian tourist out
of |35,000 in oLndon.
FINDS HIGHEST
OF CITIZENRY
ON ALASKA TRIP
MORTON GREGORY, PROMINENT
GRAND MASTER OF MASONIC
ORDER, ASTOUNDED WITH THE
SCENIC LURE OF ALASKA.
To Lecture In Washington
Men of Alaska Are Red Blooded Am
ericans—People of Strong Charac
ter—Strength of Personalities Stand
Out Vividly Among Alaska’s Rug
ged Men and Women.
“I have found in Alaska the high
est type of citizenry it has been my
pleasure to meet anywhere. Wher
ever men have to exercise the qual
ities within them, it is bound to de
velop a strong character. The strength
of the personalities met with, while
on this most wonderful trip tp the
Territory of Alaska, has impressed
me so vividly that no words of mine
can describe the rugged men and
women encountered, nor can any ar
tist truly depict on canvas the broad
expanses and the beauties of nature
as revealed to both Mrs. Gregory
and myself.” The above remarks
burst forth spontaneously from Mor
ton Gregory yesterday, when asked
by the Seward Gateway representa
tive what his impressions of Alas
ka were and what message he would
care to leave behind.
WII Lecture On Alaska.
Mrt Gregory, grand master of the
Masons for the State of Washington
and the Territory of Alaska, accom
panied by Mrs. Gregory, has just
completed a trip to Anchorage and
Fairbanks, in connection with Mr.
Gregory’s activities in the Masonic
Order. Mr. and Mrs. Gregory are
enraptured with .this, their first Al
askan trip, and are looking forward
to with much pleasure already, their
next journey to the Territory. Their
itinerary takes in practically every
town of any size in Alaska, and at
all points they have been delightful
ly entertained.
Red Blooded Americans.
Continuing Hr. Gregory said: “The
men of Alaska are hardy and inde
pendent. Tho Alaskans are perhaps
not aware of the fact, what type of
men, but only the strongest, could
set out for the mountains and exist
for months on end—could be satis
fied with pioneering. That is the
true American spirit and Alaskans
are red-blooded Americans. I have
been a student of sociology for years
and I see everywhere about me,
characters of the strongest nature.
Students Should Visit Alaska.
“The Mothers and Fathers of school
children, in the States, providing they
could afford the expenditure, should
at sometime send their children to
Alaska. It would be a tremendously
wonderful experience and education
for them. The scenery is stupend
ous, and one hesitates in leaving it
behind. [ personally, have an en
satiable desire to comeback. This
winter I will have the honor of de
livering a number of lectures in the
State of Washington and it will give
me great pleasure, in my poor way,
of describing the manifold wonders
of Alaska.”
Special Meeting Is Held.
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory arrived in
Seward Saturday. Yesterday after
noon at 2 o’clock a special meeting
of the Masonic Order was held in
the local club rooms where a large
attendance of members of the promi
nent order had the pleasure of the
Grand Master’s talk. Saturday eve
ning, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory were
entertained at the residence of Mr.
and Mrs. Leon Urbach, many friends
being present at the affair.
They will depart today for Valdez
on the steamer Alaska, from which
town they will auto over the trail to
Chitina on the Copper River &
Northwestern Railroad, thence to
other points along the railway, and
to Cordova from where they will
board the steamer Yukon next week,
southbound, for Juneau and other
southeastern Alaska towns.
Dr. Joshia Oldfield, of London, has
started a movement to encourage
people to eat more nuts.
Join Urbach’s Circulating Library,
15c to read a late book. tf
t
Simple Mixture Best
For Constipation
Simple buckthorn bark, magnesium
sulph. c. p., glycerine, etc., as mixed
in Adlerika, is excellent tor constipa
tion. It often works in one hour or
less and never gripes. The pleasant
and QUICK action of this efficient in
testinal evacuant will surprise you.
Adlerika helps any case gas on the
stomach, unless due to deep-seated
causes. Often removes matter you
never thought was in your system.—
Seward Drug Company.
The Alaska Railroad
TRAINS LEAVE SEWARD
7:30 A. M.
MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS
A train leaves Seward at 8:04 a. m.
Sundays for Anchorage and interme
diate points. Arrives Seward at 2:15
p. m. from Anchorage.
TRAINS ARRIVE SEWARD
7:30 P. M.
WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS
STEAMSHIP STARR
STEAMER STARR SAILS SEPTEMBER 14
San Juan Fishing and Packing Co.
G. C. HENDERSON, Agent
PHONE MADISON ,3*. SEWARD, ALASKA
S. S. ADMIRAL WATSON
Sails from
Seattle—
Sept. *8
Oct. 1.
Arrives at
Seward—
Sept. 15
Oct. 8.
South from
Seward—
Sept. 22,
Oct. 14.
Calling at all regular Southeastern and South
western Alaska ports including Seldovia and
Kodiak.
WAYNE BLUE, Agent
Telephone Main 81 Res., Madison 40
Pacific Coastwise Jerviee
^ADMIRAL LINE
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ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
Southwestern Alaska Route Schedule
Vessel—
Northwestern
Alaska
Yukon
Northwestern
Alaska
Yukon
Scheduled
Lv. Seattle
Aug. 29
Sept. 5
Sept. 12
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Scheduled
Ar. Seward
Sept. 5
Se.pt. 12
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Oct. 10.
Scheduled Sail 5
from Seward
Se.pt. 6 ,
Sept. 13 E
Sept. 19 E
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Oct. 10. =
Steamers in the above schedule will make all regular ports of call
in Southeastern and Southwestern Alaska.
Steamers in above schedule will not leave Seward earlier than FOUR
O’CLOCK Sunday afternoon, sailing dsto.
Steamer Redondo, carrying freight and passengers, connects with
above steamers at Seward, weekly, for Cook Inlet and Kodiak Is
land points, subject to change without notice.
J. H. FLICKINGER, Agent
PHONE MAIN 125 SEWARD, ALASKA
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I EXCURSION RATES DURING 1
I WESTERN ALASKA FAIR (
For the accommodation of those who care
to journey to Anchorage for the Western Al
aska Fair, September 14th to September
19th, the regular excursion rates of one and
one-third of the normal one-way fare, for
the round trip, will be in effect. ‘
Dates of ticket sales from all points, Sep
tember 10—11—12—13—14—15—16—17_
18 and 19. Final return limit September
24, 1925.
STOP-OVERS
Stop-overs will be permitted at all points
within the final return limit, on both going
| and return trips.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[ The Alaska Railroad I
E (McKinley Park Route)
Seward Anchorage Curry Nenana Fairbanks 5