The Chitina Leader
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
> WILL A. STEEL—Editors, Manager* and Proprietor*—HABST O. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chittna Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan ,
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Month .8 -50
Six Months . 2.00
One Year . 3.50
ADVERTISING RATES
Made known upon application. They will be found reasonable for the service
given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands
of the Copper River Cistrlct.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1914.
FOR A CREDITABLE REPRESENTATION
From the various papers throughout the territory we
observe that strong efforts are being made by the respective
localities to secure exhibits to be sent to the San Francisco
exposition. And the result will likely be creditable to the
territory. Nome, Fairbanks, Seward, Valdez, Cordova,
Skagway, .Juneau, Ketchikan and many intervening towns are
seeking to be well represented. All realize that there must he
individual effort, as no assistance can he expectted from the
government. On this subject an exchange says:
“Do the people of Alaska realize that if Alaska is to have
exhibits worthy of the name at the Sail Francisco exposition,
they themselves will have to do the work of collecting them! j
The refusal of Congress to make an appropriation for this i
laudable purpose is painful to be sure but it is final. The,
most that the Government Exhibit Board can promise is to |
pay the transportation charges on exhibits. The rest is up 10
the people of Alaska. Appeals have been sent out to the
various commercial bodies asking their co-operation in the,
work of collecting and preparing exhibits from their respective
districts and a generous response may be expected. The San
Francisco exposition will offer a splendid opportunity to
advertise to the world what Alaska possesses in the way of
natural resources. And the time is ripe for such exhibits. The
eyes of many people the world over are focused upon this great
territory. Tens of thousands of people who will visit San
Francisco next year will want to learn something about Alaska
and they should not be disappointed. The cost incurred in
collecting and preparing exhibits will be an excellent invest
ment. Like bread cast upon the waters it will return many
fold.”
There is every reason to believe that Cordova and the
Copper River country will be well represented. A committee
from our Chamber of Commerce is working to secure both an
agricultural and mining exhibit. As we have the richest and
possibly the greatest copper belt in the world, some rich gold
placer and quartz mines, our exhibit will be largely of a mineral
nature. It behooves the miners and operators of the interior
country to realize the importance of the work undertaken and
to lend early assistance to the Chamber so that exhibits may
be assembled and shipped to San Francisco by November 1st.1
—
I
CREDIT TO WHOM CREDIT IS DUE
-1- . I
Falcon Joslin, who spent much of the past eight months
at the national capital, recently returned to Seattle and is now
on his way to Fairbanks. As president of the Tanana Mines i
railroad lie feels very much better these days, since he is not,
being fined at the rate of $13,500 a day for failure to pay the
old government tax of $100 per mile on his railroad. And the i
new act also remitted all the accumulated millions of fines :
that were accumulating against Mr. Joslin. In speaking of
the accomplishment of big things for Alaska Mr. Joslin says !
that of all the men who worked for the passage of the Alaska
legislation at the present session of Congress, the greatest
amount of credit belongs to a man who received the least—
Senator Wesley L. Jones, of Washington.
“Senator Jones,” said Joslin, “introduced the first rail
road bill and then, in order to secure the passage of the
measure, withdrew his bill and substituted one bearing the
name of Senator Chamberlain of Oregon. He was willing to
sacrifice whatever credit might be his in order to get the
measure passed. In this respect he is very different from the
demagogues in both the House and Senate. All they care for
i- to get their names into the record and to do things that will j
insure them their job. They would not introduce a bill to]
eliminate the bubonic plague—even if the disease threatened;
a decimination of the nation—unless they could get political
credit for it.
“Senator Jones is a man of different caliber. The main
thing with him is to secure the enactment of legislation,
irrespective of whether he or somebody else gets the credit for
it. He is a kindly, reasonable and just man, and these propen
sities have established him high in the regard and respect of
his conferes in the Senate.
“His standing witli the Senate is such that when he says
anything it is listened to witli respect and attention. He has
the implicit confidence of both Democrats and Republicans,
and wields tremendous influence. The people of Alaska
certainly owe him a debt of gratitude for his efforts in their
behalf. Without his active assistance and his willingness to
sacrifice himself, the Alaska raliroad bill never would have
passed.”
There’s a right way to do everything, but those who
hesitate to do things for fear they are not doing them the right
way aren’t going to get very far.
It will be unfortunate if inclement weather prevents
demonstration of the fact that automobiles can more expedi
tiously carry the government mail in summer from Chitina to
Fairbanks than by sending it down the river from White
Horse. Of course if the service were made regular the road
would have to be improved in many sections.
HOPE FOR A COAL LEASING BILL j
A report from Washington now indicates that the House j
will take up the Alaska coal leasing bill and give it considera- j
tion. Now that the European war may keep Congress in session '
indefinitely it is possible that some of the administration’s
conservation measures may be put through to final passage.
Realizing this possibility the Cordova Chamber of Commerce
is getting busy and will endeavor to impress upon both repre
sentatives and senators at Washintgon the urgent necessity
for the unlocking of the Alaska coal fields. A leasing bill has j
already been reported favorably in the House and it is now I
thought that it may be passed. The greatest difficulty may be!
encountered in the Senate, but if Congress continues in session
for a couple of months longer, and if President Wilson and
Secretary Lane use their influence in behalf of a coal leasing
bill it is not unreasonable to hope and expect that a workable
measure may not be finally worked out, even though it does not
become a law until next winter.
In a cable received today by the Cordova Chamber of
Commerce Delegate Wickersham replies that a coal leasing
bill will likely be passed by the House within the next ten days.
But the Delegate further states that it is not likely that the
measure will be acted upon by the Senate. This is in line with
the information brought from Washington by Optimistic
McKenzie. He Avas informed by Chairman Ferris that no effort
would be made to change the bill as reported by the committee
and that it would likely lie passed before the House adjourned.
Mr. Ferris stated, howeAer, that he believed A-arious changes
would be made in the bill by the Senate committee next Avinter
and that after certain desired improvements had been made
and the Senate passed the bill that the House conferees would
agree to the changes. Many friends of Alaska maintain that
the bill now under discussion leaves so much in the hands of
bureau officials that capital would hesitate about investing
money in opening tip mines.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
If all the Chambers of Commerce in Southwestern Alaska
and the interior would get busy and exert all possible influ
ence it now7 seems possible that Congress might be induced to
pass a workable coal leasing hill before adjournment.
Delegate James Wickersham left Washington for the
west on Monday, expecting to come north and make a tour of
Alaska. Unless he is called back by reason of the considera
tion now to be given the Alaska coal leasing bill, the Delegate
may be expected in Cordova the latter part of the month.
The people of Cordova should not weary in the good work
to arouse Congress to the necessity of giving Alaska coal
legislation before adjournment. Any man or woman who has
an acquaintance with a United States senator should immedi
ately write him a letter urging that lie give his support to a !
measure that will result in opening up to development the |
coal lands of Alaska.
The Democrats were a long time dead in Alaska but the!
resurrection has come in earnest. All kinds of primaries am1'
conventions are being held this summer. And if the v ters of i
the territory have a proper appreciation of the efforts pur
forth for Alaska by the present Democratic national adminis
tration there will be some harvest of Democratic successes
garnered in November.
If Delegate Wickersham’s prediction be true the Alaska
coal leasing bill will pass the House tomorrow. Tt will then j
likely be taken up for consideration in the Senate and amended
before its final passage. In the meantime it behooves all good
Alaskans to keep up the agitation for the early passage of a
measure that will permit the development of the coal fields of
this northland.
The coming to the shores of British Columbia of a British '
cruiser from China waters will be a guarantee to the people of
the coast line that her maritime interests will not be disturbed.!
and her coal fields will not be interfered witff With the
Rainbow and the Newcastle ready for action it is not likely f
that a small Herman cruiser will cause any further disturbance!
or apprehension.
In reply to a telegram sent by E. W. Exutn, of Chitina, to
his old college chum from Mississippi, Hon. John Sharp
Williams, the senator replied this afternoon that he would do
everything within his power to facilitate the early passage of
a coal measure that would tend to open up the coal fields of
the north.
That earthquake at Fairbanks yesterday didn’t create
near as much havoc as have the explosion of political bombs
at previous,times in the interior metropolis.
A1 White of Valdez, seems to be the only man in this neck
o’ woods who is willing that everybody should know tiiat he
aspires to membership in the next territorial legislature. Others
may be even more anxious, but are listening for the call of the
dear people. A1 thought he heard the call long ago and now
he is convincing the voters that he was right.
Several million soldiers are lining up for 300 miles)
through Belgium and when the decisive battle is fought and:
the dead and wounded are reckoned a week or two hence, it is!
expected that there will be several hundred thousand Germans, j
Belgians and P’rench either killed or wounded.
Germany made strenuous efforts to force Italy to fight
with her, but without success. It is believed that Japan will
better succeed in forcing Germany to fight against her.
The statement of the First Bank of Cordova shows that i
there is over $200,000 in deposits, which indicates that Cordova i
is still some live town.
The war continues and now that everybody understands
the various situation the interest is only keen when a dozen
or two battleships are reported as having been destroyed or;
blown up, or when twenty or thirty thousand soldiers have!
been killed.
There is every indication that the members of the Alaska •
Engineering Commission and their various parties of
surveyors are making splendid progress in the matter of
surveying the various projected routes for government rail
roads in the interior. It is also probable that a line will be
surveyed to connect with the C. R. & N. W. railway and
running to the Bering river coal fields.
Why Not Invest?
With the building of the government railroad from
Chitina to Fairbanks, the future of the Town of Chitina
is assured.
Lots are still offered at attractive prices and there
are many desirable ones remaining.
A few months later lots in Chtiina will he held at
largely increased values. Why not invest NOW.
GEO. C. HAZELET,
Agent Chitina Townsite Company.
TIN SHOP
IN SHUSHANNa
_ ' i
No more need to carry
STOVES and TIN WAKE
over the lonjj trail to t!ie
interior, as we are pre
pared to till all orders in
our tin shop.
W. H. CARSTENS & CO.
SHUSHANNA - - ALASKA
Chitina GRILL
I
Good Eats for Particular People
Prompt Service. Popular Set vice. ;
Next to Chitina Hotel.
CHITINA : : : ALASKA, j
!
§ .
¥ 1
5* T
10. ADRIAN NELSON f
> V
b - *
| U. S. Mineral Surveyor *
[ I
l CHITINA ■ - - ALASKA |
CHITINA: BAKERY
AM)
Coffee House
HENRY GESSNER, Prop.
FRESH BREAD, CAKES AND
PIES ALWAYS ON HAND
\ Chitina j
l Pharmacy j
J DRUGS, j
t STATIONERY, $
$ CANDIES, ♦
l KODAK SUPPLIES |
♦ CIGARS & TOBACCO j
I If you cannot call, write t
♦ us. MAIL orders our *
t Specialty. 1
| A. G. MOREY, Prop, j
Let Lewis Help ^^jjj
"Pointer* for Amateurs" will help you to better j||
pictures—it’3 free. Send us your films for develop- |||
ing and printing. Enlarging. Developing 10c roll, |H
any size; printing, ?c up. Cash with order. You’ll I
find our work better. Photo supplies. Dept. S. I
f GROCERIES, HARDWARE !
| -. AND— |
i MEAT MARKETf
| _ f
We have a big line of Sec- %
ond-Hand Goods, and can ?
•fr save you money on your out- £
? fit. Bunk House, with free ^
4* Cook House, in connection.
% CI1IT1NA HEIGHTS !
J C. A. SIMONS A- CO. *
and
Lumber
HAY, 1HIAX. OATS, CHOPS,
itOEEKD RAREKY
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on t:ie rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
0. A. Nelson & Co.
CHI T IN A
■S-t-1-1 l t 1 1 1 -w
hotel I
i Washington I
ANNEX f
t
; SHATTER I
T
• _ T
I Sevr' ,,,0,le,u and tlreproof. £
| All outside looms . >
• 'A',,e n,0,it conveniently located \\
! hotel in the city. •»
• < •
, Rooms and suites are particu* ] 1
| larly large. < >
• \ ery desirable for families or ] |
’ parties traveling together. ' [
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