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DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HBK LAYS A WHITE EGO—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. I.
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1910.
NO 15
HIM M BRIDGE IS NOW CONNECTED
Entertained At a
Dinner Party
Mrs. Wallace, who has charge of
the section camp at Cliitina, gave a
dinner party on Christmas night
which will be remembered on each
succeeding Christmas by those who
sat at the festive board during the
rest of their natural lives. Covers
were laid for eighteen and the long
table in the well known dining room
literally “groaned” with the many
good things to eat. Mrs. Wallace
prepared the dinner herself and those
who know her will say, “’nuf said.”
It was served in good old family
style and the hostess stated that she
wanted every one to just help them
selves and feel as though they were
in their own home. They did. And
the way the turkey, cranberry sauce,
nut salad asparagus tips, Irish and
sweet potatoes and goodies of every
description disappeared, was the best
tribute which could be paid the hos
tess. Many of the guests were heard
to sigh as the mince pie and cakes,
and the indispensable plumb pudding
was passed around, but none ciuld
refuse? Who could refuse a genu
ine plumb pudding with hard and
brand sauce even though it brought
indigestion on the morrow?
While the canaies were being dis
cussed, a delicious champagne punch
was served and all drank a merry
Christmas to the hostess. The guests
stood while drinking the first toast
and after being seated many others
were drank to the occasion.
Richard Ficken, the well ■ known
mixologist, had charge of the punch,
ably assisted by L. Brimmer, and
could some temperance crank in a
dry town have been here to sample
it, he would undoubtedly vote “wet”
in the future. After dinner the table
was cleared and a number of solo
games were made up, which lasted
until a late hour. The guests, on
bidding their hostess good-night,
thanked her for one of the best din
ners and most pleasant Christmas ev
enings of their lives, and one man on
his way home said he felt like chang
ing the old provery to peace on
earth, good will toward Mrs. Wal
lace.”
Those present were: Mr. and Mrs.
P. Newhouse, Mr. and Mrs. Clinord
Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. O. E. Bennett,
Messrs. Wm. Lawson, Clem Hurtel,
Richard Ficken, Frank Alba, M. S.
and O. A. Nelson Frank darken,
L. Brimmer, W. Griffith, John Palm
er and W. Nelson, Jr.
Oscar Anderson, Frank'Boyle, C.
O. Parsons and John Gustofsen, who
have quartz property out on the new
cut-off trail, are doing some good
development work on their proper
ties.
New York, Dec. 31.—Clarence Lex
ow, senior member of the law firm
of Lexow, MacKellar & Wells, who
introduced the bill in the state senate
creating the Greater New York, died
this morning after a brief illness.
Deceased was 58 years of age.
as the “Deacon,” who has been at
the Kuskulana bridge all winter, ar
rived in Chitina Friday morning and
left for Cordova for a few days rest.
Mrs. Jones, who is now in the states,
will join her husband on one of the
next steamers, after which they will
return to Kuskulana, where Mr.
Jones will act as watchmen for the
balance of the winter.
Subscribe for the Chitina Leader.
On Thursday afternoon the steel
bridge at Kuskulana was connected
amid the screeching of whistles, pop
ping of guns and lusty yells of the
steel workers. The successful con
nection was a great hour of rejoicing
among the officials and men, for the
I construction of this crossing has been
fraught with many hardships and ag
gravating delays, due to a great ex
tent to cold weather conditions.
Superintendent A. C. O’Neil, the
bridge engineer in charge, stated to
a Leader representative on Thurs
day morning that It would require
about two days to take down the
travelers, and that trains could cross
the gorge within five minutes after
the travelers were clear, so trains
should begin crossing by the first of
the week. A few of the steel work
ers may be given their release'this
week, or the first of next, but the
majority of the crew will be kept at
work until the riveting, of which
there is considerable yet to do, will
have been thoroughly gone over and
the bridge permanently completed
and ready for future use. The canti
lever span was placed in position
ready for the drawing of the wedges
and lowering to place on Friday.
The swinging of the Kuskulana steel
bridge is the second of the “impossi
ble” bridges on the Copper River &
Northwestern line of railway. The
building of the bridge was in itself
no difficult feat, but the fact of its
having been built in the dead of win
ter with the thermometer often rang
ing 40 degrees and more below ze
ro, is a most creditable task, which
the “wise ones” claimed as impossi
ble, and throws Superintendent
O’Neil and his able corps of assist
ants once again into the spotlight.
And too much credit cannot be giv
en them, for outside of only a few
old men from the Miles Glacier
structure the work was accomplish
ed by using men who had never be
fore been in Alaska, and being total
ly ignorant of climatic and other con
ditions here, the work was neces
sarily more or less retarded. Soon
now the engines at the front will be
puffing over the structure, and we
will begin to forget and feel like
the new comers that the bridge is
there, as it should be, but the build
ing of It will go down in history, end
like the Miles Glacier bridge prove
to the skeptical that capable men
with plenty of energy and money can
build anything.
Bring your job work to the Lead
er office.
Pioneer Writes Optimistically About
Future of Cordova and, Chitina
We received an interesting letter
this week from one of Alaska's most
noted characters, P. D. Burke who
has a homestead at Long Lake, at
mile 177, which he calls the “Herm
itage.”
Mr. Burke states that he expect
ed to spend the holidays in Chitina
or Cordova, but was unable to leave
the “ranch” at the present time. He
mentioned in his personal letter to us
that his Christmas cheer consists of
plenty of pure water, cinnamon, nut
megs and eggs—but no “gog.”
Mr. Burke is one of Alaska’s most
consistent boosters, and the follow
ing extract on smelters and the fu
ture growth of Alaska, particularly
along the line of the Copper River &
Northwestern railway, with Chitina
and Cordova as the two future cit
ies of this great territory, are based
on many years of experience in the
northland, principally along the Cop
per River way, and all its tributar
ies from the Bremner to the Chiti
stone. He has visited all the prin
cipal mines of any note and says
there is nothing can stop this won
derful mineral belt from surprising
not only the United States, but the
world at large, with its wonderful
mineral wealth. He has offered a
part of his homestead for a location
for a school of mines, which is a
hobby of his and which he says will
in the near future be established in
Alaska. He is most optomistic over
real estate conditions in both Chit
ina and Cordova, and while he Is sat
isfied with his own location as to fu
ture growth and development, re
grets mat he is unable to purchase
property in either of the two term
inal towns which he considers the
best investment in Alaska at the
present time. The following letter
describes his views as he sees Alas
ka in the near future:
“Look from Chitina to the mouth
of the Bremner, thence up the Cop
per river to the mouth of the Tos
lina, thence to the headwaters of the
Kotsina, thence to the Bonanza mine
and Chitistone, thence to the upper
Chitina and Hanigeta valley—all
within a radius of 75 miles of the
new town of Chitina, where the
cream of the great mineral bodies of
the central copper region is deposit
ed, and the future for Chitina and
Cordova indeed looks bright. In my
opinion, Long Lake, which is near
the Bonanza mine, will also soon be
heard from. We may not expect a
big smelting plant here, but as a
summer and pleasure resort, where,
also, the government may, in the
near future, find a favorable loca
tion for a school of mines, or a home
for the aged Alaskan prospector
Long Lake will undoubtedly be heard
from.. With the vast amount of cop
per ore in this great mineral belt,
there is no question but what a
smelter must be built somewhere
along the line of the Copper River &
Northwestern railway, whether it be
on the coast or interior is of course,
problematical. The four chief prob
lems which govern a smelting prop
osition are ore, flux, fuel and trans
portation. The transportation is al
ready solved, as the railway has al
ready penetrated the copper belt, and
will have reached the Bonanza mine
ere the ice laves the Alaskan rivers.
But where the smelter will be locat
ed is a question. The coast termi
nus at Cordova appears to be the
most favorable location unless the
copper magnates should consider the
elimination of the long haul to the
water and erect a smelter nearer the
bodies of ore, but the many splendid
copper mines on the coast will de
mand a smelter and Cordova or vi
cinity is the place for it. Ores of the
central Copper river region, as a
business proposition, should be treat
ed as near the mines as possible.
It is safe to say that the whole in
terior region, in which there are vast
quantities of smelting ores, which
.would yield ten to fifteen per cent
copper, would not be shipped to tide
water for treatment.
“Smelters at Chitina, which has
the best smelting site on the line,
would mean a saving of 130-mile
haul to tide-water. It would also
be the means of opening up all low
grade propositions, though there
v ouid not be much tonnage for emp
ties coming back from tide-water ex
cept mining supplies. The coat mines
some dav in the near future will be
shipping f cal to Cordova from the
junction of the coal line with the
main line of road near Miles Glacier.
Coal could be shipped at a less cost
to Chitina, same tonnage, than a 30
per cent ore could be hauled to tide
water from Chitina. Long Lake, in
the heart of the mining belt has all
the advantages of a smelting lo-a
tion, in the way of a short haul, wa
ter power and fluxing ore.
“After the railroad will have
reached the Bonanza mine and Con
gress gets busy and opens up our
coal mines, I candidly believe that
the next move on the now popular
checker board of Alaska will be a
huge smelting plant, and that this
great mineral belt and line of rail
way will make Cordova and Chit
ina the two greatest distributing
points of Alaska."
POOL Tl ^KNAMEXT WILL
SOOX BE HELD IN CHITINA
Chitina is rapidly getting up-to
date. There are several good pool
tables in the town and a pool tour
nament is now being talked of by
the enthusiasts of the cue. “Ole”
Condon announces that on next
Thursday or possibly the first of the
W'eek, a pool tournament will start
at the tables above Cloninger & St.
Clair’s, and that a number of as
pirants for the prizes have already
announced their intention of enter
ing the race. Rules from the Cordova
tournament will be adhere to, and
a referee chosen, so every one will
have fair play. There are some
“sharks,” or splendid amateur pool
players in Chitina and the tourna
ment should prove interesting.
Frank McKernon, Roy Heusler and
C. P. Tolson, arrived on Thursday
evening’s train and left for a trip
up the Chitina the following day.
to look at some mining property in
the vicinity of the McCarty cabin.
The Leader wishes all its subscrib
ers, advertisers and patrons, the
many friends in Chitina, all along the
Copper river way, and—well every
body in Alaska- a most happy new
year, and may 1911 bring greater
prosperity to every son of this great
northland.
Frank G. Manley returned last ev
ening from the McKinley lake gold
camp.
“You undoubtedly have a mining
camp there,” said he, to an Alaskan
reporter, “from what I could observe
in a short time and with snow on
the ground. The bodies of ore are
large and the ledges are continuous
and I was told there is no question
about the values. Water for water
power and plenty of timber make
conditions ideal for economic mining.
“I believe that you are at the pres
ent time on the ragged edge of a
more richly mineralized district than
evidenced at McKinley lake. I shall
return next spring and make a more
thorough examination of the coun
try near here.”
Mr. Manley was very much inter
ested in the reports of the Lake Mc
Kinley camp. While he is known as
one of the most extensive placer op
erators in Alaska, he is thoroughly
convinced that tne future of the
country lies in lode mining and agrl
culture. He has some quartz inter
ests in the Tanana.
“What we need in that section of
the country, of course,” said he, “is
transportation. The people of the
coast have the advantage of us in
that respect.
“My own views regarding a route
for a railroad to the Tanana differ
from those of many others. I be
lieve a road in order to create the
most tonnage should, after reaching
the head of the Little Delta, say, for
instance, follow the foothills and
gravelled benches of the Alaska
range across the Bonnifleld, the Tat
alanika, the Nenana and on to the
Kantishna. Lode mines of proven
value and extensive deposits are
known to exist in the Bonnifleld and
coal deposits are found on the Lit
tle Delta, the Nanaua and other
streams. There is any quantity of
antimony in the Kantishna. and ex
cellent prospects of other minerals,
besides large hydraulic and dredg
ing propositions along all of the
streams. It would be an easy mat
ter to run a spur line to Fairbanks,
or any other navigable point on the
Tanana or Yukon rivers. Once the
road reached the Kantishna, it could
be extended to the Iditarod with very
little trouble, and the upper Susit
na as well, and would traverse a
country which would produce ton
nage almost every mile. ’
JUDGE FERGUSOX HAS XO
PATIEXCE WITH “GUX” MEX
Lester Wiitte this week drifted in
to town and after some celebrating,
claimes to have lost some checks and
money. The officials immeidately
traced the matter up, even to the ex
tent of detaining one or two persons
whom Witte suspected, while a search
was made, but it developed that the
checks were cashed by himself, and
no blame could be attached to any
one. Witte wanted satisfaction, how
ever, and getting a revolver proceed
ed to get real bad by firing a few
shots skyward. He was arrested and
when brought before Judge Ferguson
was fined $50.00 and costs. The
judge stated that he had no time for
bold, bad gun men, and that the next
case before him would mean the
maximum $200 fine and six months
in jail.
Start the new year right by adver
tising in the Chitlna Leader.
Jolly Xmas Tree
Celebration
About forty invited guests were
entertained by Deputy Marshal Joe
Rrown at his new residence on
Christmas eve, and the tirst Christ
mas tree party in Chitina was thor
oughly enjoyed by all present. His
honor, Judge Ferguson, together with
Mr. Brown, secured a large number
of inexpensive but appropriate
Christmas gifts and all present were
given a remembrance of some kind.
The children were made happy by
presents from their parents, while
not a few handsome presents were
taken from the tree for the older
folks. Considerable merriment was
caused on the opening of the pack
ages by a few of the recipients. Judge
Ferguson was presented with a hand
some looking parcel, and on open
ing it a lovely bald-headed doll stared
him sweetly in the face. Oscar Web
er was very grateful to Santa Claus
for an important looking parcel, and
after unwrapping about seventeen
yards of paper suddenly came upon a
lemon. The captain is still looking
for the man who was responsible for
the joke. Billy Tibbs is fondly nurs
ing a licorice doll, while Dr. M. E.
Smith was very much pleased with
a powder box. The doctor stated
that nothing could have been more
appropriate, as he now powders his
head, as well as his face, aft.er shav
ing. O. E. Bennett received an omi
nous looking package, which he took
to be a shot gun, but which turned
out to be a large wooden razor, in
the blade of which were plenty ct
“nicks” and a good “saw edge,” whit?
on the handle, in large black let
ters, were inscribed “Chitina Lead
er.”
Dancing was the first order of the
evening. Mr. Breedman kindly loan
ed his piano for the occasion, and
with Messrs. Tibbs, Alba, Bennett
and Mrs. Burgun, who furnished the
music, the crowd was kept merry un
til the host announced lunch. A
number of the ladies had donated
cakes, and with sandwiches, coffee,
candies, fruits and nuts, a delicious
luncheon was enjoyed.
When the candles were lighted on
the Christmas tree, which was dress
ed and decorated by several of the
ladies, it made a pretty sight, and
on the stroke of midnight ev
ery one wished each other a merry
Christmas with many, many more to
come.
The efforts of those responsible in
furnishing the entertainment were
greatly appreciated by all the guests,
for Christmas seems more like home
when a Christmas tree is arranged,
and on their way home in the wee
sma’ hours of Christmas morning,
those who attended the festivities,
felt in their hearts, as we all should
on this day, “peace on earth, good
will toward men.”
I FIGHT
ALL COMERS
Milwaukee, Dee. 31.—Jack John
son, under the management of Mc
Intosh, has issued a cnallenge to
fight any man, on the basis that he
receive $30,000 as his share of the
purse or gate receipts.
ANOTHER ROTARY FOR THE
ROAD.
The long delayed wheel section
for No. 2 rotary will leave Seattle on
the steamer Victoria tomorrow and
upon its arrival here the rotary will
be fitted up and immediately put in
commission on the Copper River &
Northwestern railway.