- FOURTH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1913.
NUMBER 8
Late Telegraph News
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.—When President Wilson read
his message before the joint session of Congress yesterday
afternoon he greatly pleased the friends of Alaska and fired
them anew with the hope and almost certainty that the Demo
cratic administration proposes to soon bring about the
development of the northern territory. The President urged
the speedy construction of railroads in Alaska by the govern
ment, and the development of the resources of the territory
upon lines of practical expediency. He declared that con
servation meant “development and not reservation.” All of
which is taken to mean that so soon as the administration
secures the enactment of the railroad bill that some disposi
tion will then be made of the coal question that will permit
of the mining of the fuel and furnish tonnage for the new
railroads.
While the President did not particularize on any certain
railroad bill, it is the opinion of Senators Chamberlain, Pitt
man and Jones that he favors the measure that has been
favorably reported by the Senate committee. This provides
for an expenditure of $40,000,000, and the bill reported from
the committee is taken from the Chamberlain and Jones bills.
The bill that was favorably reported last Friday in the House
only provides for $35,000,000, and is largely what is known as
the Wickersham bill, which is the same as the Chamberlain
bill. Some changes, however, have been made in it. After
both houses pass a railroad bill it will then go to a committee
on conference, when the differences will be adjusted.
Secretary Lane is very much pleased with the attitude
taken by the President and it is now generally believed that
since the President has declared squarely for government
construction of railroads in Alaska that he will make it an
administration measure to which he will give his personal
attention so soon as the currency measure has been disposed
of. In the House the understanding was last week that the
Alaska railroad bill would have the right of way on the cal
endar in the new session. As the sentiment in the House is
so overwhelmingly in favor of the measure it is not thought,
fhat there will be much delay in passing the bill. In the
Senate the principal opposition is because of the feature of
government ownership and there are certain senators who
"may resort to all kinds of dilatory tactics to ‘cause delay. But
it is expected that with the active assistance of the President
the bill will be put through, as it will be generally understood
that it is an administration measure.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.—In his message to Congress
yesterday President Wilson presented a new idea in the
matter of party platforms. He first recommends the nomina
tion of President by direct primary, and that the platforms
be framed by those responsible for the carrying of them into
effect. This lie would bring about by having the delegates
to conventions composed of the nominees for Congress,
senators whose terms have not yet expired and the nominees
for terms about to expire. In addition he would have the
candidate for President a member of the convention and
present when the platform is agreed to. He considers that by
this means the party platforms would be made up by the men
who would be directly in a position to see that they were
carried out. The President also thinks that a greater
responsibility would thus rest upon the members of Congress
and the President.
r
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.—President Wilson intimated in
his message to Congress that the Mexican problem is not far
from settlement. He characterized Huerta as an uproar
dictator, whose power and prestige had already crumbled and
was about to collapse. He strongly expressed the hope and
belief that the end was not far away.
\
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.—Now that the Alaskan situation
is being studied and disclussed by senators and representatives
and many of the iniquities that have been practiced, more
generally understood, there is a disposition to right various
wrongs that have been in vogue. All phases of the railroad
situation have been discussed‘and there is general feeling that
the railroads now operating in the territory have been imposed
upon by the exacting of a tax of $100 per mile per annum.
Fi’iends of the railroads now operating have been given to
understand that Congress would be glad to throw off this
particular burden. As a consequence a bill was prepared to
relieve all the railroads from paying this unjust tax. It was
introduced in the House yesterday afternoon by Delegate
Wickersham and referred to committee, from which it will
undoubtedly be favorably reported.
AUSTIN, Dec. 4.—The woi'st floods that have been
experienced in Texas for 14 years are now causing destniction
in various parts of the state. Many small towns have been
inundated and homes swept away. At Waco the river Brazos
overflowed to such an extent that the business district of the
city is ten feet under water. The damage to buildings and
stock is extensive. At other towns there have been similar
experiences although the water has not been quite so high.
The governor has ordered out the state militia to render aid
to the afflicted districts.
UNI) BH H INC
•
Four more musliers from the far Arctic ocean arrived at
Cordova yesterday afternoon and will leave for the outside on
the Northwestern. In the party are, Louis L. Lane, captain
of the power boat Polar Bear, Will E. Hudson, photographer
for the P.-I. and representing moving picture companies, Eben
S. Draper, Jr., of llopedale, Mass., and Dunbar Lockwood, of
Boston. These men were all members of the scientific expedi-!
tion that started during the summer from Seattle for a cruise
along the Alaskan coast and later went to the Arctic. The
boat got wedged in the ice during the early part of September
and the remaining members of the party are now in winter
quarters. But the four mentioned were anxious to get back,
as it had not been the expectation to spend the winter in the
north. So Louis Lane made the necessary arrangements and
secured a good dog team to pack their supplies. They left
the ice floes of the Arctic near the international boundary line
on October 24 and mushed overland to Fort Yukon, Circle City
and Fairbanks, where they took the stage for Chitiua and came
in on the railroad.
These men express the fear that Explorer Stefansson and
his ship Karluck, with about 20 men aboard have all been lost.
Nothing has been seen or heard of the ship since the middle of
August and it is the general opinion that the ship was crushed
by the ice floes and that the scientists aboard as well as the
crew were not able to make their escape, and likely perished.
One of the boats usd by Stefannson was the power boat Mary
Sachs, also the Alaska. They were supposed to be in winter
quarters in the neighborhood of Herschel Island, but informa
tion has just been received from Nome that about a week ago
a letter was received there from Capt. Peter Bernard, of the
Captain Lane has his family in Seattle and is congratulating
himself that he was able to get through in time to catch the
steamer Northwestern so that he might spend the holidays at
Seattle. Mr. Bolton also has his family at Seattle, while the
two young men from Massachusetts will go through to the
East and expect to arrive before Christmas. It is said that
Captain Lane will go north next summer with possibly a
larger boat when he sails to rescue and bring out the Polar
Bear. Mr. Bolton has a number of films of interesting scenes
in the north and they will likely be shown in the moving
picture houses throughout the country.
Mary Sachs, who states that his boat'was crushed by the ice,
and that all the provisions and scientific instruments were lost,
although the men had secured places of safety in winter camp
on the near-by shore.
—-n-n-_
“We will be home Christmas,” is
a part of the cheering message re
ceived yesterday by Mrs. Lane from
her husband, Captain Lane, of the
power schooner Polar Bear.
The message was sent from Circle
City, Alaska, and follows:
“Hudson, Draper, Lockwood and
self just .arrived. Others wintering
O. K. Will be home Christmas.
Express complete outfit clothing to
Cordova. Are all well. Answer at
Fairbanks.”
The Polar Bear sailed from this
city during the early part of May
last. She carried a party of Eastern
game hunters and men connected
with various scientific institutions
of Eastern cities and Will E. Hud
son, Post-Intelligencer photographer.
The members of the party include
Dunbar Lockwood, of Boston; Sam
uel Mixter, of Boston; W. Sprague
Brooks, of Milton, Mass.; Joseph
Dixon, of Berkeley, Cal., and Eben
S. Draper, of Boston. The Polar
Bear was caught in the ice floes off
Banksland last fall and was frozen
in for the winter near the mouth of
the Canning river. From the mouth
of the Canning to Circle City, where
yesterday’s wireless message was
filed, is about 350 miles, from Circle
to Fairbanks is about 140 miles. The
trip from Fairbanks to Chitina can
be made on the regular stage line,
and the trip into Cordova over the
Copper River Railroad.
On November 25 the Seattle P.-T.
contained the following, which is
of interest to Cordova people, be
cause the men referred to are now
in our midst awaiting the sailing
south of the Northwestern:
-O-0-0-■
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.—Secre
tary Daniels has been asked by the
committee on naval affairs as to his
authority to alter the contract price
so as to permit the successful cor
poration to spend $50,000 dollars a
year for six years in the construc
tion of a dry dock for dreadnaughts
at Hunter’s Point, near San Fran
cisco.
The Juneau Empire has the fol
lowing on an affair that is of in
terest to Cordova people:
“A very pretty wedding occurred
Saturday night at 9 o’clock at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin C.
Delzelle. Miss Charlotte Hauke of
Cordova was united in marriage to
Geo. Osborne of Juneau. The host
and hostess of the occasion attended
the couple during the ceremony.
The bride recently came from Cor
dova and has been the guest of Mrs.
Delzelle, who is an old friend, since
arriving in Juneau. The romance
wluch culminated in the wedding
started in Cordova at the time Mr.
Osborne was in business there.
“The groom recently became es
tablished in business in Juneau as a
member of the firm of Nelson & Os
borne, who conduct one of the nice
jewelry stores in this city. Mr. O3
borne is well known and esteemed
all over Alaska having lived in the
North for more than 14 years. The
Osbornes have taken apartments at
the Hotel Cain.
-o—o—o
SEATTLE, Dec. 9.—This morning
the Nome liner Senator took the run
to San Francisco, replacing the
steamship President, in which an
oil-burning system is now being in
stalled. The Pacific Coast Company
has decided to convert both the
President and the Governor into oil
burners. The decision to install oil
burning systems in the two big
coastwise liners follows exhaustive
tests of fuel consumption made the
last few months by the company on
the California route. The move is
considered of great importance in
view of the fact that the Pacific
Coast Company operates its own coal
mines and coal bunkers and despite
that fact has found that oil is more
economical. It is estimated that
the work of installing fuel oil burn
ing systems in the two vessels will
cost approximately $100,000.
The Alaska Oil & Refining Co.,
has recently completed a new refin
ing plant at Katalla, and kerosene
as well as gasoline, is being refined.
OF CONCERN 10 ALASKA
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.—The Alaska railroad bill was
on the calendar yesterday as the special order of business.
When that date was agreed upon it was confidently expected
tl’di *he currency measure would have been disposed of. As
it still lingers and the financial and business interests through
out the country are anxiously awaiting its disposition, it has
been considered best to get action on it before taking up
the next important administration measure. After consulta
tion with President Wilson, Secretary Lane and the Demo
cratic leaders in the Senate it was decided not to entirely
sidetrack the railroad bill, although it was not to be given the
right of way over the currency measure. As a result of this
understanding when the bill came up in the Senate yesterday
Vice President Marshal ruled that the Alaska railroad bill
should be laid before the Senate each day at 2 o’clock and
that if the senators are not prepared to talk on the currency
that debate on the railroad bill should proceed. Both Senator
Jones and Chamberlain are pleased with this arrangement and
say that this action means that the bill will be frequently
debated until the currency bill is disposed of, after which it
will be considered until final action is taken. The leaders of
the Senate are confident that the currency bill will pass
before Christmas, and likely by the 20th.
It was feared that the Poindexter bill, which provides
for railroad building, coal mining, operation of steamships,
etc., in Alaska, would interfere to some extent with the
Chamberlain bill reported by the committee. But he has
virtually decided not to press his measure. Instead he intro
duced a new bill yesterday afternoon which provides for a
government owned steamship line from a point on the Pacific
coast and to connect with the proposed Alaska railroad.
V hen Floor Leader Underwood and Representative
Houston, chairman of the House committee on territories, had
their conference on Thursday last, they anticipated the result
of yesterday’s action in the Senate. They preferred that the
Senate should first take up the bill, but decided that if it was
I deferred that the House would give it immediate considera
tion. It will be brought up tomorrow, and after some
speeches are made, principally upon l?he part of the men who
favor the measure, it will undoubtedly pass. The sentimennt
in the House is overwhelmingly in favor of extending aid to
Alaska through the building of railroads, and it is generally
assumed that relief must come through the government con
struction of the railroads.
The bill favorably reported by Chairman Houston of the
House committee on territories, provides that the railroad to
be built by the government, and either leased or operated by
the government would run from the southern coast, at Cor
dova or Seward or vicinity, to the upper Yukon river, and
would not be more than 722 miles long. Chairman Houston in
his report points out that such a road would vitalize the great
valley of the Alaskan interior, containing an immense agri
cultural territory, and a line from the coast to Fairbanks will
provide communication with the Tanana and Yukon rivers,
having hundreds of miles of navigable water, which steam
boats already are traversing. The plan also contemplates
two short branch lines to connect with the Bering river and
the Matanuska coal fields.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.—Oscar Underwood, Democratic
floor manager in the House and William C. Houston, chairman
of the House committee on territories, held a conference last
night and decided to urge immediate action on the Alaska
railroad bill, which was reported favorably by the committee
on territories last Friday. This action was taken as a result
of the reference in the President’s message to the necessitv
for railroads in Alaska, and by reason of the fact that the
President has intimated that this is one of the leading admin
istration measures that he is desirous of having enacted into
law at the earliest possible moment. The friends of Alaska
now in the city feel that the tight has been largely Avon, for
the attitude of the President Avill tend to dispel some of the
opposition that would otherwise have arisen among such
Democratic senators as Senator Overman from North Carolina,
who is in principle opposed to the government building and
operating railroads. It is believed that the bill will be easily
passed in the House, where the Democrats have such a large
majoi it \, and that but tew days Avill be lost in debating the
bill. However, more dilatory methods are likely to prevail
in the Senate, where a number of Republicans will oppose the
bill in the form presented by the committee. Several have
indicated a willingness that the railroad should be built but
prefer that the government assist private individuals or
companies, rather than that the building be done by the
government itself. The general concensus of opinion, Iioav
ever, is that the bill as reported to the Senate will pass with
but few changes, as it meets with the endorsement of Secretary
of Interior Lane, Avhose advice the President is largelv folloAv
mg in the matter of doing those things that will tend to open
up and deA'elop Alaska.
' o—o—o
If Huerta keeps on exporting the statesmen of Mexico he
may yet justify the claim that he is the only one for the job
Tammany has rescued one coroner fro m'the Averck in New
York. This will enable Tammany braves who fall by the way
side to have their fate reported on by a coroner of' their OAvn
political faith.