DO WOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEW LAYS A WH1T1 800—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE BtfO.
VOL. I.
CH1TINA, ALASKA, ^TURDAY, APRIL 22,1911.
NO. 31
Local News
W. A. O'Neil, the well known fore
man. who wa9 in charge of the sec
tion here last summer, returned re
cently from a trip to the states, and
after remaining awhile in Cordova,
returned here on Tuesday's train,
having charge of a gang of men on
the work at the big tunnel.
Fiank Clarkin, the well known
conductor, who is now in Hot
Springs, Ark., writes that he expects
to return soon and that he has great
ly enjoyed his stay at the famius
health resort.
We received a letter in the last
mail from Mrs. Ora Burrows, in
quiring into the rumor of her mar
riage with Frank Clarkin. She states
that the report surprised her very
much and there was no foundation
whatever to the rumor; that as this
wasn't leap year and it wasn’t a bit
nice to ask a man outside of that
time and as she never knew Mr.
Clarkin to suffer from mental abera
tion, the report should be corrected.
Geo. Hughes, who has been at tne
front for a number of months, left
for his home in New York on Tues
day's train.
Chas. ixewby, who has been at the
private mess for the construction
company all last summer and winter
left on Tuesday’s train en route to
his old home in England.
Geo. Capelle, who has been pros
pecting some of his properties on the
Chitina, left on Tuesday's train for
Cordova, taking with him pounds
o good looking quartz specimens up
on which he intends having a test
made.
A new camp is being estaDiisnea
at mile 183 and another steam shov
el will be put into commission there
at once. L. Wernecke, the assist
ant chief engineer, states that the
gravel at that point is much the same
as the pit at Tiekel. The steam
shovel at mile 158 is being taken out
as rapidly as possible to keep the
track in passable condition before the
thaw.
Al. Brimner, who has been in this
part of the country for the past year,
and in Chitina since early last sum-l
mer, left for a prospecting trip in
the vicinity of the Bonanza mine on
Wednesday of this week.
J. A. Cleveland, an old-timer on
the inside, now hailing from the Koy
ukuk country, and known to many
old-timers as "Doc,” was a passenger
on Wednesday night’s stage from
Fairbanks en route to the states on
a business trip.
Tommy Bradej*. the well- known
conductor, who abandoned railroad
ing last summer to enter business in
Chitina, is again at work, having left
for the front on Wednesday to tak<
charge of one of two s™"“'
Charley Gaby, the Cordova Kid,
has been handing out that same ole.
brand of brandy and soda he used tc
peddle in Cordova, from behind the
mahogany at the Hotel Chitina bar,
during the absence of Dick Fricken,
this week, and the boys like it just
as well as ever, too.
Hugo Fels and his crew of work
men are doing some rapid and ef
fective work in the big tunnel. Some
heavy timbering is being done which
will not be completed uefore two or
three weeks.
Richard Ficken, who has been
holding the position as mixologist at
the Hotel Chitina bar since early
last fall, took a well earned rest
on Tuesday- last, and left for a shori
trip to Cordova. Dick expected to bt
back Thursday night, but most ol
the boys predicted he would be toe
“fat” to get back in so short a time.
Kimberlin, the barber, has moved
bin stock of goods from his old stair’
and sold a half interest in the pi'oi
erty to John Gage. He moved hi
barber chair to the Log Cabin saloon
but says he expects soon to leave
for the Kennecott, where he believes
business chanceB will be as good at
in Chitina this summer.
Postmaster Johnston's new build
lug Is now about ready for occupan
cy, and be expects to move his office
and stock of goods there the flrst
of the week.
Last Wednesday evening’s stage
brought a distinguished passenger, J.
A. Marsh, who, in an interview with
a Leader representative, gave some
interesting information which will be
of interest to many here, who are
interested in the Chandlar and Koy
ukuk countries, as well as many oth
er districts of the great interior.
Mr. Marsh is a recognized geolo
gist by the government, and has been
largely instrumental in securing
trails and improvements into the
Chandlar and Koyukuk districts, hav
ing surveyed the most feasible and
passable routes and submitted them
to Major Richardson and the gov
ernment.
“In order to properly develop these
great districts,” said Mr. Marsh, “we
must have roads, and a fairly good
means of transportation. Our mail
service, up until the past year, has
been most inadequate, but from next
winter on we hope to at least get
our mail regularly, if the necessary
work ie done that we are praying
for and expect, and I believe the mail
will be sacked in Cordova or Chit
•
ina and sent directly through over
the newly proposed route, which
should be called the “Central Alas
kan Trunk Line.’’ I hope, in the
near future, to hear of reconaaisance
lines being run -'from Chitina into
that great country for a continuance
of your splendid railroad, which is
now so far interior. There are thou
sands of acres of untrodden {Rlneral
w ealth in these great districta, which
only a railroad can bring to light,
but in the meantime we must be con
tent with the roads and tral’s the
government can give us. The Chand
lar River is seldom, if ever, naviga
ble, and conditions in the winter time |
are so severe that supplies cannot
be taken any distance without good
trails or roads. The Alaska-Chand
lar Mining Co. have some remarkab
ly fine showings of gold quartz in
the Chandlar district and have a llt
j tie three-stamp mill in operation,
! and now that there are prosp&ts of
getting roads into that district at 25
ton plant has been ordered. An at
j tempt nas been made for several sea
| sons to get machinery and supplies
into that country and 65,000 pounds
of machinery and supplies are now
lying at different caches, strung out
for a distance of 120 miles.
"Last year $13,000 was spent on
a trail from Beaver on the Yukon
to McN'ett Basin, and the residents
of the Koyukuk and Chandlar dis
tricts also contributed and helped
build the trail. Heretofore the mail
route has been over a danger,ous
portion of the country-, with but few
roadhouses, which made travel ex
tremely hazardous. The new route
which has been surveyed ovef gravel
ed ridges and eliminating lonesome
and daugerous flats, also cut off ap
proximately 200 miles of bad terri
tory and shortens the route a num
ber of days. There are a series of
tine postoffices on the trunk line
north of Fairbanks or Chatlnika, and
the shortening of this route and the
building of the trails, if we do get
government aid, is going to greatly
facilitate our mail service. The mail
should leave Chitina direct'to Fair
banks, thence on to Chatinika and
across the range to the upper Yukon
and across the graveled ridges down
Poker Gulch to the Beaver River, and
down to the town of Beaver on the
Yukon. Prom there the trail leads
north across the Yukon flats to the
Chandlar River, where the trail then
forks one leading to McNett Basin
in the Chandlar country, and the oth
er to Coldfoot in the Koyukuk. This
proposed mail route has been placed
before the postal department at
Washington and I hope to confer
with Malor Richardson and the nec
essary officials to throw what influ
ence and money they have in building
a direct trail from this railroad to
these districts, which are so badly
in need of mail service and trans
portation."
Mr. Marsh has been a resident of
Alaska for sixteen years, and is now
commissioner of the Chandlar pre
cinct. He is on a business trip to the
states, and may have to go to Eu
rope before his return. He hopes to
catch the first steamer to Lake Le
Barge before the break up, and reach
home in time for his season’s work in
developing his mines.
All steamships operating in Alas
kan waters have been notified by
Secretary Nagel, of the department
of commerce and labor at Washing
ton, that stringent regulations in re
gard to the employment of wireless
operators on their vessels would be
come effective'July 1.
The new law requiring all ocean
going steamships touching the ports
of this country, carrying fifty or more
persons, including the crew, to be
equipped with a wireless apparatus
and carry a skilled operator, goes
into effect July 1, and now the de
partment of commerce and labor has
adopted methods of assuring the
competency of this class cf steam
ship employes.
TO HOLD CERTIFICATES.
Thv commissi"" announces that,
wireless operators holding valid cer
tificates issued by the governments
which have ratified the Berlin inter
national radio telegraphic conven
tion will be recognized as persons
skilled in the use of wireless appar
atus. This certificate testifies to the
proficiency of the operator as re
gards the adjustment of apparatus,
transmission and sound reading at a
speed which must not fall short of
twenty words a minute.
The United States government was
not represented at the Berlin con
vention, but the action taken is prac
tically ratified in the acceptance of
certificates issued urtder the service
regulations adopted.
CONVENTION IS RATIFIED.
The Berlin convention has been
ratified by the United Kingdom and
British South Africa, Germany and
all German protectorates, France,
Norway, Japan, the Netherlands,
‘Dutch Indies, Russia, Sweden, Aus
|tra-Hungary, Spain, Denmark, Bel
gium, Brazil, Turkey, Portugal, Rou
mania, Mexico, Bulgaria, Persia and
Tunis.
Knowledge of the regulations ap
! plicable to the exchange of radio-tel
egraphic traffic is required, and in ad
dition the certificate testifies that the
rm'Bmmpnt has bound the operator
to the obligation oi preserving the
secrecy of correspondence. Certifi
cates issued by governments which
have ratified the Berlin conveitlon
must be at hand for the inspettion
1 of customs officers before the vessel j
departs from the United States
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. !
The regulations which have Seen |
adapted by the department of <om-J
merce and labor provide that the op- :
erator must be able to send vith
an ordinary Morse key for five :on- i
: secutive minutes at not teas than
i twenty words per minute, five letters
being counted as a word.
He must be able to write legibly
I at the prescribed speed, to uhder
I
stand simple diagrams of the elec-!
; trical connections of the apparatus
and to name its principal .parts and!
1 their uses. He must also, be able !
i to describe the most common de
' fects of the apparatus and to give
the remedy for them.
EXAMINATIONS TO BE HELD.
Examinations to assure proficiency
will be held from time to time by
representatives of the government,
and after the certificates have been
issued the customs officers will be
empowered to make every wireless
ui<c»tor coming under the regula
tions of the new law show his cer
tificate before leaving port.
The new wireless law requires ves
sels affected by It to be equipped
with an apparatus capable of receiv
ing and transmitting messages over
a distance of 100 miles, night or
day.
Douglas re-elected its old council
and Mayor Mike O’Connor is still
at the helm, notwithstanding the
opposition of the insurgents, who
were completely snowed under.
“SENATOR” PURCHASES
THE CHIT!XA CRIi L
John Hirst, the well known •.•he'.'
• ho is known to everyone by “Sen?
ior ” and who for the past six weeks
h°s been a partner in the Nevad? res
taurant, has purchased the Hotel
C'hitina grill from the Schafer Bros,
end opened for business the evening
the transfer was made. All of Sen
ator’s friends are congratulating him
on the new move, for this well known
caterer will undoubtedly make the
Chltina grill one of the most popu
lar eating places in the North. His
motto is: “Your way is my way.”
and he is never so happy as when'
he has pleased a hungry patron. He
intends handling everything the mar
ket affords, and If you eat with him
once you are sure to go again.
ARRIVALS AT THE
HOTEL CHITIXA
At the Hotel Chltina this week,
are the following names, the mijor
ity being inside passengers, aid a
number from up the line en route
outside:
W. B. Vanderlip, J. H. Biggs, Nora
Burke, Chas. Gaby, P. B. Vaughn,
J. H. Ingram, B. Richardson, T.
Johnson, J. C. Readman Albert Mil
ler, B. Von Zlegpel, Prank Terry, A.
Kennedy, Ed. Jacobson, J. Parpon,
Chas. Miller, J. F, Bingham, R. Love
lace, Mrs. W. L. Aubert, P. W. Blak
ney, H. E. Elliott, John y McGinn,
P. P. Cummings, J. Walsh, E.
Youngs, Sam Rogers, Bert Poe. P. J.
MorlBey, R. V. Nyel, Mrs. Allen Ack
len, J. P. Marsh. Lee ScrogginB,.J.
A. Cleveland, T, J. Devenny and M.
Fitzgerald.
AMONG MARINE ENGINEERS.
Seattle M. E. B. A. No. 38 reports
the following appointments: R. Pen
field, first assistant, steamer Jeanle;
P. P. Kane, second assistant, steamer
Jeanle; J. L. Duggan, second assist
ant, steamer ChaB. Nelson; A. L.
Goodrich, first assistant, steamer La
Touche; J. S. Wright, first assistant,
steamer A. G. Lindsay; H. Kirkhoff,
second assistant, steamer Seward; P.
J. Lamcke, third assistant, steamer
Seward.
Billy Dougherty, who recently re
turned from a trip outside, is no*
section foreman at mile 183. and is
occasionally seen in Chitlna, mixing
with his many friends.
George Wilson, known as “Whisk
ers Wilson.“ was burled last week at |
Juneau.
MERRY PARTY GOES
TO THE KENMOOTT
In the private car of Supt. Van
Cleve the first of the week, Supt.
Samuel Murchinson, wife and his
daughters, George Max Esterl.v and
wife, Jesse Martin and wife, J. A.
Brownrigg, of Cordova, Or. Whiting,
Archie Sheila and J. C. Readmau,
made a trip to the Bonanza mine and
a most pleasant trip was reported.
Leeaving here early in the morning
the Bonanza mine was reached in
time for tea which was had at the
commissary mess house at the Bo
nanza after which the party visited
the mines and secured some splendid
snap shots of the scenery all along
the line. Mr. and Mrs. Esterly went
on to their properties at Chititu
creek, while the remainder of the
party came on down to mile 146 and
remained over night as the guests of
Dr. Whiting, returning to Chitina the
following day.
NOTICE.
Having dissolved partnership with
Jesse Brown, now in business at the
Nevada restaurant, I hold myself re
sponsible for no bills incurred by
him after April 19, 1911. The said
Jesse Brown will collect all moneys
due and pay all bills against the
former Urm of Hirst & Brown, of the
Nevada restaurant.
(Signed) JOHN HIRST, SENATOR.’
Washington, April 20.—Speaker
Champ Clark has appointed Dele
gate Wickersham as a member of the
public lands, military affairs and ter
ritorUo •oiuinitt0«B. Tilt Al&bkfr
representative served on the two lat
ter committees under Speaker Can
non.
MINES ARE TO BE OPENED. ,
The encouraging feature of the lit- j
Igatlon affecting the Alaska coal
lands is that whether the governmentj
wins or loses in the Supreme Court,1
the decision will clear the atmos
phere. It is regarded as certain that
the mines are to be opened, there
by according to Alaska a measure
of the recognition which is the due
of that territory.—Ex.
SERVES TERM RIGHT.
Attorney William Gilmore, politi
cal manager for Jim Wickersham
on Seward peninsula, has been elect
ed mayor of Nome after a spirited
contest and he says the new coun
cil will enforce the Sunday closing
law.
| Local News
i _
| John L. McGinn, the Fairbanks at
• torney. who recently left here for the
Cordova hospital, suffering with
rheumatism, was a returning passen
ger on Monday night’s train. Mr.
McGinn claimed to be much improved
and seemed anxious to return to his
work at Fairbanks.
: Oscar Larsen, the well known con
Iductor, who recently returned from
a two months' furlough to the states,
is now in charge of one of the trains
at the front.
Eddie Walsh the popular fireman,
who has been in Cordova since Cop
per Day, returned on Monday’s train
for work on the steam shovel at mile
158. It wa« reported that Eddie was
to remain In Cordova, as the Eagle
band needs him badly, and the gang
say there is someone else more im
portant than the band to Eddie, but
he’s too eood a steam shovel man
to be kept in Cordova, besides ’she”
and the band can wait until the sum
mer, when Eddie may return.
Tibbs Bros, got busy this week and
put up several tons of ice, having
constructed an ice house at the /ear
of their big and popular place of
business. When the warm, summer
| days come, this firm will serve 'urge
j ice cold lemonades, delicious ice
jcteam and all soft driuks. and r.s.
j there will be plenty of ice, i> riearis
’ nlenty of business tor then1,
j "Handsome" Johnny Reed. the
j well known locomotive engineer, who
lias been on the rotary all winter, ar
rived in town Monday and left for
the front on the following train to
take charge of the steam shovel at
mile 158.
i Jack Reed, the genial fat locomo
tive engineer, who has been running
between here and Cordova since his
return from ‘•Mexico,” with Fireman
Kitchman and Brakeman Thompson,
arrived here on Monday's train and
left for the front the following day
to take charge of one of the Katalla
Company engines in hauling grav
el for surfacing the low places of the
road bed.
Walter DeLong, who has been in
charge of the rotary since the re
turn of Chief Dispatcher Cracroft,
arrived here on Monday and left for
the front to have charge of one of
the gravel trains.
J. H. Biggs, the mining expert. F.
IE. Smith and John Delanders, left
| yesterday to look at some quartt
t >
I property in this vicinity and a good
' report is expected if the snow is melt
ed sufficiently for the met) to work.
J. C. Reedman, the commissioner
at Copper Center, arrived in town
the first of the week en route to Cor
dova on a business trip. While wait
ing here he took a trip out the line
as far as the Bonanza mine, with
Supt. Murchison and party.
Bert Foe, *ho has charge of the
teams with the road commission, was
a visitor in town Wednesday. Bert
was with us off and on all last fall,
while the new cut-off trail was being
built, and his many friends were glad
to see his genial face agaiu.
-vjr ;
TO LOCATK TINNBL8
(» NlCOIiAl rKOPKRTV
Thos. Blakney, the well known
mining and civil engineer, wan an ar
rival from Valdez this week, and
after spending a couple of days in
town left for the Nicolai group of
mines in the vicinity of the Kenne
cott, where he will locate the tun
nels to be driven on the property
and run the necessary lines for de
velopment work this season. Kd.
Youngs, who is in charge of the de
velopment work, came down the first
of the week to meet Mr. Blakney.
Mr. Youngs stated that as soon as
the locations are made for the new
tunnels, he will have a gang of min
ers begin operations at once, and as
their supplies are all in for the sea
; eon, considerable development work
wilt be done this y<*ar on (he Nlcclai
; mine, which is already patented and
| considered to be a first-cities copper
' mine.