Stiff ffilftttna tfahfr
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Cordova Office: Dally Alaskan
Published every Saturday by
WILL A. STS EX. MAMMY O. ITU1
Editors, Managers and Proprietors
O. B. EEEHETT, City Editor
ADVERTISING RATES:
Made know n upon application. They
will be found reasonable for the ser
vice given.
CHITINA, bATURDAY, NOV. 12, '10
LET US MINE
OUR OWN COAL
THE CHITINA CUT-OFF.
It is well nigh on thirteen years
since Major Abercrombie, an adven
turous agent of the War Department,
drifted on the tide of human events
to the shores of southern Alaska. He
came on a quest of exploration. His
instructions were to proceed up the
valley of the Copper river and scien
tifically explore and dlsceminate an
accurate knowledge of the same. His
subsequent reports and revelations of
this then unknown region awakened
the interest of the entire world. He
revealed to his native country a hid
den empire teeming with incalcula
ble wealth. He gave to her the Cop
per river way, the brightest star in
the Alaskan galaxy.
Without so much as a map to
guide him, he laid bare to a won
dering world, the resilient, the mar
velous possibilities of an empire un
dreamed of in the mind of man. In
his wake came the fearless voyagers
the dauntless argonauts, the sturdy
pioneeds, who penetrated the val
leys, pushed across the trackless
wastes, through the mountain bar
riers the thin wedge of civilization
that rent asunder the myth of the
“great national ice chest” and made
Alaska the golden dawn of the Amer
ican continent.
Abercrombie post dated one Al
lan by twelve years and one Sch
watka by thirty. Allan, in an indif
ferent way, in company with some
Indians, made a canoe trip up the
Copper river in the summer of 1884.
On his return he brought no knowl
edge of practical value. Scientifical
ly, his venture was a failure. His
story is one of hair-raising experien
ces, with swift running streams and
with crafty Indians.
Lieutenant Schwatha in the trou
blesome days of the civil war, floated
from the head waters of the Hoot
alinqua down the Yukon to its
mouth, a distance of 2,400 miles. On
the deck of a gun boat he skirted
along the shores of southern Alas
ka. He turned his prow through
some shoreland pass and vexed the
waters of some unknown bay, to
which, as fancy suited, he would give
a name. But his report is nothing
more than a fine contribution to
belle-letters. It is replete with elo
quent descriptions of gorgeous scen
ery. It was written in diary form,
and Its reading proves more inter
esting than profitable.
To Abercromoie alone belongs the
credit of a task well done. It was he
who started the ball of progress a
rolling. At any rate subsequent
events at Washington conclusively
demonstrated that Congress placed
a confidence in him which was in
consistent with all precedent. They
received his suggestions and acted
on faith. It was Abercrombie who
led to the creation of wagon roads
and government trails throughout
the North. He prophesied the com
ing of the railroad. It was through
a hint of his that the late M. J.
Heney, packed by the Close broth
ers, of London, made his prelimi
nary surveys and explorations from
the head waters of Cordova bay into
the interior by way of the Copper
river valley. Heney’s explorations
for a suitable route and terminal
harbor along the southern coast of
Alaska extended from the year 1898,
while he was building the White
Pass and Yukon, from the head wa
ters of Lynn canal in southeastern
Alaska to the Yukon, to the spring
of 190C, when he began the construc
tion of the Copper River Railway.
Abercrombie is the father of the
Copper river way. In his mind's eye
he saw it be ribboned with the gleam
ing rails of modern commerce. He
declared it to be the only feasible
and practical route for a railroad
to the inland empire, which he fore
saw must some day beckon to the
call of civilisation. Contemporary
events have proven beyond all cavil
the inspired wisdom of his prophecy.
We have been given to see the in
flation and bursting of the Seward
bubble. Our ears have been at
tuned to the funeral dirge of the
passing Valdez. Her radiant star has
declined and is rapidly descending
into oblivion as a gateway to the
great interior. We have witnessed
the unruly billows of the stormy Pa
cific sweep the Katalla project, the
lamentable folly of Rogers, off the
face of the map. One and all, built
on founadtions of Band, are being
lost in the remorseless shuffle of
Time.
"Cordova, the hand-maiden of des
tiny, is in the ascendant. To her is
extended the palm of the Future.
The Guardian of the Copper river
way, her resplendent light reveals
to men the route to and from the
North.
The Copper river way extends from
Cordova at tidewater to Chitina at
the confluence of the Chitina cut
off and the main line of the Copper
River & Northwestern railway, a dis
tance of 132 miles. The Chitina cut
off wagon road is the link that con
nects the famous interior trail with
the town of Chitina, the north en
trance of the Copper river way. It
is here that the main line of the
Copper River & Northwestern rail
way turns and winds its serpentine
course up the valley of the Chitina
on to the Bonanza mines.
Following in the paths oi ADer
crombie came one Major Richardson
of the U. S. army. At his initia
tion Congress established a road
commission, whose express end was
the establishment and maintenance
of wagon roads in the territory of
Alaska. It was under the auspices
of the commission that the famous
route known as the Valdez trail was
built. The story of the trail is the
story of the North, that vast, myster
ious North of living history and of
fiction, that wide and teeming North i
of today, that North of stampedes,
pack trains and golden raids. Ovei
this trail has flowed the migratory
tides of humanity for the last de
cade. We can recall in the days of
its glory, when heavy laden pack
trains contended with the narrow de
files of Keystone canyon and negoti
ated the heights of Thompson’s pass,
as they made their undulating way
over hill and plain. But the romantic
pack train has given away to the lo
comotive, that powerful agent of
commerce, which thunders its way
down the valley of the Copper. The
old trail has passed its heydey. It
has given way to the new route, the
Copper river way.
Midway on tne Valdez route at a
point called Willow creek the trav
elers of the future will turn on their
course and pursue their way on the
finished boulevard of the Chit'na cut
off for the short distance of 39 miles
to the town of Chitina. Here the
snowshoe and the sledge shall be dis
carded. Here the rigors and hard
ships of the trail shall be forgotten.
He shall find ample accommodations
in commodious hotels. He shall find
here the divisional point of a great
railway. Should he elect not to lay
over, he may, without delay, board
a through and up-to-date passenger
train, which leaves daily for Cor
dova, situated on tidewater.
The Chitina cut-off is not merely a
project. It is a solid actuality, which
the railway company, the Chitina
Townsite company and the citizens
of Cordova have pushed to comple
tion. To this worthy end the inter
ests mentioned above, gave liberally
of their cash. The Copper River &
Northwestern railway company con
tributed $1,500, the Chitina Town
site Company followed suit in like
amount, while the citizens of Cor
dova subscribed a cash fund, making
a grand total of nearly $6,000. Of
this amount $500 was diverted for
the installing of the Cordova-Katal
la telephone line, leaving the ap
proximate sum of $5,500 for the
maintenance of way of the Chitina
cut-off road. Over and above this,
about $4,500 has been expended for
labor. This part of the new cut-off’s
finances was collected as road tax
under the Nelson act. It may be
readily seen by these figures that the
road does not suffer for lack of
money or energy.
The possibilities and advantages
of the new cut-off will be apparent to
alL Times change, and men with
them. So long as there was no oth
er mode of travel than that offered
by the old Valdez route men were
content and said it was good. Bat
with the coming of the railway traf
fic must necessarily find its way in
the wake of the iron steed. The lux
ury of modern railway travel will
appeal to sane men more effectively
we surmise than hazardous conten
tion with the inclement storms of
Thompson's pass and Keystone can
yon, which lie in the way of the dis
carded Valdez route.
Local News
A. J. Campbell, who has been in
charge of the relay station at Tie
kel, passed through Chitina the first
of the week. After installing the re
lay at the new headquarters, mile
146, he left for Cordova and took the
Victoria for a trip outside. W. E.
Brown succeeds him as relay man.
Assistant Chief Engineer Alfred
Williams made a business trip to
Cordova on Saturday last, returning
on Monday evening’s train to super
intend the work at different points
all along the line. "
Jim Douherty, of Cordova, piid
us a visit during last week, and con
templates the purchase of property
here. Jim is the head boilermaker
in the general shops of the Copper
River & Northwestern railway at Cor
dova. While in Chitina he combined
business with pelasure. He executed
some heavy repair work on engines
Nos. 6 and 6, employed in switch i
service in the Chitina yards. He will
return during the month to purchase
property.
Robert DeWellington, who has
been employed in the store depart
ment at Tiekel during the past sum
mer, passed through Chitina this
week on bis way to 146. He will
act as assistant to Mr. Walton in
charge of the material yards at mile
146.
Joe Campbell, the relay operator
stationed at Tiekel, left for the states
on the 8th of the preesnt month.
Mr. Campbell formerly operated the
relay station at Miles Glacier during
the two years of bridge construction
at that place. He longs for the flesh
pots of the outside, and leaves for a
well earned rest.
Johnny Dykes came up with the
Tiekel officials on Monday. After
establishing the new camp to his
liking he concluded to let the other
boys run it for a few weeks any,
way, while he goes to the Katalla
Company headquarters store in Cor
dova.
Resident Engineer T. W. Secrest,
who has been in charge of the work
from Chitina to mile 127, after
abandoning his camp and taking a
short trip to Cordova, returned the
first of this week to wind up his
affairs for the winter.
Albert Berg, man of all work for
the boys at Tiekel, who consider him
the best “bull cook” on the line, had
charge of the boys on the way up to
the new camp on Monday.
O. W. Kennedy, official photog
rapher for the Katalla Company,
made another trip over the line this
week and secured some fine views,
most of which are now in winter
clothing of the beautiful.
The last of the Heney forces and
all equipment left the once bustling
camp of Tiekel on Tuesday of this
week. Most of the office force left
on Monday, though a few remain
ed with the paymaster to finish pay
ing off the men already at Tiekel.
So far only ten inches or snow nas
fallen in the upper country, with the
thermometer hovering around the 30
below mark.
♦ 4«4444444»444»44-4»♦♦♦♦♦♦»
l L°g.
Uabin
Restaurant ii
«► <«
«► <>
<►
:: = ::
«► <►
GOOD OOFFEZ
:: -
H. R. George, cashier for the con
tracting company, who has been lo
cated at Tiekel for the past six
months, passed through Chitina on
Tuesday evening en route to the new
headquarters camp at mile 146.
———
Dr. E. M. Smith, who made a hur
ried business trip to Cordova on Mon- j
day, returned to Kuskalina again on
Tuesday evening. Mrs. Smith ac
companied him as far as Chitina. and
after a short visit with friends re
turned to her home in Cordova.
L. Martine, dubbed by the gang
as the “Privates Secretary,” was
among the Tiekel officials on Mon
day's train going to the new camp
at mile 146.
A. E. Stevenson, one of the clerks
in the timekeeper’s office at Tiekel,
was one of the crowd on Monday’s
train en route to the new camp.
Arthur Hobson, an assistant host
ler in the engine service, has been
promoted to the general manager
ship of the scoop on engine number 1.
R. L. Richelsen, resident engineer
at mile 191, will soon be shaking
hands with his old cronies on the
lower end of the road. “Dynamite
Die,” as he is familiarly known, has
a “rep” as a pistol shot and may be
induced to give an exhibition provid
ing the “inducements” and a worthy
opponent be forthcoming.
Resident Engineer Eby, stationed
at mile 187, arrived here the. latter
part of the week en route to the
coast. This party is the last of the
Katalla Company's forces at the
front and marks the close of active
residencies for this year.
Daniel Boyle, resident engineer at
mile 173, and party arrived here
Thursday afternoon en route for the
outside.
"Attorney” Wm. Thompson, of
mile 173, is en route to his home
at Blaine, Wash., where, after en
joying a well earned rest, he con
templates entering into business.
Engineer Spangler is now installed
at camp 149 with Jack Cook acting
as chef de cusine.
W. S. McCune, chief timekeeper
for the contracting company, with
headquarters at Tiekel since the es
tablishing and abandonment of that
live camp, is novv with the new camp
at 146, coming up on Monday night’s
train.
A. E. Baker, who has been em
ployed as pay roll clerk on the Heney
roll, at Tiekel, passed through Chit
ina on the first of the week to take
up his duties at the new camp. Mr.
Baker has invested in property here
and has great faith in Chitina as a
future inland city.
Washington, Nov. 12.—The depos
its of the postal savings banks have
increased to 14,000,009,000.
■ niMiMMHiiii
| OSBORNE I
! ! THE ! I
::
; ; PRACTICAL
Jeweler
< > ..
< > CORDOVA, • ALASKA
< l II!
Watches aad Jewelry at
:: ::
;i Outside P/ices
< >Leave Your Work at the Leader. .
' > Office • I!
< i . i
< > . 11
^1.1:
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*
Chitina Bakery ::
i: & Coffee House ::
«» 4 •
X GESSNER & STANGNETH :'
44 Proprietors 41
I ■< ► 44
FRESH BREAD Z
Oakes and Pastry
<> «►
4 > Always on Hand 4 •
44 44
«. 44
<> 44
4 • Main Street, — Chitina. 4 4
4 4 44
Northern Meat Market
CHITINA BRANCH
Wholesale and Retail Butchers
HOTELS, RESTArRAXTS, MIXING CAMPS, STATION CAMPS,
, AND ROAD HOUSES SUPP PLIED AT CORDOVA PRICES
PETER SHEARMAN, Manager.
I Of course you want
DRUGS
In Chitina
You can get the beat
at the
PIONEER
, DRUG
j STORE
♦ In Cordova
♦
4 Special attention paid to out
X of-iown orders
X L. L. DODGE,'Prop.
♦♦♦■1100 >m III I l"H ++4+4H
When in Cordova Stop in
and See
I “DENVER MIKE”
at the
DENVER
BAR
THE WORKINGMAN’S
RESORT
Corner First Ave., and C
• Street
FURNISHED
| ROOMS IN
CONNECTION
1111 > M <♦♦♦<<♦♦♦♦♦♦♦< *♦■!
CHITINA ROUP HOUSE
Mile 133
C. M. F. COLE, Proprietor
Chitina Transfer
P. ACKLES, Proprietor.
Freighting and Teaming
of all kinds
BAGGAGE DELIVERED
♦♦♦« 1119 HMIIM-H ’
Chitina Laundry::
and Bath House ::
NICE HOT BATHS j
Good Work
Guaranteed :;
* *
« »
\ Branch Office and Barber * \m
Shop at Stringer's, « »
« >
JOHN RAWSON, Prop. ;
ALASKA STEAHSHIP CO.
Fastest and most commodious steamers sailing between
Cordova and Seattle.
Sails from Seattle—; Sails from Cordova—
Nov. 8.ALAMEDA.Nov. 16
“ 16.NORTHWESTERN. *• 24
“ 24.ALAMEDA...-.Dec 1
Dec. 1.NORTHWESTERN.Dec. 9
This company reserves the right to change schedule or
steamers without notice.
Tickets on sale at up-town office Alaska Steamship Bldg.
Baggage or freight will not be received at dock later than one
hour before sailing time.
R. J. BARRY, THOMAS J. TALLENT
General Agent. Ticket Agent.
Washington fir Lumber
ii < >
■ i ___=^=============s=== •'
!! < *
And Cedar Shingles
: • Also Building Material of all kinds I:
i CHITINA TOWNSITE i
COMPANY