THE CHITINA LEADER
CHITINA, ALASKA
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postofflce at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Conbress of March 2, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Tuesday by
HARRY G. STEEL, Editor and Proprietor.
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Times.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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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 District.
CHTtTXA. ALASKA, TTESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1915“
NO “WATCHFUL WAITING” IN ALASKA.
It took Wrangell, exactly twenty-four hours to settle the
Mexican question when the war suddenly broke out in that
town. The decision was final. Alaskan Action was pitted
pitted against “Watchful Waiting” and it won hands down.
When a cannery employee, who hailed from somewhere
south of the Rio Grande, became to free with his knife and
slashed the face of Wrangell’s fire chief, the action following
was simple as it was effective.
The citizens of Wrangell adverted to the good old Western
custom of posting a notice. It stated that any Mexican remain
ing within the town on the expiration of twenty-four hours
woud be hanged.
When the time limit expired the Mexicans were not there.
The story of their precipitate haste in leaving Wrangell im
presses the reader with the belief that the offenders knew that
the citizens meant what they said. So far as Wrangell is con
cerned, the Mexican war is over.
ficult to repress admiration for the result. Possibly Uncle Sam
might solve a knotty problem by proclaiming Wrangell a mili
tary adjunct and moving the whole belligerent outfit to the re
gion where “Watchful Waiting” has been tried and found to
be a failure.
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POPULARITY OF JUDGE BUNNELL.
Less than a year ago Charles E. Bunnell visited Fairbanks
and Interior Alaska for the first time. Almost a total stranger,
he made many friends, even among those politically allied
against him in his candidacy for the delegateship. He com
manded from all the respect ever accorded to sterling integrity
and honesty of purpose and the fact that his opponent was suc
cessful at the polls in no degree lessened the good opinion with
which Alaskans, by the end of the campaign, had come to re
gard Mr. Bunnell. The subsequent announcement, therefore,
that he had been appointed to the bench in the Fourth division
was cordially received and he entered upon the duties of his
office with the good wishes of all who had met him.
Although he has presided on the bench in Fairbanks for
but a few months, Judge Bunnell has acquired the confidence
of the people to a greater extent, possibly, than any of his
predecessors. Certain it is that today he is firmly established
in their regard. He has earned this appreciation by impartial
administration of the laws as he read them and the exercise of
such discretionary powers as he possesses along lines that dem
onstrate broad humanitarian views.
In other parts of the division in which court has been held
this summer similar commendation is accorded the judge and
it will not be surprising if other sections join with the Rubyites
in vocing the belief that he would make a most acceptable dele
gate. In the meantime, however, it is to the advantage of the
Fourth division that he is its presiding judge.—Fairbanks
Times.
INTO NEBULOUS REALMS.
Those of our l'eaders who complain that the Daily Times is
not furnishing all the sensational features of the war, as con
tained in some of the outside papers, may be interested in know
ing that much of this suff is flashed across the wires by the
Hearst International News Service and’ other agencies equally
as unreliable. Harper’s Weekly of October 9 contains a com
plete expose of the methods adopted by this sendee in the
attempt to “put one over” on the newspapers receiving its
telegraphic reports from a legitimate and trustworthy source.
Probably no more ludicrous attempt at hoodwinking ever
has been made by the submerged tenth, ethically speaking, of
the newspaper business. It is a pure case of fake at the foun
tain head.
Harper’s Weekly, after a thorough investigation, shows
that many of the correspondents of the International News
Service are purely imaginary beings, having no more real flesh
and blood than a painted totem. Stuff pertaining to the great
events of the war is written in New York or elsewhere some
5,000 miles from the great battlefields, and fictitious names of
correspondents supposed to be in Paris, London, Petrograd, or
perhaps in the gory advance trenches of one side or the wThere
the shells are falling a dozen at a time in the same spot, are
signed to these sanguine effusions of mendacity.
The public is expected to be Barnumized by these “human
interest.” “riglit-on-the-spot,” personally conducted,*” “eye
witness” tales of events that often never happen, and when they
do, reportorial wit and clever extravagance of verb and adjec
tive color them far past the point simple truth.
And so the fact remains that those who are looking for the
truth about the war or anything else must depend upon the
Associated Press, whose business is that of truth-purveying.
It never yet has even been accused of faking. In fact, faking
is practically impossible with the Associated Press, so careful
are protective lines thrown around its production of news. Its
service is so carefully prepared that its reports are accepted
by the the great historians, by the President of the United
States and by high officials everywhere, as matters of fact.
We’ve been expecting this expose of the International
News Service for many a day. For some months it has been
very apparent to newspaper men that it has been venturing fur
ther and further into the nebulous realms o fthe unbelieviable.
: -:o:
WANT BUNNELL TO ENTER RACE THE RACE.
» _________________
If the report be true that Judge Bunnell is seriously con
sidering hit* candidacy for Delegate to Congress he will prove
a most formidable opponent to Delegate Wickersham’s aspira
tions for re-election. While it is true that these men were
pitted against each other in the last fight for this office, it is also
trne that at the time Bunnell was practically unknown through
out the territory. Since then, however, he has succeeded to
Wickersham’s old place on the bench and what’s more he has
made good. As a result the residents of the Tanana valley,
who have never given an opponents of Wickersham’s enough
votes to “pad a crtuch” are clam’oring for Bunnel to again
enter the race and promise him that undivided support that
was heretofore polled against him. This is in truth a peculiar
condition, but politics take strange turns and possibly the vot
ers of the interior want to send a representative to Washington
that has some party ties and may be abl to secure something
constructive for Alaska. Whatever the cause there a grow
ing sentiment among the interiorites in favor of making Bun
nell the next delegate.
CORDOVA S FINE HARBOR.
There is no harbor in the world more completely landlock
ed than is Cordova, and’ few easier to protect from a foreign
enemy, while the anchorage is of the best. It is estimated by
the Coast and Geodetic Survey, that over 100 vessels may be
anchored' in an adequate depth of water in Cordova Bay, and
have a 400-vard swing toipaeli vessel. Because of this large
area of good anchorage, and because Cordova Bay is free from
the prevailing defect of Alaskan harbors, of having too great a
j depth of water, it is considered by mariners, one of the best
harbors of all our coast line.
To bring the Bering coal to Cordova at tidewater, it must
he hauled about 30 miles further than to Controller Bay, but in
bringing copper to Controller Bay, it must also be hauled 30
miles further than to Cordova. The coal tonnage for the re
duction of copper ore is only one-fifth of the ore tonnage, hence
all the advantage is with Cordova against Controller Bay,
even though it were possible to make a harbor at the latter
point, and to protect it from invasion.
With this splendidly euipped broad-gauge railroad run
ning up the rich Copper River country nearly 200 miles, what is
the matter with this section of Alaska? Why was it necessary
for the government to engage in still another railway enter
prise in this territory? One answer suffices for the three ques
tions, and that answer is, that the ultra-conservationists stop
ped the development of the country, by withdrawing the coal
and oil and timebr lands which everybody knows are of vital
importance, not only to the development of the country, but
to the continuation of business after it has developed. That
condition still exists. I am not opposing the Alaska Northern
Railroad enterprise, extending from Seward into interior. It
is needed, but private capital should be encouraged to develop
Alaska. Has it been? Let the facts answer.
When the construction of the Copper River and North
western Railway, the Alaska Northern Railway, the Tanana
Valley Railway, and several other enterprises were begun, the
same laws prevailed under which every other section of the
United States was developed. Without warning all the coal,
timber and oil lands were withdrawn, and their use prohibited’.
It is true that this was done in 1906, and before the roads were
fully constructed'. But it was believed to be but a temporary
withdrawal and it was not dreamed that the men that had made
locations in good faith of coal and oil would be refused patents
until long after the roads had expended millions on their con
struction. Then it was learned that secret agents of the gov
ernment were employed’ to spy on the claim holders and harass
them in every conceivable way, to the end that their claims be
confiscated. Many of the claim holders, who had spent thous
ands of dollars, some even as much as $500,000, in the develop
ment of their properties, were arrested and tried for fraud.
But, notwithstanding the great power the government weilds
in such matters, not one of these men has been convicted.
Nevertheless their claims have been cancelled and’ the money
invested lost.
In all Alaska thei'e have been but three coal tracts gone
to patent. Two of these, one of 40 acres on Admiralty Island
in southeastern Alaska, and the other a 40-acre tract in Cook’s
Inlet, are lignite coal of poor quality and of no commercial
value. The third is a 160-acre tract located in the Bering
River field, which it is said contains no coal, but was originally
taken up for tipple and bunker sites. The government still
retains in its treasury thousands of dollars paid to it at the rate
cf $10 an acre for lands located upon.—Leslies Weekly.
?n •.
At Fairbanks it will cost $20,500 to maintain the schools for
the ensuring term.
Nome Republicans have organized a club and are getting
busy for next year’s territorial campaign.
Uncle Sam has pinned his faith to Carranza and Villa says
the end of the revolution in Mexico is afar off.
“Love, like lightning, never knows where it is going to
strike.’’ There are no lightning rods on the White House,
apparently.
An attempt is now being made to “smoke out” Governor
Strong’s private secretary, W. W. Shortliill, formerly of
Cordova, along purely partisan lines.
Considerable interest is already being manifested in the
territorial election to be held next year, and from present indi
cations there will be plenty of candidates for the different
offices to be filled.
Col. Roosevelt has lived up to the expectations of his
friends, political and nimrodical, falling in no wise short of hon
ored traditions. It is not within the bounds of reason that
even the bravest among us should stand still and be bitten by a
bull moose.
We’re not curious, nor nothin’, but we’d like to know what
she calls him—“Willie,” “Woody” or “Prexy,” and when and
how the matter was broached, if it has been broached, of drop
ping the dignified “Mr. President” for something more dove
like and cozy.
After being scruntinized like an insect under a microscope
for three years, Ishi, California’s specimen wild man, is again
to be turned loose in his native haunts because he could not en
dure the confinement of civilized life. After all the professors
have learned from him is the greatest lesson Ishi has taught to
be that the primitive is the best state for man?
The people of Anchorage are said to have a bitter feeling
towards Seward. One man is reported to have got up at a
meeting of the Commercial club of that city some time ago and
to have stated that he will gladly help to smash our future.
He must be a terrible sort of an individual with super-human
powers or, at least, a very inflated opinion of his own import
ance. Let us hope that his prototypes in the new railroad city
are less numeros than noisy—Seward Gateway.
The auto trucks on the government trail are experiencing
considerable trouble in making time over roads where the mud
is knee-deep, but as soon as the freeze-up comes the distance
from Fairbanks to Chitina should be covered in threedays.
The Portland Oregonian suggests that the worst example
in recent history of subordinating wise public policy to politi
cal consideration is the action of the administration in the mat
ter of the Alaska railroad The Oregonian editorially deals
with the subject at considerable length.
COLD LODES IN
WHITE RIVER
DISTRICT
For many years the existence of low
grade gold lode deposists in the
White River region has been known.
In 1906 a small stamp mill was erect
ed at a gold lode on Jacksina Creek,
a tributary of Nabesna River, and 60
tons of ore crushed in this mill is re
ported to have yielded $12 a ton of
free gold. This marks the most seri
ous effort to develop a gold lode prop
erty in the region, but other lodes have
.been staked, and varying amounts of
I excavation have been done on them.
As a result of the gold placer stampede
| in 1902 from Dawson into the basin
of Beaver creek near the international
boundary, a large number of gold lode
claims were staked in that genera!
district. These claims, situated on
Beaver Creek near the boundary and
on Beaver and Fourmile creeks, and
I ltttle development work has since
Creekbeen done on them. On Cha
thenda Creek at the mouth of Bonan
za Creek a mineralized dike, known
to contain some free gold, has been
staked a number of times within the
last eight years, but no serious at
tempts to prospect it have been made.
The discovery of the rich placer de
posits in 1913 naturally stimulated
the search for the gold lodes from
which the placers were derived, and
a considerable number of gold lode
claims have been staked in the dis
trict surrounding the placer mines. At
the mouth of Bonanza Creek the min
eralized area, which was first staked
several years ago. was prospected by
tunnels each only a few feet long.
For a distance of several hundred feet
along Bonanza Creek the walls of the
rock canyon are composed of an in
trusive rock, from pink to gray in
color, mottled with phenocrysts of
darker minerals and containing abund
ant pyrite, the whole being oxidized on
the surface to rusty red color. There
are in places bunches composed al
most entirely of pyrite, and some
small quartz veins cut the mass. The
dike cuts Carboniferous lavas and
pyroclatic rocks and apparently strikes
N. 20 degrees West and dips about
75 degress South. The quartz vein
lets are said to carry several ounces
of gold to the ton, and the whole dike
is reported to be auriferous. It Is
said that free gold can be panned
from the oxidized and decayed sur
face portion of the outcrop. No assay
reports of the gold content were avail
able, and too little work has been done
to determine the average gold tenor
of the dike, the location of the ore
shoots, or the extent of the auriferous
portion of the dike.
In the canyon of Chathenda Creek,
about halfway between the mouth of
Dry Gulch and Bonanza creek, there is
a zone of mineralization in the Car
boniferous rocks and the diorites
which intrude them. This mineraliz
ed belt strikes approximately N. 65
degrees West and dips 78 degrees
Southwest, and a large group of claim*
has been staked upon it, extending
from the canyon of Chathenda Creek
up the mountain to the north. Two
tunnels 10 and 15 feet long have been
driven in a steep gully that joins the
canyon, and several open cuts have
been made. As shown by these dis
connected openings, there is a belt
raching a width of 10 feet, of rusty
mineralized country rock cut by some
quartz veins which carry sulphides
and are stained by green copper car
bonate. No sampling was done by
the wirter, but it is reported that as
says taken from the quartz veins have
shown a high gold content. Other
claims supposedly on the continuation
of this mineralized zone, have been
staked on both side of upper Dry
Gulch.
Some quartz claims have also been
staked on Canyon Creek about three
fourths of a mile above its mouth, but
no development work had been done
there.
THINKS FORMER TEACHER
IS LIVING IN SNOW HOUSE
Miss Burroughs, teacher in the pri
mary department of our public
schools, has received the following
interesting and unique letter from
one of her former pupils at San Lean
der, California:
"The children in my class are so
lonesome about you leaving them that
they were all determined to write you.
It is so warm here the children do not
like to study. I think it must be pret
ty cold up where you are. How do
you get along with the little Esquimo
children? Do they all go to school
with their fur clothes? How are all
snow houses? Are you living In one."
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Read the Times, Dally and weekly
and send it to your friends.
if AGAIN BE I
CANDIDATE FOR
DELEGATE
There has been a rumor circulated |
about town for some time past that;
Marshal L. T. Erwin was endeavor-j
ing to induce Judge Bunnell to resign
his judgeship in order to enter the
race for the delegateship next year,
and that his place is to be filled by the
appointment of G. Ellis Gardner, as
soon as that trusty old Democratic
warhorse can get back to North Caro
lina and secure the support of the con
gressional delegation from that state.
We did not at first believe there was
anything to this rumor, but the an
nouncement made by Marshal Erwin
in the Sunday Times, together with
other coincident circumstances, serve
as a rather complete confirmation.
G. Eillis Gardner stated upon leav
ing Fairbanks that he was coming
back but would give no definite an
swer as to the nature of the capacity
in which he would serve after his re
turn. It was quite generally sup
posed before the appointment of judge
was made last winter that Mr. Gard
ner was the marshal’s favorite candi
date. so if Erwin can secure a few
more of those reports from his depu
ties and thus induce Judge Bunnell to
resign, the marshal will then have ht8
own judge and be boss not only of the
Democratic party, but of the communi
ty as well.
If this rumor should prove to be
true, it is to be deplored that the
Fourth division is to be deprived of
the services of Mr. Bunnell on the
bench, as he has up to the present
time filled his position in a dignified
and impartial manner.—Fairbanks
News-Miner.
coimTects
The Common Council held an ad
journed meeting last night in the
Town Hall. Councilmen Slater, How
ard, Davis and Smith were present.
The School Board asked for $358.00 to
run the school for the present month,
which was granted. The report of
the Chief of Police and Town Clerk
were received end ordered placed on
file.
The matter of the appointment of
an assessor for this year came up un
der the head of new business. But
one application had been filed for the
place, that of O. E. Lambert, and Mr.
Lambert was elected to the position,
and his salary fixed at $10.00, that
being the sum paid heretofore for the
work.
The clerk called the attention of the
Council to an error in the Election
Ordinance passed by the last council,
which provided that vacancies in the
council should be filled at a special
election. The law of the Territory
requires that vancancies in the coun
cil, should be filled by the council
themselves, and the clerk was in
structed to draw up an ordiance to
bring the present ordinance in con
formity with the law on the matter.
An error in the Assessment law, which
was amended and corrected by the
last territorial legislature was also
considered, and the clerk instructed
to draw up an ordinance in accordance
with the present wording of the sta
tue.
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NATIVE SON OF GOLDEN
NORTH IS NATURAL SONGSTER
While in the States last winter.
Bob Crawford, son of R. M. Craw
ford, of Fairbanks, wrote words and
music for a number of northern songs
which are now being published in
Seattle and which will be spread
broadcast throughout Alaska and the
Northwest. Bob is now with the
survey party on the Nenana river, but
his brother, Sam Crawford, is look
ing after the pubication of his songs.
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ROLL OF HONOR AMONG
PUPILS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Miss Ware, principal of the Cordo
va public cchools, reports that the
following pupils were neither absent
or tardy for the first month of the new
schoolsterm: Gladys Hedges, Gene
vieve RosBWog, Sam Hedges, John
Rosswog, Sanford Finkelstein, Gay
Elliott, Roberta Flory. In the pri
mary grade: Don Bollinger, Head
lee Lambrey, Brook Lambrey, Bever
ly McKinney, William O’Neill, Helen
Downing, Elaine Bollinger, Melba
Norman.
COMMISSI TO
CARE FOR ITS
EMPLOTES
Under the direction of Secretary of
the Interior Lane, the men who work
on the construction of the government
railway in Alaska will receive the
benefits of compensation for accidents
under a system already arranged and
■announced. An order recently is
sued by the Secretary reads:
“Employes of the Alaskan engineer
ing commission shall have the right to
receive compensation for injuries sus
tained in the course of their employ
ment white actually in the Territory of
Alaska at the rates and in the
amounts, and on the conditions pro
vided in the act entitled ‘An act grant
ing to certain employes of the United
States the right to receive from It
compensation for injuries sustained in
the course of their employment,’ ap
proved May 30, 1908.
“Claims for compensation on ac
count of injury or death resulting from
accident thus occurring hereafter shall
be settled by the chairman of the Al
askan engineering commission, who
shall as to all such claims, and under
such regulations as he may prescribe,
perform the duties which, under said
act, are placed upon tfie secretary of
commerce and labor, provided that
when an injury results in death,
claims for compensation on account
thereof shall be filed with him within
one year after such death."
Secretary Lane also directs that the
Alaskan engineering commission shall
make no charge for the services of its
medical or surgical officers in Alaska
or to any person who, while under con
tract with the commission, is injured
in Alaska in the course of the govern
ment's railway construction.
The provision covers possible in
juries to “station men” who perform
work under contract. The order fur
ther provides that “in case such in
jury of such persons not an employe
be such that the chairman of the com
mission shall deem it beneficial that
he shall be conveyed to any other
point in Alaska or to the city of Seat
tle for medical or surgical treatment
not available at the place where such
injury occurs," the commission shall
pay the patient’s transportation.
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NORTHWESTERN ON DRYDOCK
SAILING IS POSTPONED
The steamer Northwestern will not
sail front Seatttle on her regular
schedule, but will be three or four
days late in starting back north as
she goes on the drydock. Instead of
leaving Puget Sound next Sunday she
will not sail for Cordova until Octo
ber 27th or 28th.
Banker On Way to Fair.
R. C. Woods, president of the First
National bank at Fairbanks is now at
Chitina, awaiting a train to come to
Cordova. He is on his way to the
states, where he will be joined by Mrs.
Woods and together they will attend
the Panama exposition.
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ALL KINDS WEARING APPAREL
STREWN OVER POST OFFICE
The local post office resembles a
ladies' furnishing store, as all kinds
of wearing apparel is to be seen on
display. This represents some of the
parcel post packages that were re
covered from the wrecked Mariposa
and as water washed off the address
It was necessary to open packages for
identification. Some of the contents
are damaged while others were merely
water-soaked and have since been
dried out. Parties owning same are
requested to call at the post office, in
order that where losses were sustain
ed they can be adjusted.
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS
In Commissioner's Court for Chitlna
Precinct, Territory of Alaska,' In
Probate.
In the Matter of the Estate of Nel^
Oscar Sail, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that E. E.
Ritchie has been duly appointed and
has duly qualified as administrator of
the estate of Nels Oscar Sail, de
ceased, in a proceeding In the above
named court. All persons having
claims against said estate are required
to present them, with proper vouchers,
within six months from the date of
this notice, to said administrator at
the office of the commissioner of Chiti
na precinct, in the town of Chitina,
Alaska.
Dated, Chitina, Alaska, October 15,
1915.
E. E. RITCHIE,
Administrator of the Estate of
Nels Oscar Sail, Deceased.
First Publication, Oct. 19, 1915.
Last publication, Nov. 16, 1915.