TANAPM LEADER
Published Every Thursday at Tanaka, Alaska.
Vtl. 3 SAM J. CALLAHAN. EDITOR No. 0
Oeo. AJ. Arbasklo. Manager
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IT SLIGHT EE WORSE
It is not to be denied that the present, outlook for In
terior Alaska has its dark side. Notwithstanding all the
stampeding, exploring and prospecting, a second Fairbanks
has not been struck and a decrease in gold output and in
population seems probable. There is no longer any “easy
money” to prospect with, and the country has not reached
that stage of development which appeals to capital as a
field for investment in productive enterprise. The tarifl
protects nobody and nothing here, and the high prices hit
hard. The outflow of gold is not met by a corresponding
inflow.
These things had as well be looked at as they are
and frankly acknowledged. At the same time it is better
not to overlook the bright side of the picture. A great
majority of those here are of long residence and are capa
ble of adopting many expedients. Better results from
poor ground can be had than formerly, and a readjustment
of personal habits goes far toward offsetting the high cost
of the necessaries of life. Gradually the fact is gaining
recognition that the country is capable of producing much
of the food supply. It is proven that quartz mining has a
future, at least in a few localities. The possibilities of new
discoveries both in placer and quartz are limitless.
Where could one go to better his present condition or
his chances for the future?
RflALTROS APJD MSS CRITICS
When in 1798 Malthus was moved to publish the obvi
ous truths contained in what is termed the Malthusian
Theory, it is scarcely believable that he realized the noto
riety the step would bring him. In reducing to writing a
few facts that were open to and easily comprehended by all
ordinary minds, he has kept people busy for a hundred and
twelve years declaring they are not so. Without clothing
his “theory” in any extra frills, it is, that population in
creases in geometrical ratio while means of subsistence in
creases in arithmetical ratio; wherefore, he reasoned cor
rectly, the inevitable tendency is for population to outrun
its means of gaining a livelihood. Therefore, he argued,
war, pestilence, the debauchery by individual members of
society that destroys their fecundity—those things men call
sinful—operate to maintain the equilibrium and allow those
most worthy of survival to exist in tolerable comfort.
If such reasoning is correct—and it is at least mainly
so- -the man who merely put the proposition in print is not
blamable for the apparent cruelty it implies.
However, humanity has not nearly reached the end of
its tether in supplying itself with food. Long before it
does so the same old processes of elimination will be set in
motion and there will be made room and opportunity.
Just now the high prices of living and the lack of op
portunity to earn is causing the Malthusian Theory to be
talked of and twisted into a good many grotesque shapes.
Some seem to think people are growing so universally be
nevolent that the very evil that would come were the lesser
ills stayed is already in sight, and are suggesting man
made rules to barricade against the oncoming rush. One
of these writing in the New York Sun, says: “The time is
coming when there will be more people on the earth than
it can feed. I shall be dead then, so I will give my advice
now. Don’t let tp0n and women marry till they are 35 or
40 years old. This law would bring relief in a generation
or two. Such.a remedy wohld only have to be used every
two or three hundred years.” .
That expedient was doubtless unthought of by Malthus.
But, come to consider, why not amend the law so as to pro
hibit men and women from marrying at all, and thereby
put an end to all the misery?
THE PROBLEM OF CHEAPER RAILROADS
In British Columbia, where similar obstacles to cheap
construction of railroads exist as are met with in Alaska,
work has been commenced on a gyroscope monorail road,
the first of its kind in America to be devoted to commercial
traffic. According to the Victoria Colonist, the line will
circle Okanagan lake, touching all points on the shores of
that large body of water. Spur tracks will be laid to all
nearby points where possible business justifies them. The
strong points claimed for the new kind of road is low cost
of construction and ability to overcome steep grades. An
other favorable feature is the high speed that may be main
tained.
Louis Brennan, its inventor, gave a demonstration of
the capabilities of the gyroscopic monorail system in Eng
land the present winter. The invention seems to have
made a very favorable impression. The weight of the ma
chine is 22 tons, and it is capable of climbing a gradient of
•
1 in 131. Four double-flanged wheels underneath carry
the whole thing, balanced on a single line of rails, the
balance being maintained by the action of a pair of gyro
scopes, placed in the cab or engine room of the vehicle.
Any number of these vehicles may be coupled together in
the form of a train, but in each vehicle an independent pair
of gyroscopes must be used. As at present designed, two
only of the four wheels are driven, the others merely acting
as weight carriers; but the addition of two more motors
would double the power of the machine, with an extra
weight of only four tons. With the power thus obtained,
a gradient of 1 in 7 could be negotiated. The power is
obtained from two petrol engines, driving dynamos pro
ducing electric current.
AERIAL TRAM
TO BE INSTALLED
Seward Gateway: The Gold
Bullion Minin" Company will in
stall an aerial tram, leading from
the portal of the working tunnel
to the stamp mill in the valley
below, in the early spring. The
property is in the Willow creek
gold region. Last season ore was
'‘rawhided” down the hill from
the mine to the mill, but the pro
cess was too slow for the man
agement, hence the change to
the improved method. By the
use of an aerial tram, which will
run by gravity, the mill will be
supplied with all the ore its ca
pacity will handle to advantage.
The property proved a rich pro
ducer last season. Every ton of
ore milled netted the company
over $190 per ton. With the in
creased facilities for the treat
ment of the ores the property
qjught to produce a handsome
dividend for the stockholders.
WHSTi: SLAVE FIGURES
CAUSE I8DIS8ATI0S
Washington, Feb. 5r—The re
port of the immigration c >mmittee
on the white slave traffic show
that of S’ women deported from
New York because of immoraliti
between Jan. i, 1407 and Dec. 1,
[908. 46 were French, 13 Poles 01
Russians, 13 Germans, and 10 Ita
linns. Of the foreigners convicted
in New York between Nov 15
1908,'and March 15.1909, 154. were
hrench and 225 Slavs, the next
largest number being 69 Germans
The report says that many of the
French women coming here for im
moral purposes have already fallen
in their own country.
Paris, Feb. 5.—“The govern
ment of France must act. This i
a question of humanity and 11a
tional honor.” So the Matin de
clares today in view of the report
of the United States immigration
commission, which places France
is first among the nations as an ex
porter of white slaves.
“The report disgraces ns »s a na
lion,” says the newspaper vigor
Diisly. “This government must
immediately begin negotiations
with the United Stales to crush out
the traffic.”
The Matin insists that France is
the most decent country on the
adobe, one where home life and vir
tue are most beautifully exempli
fied. Yet abtoad, and especially in
America, scandalous French litera
ture is circulated, and the extent 9!
the monstrous white slave trade lias
given her the reputation of being
the centre ol depiavitv. Paris is
pictured as the modern Babylon.”
Kiyu Muck-a-ftiuck
Invitations to a Christmas en
tertainment given by employes
af the Katalla Company at Cor
lova were as follows:
“Ter.as Potlach Sit-Down,
Christmas Eve, Katalla Stick
house No. 3. You savy paper
talk, maybe, so you come look
*ee potlach. You have’m klootch,
maybe so skin-ki hiyu. all same
:oine. Buck, him halo klootch,
him come too. Hiyu good. You
some-look see, catch-’em hiyu
wawa, hiyu muck a muck and
Christmas tree. Maybe so you
klatawah trail, 3:15 tick-tick.”
The Leader is on sale at the
postoffice lobby.
TO RESERVE 0011
FOR GOVERNMENT
Washington, Feb. 4.—Fifteen
thousand acres of coal lands in
Alaska, containing the grade of
coal used in the navy, may be set
asidp as a government reserve if
the bill introduced by Delegate
Wickersham of Alaska passes
congress and becomes a law. The
bill does not locate a specific area
in the coal fields, but provides for
the selection of the area under
the supervi ion of the geological
survey. Coaling stations within
reach of the coal fields have al
ready been staked by the gov
ernment.
The bill specifies that the
lands proposed to be withdrawn
shall be located in three sub-sec
tions of 5,000 acres each, one in
the Katalla fields, one in the
Matanuska valley, and one on
Seward peninsula, the geological
survey to select the reserves.
Relic of Daniel Boone
IJexington, Ky., Jan. 2.--S. S. Khun,
of Salyersville, ICy., who has recently
been elected superintendent of schools
at Monticello, stopped here today on
the way to Monticello. He brought
with him and loaned to the Lexington
public library a block of wood which is
considered of great historical interest.
It is a block cut from a beech tree
which stood on a high point of a hill
near Salyersville and hears tire follow
ing lettering cut in the bark:
D !5oon
177(>
Instead of curves the B has triangles,
ihe o's are open at the bottom mid lire
7’s are of an old style. The letters are
identical with those cut on tlie stone at
the Richmond courthouse. The point
on which the tree stood is on the route
which Daniel .Boone took when coming
to this section of Kentucky from Vir
ginia. Mr. Elam secured tlie block
from Rev. George Willis, who discov
ered the cutting while hunting in 1890
on his farm two miles from Salyers
ville. The greater portion of tiio let
ters were overgrown by moss.
It is disclosed by transfer proceed
ings recently initiated that the late
King Leopold of Belgium was finan
cially interested in a promising coal
property on Elk river, East Kootenay,
British Columbia.
«ss———————bp—■ — i ►
Slodtiaril Kay j
THE |
NORTHERN.
BEST WINES
LIQUORS AND
CIGARS.
Pool Tables In Connection.
.Stoddard Kay
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GENERAL
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Rear of Yukou Saloon.
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ESN3 SEASON
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ED Y. LEE, PROP.
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is June, Travel on the
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