THE CHITINA LEADER
CHITINA, ALASKA
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postofflee at
Chltina. Alaska, under the Act of Conbress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Tuesday by
HARRY Q. STEEL, Editor and Proprietor.
Office:
Hotel Chitina Building.
Cordova Office: Daily Times.
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given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands of
the Copper River District.
CHITINA^ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14^9157
INVESTIGATING OUTLET FOR ALASKA COAL.
L. E. Smoot, personal representative of the Secretary of
Interior Hon. Franklin K. Lane, and a business man of the
Atlantic seaboard, was a Cordova visitor during the time the
steamer Mariposa was in port Sunday.
It will be remembered that Mr. Smoot passed through
Cordova on the Northwestern some three or four weeks ago
and made the excursion trip to the glaciers, over the Copper
River & Northwestern railway. When he passed through it
was generally understood that Mr. Smoot represented’ the
Secretary of the Interior and was looking over possible harbors
for the outlet of Alaska coal, from a commercial standpoint.
The Cordova Chamber of Commerce not wishing to see this
town overlooked in his investigations, cabled Secretary Lane
requesting that Mr. Smoot be instructed to examine this harbor
and his visit Sunday was the result.
Mr. Smoot is much impressed with the work in progress at
^Anchorage and believes a portion of Alaska, at least, has a
great future. He is convinced that the greatest use for Alaska
coal, outside of naval use, will be for the reduction of ore with
in the territory. This what the people of Cordova have always
maintained and’ it is refreshing to meet wTith a business man,
connected with government construction of railways in Alaska,
who really has some conception of the economic conditions sur
rounding the Alaska coal situation. He thoroughly appreciates
the necessity for framing a leasing law that will justify men
of sufficient capital to open up and develop Alaska coal and
said he would work to that end.
It is to be regretted that Mr. Smoot could not have spent
more time looking over commercial possibilities in this locality.
An offer was made to take him over the line of the Copper
River & Northwestern railway to the copper district, but was
declined on account of a lack of time. If the administration
would' send a few more business men to Alaska to make investi
gations and keep some of its $90 clerks at home it would in time
arrive at some real conception of what Alaska needs.
ALASKA IS SOME COUNTRY.
If the ghost of Wm. H. Seward still hovers over the earth,
it must be holding its thumb to its nose and wriggling its
attenuated fingers at the men who jeered at Alaska and called
it “Seward’s Folly.”
The fish product up to date at first cost aggregated' some
thing like $300,000,000, in itself a fair interest on the $7,240,000
paid for the country.
Then the great product does not come from the seals as
many suppose, but from the salmon. According to value the
order is first the salmon then the fur seal, then sea otter, the
halibut and cod. Then on one island the black fox is being
farmed in constantly increasing numbers; then there is the
gold and pretty soon there will be the copper. Then the forests
and the coal. Alaska is pretty much of a country.—Goodwin’s
Weekly, Salt Lake City.
-:o:
KENNECOTT AS A CHEAP PRODUCER.
1,79-.. •• V71 ! . ■
The developments in the Copper River region of Alaska,
including a long railway through a difficult country and the
opening and equipmhet of the Bonanza mine, cost a great deal
of money. The gossip used to be that it was upward of $20,
000,000. This was furnished by J. P. Morgan & Co. and M.
Guggenheim’s Sons, the latter subsequently taking in Kuhn,
Loeb & Co. Among engineers there was always considerable
doubt respecting the outcome of this investment considered as a
whole, although of course it was recognized that either the mine
or the railway could make a fine showing at the expense of the
other.
According to a Boston paper the syndicate put from $25,-'
000,000 to $30,000,000 into the enterprise and so far has re
ceived $7,500,000 in dividends from the Kennecott Mines Co.
(Bonanza mine), and $10,000,000 from the sale of Kenecott
bonds. The Copper River & Northwestern Ry., which necessi
tated the greater part of the capital expenditure, has paid noth
ing. Apparently therefore the Alaska venture has been con
ducted on the basis of a cheap mine and dear railway. Kenne
cott is advertised as the cheapest producer of copper in the
world, its average cost being said to be only about 5s per It).
The contributory factors in arriving at such a cost are high
grade ore—some of it almost pure copper glance—and what is
substantially the free use of a large amount of capital.
By the sale of Kennecott stock the syndicate will further
recoup itself, it is to be supposed. This company has an issued
capital of 720,000 shares, and there are 400,000 additional
shares reserved for conversion of thfe bonds, a total of 1,120,000,
which at $25 per share—the promotion price—represents a valu
ation of $28,000,000, or about what the syndicate is said' to have
put into the venture. It will be interesting to see how the
public will make out in its investment in this mine of very
rich ore, which probably lacks the elements of long life that the
porphyry mines have.—New York Engineering and Mining
Journal.
-:o:
OUR BARGAIN OF 1867.
The old impression that Alaska was composed in the main
of sealing grounds, glaciers, icebergs and eternal snows dies a
linger death. Despite the wealth that has poured out of its
sea gates since the stampede to Alaskan gold fields the impres
sion has persisted. The nation began to glimpse something of
the general resources of the country during the conservation
fight that marked the Taft administration. Now that the
United States is driving a railway through the 471 miles of
river valley, hills and' mountains, between Seward and Fair
banks there is more of a disposition to take an appreciative
Alaskan inventory.
Just what have we in Alaska? As a market for American
products Alaska with its 65,00 population ranks with China’s
400,00*0,000 souls, yet we are gretly concerned over the Orient’s
“open door.” In 1914 we shipped to Alaska something more
than $22,000,000 worth of goods, two thirds of the amount being
manfactured articles. Alaska is yielding about as much gold
as Cali fornia, and since 1867 a quarter of a billion dollars has
come out of these northern mines. Fish, seal skins, copper, fish
oils, silver, coal and furs have added another quarter of a billion
in the same period’. Shipments to the United States in 1914
totaled $44,000,000.
Lay Alaska down on the map of the United States and it
will cover the whole area east of the Mississippi river. In
Eurassia, those sections of Norway, Sweden, Russia in Europe
and Siberia lying in the same latitude as Alaska have a popu
lation totalling 11,000,000 souls. Alaska population possibili
ties as well as mining and marine resources and the new railway
will help greatly in realizing these. Under present conditions
our trade with Alaska has doubled in the last 10 years and the
resources of minerals and timber are practically untouched.
Along the length of the new railway placer districts are well
nigh continuous, and the United States Navy has long regarded
with anxiety the richness of the Matanuska coal fields about to
be tapped by a branch road of the new railway line.
In 1914 we imported two pounds of Alaska salmon for every
man, woman and child in Continetal United States. We bought
$20,000,000 worth of Alaskan fish, more than double the amount
of our Norwegian imports. The northern gold brought into the
Pacific ports in that year reached a value of more than $18,
000,000. Excluding the Canadian gold received we got $14,589,
237 of this precious metal, or more than twice the sum paid by
this country to Russia for the entire Alaskan domain back in
1867.
As the years pass and our native resources are overtaken
by a growing population we will have even more respect for the
foresight of Secretary of State Seward, who knew a bargain
when it was offered to him.—St. Louis Republic.
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If the Kennecott mines in Alaska operate successfully
throughout the winter, they may furnish the needed example to
cause others to do the same thing.—Seattle Times.
Tolovana is receiving another boost from Fairbanks. A
pay streak for four miles is lined up, according to reports, but
the output of gold for this year is only placed at $6,000.
The Fairbanks Times, answering a query of a correspon
dent as to the execution of the death penalty in Alaska, says
there have been three. It includes as an execution a lynching
at Valdez. It omits, however, the lynching of a man at Yakatat
by his surviving partner and his wife, for killing two other
partners—an event which furnished' the plot for one of Jack
London’s famous psychological stories.
In commenting on the charge of $2.50 for the first minute
with fifty cents for each additional minute to talk from Seward
to Anchorage the Seward Post says: “This is low in com
parison with other long distance charges in Alaska. The rate
from Cordova to Katalla being twice that much on a ten-word
message.” Wrong, neigbor. The rate for talking over the
long distance line between Cordova and Katalla is only $1 and
there is no time limit. In other words the charge is for a con
versation of any length. For the same service to the west
ward a “boliunk” working on the government railroad would
have to part with at least a month’s wages.
Word comes from Anchorage that there is to be an attempt
made to cut out the heavy work on the north shore of Tum
again Arm and the snow-sheds necessary to erect there, by
running a line from Kachemack Bay north and crossing Turn
again Aim at Gull Rocks, on a steel span, connecting up the
line from Seward on the south side of the arm, instead of near
Anchorage. It is agreed that this would give an open port all
the year round for the Matanuska coal and at the same time a
downhill pull all the way. Will wonders never cease! To
think of crossing Turnagain Arm on a steel span.
The Valdez School Board wants the City Council to make
a one per cent tax levy separate from the municipal levy in
order to meet its obligations, as an indebtedness of $1,000 fop
current expenses had been incurred and $7,500 is needed to pay
salaries. Unless some action is taken by the council to insure
the payment of the teacher’s salaries it is possible the schools
will not be openeded.
The Seward Evening Post is the latest newspaper launch
ed in Alaska. It is a bright and well edited daily, with con
siderable advertising patronage. Neil Sexton is business man
ager and E. O. Sawyer, Jr., editor. Ous sister town to the
westward is now well blessed with journalistic enterprises, hav
ing two dailies, two weeklies and a monthly.
The work of surveying the Bering River coal fields into
r units will be completed this fall. Then if the government will
only allow this vast deposit to be opened up and worked
all will be forgiven.
The city council last night passed an ordinance placing a
tax of $50 per day upon itinerent merchants. There was an old
law on the statute books, but it was illegally enacted and could
not be’enforced, but hereafter the fly-by-night concerns will
likely give Cordova a wide berth. This is as it should be. The
local business men are entitled to this protection.
Everyone who has not an Eukalale ought to get one. All
society is going in for the Euk. Of course it’s not good to eat.
i You just pick it. The Eukalale is a musical instrument—a
cross between a guitar and a fid'dle and it is played with a steel
, pick. The Hawaiian Islands is the place of its birth. When
good old Queen Lil of Hawaii used to visit Washington every
winter, she introduced the instrument tq Capital society and it
was quite the vogue; but it dropped out when good Queen Lil
departed and ragtime put in an apperance. Now however,
society has taken it up again and there is nothing like a Euk
to remind us that this is a season of nonsense.
What will be the state of the minds of the soldier^ who
survive the present war? Will they have any respect for hu
man life. Will they not all emerge from the war homicidal
lunatics and ready to commit murder when in the least crossed
in their desires!
Really, is not all Europe fast becoming a vast madhouse?
It certainly looks that way in the acts of men and the tone
of many newspapers.
The liberty of the people consits in being governed by
laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form
it be of governments; the liberty of a man in being master of
his own time and actions, as far as may consist with the laws
of God and of his country.
The bureau of naturalization has spoken. It says the first
step in the melting process is for aliens to learn English, and
that the first lesson in English should be along the line of obedi
ence to law. Does the alien need this instruction more or less
than the native-born?
Russia sends out word that Germany is “brqke” and then
Germany informs the world that Russia faces a pecuniary cata
clysm. Perhaps both of them are lying—ip a bed of thorns.
“JEKYLL AND HYDE” GRAVES.
Chief Forester Graves like his predecessor Pinchot is de
veloping quite a Jekyll and Hyde existence. In the Washing
ton, D. C., Star recently was a lengthy statement showing that
Mr. Graves was going to Alaska to fight off the terrible bugaboo
of special interests who were going to grab the timebr lands of
Alaska for the manufacture of wood pulp. In Seattle lie tem
pered his interview to a degree, changed it again at Juneau but
in Fairbanks, located in the far interior of Alaska, he announces,
according to a press dispatch, that arrangements have been
made to establish big pulp mills on the coast and it is intimated
that he, Graves, is responsible for starting this line inquiry. It
certainly appears necessary for the press bureau to work in har
mony and at least give out consistent dope at the two ends of
Uncle Sam’s domain. Of course both statements, the one from
Washington and the other from Fairbanks, are purest moon
shine and elsewhere in this issue some little attention is given in
detail to Chief Forester Graves and his jnission to Alaska, with
suf?f?esfi°ns as to why that official should resign from the ser
vice.—Seattle Railway and Marine News.
-to:
THE SOFT PEDAL?
Until we know with authority just how reprehensible Ger
man activities in the United' States have been, how far attempts
at subsidization have gone, how successful efforts have been to
worm into proprietorship of factories supplying munitions to
the allies, how extensive a propaganda of a questionable charac
ter has been carried, we should perhaps use the soft the pedal.
For somebody might tell us in unpleasant language how the
United States subsidized, propagandaed, wormed and supplied
that Panama revolution. We don’t want to say anything or do
anything in any delirium of virtue that is likely to encourage
Colombia in pressing that $25,000,000 claim against us.
Let’s us keep away from unpleasant subjects. The air up
at the mountain is said' to be fine.
PUNS MATURING
TO ASSIST
ALASKA
The Post-Intelligencer says: A com
mittee of members from the Alaska bu
reau of the Chamber of Commerce will
be appointed soon to work out a cam
paign to further the plan of Alaskan
cities for celebrating, 1917, the fiftieth
anniversary of the purchase of Alaska
from Russia. This was the unani
mous decision of the Alaska bureau
yesterday at its luncheon in the Arctic
Club, following the report of Secre
tary J. L. McPherson, who recently
returned from a 7,000-mile trip through
Alaska.
Secretary McPherson reported on
business and mining conditions in
Alaska as he fo:i?vl them on his visits
to Wrangell, Ketchikan, Petersrbug,
Sitka, Douglas, Juneau, Skagway, Cor
dova, Seward, Valdez, Fairbanks,
Ruby and Nome. He said every Alas
kan town was enthusiastic over the
proposal to celebrate in a widespread
manner the fiftieth year of American
possession.
“There is great necessity for an ag
gressive campaign on the part of the
Alaska bureau in this matter” de
clared Mr. McPherson. “The AlasKan
cities are anxious to display their re
sources and the individual fairs that
they have planned will bring together
a more comprehensive and complete
array of Alaska products than has
ever before been assembled. Each
section plans to exhibit its own re
sources, building the exhibit around
that resource which predominates in
the district. For example, Ketchikan
will have principally an exhibit of
salmon and copper ores from Prince of
Wales island; Wrangell will have mar
bles from the Kasaan quarries as her
contribution and Juneau will display
ore from the vast mountains of the
gold belt.
“The idea is to furnish tourists who
will be drawn to Alaska a clear idea
of what each district has to offer the
investor, the home maker and the
prospector.
“It will be up to Seattle to draw the
tourists to the North during the year
of the celebration,” declared Mr. Mc
Pherson. “That will be our part of
the work. The Alaskan cities have
been very thankful to Seattle for the
interest displayed in the plan for a
general celebration.”
-:o:
Joslin Invests in Mines.
Falcon Joslin, the mining operator
and railroad magnate of Fairbanks,
has purchased a half interest in the
Tolovana claim located by Mike Hess.
He paid $5000 for the Interest in the
claim and will expend thousands of
dollars openning up the ground. Ma
chinery will be taken to the property
this winter and a dump taken out.
-:o:
To Sell SeldovJa Coal.
A. 0. de Sherbinln has made all ar
rangements to place Seldovia coal on
the Seward market and expects to
make the first shipment on the Ad
miral Farragut when that vessel re
turns from the westward trip on her
first voyage.
-:o:
Joe Rowan, John Gamble, Chas.
Canavan and ,N. J. Black were among
the Cordovans who went to Valdez this
afternoon to do Jury duty.
CLOSE THEIR
NEW YORK, . Sept. 9—Baseball
players in a number of the minor
leagues donned their uniforms for the
the last last time this season on La
bor Day. Including those leagues
which have already closed their 1915
pennant contests, more than fifty per
cent of the associations embraced in
organized baseball will have made
their last appearance on the diamond
with the double-headers of Monday.
Among those which terminated the
season with the first of the autumn
holidays are the following leagues:
Western, Texas, New York, New Eng
land, South Michigan, Central Associ
ation, Virginia, Atlantic, Colonial,
Ohio and California State. The clos
ing days of August saw the final games
in the Western Association, South
Atlantic, Central, Georgia State,
Buckeye, Middle Texas, Georgia
Alabama, Blue Ridge and Nebraska
Leagues.
Before the end of the month the
American Association, Southern,
Three I, North Carolina, Northwestern
Bi-State, and Canadian leagues will
have completed their schedules and
< left the field clear for the National,
American, Federal and Pacific Coast
leagues and the climax of the base
bal year—the World Series.
:o:
RAILROAD COMMISSION
IS OUT OF FUNDS
The last contracts for the work of
construction of the government rail
road have been let for the present
year according to the opinion of the
men working on those contracts now
and the opinion of the men working
for wages, according to some people
who have recently arrived from that
quarter. Of course, this nepd not
necessarily mean that the work will
be suspended as there will be un
doubtedly quite a lot of work to be
done during most of the winter
months, but the appropriation was so
small and the amount of equipment
purchased so large that two million
dollars cannot be expected to last
very long. Congress meets about
three months from now and it is pos
sible that another appropriation may
be secured at the beginning of the
session.—Seward Gateway.
--:o:
NEW SUPERINTENDENT
OF ADMIRAL LINES
The Pacific Alaska Navigation Com
pany has created the office of superin
tendent and President H. F. Alexander
announced that Captain A. J. Storrs,
master of the S. S. Admiral Dewey J
had been selected for the position.
Captain James Brennan, commander
of the steamship Admiral Farragut
has succeeded to the command of the
steamship Admiral Dewey. Captain
Michael J. Jensen, who commanded
the Admiral Watson up until the time
she sank when rammed by the steam
ship Paraiso at her dock last Sunday
morning, has been assigned . to com
mand of the steamship Admiral Far
ragut. The latter will reach Cordova
tomorrow on the first Alaska voyage.
THERE’S A LETTER AWAITING
YOU AT POST OFFICE
The following unclaimed letters
remain at the Cordova Post Office for
the period ending September 7, 1915..
Aarhus, O. L.
Alaska Building Co
Anderson, Alfred
Anderson, Albert
Anderson, C. Edward
Anderson, Joe
Andersen, Thorwald (2)
Aune, Iver
Balls, Alfred G.
Berg, Nels
Birdsall. fhas.
Brown, Miss Annie
Cavick, Milan
Coffee, Thomas (2)
Cooke, S.
Dalmage, Philip
Del, Den
Demos, George
Donnelly, H.
Fielder, Pete
Forbes, W. D. M.
Fox, P. H.
Ganes, Anlan (2)
Gordon, James
Gradinar. Sem
Grierson, A. W.
Grisham, Robert
Hammer, Olaf
Heard, Roy A. (2)
Heard Roy A. Mrs.
Jean. Wm.
Karabaich, Frank
Karsama, Nicholas Joseph
Larson, Edward
Larson, Andrew (2)
Lelis, Nick
Lewis, J. J.
Louis, Frank G.
McGettigan, John
McGovern, J. A.
McGovern, Jack
Milligan, J. E.
Nussbaum, J. E.
Olson, Valfrid
Orr, Dr. O. B.
Pearson, John
Peterson, C. B.
Robinson, E. L.
Rowland, Max
Thompson, Erick
Thompson, E.
Tillman. O. M.
Tomas, Nick
Trevethick
Stevens, Ben
H. G. STEEL, P. M.
-: ---
DISCOVERED
That a whole lake of oil, great flow
ing natural wells and imense streams
of the fluid have been discovered to
the northward of Seward peninsula
is the amazing statement brought
to Nome by the Revenue cutter Bear,
and a statement proven by photo
graphs taken and brought here by the
discoverer of what apparently means
nothing less than a vastly greater find
than any gold fields within the limits
of the territory.
Vanvalin is the name of the dis
coverer. He was picked up by the
Bear at Wainright just south of the
place of discovery of the extraordi
nary oil lake. The lake is situated be
tween Wainright and Point Barrow
in the extreme north of Alaska. The
photographs taken by Vanvalin show
clearly that the lake of oil is of large
extent, that an extraordinary flow of
oil is taking place and that some of the
channels through wdnch the oil flows
have over two feet depth of the fluid.
The lake contains oil of a very color
and density. The story has created
a sensation at Nome and a stampede
is sure to result.
ANCHORAGE MAY GO
WITHOUT LIGHTS
O. C. Meyers, engineer in the Cor
dova light plant, arrived last night
from a trip to Anchorage. He has
been over there about two weeks and
says that the weather for the most
part has been fine. While over there
on a pleasure trip, Mr. Meyers took
an interest in the way things were
going, especially the light plans. He
says that the prospects for having
electric lights at Anchorage this win
ter are very few. The thing is up in
the air. The commission there does
not know whether they have the right
to install light plants, and private
parties are afraid to enter the field.—
Seward Gateway
■ :o: —
JUNEAU CITY COUNCIL
ESTABLISHES PRECEDENT
At a recent meeting of the Juneau
council, the clerk was instructed to
notify the school board that all chil
dren outside the city limits attending
school would be required to pay a tui
tion fee of $7 per month.
Native Hospital at Juneau.
A Seattle contractor, by the name of
Emil Pohl, has been awarded the con
tract for the construction of the June
au government hospital for the bene
fit of the natives. The contract price
was not made public, although it was
stated the building and furniture will
cost at least $12,000.
-:o:
On Their Way to Court.
Thomas C. Noyes and wife, Wm.
James and wife, Chas. Lewis Dan
Green, J. A. Marsh and G. H. Bunn, of
Chisana, came to town on today's
train and immediately left on the
Farragut for Valdes to attend court.