THIRD YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1913.
NUMBER 48.
Late Telegraph News
* i
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11.—It lias been decided that the
Alaska railway bill shall be put in such shape that immediately
after Congress convenes in regular session it can be in position
to act upon the measure. Speaker Clark, Leader Underwood
and Chairman of the House Committee on Territories Houston,
have had a conference and while admitting that it will be
impossible to get action on the measure at this special session
of Congress they have agreed that the favorable report of the
committee on territories shall be made on the last day of the
session. The bill to be reported is the one introduced in the
Senate by Senator Jones and in the House by Delegate
Wickersham. This is similar to the bill passed by the Senate,
and after it passes the House it will go to conference committee
of both House and Senate, to adjust a few differences, and over
which it is not believed there will be any difficulty. Friends ol
the measure hope to see a bill become a law in January next,
authorizing the President to expend $40,000,000 in the building
of railroads in Alaska,
BERKELEY, Sept. 11.—Announcement was made this
morning with reference to the condition of Secretary of Interior
Franklin K. Lane, that is not altogether assuring. He had a
feinting spell a couple of days ago and was taken to the home
of his brother, who is a physician. Dr. Lane states that he has
had other physicians in consultation, with the result that they
all agree that his brother’s heart is in bad shape. It will be
necessary that he have a long rest and quit smoking. He added
that he had been doing the work of two men for several years
past and that he had not taken sufficient exercise.
SEATTLE, Sept. 9.—Governor J. F. A. Strong returned
this morning from Nome, having spent the past six weeks in a
tour of Alaska. He went from Juneau to Skagway, then to
Dawson, Ruby, Fairbanks and Nome. He states that he will
now prepare his first annual report and will ask that the sum
of $40,000,000 be appropriated for a trunk line railroad from
the coast to the interior, with necessary branches and feeders.
He believes that this sum is absolutely necessary for the
development of the territory. He states that he will further
recommend the annual appropriation of $1,000,000 for the
building of highways and trails throughout the territory. In
connection with railroads he considers that the necessary
tonnage would soon.be supplied if substantial roads and trails
were built so that miners and prospective farmers could have
free access to the surrounding country.
PEKIN, Sept. 13.—China has bowed her head before the
demands of Japan, and required but very little time to
'“savvy.” The sudden conclusion to comply fully with the
demands of her neighbor was likely arrived at because of the
warlike attitude of Japan. She had 2,000 marines inside the
Avail at Nanking, while live Japanese warships were in the rh er
alongside the city. Looking upon this formidable array, China
immediately announced an apology for the killing of three
Japanese and stated that the soldiers responsible for the unkind
act would be properly punished, Avhile an indemnity would be
paid the families of the deceased A’ietims.
OTTAWA, Sept. 10.—C. J. Dougherty, acting minister of
the interior, rejected Thaw’s appeal from the decision of the
immigration authorities, who ordered him deported forthwith.
Mr. Dougherty held that the Montreal writ of prohibition did
not enjoin the immigration authorities. As a consecjuence the
deportation of Thaw will immediately result.
COATICOOKE, Sept. 10.—Immediately upon receipt of
the order of Secretary Dougherty, and without giving his attor
neys time to make another move, the authorities here took
Thaw to the Vermont border. He was rushed into an automobile
‘and whisked away. The prisoner fought desperately with his
guards, claiming that he was being kidnapped, and smashed
the window of the machine with a bottle. They held on to him
and prevented him escaping until the border line was reached.
AVERILL, Vermont, Sept. 10.—When Thaw was released
from the Canadian automobile at Norton Mills he gazed about
in a dazed way and then made a break for a machine that was
occupied by some newspaper correspondents. lie climbed
aboard and they drove on passing through Stewartstown,
where no attempt was made to arrest the young man.
COLEBROOK, N. II., Sept. 10.—Officers had been notified
to be on the lookout for Thaw and when he arrived here shortly
"before noon lie was placed under arrest. Another legal battle
will now follow .in the effort to send Thaw back to the Mat
teawan asylum.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.—In the closing tariff debate
there were some harsh things said by the Republicans. Senator
Cummins declared that Congress had lost its place in the
affections of the people for submitting to “a single will.” He
referred to the influence exerted by the President and declared
that “Wilson is the man who has more influence with Congress
than any man before had.”
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.—In the House this afternoon
Representative Carter Glass, of Virginia, opened the debate on
the currency bill. It is thought that it will now be soon pushed
to a vote.
Dr. James A. Holmes, of Washington, director of the
bureau of mines, was a visitor in Cordova for a day or two,
piior to his sailing this afternoon on the Sampson for the
westward. Accompanied by his son, James A. Jr., he recently
came over the government trail from Fairbanks to Chitina and
then on the railroad to Cordova.
While in the interior Dr. Holmes visited the Xenana coal
field, which lies about 30 miles south of the Tanana river, and
between the Xenana and Delta rivers. He found a great field
of lignite coal, which varies from a few inches to 20 feet in
thickness, with a known area of 66 square miles. He considers
that some day this coal will be valuable for local consumption
in the interior country around Fairbanks. The doctor expresses
the opinion that a method for utilizing this lignite fuel will be
devised.
Dr. Holmes states that he has been informed by several
prospectors that thin lignitic coal beds are known to occur in
the new gold placer camp in Chisana. He expresses the hope
that the coal is of commercial value so that it might be utilized
by the hundreds and thousands of stampeders and prospectors
who are flocking into the new country. In emergencies of that
kind he regards the mineral resources of the country very much
as he does the game. That it should be utilized where the
necessity arises.
Asked concerning the report that the government test of
Bering coal for naval steaming purposes had not proven satis
factory Dr. Holmes stated that he had received no information
on the subject. He expressed the hope that it was not correct,
as he was strongly of the opinion that coal from both the
Bering and Matanuska fields would be available for our battle
ships. In any event, however, he stated that the coal from both
these fields was of good commercial value. The surveyed
parts of the Bering field embrace 22 square miles underlain by
anthracite and 28 miles underlain by semibituminous and
semianthracite coal.
In the opinion ot Dr. Holmes so soon as the Alaska railroad
bill is passed early in the next session of Congress the disposi
tion of the Alaska coal lands will be seriously considered. He
rather thinks that after reserving a certain portion of the lands
for government uses that the rest of the coal will be thrown
open to the public under such a liberal leasing system that it
will result in immediate operation. He looks for generous action
upon the part of Congress toward Alaska, so as to insure the
development of the country and the prosperity of its people.
• ' ‘ Cordova, September 13
Frank R. Brenneman, of Ivatalla, has been confirmed by
the United States Senate as United States marshal for the
third division of Alaska. Air. Brenneman received news
yesterday of the action taken and was requested by the attorney
general to report at Valdez and qualify at once. The new
official, accompanied by his wife boarded the Sampson at
midnight and were in Cordova this afternoon on their way to
their new headquarters. Air. Brenneman had previously
arranged for his bond and it is expected that it will be approved
tomorrow at Valdez by Judge Brown, when the new marshal
will be sworn in and at once assume the duties of the office.
ATr. Brenneman while here stated that he preferred not to make
announcement of his probable appointments until after he had
taken hold of the reins. Several applicants for the deputyship
at Cordova had personal interviews with the new official and
presented their applications for appointment. Among the
number was the present deputy Sam Brightwell and Chief of
Police A. J. Henneke.
The apparently well authenticated report that Judge J. J.
Finnigan, of Seward, had been appointed United States com
missioner of the White river mining district, which includes the
new gold diggings, turns out to be unfounded. Judge F. M.
Brown, the presiding judicial officer of this district, returned
from a trip to Seattle and was in Cordova over night, en route
to \ aldez. J he judge stated that while he had some communi
cation with Judge Finnigan, who is an applicant for the com
missionership, he did not appoint him. A friend of Judge
Finnigan took into him a letter from Judge Brown and stated
to several people that it was a commission as commissioner.
Judge Brown realizes the necessity for sending a competent
man to the new country as soon as possible. He states that lie
has had various applications for the place, but that lie has not
yet made a selection or appointment. He expects to do so verv
soon however. The judge further stated that the position had
not been offered to George Love, of Valdez, or any other person.
A number of stainpeders came on the steamers Sampson
and Mariposa yesterday. Many of them are old-timers and
will go into ti e new Chisana diggings prepared to stay for the
winter. A special train will leave tomorrow morning at 8
o’clock, which will reach McCarthy Sunday evening. These
new arrivals declare that all kinds of reports are being circu
lated on the outside, and everything done by some parties to
discourage any further stampede. But practical miners are
satisfied that sufficient work has been done to demonstrate the
making of a big camp. The large number realize that there is
not much advantage to be gained by going in at present, so they
will wait until the ice freezes later in the season and go in with
ample supplies and thawing machinery. While one man figures
that hundreds of claims will lapse with the coming of January
1st, and that many good ones may be relocated, others figure
that there will be no difficulty either in purchasing claims or
securing lays, providing a man is so situated that lie eau work
a claim this winter.
Cordova, September 12
The train from the interior reached Cordova this afternoon
shortly after 3:30 o’clock. A number of men returning from
the Cliisana got aboard at McCarthy. Among the number
arriving here is K. H. Channing, ,Jr., of Salt Lake, and Fletcher
T. Hamshaw, of Seattle.
. Mr. Channing is president of the Utah Consolidated Copper
Company, and is at the head of interests that have been
working on valuable copper property in the White river district
for several years past. Their men were among the first to push
over into the new gold diggings early in July, and have secured
much good ground. Mr. Channing left from Cordova on August
8 and reached the new diggings about a week later. lie
"'expresses himself as very much pleased with the showing there
and predicts that extensive work will be done in developin', a
number of different creeks.
Mr. Hamshaw predicts that development work will pi- -
i ceed on all the creeks this winter so soon as freight can be
landed in the interior in large quantities and at reasonable
rates. In his opinion there will be plenty of food and machin
ery there before the end of winter, and that the transportation
cost will not exceed 15 cents per pound landed in the Cliisana.
this to include the freight from Seattle to the starting point
from Alaska. When horses and double enders start drawing
supplies over the ice it will not take long for the various pack
trains to supply the needed demand.
Cordova, September 11
Among the returning stanipeders from the Cliisana. on the
train yesterday afternoon, were two well known characters.
Jack Hosfeld has been all over the interior section and ten
years ago prospected the White river country. Joe Colwell,
who had former mining experience has been in business in
Seattle for many years and is known as a hustler and a man of
reliability. And when men like these give an expression on
the new gold diggings, where they worked from early August
until their departure about the lirst of September, it may be
taken as a real index of the true conditions.
Both men declare that by reason of the shortage of grub
and the short working season the results so far accomplished
simply give an indication of the big development that is to
follow in succeeding years under more favorable conditions.
But few succeeded in reaching bed rock, although the returning
men declare that W. E. James, Carl Whitam and Joe McLellan
took out such rich pay on different claims as to warrant prac
tical miners in thoroughly prospecting the country. Then Bob
Wiley and Fletcher T. Hamshaw, with a large number of men
hi their employ, did sufficient work on many claims to satisfv
them that the rich colors taken out was almost a guarantee that
when they reach bed rock they will uncover pay that will
establish the permanency of the camp. Other than doing
assessment work these operators made no effort to take out any
gold, although they have expressed absolute confidence that it
is there when they get ready to make a clean up. Wiley had
no hesitancy io expressing the opinion that both Johnson and
Wilson creeks will be big producers.
Mr. Hosfeld declares that in his opinion the big operations
in the country will commence in the winter of 191-1. He predicts
that when the sledding is good after the first of the year many
hydraulic and thawing plants will be shipped in. The former
will be used on the river bars next summer, but the following
winter extensive work will be done with boilers and various
thawing devices, which ground will be washed up in the spring.
He believes that but little more prospecting will be done this
season, as winter is beginning to set in and that but few of the
thawing outfits will He taken in in time to accomplish much
tins winter.
Both Hosfeld and Calwell declare that there is only one
trail that should even be considered by stampeders coining from
the states and that is via Cordova and McCarthy. And tliev
think the winter road will be the one from McCarthy that
they came out over, and which is less than 100 miles. * They
came the regula route to Solo cabin, crossed over Russel
glacier in five and a half hours to the right limit of Solo creek
until they reached the Nizina glacier, which they crossed from
timber to timber in three hours and fifteen minutes and without
any difficulty, coming down the right hand side to the Nizina
river and on to McCarthy. They declare that with possibly a
couple of thousand dollars work this can be made a splendid
road during winter for horses and double enders. They express
the opinion that the Ifazelet expedition will abandon the
contemplated trail over the Nizina and Chisana glaciers and
adopt the route they have indicated. They placed monuments
across the Nizina glacier and advised a party to start road
houses on either side of the glacier in the timber, which they
| left McCarthy to do.
SEATTLE, Sept. 13. — Thomas
Riggs, Jr., head of the Alaska
boundary survey, arrived from the
north this morning. He declares
that the Chisana gold strike is un
doubtedly an important one, adding,
"I think the camp will be as big as
the Iditarod. Many old sourdoughs
from every section of Alaska are
going in. As a result the entire
Chisana country will be prospected,
and I look for rich results, as good
colors have been found on practically
every stream where there has been
any work done.”
W. W. Woodward, a mining man
from the Kantishna country, is an
arrival in town, returning to his field
of operations. He rather thinks that
he will first take a run into the Chi
sana district and size up that coun
try for himself. He has heard so
many conflicting reports that he
feels that a personal visit is neces
sary to satisfy him as to whether or
not he wants to engage in mining
there.
H. J. Slaight, accompanied by his
wife and two little ones, arrived,
from Seattle yesterday. They are
old Nomeites and Mr. Slaight, in
company with H. Spencer, are on
their way to the new gold diggings,
expecting to leave on the train to
morrow morning. For the present
Mrs. Slaight will remain in Cordova
and possibly get a furnished home.
S. Blum & Co., for outfits for the
Sushanna strike.