DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE EGG—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. L
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1910.
NO. 14
SEASON’S GREETINGS TO ALL ALASKANS
Local News
Mr. and Mrs. G. G. Lemons, and
J. R. McManon, were arrivals on
Thursday evening's train, and regis
tered at the Hotel Chitina.
Ja es Hartney took a merry party
out for a sleigh ride over the new
trail the first of the week, going
nearly as far as the first roadhouse at
Poppel lake. The weather was as
mild as an April day, the thaw mak
ing excellent sleighing over the re
cent fall of snow, and the trip was a
delightful one. Those present were
Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Stringer, Mrs. O.
E. Bennett, Miss Louise and Mas
ter Eugene Tibbs, and James Hart
ney.
George Wolfe, the Strelna river
rancher, left for Cordova ‘on Tues
day’s train. George just returned
from a few days at his ranch, and
says he is more determined than ever
to hold on to his homestead, and that
by the time he can prove up on it,
three years hence, there will be many
who will be sorry they didn't take
up a homestead, too, getting the
pick of the land.
Deputy Marshal Joe Brown re
turned from a trip to Valdez on Tues
day evening’s train. Every one was
glad to see the genial deputy re
turn, and he was also glad to get
back, in proof of which he is giving
a Christmas party to a number of
invited friends this evening.
Ae few needed improvements were
put in the Orr Stage company office
this week. A window was cut in
and a telephone installed, which
greatly aids the office force in their
work.
Read the Leader for the news.
Jesse Brown, the well known chef,
received a Christmas present on
Thursday. The “Senator” says he is
thankful some one else Is popular be
sides himself. Get Jesse to show you
his Christmas present.
Read the Leader for the news.
Everything in Readiness to
Rush Construction Work
All the construction material, with
the exception of a few thousand ties,
are now piled at the big material
yards at camp 14 6, and as soon as
the crossing at Kuskulana will be in
readiness, construction trains will be
gin hauling steel rails, ties and bridge
l timbers to the front. A representa
tive of the Leader made a trip to the
big construction camp this week, and
i was shown through the material
yards by Supt. H. R. Simpson. It
is impossible to realize the vast
amount of construction material
stored in these yards even after a
visit through them. Thousands of
tons of track steel are arranged in
separate piles, the straight rails be
ing laid by themselves while other
piles contain the curves or angles just
suited for certain bends in the road
bed. ' These curves or bends in the
steel, which was done by machinery
before shipping, will greatly facili
tate the work of laying the track and
when once started most rapid pro
gress can be made. Over half a mil
lion feet of bridge timbers are al
ready framed and ready for the
bridges in rapid construction.
“Just as soon as the first train
can cross the Kuskulana bridge,”
said Mr. Simpson, “we will begin
laying steel, and after we get half
a mile or so of track laid, we will
put on the construction or portable
camp train, so the men will be right
in camp all the time. This camp
train, which I will now show you
through, consists of a derrick and
tool car, containing the necessary
tools and equipment for Supt.
O’Brien’s bridge gang, as well as our
own equipment, as you can see, and
here are the portable camps. There
is cook car in the middle of which
is a big steel range, and near by is
a regulation bake oven. The car is
open at both ends so the waiters can
serve the meals to the dining cars
of which there are two, the cook
house or kitchen being between the
two diners. There are five sleep
ing cars each one being arranged to
accommodate from 40 to 60 men. A
stove being in each car, they are all
warm and comfortable, and there is
no question but what this is the best
arrangement we have yet had for rap
id construction work.
“Most of our ties are here with the
exception of about 7,000 at mile 13b.
The telephone poles are all cut and
will be some of the first materia; to
go out. The holes for the poles are
dug as far as mile 182, and the wires
will be strung as soon as posible,
of course, as the telephone is one of
the important factors in railroad con
struction. The largest bridge to be
constructed is at mile 160, which is
over 1,000 feet long and will have
over one-half million feet of bridge
timber in it. It will be 90 feet high
at the deepest center and will have
:hree decks of heavy bridge timbers.
Our bridge superintendent, Mr.
O’Brien, states that he can or expects
to finish this bridge in ten days. The
small bridge at 158, and a few other
small crossings will require but little
time to complete, so we expect to
make some rapid progress on the
last end ofo this road to the Bonanza
mine at mile 196."
The steam shovel, which has been
steadily at work in the gravel pit
has taken out sufficient gravel to bal
last the road bed in the low, swampy
places, so when the thaw comes little
trouble is apprehended. Coal bunk
ers are being constructed at the new
camp also. The dimensions are 32x
220 feet, and will greatly aid in the
handling of coal at the big construc
tion camp. The officials and men
are all anxio.tsly awaiting the time
when they can begin laying steel, and
the gala day when the golden spike
will be driven at the Bonanza mine
terminus will undoubtedly be dur
ing the early spring months of 1911.
Head the Leader for the news.
EAGLE TOWN JAIL
BURNED TO GROUND
According to a dispatch from Eag
le, the jail at that point was burn
ed to the ground Sunday night. A
defective flue is the cause assigned.
At the time of the fire there was one
prisoner in the jail Dut he was gotten
I out in safety.
Buy your friend a book for Christ
mas present at the Red Cross Drug
Co., mile 133. 12-17-2t
Prospectors Return From
Trip To the Interior
Tom Parker and Roy Nelson, who
left two months ago for a prospect
ing trip, returned last week, and will
remain until spring before going out
to their claims again. Mr. Parker,
who is one of the oldest and best
known mining men of the North,
gave the Leader representative some
interesting information on the day of,
his return, which will be of interest |
to the public.
“We went out to prospect for
quartz, principally,” said Mr. Parker,
“and there is no question but what
it will be found, for there are some
splendid placer propositions all
through this mineral belt, and the
quartz is bound to be discovered.
We prospected the Chitistone, Young
creek, McCarty creek and other trib
utaries of the Nizina and Chitina
rivers, but the snow and cold weath
er drove us in sooner than we ex
pected. However, the country is one
of the best in Alaska to prospect, as
it only averages about 12 feet to bed
rock, and there are fourteen pros
pectors, whom we ran across, and
possibly more, who will remain in
there all winter. As soon as the
snow begins to disappear the hills
will be dotted with prospectors all
over this mineral belt.
“W« found Tony Drummond and
Joe^ Murray doing extensive placer
development work on Calamity gulch
which is a tributary of Young's
creek.
“Fred Stevens is sinking holes on
the benches on lower Young’s creek.
“Bill Westerling is doing assess
ment work for George Esterly on
upper Young's creek.
“Brooks and Foote have a lease
on Bert Carvey’s ground on upper
Chitina creek They are driving a
tunnel on the bench diggings in on
the rim-rock, and carrying the dirt to
their cabin in the evening, where
they rock it, out of which they make
cne dollar per hour.
“DePaux brothers, two Frenchmen
on Dan creek, claim to have sluiced
up $2,600 for their summer’s work.
“George Esterly will more than
double his capacity next season. Here
tofore he has been working with a
60-foot head, but this coming season
he will put in a 30-inch pipe and
take his water from No. 9 above,
which will give him a 250-foot head
with which to operate his giants.
“Charley Veach and Dave M Curdy
have been doing assessment work at
the famous antimony ledge on Dan
creek, owned by Crumb and Tibbets.
This ledge is only 11 inches wide
but has received assay returns going
$6,000 to the ton of picked ore.
Veach and McCurdy have property
of their own on Kiagna, a tributary
of the Chitina, and will do assess
ment work of their own as soon as
they finish the work on the Crumb
and Tibbets property.
“John Bloomqulst and Frank Iver
son have an 18-inch quartz vein ad
joining the south side of the Bonanza
properties which is showing up ex
ceedingly well. ihey expect to do
some active development worn in the
spring.”
Mr. Parker states that prospectors
can purchase stores and necessary
camp supplies at Kennicott and al
so at a cache on Chitina creek at
reasonable figures, which is a big aid
to the prospector. He also advises
all prospectors to stay in camp until
late in the spring or until the cold
weather will have passed, as the
snow and cold winds are too stren
uous now for any man to be out.
H. E. Elliott returned on Thursday
evening’s train from a visit to Cor
dova, where he saw his daughter.
Mrs. Minnie Harber, off for Seattle.
Mr. Elliott, who is a bridge carpen
ter, expects to get busy again soon
with the bridge gang at the front.
Messrs. Healey and Weber are
busy this week at the front.
ACTIVITY IN MINING IN
THE KANTISHNA DISTRICT
Just at present there is much ac-!
tivity in the Kantishna in the way 1
i
of prospecting the deep benches of
Caribou creek being the chief at
traction. On these benches Hansen |
has been at work for a year past and j
he evidently has found something i
pretty good, as he has tipped it off
to his friends, and several of them
are going onto neighboring ground
with boilers.
About fifty men are wintering in
the Kantishna this year.
Andy Harms, who once had the
lunch counter at White's in Cordova,
was in Chitina a few days this week.
Andy is now a full-fledged rancher,
having staked a homestead at mile
178, near P. D. Burke at Long lake.
Andy says he lost a whole summer’s
wages by remaining on his home
stead, but considers he is ahead by
doing so.
First Wedding Bells
Sounded in Chitinai
Miss Clara Johanna Krueger and
Mr. Herbert Hazard McCutcheon,
were united in marriage on Tuesday
evening, December 20th, at 8:30
o’clock. Judge Ferguson performed
the ceremony at the commissione-’s
office in Chitina, Messrs. Tbos Clon
inger and Judson McLellan witness
ing the marriage contract.
The bride and groom are both
well known and the wedding is the
culmination of a happy and steady
courtship of nearly a year in Cordova
and Chitina. Miss Krueger is irom
one of the best old German families
in Minnesota, while Mr. McCutcheon
is proud of being a native son, hail
ing from the golden state of Califor
nia. The wedding was kept quiet and
supposed to be a secret to many of
their friends, but the important event
leaked out, as such affairs usually
do, and after the ceremony was per
formed and the happy pair started
out on their way home, they were
met by an army of serenaders, who
not only showered them with rice,
but formed a wedding procession and
followed them to the hotel with a
band of tin horns, cow bells and tin
can accompaniment. The groom told
the boys to call for what they want
ed, and all drank to the health of the
happy couple.
A sumptuous wedding supper was
served to a few invited friends at the
Hotel Chitina grill later in the even
ing.
Mr. and Mrs. McCutcheon have the
distinction of being the first couple
to be married in Chitina, and the
Leader, as w:ll as their many friends,
wish them everything that is good
in the line of prosperity and domes
tic happiness.
The deputy marshal stationed at
Georgetown, in the Kuskokwim, says
that of all the bunch that have come
in from the neighboring creeks, there
is not one knocker. All are opti
mistic, believing tnat something will
be found that will make it worth
their time spent la the district.
There is a little pay on Crooked
creek, on George river, and on the
Haulitna river, which comes into the
Kuskokwim about 40 miles above
Georgetown.
Local News
V .
Paddy MacCorniac says his trou
bles are over. The long drawn out
tunnel job of frozen muck and rock
is at last completed and the work
men began picking up the tools,
clearing the small track and timbers
up yesterday, and it will be but a
few days until the trains can run
through the tunnel, instead of over
the switchback.
Messrs. Exum and Anderson ex
pect to spend Christmas at Kusku
lana, where the steel bridge is ex
pected to be joined on that day.
Walter Allen and J. Z. Kimber
lin returned from a hunting and
prospecting trip this week.
The Hotel Chitina grill opened this
week, and the place is a credit to
any city. Chefs Hirst and Brown are
two of the best cooks in the North
and if they are retained there will
be no question as to the popularity
of the eating place.
The steam shovel at 146 closed
down Thursday evening, the crew go
ing to Cordova on Friday morn
ing’s train.
Eddie Walsh. Kinney Holden,
Jack Reed, Jimmy Davidson and a
number of boys from 146, left on
Friday’s train to spend the holidays
in Cordova.
Marshal H. K. Love, with two as
sistants, arrived in Chitina Wednes
day evening with two insane pati
ents, whom they are taking to the
Mount Tabor institution near Port
land, Oregon. One of the patients is
from the Iditarod country and the
other is from Fort Gibbon or Tan
ana.
CITY OK GEORGETOWN'
IS AFTER POSTOFFICE
The residents of the new town of
Georgetown in the Kuskokwim, have
made application to have the postof
lice removed from Parks, a small sta
tion fifteen miles up the river to
the more recent metropolis.
“Scotty” Henwood Frozen
To Death at Mile 145
Henry Henwood, who spent all last
season around Tiekel and Chitina.
and was known as “Scotty” Henwood,
was tound Monday morning dead in
the cabin belonging to H. H. Jones,
who has a homestead about two miles
from the construction camp at mile
145. Roy Wilson, who also has a
homestead in the same vicinity, had
just returned from a two months'
prospecting trip and was on his wa>
to his cabin when he noticed tracks
leading to the Jones cabin, which is
just off the regular trail to the Cop
per Mountain property. Thinking
that Mr. Jones was home, Mr. Wii
son decided to pass the time of daj
with him, and on opening the door
was horrified to see a corpse lying
on the flcor just inside the cabin
Deceased was lying face downward a?
though he had fallen in that posi
tion and had frozen to death. He had
evidently gone to bed, as his boots
and stockings were taken off. The
general opinion of those who viewed
the body is that Henwood was suf
fering from the effects of liquor, oi
exposure, and as there was no evi
dence that he had built a fire, he no
doubt became half paralyzed with
cold and starting for the door, fel'
before being able to reach the out
slde.
Mr. Wilson returned to camp 146
and reported the matter to the offi
cials. Dr. Broadericht immediately
left for the scene and after an ex
amination pronounced the man to
have been dead for many days, and
in his judgment had expired by freez
ing to death.
Supt. Simpson dispatched a spec
ial engine and car to Chitina to get
Commissioner Ferguson and Acting
Deputy Marshal Holland, to hold an
inquest over the remains. The fed
eral officials arrived at 146 early in
the afternoon, and after viewing the
body, which they readily identified,
held a coroner’s jury and all the evi
dence which could be secured was
obtained. The jury was composed of
W. J. Lester, O. E. Bennett, A. A.
De Leo, G. W. Wolfe, A. F. Fitch and
A. G. Baker, and rendered the fol
lowing verdict:
“We, the jury, herewith find from
the evidence offered and an inspec
tion of the body, that deceased, who
has been identified as one Henry
Henwood, came to his death by ex
posure to the elements.”
Deceased was known as "Scotty”
Henwood, by profession a marine en
gineer, and when last seen stayed all
night at E. F. Gray’s horse camp on
or about the 30th of November. Ho
told the men at the camp that it was
his intention to go to work for Mr.
Gray at Copper Mountain, and he
was not heard of again until discov
ered dead in the cabin less than two
miles from where he was last seen.