The Chitina Leader
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 18*9.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
•arTT.r. a. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—HARRY o. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
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given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands
of the Copper River district.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1914
CHECHACOS IN CHISANA
The contradictory reports from the Chisana, or at least
the contradictory impressions which one receives from the
many reports, would puzzle old satan himself. Were it not so
far away Ave would likely dismiss it frem our minds entirely.
But that’s the trouble. It is just isolated enough to enlist
curiosity. “Texas cattle have long horns” as the old saying
is and far away valleys are most inviting to those who are
enamored of the Long Trail. Remote regions suggest adven
tures, and adventure is gold to those restless beings avIio will
be cabined round by nothing but the sky. They go to the
Chisana, curse it and come away again. Nearly every day
some outfit leaves for the new diggings to investigate it a little
and curse it a whole lot.
Just now the future looks bright for the Chisana. The
chechacos are said to be flocking in there by the hundreds,
and the history of Alaska’s big discoveries is in many
instances the story of a fool who insisted on digging in the
most outlandish places. The theory of the average cheehaco
is, that gold ought to be in places where it has never yet been
found. After he makes a strike though, he becomes so wise
in the science of prospecting that his future usefulness is
forever impaired.
So look out for Chisana. The chechacos are headed in
that direction. “The enthusiasm of the cliecliaco” is more
than a derisive phrase. It is a half-blind force, but it will
make the Chisana a camp just the same. For the chechaco,
unfettered by technical knowledge, will dig around hopefully
until he finds it.—Fairbanks Citizen.
FULL FORM TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT
Senator Millard’s suggestion that the people of Alaska
petition congress for the full territorial government is not a
had one. The passage of the railroad bill will be followed by
the rapid settlement of the Northern country, and unless our
rights of self-government are given wider range, we will find
the limitations of our legislative powers a serious handicap
within a very short time. We have already learned what it
is to be embarrassed by restricted authority. We should profit
by the experience and begin at once to pave the way for future
statehood, which already is looming large in the distance.
President Wilson is in favor of giving Alaska home rule.
He expressed himself emphatically on the subject in his recent
message to congress, and undoubtedly will welcome co-opera
tion on the part of Alaskans. When he said “Alaska should
be given the full territorial form of government, and Alaska,
as a storehouse, should be unlocked,” he left no room fox
doubt as to his willingness to assist us to gain our independ
ence. But we Alaskans must help if the change is to be
brought about promptly.
-o—o—o
MARKS THE BEGINNING OF OUR DEVELOPMENT
Next week Congi-ess will xxndoubtediy pass the Alaska
railroad bill, which will then become operative as soon as it
receives President Wilson’s signature, which he is willing to
give the measure. This marks the beginning of a new period
of development of an “Empire in the Making.” Aside from
the fact that it commits the federal government to the expen
diture of $40,000,000 in the north, it will mean a heavy influx
of private capital into this part of the United States, and will
insure the development of one of the richest pai'ts of the
American continent.
It is almost impossible to overestimate the meaning of
this progressive federal policy. It will put the states in touch
with some of the best coal mines on the continent. It will open
up mineral regions of unguessed wealth. It will put great
agricultural regions within the reach of thrifty husbandmen.
It will put great natural cattle ranges within the easy reach of
cattlemen. In a word, it will put the American people in
possession of an empire of material wealth and is bound to
usher in a period of new and unequaled prosperity throughout
the territory.
Nothing so momentous has happened in either the recent
or the remote history of this great and growing section of
America.
When we open Alaska we will open one of the richest
regions of the earth. To come into its own Alaska needs only
two things: Transportation and self-government. Alaska now
has a limited form of self-government. It is not the kind of
government Alaska ought to have. Alaska ought to be and
soon will be a state, and one of the greatest states in the
American Union. The govex-nment’s l-ailroad policy will
hasten that result. That is one of the supreme advantages of
the railroad bill.
The people of the nation have misunderstood Alaska, and
have underestimated the worth and wealth of the northern
coxxntrv.
But the passage of the bill after an exhaustive discussion
of the whole question, is an indication of a better under
standing of Alaska and Alaska’s problems, and may be
accepted as a forerunner of better things for the empire of the
north.
Fairbanks is not the only Alaskan
district where the district attorney
is having trouble with the grand
juries. The Juneau grand jury
failed to indict Banker Summers
and District Attorney Rustgard
made an affidavit charging some of
the members of the jury with con
duct unbecoming the dignity of that
body. The row was reported to the
department at Washington and may
have been the caus0 of the attorney
general’s instructions to Judge tu
nings yesterday to resubmit the
Summers case to the grand jury at
Ketchikan. Judge Jennings fol
lowed a safer course than did Judge
Fuller in the Fairbanks case and
accepted the report of the grand
jury without comment. Following is
the letter of the grand jury hitting
back at the district attorney:
“The grand jury called by the
above entitled court on the 12th day
of January A. D„ 1914, now in ses
sion, hereby respectfully represents:
“That it as a body does resent
and protest against the action of the
prosecuting attorney in tiling and
causing to be published an affidavit
charging certain members of said
grand jury with conduct unbecom
ing grand jurors, in refusing to find
a true bill against the defendant
in the above entitled matter.
“We, as grand jurors, feel that
the action we have taken in this
matter was done with due regard to
the oath each of us has taken as a
juror; that all evidence adduced be
fore us was duly weighed and con
sidered; and that such evidence
‘taken together, is (not) such as in
(our) judgment would, if unex
plained or uncontradicted, warrant
a conviction by the trial jury;’ that
such a trial would only result in
waste of the court’s time, and a use
less expense to the governmnt.”
It is understood that negotiations
are under way whereby Cordova is
soon to have a hospital capable of
caring for the sick of a greatly in
creased population. The three lots
on A street, which were donated as
a site for a hospital by the townsite
company and deeded to Father Van
der Pol liave been turned over to
Dr. Council who has the proposition
of the new hospital in charge. The
site selected for the hospital is a
beautiful one and it is understood
that when the building is erected it
will be modern in every particular
and in keeping with the site which
it will occupy.
-o—o—o
Dan Averill, the well known in
terior miner who stampeded to
Marshall creek on the lower Yukon
river from Ruby last fall, states
that it is too early yet to even guess
at the future of the camp. The
ground is deep and wet and is going
to take a great deal of prospecting
to determine its value.
-o—o—o
J. D. Meenach, the well known
Alaskan mining man, has succeeded
in interesting Arizona and British
Columbia capitalists in copper prop
erties in the Kamishak Bay dis
trict. Mr. Meenach developed the
Ellamar mine and was thc first to
ship copper ore in commercial
quantities out of Alaska.
Kamishak Bay is in the Cook
Inlet country, which is served by
vessels of the Admiral line. In
connection with the opening of the
claims and the development of the
properties, which are said to be the
richest in the entire Cook Inlet
country, Mr. Meenach is planning
the construction of a railroad 16
miles long from the mines to tide
water.
Big shipments of railroad equip
ment and supplies will be sent
north, beginning early in April. It
is planned to build bunkers with ,i
capacity of 5,000 tons of ore at
either end of the railroad to facili
tate the handling of the shipments.
-0-0—o
The Sitka branch of the Alaska
Native Brotherhood has a splendid
hall rapidly nearing completion. The
manner in which this building is
being constructed pretty well dem
onstrates the ability of the Alaska
native to do things for himself. The
members of the organization went
out in the woods and cut a raft of
logs which they towed in them
selves. The W. P. Mill Co., donated
the use of its sawmill, and the
natives cut the logs into lumber,
from which the building is being
constructed. The labor is all being
performed by the members, and the
plans were drawn by Peter Simpson,
president of the order. The only
thing they have had to call on
white men for was to hire a team
ster to haul the lumber from the
mill. The building will be 65x86
feet, besides a stage 22x18, and will
be a beautiful monument to the
natives’ self-reliance.
Attorney General McReynolds has
sent a copy of his first report to the
clerks of the court in Alaska. The
report contains many recommenda
tions of interest regarding the de
partment of justice and retiring of
judges at the age of 70 years:
"Judges of the United States
courts, at the age of 70, after hav
ing served ten years, may retire
upon full pay. In the past, many
judges have availed themselves of
this privilege. Some, however, have
remained upon the bench long be
yond the time when they were in
capable of adequately discharging
their duties, and in consequence the
administration of justice has suf
fered. The power of congress to
correct this condition is limited by
the provision of the constitution that
judges shall hold their offices during
good behavior. I suggest an act
providing that when any judge of a
federal court below the supreme
court fails to avail himself of the
privilege of retiring now granted by
law, that the president be required,
sent a copy of his firht report to the
Senate, to appoint another judge,
who shall preside over the affairs of
the court and have precedence over
the older one. This will insure at
all times the presence of a judge
sufficiently able to discharge
promptly and adequately the duties
of the court.”
-o—o—o
Dan McKay, who died on the last
trip of the Sampson while en route
to Juneau for treatment, was buried
in the Evergreen cemetery at
Juneau. Deceased leaves a daughter.
Miss Marie V. McKay, living in Win
nipeg, Manitoba. He had been em
ployed by the Alaska Oil & Refining
Company’s works at Katalla. De
ceased had $64.85 in cash and cur
rency, a draft for $100 on the Def
ter Horton Uational bank of Seattle
and a certified time statement from
the Alaska Oil and Refining com
pany for $931.14, making a total of
$1,095.99, on his person at the time
of his death.
The Juneau Ferry & Navigation
Company have awarded a Seattle
architect a contract to build a 12
knot gas boat to serve as a ferry
between Juneau and Douglas Island.
The boat will be 92 fe3t long, 21
foot beam, 7 V% foot draft and will
be propelled by a 250 h. p. Speed
way engine. Tho boat will cost
$28,000.
Dan Reeder’s judgment for
$5,000 against the Copper River &
Northwestern railway has been
affirmed by the circuit court of ap
peals at San Francisco. The judg
ment was recovered last May at the
Cordova term of court.
Reeder was badly injured by the
second cave-in at the Chitina tun
nel, August 7, 1911. He was work
ing on the reconstruction of the
tunnel.
The mission dwelling and hospital
of the Episcopal church were
burned to the ground on the night
of January 1. not even the personal
belongings of the two nurses,
Misses Tate and Pick, being saved
from tbe flames. The three patients
in the hospital were rescued
through the bravery of the nurses
who risked their own , lives in
doing so.
It is believed in Valdez that the
Keystone canyon incident of 1907
will figure in the congressional light
for the Alaska railroad bill. Con
gressman Falconer, of Washington
state has wired Mayor E. E. Ritchie
for details of the Keystone canyon
shooting and particularly the facts
upon which the courts held the rail
road company liable for the injury
to Phillips, one of the men shot by
Ed. Hasey.
The rotary on the White Pass
Yukon Railroad recently crashed
into a caboose and made kindling
wood of it. No one was hurt and.
the rotary was not damaged to any
extent.
The board of directors of the
Cliff Gold Mining company last
week passed a resolution distribut
ing to the owners of the stock of
tlie company a dividend of five par
cent. This was the 22nd dividend.
The Canadian Pacific steamer
Sophia, which hit a rock on her
northern run has been taken to
Esquimalt for repairs. The Prin
cess Marquina, a fine deep water
vessel, lias taken the place of the
Sophia. The Marquina is said to be
the finest fitted up steamer in
northern waters.
John Biggs and J. C. Martin, of
Valdez, have been elected members
of the city council to fill the
vacancies caused by the absence of
two members of the board from the
city. Councilman Charles Mc
Callum is in Nelchina and Council
man Wheat is ill in Seattle. Tho,
matter of requiring voters to regis-1
ter was discussed but dropped with
out action.
The old steamer Bertha, of the
Alaska Coast Company, which used
to be considered a fine vessel for
the Alaska run before thc advent of
the palatial steamers now on the
run, is being dismantled and will be
used as a floating warehouse for a
cannery at Sheep’s creek, Cook’s
Inlet. The steamers now make the
round trip from Seattle to Cordova
in about the same time as required
by the Bertha to make the trip one
way. She was turned into a freight
er some years ago but has been
found to be unseaworthy. When
the history of early navigation along
the coast of Alaska Is written up
the Bertha will occupy a prominent
part. She has been into every bay
along the coast to the westward
when under command of Capt.
Frank Moore, now deceased.
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION
Serial 01010
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE,
Juneau, Alaska, July 12, 1913.
Notice is hereby given that Delia
Potter of Houghton, Michigan, as
signee of Barnard Needham, Calvin
Deputron and Elijah T. Fudge,
beneficiaries under Section 2306
Revised Statutes of the United
States, granting additional lands to
soldiers and sailors who served in
the War of the Rebellion, has made
application to make entry of the
lands in U. S. Survey No. 595, situ
ated about fifteen miles above the
mouth of McCartny creek, a tribu
tary of the Kennicott river, in the
Chitina recording precinct, Juneau
Land District, Territory of Alaska,
and more particularly described in
the fields notes and plat of said sur
vey as follows:
Beginning at Cor. No. 1, a green
stone 16x8x6 ins. set 11 in. in
ground, marked S. 595 Cor. 1 on
side facing claim, from which Cor.
U. S. L. M. No. 5 95 bears S. 2 JO
chs. dist., said U. S. L. M. is a stone
30x20x8 ins. 15 ins. in the ground
marked with a cross on top and U.
S. L. M. 595 on side. There are
no natural objects or permanent
monuments other than the one just
established available. Thence from
Cor. No. 1 S. 10 chs. to Cor. No. 2,
thence W. 5 chs. -to Cor. No. 3
crossing McCarthy Creek at 0.50
chs., thence N. 10 chs. to Cor. No.
4, thence E. 5 chs io Cor. No. 1,
the place of beginning, crossing
McCarthy creek at 3.30 chs. con
taining five acres.
Any and all persons claiming ad
versely any portion of the above
described tracts are required to file
with the register and Receiver of
the U. S. Land Office at Juneau,
Alaska, tneir adverse claim thereto
under oath during the period of
publication and posting of this
notice, or within thirty days there
after, or they will be barred by the
provisions of the statute in such
case made and provided.
OCHA POTTER.
It is hereby ordered that the
foregoing notice be published for
the statutory period in the Chitina
Leader, a newspaper printed and
published at Chitina, Alaska.
C. B. WALKER,
Register.
First publication, Jan. 21, 1914.
Last publication, March 2."), 1914.
IN THE UNITED STATES COM
MISSIONER’S COURT, THIRD
JUDICIAL DIVISION, TERRI
TORY OF ALASKA, IN AND FOR
CHITINA PRECINCT.
In the Matter of the Guardianship of
Nels Oscar Sail, a mentally in
competent person, and his estate.
It is ordered that Friday, January
30tli, 1914, at 10 a. m„ be appointed
for the hearing of the application of
Charles G. Sail, for letters of guar
dianship of the person of Nels Oscar
Sail, who is alleged to be mentally
incompetent, and of his estate situ
ated in Chitina Precinct, Third Judi
cial Division, Territory of Alaska,
and it is further ordered that the
time and place of said hearing be
published in the Chitina Leader, a
paper of general circulation in said
precinct and territory, for four con
secutive weeks.
(Seal) PAUL d’HEIRRY,
U. S. Commissioner and Ex-Otticio
Probate Judge, Third Judicial
Division, Territory of Alaska in
and for Chitina Precinct.
Date of first publication, Decem
ber 23, 1913.
Date of last publication, January
13, 1914.
1
ll. S. Mineral Surveyor:
" ' ; .
to - v *rv-i
CHITINA ! - - ALASKA
.. •
CHITINA: BAKERY
AND
Coffee House
HENRY GESSNER, Prop.
FRESH BREAD, CAKES AND
PIES ALWAYS ON HAND
(Mina GRILL
Good Eats for Particular People
Prompt Service. Popular Scivice.
Neit to Chitina Hotel,
CHITIXA : : : ALARK.^
Chitina
Pharmacy
DRUGS,
STATIONERY,
CANDIES,
KODAK SUPPLIES
CIGARS & TOBACCO
If you canuot call, write
us. MAIL orders our
Specialty.
A. G. MOREY, Prop.
GROCERIES, HARDWARE
AND=^_
MEAT MARKET
We have a big line of Sec
ond-Hand Goods, and can
save you money on your out
fit. Bunk House, with free
Cook House, in connection.
CHITINA HEIGHTS
c. A. SIMONS & CO.
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
0. A. Nelson & Co.
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ANNEX
SBATTLB
New, modern and fireproof.
All outside rooms
The most conveniently located
hotel in the city.
Rooms and suites are particu*
larly large.
Very desirable for families or
parties traveling together. ' {
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Auto-bus meets all boats and
trains. Write for booklet.
.J. H. DAVIS, Prog^