THIRD YEAR.
CHIT1XA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER S, l»12.
XUMREK 7.
OF
Cordova, Nov. 30.
The steamer Northwestern ar
rived in port last evening at 7 o’clock,
and sailed for Valdez about 4 this
morning. The passengers for Cordo
va were Calvin C. Hazelet, Miss Car
rigan, M. S. Whittier, Miss Nellie E.
Barrett, W. H. Mullen, E. B. Wildts,
C. E. Luckenvllle and wife, and three
Bteerage. A large number were
aboard for Valdez, in connection
with the trial of the banking cases,
which commences on Monday. These
men circled about town last night
and met many old fiends.
Judge Thos. Lyons, one of the
most satisfactory Judges to grace the
federal bench In Alaska, came over
from Juneau, accompanied by Mrs.
Lyons He will preside over the term
of court at Valdez.
Fred G. Noyes, who was appointed
receiver of the defunct bank after
Frank W. Hawkins had a short turn
at it, had been outside for a short
trip and returned on the Northwest
ern to Valdez.
J. S. Mackenzie, who was appoint
ed manager for some of the proper
ties under the receiver, is on hand
as a witness. He is accompanied by j
his wife.
Attorneys John L. McGinn and
John A. Clark, both of Fairbanks, re
turned from the outside to testify as
witnesses.
J L. Proctor is a government ex
pert who examined the books of the
bank and recommended that prosecu
tion be started.
Angus McBride, the new Clerk for
this division, or at least until he goes
to Fairbanks, where he will ultimate
ly hold the position of Clerk under
his old friend Judge Fuller, passed
through to Valdez on the North
western.
E. S. Bunch, formerly a newspaper
man of Fairbanks, and who is well
and favorably known in this section
because of the special work he did
for the Seattle Times, when getting
out a special edition about a year
ago, comes to personally report the
case for the enterprising Seattle
Timse.
Among the witnesses are B. B.
Metheany, G. P. Wesch, E. I. Jensen,
R. C. Wood who Is accompanied by
his wife, Ray Brumbaugh, Lew E.
Wing who was formerly connected
with the bank, J. A. Jackson, Jas. W.
Hill, A. T. Armstrong, G. S. Dusen
bury.
Cordova, Dec. 3. '
A snow and wind raged fiercely last
night, making it impossible for the
steamer Northwestern to sail. She
remained tied up at the dock until
eight o’clock this morning. She car
ried a large list of passengers and
will put in at Katalla to take on thir
ty government employees who have
been working at the Bering river coal
fields. These men will fill the steam-,,
er to her capacity. A large number
from the interior took passage, many
expecting to spend two or three
months in the states. The following
were booked from Cordova to Seattle;
E. F. Vanderick, Si Atwell, Richard
Jones, J. R. Fowle, B. Dewiksa, H. T.
Jordan, G. C. Nanson, F. Reunnels,
W. J. Bowen, F. H. Griffin, W. B.
Moore, M. L. McDougall, Dolly Bel
mont, G H.Gibbs, Percy G. Charles,
W. E. Barnes, H. C. Jackson, Chas
Cerney, O. I. Shade, P. Madden, A.
Greerty, Joe Geary, L. Wahala, Mike
Salmon, J. W. Forsland, W. McCor
mick, Chas. Chrisholm, Carl Savin,
Otto Nichols, John Mattison, F. S.
Bull, Denning Wheller, J. P. Haw
kins, Mrs. E. M. Keys, Louise Walton,
Mrs. N. Bartholomew, August Peter
son, Mrs. J. A. Lillie, E. L. Crawford,
Mrs. A. J. Paxson, Frank Johnson,
E. P. Donnelly, J. E. Barrett and
wife, I. L. Godfrey, Wm. Balte, D. A.
Lynch, Guy Boggess, H. Gold, Gus
Johnson, Mabel Grass, Nels Smith,
Miss C, Thrasch, C. W. Kolb, J. L.
McKenzie, Jos. Diggs and family, L.
Wahl, A. Nevland, Miss Gladis Ger
man.
Any lingering doubt that might
have remained regarding the inten
intention of the Alaska Road Com
mission to construct bridges shis
winter across the Xazina and tiulka
na rivers, may now be dispelled.
Ralph Stewart, manager of the Arc
tic Lumber Company, assures us that
the contract for the heavy trusses for
these bridges has been awarded to
his company. This lumber will be
shipped from Seattle on the steamer
leaving December 10. That for the
Gulkana bridge will be sent out the
railroad and delivered to the Com
mission at Chitina. They will then
liave to haul it 70 miles to the
stream that is to be crossed. The
trusses for the Xazina bridge will be
shipped to McCarthy' station, and
from there it will be liauled seven
or eight miles to the lower canyon,
where the stream will be bridged.
The lighter lumber to be used will
be native timber. It will all be as
semebled early in January, when it is
expected that a big force of men will
be put to work and the bridges finish
ed by Spring.
KATALLA. Nov. 30—The recent
death and burial here of Martin Bar
ret, recalls many episodes in the life
of one of the most noted characters
in this nortland.
Martin Barrett was born in Water
ford, Ireland in 1846. At the age
of eight he came to America and lived
with an aunt in New Orleans for two
years. He then went to an uncle in
Chicago and a year later commenced
life for himself as a cabin boy on a
Mississippi river steamboat. At the
age of thirteen he started across the
plains for California and was a mem
ber of the party that buried the
skeltons of the victims of the Moun
tain Meadows Massacre in Utah.
The succeeding twenty years of his
life were spent in the southwest and
northwest, he taking part in all of
the mining excitements of those
times. In both sections he was en
gaged ir> active set vice as a scout in
the Indian wars.
In 1883 Mr. Barrett married
Florence Klinik in Berlin, Wis., and
several months later opened a hofel
in Spokane. Returning to Wiscon
sin in 1885 he spent the next three
years in business with his wife’s
brother. In 1893 he settled with his
family in Snohomish, Wn. In 1896
he in company with Thos. Lane, now
of Katalla, Steve Roe and the late
Capt. Lyons, of Nome, fitted out the
schooner Leslie and started oil a
prospecting trip of the Alaska coast
which extended to Cook’s Inlet. His
family accompanied him on this trip.
In the early fall the party returned
south as far as Katalla and Mr Bar
rett with his family, and Capt. Lyons,
had Geo. Barrett, of this place, put
them ashore on Middleton iriand.
They remained on the island until
the following summer, when one of
Mr. Storey’s cannery tenders took
them off
.August, 1907 saw Mr. Barre't and
his family taking part in the stam
pede of Dawson. Like thousands of
others they floated down the Yukon
river that fall in a sour dough boat.
In 1901 they returned to Snohomish
and in the spring of 1903 came to
Katalla. He is survived by his wife,
daughter Mrs. O. L. Willoughby, and
two sons, Lawfenee and Fred, now in
Spokane.
J. E. Barrett and wife, of McCar
thy, were passengers on the North
western for a trip outside. Mr. Bar
rett was a candidate for the Legisla
ture at the recent election.
----o—o—o
The many friends of Grant Reed
are sorry that conditions arose which
necessitated his leaving the employ of
the Railroad. He ha% many warm
friends in Chitina who are glad that
he intends to remain in the country.
The Rainier-Grand is now Cordo
va’s most popular cafe.
Soon afer the change in national
administration there will be a large
number of federal positions to be fil
led in Alaska. In the four judicial
divisions most of the officials will
have served their term of four years
in June next. Judge Murane, at
Nome was not appointaed until 1910,
succeeding Judge Moore, term expir
ed. When Judge Murane received
his appointment he was District At
torney for the Third Division, his suc
cessor being George E. Walker, who
was not confirmed until December
1910. When Judge Cushman was
appointed to the western division of
Washington last summer, Judge Over
field was transferred to this division.
His term will expire in June. But
Judge Fuller was recently appointed
and confirmed as Judge of the Fourth
division. Ordinarily the Judges
would be permitted to serve out their
terms, but they may be removed at
the pleasure of the President, and it
is possible that a number of expect
ant Alaska Democrats may get busy
at once to see if ways and means
might not be devised to effect early
changes.
On the subject of candidates for
office in Alaska the Post-Intelligencer
refers to two prominent aspirants for
the Governorship, Falcon Joslln and
J. F. Strong, and it is generally con
ceded that one or the other will re
ceive the plum, as there is great faith
that under the present administration
it will be Alaska for Alaskans, and
Alaskans for Alaska. The term of
the present efficient Governor does
r.ot expire for more than a year, and
if he so desires it is altogether proba
ble that he will serve out his term.
The Seattle paper has the following:
Good Federal Positions.
The best jobs in the federal ad
ministration will be that of governor,
$7,500 a year; collector of customs,
$4,000 a year; surveyor general, $4,
000 a year; register of Jueau land
office, $3,000 a year. Then there
Y AND PIJ[
are innumerable minor positions,
some of them with good salaries at
tached.
Even better are the positions,
which include four divison judges,
salaries $7,500; four United States
attorneys, $5,000 a year; four United
States marshals, with salaries of $4,
000 a year. All of these appointees
will have a large number of minor
jobs to give out, such as deputies,
clerks of courts and assistant United
States attorneys. Then there will
be court commissioners who can col
lect fees up to $3,000 a year; light
house keepers, game wardens, fish
commissioners and other positions
which ought to gladden the hearts of
faithful Democracy.
In the First Division.
R. W. Jennings, of Juneau, who
was defeated by James Wickersham
for territorial delegate, is practically
assured of the federal judgship of
the First division. The term of
Judge Thomas R. Lyons, the present
incumbent, will expire June 1 and
Jennings will, in all probability, suc
ceed him as judge at Juneau. Jen
nings has been active during the re
cent campaign and occupies a posi
tion of prominence and popularity,
which apparently insures him the
fulfillment of his political ambitions.
Charles H. Cosgrove, of Ketchikan,
is in line for the appointment as
United States attorney, although Z.
1.Cheney has also been mentioned for
this position. It is understood, how
ever, that Cheney does not want the
job and that he will succeed the late
A. J. Daly as national committeeman
when the territorial committee meets.
Harry A. Bishop and Hans Hansen
are mentioned for the United States
marshalship. Hansen was a former
member of the Washington legisla
ture and was recently elected terri
torial senator. He was at one time
mayor of Skagway, and, as deputy
marshal, won fame as hero of the
posse that rounded up the "Soapy”
Smith gang in 1898.
Nomeites Want Office
George Grigsby and O. D. Cochran,
of Nome, are said to be aspirants for
the judgeship of the Second Division.
Grigsby is a former district attorney,
who was removed by President Taft.
O. D. Cochran is a former mayor of
Nome and a leading attorney of Alas
ka.
Conrad Freeding, territorial sena
tor and also former mayor, may be
the next United States marshal, for
which position Thomas W. Gaffney,
member of the house of representa
tives, is also mentioned.
Cordova to l>e Remembered
John Y. Ostrander, Edmund Smith
and A. C. Frost are mentioned most
frequently for judge of the T'lird di
vision. Ostrander is a former Wash
ingtonian, was register of the Seattle
land office under the firs; Cleveland
administration and court commis
sioner at Juneau under the second
Cleveland administration. Smith is
a former mayor of Valdez and was a
delegate to the Baltimore convention.
Among those mentioned for United
States attorney for the Third division
are W. W. Whittlesey, of Seward
brother of C. F. Whittlesey, of Seat
tle. He was a candidate for secre
tary of state in the first state elec
tion, but. has lived in Alaska for sev
eral years. Thomas J. Donohue, an
attorney from Valdez is also being
boomed for this job.
Still Some More Candidates.
John F. Dillon, R. F. Roth, John
A. Clark and Harry A Pratt are likely
to be candidates for judge of the
Fourth division, with lieadquartrs at
Fairbanks. Dillon, who has been a
Wickersham supporter, has always
been a Democrat and he is now a
United States commissioner at Fair
banks. Roth supported Martin Har
rais and is regarded as a bolter, and
will be opposed if he becomes an ac
tive candidate.
L. T. Erwin and Dan Callahan are
aspirants for the marshalship.
Charles A. Sulzer and Phil Abra
hams are mentioned as candidates
for collector of customs, and Charles
G. Davidson is being boomed for
surveyor general.
FAIRBANKS BANKING CASES
At Valdez yesterday Judge Lyons
opened what promises to be one of
the most Important terms of court
ever held In Alaska. A large num
ber of criminal and civil issues are
to be tried out, and it is expected that
two or three months may be consum
ed ere the issues involved are dis
posed of. There is a great array of
legal talent employed in the case,
while seventy or eighty witnesses
have been summoned from Fairbanks,
Seattle and other places. One of the
first acts after court opened yester
day was the dismissal of indictments
against Falcon Joslin and E. L. Web
ster. They were charged, as direc
tors of the Washington-Alaska bank,
of Fairbanks, with publishing false
reports of the financial condition of
the bank. The prosecution soon dis
covered that this was not a fact,
and a motion to dismiss the indict
ments was immediately offered and
granted. E. S. Bunch, formerly a
newspaper man at Fairbanks, is
thoroughly failiar with the points at
issue, and is now in attendance at the
trials. He wrote the following state
ment for the Seattle Times:
In 1909 there were two rival banks
in Fairbanks, the Washington-Alas
ka and the Fairbanks Banking Com
pany. The former was managed by
W. H. Parsons, now vice-president, of
the Dexter Horton National Bank of
Seattle. Falcon Joslin, F. E. Bar
bour and Edgar L. Webster, all of
Seattle, were directors. Frank W.
Hawkins, also well known in banking
i circles here, was teller. The Fair
banks Banking Company had for its
president Captain Barnette, who for
many years maintained a winter resi
dence in Seattle; for vice-president,
J. Albert Jackson, and for cashier,
Lew Wing. Numerous big mining
and business men of Fairbanks were
included in its directroave.
Barnette Starts Drawing Out.
In the fall of 1909 a consolidation
was effected by the Fairbanks Bank
ing Company purchasing the Wash
ington-Alaska business, and starting
anew, using the old Washington
Alaska name. Shortly after consoli
dation Barnette, desiring to central
ize his interests in a great Mexican
hacienda he had acquired, began
withdrawing from all business in the
North. He tendered his resignation
as president of the consolidated bank,
and came out to Seattle expecting his
successor would be named soon after
his departure from Fairbanks.
Barnette had been here but a short
time when Jackson came to him with
a report that the Northern institu
tion’s affairs were in a critical condi
tion, because a Seattle bank, with
which it had been doing business, had
refused to continue a great overdraft
usually available. Such assistance
was vitally necessary because of the
great transactions involved in hand
ling the big volume of gold output.
Barnette, whose resignation never
had been acted upon by the directors,
with Jackson mads strenous efforts to
obtain the required assistance from
the banks here and In San Francisco,
but finally had to give up.
When it was realized by them the
overdraft could not be obtained, a
cable was sent to Hawkins, who had
become cashier of the consolidated
bank, to close immediately Bar
nette and Jackson hoped that cala
mity would be averted by such a
course. They planned immediately
undertaking a settlement of the in
stitution’s affairs that would protect
the depositors against loss.
Cry Raised Against Barnette.
Barnette returned to Fairbanks to
protect his name against the wild
charges being made. He disclaimed
all responsibilty of whatsoever charc
ter, but finished, in his conferences
with court officials, with an offer to
lend practically his entire wealth—
then chiefly represented by property
—for the rehabilitation of the wreck
ed bank. He stated his reason for
doing this was his deep regret that
hardships had been wrought upon
such a great number of his old friends
and his desire to see proved his claim
that the bank’s obligations all could
be liquidated from its own resources,
if properly handled. He pledged to
the court his Mexican holdings, esti
mated to have a value of $1,500,000.
Instead of having the expected re
sult of giving him an opportunity to
direct the work of settlement of the
bank’s affairs, however, this act of
Barnette’s brought new complica
tions. More opposition was stirred
up against him, and the United States
court at Fairbanks was called upon
by the persons leading the agination
to make a searching grand jury in
vestigation.
No Indictment- Upturned.
The first gra r. 1 .1 r ■ v convened
spent a month going over the bank’s
NEWS OF Nl
affairs and adjourned without indict
ing anyone.
More agitation followed, with the
result that a second grand jury was
convened. This body proved of a
makeup just the opposite of the other
and returned indictments in sheaves.
Acts of Barnette, upon which in
dictments are based, are conversion
of the Fairbanks Banking Company's
funds for the purchase of the Wash
ington-Alaska stock and withdrawing
sums from his personal account in
the institution.
Sventeen indictments were return
turned against Hawkins. One of
these charges misappropriation of
funds with which he purchased stock
in the consolidation. Another
charges falsification of the bank’s
books that would show this trans
action. Twelve charge him with
paying out to various depositors the
amounts of checks drawn by them the
last day the bank was open, after
having been notified it was insolvent.
The other three charge him with re
turning moneys to depositors after
he had been appointed receiver, fol
lowing the failure. This last-named
act he had performed with the sanc
tion of District Judge Peter Over
field.
Vice-Presdent Jackson was indict
ed on two counts, one of siding and
abetting Hawkins in the stock buying
transaction and the other for making
an allegedly false entry in the bank’s
books in connection therewith.
The indictment that fell to the lot
of Wl H. Parsons is basei* upon a
statement of the old Washington
Alaska Bank’s condition prior to the
consolidation. He also was named
in a joint indictment that charged
him, Barbour, Webster and Joslin
with making an annual report of the
old Washington-Alaska Bank’s condi
tion which the prosecution contends
was not accurate. It is understood
that the prosecution, since the indict
ments were returned, has absolved
Webster and Joslin, and that they
will not be asked to go to trial, inas
much as nethier had any knowledge
whatever of bookkeeping routine in
the bank.
-o—o—o
In a letter received by a Cordova
friend yesterday L. V. Ray of Seward
declares his belief that he has been
elected a Senator for this division.
He states that returns have been re
ceived from all precincts excepting
Hope, Illiamna, Kenai, Unga and Un
alaska. And he expects to hold his
own in those precincts. The totals of
the vote received thus far by Mr. Ray
are as follows:
Senators—Millard 845; Ray 808;
Baldwin, 770; Tansey, 489; German,
292; O’Neil. 276.
Representatives—Boyle, 713; Bar
rett, 407; Youngs. 649; Gilman, 372;
Ingram, 826; Kelly, 953; Gray, 8n0;
Chase, 512; Stuart, 209; McCallum,
02; Barry, 23 4; Hegner, 230; Frame
215; Grimes, 124.
' '' —* * —- 7-—
The Juneau Empire recently had
the following item:
“Judge Cobb returned last night
from Cordova whore he had been on
legal business, the outcome of which,
he says, was saisfactory. He is at
torney for several damage cases
against the the Copper River &
Northwestern Railway Company, all
of which will be settled out of court.
Judge Cobb will leave for Seattle in a
few days, where he will confer with
the railroad’s attorneys and make
final settlements. Judge Cobb says
that he is tired of traveling, Having
covered 23,000 miles in the past six
months.”
-o—o—o
Govenor Clark has appointed Fred
\V. Bradley, of Juneau and Douglas:
L. L. James, of Fairbanks; Jafet
Linderberg, of Nome, to represent
Alaska at the convention of the Cali
fornia Miner’s Association, which is
to meet in December. This meeting
will take up the matter of planning
for a mining exhibit at the Panama
Pacific Exposition.
- i
COPPER CENTER FOX
FARM A SUCCESS
•
Tom Cloninger has bought out
John Palmer in the Chitina Hotel
which gives him entire possesison of
that well known and popular house.
Mr. Palmer will go to California hut
will still hold his interests here In
other property.
Tom Cloninger who is one of the
best liked and most wide awake busi
ness men in Chitina will continue to
make that the lending hotel In town.
It is the most up-to-date and comfort
able house in this part of the country,
and is regarded by everyone as the
place to look for friends or business
acquaintances.
-o—o—o
A business usually succeeds bet
ter if grows gradually from a modest
start, as this gives an opportunity
to meet the obstacles. This has been
forcibly demonstrated by the at
tempts at raising foxes, particularly
black ones, at Copper Center.
Several years ago a stock company
of Seattle undertook to start a fox
farm near Copper Center. After
spending several thousand dollars the
attempt was given up. Those who
were conducting it had no practical
knowledge of the work.
The people of Chitina had a rare
treat this week in the way of a fox
exhibition. John McCrary of Cop
per Center brought in seven live foxes
which he shipped to the states, where
they will be put on fox farms for
breeding purposes. They included
red, cross and black foxes, the last
of which are very valuable.
Fox farming presents many inter
esting as well as some vexing prob
lems. They are as timid in captivity
as they are cunning and wise at liber
ty. They will not breed unless the
conditions of captivity are favorable
and only long experience In handliug
them will give this information.
Mr. McCrary an dsons have a blue
fox coming in from their pens which
they will cross with the ordinary
ed fox and get a ruesiting cross much
more valuable than the red. Black
fox, such as those in this shipment
are the most valuable by far and are
the most difficult to raise.
-o—o . '
CHITINA HOTEL ARRIVALS
Knute Nafsted, J. E. Barrett and
.wife, II.M. McDaniels, Dave Fenton,
H. J. Brown, M. Maher, O. J. Berg
and wife, James Newman, John Mc
Crary, R. P. Beal, O. L. Larson, John
Armis, Earl C. McCrary, Dr. Mont
gomery, Gladys Gorman, H. H. Scaler,
Eld. Maen, W. M. Smith, J. F. Clark
in, Jack Wash, L. S. Wickers ham, F.
J. Bingham.
-n-n-n
F. J. Bingham was In town this
week.
The Chitina Cash Store just re
ceived the first stright car load of
groceries ever shipped to Chitina.
Their business is increasing every
day.
Mrs. J. P. Rockefellow and son.
Gregory will leave on Thursday’s
train for a visit of several weeks in
Seattle.
Jake Nafsted made a business call
in Chitina this week.
The Road Commission is expected
back in a few days.
It is time to do your Chrltmas shop
ping for those “outside.” The
Chitina Pharmacy has a good line of
Holiday goods.
The Cliitna Bakery is already pre
paring for those Xmas cakes.
Twelve trains a week in and out
make the railroad look like business.
The school children under the in
struction of Mrs. Bates the teacher
gave an exhibition the other evening
for their parents and friends that
was declared excellent by all those
present.
The Railroad company has put a
boarding and bunk car with a crew of
men on the Chitina branch to take
the place of the section gangs be
tween here and McCarthy.