SECOND YEAR CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1912. NO. 29
Ilf FUTURE
of aim
If Chitina has seemed something of a disappointment to
those who expected to see a boom town such as many of the
mining camps of this country have been, they should remem
ber that what we lose in rapidity of growth we make up in cer
tainty.
The only effective way to boost Chitina is to promote de
velopment in the surrounding country. Low freight rates on
the railroad, good trails and moderate wages have assured and
made possible much of this development.
Fairbanks promises to become a quartz camp, and better
than ever it was as a placer camp. The freight and travel to
the interior will for a long time be a sure source of income to
Chitina. The improvement of the summer trail will increase
the passenger travel even* year. The road commission now
has quite a force of the old employes at work on the trail, and
Jack Ingram has said he would probably put on about sixty
men when he returned to Chitina in June. The employment of
local men will be of direct advantage to Chitna, and as capable
men can be obtained here, they will not all be brought from
Valdez, as in the past. An automobile trail and summer mail
will be obtained some time in the near future. The government
is considering the construction of a telegraph line from here
to Willow Creek. This will give a better telegraph service,
and add to the payroll of this section, while it is under con
struction.
Chitina is so located that it will necessarily always be a
division point on the railroad, and Chitina will always depend
largely on the railroad for employment for its men and for its
steady business. Within two or three weeks there will be quite
a force employed on the Chitina branch. At some time a steel
bridge will be built across the Copper River, which will add
materially to the business here, while it is being constructed.
Chitina is a creation of the Copper River & Northwestern Rail
way, and she will prosper just to the extent that it does. The
substantial and permanent improvements of the railroad show
the confidence the company has in the permanence and the
importance of the town.
But back of everything, railroads, farms, trails and busi
ness houses, are the mines of this vast interior country. The
railroad lias been completed about’ a year now, and judging
from the great increase in development work and prospecting
that has come as a direct result of the railroad in that one
year, we may reasonably expect that slowly but surely this will
become one of the greatest mining centers of the world, and
this is the honest opinion of many men whose opinion is worth
considering. In view of the number of prospectors in this sec
tion last summer, probably more encouraging prospects were
discovered than in any similar area in Alaska, and one copper
mine or low-grade quartz mine that is worth operating is of
more advantage to the community than sevearl very rich and
short-lived placer mines. As long as the world continues to use
copper Chitina is here to stay, and to grow, there is no way to
prevent it.
Business conditions will undoubtedly be duller this spring
than during the past winter. The business activity fostered by
the construction of a twenty million dollar railroad has not yet
been equaled by its operation, but at present rate of increase
it will soon exceed it.
To the man who has patience and perseverance, and who
can look to the future, rather than be concerned entirely with
the present, Chitina has indeed a bright and promising future.
-oooo
RAILROAD I >AIRS
Soon there will be renewed activity along the line of the
Copper River & Northwestern Railway. The summer improve
ment work will start about next Monday. And that will mean
the employment of an additional three hundred men and the
extra expenditure during the next five months of about $150,
000. After the completion of a new railway, considerable work
is necessary each year in order to improve the ballast and get
the roadbed up to standardization. Between Cordova and Chit
ina there will be five section houses and two water tanks con
structed. They will be of a permanent nature. Some little
work vvill also be done on the roadbed. A steam shovel will be
sent to the Kuskulina on Tuesday next, and it will be used on
the Chitina branch for the rest of the season. Considerable
track ballasting will also be done on that branch. Superin
tendent Geiger states that a limited amount of money is avail
able, but that its expenditure should have a beneficial effect
upon the towns of Cordova and Chitina, as much of the new
money will find its way into the coffers of the various business
people. The company now has about 240 men in its employ,
and by doubling that number considerable new money will un
doubtedly be distributed in our midst.
HOME RULE BILL PASSES
Washington, D. C., April 24th, 1912
Chitina Leader, Chitina.
House of Representatives passed my Alaska elective legislative
bill today by unanimous vote.
James Wickersham,
4:10 p. m. Delegate from Alaska.
WICKERSHAM CONVENTION I
Special to Cordova Daily Alaskan. * .
VALDEZ, April 26.—A call has been issued for an inde
pendent Republican convention. It will be held at Valdez on;
Wednesday, May 29. The purpose is to nominate a candidate for
delegate to Congress and elect two delegates to the Republican
national convention to be held at Chicago June 18. It has been
decided that each precinct shall be entitled to one delegate fori
even* twentv votes or fraction thereof, cast for James Wicker-1
sham at the election in August, 1910. The call is signed by
Emery Valentine, of Juneau, as chairman, and E. E. Ritchie, of;
Valdez, as acting secretary.
This action is believed to be taken with the advice and
consent of Delegate James Wiekersham, as the independents
have been in constant communication with him since the Re-;
publican convention at Cordova. It is understood that the j
delegate has placed his political fortunes in the hands of his
friends and that he will abide by their decision on May 29th—
when he will again be selected as the standard bearer of his ele
ment of the Republican party.
The object of sending a contesting delegation to the Chica
go convention is because of the feeling that possibly the Roose
velt forces may control the convention, and in that event the
independents would be seated. In any event, if enough con
tests are started and the Taft delegates can be restrained from
participating in the temporary organization of the convention
the committee on credentials may be secured and thus Roose
velt delegates who might have a semblance of regularity would
be seated, and in some instances a national committeeman se
lected. Throughout the South the Roosevelt forces are insti
tuting contests in nearly every state.
CHIU LOCAL NEWS
An ice jam took out one of the
side piers in the Chitina bridge on
ihursday, and the two truss spans
fell in and were carried away by the
current, leaving a gap of about 150
feet over the main channel, and the
track slipped off of another hundred
feet. The ice was very thin and rot
ten this year, and it had seemed pos
sible that it might not take the
bridge out. Failing to stand this
year, there is no hope that it ever
will until permanent concrete piers
are used. The bridge will be imme
diately redriven, which will be made
difficult by reason of the many large
boulders that were dumped in the
river to protect the bridge last sum
mer during the high water.
The Chitina Hotel has just re
ceived $50o worth of Standard pipes.
See them.
Martin Harrais, Democratic nomi
nee for delegate, made an interest
ing address to a large and attentive,
audience in McIntosh Hall Thursday
night.
You will find most of your friends
at the Chitina Hotel.
Harry Warren arrived in Chitina
From Fairbanks Thursday, en routs
to Seattle. He will return in June
with a bunch of cattle.
Try the Chitina Hotel for cigars
and pipes, at Seattle prices.
Jack Lawrence returned from u
very successful trip to Slate Creek,
with the exception of having lost one
of his horses througn the ice.
T. J. Bingham, rancher and road
house man of Willow Creek, was in
town this week. "
Billy Brown, the local telegraph
operator, went to Copper Mountain
this week, where he will be engaged
with E. F. Gray. There is no doubt
that Mr. Brown was tbe most uni
versally liked man who ever came to
Chitina. His friends are glad to see'
him find more satisfactory employ
ment, but they are sorry to lose so
popular and obliging a citizen. A. A.
L>eLeo has taken his place.
Chitina ought to have some kind
I
of an organized fire department. A
little preparation might save re
building a section of the town. Con
certed action on the part of the bus
iness men could secure some chemi
cal apparatus at no great expense
and some systematic understanding
and use of the water supply woulc
make it much more effective in cas*
of a fire. The Chitina Commercia
Club should take this matter up.
The Orr Stage Company has a big
bunch of horses here now tha'
should be at the other end, when
they could sooner be put on th*
range, which is earlier in the Tana
na than here. The early break-up o:
the rivers has prevented taking then
back.
The machinery is being taken oui
of the steamer Chitina. The stren
uous and exciting work of navigating
the Copper River is forever at ar
end.
Tim Eckstrom and John Corser ar<
putting up mile posts and bridg*
signs on the Chitina branch. Tim hai
just returned to Chitina after being
away nearly two years. He will b<
welcomed by the old-timers who al
know him well.
C. C. Hull, manager of the firm o
Kinney & MacCormac, has built a 12
foot sidewalk from his place of busi
ness to the depot yard. This is quit*
an improvement to that part of th<
town.
C. H. Golden and Pete Cashmar
came in from Valdez by the trai
this week, on their way to the Kus
kulina country, where they will d<
some assessment work this summer
The Leader is the only practica
newspaper for the miners in the Chit
ina Valley.
Robert W. Jennings made a veri
favorable impression on the crow*
he addressed in McIntosh Hall. Th<
general ofiinion was that he present
ed the case of Democracy in a veri
reasonable manner. He appealed t<
the sense and honesty of his heareri
rather than to their prejudices. H*
blamed the party in power for theii
inaction in providing Alaska witl
remedial legislation, and their ap
CLAIMANTSJENEY LEGACY
Special to Daily Alaskan.
SEATTLE, April 23.—The super
ior court has been asked to decide
what was in the mind of M. J. Heney,
the millionaire railroad contractor,
when he devised in his will $6,000
cash to Richard H. Simpson, a total
stranger, whom he is said never to
have met in his life, and omitted
any bequest to his old friend, Hamil
ton Ross Simpson, his foreman of
construction in the rock-hewn road
bed of the Copper River & North
western Railway, running from Cor
dova.
The charge that the $6,000 be
quest for Richard H. Simpson, incor
porated in the will of M. J. Heney,
was really meant to be given to Ham
ilton R'oss Simpson, is held to be
high class farce comedy by Solon T.
Williams, attorney for Richard H.
Simpson, who has filed a motion for
i judgment in the superior court on
the pleadings of the plaintiff, Earl
: E. Siegley, executor of the Heney
; estate.
Mr. Siegley recently commenced
action in the superior court directed
against both Simpsons, alleging that
' ooth had claimed the bequest and
• notified him not to pay the other
■ claimant. The court is asked to hear
i the claims of the contestants, and de
■ cide what was in the mind of M. J.
Heney when he made his will. Mr.
I__ - -
Heney died at San Francisco, Octo
ber 11, 1910. His will, distributing
more than a million dollars worth of
property, made generous beneficences
to many old-time friends.
Hamilton Ross Simpson, the
friend and business associate of al
most a lifetime, was deeply surpris
ed when his name was not among the
beneficiaries, and that Richard H.
Simpson, an utter stranger to Heney,
was given $0,000. Concluding that
Heney had made the mistake of
transposing his initials, “H. R.,” in
the will, ne made his claim to the
executor, and about the same time
Richard H. resisted it.
Richard H. Simpson, says Solon
T Williams, who holds his power of
attorney, was a chum of Heney's iu
years ago in Seattle, in Alaska and
at other places when they were bjth
poor men and played poker and
fought the hardships of pioneer life
together. Simpson, it is said, had
not seen Heney for ten or twelve
years before his death, and was as
much surprised as any one when he
learned of the bequest. However, he
wants the money and has empowered
Williams to collect it for him. Rich
ard H. Simpson, Attorney Williams
says, is a carpenter residing at Vic
toria, B. C., and ought to have the
money without undue delay in court
procedure
parent assumption that the Repub
lican party owned the people rather
than the people owning the party.
They feel so secure in their power
tuat they have forgotten their obli
gation to the people and are playing
. a selfish game of their own. He does
not approve of a complete territorial
, form of home rule for Alaska, but
. that we need and can at present sup
, port merely a legislative body to pass
, laws for Alaska, many of which are
, sorely needed. Mr. Jennings is a
, thorough-going, conscientious Demo
. crat.
■ Subscribe for the Chitina Leader.
SEATTLE, April 24.—Resolu
tions of regret were adopted yester
day by the Alaska bureau of the New
Chamber of Commerce on the death
of E. C. Hawkins, the engineer who
built the White Pass & Yukon rail
way and the Copper River & North
western line.
“With his learning and skill,” say
the resolutions, “combined with that
great executive power and construc
tive force of the late and lamented
M. J. Heney, the mountains gave
way, the glaciers were subdued, the
raging torrents encompassed and the
wilderness of Alaska was penetrat
ed and opened to trade and com
merce.”
DETAILS OF DEATH
The first details of the sudden
death of E. C. Hawkins, which oc
curred at New York on April 8, were
received in Cordova Wednesday In a
letter to Rev. E. P. Ziegler, sent him
by Rev. Edward P. Newton, former
ly of Valdez. The pallbearers were
six men from the office of the Alas
ka Syndicate in New York, Including
S. W. Eccles, Stephen Burch, Chas.
Steele and A. B. Emery. In referring
to Mr. Hawkins, the letter, under
date of April 10, states:
I know how sad you ail are over
dear Mr. Hawkins' death. I was in
town on Wednesday of last week and
saw him, and had prayers with him,
and realized then for the first time
that he was a very sick man. He
had written me that he was housed
with a cold at the Manhattan, and I
did not suppose it serious. He was
planning to come to Hyde Park so
soon as he was out.
A stone in the kidney gave him
great pain, and on Saturday the op
eration was performed. Mrs. Haw
kins had been with him a week, and
Dr. Smith was with him, too. I did
not get down, when they wired, until
after he had passed. Mrs. Hawkins
had wished to send for me sooner,
but the doctors said ‘‘wait a bit.’’
She had wanted communion for him
and her together. She has been
very brave and good. We had an
early celebration today in a chapel
of St. Mary the Virgin's, with Mrs.
Hawkins, the eldest daughter, two
sons and Dr. Smith present- The
funeral service will be at Calvary to
day at four. Tomorrow at 10:30 his
body is to be taken to Brookhaven,
L. I., where he was born, for burial
in the family plot. Dr. Lloyd, his
former rector in Seattle, now a pro
fessor in Toronto, arrives tonight,
and goes with the family tomorrow.
The world, and all who ever met aim,
are richer for his life and character.
I hope that all Cordova will agree
with me that St. George’s church,
Cordova, should be built as a memo
rial to him, and that it should be a
worthy memorial. I will help heart
' ily and earnestly at this end of the
line.
_
KENNECOH NOTES
Kennecott, April 24.
Fire broke out in the sawmill at
11 o’clock on Tuesday, causing great
excitement for the moment. But the
early arrival of the fire brigade un
der Chief Jimmy Dennis prevented
what mignt have been a very serious
loss. Mr. Watkins was much in
evidence with a patent fire extin
guisher. Dr. Schopp was on hand
to attend the wounded, if any, but
fortunately his services were not re
quired. Messrs. Brady and Wain
wright, zoo managers, were kept
busy keeping their wild animals un
der control.
Miss Dora Keen, of Philadelphia,
left here at 2 a. m. on Monday on a
second attempt to scale Mount
Blackburn. John Barrett, of McCar
thy, is head guide, togeiner with
eight men and two strong dog teams,
which comprise the whole party.
Miss Keen is confident of success
this year. She was the guest of Mrs.
Seagrave during her two days stay
here.
R. W. Jennings, the Democratic
candidate for delegate to Congress
from Alaska, held a very successful
meeting here on Friday evening last.
He predicts the defeat of the Repub
lican party next November^ and with
a Democratic President in power at
Washington, Mr. Jennings thinks he
could do wonderful and marvelous
things for this country, and make
Alaska one of the most perfectly
governed countries in the world.
We are enjoying beautiful spring
weather and the lawns are getting
green.
——————
BREMERHAVEN, April 25.—It
develops that the liner Frankfurt, in
endeavoring to respond to the calls
of the steamship Titanic, was unable
to do so. The Frankfurt encounter
ed an iceberg 120 feet high and 900
long. This so frigh.ened the offi
cers that they put off in another di
rection.