VOLUME 2.
CHITIXA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1911
NO. 4
LOCAL NEWS
R. F. Pollard returned Monday
from the upper Tonsina roadhouse
where he went to repair the telephone
wires between the two Nefstead
roadhouses. He says that the trail
is now in very bad shape owing to
the recent heavy rains.
Cordes & Simons will turther im
prove their property on the Heights
by building a new residence east of
their store.
The Leader goes to all the nearby
roadhouses where incoming visitors
can see it. Advertisements in the
Leader reach prospective buyers.
Leader “Ads” pay.
A new track is being laid from the
tunnel t& the depot grounds and will
be used to haul dirt from the tunnel
to fill in the low places betw'een the
depot and the hotel.
M Bigelow of Eagle City is in
town for the winter. He says that all
kinds of business is good in that sec
tion of Alaska.
Norman Ericksen is setting the
glass front in the Blum building this
week.
The second dance of the season
given by Mr. Thoday was a most
pleasant affair. It is being arranged
to have at least one social gathering
each week during the winter.
Don’e forget the Red Dragon read ■
ing room on Chitina Heights, where j
a pleasant evening may be passed!
among the best books and newspapers I
of the day. It will be made com-!
fortable by good lights and a hearty
welcome is extended to all. The re
■cent donation by the good citizens of
Chitina is sufficient to put the place ^
in good repair for the winter. New ,
books and periodicals are being re j
ceived on every train.
See Nelson & Co. for coal and feed.
The ice on Chitina lake is now suf
ficiently strong for skating and many
are taking advantage of the fine
weather, cutting figures on the “slip
pery.” Messrs Maccauley and Brown
are organizing teams for a series of
games of hockey and much amuse
ment and no little exercise is antici
pated. If you are a skater hand in
your name to these gentlemen.
Letters received from Perry Jac
obs who is now in Seattle indicates
that he may be back in Chitina soon.
He says that he has seen no place
since leaving that he likes quite so
well as this. Should this popular
little merchant decide to relocate in
Chitina he would be welcomed by a
host of warm friends.
If you want to see something
worth while just come .out to the
next party and watch Ed Gilman and
Dr. Thom take the first degree in the
enticing two step. We predict that
neither will ever be the same again.
Mrs. Jimmy Burgun of Strelna is
in town this week shopping with
our merchants and remained over
for the dance.
Jimmy Rockefellowi of the Orr
stage line is breathing easier these
days since the recent freeze up. The
bad roads were about as wearing on
him as they were on the horses.
Every man has a perfect right to
do as he pleases with his own, but
the two business men who refused
to subscribe to the fund for main
taining the Red Dragon for the win
ter ought to reap their just reward.
Chitina has no use for tight wads.
Louie Belter, of Cordova; is in
town.
The stage from Fairbanks to Chit
ina is already sold out for two months
in advance and many are mushing
in which would indicate that Chitina
is a popular objective point this sea
son.
Another slight earthquake shock
was felt here Tuesday night and
doubtless had its origin in the vicin
ity of Mount Wrangell as the vol
cano was in active eruption at the
time and has since continued to
smoke and emit a shower of fine
ashes which reach beyond Chitina.
Pending the completion of the new
Holland residence, Mr. and Mrs. Ed.
Gillman are at the Hotel Chitina.
The last stage for the week left
Friday with a full passenger list and
mail. A six horse team was required
on the first lap owing to the soft
roads.
COMMERCIAL CLUB ORGANIZED
JO BOOST TRAN APPROPRIATION
. *
The Fairbanks stage of Thursday
brought in besides six other passen
gers, General Agent R. J. Barry and
a meeting of citizens was quickly
arranged for four o’clock, to hear
what Mr. Barry had accomplished
and what opinions he had formed
while on his trip to Fairbanks. Mr.
Schaupp was elected chairman and
Dr. Thom secretary. Mr. Barry spoke
briefly as to the needs of the section
of the country he had passed through
and said that the greatest of all was
better and consequently cheaper
transportation facilities, and to se
cure these it was necessary to have
better roads. He pointed out that
the Commercial Club of Fairbanks
had agreed to ask for an appropria
tion of a million dollars a year for
Alaska roads and stood sponsor for
a movement to make the demand for
the entire territory and ask other
towns to co-operate. He therefore
requested that some action be taken
here in order to show that the whole
country was united in the demand!
for good soads. Dr. Thom suggested ■
that since it was the Chitina way of;
doing things that a Commercial Club
be organized at once and thus make
the action of the meeting somewhat
official. The suggestion was accept
ed and a committee consisting of
Messrs. Schaupp, Gillman, Hull, Nel
son and Morey was appointed to for
mulate plans for the immediate or
ganization of the proposed club. This
committee immediately reported that
for the present the temporary organi
zation should stand and a committee
on permanent organization consist
ing of Nelson, Schaupp and Morey
was appointed. A motion was car
ried to appoint a committee of three
of which Dr. Thom should be chair
man. to draw suitable petitions to
President Taft which should be in
accord with the suggestion of Mr.
Barry and in support of those adopt
ed at Fairbanks. This committee will
report at an early date when the
resolutions will be formally adopted
! and forwarded to the President,
j Thus within an hour after the arrival
of the stage with Mr. Barry aboard
a new commercial body had sprung
into existence and was ready for
business. The organization will be
made permanent and will doubtless
accomplish much good in the future.
Tne committee on memorial to the
President is Messrs. Thom, Gillman,
Hull and a strong and comprehensive
set of resolutions is promised. Some
other important matters will be tak
en up by the new Commercial Club
at once.
Mr. Barry in the course of his
talk to the Commercial Club had
many encouraging words for the
future of Chitina. He said that this
is the logical distributing point for
the great interior as well as the
junction where the road would
branch to Fairbanks and that there
was good reason to believe that this
road would be started in the near
future. He paid a high tribute to
the effortst of Col. Richardson in
•
securing the appropriations for what
has already been accomplished in the
way of road building in Alaska. He
contended that the appropriations
should be made ahead for several
years in order to give the engineers
an opportunity to plan the work. He
says that the camps along the trail
are only awaiting the time when a
reasonably good road is an establish
ed fact, to further open up their
property and develop the agricultural
possibilities. He spoke of the pleas
ant relations that have always ex
isted between the railroad and Chit
ina business men. which he prom
ised on behalf of the company should
continue. Mr. Barry is enthusiastic
over the prospects of a great deal of
the territory contiguous to the Fair
banks trail and says that many low
grade mines ran be profitably worked
when good roads are established, but
as it is now they must lay idle on ac
count of the difficulties and expense
of obtaining supplies. He departed
for Cordova Friday morning.
Editor Chitina Leader:
The Publicity League of Katalla
is inaugurating a movement for the
dissemination of more accurate
konwledge in the United States con
cerning the conditions in Alaska as
affected by the application of that
doctrine which is commonly known
by the name “conservation.”
It is believed that this doctrine
as applijd to Alaska, does not con
stitute conservation as understood
by the ordinary acceptation of this
word, nor is it in harmony with the
theory of conservation as announced
by that eminent authority on this
subject, Mr. Gifford Pinchot.
It is hard to understand how the
application of the leasing system to
the coal, the oil, the copper, the gold
and the otuer mineral lands of Alas
ka, as well as the agricultural lands,
which is the ultimate purpose of the
“conservationists,” as outlined by
Senator Lafollette in his speech of i
August 21, in tne United States Sen-!
ate, can be in harmony with any,
true theory of conservation.
It is well understood by all classes
of people who have given this matter
consideration that the leasing of all
kinds of property, whether mineral
or agricultural lands, or personal
property—as compared with the plan
of private ownership, is not con
ducive to economy of production, ef
ficiency in operation, improvement
or the maintenance of a high produc
tive capacity.
It is equally incomprehensible how
the present plan of withholding tue
use of the coal, oil, timber and other
resources of Alaska—which are nec
essary for the continued growth and
development of the territory—by
placing them in national reserves and
the withholding from patent, upon
mere technicalities of the law and
upon false charges, o£ claims, right
fully indicated, or the acquiring of
title to these resources, can have any
place in a true scheme of conserva
tion.
It is our belief that the errors of
human judgment are largely due to
ignorance of the facts from which
conclusions are drawn, and that the
people of the country, and the "con
servationists” themselves, are lam
entably ignorant concerning Alaska.
We are preparing a pamphlet for
distribution to members of congress
newspapers, commercial organiza
tions, and others throughout the
United States, to contain the salient
facts bearing upon this question as
well as extracts from the public ut
terances of the statesmen and promi
nent men in the states, who are fam
iliar with the conditions and know
the needs of Alaska; and we are
asking the chambers of commerce
and other business organizations of
the towns of Cordova, Valdez and
Seward to join with us in the prep
aration and distribution of this
pamphlet.
We believe that these towns and
the town of Katalla are equally in
terested in this matter, as well as
the whole of Alaska, and we do not
propose to let the movement drop
here, but hope to see it taken up by
the towns throughout Alaska.
We nope that your paper and the
people of your town will take hold of
this matter, and that we can all
“put a shoulder to the wheel,” and
that.the spirit of Alaska, when ar
oused will blot out of existence the
seflish and iniquitous interests that
are trying to thwart the development
of Alaska.
Publicity League of Katalla.
ARTHUR G. THOMPSON, I
Secretary.
A letter has been received from,
Ohio whi'h says:
Dear Editor:
Being unable to find any in the
drug stores here, please send me by
return mail a sample of the Alaska
chechaco mentioned in our valuable
paper for which I enclose you twenty
cents in stamps. Also kindly send
recepie for making the genuine sour
dough out of me same and say how
long it should be baked.
P. S. If you cannot use these
stamps in your country could you not
exchange them for Alaska stamps?
We replied that we were very sorry
that the chechaco supply had run out
and that the process of making gen
uine sour dough required a full
grown walrus hide, a half barrel of
polar bear grease and six months
darkness to properly brew a good ar
ticle. We regret to disappoint our
Ohio friend but if he will ask us for
a half bushel of our finest gold nug
gets and enclose the postage we will
be glad to accomodate him.
FORFEITURE NOTICE,
Notice is hereby given Charles Gar
wood that his interest in the Tjose
vig rgoup of mines, will cease at the
expiration of the publication of this
notice, unless he pays $50 as his
share of the assessment work for
1904, $50 for 1905, $50 for 1906
and $50 for 1909.
CHRISTIAN TJOSEVIG.
Dated this 14th day of Aug., 1911.
FUNDS EASILY HD
FOR DRM CLOD HODSE
A popular subscription was taken
up Wednesday for the Red Dragon
and the citizens of Chitina again
demonstrated their public spirit by a
liberal response. The donations were
given in the real Chitina spirit which
proves that our people are keenly
alive to the interests of the com
munity at large and that the sun
posed rivalry between the original
townsite and Chitina Heights is only
a myth. In considering the general
welfare we cannot reasonably discri
minate between the two sections of
the town for it makes no real diff
erence whether an institution is on
the lake front or on the Heights it
belongs to the people-t-to all of Chit
ina—to greater Chitina, and the peo
ple are beginning to realize this
fact. Our citizens are too broad
guaged to be led into a local fight
which would profit none but entail
certain loss to all. The predicted
fight between the two localities will
never develop. It is already dead. It
died in its infancy and was burled
by that great leader of undertakers,
‘ General IXelfare.”
Following is a list of subscriptions
everyone of which was paid on the
spot:
H. H. Chamberlain.$ 1.00
M. R. Healy . .. 2.00
Griffiths & Hyland . 10.00
Clement & Lund. 10.00
Henry Stafsholt. 2.00
Peter Carlson . 2.00
Dr. Thom . 5.00
Henry Gessner .. 2.50
Edwin H. Gillman. 2.00
Tony Suzeumete . .. .. 1-00
Horace Leach. 2.00
C. C. Hull. 2.00
Finkelstein & Sapiro. 2.00
Jack McAnsel . 1.00
Beal Smith . 1.00
Polmer & Cloninger. 10.00
L. C. Bregonze. 5.00
Max Giegold . 1-00
A. G. Mprey . 1.00
K. E. Brown. 2.00
Wim Lawson . 5.00
T. C. Maccauley. 2.00
G. A. Simons. 5.00
P. R. Newhouse.'. 2.00
A. H. Thoday. 2.00
B. B. Tibbs. 2.00
F. M. Schaupp . 5.00
J. W. Lowery. 1.00
James Hartney. 15.00
J. P. Rockefellow. 2.00
Chitina Laundry. 3.00
Jesse Forrester -. 5.00
Total. 1113.50
This amounc was immediately turn
ed over to Mrs. Forrester who will
disburse it in the proper manner. Im
provements on the Dragon will in
clude repairs on the roof and win
dows as well as new chinking.
A visit to the cabin of John Lowry
will surprise anyone familiar with the
ship shod manner in which most
batchelors keep house. Mr. Lowry’s
place, both inside and out is a model
of neatness and cleanliness and he
takes pride in entertaining his many
friends, who always enjoy an evening
at his cabin. Mr. Lowry reads the
best literature and is thoroughly up
to-date in issues or the day and we
have met no one in Alaska more
familiar with the issues here at home
than he is. It is indeed refreshing
to converse with such men as Mr.
Lowry and while sitting in his cozy
cabin in the floor of which are el
gant rugs, with harmoniously blended
tapestries and bricabrac covering the
walls one is reminded of a well ap
pointed eastern home. An evening
spent with this congenial host is not
soon forgotten.
LOCAL NEWS
T. H. Holland cut his foot very
severely with an axe last week and
will be laid up for a few days.
Buck Hoyt, of the Gulkana road
house on the Fairbanks trail, was in
tow’n this week with a four horse*,
team for supplies for his place.
While waiting for the road to freeze
so as to be passable with a load he
went to Cordova and will return as
soon as weather conditions become
favorable. Mr. Hoyt is an old timer
in this section and is enthusiastic
in his efforts to give his patrons ev
ery attention. He says that if the
roads were in better shape Chitina
would be able to draw trade from
far beyond him and that as soon as
it freezes there will be considerable
of a demand on our merchants to
supply the road houses and camps
along the trail. He also says that
the greatest need of the trail is a
permanent bridge across the Gulkana
near his place.
Sam Larson and Christ Benson ar
rived in town Friday from Fairbanks
having made the trip in nine and a
half days which is the record for
mushing over soft roads. They are
enroute to the states for the winter.
They reported a considerable rush to
ituby which promises to be a good
place this winter.
About forty laborers from the Bo
nanza mine came to town last week
enroute to Cordova. The greater
part of them will go to the states for
the winter, but other men have been
secured to take their places at the
mine.
The cog population of Cnitina has
increased so rapidly by prospectors
coming in with dogs that they are
becoming a nuisance on the streets.
There is scarcely an hour passes, day
or night, that fails to bring a dog
fight, and many valuable animals
have been severely punished lately.
The season is fast approaching when
a good dog is valuable asset so it is
well to look out for your canine.
The lumber for the Hoyt barn and
warehouse has arrived and work will
begin at once on the new building.
If you want to know what the boys
are doing in and around Chitina, sub
scribe for the Leader.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin depart
ed Friday for their future home in
Valdez, Everyone regrets to loose
this most estimable couple and many
good wishes follow them.
James Galbraith, Jules Oliver and
G. L. Greene of the Northern Naviga
tion company, came in from Fair
banks on the last stage for the south
on Tuesda> morning’s train. With
them on the same stage came twelve
boxes of gold uust from the Iditarod,
valued at throe hundred thousand
dollars. It required six horses to
draw the load.
Joe DeSchamps and Jno Kelly, of
Kennicott, passed through town he
first of the week enroute to the
outside. They have been with the*
Bonanza mines the past season.
Marshal Brown was at Bonanza
last week serving papers for the next
term of court at Cordova He re
ports about two feet of snow in the
neighborhood of the mrnes and still
snowing.
The uance given in the new Blum
building was well attended and a
very pleasant time was had. There
will be more social affairs in Chitina
in the near future.
John McAnsel, who has been ser
iously sick with typhoid fever at tne
Hotel Chitina is slowly improving.
The Chitina grill Is having attrac
tive signs painted on its doors by
our local artist Norman Erickson.
An engine went off the track on
the switchback Saturday and tied up
traffic for several hours.
Twenty-four head of the finest
horses ever seen in this section ar
rived from Seattle for the Orr stage
line last Thursday.
Judge Healy is erecting a building
in front of his office which he will
use as a court room as the office was
too small for this purpose.
Edwin Gillman and wife will oc
cupy the new Holland cabin for
the winter, Mr. and Mrs. Gillman
will be a valuable acquisition to
Chitina society and will be bearttll^
welcomed In town. J