1
FOURTH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1914.
NUMBER 34
OF GFN RAL INTEREST
SEATTLE, June 5.—These are busy days for the two
remaining members of the Alaska Engineering Commission.
Both W. C. Edes and Lieut. Mears will sail tomorrow night for
the north. They will go on the steamer Northwestern, which
will run through to Ship Creek, where the commission will first
make its headquarters. Eighty men, 90 horses and general
equipment as well as many tons of general supplies will be
taken at the same time. In an address last night before the
Engineers’ Club of Seattle Mr. Edes said that he doubted if
actual construction of the Alaska railroad would be commenced
before 1916. He added that a very complete outfit was being
taken north and that a long time would be required to cover
the various suggested routes in Alaska.
Announcement was made this morning by the Commission
that D. B. Blaskee, former city engineer of Juneau, had been,
appointed assistant engineer of the Alaska board.
SEATTLE, June 6.—The steamer Admiral Sampson,
which returned from the north with the “Billionaire” party of
excursionists, on Wednesday evening, again sailed for Alaska
at noon today. Prominent among the passengers was Eugene
Underwood, a brother of Democratic Leader Oscar W. Under
~wood. He has been appointed an assistant engineer to the
Alaska Engineering Commission and will go to Seward. He is
at the head of 23 members of a surveying party which sailed
with him for Seward. With them are 25 horses and a. big outfit
of equipment and supplies. On the Sampson are: Jack
Cassady and wife, Miss L. B. Gray and three second class for
Cordova; eight cabin and three second-class for Valdez; 36
cabin and one second class for Seward . R. R. Pierson, superin
tendent of the Alaska Steamship Company, will sail on the
Northwestern this evening for Ship Creek where he will look
after the discharge of the freight and horses for the
Commission and the surveying parties that will sail on this
steamer.
WASHINGTON, June 6.—The American schooner
Sunshine landed a cargo of ammunition for the Constitution
alists at Tampico. There was no protest upon the part of this
government.
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LONDON, June 6.—The Daily Express asserts that Sir
Edward Grey has notified President Wilson that if Villa
should become President of Mexico that Great Britain would
demand and exact satisfaction for the murder of their subject
Benton.
WASHINGTON, June 6.—The house is anxious to dispose
of the administration trust measures, so that they may be
considered by the Senate and passed in time for adjournment
sometime next month. For the past week various amendments
were sought to be made in the Clayton bill to supplement the
anti-trust laws, but very little change was made when the bill
finally passed the House last evening.. The bill as reported
favorably by the Judiciary committee, had the approval of
the administration. The second section, forbidding price
discrimination between purchasers of the same commodities
in the same or different communities, was attacked, but with
out avail. The section making it unlawful for persons
controlling mines or mine porducts and oil and gas wells, to
refuse to sell to responsible persons, was passed without
change. There was a strong contest over the fourth section,
making it unlawful for wholesalers to lease or sell goods with
a condition that the purchasers shall not deal in the goods of
a competitor. Unsuccessfull efforts were made to limit the
prohibition to such understandings as are made “with the
intent of establishing a monopoly or destroying the business
of a competitor.”
The passage of this anti-trust bill and the interstate trade
commission bill gives the House a breathing spell and while
these bills are being wrangled over in the Senate it is hoped
to have the House take up the Alaska coal leasing bill.
WASHINGTON, June 8.—Information was wired to the
departments here that two Mexican gunboats had sailed to
Pureto to enforce the blockade at that port, which was ordered
by Huerta. They were followed by the cruiser Tacoma and
gunboat Sacramento. The United States desires no interference
with the commerce at Tampico.
WASHINGTON, June 3.—There is a strong prob
ability that Alaska will have a separate building and
a creditable exhibit at the Panama Exposition at San
Francisco. Senator Jones, of Washington, is devoting
his efforts to this end. He offered an amendment to
the sundry civil bill appropriating $200,000 for an
Alaska exhibit. Last evening this amendment was
favorably reported by the Senate Committee on
Industrial Expositions. Senator Jones feels confident
that it will go through and the money be secured in
time to do good work with it.
SEATTLE, June 8.—The steamer Northwestern sailed on
Saturday night for Southwestern Alaska, carrying au
important railroad party. In addition to W. C. Edes, chairman
of the Alaska Engineering Commission, and Lieut. Hears, a
member of the commission, there were a large number of
appointees of various kinds. Among the number is R. D.
Chase, chief clerk of the commission; B. H. Barndollar,
disbursing agent; Dr. E. S. Reedy, surgeon; Oliver Tubby,
chief draftsman; Jack Dalton, chief packmaster; Walter J.
Logestom, bridge expert; James L. McPherson, W. F,
Millikin, W. Reaburn, R. J. Weir, C. R. Breck, K. Iv. Kunev,
locating engineers; J. Blakslee, Walter H. Daub, C. V. Guerin,
G. S. Lane, J. Goorman, Mr. Dexter, assistant engineers;
Benjamin R. Tillman, Jr. and R. N. Moyer, clerks; David D.
Vent, estimator.
The Commission and the main members of the party will
go through to Ship Creek on the Northwestern. Mr. Breck
and the men in his party will leave the steamer at Seward and
go over the railroad to the interior, joining the main party at
Ship Creek. Mr. Reaburn and his party of nine will leave the
steamer at Cordova and go over the railroad to Chitina, and
thence over the government road to Fairbanks, where they will
do their work. The Seattle office will be maintained for a time
at least and employes will look after necessary business
WASHINGTON, June 8.—On Saturday First Assistant
Secretary of the Interior Andrieus A. Jones made a decision
with reference to some coal claims that had been located in
the Nenana district, near Fairbanks. He denied patents to
John L. Clark, Cora N. Hamilton, W. S. Clark and Sydney D.
Charles, on the ground that no mine had been opened up. He
held that the mere discovery, notice of location and application
for a patent do not constitute valid claims. Additional work
tending to the development of the claims and the opening of a
mine were necessary. It is stated that the claimants did
practically no work on their locations.
WASHINGTON, June 8.—Alaska has had no better friend
at the national capital than Secretary of Commerce Redfield.
He is fully impressed with the necessity for more aids to
navigation in the inland waters and on the coast of Alaska. He
has not only officially recommended liberal appropriations to
this end but has also sought to impress upon various congress
men the vital importance of this matter. As a result largely of
his efforts, and because of a strong recommendation of the
bureau of lighthouses, which is under his department, the
Senate on Saturday afternoon last passed a bill appropriating
$(10,000 for additional lights and beacons in Alaska. This is
in addition to an item of a similar amount carried in the sundry
civil bill.
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WASHINGTON, June 8.—A compromise has been
reached by the administration leaders in the Senate, with refer
ence to the repeal of the clause exempting American coastwise
ships from toll through the Panama canal. They have agreed
that the United States shall retain the right to exempt our
ships from the payment of tolls.
Preliminary surveys are to be made at once for the govern
ment railway in Alaska. That the construction and operation
of the road, under government auspices, and the rapid settle
ment and development of Alaska which it will inspire, will be
of vast benefit to the Pacific West there is no gainsaying. This
benefit will be two-fold—it will give to this section cheaper
fuel, of which it stands greatly in need, and also the benefit of
the commercial handling of the rich productions of Alaska.
Furthermore it will open a virgin market for products of the
West, which the newer and greater Alaska will need. In other
words, a reciprocal interchange of products between the
Pacific West and the Far Northwest will spring up, which will
be mutually advantageous.—Pasadena Star.
WASHINGTON, June 9.—The supreme court of the
United States handed down a decision affirming the decree of
the Missouri supreme court in ousting the International
Harvester Company from doing business in the state, because
of violation of the anti-trust law. Both the anti-trust laws of
Missouri and the right of the “Harvester Trust” to do
business in Missouri were at stake in the decision today. It
was the culmination of a long fight by Missouri to oust the
“trust” from doing business there by revoking its charter.
The Missouri supreme court found the “trust” guilty of
violating the state anti-trust laws, revoked its charter and,
originally fined it $50,000. This fine was afterward reduced
to $25,000. The trust was given a chance to modify its sales
methods, but appealed instead to the high court, declining to
compromise with the state. The case decided today was
originally begun against the Milwaukee Harvester Company,
the selling agent in Missouri of the International Company.
The Wisconsin corporation took out a Missouri license, which
was cancelled by the Missouri courts. The “trust” contended
that its selling plan was not a monopoly, but was planned to
furnish implements to consumers at the lowest possible prices.
The state admitted that price increases were not the principal
I cause of complaint, but found the corporation guilty of stifling
'competition and crushing competitors.
VALDEZ, June 3.—A wire received here this morning
states that three prospectors, named Pendegast, Spenard and
Atkins, have reached Tonsina from the Nelchina placer camp,
en route to Valdez. Their report, supplementing other recent
news, indicates that some rich pay has been struck and that the
permanency of the camp has been established. As a conse
quence there is great excitement in Valdez, as many here have
partners on the ground in the interior and others will likely
strike out for the diggings. The men at Tonsina state that rich
pay has been found on Crooked, Willow and Poorman creeks,
also on Noon gulch. The pay is deep but rich. One hole on
Willow creek is 150 feet in depth. Miners have good pay on
five creeks. Although it is a little early for sluicing, yet it is
being done on eight claims. Grub is scare in the camp, but
pack trains with supplies are soon expected in.
SEATTLE, June 3.—Last evening the Arctic Club gave
a banquet to prominent men now in the city who are interested
in the welfare and development of Alaska. Among the speakers
was Bo Sweeney, recently appointed Assistant Secretary of
the Interior, and who will take office on June 15. He strongly
endorsed Secretary Lane’s plan for the governing of all
internal federal affairs of the north by a body on the ground,
to be known as the Alaska Development Board. Governor
Strong was present and declared that the half had never
been told about the rich resources of Alaska. Thos. Riggs, Jr.,
made a short talk and when asked where the terminal of the
government railroad was to be located in Alaska, facetiously
answered, “It will run from one of the open ports on the South
western coast to one of the navigable waters in the interior.”
WASHINGTON, June 4.—Delegate James Wickersham,
of Alaska, was this morning before the House Territories
committee that was giving a hearing on the Alaska Delevop
ment Board measure. He spoke at length on the great
advantages of having men located in Alaska who would be
familiar with the territory’s needs and who could administer
affairs with much greater celerity and benefit than through
department bureaus, as at present. He favored the plan which
had been worked out by Secretary Lane and while he approved
the bill as a whole he made a few suggestions that he thought
would strengthen the measure.
SEATTLE, June 4.—Announcement was made this
morning that the Alaska Engineering Commission had selected
James L. McPherson, of Seattle, as the engineer to take charge
of a surveying party to make a report on the country between
Knik and the Kuskokwim river. Mr. McPherson is the secrc
tary of the Alaska bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
and was formerly employed in surveying in the Bering river
fields and on projected line of railroads in Alaska. Announce
ment was also made this morning that C. P. Dexter, at present
hi the county engineer’s office, had been selected as assistant
engineer to the Commission.
WASHINGTON, June 5.—The sundry civil bill has been
reported to the House. It carries various appropriations for
Alaska aggregating nearly half a million dollars, as follows:
Education, $250,000.
Indians, $57,000.
Reindeer, $5,000.
Game protection, $20,000.
Suppression of illegal liquor selling, $15,000.
Aids to navigation, $60,000.
Seal service, $28,000.
Protection to seals, $00,000.
SEATTLE, June 5.—Dr. Lester E. Jones, deputy commis
sioner of fisheries, reached here a few days ago from
Washington and has been a busy man ever since. He will sail
north on the Admiral Sampson tonight, going as far as Juneau,
where he will transfer to the government vessel Albatross. He
has chartered the steamship Melville Dollar, which will sail
in about ten days. He will send north on her 2,000 tons ol
freight, to include lumber and supplies for the natives of the
Bering sea islands. Dr. Jones will make a complete investiga
tion of the fisheries conditions as they exist in the various
sections of Alaska. On the strength of his report to Congress
legislation will be enacted.
WASHINGTON, June 3.—Hearings have com
menced before the House Committee on Territories on
the Alaska Development Board bill. Secretary Lane
has recently been active in calling the attention of
congressmen to the necessity of early consideration
and action of this measure. It is hardly thought
possible that the bill can be passed at this session of
Congress, although there is a strong hope that the
Alaska coal leasing bill may become a law. Favorable
reports have been made by committees from both
houses.