0 ———.—ill i,
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formed by Sending Them
The Chitina Leader
—
THE CHITINA LEADER
Opening of Bering Coal
Means Smelters for
Cordova
FIFTH YEAR
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1915.
NUMBER 50.
Ore Shipments Froi
Copper River Valley Are Over $2,000,000 Each Month
C. M. Brown, who has been con
nected with the naval coaling station
at Teburon, California, for the past
ten years, is a Cordova visitor, as a
representative of the Alaska Engineer
ing Commission. Mr. Brown has been
to the westward and is looking over
the country with a view of determin
ing the best terminal ports for the
handling of the Alaska coal for naval
and commercial purposes. He is very
optomistic as to the quality of the
Alaska fuel and also the market that
will be offered when the coal is mined.
"It is generally conceded that the
Alaska coal is equal in quality to that
of ther famous Pocohantas, mined in
West Virgnia,” said Mr. Brown, “but
in my opinion it is superior to any
fuel now on the market. At the naval
stations in California. Honolulu and
the Philippines there is now used
about 7,000 tons of coal per month?
and Alaska should furnish this as the
haul is much shorter than from Brit
ish Columbia or Utah, where the sup
ply now comes from. San Francisco
and the ports south want coal. Most
of the general cargo ships touching at
Frisco burn coal and there should be
a demand for at least, 20,000 tons per
month of Alaska coal from the start.
It can be delivered cheaper and is a
much beteer quality of fuel then we
are now using on the Pacific coast.
"For steaming purposes the Alaska
coal is preferable, as it is volitable
and does not need as much grate ser
vice as the other fuel used. In every
case where it has been tested the
number of boilers used has been re
duced. While the Alaska and Poco
hontas coal have both practically the
same heating value per ton the Alas
ka product can crowd the boiler bet
ter.”
When asked if he intended to ex
amine the Cordova harbor Mr. Brown
stated that it was not necessary for
him to do so as everything in connec
tion with this port was a matter of
record. He intends, however, going
to Katalla as the Engineering Commis
sion has a party in the field there
making a private investigation, as to
the feasibility of a harbor being made
there for handling the coal and Mr.
Brown wants to see what progress
they have made.
NOME DOGS ON
NOME, Oct. 1—Lieut. Rene Haas
of the French army, who has been
here buying sled dogs for the use of
the French troops at the front, left
today with a hundred dogs. Hass is
accompanied by Scotty Allen and Ken
neth Marr Cameron, who were taking
care of the dogs in transit. Allen will
only go as far as Quebec with the
party, but Cameron will go through to
France with the dogs The dogs will
probably be used for the transporta
tion of light artillery, they having
long been an integral part of both the
French and Belgian armies. The bat
tle dogs of the French have been sadly
depleted in the present war, many of
them having been killed by the fire of
the enemy.
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POSTOFFICE APPLIED FOR
AT THE GRANITE MINE
A petition has been presented to
the postal department for the esab
lishment of a postofflce at the Gran
ite mine, Hobo Bay. The name of
the new office when establish will
be “Granite,” with W. J. Millard as
postmaster.
There are more than one hundred
men employed in the Granite mine,
district, and the postofflce will prove
a great convenience for them. The
launch Shamrock, which carries the
mail from Valdez to Port Wells and
way ports, calls at the Granite nearly
every trip, and the added expense of
crossing the bay from Golden will be
very small.
TO BRING NEW FREIGHTERS
TO PACIFIC VIA THE CANAL
The freighters Bennington and Bur
lington, which the Alaska Steamship
Company purchased from the Rutland
Transit Company, where they are used
as ore carriers on the great lakes, will
be brought to the Pacific coast, via
the Panama Canal and placed on the
run from Seattle to Cordova. Capt.
Fred Warner, of the Alameda, and
Capt. C. B. McMullen, of the ill-fated
freighter Edith, have left for the east
to bring the Bennington and Burling
ton to Seattle. They were accom
panied by First Officers Gus Bloom
berg and Edward Schraker and Chief
Engineers Sam Coddling and R. B.
Bruce.
RATTLING GOOD
Cordova turned out en masse last
night as the guest of the crew of the
Prometheus at a smoker and enter
tainment which was one of the most
enjoyable affairs of the kind ever
given in the town. Eagle Hall was the
scene of pleasure and was artistically
decorated with large flags and the fes
tooning of the national colors. A
sixteen foot ring was built in one end
of the hall and the roped arena fired
the sporting blood of those who de
light in exhibitions of the manly art.
The seating arrangement was ideal
and attentive ushers handled the large
crowd in a most satisfactory manner.
As the guests entered they were pre
sented with souvenir program and of
fered the choice of cigars or cigaret
tes. A six piece orchestra was in at
tendance and played several overtures,
as well as furnished inspiring music
as each number was rendered. For
the success of the affair much credit
is due E. F. Bilson, chairman, C. A.
Gobel, secretary, and D. O’Brien, L.
Carpenter, F. M. Payne, B. R. Parker,
J. S. Stehsel and C. G. Goeltz, mem
bers of the committee on arrange
ments.
LAST INTERIOR STEAMER
LEAVES FAIRBANKS SUNDAY
FAIRBANKS, Oct. 1—The season of
navigation on the Tanana and Yukon
rivers is about over, as the freeze up
will occur within the next week or
two. The last steamer to leave here
for Whitehores will be next Sunday.
WATER GRAFT IS
SEWARD, Oct. 1—The Alaska En
gineering Commission has purchased
the fleet of vessels owned by the
Knik Susitna Transportation Com
pany. The fleet consists of two
barges, two lighters, one stern wheel
steamer and one power boat. The
purchase price has not been made
public. The transportation company
has been in business only since the
work of the railroad commission at
Anchorage was commenced.
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LITTLE STEAMER CORWIN
MAY GO WESTERN RUN
The owners of the steamer Corwin
have now under contemplation the
l plan of placing that vessel on the run
between Seward and Anchorage dur
ing the winter time. Owing to the
success which the Corwin has had
in bucking the ice in the Arctic and
Bering sea it is thought she might
possibly be able to make headway
through the ice on the upper portions
of Cook Inlet.
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Three Trains a Week
On account of the heavy shipments
of ore from the Bonanza and Jumbo
mines the C. R. & N. W. railway is
I running three round trip trains a
week which schedule will likely be
maintained throughout the winter.
The drawing for petit jurors to
serve at the term of the district court
to convene at Seward on November
I, was made when Clerk of the Court
Arthur Lang and Jury Commissioner
J. C. Martin drew the names of tweuty
four citizens from the box. Following
is the list in the order in which the
names were drawn.
Dan Ross, Valdez; Charles Kop
pus, Valdez; R. N. McFadden Copper
Creek; J. J. McGrath, Seward; John
Ferguson, Cooper Creek; Allan A.
Johnson, Cordova; Geo. Merrifield.
Valdez; J. A. Johnson, Cooper Creek;
G. B. Poindexter; H. G. Ward, La
touche; H. H. Hildreth, Seward; F.
H. Sheldon, Cordova; H. J. Haarsch,
Seward; Alex Little, Seward; Marvin
Burford, Valdez; Geo. E. Scott, Cordo
va; Percy Pullen, Seward; F. A.
Handcock, Seward; Martin Ellingston,
Valdez; Jos. A. Olson, Valdez; C. E.
Duffield, Valdez; Robt. Atkinson, El
lamar; John Erickson, Valdez.
NEW CHANNEL IS
ELIZABETH
SEWARD, Oct. 1—The United
States Coast and Geodetic boat Ex
plorer arrived yesterday enroute to
Seattle, having completed its labors
in Cook Inlet for the year. The cap
tain reports the discovery of a new
inside channel around Cape St Eliza
beth at the entrance to the Inlet. Cape
St. Elizabeth has been one of the
most dangerous points to vessels in
Alaska, especially in the winter time,
and the new route will be welcomed
by the masters of the ships plying in
these waters. The new' route is inside
Gore Rock, on which the Admiral
Evans struck this past summer.
LETTER ¥EJM
SEWARD, Oct. 1—Fred Krusha, a
resident of Seward received a letter
today from his brother at Archangel,
Russia stating, that at the time the
letter was written, the first Japanese
army corps for service with the Rus
sian troops on the eastern front, was
then disembarking from transports in
the harbor. The letter also stated
that another broher named Edward
had been captured by the Germans
and imprisoned in Germany. The
brother in Archangel had heard from
him to the effect that their treat
ment by the Germans was not at all
satisfactory. Among other things
complained about was that the cap
tives were only allowed to send one
letter a year.
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FAIRBANKS, Oct. 1—The opera
tions of the railroad commission in the
interior have closed ror the season.
The different survey parties in the
field have completed their tasks, and
are returning here preparatory to leav
ing for the outside. Commissioner
Riggs expressed his satisfaction at the
progress of the work and predicted
that next year would see considerable
activity in the railroad line
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Send in your subscription now.
RETURN FROM PLEASANT TRIP
OF SEVERAL MONTHS
Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Blix have re
turned form an extended trip through
California and Mexico. They are ac
companied by Miss E. Arnholt, of
San Francisco, who will spend a year
with them at their home at Copper
Center, for which place they will leave
on the next train. Mr. Blix also
brought an automobile back with him.
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BADLY INJURED
Joe Moser is in the local hospital
suffering from severe injuries re
ceived while working on the North
Star quartz claims at Port Wells,
which are being operated by Gus.
Ihm. Moser had sis shots planted, with
five of them lit, and when about to
light the sixth one the dynamite ex
ploded and the unfortunate man was
practically riddled with pieces of flying
quartz. He was brought to Cordova
last night on the lanuch Alice and Dr.
W. H. Chase dressed his wounds. As
his spine is' effected paralysis is threat
ened. The patient, who is 41 years old,
is resting easy today, but the final re
sult of his injuries cannot be deter
mined at this time, although his con
dition is considered critical.
laainImines
EXTENSIVELY
J. L. Harper, a prominent mining
man of Spokane, accompanied by J. E.
McFarland, of Republic, Wash., arri
ved on the steamer Thursday and will
immediately go to the interior where
Mr. Harper has taken a bond on three
grours of claims owned by the Lakina
Copper Company, which are situated
near Long Lake. They will be op
erated by the Lakinaw Mines, which
is not an incorporated company, nei
ther has there been any stock issued.
There are at present two crews on
the property, which arrived here from
the states in July and September.
Another party of four men is due on
the arrival of the Admiral Farragut,
headed by Col. Dewey, an experienced
mining man from Seattle and cousin
of Admiral Dewey. Considerable
machinery is also coming on the Far
ragut and it is the intention of Mr.
Harper to do considerable develop
men work this winter, freighting the
high-grade to the railroad over the
trail. A truck and trailer have also
been brought north, but as it is get
ting late they will not be used until
next spring. While in Cordova con
siderable outfitting was done for the
work contemplated.
NEW YORK, Oct 1—The receiver
for the Rock Island road instituted
suit in the federal court here today
against the directors of the company,
seeking to recover seven and one half
million of dollars, which the complaint
alleges was fraudulently misapropri
ated by the directors in their stock
operations connected with the acquis
tlon by the Rock Island of the St.
Louis and San Francisco system.
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SEWARD TERM COURT
CONVENES NOVEMBER 1
Clerk of the Court Arthur Lang
and Jury Commissioner Charles Kra
mer will draw the names of citizens
from the jury box at 10 o’clock tomor
row, for the term of court which opens
at Seward on November 1st. Twenty
four jurors will be drawn.
IS TDTAL
The gas launch Favorite, which start
ed from Douglas for Warm Springs
Bay, near Sitka, on July 28 last, and
after being adrift at sea for nearly
three weeks, landed on the beach near
Hook Point, on Hinchinbrook island,
is now a total wreck and Capt. Bing
Halleck, the owner, pockets a loss of
$3,700, the value of the boat being
$3,200. and a cargo worth $500.
The ship-wreck crew came to Cor
dova and Capt Halleck contracted
■with James Kennedy and N. J. Smith
to bring the Favorite to Cordova.
These men proceeded to Hinchinbrook
and succeeded in launching the boat
and after proceeding about five miles
along shore towards the lighthouse
a gale set in and the Favorite was
driven ashore, striking rocks on the
way, and finally landing a total wreck
It will be remembered that Capt.
Halleck and crew had a most thrilling
experience after sailing from Douglas.
They lost their course and for twelve
days were at the mercy of a raging
storm, the little craft tossing about in
the sea, while at tiems the high waves
almost completely submerged her.
For nine days they were without a
drop of fresh water and but few ra
tions and when the men were brought
to Cordova they were weak and ex
hausted for want of food and fresh
water.
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SEATTLE, Sept. 28—The barge
Washington, with a million feet of
lumber, left here today for Cordova.
The barge is in tow of the ocean going
tog Pioneer, the lumber being consign
ed to the Copper Iliver & Northwest
ern Railway..
BIG PASSENGER
(From Thursday’s Daily)
The steamer Alameda arrived from
Seattle at 10 o’clock this morning and
on account of the large quantity of
freight aboard for here will not sail
for the westward until 8 o’clock to
night. Her passengers are:
For . Cordova—F. Davies, Mrs. W.
McFadden, Max Weber and wife, C.
Welch, J. E. McFarland, J. L. Har
per, G. Bartlett, J. E. Robinson, Mrs.
M. Lien, C. E. Quinton, D. McDon
ald,B. Lucas, Mrs. D. Martin, Miss L.
G. Stevenson, Dr. and one steerage.
For Valdez—Dudley Wooten and
wife, H. Ballinger, N. Y. Saint, R.
Blix and wife, Enmund E. Smith, Louis
Levy and wife.
For Latouche—Miss M. Anderson.
For Seward— A. Layman, J. Koslo
sky and family, C. C. Howard, Mrs.
F. Whitmore, J. Gustan, W. Gustan,
A. W. Ellis, J. Ronan and family, M.
O. Cameron, S. M. Brewster and wife.
H. G. Hayes, J. B. Oliver, F. Craw
ford, L. Rosenthal, Miss Thelma Yo
well, C. W. Spear, and a steerage.
For Anchorage—H. T. Fowler, A.
Greenbaum, Mrs. M. Hanisch, C. Han
Isch, Miss Eva Lockhart, Mrs E. Pen
ney, Mrs. L. P. Byrne, Gilman Byrne,
Mrs. G. Paxton, Spencer Paxton, Otto
E. Strizek and wife, Mrs. E. Turner,
E. D. Higgley, Maud Ellis, L. Siefker,
J. A. Kissel, R. Wakelin, J. A. Car
mody, H. D. Wilson and two steerage.
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The steamer Northwestern has been
delayed in leaving Seattle and is
scheduled to sail from there Sunday
morning. She should have left Thurs
day night.
CORDOVA FORESTRY MEN
SURVEYING KENAI LAKE
The Forestry Service boat, the
Restless, Capt, Clyde Nettleton, arriv
ed from Cordova. W. J.McDonald and
A. L. Norgren, who came over on her,
left for Kenai Lake where they joined
T. M. Hunt. There Messrs Hunt and
McDonald will conduct a survey of the
lake and thence they will proceed
overland to Anchorage where consid
erable work awaits them. Mr. Norgren
will return to Seward in about a week
after the survey has been completed,
and return to Cordova on the Rest
less.—Seward Gateway.
NOT M BILL
1'te grand jury, after an exhaust
•vt investigation into the death of
i-ouis Schoenburg, who was murder
ed at Chisaua last December return
ed a boding of not a true bill and
James Kingston who has been held
under suspicion since last January,
was cleared of the cloud under which
he has existed since being bound over
by the U. S. commissioner at Chisana.
More than thirty witnesses were
brought from the Chisana district and
offered testimony before the grand
jury. Among the witnesses were a
number of Indians who gave their evi
dence thru an interprter.
Louis Schoenberg was a merchant
in the now nearly defunct placer
camp, and was believed to be in the
habit of carrying a considerable
quantity of gold dust about with him.
He was last seen alive late on the af
ternoon of December 26th, and when
he failed to appear at his store next
morning search was instigated and his
dead body found in a deserted cabin
about one mile distant from his place
of business. A search of Schoen
burg's premises failed to reveal the
poke of gold dust which he was be
lieved to have.
The arrest of Kingston took place
in January, and he swa taken to Valdez
to await trial. The evidence against
him was circumstantial and !n the
case of a number of witnesses the testi
mony wras mere suspicion. Kingston
was not lacking in friends who stoutly
maintained that he was innocent of
the grave charges against him and he
is now being congratulated in having
been cleared from the charge.
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FALCON JOSLIN LEAVES
SEATTLE FOR SEWARD
FAIRBANKS, Oct. 1—Falcon Joslin
President of the Tanana Railroad left
Seattle yesterday bound for Fairbanks.
Joslin is sailing to Seward and may
take a trip up to Cook Inlet to look
over the operations of the government
railroad commission at Anchorage be
fore coming home.
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DESCRIPTION OF NEW BOATS
FOR CARRYING COPPER
The two freight steamers purchased
in the east by the Alaska Steamship
Company, to be used as copper ore
carriers between Cordova and Taco
ma, were built in 1908 at Ecort, Michi
gan. The Burlington and Bennington
are sister ships, with a gross tonage of
2285; net tonnage 1393; length, 244
feet;breath, 43.2 feet; depth, 27 feet,
indicated horse power, 1350, and each
carry a crew of seventeen men.
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ALASKA MINED COAL NOW
BEING SOLD TO WESTWARD
The Herbert mine at Seldovia is sup
plying Seward with Alaska coal at $11
per ton. Coal from the same mine has
been on sale for some time in An
chorage and the Engineering commis
sion has used it in preference to out
side coal. It is taken from a depth of
three hundred feet and is free from all
the drawbacks of the coal nearer the
surface.
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SHELDON TO DRIVE
FOR N. C. COMPANY
“Bobbie” Sheldon, the original trail
automobile man will manage the
Northern Commercial Company’s
stage line from Fairbanks to Chitina
this winter. The service starts next
Monday.
10 ORE BOATS
THIS RUN
SEATTLE, Sept. 27—The Alaska
Steamship Company has announced
the purchase of two additional steam
ers to be used as freight carriers be
tween this city and Alaska. The ves
sels are the Burlington and the Ben
nington, and they are now on the
great lakes, having been especially de
signed and built for ore carriers, and
they will fill the need of the company
for special vesels-of this class to carry
the huge shipments of copper that are
now being made from Cordova, and
other Prince William Sound points.
The purchase price of the two vessels
was $400,000, and they will imme
diately start on their long journey
from the Great Lakes to the Pacific
Coast. The loss of the steamship
Edith off Cape St. Elas recently neces
sitated the purchase of these addition
al vessels to complete the company’s
fleet, and until the Bennington and
Burlington arrives, other ships will be
chartered to fulfill the company's con
tracts with the copper mines.
BAOLr INJURED
FIFTH STORT
i
KANSAS. CITY, Oct. 1—Theodore
G. I’elzer, a leading real estate opera
tor of this city fell today from the
window of his office located- on the
fifth floor of a building in the busi
ness district. Pelzer carried accident
insurance to the amount $400,000, and
the suspicion is being expressed that
he wished to realize on his policies.
The man was badly injured but it is
expected that he will recover.. He
stoutly maintains that the fall was an
accident. (
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MAIL SERVICE BETWEEN
SEWARD AND ANCHORAGE
Chief Clerk Eames, of the railway
mail service, ha8 called for bids for
the performance of winter star route
service from Seward to Anchorage,
one round trip per week, beginning
after the close of navigation on Cook
Inlet and closing at the opening of na
vigation ipext spring, handling 400
pounds of mail each way. Bids for
this serivce will be received by the
chief of the railway mail service at
Cordova until October 10.
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NOME SCHOONER IS L08T
AND TRADER UNDER ARREST
Word was received at Nome on
Monday that the trading schooner
Diamond L. which left there early In
the year for the North Siberian coast,
has been crushed in the ice and lost
Mike Gottschalk, a fur trader of
Nome, who was in charge of the ex
pedition was taken prisoner by the
Russians on the charge of shooting a
Cossack and the rich cargo saved
when the Diamond L. was lost, con
fiscated by Russian officials.
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APPLICATION FOR MINING
CLAIMS IS WITHDRAWN
The Knights Island Copper Company
withdrew it application for two lode
copper claims on Knights Island. The
government then dismissed its charges
against the company. The company
filed an application for the claims
some time ago and the government
brought charges against the company
on account of alleged non-discovery of
mineral on the property.
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Popular Hunting Grounds.
. Rev. J. L. McBride and V. G. Vance
returned yesterday from a hunting trip
to McKinley lake. They are very en
thusiastic over the treatment they re
ceived at Walker's Inn, where sports
men are well taken care of and the
charges for boat hire and board being
very reasonable.