The Chitina Leader
CHITINA, AliASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
_ Published every Saturday by
wn£ A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—HARRY G. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Mrfhth ...» -50
Sin Months . 200
One Year .... 2.50
, , ADVERTISING RATES
Made known -upon application. They will be found reasonable for the service
given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands
of the Copper River district.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1912.
TO OUR READERS
Oil account bf the change in the schedule of the trains, the
publication day of the Ohitiria Leader will, for the present, be
Tuesday, instead of Saturday.
— - -V.V^ooOo—
FORTY-EIGHT STARS
When the'writer was in school he used to recite glibly, “the
United1 States comprises thirty-eight states and ten territories,
not including Alaska.”
Why Alaska was not included, and what sort of classifica
tion would include Alaska, any more than why “United States
should be followed by a verb in the singular, Was not explained.
But the figures of thirty-eight and ten were recited with
as much confidence as though they were the changeless laws of
the Medes and Persians, things fixed and immutable.
And the T)ther day a bill was passed and signed admitting
the last of the territories—“not including Alaska.” Ten com'
icon wealths have graduated from irresponsible adolescence to
full maturity in—-well, it doesn’t matter how many years. The
point is that, “not including Alaska,” the United States is
heneeforth composed of states alone.
Forty-eight stars in the flag which began with but thirteen.
Not a bad record, that. And if the United States ever comes to
include Alaska, instead of leaving it in the outer darkness of
an experimental ground for half-baked political theories, there
will be room for another star or two.
-uuuu
RESERVATIONS FOR THE NATIVES
Evidence comes to hand almost daily of the widespread in
terest 'Over everything pertaining to Alaska. For instance a
correspondent writes the Daily Alaskan calling attention io the
fact that Arthur L. Bates, representive from Pennsylvania,
presented a petition from the citizens of Meadville and Erie to
the Housie on June 22 to provide reservations for the natives
in Alaska and to aid in the relief of medical and sanitaiy con
ditions among them.
When individual communities, and especially those of the
far East, because of* the dense ignorance which prevailed in
them about northern conditions, begin to interest themselves,
it will flot be long until practical legislation will follow. Noth
ing is so powerful as public opinion or local sentiment to arouse
national lawmakers into realizing their responsibility.
To begin'with; if the government would use its secret ser
vice to get evidence against “hootch” peddlers, one of the
worst defnoraliziug influences working to the destruction of
the race would be removed. The report that secret sendee men
have been on the job the past year or so hardly squares itself
with the fact that booze is sold to Indians in almost everv eom
ruunity in Alaska. The next important step is to provide the
proper medical and surgical facilities for checking the dis
eases fastened upon the race by Orientals and degenerate
whites. ■ The Daily Alaskan favors the plan to create reserva
tions which will insure the different tribes enough land to in
clude their villages and burial places, where they will not in
terfere with indkstrial needs, but is opposed to the reservation
system such as has been productive of so much graft on the
outside. The average Alaska native is intelligent and readily
adapts himself to changed conditions, and all he needs is a
square deal—the right to help himself. The Baptist mission
at Wood Island, supported by funds from the Society of New
England Women, is doing an excellent work which might well
form an example for the government to follow.
--oooo
SMOOT’S ALASKAN COAL BILL
—
The bill introduced by Senator Smoot, providing for a
leasing'of the coal lands in Alaska, is probably as good a meas
ure as can be expected from a Congress obsessed with the idea
that there should be no sales of coal lands in that much-bedev
iled territory, but that the fee should remain in the United
Statesr The main thing which'is needed for the people of Alas
ka as-a whole is .provision which will insure the coal mines be
ing opened and the fuel sold'to them at a reasonable price. It
is quite probable that these results at least can be had should
Congress enact the Bmoot bill into a law.
The tnouble in securing any legislation comes from the
fact that a tremendously exaggerated idea of the value of thc
Alaska coal properties has been created. It is presumed that
they are of such enormous value that eapital will be eager to
open them on almost any kind of terms. It seems to be forgot
ten that >it will take millions of dollars to construct the needed
transportation lines, and that for a long time to come the mar
ket for Alaska coal-promises to be limited.
While Congress lias been neglecting the subject and •.
executive authorities have been tying up coal lands in resorp -
tions, annulling the existing: laws for their disposition, cou.ii
tions have been changing on this coast. In the absenee of s«»
ficient-supplies of steam coal and with the great expansion of
the-productions of fuel oil, the steamships operating along 'his
coast are being gradually transformed into oil burners. The
market for coal ie lessening rather than expanding. The wis
dom with which the British Columbia authorities are acting in
opening the newly discovered coal measures in- that province
insures that Alaska coal will have a strong opposition whenever
it does get on the market.
As it is now, the great opportunity has passed temporarily.
Alaska coal will be in demand primarily for the uses of the
people of Alaska and for the navy on the Pacific. Capital will
not be easy to enlist in opening coal mines in Alaska, after the
experience which capital has had in Alaska thus far. It is p > ?
sible, however, that the Smoot bill is liberal enough to encour
age some investment, provided, however, that Congress makes
provision for the construction of transportation lines, either di
rectly by the government itself or by extending government aid
to private capital. The former policy would encounter less
opposition and command more strength than the latter one.—
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
■-—0000
WHY CANADA GOES AHEAD
In the hearing before the Senate committee on public lands
on the bill to open government coal mines in Alaska and for
the leasing of other coal lands, Donald A. McKenzie, of Cor
dova and Nelson, gave-some testimony which shows conclusive
ly why it is that British Columbia is progressing at the most
rapid rate in the history of any portion of Canada, while Alas
ka, with a far greater extent of territory and even greater nat
ural resources, is almost moribund, and what progress it is
making is in the teeth of the most serious difficulties, actually
interposed by the government which should aid its develop
ment.
Taking up the matter of coal lands, he showed how high
grade coal fields have been discovered and prospected in Brit
ish Columbia and Yukon territory, the discoveries being several
years later than those made in Alaska. In the basin that gives
rise to the Skeeua, Naas and Stikine rivers coal measures have
been found covering an area of between 12,000 and 20,000
square miles, with grades ranging from semi-anthracite to true
anthracite and assaying as high as 92.73 per cent of fixed car
bon. These fields cover a larger area than the coal fields of
Pennsylvania. With strong government aid, construction of
railroads into the new coal fields commenced at once.
Capital is enlisted into the development of the coal lands
under the liberal British Columbia laws which permit of enter
ing lands under a license costing $100 and good for a year, and
by doing $50 worth of exploration work. On discovery of coal,
the land is leased for five years on terms of 15 cents per acre
per year. Then the lease can be renewed for three years by
paying $100 in addition to the leasing price. Finally, at any
time; by payment of.$20 per acre in cash, after doing the re
quired-amount of development work, the lessee can obtain full
fee title.
On the other hand, Congress has made three different at
tempts by the enactment of laws to sell Alaska coal lands to
private parties, but the interior department promptly annulled
each one of these laws by prohibitive rules, and finally with
drew every acre of coal land in Alaska from entry under these
laws of Congress. Those who have expended hundreds of thou
sands of dollars on the faith iqf these laws being passed by Con
gress have lost their invetments; many have been absolutely,
ruined, and not one single coal mine has been opened in Alaska.
British Columbia is seeing a tremendous development.
A laska is almost stagnant. In British Columbia the whole mat
ter of the public lands is handled by the local legislature. All
of the affairs of Alaska are handled by a Congress ignorant of
or indifferent as to its needs. That is the real distinction that
Mr. McKenzie did not refer to in his evidence, as he might have
done.
LATE TELEGRAPH NEWS
PORTLAND, Ore., July 13.—Government officials here an
nounce that the government will soon begin three hundred
suits involving oil lands in Southern California, representing a
billion dollars in wealth.
It is claimed that enough evidence has been secured al
ready to show a wholesale conspiracy and that the development
will be sensational in the extreme, and will name as defendants
some people high in the financial world. ,
WASHINGTON, July 13.—At a
farewell dinner given in his honor
last evening Senator Bailey, of Texas,
predicted that the United States is
near a crisis paralleling the French
revolution, and that the match will
ignite the powder, and may be ap
plied any moment. His remarks made
a deep impression.
SEATTLE, July 13.—The investi
gation of Judge C. H. Hanford, of
the U. S. district court in this city, is
taking a wide range, and from pres
ent indications will be continued in
definitely. The Seattle Bar Associa
tion has met and again endorsed the
judge.
WASHINGTON, July 13.—Presi
dent Taft announced today that he
would not campaign the country for
his candidacy; that his policies are
well enough known to secure an ex
pression from the voters.
WASHINGTON, July 13.—The
Senate today decided to place the
Panama Canal bill under unfinished
business.
ZURICH, Switzerland, July 13.—
All train schedules are- suspended own
ing to a strike on the part of the em
ployes. In order to stop trains from
running in many places the strikers
prostrated themselves across the
track in front of trains.
WASHINGTON, July 13— Some of
the wags have suggested that the new
party of Theodore .Roosevelt be call
ed “Theocrazy” and carried the sug
gestion to Senator Dixon, manager of
the Roosevelt campaign. William
Barnes; Jr., state chairman of New
York, however, suggested a better
name would be "Crackaloas."
ST. PAUL, July 13.—The intense
heat and electrical storms resulting
is piling up the death rate through
out the middle west and east and
have caused damage to property and
crops. Train schedules are knocked
out.
GRAND RAPIDS, July 13.—A tor
nado visited -his place, injuring for
ty people and destroying a large
amount of property.
AUGUSTA, Ga„ July 13.—Detec
tive Burns, in giving testimony be
fore a probe committee today, declar
ed that Governor Blease, of South
Carolina, was a grafter, and had ac
cepted money for paruoning prison
ers and for blocking legislation. He
stated that the governor’s office was
a regular financial clearing house for
crime.
LOS ANGELES, July 13.—An ex
amination of Ad Wolgast's left hand
shows that it was broken in three
places as the result of his fight with
Joe Rivers.
PALO ALTO, July 13.—Victor
Smith, the world’s champion amateur
aeroplane speeder, was killed here
today while making a flight.
ROME, July 13.—Composer Mas
cagni, who was charged with eloping
with a chorus girl, is seeking a recon
ciliation with his wife, and denies
that he was a party to any affinity
business. It is likely he will be for
given.
HALIFAX, July 13.—The Cana
dian village at Point Tupper has been
[completely destroyed by forest fires.
So far as known no lives were lost.
Relief funds are being subscribed for
the homeless.
PARIS, July 13.—The Paris City
Council has been authorized to bor
row forty million dollars to build
model tenement bouses. The old
style of tenement dwellings will be
torn down and the new ones will in
clude all the latest sanitary devices,
and be patterned somewhat on the
German plan.
STOCKHOLM, July 13.—In the
Olympic contests being held here the
United States has increased its nunl
ber of points and is now in the lead
of all world competitors by 30 points.
BETHLEHEM, July 13.—The big
steel plant at this place has received
an order for guns for the defense of
the Chilean coast. It is an indica
tion that Chili is preparing for war.
WASHINGTON, July 13.—Investi
gation of the snipping trust will in
all probability prevent an early ad
journment of Congress. It prom
ises to be long drawn out.
CHICAGO, July 13.—Before ad
journing the National Educational
Association selected Salt Lake City
as the place for holding its next an
nual gathering.
IDITAROD, July 13.—A stampede
is on from this point to a rich placer
strike in the Aniak district. Several
hundred men are leaving.
WASHINGTON, July 13—Senators
have asked Judge R. W- Archbald,
who has been impeached, to set the
date for his trial. The Judge will
consult with his attorneys as to his
next move.
WYTHEVILLE, Va., July 13.—In
the trial here of one of the Allen gang
of bandits for complicity in the mur
der of the judge and one of the jury
men in a former trial, the result has
been a disagreement.
ATLANTIC CITY, July 13.—After
receiving the refusal of Ben Lindsey
to stand for presidential nominee* the
Prohibitionists in convention last
evening nominated Eugene Chaff, of
Arizona, wrho has wired his accept
ance. Plans are being discussed for
an active campaign.
INDIANAPOLIS, July 13.—At a
meeting today of the Federation of
Churches it was decided to wTork for
the impeachment of Mayor Shank, of
this city. It is alleged that he re
fused to segregate and control vice
resorts, and is a party to their vicious
practices.
JUAREZ, July 13.—Only about
200 rebels remain in this city, the
remainder having sought cover in
the state of Sonora. Scarcely any op
position is now being offered to the
Madcro regime.
INDIAN DAY OX THE FOURTH
The few stay-at-homes who didn’t
go to Cordova to celebrate the glori
ous Fourth helped the Indians cele
brate here. The natives came to
town in a body and it was decided to
give them a potlatch.
They were first given a big feed in
the Tibbs building, and then they
contested among themselves for a
number of prizes offered by the bus
ir.ess men. The foot races, tug of
war and sack races were entered into
by the Indians with great enthusi
asm. They gave a series of dances
and songs that wrere interesting and
amusing.
The most ludicrous sight was eight
Indians lined up at a table, each eat
ing a whole apple pie without using
his hands. The winner managed to
dispose of about half of his pie on
his face and in his hair.
The Indians, especially the young
er ones, enjoyed the day greatly and
furnished some good entertainment
for the people of Chitina. The af
fair was gotten up without any pre
arrangement and was all the more
enjoyable for that reason. The na
tives owe John Nelson, C. C. Hull,
Jack Morey and Tom Cloninger most
of the credit for their fun.
-o—o—o->
A WINTER WATER SUPPLY
Henry Gessner, proprietor of the
Laitina Bakery, has just finished
digging a well on his property. After
going down through forty feet of
frost the water was reached, which
rose to within fifteen feet of the sur
face.
Chitina lies in a narrow valley
that was once a channel for a part
of the Copper river. The river
gravel is now covered with the slowly
accumulated layer of partly decayed
vegetation or “muck. " This water
tight covering of frozen muck varies
in thickness from a few feet on the
sides to nearly eighty feet in the
center Of the valley. Several small
streams at the upper end of the val
ley find their way under this frozen
layer and work down through the old
river gravel to the Copper river.
which has cut its later channel 200
feet below this old one.,
Malcolm Nelson, who had a con
tract to get water, thawed and dug
tarough 27 feet of frozen muck and
partly rotted stumps, then through
three feet of moss, which was only
slightly decayed. Careful estimates
placed the age at 45,000 years. Un
der the moss was eight feet of frozen
boulders and sand. When this lay
er was punctured the water bubbled
up in a fountain, and his assistant
saved himself from drowning only
by climbing out.
Henry has now enlarged the holes
in his doughnuts a quarter of an
inch to pay for his hole in the
ground, but his coffee and bread
are as good as ever.
--U-O-O——
MISS KEEN’S ASCENT OF
MOUNT BLACKBURN
Miss Dora Keen, who is the daugh-,
ter of an eminent Philadelphia sur
geon. is writing a series of articles
on her recent successful conquest of
Mount Blackburn, Alaska, in Scrib
ner's.
In her most recent article she
says:
Steep and badly broken glaciers,
steeper ridges all crested with ice,
and a fairly smooth snow summit,
such was the sight mat Mount Black
burn presented to our view. It was
the fifth day, witn food for only
eight days more, and every route
looking hopelessly difficult and dan
gerous for men with heavy packs.
The sled and all else possible would
have to be left at this base camp,
and from here, at 6,600 feet, food,
fuel and shelter would have to be
carried by men and dogs nearly to
tue top. Progress would be so slow
and the liability to blizzards so great
that it would never be safe to be far
from shelter, and this very necessi
ty for heavy packs would compel the
euoice of route which would be
neither too steep nor too difficult if
we were to advance at all. Nearly
l'O.OOO feet of snow and ice remain
ed to be climbed, with the certainty
of such frequent snowfalls that the
snow would have no time to harden,
would make the ascent laborious,
and would slide with the first hot
sun. To climb at night was impos
sible. Such routes could not be at
tempted in the dark. Indeed one of
the best gauges of the difficulty of
a mountain ascent is the elevation
remaining to be climbed above the
snow line. It is chiefly the 10,000
or 15,000 feet that have to be climb
ed above the snow line that make
the high mountains of Alaska the
most difficult to climb.
Above 12,000 feet ascent would
be easy. This was one reason why
1 had chosen to try this mountain
by this side. , Experience in the
Alps and the Andes had taught me
to avoid difficult work above 15,000
feet. The maps of the United States
geological survey—made from near
our first camp—showed the contour
lines to be gradual above 12,000
feet, but how to reach 12,000 feet,
that was the problem. With all the
routes alike looking hopeless, the
shortest seemed the best to try first.
-0-0—o
The U. S. experiment station at
Kodiak has some pure-bred Gallo
way cattle to sell for breeding pur
poses to settlers of Alaska at reason
able prices. Owing to the shortage
of pasture at Kodiak and a lack of
hay crop since the region about the
station was covered with volcanic
ashes, it has been decided to sell a
part of the herd. These cattle rep
resent some of the best of the breed,
and for the most part are Alaska-bred
and born cattle. Good young stock
of breeding age will sell for less than
they can be nought in the states and
shipped to Alaska. Five yearling
bulls are for sale at $50 f. o. b. Ko
diak. Yearling heifers for $75 and
two-year-olds and young cows for
$100 and up. The government does
not pay freight on any cattle sold,
and sells only for cash. Anybody
wanting a start with a good thrifty
breed of cattle for Alaska can find
no better than these at Kodiak. Set
tlers are invited to come and see
the herd and choose their cattle.
Those who cannot come may write to
M. D. Snodgrass, superintendent of
the station, at Kodiak, and send
cash with order and the cattle will
be shipped by the next boat. The
herd is kept fifteen miles from the
village of Kodiak, because of the
scarcity of pasture now available. A
gasoline launch plies between the sta
tion and the village. The best con
nections from the eastward are by
the Dora coming and return on the
Bertha. The first come, the first
served, because they have decided
to dispose of some of these cattle this
summer and fall.
•-o—o—o
Former Nomeite’s Good Luck
W. N. Landers, former assistant
United States attorney in Alaska dur
ing the height of the early day litiga
tion in Nome, has received tjvo ap
pointment of United States district
attorney at Porto Rico.
o. mail iiew
U. S. Mineral Surveyor
CHITINA - - - ALASKA
Chitina
Pharmacy
Drugs
Stationery
Magazines
Candy
Fruit
Cigars
A. G. MOREY, Prop.
GROCERIES, HARDWARE
AND..—
MEAT MARKET
We have a big line of Sec
ond-Hand Goods,, and can
save you money on your out
fit. Dunk House, with free
Cook House, in connection.
CHITINA HEIGHTS 1
Cordes & Simons
*■ '• *• 1 ' 'f f
PUBLIC LAND AND MINING
CASES.
__
If you are interested in any contest
or any matter before the Interior De
partment, write to Clark & Wright,
registered land lawyers, 902 F Street
N. W. (opposite Gen’l Land Office),
Washington, D. C. Free information
about contests and where to obtain
scrip, locatable upon public lands;
without residence or cultivation.
'•* , ; *" j'l
-— -.—8—
HAY, BRAN. OATS, CHOPSi,
ROLLED BARLEY
*' •
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed Is the very
best quality.
‘■t l
i
m i? -