Keep Your Friends In
formed by Sending Them
The Chitina Leader
THE CHITINA LEADER
Opening of Bering Coal
Means Smelters for
Cordova
FIFTH YEAR
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21,1915.
NUMBER 48.
V
FAIRBANKS, Sept. 17—While at
tempting to cross the Nenana river in
a poling boat Patrick McHugh and
George McFaun, members of the sur
vey party for the Alaska Engineering
Commission, were plunged into the
swift current and drowned. Although
a search has been made for the bodies
they have not as yet been recovered.
ibkIeTeise
COIL LINDS
SOON HEADY
"Secretary Lane is making every
effort to evolve a thoroughly practica
ble anti workable form of lease for the
coal lands of Alaska,” said George W.
Evans, who has just returned from the
Bering river fields where he has made
a thorough investigation of condi
tions for the government. “And this
lease will be ready early in November,
when the general land office should be
willing to accept offers for leasing
units.” 1
This direct statement coming from
Mr. Evans is significant. He is gen
erally recognized as a coal expert and
to him was entrusted the work of mak
ing a detailed examination of the
Matanuska field, in 1913, when the
navy expedition mined a quantity of
that coal for commecial purposes. This
is also Mr. Evans’ sixth visit to the
Bering field and the quality of coal
he found there compares favorably
with any produced in the states.
During the past summer Mr. Evans
devoted most of his time to investi
gating Canyon creek and Shepard
creek, where the famous Cunningham
and English company's claims are lo
cated. On his other trips he visited
the Eastern and Western ends of the
Bering feld and is throughly familiar
with conditions there. On his recent
-trip Mr. Evans studied the field with
reference to newly run sectional lines,
making detailed observations of the
coal outcrop and the geological struc
ture with reference to sectional lines.
This was done with a view of seperat
ing the field into workable units and
trying to balance each unit so that
one unit would not have any great
advantage over another.
The smallest unit is 320 acres and
from that up to four square miles,
ranging from a half section to
four sections. Mr. Evans will leave
for the states tonight as he is anxious
to get his report, with maps, to
Washington, at the earliest possible
date. He feels that he will be able to
cemplete his work so as to have it in
the hands of Secretary Lane by No
vember 15, at the latest.
There is also a force of about twenty
men in the Bering field, under the
supervision of T. A. Haigh, of the
general land office, sub-dividing the
field into sections and townships, and
they will shortly complete their la
bors.
.u.
* LIVE MOUNTAIN SHEEP
’ CAPTURED IN CHISANA
Thomas C. Noyes, the Chisana mine
operator, who came to Cordova a tew
days ago and left for Valdez as a wit
ness before the court, brought out
from the interior a young mountain
sheep which he captured last spring
and the animal is possibly the only
one of its kind in captivity. The lamb
is a beauty and will be taken to an is
land in Southeastern Alaska, near
Ketchikan, where Mr. Noyes has a
home. It is said that the Smithsonian
Institute has a standing offer for a live
animal but as the wild sheep live in
the high mountains it is almost im
posible to transport them by ocean.
Mrs. Noyes is also an enthusiastic
hunter as well as her husband, and
has several moose, caribou, sheep and
goats to her credit as a hunter.
PATENTS ARE ISSUED
FOR NINE LODE CLAIMS
Patents were issued through the
Juneau land office to the Alaska Con
solidated Copper Company for the
Germantown lode claim and to the
above company in conjunction with
the McCarthy Third Holding Co., for
8 lode claims. All of these properties
are located in the Chitina mining dis
trict, on McCarthy creek.
It was while working in connection
with the proofs necessary to secure
this patent that James McCarthy, well
known throughout the Territory, was
drowned.
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ANCHORAGE, Sept. 12—Clearing
and grubbing, preliminary to the in
stallation of the permanent water sup
ply system for Anchorage is now un
der way and upon the arrival of neces
sary building material, work on the
big local improvement will be rushed
through to completion.
The system comphends the installa
tion of a pumping plant on Ship creek
1800 feet east of the east boundary of
the town proper. From the pumping
station a 4-inch wrought iron pipe will
lead the water to a 100,000 gallon steel
tank, placed on an 80-foot tower, to
provide the required pressure for the
gravity system for the distribution of
the water to various parts of the
town. The pumping plant will have a
capacity of 500 gallons per minute.
It will be operated by steam power,
and either wood or coal will be used.
John A. Mathison, of Hope, Alaska,
passed away at the government hos
pitay Wednesday morning, a victim of
septic appendicits. The departed was
attacked by appendicitis at his home
at Hope and came here one day last
week for treatment. The case was
too far advanced and too severe and
the operation which followed proved
of no avail.
A federal Jail, 2Gx60 feet, will be
immediately erected. It will be built
in the federal block, east of the post
office building. The marshal says that
next season a beautiful lawn will be
made of the grounds surrounding the
structure, making it the beauty spot
of the town.
Miss Ethel Bennett was operated on
in the government hospital this week
for appendicits. She is recovering
very rapidly, and will shortly be at
"home to her many friends.
o
NEW YORK, Sept. 16—'The British
and French financial commissioners,
who are endeavoring to raise a loan
of a billion dollars in this country, pro
fess themselves to be well satisfied
with the progress of the negotiations,
and feel certain that they will get the
desired loan. Pledges for large sub
scriptions to the loan are rapidly
coming in. The Standard Oil million
aires, including John D. Rockefeller,
Jr., are all considering participating
in the loan, and their taking a large
slice of it is almost assured. The pro
German bankers are being ignored in
the matter, and no attempt will be
made to secure a portion of the loan
from them.
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VALDEZITE IS KILLED
IN AUTO ACCIDENT
William Soule, of Valdez, formerly
connected with the Alaska Road Com
mission, who went to Tacoma for
treatment for lung troble, met with
an auto accident which result In his
death. The car he was driving was
overturned, pinning him under the
heavy frame. He sustained a broken
collar bone, several ribs broken and
was hurt internally.
EXISTENCE
Postmaster Melvin Dempsey, of
Paxson, has been missing since Aug
ust 24, when he started from Paxson’s
for Slate Creek, and it is feared that
he has met with an accident.
Arthur McNeir, the mining operator
and contractor, expected to meet
Dempsey at Slate Creek, and failing in
that came on over to Paxson’s, but did
not meet him enroute nor has he since
been found. He reported the facts to
Lieut. Dougherty, of the Signal Corps
at Valdez, who immediately took such
steps as were in his power to aid in
finding the missing prospector, and the
operator is now with McNair hunting
for Dempsey.
Dempsey is the original finder of
the Chisna mining camp, and the rush
to his find resulted in the location of
Slate creek. He is a full blooded
Cherokee Indian, and has spent the
last 17 years in this section.
POWDER HOUSE
VALDEZ, Sept. 18—The powder
house of the Granite mine at Hobo
Bay in the Port Wells district was
destroyed by an explosion early today
which rocked the country for miles
around, and created all the sensations
of an earthquake. The house con
tained a ton and one-half of powder
when the explosion ocurred. The ex
plosion could not have been an acci
dent, and it is felt that it was delib
erately accomplished by a discharged
employe out of pique. Supt. Millard
had discharged an employee named
Domemsie early yesterday morning.
The man had taken his discharge
badly, protesting bitterly to Mr. Mil
lard, and finally threatening to dam
age the property in revenge for his dis
missal. He had been drinking heavily,
and when the explosion ocurred, sus
picion was at once directed to him,
and he was arrested, arriving at Val
dez this morning. The mill building
was slightly damaged by the explosion,
but there were no casulaties among
the force of about forty men who are
employed at the mine.
DELEGATE MNTS
FAIRBANKS, SEPT. 16—Delegate
James Wickersham will be a candi
date for governor of the territory If
the republican party wins at the next
election and Dan Sutherland is slated
to take the place of Wckersham as
candidate for congress. This is
known on the very best authority to
he the plan of the present delegate.
Senator Sutherland has been the right
hand man of the present delegate
from the first time Wickersham be
came a candidate and has stood faith
fully by him ever since. On several
occasions Wickersham has offered to
withdraw from the race if Sutherland
would consent to run in his stead but
the latter has hitherto declined until
a supposed prospect of the election of
a republican president presents the
possibility of promotion for the pres
ent delegate. Sutherland Is mining
in the Ruby country at present and is
very popular. The feeling here is that
he would carry Alaska, particularly
with the aid of Wickersham against
any combination.
-:o:
Judge Finnegan and family, of Chis
ana, left this afternoon for Valdez and
from there will go to Seward, where
they expect to remain.
REV. M’BRIDE TO TAKE
CHARGE CHURCH AT ANCHORAGE
Rev. James H. Condit of Juneau and
Rev. J. L. McBride, now of Cordova,
arrived last night on the car from
Anchorage, via Kern creek. Rev.
Condit, who is in charge of the Pres
byterian missions in Alaska, has ar
ranged for a church at Anchorage.
The pulpit will be filled by Rev. J,- L.
McBride who is now returning to
Cordova to bring his family and house
hold goods to the new charge.
“We have a nice location for a
church there,” said Rev. Condit, "and
hope to have a building up for regu
lar service before snow comes.”—
Seward Post.
WHREIIL
Dr. E. Lester Jones, chief of the
United States Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey, thinks it a criminal offense for
his department to be compelled to
operate the class of boats he is provid
ed with for the great work of charting
the waters of Alaska. Among other
pertinent things he says:
It is beyond my comprehension that
a federal government which has laws
that make it a criminal offense to pro
vide unsafe and improperly equipped
privately owned vessels, would permit
federal officials to man and operate
these unsafe and otherwise inefficient
crafts that should be, in some in
stances consigned to the scrap heap.
It is asking too much of our officers
and men, who have already established
a high standard of loyalty and effici
ency, to jeopardize their lives on these
vessels. They are a brave set of men
and have no superiors in the world.
They act as navigators, engineers, pay
masters and surveyors, and I protest
against the injustice of asking these
men, who are themselves looking for
dangers with the idea of protecting the
lives of thousands of people, besides
millions of dollars in property to live
on vessels that are unfit for any ser
vice and which endanger their own
lives.
I can assure you that one of my big
gest efforts will be not only the literal
carrying out, as far as our own vessels
are concerned, of all the provisions of
the federal laws; but I want the stand
ard so high that we are fully comply
ing with all the provisions of the
steamboat inspection regulations so
that our boats are a little safer
and more efficient than those belong
ing to the merchant marine.
When I was in Alaska in 1914, and
noted the excitement in reference to
the plans for the new federal railroad
for which Congress appropriated $35,
000,000 (and which no doubt is a great
step toward bringing stability and per
manency of commerce, and a class of
people that are desirable as citizens of
that great territory); I could not help
seeing equally, if not with greater
forces, that the real success of the ter
ritory was dependent upon the safety
of her waters. Alaska can never fully
develop until her waterways, which
are real gateways to commerce, are
safe to human life and property.
1 hope that a large majority are
awakening to this fact and I am con
strained to believe that Congres, with
the facts more clearly placed before it,
is going to provide a sufficient sum
to give the Coast and Geodetic Survey
the necessary funds to put this work
on the broad basis it deserves.
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LINE-UP OF TEAMS FOR
BALL GAME TOMORROW
The weather per aitfing there will
h,> a battle rojal at the ball park to
morrow afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, be
tween the Prothemus team and the
Olympia Sluggers.
Manager Bilson announces the fol
lowing line-up of the Prothemus boys:
Dickman, 2b; Myska, s.s.; Robinson,
3b; Allen, c.f.; Haglie, r.f.; Pattharer,
l.f.; with Burman Simmons, Church,
Warrington and Maxson as subs.
The Olympia Sluggers will be sta
tioned as follows: Book, p; Ryan, c;
H. Bollinger, lb; Dooley, 2b; Rayer,
3b; Perry s.s.; Gottschalk, 1. f.;
Cloninger, c.f.; B . Bollinger, r.f.,
Heath, Ross, Terry, Simpson, O’Brien,
T. Davis, Murphy and Thompson,
subs. d\
CUFFS SCALED
WITH LADDERS
BY HORSES
McCarthy, Sept. 14—The trail
from McCarthy to the Nlzina river is
still impassable. Packers to the Chis
ana and other placer camps are using
the old Nikaloai trail which, it is
stated, is so steep that the horses are
compelled to scale the cliffs by means
of long ladders. f
Bears are yery plentiful in this
vicinity. Six haxe been killed within
two miles of town, lately. Last Tues
day Captain Hubrick and Jas. Millsap
killed a large black bear near the pot
hole in plain view of the town and a
quarter of a mile from the depot.
The schoolhouse is about completed
and school will be opened next week.
Most of the children have been out of
school for a year or more.
The Kennicott Mine is running to
capacity again and is shipping eight
to ten cars a day.
There is considerable building acti
vity around McCarthy. The local
contractor, Mr. Iverson, has half dozen
buildings to construct.
The Republican Club of McCarthy
was organized recently with a good
membership. S. O. Breedman is presi
dent and F. H. Foster secretary. The
club expects to maintain its organiza
tion, increase its membership and to
convert demorcrats to the right way of
thinking.
McCarthy needs a recording office.
Three times as many instruments
were filed in the Chitina office during
the past year from the upper half of
the precinct as those filled from the
Chitina end and the people of Mc
Carthy think it unjust that they should
be compelled to go sixty miles or more
to examine the records.
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CAPT. FERGUSON ILL
IN SEATTLE HOSPITAL
Capt. Walter H. Ferguson, well
known Alaskan and formerly U. S.
commissioner at Council, and later at
Chitina, is seriously ill in a Seattle
hospital. Ferguson is also one of the
best known navigators on the coast.
He came to Alaska in the early days
and was prominent in the early devel
opment of the interior.
:o:
ALASKAN PUNT
The plant of the Cordova Daily
Alaskan, which suspended publication
on June 1 last, is today being packed
and will be shipped to Anchorage on
the Mariposa next week. h. F. Shaw,
editor of the Cook Inlet Pioneer, ar
rived in town last evening and shortly
afterwards closed a deal for the Mer
ganthaler, cylinder press and other
material used in issuing the Alaskan,
which he will take back with him to
Anchorage, where he will at once be
gin the publication of a daily news
paper.
Associated with Mr. Shaw in thig
new enterprise is T. B. Needam, while
our former townsman, C. P. Packard is
also employed on the Inlet. U. X.
Grant, an old-aime Alaskan will op
erate the linotype machine.
-;0;
SAILING OF THE ALAMEDA
POSTPONED A WEEK
The steamer Alameda, which is
scheduled to leave Seattle tonight, has
had her sailing to Southwestern Alas
ka postponed until September 21. The
Alameda was delayed in returning to
the states and in consequence no boat
of the Alaska Steamship Co. will leave
Seattle on September 18.
-:o.
Farragut Sails South.
The steamer Farragut arrived from
the westward late Friday afternoon
and sailed south shortly afterward
for the south. C. W. Morris was book
ed from here for Seattle, and Oak
Olson, J. Dowlingz J. F. Chambers, J.
J. Maharren and G.More went to
Juneau.
SCHOOL FUNDS ARE SHORT
FOR UNINCORPORATED TOWNS
Governor Strong has written to
Washington showing that unless more
money is received outside incor
porated towns under the "Nelson
fund” the territory will not have
enough to run for the full term of
nine months. He says in the com
munication that, even if the fifteen
thousand dollars allowed by the legis
lature from the road money forest fund
is used without a court contest, there
will still not be enough. The short
age is due mainly to the fa#t that
eleven new schools districts have been
formed.
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MEET DEATH
LAREDO, Sept. 17—A Mexican mili
tary train was wrecked near Saltillo
yesterday and ninety soldiers were
killed, and many seriously wounded.
The wrecking of the train was not an
accident, but had been deliberately
arranged for.
LAREDO, Sept. 17—Further infor
mation has been received relative to
the wrecking of a Mexican train with
the loss of ninety lives, and it is be
lieved that the rails were deliberately
spread. The train was hurled into a
canyon, the spot being evidently
selected because of its dangerous na
ture. Soldiers, women and camp fol
lowers were ground to death under
the debris.
:o:
AGAINST TWO
The fall term of the district court
is now in session at Valdez. The full
number of grand jurors having failed
to appear because many had left the
country and others were not served as
the marshal’s office could not locate
them. The judge issued an order to
fill the jury and 15 jurors were called.
Those drawn and reporting were Owen
Meals, Walter Elliott, Mike Barrett,
N. J. Date, J. F. Emmet, W. Elliott,
Otto Lebed, L. Martin. Ed. Welsh, Ed.
Wood was appointed foreman of the
grand jury.
The petit jury consists of: M. Con
nolly, W. E. Conant, T. R. Rew, J. E.
Rice, O. P. Brown, G. G. Boe, H. Lis
ton, Randall Ashby, Gus Dgarf, Mike
Dinneen A. H. Dieringer, A1 White,
J. A. Baxter, C. B. Smith, Sam Pep
per, F. J. Hayes, T. J. Gavigan, J. G.
Snyder, Frank J. Johnston. Chas. Gar
wood, C. L. Peabody, Edward H. Ma
loney, C. A. Ramsey.
The grand jury reported no indict
ments in the case of Frank Baney
and Frank Lewis, who were arrested
in Cordova last winter on the charge
of larceny and bound over. The men
were strangers in Cordova, having
come from the interior and were in
town only a few days when they were
apprehended on the charge of having
taken a sum of money from a guest at
the Rainier-Grand hotel.
The grand jury returned a true bill
against Julius Hale, who was bound
over by Cimmissioner Love, for en
gaging in a stabbing affray in the red
light district at Valdez several months
ago.
The fish waste case against the
Libby, McNeil & Libby Packing com
pany was the first on the docket and
a jury was quickly secured. The com
pany is charged with having wasted
fish which after being caught in the
traps were wot canned. Judge Royal
A. Gunnison of Juneau, is the com
pany’s attorney, and the government
is represented by Assistant Attorneys
Whittelsy and Munley.
There is a long list of cases on the
docket, including several important
criminal cases, and It is expected that
the term of court will last for several
weeks.
NOME, Sept. 17—The schooner
Ruby arrived here today from the
mouth of the Mackenzie river carry
ing long dispatches from Explorer
Stefannson, who has been given up as
lost, and for whim relief expeditions
have been vainly sent out. The dis
patches are addressed to the Canadian
government nnd their contents cannot
therefore be known until made public
by the authorities in Ottawa. Stef
fanson left Martin Point on March
22 of last year with dogs and supplies,
intending to go over the ice in search
of the polar continent. He took with
him two men, Ole Anderson and a sea
man named Sorkerson. The plans of
the party contemplated, if no land was
found, to turn to the east and go to
Banks land, and it is believed that he
arrived there.
NOME, Sept. 17—Sailors on the
steamer Ruby which returned today
from the Mackenzie river with news of
Explorer Stefannson says that Stefan
sonn has discovered a new land to
southwest of St. Patrick’s land.
Louis Lane in the Polar Bear found
Stefannson and his companions and
took them aboard his boat and sailed
with them to Banks land. They also
took aboard the small power boat
Gladiator, to be used In running
around on short trips. Stefannson
will remain in the Arctic and contin
ue his explorations. The southern
party under Anderson are all well with
the exception of engineer Daniel Blew
of the power boat Alaska, who has
died from disease.
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PAY TAX DUE
i
Statistics are being prepared on the
canneries in Alaska and their output
for the past two seasons, for the ter
ritorial attorney, who will probably be
instructed in the near future to bring
suit against the owners to recover tax
money due from them for the levy of
7 cents per case on their output, under
the law passed by the First Alaskan
legislature.
When questioned Governor Strong
was reluctant to make any state
ment on the matter, but said that he
would probably instruct the beginning
of the actions within a short time.
The Fish Trap law, which was pass
ed by the Second legislature is now be
fore the courts for a test, the cannery
men claiming that the legislature has
no power to impose additional taxes
on them, and they have refused to pay
in several instances. Judge Jennings
decided against the fish men in the
case of the Territory vs. the Hoonah
Packing company and the Territory
vs. the Northwest Fisheries company,
and three companies have appealed
the case to the circuit court of appeals,
through their attorneys.
Governor Strons says that he is un
decided whether to have the suit filed
immediately, or to await the outcome
of the appeal now pending. “How
ever we are having the statistics com
piled so that everything will be in
readiness when the time comes. I
may order the filing of the sultB at
once, and I may wait,” he Baid when
disscussing the matter.
-;©;
Delivering Government Supplies.
J. E. Wilson, the Valdes freighter,
has completed the delivery of the 60
tons of government supplies to. the
signal stations between Valdez and
Tonsina, and has sent 28 head of
stock to Chitina to start the delivery
of the balance of the government sup
plies, consisting of 60 tons for the
military stations between Tonsina and
Donnely’s.
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The local Chamber of Commerce will
meet tonight and as matters of im
portance are to be discussed a full
attendance of the mebers Is reoueatad.