The Chitina Leader
, CHIXIXA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 18T9.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
WELL A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—HARRY O. STEEL
Office: Hotel Cliitina Building.
Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan ,
- Seattle Office: 5ol Colman Building.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Month ..* -*® I
Six Months . ;.00
One Year . 3-a0
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.
CH1TIXA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1913.
THE COMMISSION TRAILS
The Alaska Road Commission is not going to get left
entirely, and proposes to do some trailing itself. Now that 40
men have been set to work by private parties, to repair the
trail from McCarthy’s to Scolai pass, a representative of the
commission has been sent out to see what is necessary—for
next year. He was carefully admonished not to go over Scolai
pass alone. But the little practical matter of instructing the
trail blazer to even mark the trail was entirely overlooked.
Guess the Commission is a little too slow for the Copper river
country. Or possibly the people over this way are a little too !
impatient. They have only been laboring three or four years j
to induce the Commission to make trails in that interior mining j
country where possibly a million or more dollars has been
expended in developing copper and placer gold properties. And
now the development of a new gold diggings means that
hundreds have already flocked over a trail entirely neglected
by the government servants, and that thousands will follow
during the winter and spring. But the government is too poor
to give much encouragement or assistance in the real develop
ment of Alaska.
-o—o—o
AN ALIEN’S ADVANTAGE
There is a federal law applying to Alaska which might
stop foreigners from staking and holding mineral claims
unless they make application for citizenship, but it will not
become operative unless the United States government takes!
up the matter of applying the law. It is held that the land
subject to entry is the property of the government. According I
to Falcon Josiin, who was in Skagway. recently recited an
attempt that was made some years ago to oust foreigners from
claims in the Nome district, but the federal courts held that
an individual contestant could not present the facts in the
case, as it was wholly within the jurisdiction of the federal
government, and action would have to be brought by the
federal government to dispossess a foreigner of his claim. rl his
the government has never seen fit to do.
-o—o—o
THE SUSHANNA DISCOVERY
That the rich and shallow placer diggings at the head of j
the Tanana river, which flows into the Yukon have been found
is now amply confirmed. It seems that the ground is from one ‘
to five feet to bedrock, ideal for shoveling in and for working J
by the simple methods necessary at a point so remote from
transportation as this is at present. The pay is distributed
widely, over seven creeks at least. Bonanza, Eldorado, Ready
Money, Chitenda, Shamrock, Beaver and Home, with indica
tions of pay on five others. The wash is light and no boulders.
The gold itself is said to be rather low grade but no statement j
has yet appeared as to its value per ounce. From Seattle the j
Sushanna is reached via Cordova and the Copper River &
Northwestern Railway to McCarthy, thence 90 miles by trail
over the Wrangell Mountains at the Scolai pass, down a branch
of the White river and over a low divide to the Sushanna.
From Dawson and Yukon river points the Tanana and White
rivers give means of access.
By many this is acclaimed as one of the great gold strikes;
it remains to be seen what it will produce, but certain it is ;
that the interest in the find is very widespread and, which is I
significant, those who are nearest are showing their faith in j
it by going to it with great promptness and in large numbers.— {
Railway and Marine News.
-o—o—o
President Dickeson and his paid assistants who are
industriously circulating misinformation concerning the easy
and quick route to the C’hisana will reap a whirlwind when
their victims return. They may induce a few to go in by way
of White Horse, but if they succeed in finally reaching the gold
fields, just watch them return via Scolai pass and McCarthy’s.
You can’t fool even some of the people all the time. When those
tired and impoverished stampeders plod along for three weeks
and consume all their food supplies in reaching the Cliisana
via Kluane Lake, it won’t take them long to realize that their
more sensible brethren refused to allow themselves to be
victimized, and as a consequence reached the diggings in six
days from McCarthy’s.
-o—o—o
Practically all of the returning stampeders come back with
encouraging reports of the new gold diggings. They know
that good pay has been taken from a number of creeks while
colors in encouraging value have resulted from surface
panning on many other streams. It * may be necessary to
await the coming of spring before the real extent and value
of the new camp is established. But up to the present time
everything looks good.
-o—o—o
Secretary Lane wants the government to build the rail
roads to open the Alaska resources to the nation—and as a
man experienced in the habits and customs of railroads
privately owned, it must be admitted that Secretary Lane’s
views are entitled to be received with a very high degree of
respect.
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS
It is expected that soon the information will reach here
that rich pay has been taken from several creeks within a
radius of 10 or 15 miles, and that will establish the permanency
of the Cliisana gold camp.
Gold is a panacea for all grouches and dissensions.
The White Pass & Yukon Railroad officials are so enter
prising that they even offer jobs to men in Cordova to go to
Southeastern Alaska and misrepresent the true conditions and
merits of the respective trails.
It is a double offense against Alaska and the Pacific North
west, when Pocahontas coal is brought by British steamships
to the Puget Sound Navy Yard.—Seattle Times.
As Congress has lasted through most of the hot weather
of the east there may now be little objection to prolonging the
special session into next December. And if it does there would
be a special chance to have that Alaska railroad bill passed.
Lieutenant Edgerton has declared that the Alaska Read
Commission is desirous, and in fact anxious to receive petitions
and memorials from various sections of Alaska setting forth
the need of trails, roads and bridges. Cordova is doing its
best to thus gratify the Commission.
A few people have been experimenting with various trails
to get into the new gold diggings. Going by way of McCarthy’s
and Scolai pass the trip is easily made in six or seven days.
Hundreds have availed themselves of this route and many have
gone in. come out for more provisions and gone back again. As
various mushers have only been about a month on the other
trails, they haven’t yet arrived in the Chisana country to tell
of the hardships endured.
When the real old sourdough miners from Nome, Dawson
and Fairbanks get into the new gold diggings we may hear of j
some real prospecting and some big strikes.
A big strike of pay dirt from Johnson creek may be I
looked for anv dav.
* »
-A-A-A
Cordova, August 26
Robert Wiley who has extensive
holdings in copper, near White river,
is in this camp at present and has
already purchased interests on
Glacier, Gold Run and Little Skoo
kum. Mr. Wiley is working a crew
of men, and he has been getting
fine prospects. He is an enthusiast
over the present conditions and ex
pects the camp to yield large re
turns next summer. He will bring
in a boiler this winter to test some
of his benches.
F. T. Hamshaw, who is also inter
ested in copper, has invaded this
camp and has large holdings upon
which he is working a large force
of men. There is a scarcity of grub
in the camp and many who wanted
to winter there will have to go out.
A dollar a pound freight added to
the original cost in Cordova or Mc
Carthy is the schedule of prices but
there is very little at that. How
ever it is claimed that the big
Yukon companies will rush a cargo
through in season to prevent a mid
winter famine. All kinds of game ]
is plentiful. That helps some.
Scenes at the new camp beggar
description. Stampede madness1
seems to have taken possession of |
the entire community. As you ap- j
proach the diggings, dropping down 1
over a large rolling hill, the pan- j
orama that spreads below is inspir- j
ing to say the least. Over this trail
many hundreds have already passed.
Spectacled students bowed with the
weight of much learning awaken
the valley with their college yells,
and the grizzled pioneers of the days
of ’98 plod on as anxious as ever to
make one more good strike.
The vanguard of the big bunch
from Dawson and Fairbanks has ar
rived and are swarming over the
diggings like bees. Some have been
lost between White river and
Tanana, a few came by way of Gul
kana, others up the Tanana in river
boats, some from the mouth of
White river and some from the Don
jeek and the Snag rivers, both tribu
tary of White river. These people
have not brought much grub but
they have caches at different river
points below and already numbers
are preparing to go after supplies. !
Most of the Yukon people expect
to winter at the diggings and sur
rounding country. Already there
have been many glad reunions be
tween the Copper river boys and
their old time friends from Fair
banks and Dawson. It is amusing
to see the new arrivals rush up the
creeks, tape line in hand, measur
ing from one post to another and
reading the location notices, which
are tucked carefully away in the
rock monument.
-o—o—o
NEW YORK. Aug. 25.—The anti
Tammany forceB arc beginning to
get back at Murphy. This morning
Lynn J. Arnold, publisher of the
Knickerbocker Press requested the
district attorneys of New York and
Albany counties to indict Charles
Murphy and Chairman Frawley, the
Assembly leader. He charges them
with conspiring against Governor
Sulzer. j
WASHINGTON, August 25.—The
secretary of commerce will receive
sealed proposals until 12 o’clock
noon, on October 31, 1913, for the
exclusive right to propagate foxes
upon certain Alaska islands for the
term of five (5) years from the first
day of January, 1914, agreeable to
the provisions of the statutes of the
United States. The highest bidders
will get exclusive right to propagate
foxes on any cr all of the following
listed islands (which records show
were leased prior to May 14, 1898,
and that they are not now under
lease) at an annual rental of not
less than two hundred dollars
($200) for each island, to be re
served in such lease and secured by
a deposit of United States moneys
or bonds to that amount, and every
such lease shall be duly executed in
duplicate, and shall not be transfer
able except with the approval of the
secretary of commerce:
Chirlkof Island, southwest of
Kodiak Island; Long Island, near
Kodiak Island; Marmot Island, east
of Afognak Island; Little Koniuji
Island and Simeonof Island, of Shu
magin Group; Little Naked Island,
one of Naked Islands, Prince Wil
liam Sound, Carlson Island, Prince
William Sound, Middleton Island,
Gulf of Alaska; Pearl Island and
Elizabeth Island of Chugach Islands;
Aghiyuk Island and Chowiet Island
of Semidi Islands.
The secretary of commerce will
undertake to supply from the Prib
ilof Islands fox herds a limited num
ber of blue foxes for breeding stock
to lessees of any of the islands that
may be leased, or to other respon
sible parties operating fox ranches :
in Alaska. Such foxes will be sold
under competitive bids and will be
delivered to the purchasers at
Unalaska on a date to be agreed
upon.
--O-O— o— -■ — "
.1. R. Willis, collector of customs
for Alaska, announced at Dawson
on his way down the river last week
that no customs officer will be
placed at the scene of the new
placer strike for at least a year.
Hon. J. D. Hazen, Minister of
Marine and Fisheries for Canada,
arrived in Skagway the other even
ing on his way to Ottawa. While
coming out Mr. Hazen received the
following message from Governor
Black from Dawson:
“Dr. Chas. Cairnes, the Dominion
geologist, has reached Dawson from
White river and Sushanna districts
and reports the strike undoubtedly
very rich, but the known area is yet
necessarily limited. He found on
four creeks formation for good
deposits of gold. The claims ex
tend to the Canadian side, and all
his party staked placer ground.”
-o—o—o
KANSAS CITY, Aug. 25.—Col.
Roosevelt has had a long rest in
the western deserts and is now on
his way home. He is in fine physical
condition but is not inclined to talk
for publication at present.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.—This
morning the President sent to the
Senate the nomination of Etna
Olson to be postmaster at Treadwell.
NOTICE TO PAT POLL TAX
Notice is hereby given to all whom
it may concern that by the provisions
of Chapter 54 of the laws passed by
the first legislature of the Territory
of Alaska, entitled, "An act to impose
a poll tax upon male persons in the
Territory of Alaska and providing
means for its collection,” approved
May 1, 1913, and ineffect from and
after said date, an annual tax in the
sum of four dollars ($4), designated
as a poll tax, is imposed and levied
upon each male persons (excepting
soldiers, sailors in the United States
navy or revenue cutter service, vol
unteer firemen, paupers, insane per
sons and territorial charges) within
the Territory of Alaska or the waters
thereof, over the age of twenty
one years and under the age of
fifty years, to be paid and collected
in the manner provided in said act;
and it is further provided in and by
said act, among other things, that
the commissioner of each precinct
in said territory shall collect said poll
tax from each person residing within
his precinct subject thereto. That
said tax shall be paid between the
first Monday in April and the first
Monday in August in each year, that
it shall be the duty of every person
liable to pay said tax to pay the same
to such commissioner within the
time in this notice below specified,
that it shall be the duty of the com
missioner to receipt to each person
(by a receipt from books thereof
with stubs, supplied by ■ the terri
torial treasurer) upon payment of
said poll tax. which receipt shall be
the only evidence of payment, that
every person indebted to one who
neglects or refuses, after demand, to
pay a poll tax, becomes liable there
for, and may deduct the same from
such indebtedness, that it shall be
the duty of the commissioner to col
lect and enforce the collection of all
unpaid taxes by giving notice to each
delinquent, personally or by mail,
and each delinquent shall pay a pen
alty of one dollar in addition to such
tax, that the commissioner, after de
mand and refusal of payment must
collect said tax, with said penalty in
addition, by seizure and sale of any
personal property owned by such de
linquent person, in the manner pro
vided by law for the sale of personal
property on execution, and that any
person who shall violate any of the
provisions of said act shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor and upon convic
tion thereof shall be fined in a sum
not more than one hundred dollars
nor less than five dollars, or impris
oned in the federal jail for not more
than thirty days nor less than one
day.
And notice is hereby further given
by the undersigned, to each and
every person subject to said tax ac
cording to said provisions of said act,
hat said poll tax is due and payable
between the date of the first publi
cation of this notice, to wit, the 29th
day of July 1913, and the first Mon
day, to wit, the 4th day of August
1913, that payment thereof on or
before said last named date is hereby
demanded by the undersigned from
each and every person in the Chitina
precinct subject to said tax, that the
payment thereof will become delin
quent as provided in said act. to w-it,
on the expiration of the last named
date, that in case of failure to pay
same, penalties, as provided in this
act will be imposed, and that it is
the duty of every person liable to
pay said tax to pay the same, within
the time in this notice above speci
fied, in person or by mail to the
undersigned commissioner at his
office, on Main Street, in Chitina,
Alaska.
PAUL d’HEIRRY,
U. S. Commissioner, exofficio Poll
Tax Collector, Chitina Precinct,
Third Division, Territory of
Alaska.
-o—o—o
The papers in the poll tax injunc
tion case have been mailed from
Juneau to Seattle. It is now be
lieved that the question will be
taken up at the September session
of the court at Seattle, so that a
decision will be had next month.
An early decision is desired by both
sides as the collection of the tax -is
more or less interrupted by the
legal controversy. An appeal is
being prepared in the poll tax case
in which A. B. Callahan is the de
fendant, but the decision of the
court of appeals on the merits of
the law is expected to be made in
the injunction case.
-o—o—o
The boosters feel better, live
better and fight better than any
other tribe on earth.
Chitina GRILL
Good Eats for Particular People
Prompt Service. Popular Set vice.
Xext to Chitina Hotel.
CHITINA : : : ALASKA.
Chitina
Pharmacy
DRUGS,
STATIONERY,
CANDIES,
KODAK SUPPLIES
CIGARS & TOBACCO
If you cannot call, write
us. MAIL orders our
Specialty.
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. Bunk House, with free
Cook House, in connection.
CHITINA HEIGHTS
C. A. SIMONS & CO.
Feed, Fuel
and
Lumber
HAY, BRAY, OATS, CHOPS,
ROLLED BARLEY
tVe can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
0. A. Nelson & Co.
CHITINA
HOTEL
WASHINGTON
ANNEX
SEATTLE
New, modern and fireproof.
All ontside rooms
The most conveniently locates
hotel in the city.
Rooms and suite* are partlcu>
larly large.
Very desirable for families or
parties traveling together.
RATES MODERATE
Auto-bus meets all boats and
trains. Write for booklet.
J. H. DAVIS, Prop