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FOURTH YEAR.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1913
NUMBER 3
Late Telegraph News
VALDEZ, Nov. 4.—For two hours this moruiug Attorneys
Bay and Bitchie argued before Judge Brown in the effort to
secure a new trial for Dan Beeder, who was convicted of assault
with a weapon. They took exception to the court’s instruc
tions to the jury. After hearing them through Judge Brown
denied the motion for a new trial. It is expected that sentence
will soon be passed on the defendant.
Gust Johnson, who was convicted of larceny from a
Cordova dwelling, was sentenced to a year in the penitentiary.'
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VALDEZ, Nov. 1.—The court house was filled with people
this morning when the jury in the Beeder case filed into the
building. It had been rumored about that the jury had
reached a verdict and at 9:30 o’clock the twelve men took
their places in the jury box. They returned a verdict of guilty
of assault with a dangerous weapon, and asked that the
minimum sentence be imposed, which is six months imprison
ment. Beeder was charged with the shooting of Billy Bowe
while the latter was attending a firemen’s entertainment at
Cordova one night last June. As a result of the shooting
Bowe has been in a critical condition at a hospital in Van
couver and is not expected to recover. The defense plead the
unwritten law and emotional insanity caused by an alleged
confession on the night of the shooting by Mrs. Beeder and
implicating Mr. Bowe. The penalty for the crime is as
follows:
“That whoever, being armed with a dangerous weapon,
shall assault another with such weapon shall be punished by
imprisonment in the penitentiary not more than 10 years nor
less than six months.”
The grand jury this morning returned, not a true bill,
against Eva Blake. She came north from Seattle on the same
steamer with G. M. Cox. After reaching Cordova they lived
as man and wife at the hotel for two days and then started
together for the Chisana, living in a tent a few miles out from
McCarthy while they were relaying their supplies. Cox had
a wife who was in Wisconsin visiting her mother when he
practically abandoned all marital ties and set forth on a new
road to fame and fortune. The charge of unlawful co-habita
tion was made against Eva Blake, who was bound over to the
grand jury by the United States commissioner at Cordova.
John Thomas went to trial today on the charge of picking
the pockets of a man at Chitina of over $100.
WASHINGTON, Oc-t. 31.—If the wishes of Frank O.
Smith, of Maryland, were carried out the “Southeastern
Alaska strip” would be turned over to Canada. He offered a
resolution in the House this afternoon empowering the Presi
dent to negotiate with British Columbia and the Canadian
government for cessation to Canada of the Alaskan panhandle.
Representative Smith cites that this strip was createtd “in
response to conditions which long ago ceased to exist; which
hampers development of adjoining lands, and constantly gives
rise to irritation between the two countries.” It is not
believed that the resolution will be taken very seriously,
although certain rights may be extended Canadian railroads
to push their lines through part of Alaska.
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 4.—President Wilson has issued an
-ultimatum to the present administration at Mexico City. He
demands that President Huerta resign without loss of time.
And he further provides that he must not leave in authority
Blanquet or any member of his official family, or anyone of the
-unofficial coterie whom he might be expected to conti'ol. This
ultimatum from Washington was conveyed on Sunday night
to Huerta through his private secretary, Senator Rabago. The
message was given him by Charge d-Affairs O’Shaughnessy.
Up to this morning there has been no reply.
SEATTLE, Oct. 30.—Government officials have chartered
the steamer General Hubbard, 1400 net tons, to carry the
horses, sleds, and general outfit necessary for moving the 900
tons of coal recently mined in the Matanuska fields. The
vessel will sail from San Francisco for Knik, where the
supplies will be unloaded. It is stated that the work of hauling
-the coal from the mines to tidewater will be in charge of Jack
Dalton, of Cordova. This work will be started as soon as the
snow flies and sleds can be used. The coal will be taken aboard
•a government cruiser in the spring, after the opening of naviga
tion. The coal will be used in a test for its steam qualities, by
the United States navy. The coal was mined and sacked during
the past season by government men, in charge of George Evans,
a noted minind engineer of Seattle. It is expected that this
coal will be brought to Knik in good condition and with con
siderable less expense than was the 700 tons which were
transported last winter from the Cunningham mine in the
Bering field to tidewater on Controller bay. When Dr. Holmes,
directors of mines, recently came south, he was accompanied bv
Jack Dalton, who has since been making the necessary pur
chases of horses, sleds and other paraphernalia needed. Dalton
is not only known as the “Pathfinder” but he is known as one
of the best of the old-time freighters on Alaskan trails. He
operated pack trains and teams on the Dalton trail leading out
from Haines, and transported most of the supplies into the
Porcupine section after the discovery of gold there in 1899.
The engineers in charge of the government work feel that they
have been fortunate in securing his services. ,
The Alaska Good Roads Club of
Cordova is hopeful that sufficient
pressure will be brought to bear
upon the post office department at
Washington to result in an investi
gation of the Fairbanks-Chitina trail
as a proper means for transporting
the mails to and from the interior,
both during summer and winter. If
that can be brought about it is ex
pected that proposals will be adver
tised for the carrying of the mails
during the four months of summer
when they are transported via Skag
way, White Horse and Dawson. The
trail has been greatly improved dur
ing the past year and it is expected
that a liberal appropriation will be
secured this winter from Congress
to make it possible next summer for
automobiles to run over most of the
road. To bring about this result
the people of Fairbanks have been
laboring for three years past. Cor
dova has always favored the good
roads movement and has ever been
ready to do anything possible to
help along the cause. In March,
1912 the Cordova Chamber of Com
merce addressed a letter to the
members of Congress in which the
following facts were set forth:
“We again wish to draw your at
tention to the urgent necessity of
sufficient appropriations to construct
and maintain roads in this territory.
We heartily endorse the recommen
dation of the Alaska Road Com
mission and the Commercial Club
of Fairbanks, and join with every
organization and civic body in
Alaska in urging an appropriation
of $1,000,000 a year for the next
five years. There is not .another issue
so vital to the development of
Alaska, and no question which ap
proaches it in importance.
“All Alaska is a unit on the
wagon road proposition, as every
section is hampered by the want of
transportation. Wagon roads will at
all times be the property of all the
people, be a check on freight rates
when railroads are built, and can
not by any stretch of imagination be
classed as especially benefiting any
corporation. The few trails we
have were either constructed by the
war department to facilitate the
movement of troops and supplies, or
by individual operators to reduce
the expense of hauling their outfits.
They are woefully inadequate to the
needs of the territory and thou
sands of acres of good mining
ground have to be abandoned on ac
count of excessive cost of transpor
tation. Farming is impossible be
cause the farmer has no roads to
bring his produce to the market.
“We know of outfits paying $500
a ton for a 100-mile haul, and 10
cents a pound for the same distance
is an ordinary rate. From Chitina
to Fairbanks, over the best road in
all Alaska, it costs $600 a ton for
the haul of 300 miles. With a good
wagon road, these rates would be
reduced fully 75 per cent.
“It must be remembered that
freight at present can only be hauled
during the winter months, necessi
tating additional investment in put
ting in stock for a whole year at
one time. Mails for the 7,000 peo
ple of the Fairbanks district are
sent in during the summer by Skag
way and Dawson, a distance of
2,547 miles, and under the best con
ditions, it takes 14 days. Last sum
mer letters mailed from Fairbanks
took as much as 35 days to reach
their destination in the states. With
a road from Fairbanks to Chitina,
suitable for automobiles, this mail
could be handled between Fairbanks
and Cordova in three days regularly.
“We know you are anxious to
help out the development of Alaska
along lines which would assist all
the people, and we believe this is
our most urgent need at the present
time. Help us to reduce our trans
portation price; you are in a posi
tion to push along legislation for us
and we confidently appeal for your
assistance.”
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Referring to the verdict in the
Reeder case the Valdez Prospector
says:
“The Reeder jury reached a ver
dict of ‘guilty of assault with in
tent to do great injury,’ at 9:15 this
morning. The verdict was reached
after the jury had wrangled all
night. J. M. Austin, a former
guard at the local jail, lead the
fight in the jury room for conviction
and with him were C. G. Rudolph,
G. L. Judson, and seven others, the
first vote being ten for conviction to
two for acquittal. Adam Swan and
Jack Meals were for acquittal from
the drop of the hat and refused to
find any verdict until the balance of
the jury recommended the extreme
leniency of the court and the mini
mum penalty, which was done. The
following jurors tried the case: Neil
O’Conner, N. Shinn, Charles McCal
lum, G. L. Judson, J. R. Austin, A.
J. Meals, T. J. Lane, D. W. Harvey,
C. B. Smith, Adam Swan, C. G.
Rudolph and B. P. Millard.
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Congressman Albert Johnson, of
Washington state, who was im
pressed with the necessity for im
mediate relief for the storm suf
ferers at Nome, has secured some
aid. Through his efforts a resolu
tion passed the house authorizing
the transfer of $4,000 from the
Kodiak volcanic relief fund to the
interior department for the relief of
whites and natives at Nome. If
necessary further relief will be
forthcoming from the departments
without appropriations.
The slide that occurred in Aber
crombie canyon has not resulted in
any serious disadvantages and traffic
on the railroad continues almost as
usual. Transfers are being made at
the place of obstruction. The train
this afternoon reached Cordova at
5:30 o’clock. It brought the Fair
banks mail and about 17 passengers
from the Tanana Valley. Splendid
work has been done in removing the
slide and it is Expected that every
thing will be clear by tomorrow
‘ Cordova, October 29
George C. Hazelet arrived at McCarthy this morning and
there met Tom Lane, who had just returned from the Chisana,
coming out over the winter glacier trail. He reports that the
Hazelet expedition has about completed their work and have
made a good trail, which is properly and conveniently staked.
There was some delay in the work because of the necessity to
return to Nizina for more horse food. Lane states that there
is absolutely no doubt about horses drawing double enders
being able to safely and expeditiously cross the Nizina and
Chisana glacier parts of the trail from McCarthy to the new
diggings. He says that the last government mail was taken
in that way and the people of the Chisana were greatly pleased
to learn that this short and safe method of reaching the
diggings has been made an established fact. Traffic henceforth
will be via this route. The mail today that left McCarthy will
be taken over the glaciers, as will all future mail. Mr. Hazelet
wires to Cordova that while he is satisfied that the new trail i?
in good shape, yet he will personally go over it, and started out
this afternoon. He will inspect the work done and if anything
additional is necessary he will have it atended to.
SLIDE
VALDEZ, Nov. 4.—The news was brought to town this
morning of a fatal snow slide that occurred on the Big Four
claim on Mineral creek. It happened on Saturday and resulted
in death of one man and three others had miraculous escapes.
Ernest S. Bruner, John Connolly, Warren Nelson and Robert
Martin occupied a tent and had been doing contract work on
the claim. The avalanche of snow came with such suddennt ;s
and ferocity that it prevented the men from escaping and co -
pletely covered the tent. The first one to dig himself out Wu 5
Bruner, who is a brother of Senator Elwood Bruner, of Nome
For an hour he was pinned down by the weight of the snow
and wreckage of the tent. He finally reached a broken whisky
bottle and with that finally worked himself clear, his hands
being badly cut and his clothes torn completely off. In his
naked and weakened condition Bruner walked a quarter of a
mile to the tunnel and secured a shovel. He then returned and
started to dig out his partner Warren Nelson. He finally
succeeded, after Nelson had been buried three and a half hours.
He also was practically stripped of his clothing. The two
survivors soon started in to rescue their companions and finally
dug out John Connelly, who had been imprisoned seven and a
half hours.. He was still living, although very much weakened.
It was not until Sunday that they succeeded in finding the body
of Robert Martin. He was badly crushed and had been
smothered to death. Where the men were working was at an
elevation of 5,000 feet. The slide carried the men and tent to
within ten feet of a thousand foot precipice. That any of them
were recovered is considered most extraordinary. The three
survivors are again in pretty good shape.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.—When Secretary of State Bryan
was shown the Associated Press dispatch from Mexico City
about the ultimatum issued to Huerta he manifested much
interest. However, lie stated that he would make no official
comment at this time.
me recent visit to the westward ot Colonel Swanitz, who
is in charge of the Alaska Northern railroad, has been the
cause of considerable discussion in a quiet way as to the fate
of the present Alaska railroad bill that seems to have been
practically agreed upon by the Senate and flouso. The s,tprv
that comes to us from a seemingly authoritative source is to
the effect that the strong opposition in Congress to the govern
ment ownership and operation of railroads in Alaska has been
the cause of President Wilson’s hesitancy to put all the force
of the administration back of the meausre and push it through.
W hile he has expressed himself as favorable to government
construction, he has taken this course largely through the
insistence of Secretary of the Interior Lane. But he realizes
that there is strong opposition that can only be overcome
through his own strenuous advocacy of the bill. This he was
prepared to give.
It is known that the Alaska Northern has contended right
along that if the government would adopt some reasonable coal
policy that would permit of mining in the Matanuska field that
railroad construction would be pushed at once, and without
government aid. Attorney W. J. Boland made this represen
tation at the hearings before the committee on territories. He
opposed government construction and operation. Others who
also oppose this method insist that if action is taken that would
mean the opening up of the Matanuska fields that it would
necessarily be general in its scope and would also apply to the
Bering fields. In that event it is figured that the Copper
River & Northwestern Railway would immediately build a
branch line into the Bering fields.
But a new phase has been placed on the matter through
a declaration upon the part of the Alaska Northern people.
Men connected with the Seward railroad have represented to
the President that they were ready to go ahead with the
construction of their line and build not only into the Mat
anuska field but also to the Tanana valley. They declare that
ample funds are available for the construction, and the only
requirement would be an assurance upon the side of the
government that part of the Matanuska coal lands would be
made available for mining operations. It is further reported
that the railway has been taken over by strong capitalists from
New York and Boston, presumably Hayden, Stone & Company.
The report also goes that Colonel Swanitz has an appointment
with President Wilson the fore part of November to further
discuss the matter.
As the stories go these methods of securing construction
will be urged at Washington when the bill comes up in
December, and the President is now inclined to think that
possibly Senator Overman, Senator Nelson and others may be
placated in their opposition to government ownership by some
coal action that would encourage construction by individuals
so far as possible and then to extend government aid in the
building of other necessary lines, through the guaranteeing of
bonds, or other means. When Senator Chamberlain on June
23 last called up Senate bill No. 48. to authorize the President
to locate, construct and operate railroads in Alaska, and
authorizing the expenditure of $40,000,000 for that purpose,
objection was made to its consideration by Senator Overman.
It is said that while the President believes that he could
put the bill through he realizes that it would be a hard task
and that there might be some easier way of assisting Alaska in
securing railroads and coal mining. He will look into this
nliase of the situation and that is one of the reasons that he
will confer with Colonel Swanitz and others.