^^^■—m—^———1^^wi^
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE E6G—BUT QET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. I.
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1911.
NO. 26
———————■ —
Prospector Frozen in a
Cabin Near Mile 198
At mile 98, on the C. R. & N. W.
there Is a cabin which stands some
three or four hundred yards from
the track, on Thunder creek. On last
Sunday afternoon John King, a fore
man of the working crew which is
being used along the line to clear
ice and snow below Tiekel, and a
man by the name of Weiss, knowing
of the cabin in that vicinity, thought
they'd look around, and on going up
to the cabin found it nearly covered
by drifting snow. They had to shov
el a way to the cabin and found it
closed with two or three thicknesses
of canvass. On making an entrance
they were nearly overcome by a sick
ening smell, and to their horror
found the body of a dead man in an
emaciated and nearly unrecognizable
condition. The man was lying in bed
in a natural position and between the
legs of the deceased was the body
of a dead cat. From all appear
ances the man had evidently died oi
sickness or exposure. There was a
fireplace in the cabin, but no wood,
and the only conclusion to arrive
at is that deceased was too ill to cut
wood to keep him from freezing.
There were plenty of provisions in
the cabin, and $360 in gold coin was
found in a money belt. Letters and
personal effects of the deceased show
that hi8 name was B. A. Hinkle.
Books on Mormonism were found
and a badge showing he belonged to
the American Federation of Miners
at Ely, Nevada, the latter proving
that he was a mining man. The wit
nesses, John King and Ralph Weiss,
claim to have seen the man at Tie
kel last summer, though he was not
in the employ of the company. He
was last seen on January 10th and
has no doubt been dead for a num
ber of weeks.
Dr. Whiting, who came down from
the front to examine the body, gave
it as his opinion the man had evi
dently been dead since early Febru
ary, for the body had started to part
ly decompose from the soft weather
at that ti e, and the unrecognizable
condition of the face was due to the
cat having eaten part of It.
The body was brought to Chitina
on Monday night’s train, and a cor
cner’s Jury summoned early Tues
day morning to inquire into the
cause of death. The coroner has
written the places in the states
where the man is likely to be known
and in the meantime instructed the
deputy marshal to prepare the body
for burial here.
Funeral services were held at the
Red Dragon club house on Friday
afternoon, and a fitting respect shown
the unknown dead before interment
at the Chitina cemetery.
Jury’s Verdict.
We, the Jury called to inquire into
the death of one B. A. Hinkle, after
examining the body of deceased, find
that death evidently occurred from
sickness or exposure to the elements.
M. R. HEALEY, Foreman.
CLIFFORD JOHNSTON.
OSCAR WEBER.
A. BRIMMER.
L. C. STRINGER.
O. E. BENNETT.
Chief Engineer E. C. Hawkins ar
rived on Friday morning’s train and
left the same day on a tour of in
spection at the front.
jGeo. Hislop, the well known train
man, who has been in the hospital
at Cordova, convalescing from an
operation for hernia, returned on
Friday’s train and left to resume
his duties again at the front.
Engineer L. Wernecke, who has
been up the line for several days,
came donw on Friday morning to
meet Mr. Hawkins. Both engineers
went up to the front the same day.
New boxes are being added to the
Nevada restaurant, apart from the
saloon, which can be used for fami
lies. There are four chairs to each
table, the boxes being divided by
curtains.
FIRST SHIPMENT
OF COPPER IN
UPRIL
•
(From Cordova Dally Alaskan)
The tracks of the Copper River &
Northwestern railroad will be laid
to mile 189 this evening, and but six
more miles of the road are to be com
pleted before the Bonanza mine at
Kennicott is connected by rail with
Cordova.
The construction work is being
pushed as rapidly as possible and as
there is but one mere trestle to build
it is believed that the road will be
completed by April 1. This means
that within two weeks the first train
load of the richest copper ore over
shipped will be hauled from the fa
mous Bonanza mine to Cordova.
Thousands of sacks have been sent
to Kennicott and most of them are
now filled with ore,
When the results of this shipment
are made known by the Tacoma
smelter the richness of this big body
of copper will startle the world and
will attract the attention of the out
side world to Cordova as a mineral
producer.
In order to properly commemor
ate the arrival of this first shipment
of ore in Cordova it has been sug
gested that a half holiday be declar
ed the afternoon the train arrives
here and a t>?g celebration be arrang
ed on what shall be known as "Cop
per Day.” Mayor Chase and Presi
dent Adams, of the Chamber of Com
merce, are heartily in favor of the
movement and will likely jointly ap
point committees to take charge of
the arrangement?.
LOCAL NEWS
A large crowd of men arrived on
Friday night’s train for the front.
Mr. Ivory St. Clair moved into
her new tent house on Wednesday
and kept open house to her friends
from 8 o’clock in the evening on St.
Patrick’s day to the wee sma' hours.
Yesterday was St. Patrick’s day, and
everybody, as well as the Irish, kept
the day green.
Jack Reed, the genial fat loco
motive engineer has a new and most
appropriate nick name, which will
no doubt stick. Jack has had many
names from his friends, but the new
one of “Cupid,’ they all claim, seems
to be the most fitting. It i3 believed
that the name was handed him while
sojourning in "Georgetown,” Mexico.
C. L. Hoyt, the roadhouse man at
Gulkana, arrived on Thursday’s
stage, and left Friday on a business
trip to Cordova.
Our old friend Billy Hinds (broth
er of Fat Reed—that is, the same
profession) was seen back here on
Friday’s train. Billy is looking good
and all his friends are glad to see
him back on the run. He has been
gone about three months and now
looks fit enough to whip two or three
Dutch boys twice his size.
Henry Lee, tne well known loco
motive engineer, who has been on a
furlough to the states for the past
two months, returned on the Ala
meda, and arrived on Friday's train.
He left the same day to assume
charge of the throttle on one of the
engines at the front.
Bishop Rowe arrived on Friday’s
train and after holding services here
will go on to the interior on his an
nual trip inside.
L. P. Shoemaker's teams loaded
with eggs and dry goods, left here
on St. Patrick's day for the Interior
under the command of “Dutch,” Dav
id Plakefleld.
PADDY MORRISY
INHERITS MONEY
It has just been learned that Pad
dy Morrisy has been left an estate
back in Massachusetts, and that he
will leave on Monday's train for the
outside. He will go to the Bonanza
mine to spend St. Patrick’s day and
gather a few specimens to take back
with him.
Mr. Morrisy is an old sour-dough
and has a wide reputation. He serv
ed several years in the U. S. navy
and was one of the stars of the fleet,
as he was a splendid boxer and a
fine singer, which, together with his
Irish wit, made him a good enter
tainer. After leaving the service he
followed sporting circles for a while.
His first prominence was when he
fought Jack Dempsy a 42-round
draw, and again when he fought Tom
Sharkey and knocked him out in the
20th round. But, like the rest of
us, he came to Alaska in the palmy
days, and was in the Klondike ana
Dawson. He worked on the White
Pass and also on the Alaska Cen
tral and later came to Katalla and
has since been on the C. R. & NT. W.
He worked on the caissons at the
glacier and was the life of the whole
camp. We feel sorry to see him
leaving at this time, and Paddy him
self says now that the prospecting
game will soon be good he hates to
pull out but he must attend to the
“hard and sordid call’’ of money, and
will leave the best land on earth for
a few months. Congratulations
Paddy, “owld soul,” and may you
be back with us ere the frost comes
again.
MAKES RECORD TRII* WITH
MAIL TO FAIRBANKS
According to the Orr stage com
pany drivers and all old-time Alas
kan freighters and nmshers, the fast
est time ever made over the trail,
went on record last week, when
Manager Jesse Martin took the de
layed mail from here to Fairbanks
in three days, 17 hours and 30 min
utes.
At the time the delayed mail ar
rived in Chitina the Orr stage driv
ers were all out on the trail, but
Manager Martin did not hesitate, and
loading up the mail, took the rib
bons himself and started out to
make up as much lost time as pos
sible. He met the south bound stage
beyond Tonsina and turning them
back hit the high spots all the way
in to Fairbanks, making the spien
did time as above mentioned.
Little has been said so far of the
Orr stage company, their competent
officials and efficient drivers, but the
Leader desires to go on record as
saying that too much credit cannot
be given the management of this
stage company for the able manner
in which the mail and passengei
schedules have been handled this sea
son. Considering the worst winter
in years, the thirty-nine miles of new
trail, and the unavoidable delays of
the train which naturally upset their
time and connections, they are to be
equally commended with the Katal
la Company in maintaining a service
^far better than the people of Alas
ka have yet enjoyed, despite adverse
conditions.
Survey To Be Made For
Trail To Beaver Dam
J. J. Barry announces that the rail
road is having a survey made for a
wagon road or trail from the right
of way to the Beaver creek mining
district.
A number of properties are oper
ating in that section, some of them
on a large scale, and the showing
made is sufficient to warrant the be
lief that the district will become a
large gold shipper. At the present
time the volume of trade amounts
to considerable, and with the better
facilities that will be afforded by
means of a wagon road or good trail
from the railroad, the trade will rap
dly increase and afford additional en
couragement for opening the district
on a much larger scale than is now
possible.
Evidence is forthcoming almost
daily that it is the disposition of the
railroad to do all in its power to
assist in the development of the ter
ritory tributary to its line. The re
duction just made in freight rates
on all kinds of mining machinery is
another proof. And it may be said
that the arguments of those who set
up straw men so as to knock them
down in order to try and injure the
railway interests, by asserting, foi
one thing, that the Guggenheims art
trying to keep capital out of the
country, are hardly borne out by the
unremitting efforts of the railwaj
officials to get capital interested.
Industrial Agent Kerr, with the
co-operation of Agent Berry and oth
er of. the railway officials are busy
constantly advertising the resources
of Alaska, with a view of interesting
apital, and a special car will be
placed at the disposition of invest
ors who wish to make the trip from
Cordova over the line at any time.
‘ What we are after,” said Mr. Bar
ry, “is tonnage. The resources are
in this country and capital will have
to be enlisted before they can be
fully developed and net tonnage for
our railroad.”
ORR STAGE
All records for over the trail trav
el were smashed by the stage which
arrived Sunday evening on the stroke
of 5, the rig having come through
from Chitina in three days, 17 1-2
hours, as it did not leave Chitina
until Tuesday night at 11:30. There
was no freight or express on the
stage and the only mall was the bal
ance left of the previous consign
ment, the letters having been taken
out from the stalled train by dog
team and dispatched from Chitina
on the stage that arrived Friday.
The only through passenger was
J. C. Martin, head of tne Qrr tage
company, who Is making one of his
trips over the line, it being his ex
pectation to start back on Monday.
Mr. Martin reports that everything
is going nicely with the stage com
pany now and that he also thinks
the trouble on the Copper River rail
road is past, unless there are some
more heavy snows.
During the last storms six feet
of snow fell, and this was coupled
with heavy winds. Then came the
rains and the snowslides started
down the mountains in such rapid
succession that the trains had to
seek refuge in the tunnels and snow
sheds. Some trouble was also ex
perienced with glaciering, the wa
ter freezing on the tracks and till
ing up the space between the rails
so that it had to be picked up.—
Fairbanks Times, March 5.
TEN INTERIOR INSANE
TO BE SENT TO MOUNT TABOR
It will require two stages to bring
out the consignment of insane per
sons in the federal jail at Fairbanks.
Six of these have just arrived from
the Iditarod, two are from Fort Gib
bon, one from Circle and the other
from Fairbanks. The demented pa
tients and their guards are due in
Cordova shortly and their transporta
tion from the Interior will be no
small job. However, in the absence
of a detention hospital they cannot
be kept there until tne opening of
navigation.
Big Dinner in Honor
Of Judge Ferguson
Twenty-seven guests partook of
the largest and most enjoyable din
ner ever given in Chitina on Wed
nesday of this week. Mrs. M. Wal
lace, the well known hostess, enter
tained in honor of Judge Ferguson,
and the guests not only enjoyed the
excellent menu, but every minute of
the time from 8:30> when they were
ushered into the long dining room,
until the hostess gave the signal to
arise near 11 o’clock.
Near the close of the dinner,
which was served in courses, Judge
Ferguson, who was seated as guest
of honor on the right hand of tile
hostess, arose and in a few well chos
en remarks relative to the assembly
of beautiful women and chivalric
men, he eulogized the hostess for her
hospitality and other virtues, which
gave much pleasure and delight to
the assembled guests.
In reply Mrs. Wallace stated that
she was always happiest in seeing
others enjoy themselves. The toast
master then called upon Captain Os
car Weber to reply to ‘ The Ladies,
3od Bless Them.” This was right
in the captain’s line, as he admitted
he was, and always had been, most
susceptible to the dear sex, and fin
shed his remarks by an old and t'a
.ored quotation of the bard's on
woman.
O. E. Bennett was next called up
on to tell the guests how easy it
was to run a newspaper in Chitina.
As he was busily engaged in nego
iating an olive at the time he was
called upon, his reply was somewhat
incoherent, but after interspersing
his remarks with a few strangled ut
terances, suggested that he believed
he could write about it better than
he could talk, so the toastmaster
then called upon Wm. Lavtson for a
little talk on transportation. Post
master Johnston was asked for a lit
tle enlightenment on cancellation,
but stated he was too full for utter
ance. Mrs. King told an interesting
story and rendered a recitation. The
toastmaster then called upon E. W.
Exum to reply to “Chitina,” and In a
most appropriate word picture paint
ed the beginning and future of what
he believed would soon be an im
portant inland city.
F. R. Newhouse was requested to
portray the future of ‘‘133,” which
be did in hig inimitable manner.
A few others were called upon, who
made appropriate remarks, and when
the signal was given to arise, all were
reminded of other dinners and ban
quets given in the past, but It Is
doubtful if few. or any. could excel
the one given by Mrs. Wallace at
the Katalla Company boarding house.
The menu was prepared by the
well known chef, ‘ Senator” John
Hirst, of the Nevada restaurant, and
appears below:
Grape fruit frappe
Soup
Chicken consumme a la Royal
Salad
Lobster and Mayonnaise
Entires
Eastern oysters, breaded and fried
Chicken friccase, sauce supreme
Spring lamb chops, jardinere
Roast
Domestic goose, oyster dressing
Young turkey, cranberry sauce
Roat leg lamb, petit pots
Vegetables
Mashed potatoes Steamed corn
French peas
Dessert
English plum pudding, hard brandy
sauce
Devil cake Sponge cake
Oranges Apples Nuts
Cheese straws Black coffee
Burgundy California white wine
Those present were Mr. and Mrs.
Newhouse, Mr. and Mrs. Morey, Mr.
and Mrs. Schaupp, Mr. and Mrs. Ben
nett, Mr. and Mrs. Gage, Mr. and
Mrs. Reeder, Mr. and Mrs. Johnston,
Mrs. King, Messrs. J. L. and W. E.
Brown, Holland, Exum, Ferguson,
Palmer, Healey, Weber, Starr, Law
son and Brimmer.
LOCAJ-JSIEWS
‘ Look out —jr me cars" should
be impressed on the minds of all who
go along the track these slippery
days, particularly around the sharp
bends. Some Indians between here
and Taral narrowly escaped being
caught in a deep cut last week, and
Jack Lowery, with his dog team, nar
rowly missed death at mile 134. One
of the Indians was slightly bruised
and a tail of one of Lowery’s dogs is
missing.
The bridge at mile 189 will be
completed the first of the week, af
ter which there is about 1,000 ike
of steel to lay, and then comes an
other bridge. On mile 191 there are
four bridges to construct, including
the Kennicott. Workmen arriving
from the front say they can already
see the Bonanza mine buildings from
their work at 189. A few of the con
struction officials who were down
this week, claim the bridges should
be finished and steel laid to the end
of the road by April 5th.
Postmaster Johnston has purchas
ed from Smith & Glasbrenner, half
of their busines lot on Main street.
He expects to make a trip to Cor
dova in the near future, where he
will purchase lumber and material
with which he will erect a building,
and by early summer figures on
handing out the mall and doing busi
ness on his own property.
Mr. J. S. Kuhn, wno is stopping
at the Hotel Chltina, is on his way
inside with 100 cases of eggs, which
ought to help out the hungry ones
in the Iditarod. This is the sixth
year he has made similar trips.
Geo. Capelle the well known min
ing promoter, arrived on Tuesday’s
train from Cordova, and after pick
ing up a few men here, started for
some of his properties up the Chltina
River. '
MANY MEN TO
WORK THIS
The freighter Edith, which short
ly leaves Seattle, will have on board
an American ditcher for the Copper
River & Northwestern railroad. This
piece of machinery is to be used in
keeping the road open when the
spring thaws come and the slides
blockade the tracks. The ditcher
goes ahead of the rotary and re
moves all the debris from the track
as well as makes a ditch on either
side for drainage. Under this ar
rangement the company hopes to ob
viate any delays in the running of
trains when the weather moderates
and slides will be of more frequent
occurrence. By providing ditches
the surplus water will also be car
ried away and washouts avoided.
At the present time the company
is putting its five steam shovels in
repair for a season of active work,
as the track is to be brought up
to grade and considerable ballasting
done. Each shovel will employ about
100 men, so that In all a crew of 000
or 700 will be employed this sum
mer by the railroad.
MISSION TO BE ESTABLISHED
AT TANANA CROSSING
Bishop Rowe is en route to the
Interior for the purpose of establish
ing a mission at Tanana Crossing, on
the upper portion of the river, for the
benefit of the natives. A suitable
site will be selected and staked out
on this trip and the buildings erect
id next summer.