Chitina Crater
CHITINA. ALASKA.
Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Published every Saturday by
WILL A STEEX. KAXBY CL STEEL
Editors, Managers and Proprietors
O. E. BEEEETT, City Editor
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newspaper as second-class matter at the
postoftice at Chitina, Alaska, under the
act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
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Office: Hotel Chitina Building.
CHITINA, SATURDAY, Feb. 4, 1911
LET US MINE
OUR OWN COAL
INDEPENDENCE OP FINLAND.
People who live in a confederation
of states, like the United States, will
find it hard to conceive why Finland
refuses to be confederated with the
rest of the Russian states. Although
the Fins have not shown any resist
ance in the way of a rebellion, yet
according to tne papers the Russian
government is nonplussed by the
"passive resistance” it meets in that
Grand Duchy.
The Helsingfors correspondent of
the Manchester Guardian, says that
this form of resistance consists of
the people refusing to pay taxes;
confident that when their goods are
seized and offered for sale to pay
their taxes, the rest of the popula
tion in sympathy with the delin
quent taxpayers, will refuse to buy.
This correspondent tells us that the
reason why Russia finds difficulty
in assimilating the Duchy is not that
Finland has a romantic and an un
practical passion for liberty of an
unconstitutional and lawless charac
ter, or that she wishes to develop
an army and navy of her own, or
that she wishes to annex or be an
nexed by Sweden, but because she
shrinks from being Russianized so
cially, morally and intellectually by
the people of the Czar. She feels
like the head of a pure, happy home,
who receives the news that he is
likely to have some unpleasant peo
ple billeted on him.
For if Finland Is ever confederat
ed with the rest of Russia she will
eventually have a flood of Russian
Immigration pouring into her. This
the Finnish leaders protest against.
Finland superiority to Russia is not
so marked that the rest of the world
is commenting on it, but neverthe
less it is there and it is very real.
To Russianize Finland, says the
Finns, is not to level them up, but
to level them down. A traveler
passing from Finland to the next
Russian town would pass from a
higher to a lower civilization. The
Finns point with pride to their sys
tem of national education, which
would do credit to a far more wealthy
nation.
They are justinea In taking the
credit for the energy with which
they have developed the naturally
poor resources of their country. Un
der the Finnish self-government
trade has developed enormously and
Finnish products are esteemed in ev
ery market north of the Mediterran
ean. The material wealth of the
country yearly shows enormous ex
pansion, and the capital and the
principal towns, with handsome ana
substantial buildings, all erected
within the last few decadeB, reflect
on the vastly increased prosperity
of the country. No town in Rus
sia can show such a record growth
as Helsingfors, and this progress is
no artificial or isolated phenome
non, but is a part general improve
ment in the economic condition of
the nation.
“With a culture as new as that of
competition with the achievements of
the Russians in art, literature and
music; but they maintain that the
poorest and most unlettered Finn is
a better man, living a fuller and
more dignified life than the Russian
Catherine de Medica. So they will
defy the Russians as long as possible
for they do not want to see their sons
turned into priest-ruled mijiks, the
mlsik,” so writes this correspondent
from Helsingfors. Now the Finnish
Protestants, if Finland confederated,
would be under the direct rule of
Russia, and they would be as badly
off as the Huguenots were under
Canada the Finns can place little In
Bible taken from them and their
Protestant church and meeting
houses abolished or put under in
tolerable restrictions.
Therefore, the Finns are determ
ined not to part with the old consti
tution without a hard struggle. The
imperial authorities of Russia are.
determined not to compromise on
their demands, and the next few
years will be fraught with great anx
iety.
The Finnish leaders plan of cam
paign will be restricted to a passive
resistance, the leaders hoping that
when the Russian imperial authori
ties recognize the strength of the
natural sentiment they will abandon
their policy of coercion.
On the other hand the Finns are,
however, prepared to stand for a per
iod of repression as severe as that of
1899-1905.
GREETINGS FROM CALIFORNIA.
The following communication was
received at the Leader office this
week from Mrs. Ora Burrows, well
known in Chitina, who wishes to be
remembered to her many friends
here, and sends greetings from sunny
California in verse, which will be ap
preciated by readers of the Leader:
Dear friends, I send these few lines
forth,
Laden with greetings of warmth
and cheer,
To remebered ones in the frozen
North,
While I sit 'mid the roses, in sun
shine here.
No skies were ever so blue, I know;
Birds never sang such clear, sweet
notes
As here, where the southerns breezes
blow
And the perfume of flowers on the
night air floats.
Where the fields are dressed in em
erald green,
And the poppy in golden glory is
spread
O’er all the broad plains, and hill
sides between
The long row of vines, trimmed
in russet and red.
While peach orchards glory in green
and pink,
The pear, plumb, cherry and ap
ricots bend—
Dressed by the fairies in snowflakes,
I think—
And a wealth of sweetness to the
soft breezes lend.
Where the orange groves bend ’neath
burdens of gold,
And their dark green leaves add
their beauty, too,
\i^hile the snow white blossoms and
buds unfold,
And over it all falls diamonds of
dew.
In the olives cool shadow, dusky and
soft,
Where the sunbeams steal through
the waving leaf,
And the cooing dove, with its mate,
sits aloft;
All Nature rejoices in Spring’s
sweet release.
I roam o’er the fields and garner
their gold
In garlands of buttercups and
baby-blue-eyes,
And thousands of these sweet treas
ures I hold—
Some yellow as gold, some blue as
the skies.
And I drift and dream on the river's
breast,
Under the oaks, where the wild
vines cling,
’Mid sunshine and roseB, with a soul
at rest
I listen to children and bird-voices
sing.
So a message of love and remem
brance I send
To the friends who roam ’neath the
North star’s light;
May Summer, its beauty and warmth
soon lend
You the magic to banish your long
winter’s night.
By Marion Foster Gilmore.
(Dedicated to those Intrepid men,
who in the face of apparently in
surmountable difficulties erected a
bridge across the Copper River in
Alaska, battling with rain, sleet and
snowstorms, and even the more try
ing thaws of that winter and run
ning a race with time to avoid the
disastrous floods of spring and the
bombardment of icebergs. Says E.
C. Hawkins, chief engineer of the
road, "it was the most amazing ex
hibition of loyalty, efficiency and en
durance that I have ever known.")
Strong for the strife that the floods
awake,
And the Ice-King's fury that nought
can slake,
Well did ye build, ye builders brave,
Your steel-wrought span o’er the ice
locked wave!
Well did ye work with a will sub
lime;
Finely ye finished your race with
Time.
'Twas a year's great gain in a single
day.
By the blows ye dealt in the fearful
fray
Ah the foe ye fought was a foe in
deed—
The flood his weapons, the wind his
steed.
The glacier grim was his stern
stronghold,
And his martial men were the ice
bergs cold. ,
But where was the heart of a man
displayed.
When ye charged his ranks with
your “Light Brigade?”
Ye wielded a weapon to work his
woe
That once was his, in the long ago;
By steam’s dread power, ye pierced
his mail,
That the rising river might not pre
vail.
Ye builded well for the future’s sake,
With the toil and the cost of the
past at stake;
And, spanning the flood in the north
ern land,
The mighty structure ye raised shall
stand,
Dumbly to tell of the great deed
done.
When ye challenged Nature, and
fought—and won
MEMBERS EXPECT TO USE RED
DRAGON.
The majority of the members of
the newly organized card club are
in favor of holding their meetings,
after the next meeting with Mrs. Wal
lace, at the Red Dragon club house.
Mrs. Wallace has most kindly dad
generously offered the club the con
tinuous use of her place for meet
ings, and while the members appre
ciate the spirit and generosity of the
lady, they realize that the meetings
mean work, while if held at a public
place like the Red Dragon a com
mittee can be appointed to arrange
for the evening without discommod
ing any one. There is plenty of
money in the social fund to purchase
light and fuel and nearly everything
else necessary is already at the club.
Dancing can also be indulged in if
the members so desire.
.While there is little prospect for
farming in the immediate vicinity of
Cordova much of its tributary terri
tory promises well for market gard
ening to supply the mining camps at
least. Not until one passes the first
range of mountains, which the Cop
per River pierces at Wood Canyon,
do the favorable lands begin and
they grow better as the great Tan
ana valley is reached.
Nevertheless there is excellent
bench land along the Kotsina and
Chitina Rivers that give the highest
promise of yielding regularly and
richly. Vegetables have been ma
tured annually at the^Bonanza mine,
within a short distance of the glac
iers but the elevation there is con
siderably greater than in the valley
and there is danger from early frost.
Along the trails of the Chitina the
hay and grain carried in for feed
gives an annual volunteer crop that
shows the favorable qualities of soil
and climate and on the Kotsina sev
eral homesteads have been taken up
and ranches will be running there
next summer.
Fifty miles further up the Copper
River( at Copper Center, the federal
government established an experi
ment station a few years ago and
while there have been some failures
in off seasons there have been many
( ALASKA STEAHSHIP CO.
Fastest and most commodious steamers sailing between
Cordova and Seattle.
Sails from Seattle— Sails from Cordova—
Jan. 24.ALAMEDA. Feb 2
Feb. 1.VICTORIA.Feb. 9
* Feb. 8.ALAMEDA.Feb. 16
Feb. 16....VICTORIA... Feb.24
This company reserves the right to change scheudle or
steamers without notice.
Tickets on sale at np-town office Alaska Steamship Bldg.
Baggage or freight will not be received at dock later than one
hour before »»<H"g time.
R. J. BARRY „ THOMAS J. TALLENT
Ticket Agent.
"1 I . I II I ■ ■ H . I .
successes.
The most Interesting farm of the
Copper River region Is that of James
Fishe on the Gakona, about fifteen
miles north of Copper Center. Here,
several sorts of vegetables and grain
are grown on b commercial scale.
The ranch is c’ose to the government
wagon road to Fairbanks and the
products find a ready sale at good
prices to the roadhouses along the
trail iud to travelers. Oats are in
especially good demand and the
prices they bring alone make the
;tarm a profltaBle investment.
There Is not the least doubt, de
spite some contrary expressions of
opinion, of the success of agricul
ture in Alaska or in this part of it
and unquestionably as the mining
and trading population increases
with the opening of the country by
the railway to tidewater farms will
spring up in many valleys and will
prove productive and highly profit
able.
Washington, Feb. 4.—The bill in
troduced in the House promoting
Commander Peary to a rear admiral
has been pigeon-holed.
Two steamers are to be launched
at Whitehorse next spring, for Yu
kon traffic. Not so bad for a camp
in its fifteenth year, with numer
ous fine steamers already on the riv
er.
Job work at the Leader office.
Chitina
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■ i A. G. MOREY, Proprietor •
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RAjjiRO^IH^EERE^
or AMERICA.
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