The Chitina Leader
CHITI.VA, ALASKA.
Entered as second class matter, November 12t 1910, at the postoffice
at Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
Published every Saturday by
WILL A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—Harry G. STEEL
Office: Hote IChitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
ADVERTISING RATES
Made known upon application. They will be found reasonable for the
service given. - . .
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
. ? .50
. 2.00
. 3.50
LET US MINE OUR OWN COAL.
CHITINA. ALASKA, SATURDAY, SEPT. 16, 1911.
————-—— --— ----- !
AUTOMOBILE ROAD TO FAIRBANKS.
The Tanana Valley newspapers have begun an aggressive
fight for an all-year overland mail from Cordova to Fairbanks
and present some convincing arguments in favor of the change.
Since the opening of navigation on June 20 and for the follow
ing fifty days but seven mails have been received at the in
terior metropolis, while during the same length of time last
winter seventeen were dispatched from here and reached their
destination within a comparatively short time. This has
caused the Times to adopt as its slogan: “Eight Days to the
States.” Under the caption of “To Conserve the Lifetime of
Alaskans” that paper says editorially:
One Month
Six Months
One Year.
“from fan-banks to Puget Sound by way of Cordova,
as transportation routes are established at the present time,
the distance is approximately 1,950 miles. Of this distance.
1,520 miles extend over salt sea paths, between Cordova and
Puget Sound. From Cordova to Chitina, a distance of 13C
miles, railway trains run over a first-class broad-guage railway
as frequently as business warrants. The remaining distance
approximately 300 miles, is covered by the government trail
greater part of the distance, and by two-horse teams the res.
greater part of the distance, and by two-horse team the rest
of the way, at an average speed of 30 miles a day. It is the
weak link in an eight-day route to the states.
“Within a few days, Walter L. Fisher, secretary of the
interior, will be coming up to Alaska, lie will travel over tht
water and the rails to Chitina, a distance of 1,650 miles, and
will do it in six days if he travels straight through; but lit
will not be able to come to Fairbanks, only 300 miles further,
because it would take him ten days from Chitina to get here.
If the road from Chitina to Fairbanks were improved to make
it usable for automobiles, he would be able to reach Fair
banks in two days from Chitina with ease and time to spare,
and he would undoubtedly make the trip.
“Because of this link of sand, the people of Fairbanks and
the Tanana must travel by boat westward to the longitude ol
Hawaii and then southeast over a course 3,600 miles in length
that eats up three to four weeks of a man’s lifetime. Or, he
may go up stream by boat to the Arctic circle and through
Canadian territory, a distance of 2,600 miles; but because lit
must buck the current of the Yukon the greater part of tin
distance, he will gain little or no time over this route.
“The shortest route in this instance is the best route,
and only a singular indifference or want of concerted effort
on the part of Alaskans has left it unfinished. Grant that
there are only 1,000 Tananaites who travel between Fairbanks
and the states in one year—a number far below the actual
figure—an eight-day route such as would be brought about
by an automobile road to Chitina would save two weeks foi
each traveler. That amounts to 14,000 days saved in a year, oi
forty years of one person’s lifetime. When you come to figure
it out, the waste of lifetime in Alaska because of slow trans
portation is appalling. It is time to make a virile effort to
apply conservation to this human lifetime, which is more val
uable than all natural resources.”
The Fairbanks Alaskan Citizen is also a strong advocate of
the summer, as well as the winter mails, being dispatched via
Cordova and is boosting an automobile road from Chitina to
Fairbanks. In a recent issue it has the following to say on
the subject:
“The movement for an automobile road to Chitina is one
of the most commendable enterprises that has ever been un
dertaken in Fairbanks. It is only the part of wisdom and
economy for the government to make this road for it will
have more to do with the development of the Tan an a Valley
than any other one thing that could possibly be done e .< opt
to build a railroad. The automobile road is a possibility and
at the present time it seems that a railroad is an impossibility;
and even with a railroad the automobile road would be a
paying investment because it would certainly operate as a
balance wheel in the protection of the rights of the people of
this valley. It is a noble undertaking and it is deserving of
success and we have no doubt that by n long, strong pull, al
together, that we can 'and that road quicker than most people
would admit is possib'e to be done."’
-oooo
Wouldn’t it be funny if Gifford Pinchot’s Alaska snark
should turn out to be a boojum ?—Seattle P.-I.
-oooo
The men who have done their worst to retard the develop
ment of Alaska are now apparently the most solicitous about
our welfare, but we can continue to get along without their
hypocritical assistance, thank you.
-oooo
“The villinous lies of the muckrakers have been disclos
ed,” was one of the statements made by Secretary of Interior
Fisher after concluding his investigation of conditions in
Alaska.
-oooo
Gifford Pinchot, the man who as chief forester, recommen
ded the withdrawal of the Alaska coal areas from entry, is
coming to visit the country which he has so vitally retarded.
It were charity to say that he is a theorist.—Seward Gateway.
Duirng the past six years the j
Tanana Valley has produced about j
fifty millions from its placer mines, |
and it has become, on this account.)
famous the world over. Today, al- j
though its placer production may
be supposed to have passed its zen
ith. it is still enriching the world’s
treasury to the extent of nearly five
millions a year. Before this output
is materially decreased, it is con
fidently believed there will be hun
dreds of stamps at work on the ores
that are every few days being dis
covered in the hills, and it will not
be surprising if the united output of
hard rock and placer gold will, in a
few years, again reach the ten mil
lion dollar mark attained in 1008
and 1909.
A pamphlet descriptive of the dis
trict issued by the Fairbanks Cham
ber of Commerce in the fall of 1908
contained absolutely no reference to
the possibility of quartz being found
in the neighboring hills, and yet it is
a tact today that a three-stamp test
mill, a ten-stamp custom mill and
three five-stamp private mills are in
stalled and it is expected that others
will be ordered immediately. Mill
runs so far made have shown that
the ores from the great mineral zone
which cuts the producing placer
ereehs have values running from $15
to $460 to the ton. and a conserva
tive estimate would place the average
value at close to $100 to the ton.
Most of the properties opened to
any considerable extent have prac
tically paid from the grass roots, and
it has only been on this account
that their development has been pos
sible, for very little capital has been
available for their working. The
belt in which all of the quartz lo
cations have been made is almost
unanimously designated by experts
as the most highly mineralized zone
they have ever seen, and yet there
remains, unquestionably, scores of
leads to be discovered. Experience
has proven that quartz operations al
most invariably follow those of the
placer miner, the value of the hard
rock found usually being propor
tionate to the richness of the placer
workings. The creeks cut by the
Fairbanks mineral zone have already
yielded fifty millions and there is'
every reason to suppose that only
a tithe of the treasure of the hills
has found its way into the creek
channels.
Fairbanks offers many opportuni
ties to the prospector and the man
who has sufficient capital to ac
quire interests and help develop the
properties as they are discovered.
To these men no better field is open
and they will find that an inspection
of the country will be time well
spent. Practical miners will at once !
find themselves at home here. To;
the man seeking clerical, or similar ,
employment, however, it may be .-aid
that the field at this time is limited,
and it would be better to defer a
trip to the interior until next sum
mer.
The climate of the Tanana Valley
has been proven to be conducive to
the best of health, for the death rate
in Fairbanks is abnormally low, prob
ably smaller than that of any other
city in the United States, while the
health and robustness of the children
is a matter of comment by all visi
tors. The summers are almost per
fection itself, while the winters, al
though somewhat longer than on the
coast, are hardly any more severe
than those of Minnesota and other
western states. Wind in the winter
time is a rarity and the blizzard is
unknown. Only during three months
of the year, as a rule, is the average
mean temperature down to zero,
while during the five months of
summer the avetage mean is 50 de
grees and over.
Vast fields of auriferous gravels
impracticable of operation at this
time by the pick anil shovel meth
od, lie adjacent to Fairbanks and a
new era of mining was inaugurated
this summer by the arrival of the
first dredge. Others are ordered
that dredging and hydraulic opera
and in a year or two it is certain
operations will be under way on a
very large scale. A railroad, besides
numerous good trails, connects Fair
banks with the neighboring creeks
and the problem of transportation,
which in the early days of the camp
proved so much of a handicap, has
been successfully solved.
Very considerable success has at
tended those who have given their
attention to agriculture, an 1 here
now remains no doubt that the Tan
ana valley will shortly produce grain,
grasses and vegetables amply suffi
cient fir the large home consump
tion.
With electric light, steam heat and
telephone service in stores and resi
dences, an excellent school system,
five churches, two completely equip
ped hospitals, and a large number ot
up-to-date stores, Fairbanks offers
advantages to the homeseeker such
as he could have no reason to ex
pect under such conditions. It is
also essentially a city of homes, a
very large percentage of the popu
lation owning their own places of
residence. Varied forms of at.iuse
ment and entertainment serve to
while away the long nights of win
ter, while in summer the holidays
are observed with sports and games
to an even greater extent than per
tains in the states. A commercial
Club has recently been organized in
Fairbanks, of which R. S. McDon
ald is the secretary, and anyone
wishing further information regard
ing that city or the Tanana Valley
should write to him.
An Alaska woman lias the same
right to control and sell or transfer
her own property> whether acquired
before or after marriage, that her
husband has to handle his.
When any person in Alaska dies
without heirs, the property reverts
to the U. S. government.
A community must have three hun
dred inhabitants in order to incor
porate.
Eight per cent, is the legal rate of
interest.
Mayhem does not consist of mere
ly biting, . but must be done with
malicious intent to disfigure or
maim. Mayhem consists of cutting,
biting or slitting the nose, cutting or
disabling the tongue or lips, put
ting out or destroying an eye, or
cutting off or disabling any member
of another person with intent to
maim or disfigure. Anyone accom
plishing the same purpose with vit
rol or hot water is guilty of may
hem.
Alaskans of neither sex attain
their majority until they have reach
ed the age of 21 years.
J. G-. Itiartip, or tae Orr Stage Co. |
has everything in readiness for trans- j
porting the mail between Chitina and
Fairbanks during the coining winter.
Their contract starts Monday, Oct.
2, and from that time until Novem
ber 21, two mails a week of 800
pounds each, will be transport
ed either way. From November 21
to March 8 three stages will leave
both Chitina and Fairbanks every
week and they carry 1600 pounds of
mail. !
In order to handle this large vol
ume of business 45 men and 14 0
horses will be employed. When the
mail was going via Valdez the oper
ating expenses were considerably-in
creased as it required more men and
stock to handle the mails over that
route.
As practically all the travel to
the interior will go via Chitlna this
year, arrangements have been made
lo expeditiously handle this increas
ed business, and besides the barns
j at Cliitina, a blacksmith shop and
j warehouses have been built and the
| wagon or sleigh sheds enlarged.
IGNORANCE OK ALASKA
A splendid illustration of the ig
norance of many government offi
cials when it comes to Alaskan af
fairs is a notice which the postmas
ter at Dawson has posted in the loo
by of the postoffice at that place
It is a notice from the Vnlted States
I postoffice department notifying hit 1
'that he is behind several years in
| iiis quarterly reports and asking him
| to get a stir on himself.
When in need of job printing of
I any kind give us a call.
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF
PARTNERSHIP.
This agreement made and entered
into this twelfth day of August, 1911,
by T. W. Cloninger and I. J. St.
Clair.
Witnesseth, That it is mutually
agreed that the partnership hereto
fore existing under the firm name of
3t. Clair & Cloninger be and here
by is dissolved and that all accounts
;'or and against the said firm shall
bee paid and collected by T. \V.
Cloninger.
I. J. ST. CLAIR.
T. W. CLONINGER.
in TtiEnmrormiciTT
13E Ro£HsWiTtt!kTtt-50SAitKE Rooms
EOKEEITIRE NOTICE.
Notice is hereby given Charles Gar
wood that his interest in the Tjose
vig rgoup of mines, will cease at the
expiration of the publication of this
notice. unless he pays $50 as his
share of the assessment work for
1904. $50 for 1905. $50 for 1900
and $50 for 1909.
CHRISTIAN TJOSEVIG.
Dated this 14th day of Aug., 1911.
I* H O TO G R A I* II Y
We do all kinds.
DEVELOPING:
3A Films.10 cents
3A Prints or postcards ..." cents
Other work in proportion.
NELSON & NELSON
< hit ina, Alaska.
When in need of Job printing of
any kind give us a call.
D: A GRIFFIN,
DENTIST
All work guaranteed. Prices reason
able. In Tibbs’ Building.
CULtina, Alaska.
DR. CHAS. THOM
Physician and Surgeon
Now permanently located at Chitina,
Alaska.
SAVOY
I RESTAURANT i
■ | Opposite Chitina Trading Co. j
! ] The Only First-Class Cafe in
Chitina
* ■ American and European I’inn
■ , < >
: Dinner 75c up :
A la Carte all day
Cater to special dinner parties.
++*++
■!■■!■ !■>>♦♦♦♦♦»♦< mini HW
Just Open
Billiards Pool
CIGARS
Confectionery
Soft Drinks and
Solo Tables
Bowling Alley
TIBBS BROS.
I I ! » !♦ H
I Chitina Bakery.
X & Coffee House
♦
X GESSNER & STANGNETH
{Proprietors
FRESH BREAD
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Cakes and Pastry
Always on Hand
X
Main Street, — Chitina.
PUBLIC LAND AND MININ
CASES.
If you are interested in any coi\t<
or any matter before the Interior 1
partment, write to Clark & Wrigj
registered land lawyers, 902 F Str;
N. W. (opposite Gen’l Land Offu
Washington, D. C. Free informati
about contests and where to obt:
scrip, locatnble upon public Ian
■ witiiout residence or cultivation.
1 »***♦***• i-M-M-i
t
OSBORNE
THE
PRACTICAL
Jeweler
CORDOVA, - AlASKA
Watches and Jewelry at
Outside Prices
hl.eave Your Work at the I.e&(
Office
Pete’s Lodgir
House
AND
SECOND HAND STORRE
FREE COOKING HOUSE
CHIIiNA HEIGHTS
Bunks 25c; Beds7
PETER CORDES. Prop.
Chitina .
Pharmacy ’
Drugs Toilet Article!
and magazines our
Specialties
Parisian Chocolates
The Best of the Bast.
Mi Eleccion Cigars
An All-Havana Smokv
A. G. MORE V, Proprietor
t,
Chitina, Alaska.