Leader
One Dollar Per Month.
TANANA, ALASKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1910.
Two Bits Per Copy
OFF FOR RED
MOUNTAIN
Considerable interest is being!
manifested just now* in the Red
Mountain country, about a hun
dred miles a little north of westi
of Tanana, some of the creeks of
which are tributary to the Melozi
river, and some to the Koyukuk.
Following a report that coarse
gold was brought out by natives,
several people have gone in.
among whom are J. S. Langford,
Mike Laboski and Charles Col
oumoe, of the Gold Mountain
district. It is probable that sev
eral people will leave Tanana for
that region between now and the
breakup.
Red Mountain is socalied be
cause the country is oxidized to
a reddish color. Gold was found
there in considerable quantities
in pre-Klondike days and the dis
trict has long been looked upon
as a favorable field for prospect
ing. The distance from Tanana,
over the course that would have
to be covered by sleds, ap
proaches 150 miles.
It is said that men from the
Gold Mountain district have
taken in enough supplies to last
them well on into the summer.
PROPOSAL TO LEASE
ALASKA GOAL LANDS
Washington, Jan. 28.—Major J
E. Ballaine has proposed to the
senate to accept a lease on coal
lands in Alaska, paying 50 cents a
ton for the coal mined trom 5 000
acres which he will desigaate, and
providing a bond of $i,oco,ooo
The proposal finds many senators
who are inclined to grant the lease
as the simplest solution of a vexing
prooblem
Eos Angeles, Cal., Jan. 28 —
Clarence Cunningham, bead of the
famous Alaska coal syndicate, is
opposed to Major Ballaine’s plan
unless the grant is accompanied by
assistance for the construction of a
railway to tidewater from the coal
mines. Otherwise, he says, there
can be no profit to any coal com
pany in Alaska._
MAII FROM IDITAROD
OPERATED ON TUESDAY
Emil Stranberg, a young man who
was in the Iditarod country in the
early part of the winter, and who has
been in the post hospital several weeks
suffering from severe frostbite, was
operated on last Tuesday morning and
the great toe of one foot taken off at
the second joint. The operation was
performed by Dr. Grissinger, the post
surgeon, and the foot is healing nicely.
WEEK’S WEATHER
Observations taken at Fort Gibbon
at 7 p. m. daily. M. U. Grissinger
observer.
Max. Min.
Thursday, Feb. 3, cloudy —27.0 —54.9
Friday, Feb. 4, cloudy — 8.3 —27.8
Saturday, Feb. 5, cloudy 4.0 — 8.9
8unday, Feb. 6, clear 5.5 — 5.8
Monday, Feb. 7, cloudy 8.0 — 3.6
Tuesday, Feb. 8, cloudy 13.0 3.8
Wednesday, Feb 9, cloudy 17.0 7.3
Froze at Minto and Died
James Smith, a colored man who
broke through the ice and was
frozen at Miuto a few weeks ago,
died in the hospital at Fairbanks
January 30. His feet and fingers
were taken off in an operation, and
be did not survive the shock.
Try Williams' new barber shop for
an easy shave or a stylish haircut.
The Leader is on sale at the
postoffice lobby.
ALASKA’S
FRIENDS
are all fighters
Delegate
Wickersham Appeals
Major Richardson—
to War Department
Ex-Gov. Hoggatt Is
for Protection Against
“Buttin’ In”
Washington, Feb. 2.—Before the senate committee on
territories last Thursday afternoon, Delegate Wickersham
intimated that President Taft, and before him, President
Roosevelt, assisted in maintaining a lobby here in Wash
ington to look out for the interests of Gov. Hoggatt, of
Alaska, and the interests represented by Gov. Hoggatt.
The delegate was called to order by Senator Beveridge,
chairman of the committee, who said that so long as he was
chairman of the committee, nobody would be permitted to
cast aspersions there upon the chief executive of the nation.
Following this encounter, ex-Gov. Hoggatt testified
that Delegate Wickersham was a pure humbug, and that
he was simply playing politics. He acknowledged that he
and the delegate were not on friendly terms, and explained
that this unfriendly relation started from the time that he,
Hoggatt, had advised Judge Wickersham to resign his seat
on the federal bench in Alaska, on the ground that there
were charges against him which the governor would be com
pelled to lodge with the department of justice, and which
would inevitably result in his dismissal from the bench.
Equally sensational was the reading of the letter from
Delegate Wickersham to th« secretary of war, in which the
delegate asks for protection against Major Richardson. The
delegate alleges that the major tried to bully and threaten
him in to withdrawing his opposition to the Beveridge bill,
".nd intimates that the major is trying to perpetuate him
self in the Alaska road commission and to legislate himself
into the office of commissioner of mines and the interior.
He accuses Major Kichardson of lobbying in behalf of the
Guggenheims and against the best interests of Alaska, and
demands that he be ordered away from Washington.
The senate committee on territories, of which Senator
Beveridge is the chairman, has completed the Taft-Bever
idge bill for governing Alaska, and has increased the num
ber of members. The bill as it now stands provides for a
commission composed of the governor, an attorney general,
a commissioner of the interior and mines, and eight others,
two from each judicial district—all members to be named
by the President. By the terms of the bill the council or
commission is authorized to levy a tax of 1 per cent on the
gross output of the mines in order to defray expenses. As
first drafted, the bill provided for four appointive members
and the governor, and four elective members, one from each
district, to be elected by the people.
The opinion is freely expressed in official circles that
the bill will never pass congress in its present form. Sena
tor Piles, Delegate Wickereham and others enlisted in the
home rule cause, it is claimed, will have a much better
chance of defeating it as now worded than in its original
form.
Thousands Killed and Drowned
Paris, Feb. 4.—Scores of inhabitants of Gennevilliers
were killed and thousands were drowned when the great
dyke above the town gave way. The break came unexpect
edly, under the pressure of the flood, and there was no time
for any of the inhabitants to make their escape. The scenes
are appalling and baffle description.
Thousands of police and soldiers, assisted by citizens,
are working with frantic industry to construct cement banks
in the streets of the city, to prevent disaster to the build
ings on account of the rushing of the water through the
streets and against the basements of structures. The main
boulevards are traveled by means of rowboats, and in most
places the water is two feet deep. The damage to Paris
alone is almost incalculable. Throughout France it amounts
already to $200,000,000.
The accumulation of gases in the sewers under the city
has resulted in explosions everywhere, some of them in the
most unexpected places, and attended by fatal results to
those who happened to be overhead. The outlets of all the
sewers are clogged, and the situation in this respect is most
serious. The water supply is greatly contaminated, and
disease from that source is spreading. Torrents of rain
continue to fall, and the water continues to rise in the
streets of the city.
TAFT DOESN’T LIKE THE MUCKRAKING PROCESS
Washington, Feb. 8.—Unless the publishers of the
magazines which are at present engaged in muckraking the
administration call off their rauckrakers, they may lose
their protest against the raising of postal rates on their
class of publications. It is none other than President Taft
who makes the threat. His usual amiable disposition has
been worn down by the continued criticism of his adminis
tration until he has become quite testy. It is feared, how
ever, by his friends that his style of remonstrance will have
the opposite effect from what he appears to expect.
CONSIDERING PLANS
FOR AMUSEMENTS
The officers of the Fort Gibbon So
cial and Dramatic Club met in a long
conference with the entertainment
committee last night for the purpose
of formulating plans for the remainder
of the winter season. The result of
the conference will develop as the
season advances. It is reported that
among other features in the near fu
ture will be a ten-round boxing bout
between two well-known admirers of
the manly art. The principals are now
training and this event will be looked
forward to with great interest.
The plans for the next few weeks
include a vaudeville entertainre ent and
a minstrel show.
Saturday of this week the social club
will put on an evening of moving pict
ures and illustrated songs, with a short
illustrated lecture on the Yellowstone.
An illustrated lecture on the Life of
Lincoln will be given Sunday by Ser
geant Kinzer in connection with the
illustrated song service. Time, 6 to 7
o’clock. An invitation extended to all
men. _
Bad Trail Delays Mail
Owing to the condition of the trail,
the mail from Fairbanks did not arrive
till last night—24 hours late. There
was trouble more or less all the wav.
A meeting for the purpose of re-or
ganizing the Tanana Chamber of Com
merce will be held at the A. B. Hall
Saturday afternoon, February 12, at 3
o'clock. All interested in the welfare of
Tanana are urgently requested to attend.
6. H. TIFFANY, Secretary.
Arthur W. Field and Bert
Johnson, who have been spend
ing the past month ih Tanana,
started for Fairbanks yesterday
morning. They go to give testi
mony in a case in the district
court.
First Sergeant Wm. J. Fergu
son, of Co, D, 22d infantry, hav
ing successfully negotiated for a
discharge from the army, left for
the Outside on last Saturday’s
stage. He will make his home
in San Francisco.
[
AGED GERMAN
WOMAN ASSAULTED
Fairbanks, January 31- -Mrs.
Wilkinson, an aged German lady
! residing in a cabin between the
graveyard and the Independent
Lumber Company’s mill, was as
saulted Saturday evening. She
was severely beaten, her hands
were tied behind her and she was
, left lying ou the floor in an uncon
scious state while the fiend who
perpetrated the deed ransacked the
house in search of valuables.
The meager description she was
able to give of her assailant tallies
with that of the man who assaulted
Miss Lena Lcchke the middle of
December.
1
Dr. Burke, the missionary physi
cian of Fort Yukon, arrived in this
city last Sunday after a very hard
trip on the trail. The doctor’s nose
shows the effects of the severe
weather of last week. After a
short visit here be will go to the
missions of the Koyukuk district.
Mrs. Tiffany, who has been confined
! to her bed by illness for some time, is
' so far improved as to be able to sit up.
CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
The proposition to reorganize
the Tanana Chamber of Com
merce is one worthy of favorable
consideration by all public spir
ited citizens.
By reason of its central loca
tion, the town of Tanana is des
tined to play an important part
in the future of interior Alaska.
For the same reason, anything
done for the advancement of the
town will be of benefit to the
prospectors, on whose success
the future .of thecountry depends.
A good live body of public
spirited men can do much for the
general good. Of the first im
portance is a trail to the Koyu
kuk, passable for horses and ve
hicles winter and summer. The
time has come when the incor
poration of the town should re
ceive serious attention, so that
the money now taken from the
country in the way of license
taxes may be devoted to the
country’s good.
Tanana has good coal, and the
largest and richest gold-bearing
district probably in the world
surrounds it—undeveloped, un
prospected and unknown, except
to a few who make desultory ex
cursions into the mountains, de
gending mainly on their rifles for
sustenance.
At least, let us have a good
representative meeting next Sat
urday afternoon at 3 o’clock at
A. H. hall and taiir tfie matter
over. It can do none of us any
harm, and may result in great
good. _
Mushing to Fairbanks
H. Vv\ Strangtuan, who has.
been connected with missionary
work in this locality during the
past six months, started for Fair
banks last Tuesday morning:,,
where he will remain about a
month. He is making the jour
ney afoot.
While in that city Mr. Strang
man will act as one of the dele
gates for Camp Gibbon to the
conclave of Arctic Brotherhood
lodges which convenes next
month.
Enjoy the Best
It’s like the good old sum
mertime all the year ’round
within the hospitable doors
of
Alaska’s Premier Inn
-THE
MANLEY
HOTEL
Hot Springs
J. J. PRICE, PROP.
ELECTRIC LI6HTS, STEAM HEAT
Meals,
Baths,
Beds
THF TARIF11 ,"w||'n«>n
lilt I HOLE sons with Froth Vi|*
tiblu from tin Fira lud Hothoum of tM
fanout Minloy Not Springs; m nuifacturi
our owo diary products, sad tDiru'i always
plasty if Frob Milk for gussts.
THE BATHS MS.'S
■anaotb tanka of nttf rath hot vitir,
~>nnnnf>j~>r>(xywy^
Warm stables for horses and dogs
—plenty room, no crowding, and
good feed.