DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE EGG—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. L
OHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1911.
NO. 34
Local News
“Appeal to Reason" Smith and
John Delander have made several
trips to their claims this week, and
each time bring back some likely
looking specimens.
Geo. Wolfe came in from Iron
Mountain yesterday after spending
the winter in the employ of E. F.
Gray. George states that a splendid
If a 1 of ore has been uncovered at
Iron Mountain, showing not so rich
in pncentage of copper, but indicat
ing depth and quantity.
Hugo Rossi, who has been at the
Savoy restaurant steadily since last
summer, left on Friday night's train
en route to Seattle. Mr. Rossi sold
the good will of the restaurant and
appurtenances to his former partner,
L. Bregouzi, who has rented the
building and will continue to run
the Savoy restaurant in the first-class
manner it has always been conduct
ed. Mr. Rossi stated that his prop
erty was not for sale and that ue
still had faith in Chitina.
x uauudaici juuuaiuu auu wuc c*
pect to leave for the states on one
of the next boats. Mrs. Johnston
will visit her relatives near Seattle,
while Mr. Johnston expects to spend
a couple of months at the Queen City,
after which he will take a boat for
Skagway and go interior. He will
visit Valdez before leaving, as he
is interested in some mining Btocks
which look promising near the glacier
city.
Everybody in Chitina is getting the
cleaning up fever. A few garden
rakes sent up from Cordova wouldn’t
do any harm. About all one can see
for rakes here are 2x4’s with a bunch
of ‘‘20 pennies” protruding for the
teeth, but then they gather the garb
age all the same.
The well known character, “Cop
per River Red,” or “Red” Ellis, came
in over the trail from Valdez this
week, and after spending a few days
here left for Cordova on Friday’s
train.
Jesse Brown is conducting the Ne
vada cafe and finished a sign this
week for the Log Cabin bar, which
is a credit to any sign painter. The
sign is now hung across the rear of
the Log Cabin bar, fronting the rail
road, and can be seen distinctly half
a mile away. You need not send out
of town for sign work, for Jesse is
there with that paint stuff.
“Shorty” Guinn, who has b en at
Copper Mountain for the past two
months, returned to town this week.
There were several other boys who
came down with Mr. Guinn, two or
three of whom went to Cordova and
Valdez, and all intend to prospect or
do development work on properties of
their own now that the snow is gone,
having secured a good season’s grub
stake by work at the mines this past
winter.
Mrs. Johnny Reed and son, who
arrived here last week, left Monday
for mile 182, after spending a few
days here waiting until Mr. Reed,
who has charge of the team shovel
at that camp, could get their tent
home prepared for them.
Mr. and Mrs. James Burgun expect
to conduct the laundry and baths at
mile 146, Mrs. Burgun having gone
to the camp this week, and return
ing Saturday, just as the bridge went
out. She remained over night with
Mr. and Mrs. Newhouse, across the
river.
P. D. Burke, the Long Lake farm
er, remained in town all week, tell
ing us what a mistake we Chitinaites
made in not locating our town at
Long Lake.
E. F. Gray, of Copper Mountain,
came down from his mines this week,
with the intention of making a busi
ness trip to Cordova, but owing to
the delayed trains, returned to Cop
per Mountain again after spending
two or three days in Chitina.
Sam Rogers ca?ne down from the
Kennecott last week, expecuhg a
shipment of supplies to arrive here
for him. He and Joe Deschamps will
conduct a store within a short dis
tance of the ore bins, where some are
of the opinion a new townsite will
spring up this coming season.
Subscribe tor the Chitlim Leader.
At a mass meeting held in Chitina
on Tuesday afternoon all the repre
sentative business men and citizens
who could be present heartily endors
ed the radical action of Cordova citi
zens recently taken at the coast term
inal in dumping into the bay a for
eign product, which is being forced
| upon us by our own so-called just
government.
The meeting was the first of a pub
lic nature held in Chitina and was
called to order by O. E. Bennett, wh<
in a short address stated that th<
object of the assembly was to get th
different expressions of sentiment
.from our citizens relative to the all
; important and most vital issue now
; before all loyal Alaskans—the grant
ing of patents to our coal lands. Af
‘ter reading of the action of Cordova,
i Seward and Katalla citizens, and the
resolutions and telegrams drafted by
their chambers of commerce, he sug
gested that nominations be placed in
order for a chairman and secretary
!of the meeting. Fred M. Schaupp was
: chosen as chairman, with O. E. Ben
anett as secretary, and both were
unanimously elected.
In a few well chosen remarks Mr.
Schaupp stated that the citizens of
Chitina should certainly have a voice
in insisting that Congress give tht
recognition due us in the matter of
our coal lands, and that our expres
sing of sentiment, in co-operation
with other Alaskan towns, be tele
graphed to Washington and flashed
over the entire world by Associated
Press reports, would undoubtedly
bring results as nothing else could.
He then instructed the secretary to j
prepare slips of paper for each citizen
who was requested to express his
sentiments in a condensed form for
a telegraphic report. Not all of the
messages were sent in, but a sufficient
| number appear in this article, which
goes to show that Chitina citizens are
alive, ready to assist and do all in
their power to see that justice is
done Alaskans by securing recogni
tion of our rights in mining our own
coal.
Chitina citizens and all the people
throughout this great mineral belt
are as vitally interested in the open
ing of Alaska coal as any town in
the territory, for in order to success
fully mine and develop our immense
bodies of copper and other minerals,
we must have an economic fuel.
Foreign coal laid down in Chitina
cests the individual consumer $24 per
ton, where if we could mine our own
coal we are assured of having the
very best carbon laid at our doors for
$4 per ton. This alone, can be seen
as an injustice and an imposition on
Alaskans. Pinchot and his conserva
tion bug have little sympathy in this
mineral belt. He need not fear for
our children, or our children's chil
dren, we will still have plenty of
coal for all purpose's when A. 1>.
2000 is ushered in. We want to de
velop Alaska now, and not an hun
dred years hence. Power and trans
portation are necessary to do this
and we can’t use foreign coal at pro
hibitive prices with which to develop
our resources when we have a better
product at home. In justice to ev
ery Alaskan Congress must recognize
our appeal and grant patents to our
coal claim.
Before adjourning the meeting, it
was suggested that a committee of
five business men be appointed, who
will keep in touch with matters per
taining to the interest and good *f
our community with power to act as
a committee from any chamber of
c immerce, so when anything of a
public nature should come before the
people, a mass meeting will be call
ed and the question attended to in
a business-like way. The committee
consists of Messrs. Exurn, Hull, Gess
ner, Tibbs and £>t Clair.
Following are some of the tele
grams which were phoned to Cordova
on Tuesday afternoon:
Alaska cannot further develop tier
vast resources without the opening
of her coal fields.—H. F. Griffith,
D. S.
Home production means prosperity
for we Alaskans. Let the slogan be
'open up the Alaska coal fields.”—
Cliff Johnston.
If we can mine our own coal we
will come to the front ourselves.—
F O. Ellsworth.
I think the withholding of the coal
patents and non-mining of coal in
Alaska an outrage and a shame.—
Charles W. Cooke.
The future prosperity of the en
tire territory of Alaska depends up
on the issuance of coal patents and
he government cannot much longer
refuse to allow this fuel to be mined,
which means so much to the people
of the territory.—S. O. Breedman.
Patronize home industry by mining j
ur own coal.—Chitina Pharmacy, j
Forbearance has ceased to be a
virtue, and we are with all citizens
of Alaska in proclaiming our rights.
—Burkhart & Chase.
The key to the development and
success of the vast mineral belt of
Alaska depends on our railroad and
coal lands. Immediate development
,of this is our only hope.—Jas. Hart
ney.
, Patronize home industry by min
ing our own coal.—Chitina Phar
i macy.
I
The opening of the coal fields will
j probably mean the construction of
one or more smelters in this district
and be of benefit to the whole of
Alaska.”—M. R. Healey, U. S. Com
missioner.
We want our God-given rights—
the opening of Alaska coal. Stop the
slaughter of the poor men in the
worked out mines of the East. We
can supply the East and Northwest
with our own coal.—Finkelstein &
Sapiro at Chitina.
We will hail the development of
Alaska coal as the harbinger of pros
perity, without it destruction.—E.
W. Exuni.
We insist on mining our own coal
so that we may develop ourselves,
erect smelters, etc., and build a coun
try that will be ruined otherwise.
—Chitina Townsite Co., M. W. An
derson.
The opening of the coal fields of
Alaska would not only mean the
opening of Alaska, but the entire
Pacific coast. Give us domestic coal.
—McCutcheon & Griffith.
Every prospector and hardy pio
neer who has been here for years
feels the opening of the coal will
start development of this great nor
thern territory, which wi'l be bene
fited by the opening of Alaska coal.
—Thos. Holland.
We have the copper and mineral.
Give us the coal for development.—
Geo. Blouen.
The opening of the coal lands is of
the most vital importance to us and
the people of Chitina.—Chitina Trad
ing Co.
Open up the coal, Alaska will do
the rest.—Tibbs Bros.
Why pay (24 a ton for foreign coal
when we can mine our own for $4
per ton?—St. Clair & Cloninger.
The coal must be opened for the
development of Alaska.—Geo. S. Sei
ber.
We have supplied our millions of
gold to the country, why not let us
use our own coal and further the de
velopment of Alaska?—F. B. Whit
ing, M. D.
Patronize home Industry by let
ting us mine our own coal.—Jno. L.
Ridgeway.
All we ask is justice. Pinehot
ism is injustice. Let us mine our
coal.—Chitina Bakery.
Let us use our own coal and Alas?
ka will come into her own.—Fred M.
Schaupp.
The opening of our coal lands
means prosperity to us, why should
we wait further for it?—Savoy Res
taurant.
uive us our own coal, which
means prosperity and protection for
us.—G. C. Gwin.
We object to burning foreign coal
in our ranges at $24 per ton, when
we can use the best of coal, which
is far better, and will cost us less
than a quarter as much as the for
eign coal.—Chitina Grill.
I think the withholding of the coal
patents and non-mining of coal in
Alaska an outrage and a shame.—
Chas. W. Cook.
Why should Alaska ore be ship
ped to the states for smelting when
we have all kinds of coal here that
can be used for smelting aud domes
tic purposes?—Wm. Wales.
The development and opening of
the vast mineral belt of Alaska de
pends on our railroads and opening
of our coal lands. Assistance and
development of these is our only
hope.—E. Hardney.
We are in the heart of Alaska’s
great mineral belt. To develop our
mines we must use our own coal.
Foreign coal is prohibitive. Give us
our coal patents—O. E. Bennett,
Chitina Leader.
Resumption of coal lands subject
to entry means continued prosperity
for Alaskans, who should have im
mediate relief. Don't tie up our re
sources because of alleged isolated
irregularities.—J. C. Martin,
Babbage, the jeweler, will leave
Chitina the latter part of this month
and expects to locate in Valdez. Mr.
Babbage states that he is enjoying
a fairly good business here, which is
steadily increasing, but believes he
can better himself with an offer made
him at the glacier city.
Job work at the Leader «lltr.
Sunday afternoon-a severe loss was
sustained by tbe Katalla Company
when the temporary crossing over the
Copper River from Chitina was
swept out by the ice. Work has been
going on steadily for the past two
weeks in reinforcing the trestle by
the addition of five 60-foot spans,
four of which were completed when
the floe of ice took them out.
For the past three days Superin
tendent P. J. O’Brien had been gaz
ing uneasily at a huge ice jam about
a mile up the river, which was hour
ly growing larger and drawing nearer
the bridge. The jam had caught
on a bar, and when It did break on
Sunday nothing could stay its mad
rush down stream. The current on
this Bide of the river was well open
and all tbe ice previously going down
the river, passed through the new
spans without injury to the piers, j
showing that the judgment of the |
engineers was good had their been!
only the usual or ordinary break-up, j
but the large iee field came down j
with such force that it clogged the
main channel, taking out all four
of the newly constructed piers, and
piled up with such force that it cov- ;
ered the big bar between the two j
channels and piled up nearly as high :
as the trestle on the opposite side;
of the river.
Those who witnessed the going out j
of the ice say it was a scene never ;
to be forgotten. Old-timers here say j
a similar circumstance has never be- •
fore been recorded the ice usually
»
rotting and going down the river I
steadily with the current, in which j
event the bridge would easily have j
stood the strain, for Superintendent;
O’Brien had builded fast and well,
and it was the opinion of the engi
neers and all who saw the reinforce
ment that the bridge would with
stand an ordinary heavy ice floe.
It is most unfortunate, coming at
this time* as the Katalla Company
has much work still to do at the
front, and there are many necessary
supplies which must go to the front
at any cost. Work will begin im
mediately upon the driving of anoth
er crossing, the material being ship
ped from Cordova by Monday’s train.
Supt. O’Brien says it will take only
three or four days to again put the
trestle in shape as before, and the
driving of piles will begin Just as
soon as the heavy run of ice has
/
gone out. Two of the 60-foot spans
have been anchored on this side of
the river about 300 yards below the
bridge. Another span lodged across
the main channel on the bar about
the same distance below the trestle,
but the fourth span, when last Been,
was piled up many feet high with
huge ice cakes clogging the narrow
pass at Wood canyon. The ice only
remained in Wood canyon a few
hours after the break-up, however,
as parties coming from there on
Monday morning stated that the can
yon was clear. Small boats are being
used for the necessary crossing of the
river until trains can again run.
R. J. Barry, agent of the Alaska
Steamship Co., made a business tflp
to Chltina on Tuesday’s train.
*
Local News
Geo. Cappel and S. B. Com bast,
two mining promoters from Cordova,
arrived here Friday night and after
a short stay in Chltina will leave on
a trip to the headwaters of the Chlt
ina River, where they have some
l promising mining prospects.
The heavy property owners and
mining men throughout this rnlner
Ial belt are beginning to cry for a
branch land office, and it should be
established soon, for there are hun
dreds of claims coming up for patent
land it works a hardsulp on the prop
erty owners to go to Juneau to prove
(up.
Location notices can now be had
at the Leader office or at Tibbs Bros.
| They are sold at the same price as in
I Cordova. If you want to stake a
i claim, come in.
At the Log Cabin Rooming House
.this week are registered: E. Mc
Ginn, Stanley Webb, E. Lang, L. B.
Erickson, C. Cloninger, J. R. McKin
non, Geo. Terrell and C. W. Kalb.
No need for any man in Chitina
to complain for lack of work. Since
the tunnel has been out of commis
sion and the bridge gone out the
section foremen are short of men
and several calls have been sent out
for more help. It is believed that
most of teh dirt has come down in
the big cut, and in a few days the
ice will have quit running so the
trestle can be replaced at the Copper
crossing.
Stanley Webb, who left last winter
with the Bigelow party, returned this
week with the expectation of going
outside, having received a wire from
home that his uncle was dangerous
ly ill. He has had better news since,
however, and will join another pros
pecting party. The telegram taken to
Mr. Webb by an Indian cost him $25
for delivery.
Plenty of slides all along the line ,
of railroad from Abercrombie to j
Wood canyon, but the mall service j
has never been interrupted, though !
traffic and freight have been some- i
what inconvenienced and congested, i
but things are moving along nicely ;
now and it is believed the worsr is !
over.
M. W. Anderson, of the Townslte
Co., announced at the public meeting
on Tuesday htat a pipe line would
be installed in the near future, and
the citizens could then connect with
the main.
Mr. and Mrs. James Burgun left
Wednesday for camp 146, where they
will conduct a laundry and bath
house. They are well known among
the railroad boys and should be kept
busy most of the time.
Oscar E. Anderson, F. C. Irons.
Geo. 9. Hill, H. A. St. Autuen, A.
B. Emery, S. K. Dahl, Geo. Max
j Esterly, W. N. Bratton, A. Larsen,
Jc. E. French, O. Hatfield, O. Schultz,
[ J. Ridgeway, W. I. McCune, Mike and
James McKinnon, A. Ross, E. Tab
| ion, F. Merri, Fred Rollermond and
H. Hinman are registered at the Ho
tel Chitina this week.
Geo. Max Esterly, who has exten
sive placer interests on Chitina creek,
[arrived here Monday evening and left
! next morning for his diggings. Six
' men, S. H. Dahl, W. N. Bratton, A.
I Larsen, C. E. French, O. Hatfield
and O. Schultz, accompanied him for
i work at the mines.
A. B. Emery, the new superintend
Jent for the Bonanza mine, arrived
here the first of the week and left on
the following morning’s train for the
Kennecott.
Oscar E. Anderson, who owns some
likely looking quartz prospects out
on the government trail a short dis
tance from Chitina, came in to town
this week from Copper Mountain,
where he has been employed for some
time.
W. I. McCune, formerly auditor
and chief timekeeper for the con
struction company, who is still at the
front in the employ of the Katalla
Company, visited in Chitina a couple
of days this week.
Jack Lawrence, who recently re
turned with his horses from freight
ing the Bigelow outfit into the Ches
tachina, took a run down the line on
Wednesday.