• r V*
SECOND YEAR
CHI TIN A, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1912,
NO. 24
SEATTLE, March 20.—The steam
er Northwestern got away yesterday
afternoon shortly after four o’clock,
with all her passenger accommoda
tions sold out and with a large con
signment of freight. The passengers
booked for Cordova are as follows:
Bert Stevens, A. H. Frey, Mrs. J.
Colinane, Miss Elma Lunstrum, Miss
A. Johnson, Carl Carlson, Claude
Holmes, W. N. Williams, G. W. Bow
man, A. Larson, A. Anderson, Her
man Anderson, W* F. Duffy, J. A.
Trout, M. J. McMann. M. E. Stevens,
J. F. Kelly, J. K. Orr, Miss G. Wil
son, Miss Ryer Kogel, Joseph Voegil
in, George Palmer, R. L. Palmer, A.
J. Adams and wife, J. P. Carlson. J.
E. Roglund, Anna Stern, Verna Mey
ers, J. H. O’Connor, R. McIntosh, A.
Johnstone, E. L. Sherman, W. Nel
son, A. Johnson, Tom Seeley, A. Mc
Erchern, G. W. Snyder, W\ J. Jack
land, Capt. W. H. Patterson, J. H.
Richardson. J. McLaughlin, Wm. E.
Springston, H. C. Ruina, John Bale
sea, George W. Nightingale, C. M.
Williams, E. C. Gueren, M. Summer
lin, J. E. Delay, H. C. Hill, G. E.
Walters, John Bryson. James Bry
son, W. S. McKee, J. Bennett, V.
Alexander, George Alexander, E. F.
Gray, E. W. Samples, Dr. Suther
land, C. E. Graham, E. J. Fryer, C.
W. Anderson. F. C. Wiseman, C. B.
Atwell, D. W. Eaton, A. C. Baldwin,
Miss C. Harrington, George Carring
ton, B. F. James and wife, O. Har
stad, P. Duchert, George Keith, j.
Adams, N. B. White, R. Logan, T. T.
Wilkinshaw, A. W. Heinbero’er, T.
L. Young, Joe Rasmussen, G. E.
Gustafson, Fred Hupich, C. Grafton,
F. Clark and wife, M. W. Brown,
Gerald Hutton, Swan P. Magnusson
and wife, C. H. Pring, Holson E. Mc
Adam, John Branstrom, Ed F. Gray,
O. Agna, Miss Helen Beede, W. S.
*Urts, John Back, A. L. Kievic, W.
P. Bartley. Guy Stevens, William
Parker, Fred Warner.
Even the people of Cordova have a
very limited idea of the great amount
of coper that will soon be produced
from the interior country known as
the Kotsina-Chitina-Nizina district.
Last year during the operation of
one mine, the famous Bonanza, in
six months shipped 35,840,000
pounds of copper ore that ran 70 per
cent copper, equal to 25,000,000
pounds of copper. During the year
1912 it is fair to assume that this
one mine will ship on an average of
100 tons per day or 6,600,000 pounds
per month, making about 80,000,000
pounds for the year. Assuming that
this ore will only run 60 per cent
copper, it will give 48,000,000
pounds, valued at about $6,000,000.
Then there are other mines likely to
be shipping within the year, so that
the importance of the output irom
the district referred to will be even
beyond the expectations of the aver
age reader.
And all this copper is brought to
Cordova, while the supplies that are
necessary to operate the mines and
maintain the workmen are taken
from Cordova. The gold output of
the Nome or the Fairbanks districts
now scarcely reach the $6,000,000
mark, and yet larger towns than
Cordova are sustained by reason of
that output. And when the various
gold properties at McKinley Lake,
Port Wells and other districts begin
to ship, this town will receive an
appreciable benefit. But the impor
tant thing about copper mining is
tht it is a permanent industry and
builds permanent towns. It is note
worthy that not one of the leading
copper districts of the United States,
several of which have been active
producers for thirty years or more,
has been worked out or shown any
marked decrease in its ability to pro
duce copper. i <
BITUMINOUS GOAL STRIKE
CLEVELAND, March 22.—It now looks very much like a
general strike among all the coal miners throughout the coun
try on April 1st. The representatives of 200,000 bituminous
coal miners recently made a demand on the operators for an
advance of ten per cent in wages. This advance has been con
sidered at various times by the operators and at a conference
yesterday it was definitely denied. Today there is talk of a
walk-out, with the assurance that 600,000 anthracite coal min
ers will follow. There is a feeling of general uneasiness among
the buisness interests, as it is believed that a strike will paral
yze many industries and that much suffering will result. Both
sides seem determined to hold off, although strong efforts will
be made to bring the opposing elements together again, with
the idea of securing some compromise agreement. A general
coal strike on April 1st would be a serious blow to the pros
perity of the country.
HOQUIAM, Wash., March 21.—The Gray’s Harbor coun
try was thrown into a state of wild excitement last evening
when the news was flashed over the wires that another foul
murder had been brought to light. The bodies of Deputy
Sheriffs Colin McKenzie and A. V. Elmer were yesterday un
earthed and found riddled with bullets. These men had been
on a search for John Tornow, charged with the murder late
last fall of his nephews, John and Will Baurer, and it is believ
ed that their deaths was caused by Tornow or an accomplice.
The bodies of McKenzie and Elmer were found buried near the
scene where the former crime had ben committed. The coun
try is vry much worked up over the discovery of the second
murderous deed.
ST. LOUIS, March 22.—Recently upon the arrival of one
of the Atlantic liners at New York there was great consterna
tion when it was reported to officials that Mrs. Maldwin
Drummond had been robbed of jewels valued at $120,000. She
alleged that her stateroom on the America had been entered
just before arrival in port and that the gems had been stolen
Several officers have been on the case and they are now satis
fied that they have evidence sufficient to convict Daniel Cal
lahan. of this city, of having committed the crime. He was one
of the passengers. He was placed under arrest early this
morning.
WASHINGTON, March 22.—The House has passed a hill
extending parole to prisoners who have been sentenced to life
in federal penitentiaries, after they have passed a servitude of
fifteen yeai’s.
—
McCarthy, March 15.
The cabin and warehouse of the
Rex Alaska Mining Company was
destroyed by fire last Wednesday
evening, the loss being estimated at
$3,000. Everett W. Brooks, the
manager, went down the creek dur
ing the afternoon to get a load of
material, and returning about 1
o’clock, found his home a wreck.
The cabin was a large one, and in the
upstairs apartment there were seven
tons of supplies stored. The cache
for the supplies was finished and the
goods were to have been moved the
next day. The cooking range had
been moved to the new quarters and
a heater palced in the cabin to take
its place. The hired men were eat
ing their supper when the fire was
detected, and they fought the flames
desperately. Three of the men lost
their bedding and were badly burn
ed in their efforts to save some of
the supplies. Mr. Brooks lost every
thing in the way of personal effects
and private papers. Mr. Brooks has
worked hard to get his supplies up
to Rex Gulch and is one of the most
popular men in the Kizina country.
The news will be heard with general
regret. However, he is still rustling
and expects to get more outfit in
ahead of the break-up.
Pete Erickson returned last even
ing from Glacier Creek, having com
pleted his contract to drive the 150
foot tunnel. He reports that the ore
showing is even more encouraging
than ever before. It is expected the
Great Pinigal Company, represented
by George Cappel, will shortly re
sume operations
S. J. Kendrick returned this week
from a visit outside and is busy get
ting ready to work his claim No. 9
on Copper Creek. He will employ
several men. Mr. Kendrick met a
number of old-time Alaskans outside
who will be in this spring. Among
them are Jack Miller and Jake Ja
cobson.
Charlie Range, Paul Range, H. D.
Poster and the Fagenberg bothers
have jointly built a bridge across
the Clearwater above the mouth of
Chitatu, and cut considerable trail.
Tnis is work that should have been
done by the Alaska Road Commis
sion. That honorable body seems to
have dropped into a state of “inocu
ous desuetude” as far as this portion
of Alaska is concerned.
Joe Deschampes, an old-timer in
Alaska, is running a restaurant and
meeting with good success. Joe has
been on the south side of the Nizina
and was one of the first to sink holes
on Dan Creek. In one shaft he got
in ounce to the pan, close to tne Ni
zina bars. He has prospected Dan
Creek benches and claims to have
mined $2 to the pan. Joe believes
theer is an old channel and that it
is immensely rich. He claims that
all kinds of wash gravel a thousand
feet from the creek bed. He found
several rims and believes it is one
of the richest sections in Alaska
when once thoroughly prospected.
F. A. Iverson will be hauling ore
to the railroad until the trail breaks
up.
Joe Deschampes and Harry Fa
gen berg blazed a trail to the Nizina
last fall and found good hard ground
for a wagon road, and approaches
to a bridge. They think this is the
best location and it is to be hoped
that the commission will give it the
seal of their approval and that the
long-looked-for bridge may be built
after all.
Recently former Senator John L.
Wilson, representing the commercial
bodies of Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane.
Portland, Oakland, San Francisco
and Los Angeles, appeared before
the House committee on territories
in Washington, and told some of the
things Alaska needs, and needs at
once. Among other things he said:
“Of course, as I said, Mr| Chair
man, there are differences of opin
ion about what Alaska needs. I
have my opinion, you have yours,
but we have all got to concede some
thing in order that we may accom
plish results. My judgment is that
tne overpowering issue in Alaska is
transportation; that all others fail
without that. I may be mistaken,
but of what value are leases of coal
lands without transportation? And
no lease will avail anything unless
those who enter upon it are given
a chance to earn more than 5 or 6
per cent profit. They will not enter
upon such leases at that sort of
profit, because of climatic conditions
and other reasons. So that question
has to be settled first, and what char
acter of transportation shall be pro
vided for? Where shall it start
from and where shall it end? I am
not prepared to say whether we are
to enter upon the construction of a
railroad in Alaska, but in passing,
I ought to say that I am opposed to
government ownership of railroads.
But there seems to me to be no other
way that we can accomplish the re
sult we are seeking; and speaking
as a citizen, if a arilroad is to be
constructed I think the selection of
the route ought to be left to the
army engineers, and then, in pass
ing, I believe it ought to be built as
a war measure.
“I would leave it to the army and
the navy. Leave it to the best judg
ment of men who are not interest
ed particularly where the location
should be. There are differences of
opinion in Alaska in regard to that.
I have mine; certa'n people in Alas
ka have theirs. There is a wide dif
ference of opinion on the subject,
and it seems to me that we will be
compelled to leave the selection to
those who have no connection what
ever with the country, something
like was done wnen we placed the
building of the canal in the hands
of the army engineers.”
Senator Wilson also said that "a
large amount of money has been ex
pended, and a large amount should
be expended to make those roads
good summer roads. What they
want in Alaska are roads and trails
that are good in summer.”
——o—o—o
Robert McIntosh returned from
Slate Creek Sunday, having made a
record trip of 22 days. Tom Hol
land came back to Chitina on bus
iness but will return in a few days
to be gone all summer.
The new bell has been placed on
the school building. It sounds quite
cheerful and familiar.
Pete Kennedy haB opened up a sa
loon in the old Nevada building.
-o—o—o
It now seems certain that Louis
Townsend has met his death in the
waters of Valdez bay. He left Valdez
on January 25 to go across the bay
to cut wood and has not been seen
or heard from since.
The Democratic Club of Valdez
has instructed {he delegates to the
convention from Valdez and Reserva
tion precincts to support Champ
Clark as the Democratic presiden
tial candidate.
Charley Herron, of Nome, and
Tom Marquam, of Fairbanks, left
the latter town on Monday with a
dog team and are expected to arrive
at Chitina in time to take Tuesday
morning’s train for Coruova. These
two men hold practically a., the
proxies of the second and fourth di
visions of delegates elected to at
tend the Republican territorial con
vention next Saturday. They will
be important factors in shaping the
actions of the convention. It is pre
sumed that they will bear the olive
branch of peace and exert their in
fluence for harmony and such action
as will commend itself to the voters
of the territory. In referring to Mr.
Herron’s arrival a Fairbanks paper
stated:
“The factional fights among the
—epublicans of Nome are a thing of '
tne past, according to Charles E.
Herron, the Republican committee
man, who arrived last night on his
way to the territorial convention to
be held at Cordova. After the pri
maries were held in Nome and all
tne primaries, the Republicans call
ed a district convention, when a vote
of confidence in Mr. Herron passed
tne meeting and he was given the
entire 50 proxies of the division. He
was uninstructed. A Republican
club was formed at Nome that night
with a membership of 200, and Re
publican clubs were also formed at
the same time in all of the pre
cincts. Mr. Herron spent sixteen days
traveling with his dog team, but lay
over five days at different places,
stopping at I'nalakleet, Nulato, Ruby
City and Tanana. He expects to go
on to Cordova about the last of this
week.”
MXIDERHLLT SHOI
McCarthy, March 2’.
Peter Johnson was shot by the ac
cidental discharge of a shotgun on
Tuesday of this week. Mrs. John
son was in the act of taking down
the gun from the wall to pass to her
husband with a view of killing a
mean-acting dog. Her husband had
left a shell in the gun on returning
from a ptarmigan hunt, because it
stuck. He intended at some future
time to extract the shell. Johnson
was on the outside of the laundry
tent and received part of the load
through one hand and part through
the thigh. Dr. Schrock was imme
diately summoned from Kenneeott
and succeeded in removing nearly
all the shot. Johnson’s condition is
I not dangerous, and the physician
predicts that with good care he will
be around again soon. Mr. and Mrs.
Johnson are hard-working people
and have the sympathy of the pub
lic. Mrs. Johnson was completely
overcome with grief until the doc
tor assured her that her husband’s
condition was not serious.
The heavy travel to the interior is
giving the hotels a good business
now'.
HBH—HsMEili—lllMIJIIIII' I11 . SSfciS, ...
Kennecott, March 18.
The members of the Cordova
Chamber of Commerce on their re
cent visit were impressed with the
activity displayed upon the terminal
floor of the concentrating plant,
where every few seconds a bucket
of ore rolled in on the tram line and
another bucket containing construc
tion material or supplies left for the
mine. If these gentlemen could
have visited the mine they would
have been even more surprised by
the activity there. A large amount
of construction work is in progress,
with more about to begin. This in
cludes the erection of the mine pow
er house and the installation of the
heavy concrete foundations, upon
which will rest the transformers, the
compressors and other machinery,
there are between forty and fifty
men employed at present, and this
force will doubtless be increased at
an early date.
Some difficulty has been experi
enced in obtaining good sand to be
used in the concrete work. This dif
ficulty has been obviated by the dis
covery of an excellent deposit of
sand near Mile 183. A carload, con
taining 500 sacks, arrived with Sat
urday’s train and is being shipped
to the mine over the tram line.
H. A. Hancock assumed charge of
the mechanical department on the
17th of March.
There is a movement on foot to
attempt to secure a school for this
neighborhood by next fall. At this
place and McCarthy there are now
several families containing children
of school age, and by the opening of
the school year several more families
with children are expected. As there
will doubtless be the required num
ber of children it should not be a
difficult matter to secure a school.
The raffle of the Winchester rifle
resulted In ticket No. 47, held by
Edward Creb, winning the prize. As
the winning ticket carried with it
an honorary membership in the Rifle
Club, interest in the event was acute.
Inspired by the success of the re
cently organized Rifle Club, on Sat
urday evening the Kennecott Glee
Club was organized, with the follow
ing officers: Cook Etchison, presi
dent; Arthur Powell, secretary; J.
W. Wood, treasurer. The club will
meet each Saturday evening for prac
tice, and it is hoped will give a pub
lic recital in the near future.
As it is much cheaper to manufac
ture furniture here than to buy out
side, and as both lumber and facili
ties for manufacturing on a small
scale are equally available, it is not
surprising that considerable furni
ture is being turned out here. J. F.
Dennis has been very successful in
making a suite of mission style fur
niture, and consequently has been
overwhelmed with orders.
“Rotary Jack” McLean has recent
ly sent an inquiry to the Seattle
Times questioning the validity of
mining papers recorded by aliens.
Mr. McLean has been identified with
various mining properties along the
line of the railway during the past
five years and is naturally anxious
to know’ w’hether papers recorded by
the Chitina commissioner are valid.
It has been estimated that 40 per
cent of the residents of Kennecott
are Irish or of Irish descent, and
paymaster Watkins states that the
payroll resembles a list of those
present at a Hibernian picnic. Of
course, though, a man's nationality
cannot always be traced by his name.
Witness the case of Deputy Marshal
Brown, of Chitina, and of Terrence
O’Rourke, a Montenegrin formerly
employed on the railroad. However,
the fact remains that those claiming
St. Patrick as their patron saint are
numerically very strong at Kenne
cott. This was evidenced by the dis
play of shamrocks and ribbons on
March 17. The demand for sham
rocks, loaned for the occasion by
Dennis Chravalli, greatly exceeded
the supply, but fortunately Shamus
O’More, the popular storekeeper,
came to the rescue with a bale of
green ribbon, which saved the day.
THINK WICK IS
DITCHING THEI|
In an issue of the Fairbanks
News-Miner, published last week,
there is an indication that the dele
gate to Congress from Alaska is not
overly interested in the desire to aid
the movement for good roads. The
Fairbanks Commercial Club has la
bored with indefatigable effort dur
ing the past six months to create a
sentiment favorable to such liberal
appropriations that will permit of
the construction of an automobile
road between Chitina and Fair
banks. This move has the endorse
ment of the Alaska Road Commis
sion, and is now being aided by the
Cordova Chamber of Commerce,
which organization is sending letters
to all members of Congress and to
others of influence, urging the ne
cessity of this summer road. Under
the heading. “He Sidesteps Our Road
Bill.” the News-Miner says:
“Members of the Commercial Club
were last night given a little insight
into the devious dips, spurs and an
gles of the Delegate Wickersham
lead, when the letter of the Alaskan
representative sidestepping the prop
osition of introducing the bill into
Congress for the $1,600,000 road
appropriation for which the people
of this section have been fighting,
was read. The Commercial Club had
carefully prepared the ground for
the bill by secuirng promises of aid
from congressmen, senators and
prominent men the country over, and
having secured these, wired to the
delegate asking him to introduce the
bill. He replied at length, stating
as his excuse for not doing so that
the War Department had not made
the recommendation for the appropri
ation. Therefore the club put the
matter up to Senator Wilson, of the
Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Cham
ber of commerce, asking him to in
troduce the bill. There has not been
time to hear from him as yet.”
Last month at Nome Judge Mu
rane rendered a decision in an im
portant case that was eagerly looked
forward to and will have an interest
to mining men throughout the ter
ritory. It wasm an exhaustive and
lengthy opinion and decided the case
of the Honeer Mining Company vs.
the Pacific Coal and Transportation
Company and M. D. McCumber, and
which Judge Murane has had for
several weeks under advisement.
The case was tried and submitted
to the court upon the evidence and
argument of counsel last November,
and was an action in equity to quiet
title to mining ground on Moonlight
Creek. The acTlon involved an over
lap between bench claim No. 1 on
Moonlight Creek, claimed by the
Pioneer Mining Company, and the
grant claim, claimed by the Pacific
Coal and Transportation Company,
the defendant McCumber being a
lessee from the Pacific Coal and
Transportation Company.
The location under which the Pio
neer Mining Company claimed title
to the disputed ground was made by
Andrew Jensen on the 3rd day of
January, 1899, and the location un
der which the Pacific Coal an 1
transportation Company, and M. D.
McCumber claimed title to the
ground in controversy, was made by
one A. N. Grant, on the 9th day of
January, 1899, and the court held
that the location made the plaintiff’s
predecessor in interest, being prior
in point of time to the location by
the defendants' predecessor in inter
est, that the location of the Grant
claim in so far as it conflicted with
the ground claimed by the plaintiff,
was absolutely void, and directed
findings of fact and conclusions of
law to be prepared by the attorneys
in favor of the Plaintiff, the Pioneer
Mining Company, and against the
defendant Pacific Coal and Transpor
tation Company and M. D. McCum
ber.