DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE EGO—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EQO.
VOL. I.
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1910.
NO. 11
OLD-TIMER WILL TRADE
AND PROSPECT IN TANANA
Charley Munsen who has been
with the railroad company all sum
mer and on the coast for the past
two years, with Chitina as his head
quarters all fall will leave this week
for a winter’s prospecting trip into
the headwaters of the Tanana. Char
ley is an old-time Alaskan and has
been pretty much all over this great
north'and. He says there is no coun
try like the interior and that there
is no reason why a man should lay
around idle during the winter when
he can either trap, trade fur with
the natives or prospect and take out
sufficient gold, or make enough off
his trading or furs, to come out in
the spring with good wages.
CHITIXA HEIGHTS MAN
AFTER THE BUSINESS
Peter Cordes, the well known old
timer, who has been busy this past
summer building on Chitina Heights,
and buying goods in the second-hand
line, is now framed up for business
and it looks like he'd get his share
of the trade. He has a bunk house
consisting of twenty-four comfort
able bunks, which he advertises for
25 cents per night, and as he has
purchased a large stock of station
mens’ goods and camp supplies at a
sacrifice, he now has a big stock of
second-hand goods which it will pay
you to look over, if you contemplate
investing in an outfit. Pete is also
building an addition to his present
location, which he expects to make
a two-story structure, the second
floor to be partitioned off in rooms
and the lower floor used as a restau
rant. Pete says he can’t see why
people should pay more than in Cor
dova, as the wages are no better,
and his prices are the same or even
better than the coast towns. See his
ad. in this week’s Leader.
Local News
John Benz is one of the Valdez
ians who arrived in Chitina Monday
night. Mr. Benz is an ex-soldier,
who was with Major Abercrombie on
his famous exploration, and he has
engaged to work with E. W. Uray
at Copper Mountain this winter.
Oscar Breedman is the busy
“king” these days. He arrived from
a trip to Cordova the first of the
week, and after a few days strenuous
■wrestling with carpets, linoleum, etc.,
he returned to Cordova on Wednes
day to be present at court, where he
is called as a witness on one of the
cases before the grand jury.
Mrs. Bartley Howard and daugh
ter, who have been in Chitina for a
few weeks since Mr. Howard has
been at work on the Hotel Chitina,
left on Tuesday morning’s train for
• Cordova.
Mrs. H. D. Rice and daughter,
Maybelle, who have been in Chitina
the past two months, left on Tues
day morning’s train for Cordova.
H. H. McCutcheon, who has been
in charge of tax collections for the
E. M. Gray, of Copper Mountain
fame, arrived in Chitina this week
and left the fololwing day for his
temporary camp at mile 146. From
this camp it is only a short distance
to Copper Mountain at the head of
the Kuskulana river.
Everyone who has followed the op
erations of Mr. Gray is rejoicing that
he is back and will again begin de
velopment work on his properties,
which are ranked as some of the
very best copper propositions in Alas
ka. Every expert who has examined
the Copper Mountain group concedes
that there are copper mines there
which will in the near future become
world renowned. Mr. Gray has done
some remarkable development work
on the properties the past few sea
sons, installing electric drills and ex
1 ensive machinery, employing a large
force of men each season, and, con
sidering how he has been handicap
ped in the past in getting supplies
and machinery to his mines, a record
is made second to none in Alaska,
with the possible exception of the
Bonanza, for unbonded faith in the
copper prospects for the future in
this great mineral belt. Several hun
dred thousand dollars have been
spent by his company, and in an
interview- w-ith a Leader representa
tive Mr. Gray stated that they con
sidered the money well spent.
“It is only a matter of a short
time now,” said Mr. Gray, “until
Alaska’s copper, coal and oil will
be the talk of the entire world. Here
tofore it has been gold, but now that
the Copper River & Northwestern
railway has spent millions of dollars
in getting a standard road built to
$
the vast copper belt, it will be but a
short time until things are moving
in copper. The copper, coal and oil
barons of the East can no longer
hide the fact that all these important
minerals are to be had in Alaska and
that other combinations of capital
will surelj see that they are recog
nized. Now that we are able to get
in the accessary machinery over the
railroa'd we can do development work
on a much larger scale, though our
facilities for blocking out ore and
general development work are fair
ly good at the present time. I will
have about forty men to start with
this year and before the winter is
over expect to have 60 or 70 men
at work. ’
A prominent official of the railroad
was heard to say that he regarded
the Copper Mountain proposition as
cne of the biggest things in Alaska.
Heilman, the world-famous mining
engineer, examined the properties re
cently and passed most favorably up
on them. The great engineer was
making the trip into the copper belt
to expert the Hubbard-Elliott group,
and Mr. Gray, who was on his way
outside at the time, returned with
him to get his opinion on the Copper
Mountain properties.
Mr. Gray is a general favorite
among his employes, and those who
know' him never fail to work at Cop
per Mountain if they can get the op,
portunity. He is commended tor hir
ing Alaskans for the w'ork, distribut
ing his checks to the boys in the
different towns so each locality will
be benefitted. About one-third of his
present force are from Valdez, some
from Cordova, and others from Chit
ina.
Warm, Portable Camps For Workmen
Arrangements have already been
made by the contracting officials for
not only rapid construction work at
the front as soon as trains can be
running across the Kuskulana bridge,
but particular attention has been
paid to one of the main features of
railroad construction, which is the
comfort of the men and camp lire.
Heretofore camps have been strung
along at the most convenient loca
tions for the workmen, and often
times the camps were far away from
where the men were at work, and it
was difficult and tiresome to return.
This year the conditions will be en
tirely different, and much improved,
as portable camps will be used—
that is, the cook houses, commissar
ies, sleeping accommodations, etc.
all on wheels. The cars will be heat
Chitina precinct this past summer
and fall, made a trip to Cordova
on Tuesday morning’s train.
M. H. Healey, who has been acting
as chief accountant or timekeeper for
the road commission this past season,
left on Wednesday morning’s train
to attend court at Cordova.
Mrs. A. Mitchell, who has been
visiting friends in Chitina the past
two weeks, returned on Wednesday
morning’s train to Cordova. Mrs.
Mitchell came to Chitina with a view
to an improvement in health, but
the doctors say her trouble cannot
be improved in Alaska, and she ex
pects to leave soon for warmer
climes.
Will Run Tunnels on
Gold Quartz Prospects
Oscar E. Anderson, J, M. Kel
, ley, John Gustafson and J, O.
, Pearson are four lucky prospectors
who have located some likely luok
j lng quartz property on the new cut
off trail within a few miles of town.
The property was located last Octo
ber one ledge being staked about
five miles from town and the other
prospect about twelve miles out on
the new trail. The boys were work
ing on the new cut-off this fall when
the ledges were discovered. They
have had no assay made of the ore as
yet, but claim it is free milling and
looks good to many who have seen
the samples. Any way, It looks prom
ising enough to the locators to war
rant them spending a couple of
months in running tunnels and doing
sufficient development work to see
if they have anything worth while.
They bought a good grub stake from
the Chitina Trading Co. and left on
Thursday to erect their camps, after
which they will begin their develop
ment work. Everyone wishes them
success. May they have a stamp
mill in operation by this time next
year.
Send us your Job Printing.
ed and the sleeping compartments
nicely arranged, so everything will
be warm and comfortable.
“Construction work in mid-win
ter,” said Superintendent Murchison,
“is a pretty tough proposition, and
our chief aim this year is to see that
the workmen are comfortable. Just
as soon as the Kuskulana bridge is
in readiness to permit construction
trains carrying the vast amount of
material already landed at camp
149, portable cars w’ill be in readi
ness for the men, so they can always
have comrortable quarters, warm
meals and not have to walk several
miles to camp in the cold weather
“The bridge gang, which will also
be camped in cars, will be rushed
forward as rapidly as the steel can
be laid. There are several hundred
thousand feet of bridge timbers al
ready framed at Kuskulana or mile
14i»y and Bridge Superintendent P. J.
O'Brien expects to make a record on
the crossings this winter. The
weather will undoubtedly be cold,
but we have prepared for it, and
we have a splendid bunch of men,
who have the sticktoitlveness to car
ry on the work, no matter how cold
the weather gets. Our camp, or
main headquarters at mile 146, is the
finest and best laid out camp we
have yet had on the road, being far
superior in every way to the head
quarters at mile 55 and Tiekel. The
headquarters camp will, of course,
be our main supply point, and be
ing so close to construction, the most
rapid progress yet made on the road
will go on record just as soon as
Stages From Interior
Are Arriving Regularly
The stages from Fairbanks are
now arriving regularly, and the Orr
Stage company, from the superin
tendent to manager, clerks and driv
ers, are accustoming themselves to
the new route as though they had
been used to it for several seasons
past.
On Sunday night the Fairbanks
stage arrived with eleven passengers
and as many sacks of mail. Wed
nesday the stage arrived with two
passengers and eight sacks of mail.
Outward bound passengers on Sun
day night’s stage were Volney Rich
mond, J. C. Ridenour, Kitty Pickert,
Paul Hopkins, Henrietta Sage, J. E.
Dougherty and wife and Jack Dough
erty, Jr., Martin Rodnit, Barney Si
mon, and Percy D. Charles. Emil
Kaakinenie and Charles Rollins were
the two passengers on Wednesday
night's stage. The drivers and pas
sengers report the trail in fine con
dition with the exception of not qu’te
sufficient snow yet for good travel
ing.
The Chitina office of the Orr Stage
company, which is located in the cor
ner room of the Hotel Chitina, now
presents a city appearance. The fur
niture for the room is of the best,
there being a long oaken counter for
the convenience of patrons and the
agent for the handling of tickets, up
to-date desks for the office force and
comfortable chairs for the patrons.
The room was only papered and
stained the latter part of this week,
and the office force are only getting
nicely settled today. J. K. Starr and
J. G. Mulroy who arrived from Val
dez on last Saturday night’s train,
are in charge of the office. They
have already made many friends in
Chitina and as Mr. Starr is well
known to the interior people and Mr.
Mulroy having been in Valdez a long
time, they are well known to the
traveling public, who will be glad to
see them here.
One of the cats which Frank Alba
brought from the Woodland road
house last week broke away before
he could deliver the felines to their
destination, and it has been under
the Chitina Bakery hollering “Frank
Dit It!” ever since. Gessner & Stan
gueth, the proprietors, are at their
wits end, having offered all kinds of
inducements In the way of nice fat
mice and even “dough” for pussy
to come out, but she prefers to stay
underneath the floor and howl for
home, making both day and night
hideous. The jolly Germans are now
trying to borrow a shot gun or lo
cate Frank Alba, who hasn’t bought
any bread since the cat got away.
trains can start hauling material
across the steel bridge at Kuskulana.
Bridge Engineer A. C. O’Neil, in
charge of the work at Kuskulana,
promises to have the crossing in
readiness in a few days if the weath
er holds good, and as the right-of
way is all cleared, and the main
obstacles overcome, it will not be
long now until you can chronicle the
event of the golden spike being driv
en at the interior terminus—the Bon
anza mine.”
Mr. Murchison stated, before leav
ing for Cordova on Wednesday's
train, that as soon as the rush of
railroad construction was over, at
tention would be given the placer
ground recently staked by a number
of the officials on the Strelna river,
gravel deposits near mile 146.
Arthur Barrus, the well known
locomotive engineer, who has been
with the Copper River & Northwest
ern railway for the past three years
left on a three months’ visit to his
home in New York on Wednesday
morning's train. Arthur has been
at the front all this past season,
working many a long shift and mer
its a well earned rest. He ordered
the Leader to follow him while he
is away, as he wants to keep posted
on events along the Copper River
way.
Dr. M. E. Smith, the Katalla Com
i sny se*-geon, made a flying business
trip from his temporary headquar
ters at Kuskulana to Cordova this
week.
ELGIN VAUGHN NOW IN
CHARGE OF THE THROTTLE
Elgin Vaughn, the well known
youngster who has ben firing on the
road the past two years, is no long
er a “tallowpot,” having been pro
moted this week to locomotive engi
neer. This makes the second promo
tion of well known and popular fire
men during the past month, and the
many friends of both Jack Court
ney and Elgin Vaughn are much
pleased to hear of their change to
engines.
Deputy Marshal Brown left on
Thursday morning's train for a trip
to Cordova and Valdez. He expects
to be gone a week or ten days.
BUSINESS MAN FROM TIER EL
RENTS STRiNGFR Rt'lLUlVG
Cnarles Cook, who was in business
last summer in Tiekel, arrived this
week from the once busy camp, be
ing the last to leave. He has a good
stock of goods which he also shipped
up and has them now stored in the
Stringer building which he has rent
ed. As soon as Mr. Stringer re
turns from Cordova and moves his
stock and pool tables to the Hotel
Chitina, Mr. Cook will take posses
sion. He will make the building
good and warm, having brought plen
ty of building paper and canvass
w'ith him and as he has a good
stock of sundries, cigars and to
bacco, he expects to have a first
class store in a short time. Mr.
class billiard parlor in the addition
recently added to the Hotel Chitina
which is the reason for his vacat
ing his own building. Mr. Breed
man wanted several pool tables in
connection with the big hostelry,
and as the Stringer building is
hardly suited for the tables dur
ing the winter it was thought best
to move them and rent the build
ing.
I
Local News
J. A. Terry, who has been watch
ing and taking care of the engines at
140, is now firing for Johnny Fillin
ger, since the promotion of Elgin
Vaughn.
Twelve or fourteen men from the
glacier city arrived in Chitina on
Monday evening, and left the follow
ing day for Gray’s copper properties
at Copper Mountain on the head of
Clear creek, a tributary of the Kus
kulana.
Superintendent Van Cleve made
a trip to the front the first of this
week, returning on Wednesday morn
ing’s train to Cordova.
Interior travelers arriving from
Fairbanks Thursday evening were F.
F. Walsh, Jos. McDonald, E. Scn
leifer and Wm. Young. They left
on Friday’s train for Cordova.
B. R. Dusenberry, R. Thiel, Jack
MacDonald, H. C. Quinner, wife and
child, registered at the Hotel Chitina
on Thursday evening. They have
just returned from a trip outside and
are bound for the interior, leaving
on Friday morning’s stage.
Hotel Chitina Soon Ready
For Big Formal Opening
All the rooms on the upper floor
are now nicely papered and furnish
ed ready for business. W. A. Smith,
who has had charge of the paper
ing and staining the rooms complet
ed the lobby and the Orr Stage com
pany office this week, and is now
at work on the room to be occupied
by the postoffice. When the bar and
billiard rooms are sufficiently dry he
will start to work on them, which
will complete the building through
out. When the bar room is finished
Mr. Breedman will move from his
present location and the big hostelry
will be opened by a grand ball the
night before the bar ia installed.
Mr. Breedman stated before leaving
for Cordova this week that the lobby
and bar at least would be lighted by
an up-to-date gasoline plant, which
will also possibly supply the store
rooms on the lower floor. A number
of inquiries have been made con
cerning the dining room, and ru
mor has it that a well known chef,
who is now in town, will be in charge
of the kitchen, but Mr. Breedman
says It’s a little too early to figure
on that, but that he intends to have
one of the best dining rooms and
service in Alaska.