DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE EGG—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. I. CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1911. N0 17
Local News
J. C. Martin, manager for the Orr
Stage company, left this week on a
business trip to Fairbanks.
About thirty-two men are now em
ployed at the Copper Mountain mines.
Development work is bein°’ done on
three different tunnels. No one tun
nel is in about 500 feet. No. two tun
nel over 300 feet and No. three tap
ping the ledge far below No. one tun
nel, is in over 100 feet, making about
1,000 feet of tunneling in all. Work
men report some splendid ore being
taken out and showing richer as they
go in.
Louis Nateusted, blacksmith helper
at Copper Mountain, arrived from
the big copper camp on Thursday ev
ening on his way to Valdez. He ex
pects to return in a few days to re
sume his work at the camp.
Thos. Cloninger has been quite ill
this week with threatened pneumon
ia. All of Tom's friends are anxious
ly hoping he’ll soon recover and be
out again.
Quite a few Chitina people are fig
uring on visiting the big potlatch giv
en this coming week at Chief Good
la taw's village at Taral. It is just
a pleasant walk or ride to the village
and those who never witnessed an
affair of this kind will be interested.
Fay Scott is busy these days paint
ing some signs for Chitina business
men. He has a lot of new material
in and if you want a sign he can do
your work.
“Ole” Condon, who has been in
charge of the pool rooms at the Log
Cabin bar, left on Monday evening
to accept a position with E. F. Gray
at Copper Mountain.
John Schafer, Sr., arrived from
Cordova on Thursday evening's train,
and a happy family reunion followed
at the Chitina grill. His wife, daugh
ter and two sons joyfully welcomed
him, and were delighted to see him
looking so well since his recent en
counter with the murderous colored
burglar at their home in Cordova.
Archie Shiels, chief of commissary
for the construction company, ran
down on Thursday evening from the
front.
M. W. Anderson, who has been at
the coast terminal for the past week
arrived back at Chitina on Thursday
evening.
Jos. Malloy, who was employed as
cook at the Kuskulana camp, is now
in the same capacity at camp 146.
John Kingston, who for a number
of weeks has been a guest at Hotel
de Brown, paid his fine on Wednes
day and is once more a free man.
The case of David vs. Kimberlin,
came up before Judge Ferguson on
Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock. David
is suing for wages and money due
him, but as we go to presf no decision
had been rendered.
It is reported that the genial and
portly James Carscadden, the well
known saloon man, has secured a
five-year lease of the well known
Cordova House, which has been op
crated by Thisted & Ross for the
past two years, and will take pos
session on or about April 1st. All
of Carseadden’s friends will be glad
to hear of his new lease, as the houst
has always been a money maker- a ad
it Is stated that as soon as the least
of the Japanese cafe expires, which
is located in the same building, he
will put in a first class cafe. GooJ
hick, Jimmie, in your new under
taking.
Chas. Ramsted, well known in Cor
dova, arrived in Chitina on Monday
evening. Mr. Ramsted is a laundry
man, and will be in charge of the
washing from now on for John Raw
non, of the Chitina laundry.
Henry Lee, the locomotive engi
neer, who has been kept busy at the
front all this past season, left on last
Saturday’s train for Cordova and
may lake a short trip outside.
C. 8. Hoyt, proprietor of the Gul
kana roadhouse, arrived in Chitina
on Wednesday evening's stage, and
left yesterday morning on a business
trip to Cordova.
MUCH ACIWITYTN PLACER MIKING
The tributaries of the Copper.
Chitina, Nizina, White and other riv
ers running through this great min
eral belt, all within a radius of 100
miles of the growing city of Chit
ina, will be dotted with prospectors
and placer miners this coming sum
mer. Even this early in winter it
is a common thing to see prospectors
outfitting for their claims on differ
ent creeks. Most of the outfits so far
have gone into the Chitina river dis
trict, in the proximity of Dan, Chit
itu and other creeks, though a num
ber have outfitted for the White,
Chitistone, Kiagna and other streams
farther away. Old placer miners be
lieve that a number of creeks will be
developed this coming summer,
which will prove the equal if not bet
ter than the well known placer dig
gings on Chititu creek. Of the plac
er mining districts in this vicinity
Chititu creek and its tributaries have
received the most attention.
The upper half of Chitltu creek oc.
eupies a comparatively narrow valley
that is excavated to a depth of 200
to 400 feet, through thick deposits
of bench gravels and exposes the un
derling shale.
In this shale bed rock the stream
has carved a trough from 200 to 700
feet wide and from ten to fifty feet
deep, conforming in slope with the
surface of the rock floor. This
trough is filled to a depth of eight to
sixteen feet by recent stream gravels,
mainly derived from the adjacent
bench gravels. This bed rock flume
or sluice-way is paved with boulders
and cobbles, thus forming natural
riffles in which the gold and copper
has been concentrated.
Chititu creek has two branches
known as Rex Gulch and White
Gulch, the latter being the extension
of the creek proper. In 1907 active
development work was begun by Geo.
Esterly, J. H. Kernan and a few oth
ers. and now a more modern or up
to-date placer or hydraulic plant can
not be found in Alaska than the
one on Chititu creek. All modern
equipment, such as electric lights,
etc., are to be found there, and now
that the railroad can transport the
heavy hydraulic machinery to within
a few miles of these creeks, next
season will see many hydraulic
plants in operation.
At least two hydraulic plants have
gone in this winter to Gulconda
creek, a tributary of the upper Brem
ner river. A mining corporation has
been formed, mostly of Valdez men,
who call the concern the Gulconda
Hydraulic Mining Company of Val
dez. Charles Maymen and Fred Stro
beck arrived in Chitina from these
properties on Wednesday and pur
chased an outfit of 1,200 pounds,
which they took back to camp. In
February a complete hydraulic out
fit, consisting of large pipe, giants,
saw mill, etc., will be shipped in.
Two Cordova men left on Thursday
evening's train for this creek. They
had with them a car of supplies and
a hydraulic plant, which tht?«will get
in readiness for operation next
spring.
Chas. Veach, Richard Ficker, Dave
McCurdy and a number of others »>e
interested in the Kiagna creek. The
ground there looks promising, and,
while hydraulicking may not be done
this ytar, considerable sluicing and
; development work will be done.
Roy Wilson, Pill Slimpert, Ed
Hunt and Tom Parker are interest -d
on the upper Tana, and have locat
ed some good placer prospects on
other tributaries. Parker is now in
Chitina awaiting the return of his
partner, Roy Wilson, when they will
take in a summer's grub stake and
an outfit for sluicing.
Not only are the placer fields most
promising in this vicinity, but many
good quartz ledges have been loca
| ted, and as soon as the snow will
| have disappeared there will be a
j small stampede throughout this min
eral belt for placer, quartz and cop
per.
RAILROAD CUTS FREIGHT RATES
The new tariff rate of the Copper
River & Northwestern railway, upon
which the traffic department has
been working for several months
past, has been completed and is now
in the hands of the printer. In or
der to help out the various develop
ment and prospecting companies to
get their outfits on the ground, ar
rangements have been made to make
effective at once the new rates to
Alganik, the transfer point for the
McKinley Lake district and to Chit
ina, the distributing point for the
copper belt, Nizina district and in
terior Alaska. Roughly speaking,
the reductions on the old tariff
amount to about thirty per cent, but
jn a number of items, such as coal,
hay, grain, gasoline and powder, the
reductions go as high as fifty per
cent.
The old tariff was complied at a
time when the transportation of
freight from Cordova meant a com
bined rail and steamer haul, freight
, having to be transferred from cars
' to the river boats at one of the var
ious steamer landings. In addition
to the expensive transfer every one
here understands the big cost of op
erating boats on the Copper river,
in fact the hauling of freight at all
on these boats was a concession made
by the company for the accommoda
tion of prospectors. Since the clos
ing out of the steamer service and
the placing of the road under the
operating department, as far as Chit
ina, a thorough investigation has
been carried on, preparing the data
for the new tariff. It was an enor
mous job. There was no data what
ever to work on, not a single accurate
figure on probable cost and with the
Alaska coal question still in the air
no security for any immediate reduc
tion in the cost of the company's
fuel.
The new tariff has been compiled
with a view of helping the men who
are actually doing development work.
There is no attempt whatever to car
rry out the ideas of some of the traf
fic men in the states of putting on
all th£ traffic will bear. In fact the
reverse is the company's policy. How
much of the expense of the develop
ment of this section of Alaska the
company can stand, in order to bring
about a more rapid opening up ot
the resources is the policy of the
management.
To cite a few instances of what
these new rates will mean we will
quote the case of the Great North
ern Development Company, who in
former years paid 1200 and over per
ton for hauling their freight from
Valdez to their property at Tonsina
and oft times required a whole sea
son to secure delivery at the mine.
It necessitated as well a large in
vestment in a year’s supplies, as no
freight could be handled during the
year except during the few winter
months that the trail was in condi
tion for traffic. The modern way is
instanced by today’s train, which left
with a large shipment of blacksmith
coal, which arrived in Cordova on
the Alameda late last night, and left
here at 8 o'clock this morning, the
rate on which was $7 per ton from
the wharf to within twelve miles of
the property at Tonsina.
This one cast offers an illustration
of what the Copper River railroad is
going to do for tne development of
the country. An outfit of fifty tons
of freight two years ago cost $10,000
to bring into the Copper River coun
try. This year the same outfit can
be hauled for less than $2,000, and
besides it is not necessary to carry
large outfits at the mines, as sup
plies can be ordered at night, over
the telephone, from Cordova and de
livered on the following morning's
train.
The rate to Chitina on groceries,
such as potatoes, canned goods, flour,
ham and bacon, sugar, rice, beans,
candles, coffee, etc., in small lots,
is reduced to 1 3-4 cents per pound.
The rates in a great many instances
are less than half the old prices.
The past week was a tough one
as far as the weather was concern
ed. Wednesday night the thermom
eter was reported to be all the way
from 42 to 51 degrees below zero.
The wind was blowing huge snow
drifts all along the track from mile
28 to Tiekel several days this week,
but beyond the old snow plow being
a few hours late in throwing it off
the track, the train pulled in as us
ual.
Messrs. O’Neil, MacDonald and
Dyer, engineer and foremen of
bridge construction, who last week
finished their work on the Kusku
lana steel bridge, left on Sunday
morning last for Cordova, and will
enjoy a well earned vacation in the
states. Their many friends hope
they’ll be back in Chitina next spring
to start the big bridge across the
Copper at that place.
Billy Owens, the well known mix
ologist of Fairbanks, arrived on Wed
nesday’s stage and left on Friday
morning's train for a trip to the
states. He expects to return to Fair
banks on the opening of navigation.
H. S. Van Trump, the well known
conductor, left on Friday morning's
train for a visit to Cordova.
Col. W. T. Perkins makes it pretty
strong when he states that if he were
at the head of an Alaskan railroad
concern, he’d dig coal enough for its
use and the necessary consumption
for the people tributary to the road,
despite an armed government force,
but he voices the sentiment of all
good Alaskans, all the same. If they
keep on holding up our coal, it may
come to an armed resistance. Won
der what would happen then?
Read the Leader for the news.
Postmaster Cliff Johnson is mak
ing some changes in his postoffice
store. He expects soon to have the
postoffice up in the front of the store
building, which will give him room
for more stock and a couple more
solo tables In the rear. He is car
rying a fine line of candies, tobaccos
and cigars, besides all the latest mag
azines, papers and stationery, as a
postoffice store should carry. The
place is becoming popular for the
quality and variety of his stock of
goods.
Nothing further has been heard of
the Kiagna prospector whose feet
were frozen so badly he had to be
taken to the hospital at mile 146 for
treatment.
Start the new year right by adver
tising in the Chitina Leader.
RESIDENTS OF DIKEMAN
ARE A CONTENTED LOT
Everybody at Dikeman is in good
circumstances; poverty is a stranger;
wealth a familiar acquaintance; for
all the people have bank rolls, rang
ing from $500 to $10,000 each; they
have abundance to eat, to drink, to
wear; wherefore should they not be
contented?
It is a prosperous community in
the Iditarod of about one hundred
persons. The gasoline boys and
steamboat men had their headquar
ters there last summer and they dis
tributed a good deal of money, and
so did the N. C. Company, which has
a large and well equipped plant there,
including ware aind cold storage
warehouses, a fine store building,
wharves and docks.
IDITAROD IS QUIET.
Everything is reported quiet in
the Iditarod this winter, but all are
hopeful that It will, pick up as
work begins in the spring. Provis
ions are not any too plentiful but
the apparent shortages are being
caused by speculators grabbing all
of the available supply of certain ar
ticles and holding them fdr a big ad
vance.
Bring your job work to the Lead
er office.
OUTFIT ON WAY
Chas. Graber and J. W. Steftegen
arrived in Chitina on Monday even
ing with a ear of supplies, and a hy
draulic outfit on their way to Gul
i conda creek, a tributary of the big
Bremner. Ed. Sellers, Al. Doze,
i Chas. Decker, Leslie Rice and Harry
Edler are also interested in the prop
erties and the company expect to do
extensive work this season. The prop
erties were worked last season and
there is already about 500 feet of
seven-inch pipe on the ground. In
addition to this the boys are taking
In 215 feet of 15-inch pipe and 1,200
feet of 12-inch pipe, which will give
them about a 150-foot head to op
erate their giants. They will, upon
their arrival, whipsaw some lumber,
construct their sluice boxes and get
everything in readiness for active op
levation by May first. They left on
Thursday evening’s train for ihe
front, and if possible will go as far
as the steel at mile 154, after which
they will freight their outfit to the
upper waters of the Chitina, near
mile 17 7, which is the best way to
reach Galconda creek.
Local News
John Kawson, proprietor of the
Chitina laundry, returned on Tuesday
evening’s train from a business trip
of several days to the coast terminus.
While in Cordova Mr. Kawson se
cured the services of a competent,
laundryman, and is now prepared to
handle anything in the laundry line.
Eddie Funk, the well known con
duetor at the front, took a run down
to Cordova on Saturday last for a
few days' lay off.
J. C. Reedman returned from a
trip to Copper Center last week, and
left for Cordova on Sunday morning s
train.
R. J. Roryer, attorney for the Ka
talla Company, arrived on Thursday
evening’s train from Cordova. He
left the same evening on the train
for a business trip to the front, re
turning on Sunday morning's train.
Mr. and Mrs. 1’. R. Newhouse en
tertained at dinner last Sunday at
their residence at. mile 133. The
guests from this side were kindly tak
en over on a hand car by J. Palmer,
Chitina section foreman. After a
sumptuous meal, Miss Cora King
gave musical selections, which were
very much enjoyed by the guests.
Those who sat down to dinner were
Mrs. Newhouse, Mrs. O. E. Bennett,
Mrs. Clifford Johnson. Mrs. Wallace.
Mrs. Cora King and Messrs. New
house and Palmer.
Billy Tibbs made a trip to Cor
dova this week. Billy has a bowling
alley in mind, now that his new store
building is in readiness, and all the
bowlers in Chitina are hoping he
brings the alley back with him. A
bowling alley in connection with his
pool tables should get the money.
J. A. Thomas, F. Loomis, Harry
Walton, Chas. Dyer, Bob Morrison,
John Mickelson, C. Anderson, J. Mc
Askill, M. Campbell A. Frost, Fred
Low’e, and a few other of the steel
workers, who registered at the Hotel
Chitina on Saturday evening last, left
for Cordova on Sunday morning.
R. J. Barry made a business trip
over the road this week, returning
on Monday night's train to Cordova.
John Foulkes, who is still Chit
ina's postmaster, and who recently
made a trip to Seattle, returned to
Cordova on the Alameda.
Section Foreman John Palmer
made a hurried business trip to Cor
dova this week, returning on Thurs
day evening's train.
A number of old-time Alaskans in
Chitina were glad to learn of the
money shipped to Seattle by the de
funct Fairbanks concern, was held
up at Cordova and not allowed to
leave the territory.
Peter Cordes moves into his new
building this week. Peter has a big
outfit of second-hand goods, which,
when on display, will pay you to look
at. Drop in and see him.
Who said we were not to have
skating tnis winter? It was just a
case of get busy, that’s all.
Geo. T. Cappell, Geo. Townsend
and Billy Krhum arrived from their
trip to Chititu creek last week after
a thirty days’ absence. They report
good prospects in placer and took
out some fine looking quartz, which
they will have assayed, and, if it
proves good, expect to be back in
about thirty days for more develop
ment work.
The many friends of Superintend
ent Murchison and Dr. Whiting are
glad to learn that they will be at
the front once more.
L Dyer, in charge of the Katalla
Company store at headquarters,
made a business trip to the big eon
struerion camp at mile 1-16 this
week.
Mrs. Wallace lias remodeled the
cook house for the section hands and
other railroad employes, which is a
big improvement and makes it much
handier for her.
Chas. Skopland, who has been at
work at the McCarty copper property,
near the Copper Mountain mine, was
an arrival in Chitina on Thursday ev
ening.