OF GENERAL INFORMATION
The citizens of Fairbanks cele
brated the passage of tne Alaska
railroad bill on Monday February
23 following the passage of the bill
by the House on February 18. Mayor
Smith proclaimed a holiday and it
was given over entirely to celebrat
ing. Within three hours after the
news of the passage of the bill had
been received over $1,000 had been
subscribed to celebrate the event
in a fitting manner.
The Fairbanks Times issued a
two-color paper on Sunday which
presented a very attractive appear
ance. The whole town had been
preparing for the event for weeks
and when the fun began with a
minstrel parade there were few
citizens who were not in line. For
the evening two big dance halls
were engaged, with a lftoe of autos
running between, and everything
free as the air. Special trains
brought the miners from the creeks
to help celebrate in a manner which
will not be eclipsed until the first
train from Chitina reaches the in
terior metropolis. Terminal grounds
have already been the subject of
discussion among the business men.
The Seattle Times of February 21
* contains a lengthy telegram from
Washington, written by W. W. Jer
mane, the well known correspond
ent at the national capital, contain
ing much information in reference
to the Alaska railroad bill, which
is of interest to our readers. Among
other things he says:
hirst Road from Chitina
If the president does not decide
to purchase existing lines by the
time the government lines are com
menced, freight and passengers will
be carried to and from the ocean
terminals over the existing privately
■ owned roads at rates to be pre
scribed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
Those who have studied the ques
tion believe the government will
start construction from the present
terminus of the Copper River &
Northwestern on its road to Fair
banks. A short branch line will
tap the Bering river coal field.
Route of Second Une
The second line, it is believed,
will start from the present terminus
of the Alaska Northern and will
extend to the Matanuska coal field.
There is also a possibility, it is
stated, that the government engi
neers will decide to establish an
ocean terminus of this line on
Prince William Sound, instead of
going all the way to Seward.
Recent reports received in Wash
ington are to the effect that a prac
ticable route from Prince William
Sound to the Matanuska field has
been discovered that is 125 miles
shorter than the route determined
upon by the promoters of the Alaska
Northern. It is said that a branch
of this Prince ' Wllliarii Sound
Matanuska line may be extended
westward through the valley of the
Kuskokwim. This valley, it is said,
grows practically unlimited quanti
ties of reindeer moss and thousands
of reindeer could be herded there.
The meat supply o fthe entire terri
tory, as well as some or the states
could be raised there, according to
the experts.
A short road connecting with the !
Matanuska line would aftord means
of getting this meat supply to con
sumers and would also open up this
rich valley to settlers.
Xo Time to Be Post
Congress has appropriated $1,
000,000 for making surveys, and it
is expected that the surveying par
ties will he put in the field as early
in the spring as is practicable, so
that no part of the short working
season will be lost.
The first duty devolving on the
'4) president is the selection of another
Goethals to take charge of the
Alaska railroad construction work.
Although the task is not so great
as the construction of the Panama
Canal, the responsibility resting on
the chief officer will be just as
heavy as it has been on the Panama
Canal builder.
Around this office the president
and the secretary of war will
endeavor to gather as competent a
corps of assistants as those who
have worked on the isthmus. It is
expected that army officers will be
placed at the head of all important;
departments of the Alaska railroad
construction service, so that this
great work, when completed, will
stand as a monument to the effi
ciency of our army engineers’
corps.
Canal Equipment Coining North
It is believed that practically all
surveys of trunk lines will be com
pleted this year and contracts let
t for materials and supplies next
winter. Much of trie preliminary
work in connection with the laying
out of the routes has already been
done, partly by parties sent into
Alaska by the geological survey and
partly by the Alaska Railroad Com
mission, whose report was the basis
for the present legislative action.
A part of the construction equip
ment used on the Panama Canal
will be transferred to Alaska during
the coming season. Many of the
employes on the canal zone will go
north with this equipment. They
will form the nucleus of the railroad
construction force while surveying
and collection of equipment is going
on in the field.
George Fo3s, who was sentenced
by Judge Frederic E. Fuller, of
Fairbanks, to serve 12 years in the
penitentiary at McNeil’s Island,
died at the penitentiary a few days
after his arrival there of tubercu
losis. He was included among the
prisoners recently taken outside by
I'nited States Marshal L. ’t. Erwin.
The worst storm experienced in
Tanana for years raged during the
last week in February. The Tanana
vJfalley Railroad was tied up and the
[ w .ssenger train was unable to reach
Fairbanks from the creeks, although
two engines were attached to it.
Charles A. Eby, who has been
connected with S. Blum & Co.’s
bank in Cordova for several years as
cashier was arrested today charged
with embezzling $7,500 of the funds
of the bank. The arrest caused a
sensation as the accused has occu
pied a prominent position in the
social and business life of Cordova
since his arrival here five years ago.
The warrant upon which he was
arrested was sworn out by the
American Surety Company who
bonded the accused in the sum of
$10,000. He was given a prelim
inary hearing this afternoon before
Commissioner Adams and was
bound over to the grand jury with
bail fixed at $5,000.
The system of peculations is be
lieved to have ejflended over a long
period of time as the bank officials
had the utmost confidence in his
honesty and integrity. The officials
of the bank have, however, known
of the shortage for several weeks
and a notice was recently pub
lished announcing that he was no
longer connected with the bank. The
warrant upon which he was taken
in charge is as follows:
“That said Chas. A. Eby on the
17th of February, 1914, was an
officer, agent and employe of S.
Blum & Co., as cashier of their
bank, had in his possession and
under his care the Sum of $7,500,
which money came in his possession
and under his control by virtue of
his employment in the bank and was
the personal property of S. Blum &
Co.; that he unlawfully, wilfully
and feloneously did embezzle and
fraudulently convert the same to his
own use.”
When interviewed this afternoon
by a representative of the Daily
Alaskan, Manager Brock of the S.
Blum & Co.’s bank affirmed the re
ported shortage and stated that he
had been cognizant of the facts
since about the middle of February.
He also states that the bank is fully
protected from loss as the cashier
was bonded by the American Surety
Company in the sum of $10,000.
Immediately after the shortage was
discovered the officers of the bank
notified the surety company and
they are now prepared to make good
the shortage up to the amount of
the bond. Mr. Brock states that
the bank will not lose a dollar.
In compliance with the new order
issued from the attorney-general’s
office closing the saloons in Alaska
on Sunday, the doors of Cordova’s
thirst quenching emporiums were
closed yesterday for the first time
in their history. From different
parts of the territory come reports
that the saloonmen are preparing to
fight the order but the proprietors
of Cordova appear to regard it in a
philosophical manner and complied
with the law without a murmur.
In Fairbanks the saloons are
forced to keep a record of all per
sons who take liquor from the prem
ises. This is ostensibly for the pur
pose of checking the sale of liquor
to natives but also informs the
officers where they are liable to find
a “little in the boitle for the morn
ing.” The tight-wads took advan
tage of the saloons being closed to
make good fellows of themselves by
inviting their friends to have some
thing.
Copies of the bill introduced in
Congress by Delegate Wickersham
to amend the land laws of Alaska
were received in the last mail. The
bill provides for the creation of a
land office in each of the four judi
cial divisions, with headquarters at
Juneau, Valdez, Nome and Fair
banks. A register and receiver at
each office to receive a salary of
$4,000 per year.
Scrip locations are limited by
being barred from tide or shore
lands, or upon the banks of any
navigable streams or waters, or
within one mile of such tide or
shore lands. Citizens who have
used their homestead rights in any
other state or territory shall not be
barred from exercising their home
stead right in Alaska. Homesteads
are to be surveyed by the govern
ment without expense to the h6me
steader; sections 16 and 36 to be
reserved for school sections; .fine
section near Fairbanks to be re
served for the University of Fair
banks and governmental experiment
station.
By the provisions of the bill the
mining laws passed by the Alaska
legislature and approved by the
governor on April 3 3, 1913, are
disapproved. It provides that no
association placer mining claim shall
be located in excess of 40 acres.
That during each year, including
the year of location, and until a
patent has been issued not less than
$100 worth of labor shall be per
formed or improvements made for
development, on each location. The
owners of claims or agents to make
affidavit of representation specifying
the work performed. Powers of at
torney must be filed in the recorders
office in the judicial division where
the location is made. Any person
may locate not more than two
claims or one association for any
one principal or association during
any calendar month.
Section 16 provides that "no per
son shall hereafter locate, cause or
procure to be located, for himself
more than two placer mining claims
in any calendar month; provided,
that one or both of such locations
may be included in an association
claim.” Violation of this act renders
the location of the whole area null
and void.
Attorney E. E. Ritchie, of Valdez,
who is now in Cordova attending the
term of federal court, has been noti
fied that the circuit court of appeals
has affirmed the decision given m
favor of James Heney against the
Copper River & Northwestern Rail
road for $2,225, for injuries sus
tained in the Chitina tunnel several
years ago.
Attorney Edmund Smith, who
formerly lived in Valdez but now
residing in Seattle, believes he has
conceived a plan wrhich if followed
out will hasten the building of the
government railroads in Alaska. He
has marked a map of Alaska show
ing where the railroads ought to be
built and asks the Chambers of
Commerce of Cordova, Valdez and
Seward to unite in bringing it to
the attention of the commission
which will be appointed by the
president to select the routes.
The plan does not embrace leas
ing or the purchase of the Copper
RlVer & Northwestern railroad. It
urges the construction of the trunk
line from Valdez to Fairbanks with
a branch line to Chitina from a
point near Copper Center. The
Alaska Northern is to be acquired
and extended to the head of Cook’s
Inlet and branching ofT towards the
Yentna as development required,
ultimately reaching the Kuskokwim.
A branch from the trunk line a
short distance north of Coppei
Center running westward through
the Nelchina gold fields and Matan
uska coal fields to connect with the
Seward line near the head of Cook’s
Inlet.
, Mr. Smith states that this system
of railroads would cover practically
all of Alaska that has any need of
railroads at the present time and
amounts to 630 miles of road. He
believes one coast terminal will
open up and develop all sections of
Alaska, and that his plan should
meet with the approval of the
Copper River & Northwestern rail
road company as it would provide a
valuable feeder for their line.
He fears that if the Alaska towns
which w'ant to be the ocean ter
minus of the trunk line get to fight
ing among themselves that the con
struction of the railroads may be
aeiayea maennueiy.
A persistent rumor' has been cir
culating in Cordova to the effect
that a rich strike had been made on
Gold Run creek in Shushanna dis
trict but is apparently without
foundation. There are a number of
prominent mining men trom that
district now in Cordova and they
place little faith in the stcry of the
rich find. All agree, however, that
it is well within the possibilities of
the camp, in fact they expect some
thing of the sort but are not desir
ous of starting a stampede unless
conditions justify it.
Conservative, experienced miners
who have spent several months in
the district believe that many of the
miners have struck pay on their
claims but have not spread the news
broadcast. Some of the best ground
in the district has already been in
! volved in litigation which threatens
to retard development work, and
curtail the output for the coming
season. Miners who have struck
pay hesitate to tell of their good
fortune for fear of starting litiga
tion over their own or adjoining
claims.
M. P. P. Riis, who went to Shu
shanna last fall has returned to
Cordova and is stopping at the
Windsor. He believes the camp has
a good future, sufficient pay having
been located last fall to warrant
this belief. Another feature which
has strongly impressed him is the
fact that many fine specimens of
mineralized quartz, many of them
showing free gold, have been picked
up by prospectors and hunters. He
believes that even should the plac
ers be found not to extend over a
wide area that the quartz will more
than make up the average of
Alaskan camps. The country looks
good to him and he believes pay will
be located on a large number of
creeks when the miners are able to
open up tne ground.
Mr. Riis has been in the other
Alaskan camps and states that none
of the experienced miners are
knocking the camp, ihey are work
ing to reach bedrock and have faith
in the camp making good. The
ground is mostly thawed and water
has kept the miners back. There
are many good practical miners,
with years of experience in other
interior camps, who are preparing
j to operate next summer and have
i spent the winter getting up wood
i and other preparations. With his
partner, Maurice A. Runge, he has
been prospecting bench claims on
the eastern slope of the Shushanna,
with indifferent success. His part
ner will remain in the camp all
summer.
Louis Dahl is a recent arrival
from Shushanna, where he has been
mining on Johnson creek, having
sunk eight holes to bedrock, where
the pay runs from 10 to 15 cents to
the pan. The ground is shallow, It
being from four to eight feet to
bedrock, which is of a porphry and
rhilote formation. Mr. Dahl is
very optimistic as to the future of
the camp and he came to Cordova
to get an outfit and will return to
the diggings on Thursday’s train.
Mr. Dahl made the trip from
Shushanna to McCarthy in exactly
24 hours, including stops at the
roadhouses and reports the trail
over the glacier in excellent condi
tion. He left the camp at 6:20
o’clock on the morning of March 3
and at 6:40 the next morning was
eating breakfast in McCarthy. -The
trip was made light and with a team
of eight dogs.
"There is a large settlement at
the mouth of Bonanza creek,’’ says
Mr. Dahl, “the men living princi
pally in tents, although a number
of cabins are in course of construc
tion. The lumber for these is being
brought from Johnson and Alder
creeks, which is a haul of four
miles through a narrow canyon. On
Johnson creek there are between
300 and 400 cabins and they are
all occupied. Lots of the old-timers
from Dawson are arriving at
Chisana and the settlement on
Bonanza Is composed mostly of
Klondikers.”
Carl Kurz, who has been em
ployed by the Copper River &
Northwestern Railroad Company as
pumpman at Mile 39, died this
morning of intestinal obstruction.
Deceased was well known in Cor
dova. He was 35 years old and a
native of Germany, where his father
now resides.
NATIVE BOY KILLED
IN A SNOWSLIDE
A native boy recently lost his life
in a snowslide neax Paxton’s road
house on the Fairbanks trail. He
started out hunting in the morning
and when he failed to return at
night his father gave the alarm.
Both whites and natives organized
a searching party and followed his
tracks to the edge of a snowslide.
The boy had been wearing snow
shoes and was found head down. He
had been able to kick off one of the
shoes but the other was tied in such
a manner that he was unable to
free himself from it and had
smothered before aid reached him.
PIONEER OF FAIRBANKS
MEETS DEATH AT RUBY
Fred Wagner, a pioneer in the
north and who worked on Pedro
creek in the Fairbanks district
during the winter of 1903, met
death recently at the bottom of a
deep shaft on Banner creek, Ruby
district. We w.s working with his
partner Tommy Garneau when the
rope which was hoisting the bucket
parted when the tucket was near
the surface. The loaded bucket fell
on the unfortunate man who was
unable to get out of the way. He
W'as badly .njured and his partner
had to leave him in the shaft while
he went to another camp 12 miles
away for assistance. Wagner was
taken to Ruby for medical treat
ment but succumbed to his injuries.
SERIAL HO. 01641
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE AT
JUNEAU, ALASKA.
In the Matter of the Application uf
Frank .1. Nolan for a Patent to the
Lynx, Big Horn, Lone Star and
Monarch Lodes, Mineral Survey No.
044, situated in the Forty Mile Min
ins District of Alaska.
Hotice of Application for Patent.
NOTICE JS HEREBY GIVEN:
That in accordance with the laws of
the United States, and especially tn
pursuance of the Act of Congress ap
proved May 10, 1872, Frank .1. Nolan,
a citizen of the United States, whore
Post Office address is No. 817 Alaska
Building, Seattle, Washington, will
make application for a patent to 1500
feet along the Lynx Lode, 1500 feet
along the Big Horn Lode, 1500 feet
along the Lone Star Lode and 1500 feet
along the Monarch Lode, with surface
ground 300 feet or less in width on
each side of -the center of said
lodes or veins of quartz or other
rock in place, bearing gold, cop
per and other valuable mineral, and in
cluded in said mining claim, which is
accurately described upon the Official
Plat of Mineral Survey No. 044 posted
on the claim, and by the Field Notes of
such Official Survey on hie with the
Register of the Land Office at Juneau,
Alaska.
United States Location Monument No.
8 to which this survey is tied is situ
ated in Latitude 61 deg. 47 min. N„
Longitude 142 deg. 25 min. AV. This
survey is located on the south side of
the Middle Fork of White River and
about 3 miles above its junction with
mat river.
The lode locations are contiguous and
constitute a single tract of ground de
scribed as beginning at Corner Xo. 1
of the Lynx Lode, which is identical
with Corner No. 1 of the Big Horn
Lode, front which point United States
Location Monument No. 8 bears Nortli
17 deg.# 50 min. East 2029 feet distant,
and running thence from said Corner
No. 1 Soutli 53 deg, 37 min. East 1500
feet along the Northerly line of the
Lynx Lode to Corner No. 2 thereof;
thence South 43 deg. 25 min. West 600
feet to Corner No. 3 thereof; thence
North 53 deg. 37 min. West 1500 feet
to Corner No. 4 of the Lynx Lode,
which is identical with Corner No. 4
of the Big Horn Lode, and on the same
course 1500 feet to Corner No. 3 of the
Big Horn Lode, which is identical with
Corner No. 4 of the Lone Star Lode;
thence North 57 deg. 52 min. West 1500
feet to Corner No. 3 of the Lone Star
Lode, which is identical with Corner
No. 4 of the Monarch Lode, and on the
same course 1500 feet to Corner No. 3
of the Monarch Lode: thence North 43
deg. 25 min. East 600 feet to Corner No.
2 of the Monarch Lode: thence South
57 deg. 52 min. East 1500 feet to Cor
ner No. 1 of the Monarch Lode, which
is identical with Corner No. 2 of the
Lone Star Lode, from which point U. S.
L. M. No. 8 bears North 85 deg. 30 min.
East 3108.6 feet distant; thence from
said Corner No. 2 of the Lone Star Lode
South 57 deg. 52 min. East 1500 feet
to Corner No. 1 of the Lone Star Lode,
which is identical with Corner No. 2
of the Big Horn Lode, from which
point U. S. L. M. No. 8 bears North
60 deg. 20 min. East 2104.8 feet distant;
thence from said Corner No. 2 of the
Big Horn Lode South 53 deg. 37 min.
East 1500 feet to Corner No. 1 of the
Big Horn Lode, which is identical with
Corner No. 1 of the Lynx Lode, and is
the point of beginning first herein
described.
There are no ad.iolnlng lode or min
eral claims officially surveyed.
The variation at all corners is 31 deg.
30 min. East.
The area of each location is as fol
lows:
Lynx Lode .20.506 Acres
Big Horn Lode .20.506 Acres
•Lone. Star Lode.20.262 Acres
Monarch Lode .20.262 Acres
Total acreage Mineral
Survey No. 914.81.536 Acres
This notice is Issued from the United
States Land Office at Juneau. Alaska,
this 27th day of January. A. D. 1914.
for posting in said Land Office and for
publication for not less than sixty days
in the Ohitina Leader, a newspaper of
general circulation, published nearest to
said claims, and hereby designated for
that purpose.
C. B. WALKER,
Register.
MAURICE D. LEEHEY,
Attorney for Claimant,
817 Alaska Building.
Seattle, Washington.
First publication February 17, 1914.
Last publication, April 21, 1914.
ic ftfjubert &fjipper”
■ailed Absolutely Free to hr Shlwcn-Srnd “Sbnkert"
year name n a ytotal today
You want this valuable publication—it is worth hundreds of
dollars to you, issued at every change of the Fur Market,
giving you an accurate and reliable report of what is doing it.
all the Markets of the World in American Raw Furs.
Write for it—now—it’s free
«• »• SHUBEBT, 1st.. SR.’g'.glSy??
| WHEN YOU ARE IN CHITINA
f Why Don't You Stop at the
OVERLAND HOTEL
I The Best Hotel on the Copper River
T A large reading room and lobby on the second floor for the
t comfort of the traveler.
4 If yon stop with ns, yon are sure to meet all your friends.
| First-class Bar and Cafe in connection
♦ H. T. STAF8HOLT and JAMES HYLAAD, Proprietors.
♦ HORACE LEACH, Manager.
Pacific-Alaska
Navigation Co.
ALASKA FACiriC S. S. CO. ALASKA COAST CO.
Puget Sound=AIaska Route
Steamers leave Seattle every ten days of each month on the
5th, 15th and 25th
Yia the INSIDE PASSAGE for Ketchikan, Jnnean, Yakntat, Katalla,
Cordova, Valdes. Seward, Cook Inlet points and Kodiak Island.
Seattle-San Pranoisco connecting with steamers Yale and Harvard
for Southern California ports.
Schedule subject to change without notice.
B. F. WATSON, ALASKA TRANSFER CO.,
General Agent. Local Agent.
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP COMPANY
rast and commodious steamers sailing between Seattle, Ketchikan,
Wrangell, Juneau, Skagway, Cordova, Valdez, and Seward, via
INSIDE PASSAGE.
Sails from Seattle— Sails from Cordova—
February 28.ALAMEDA.March 8
March 10.NORTHWESTERN.March 18
Regular freight service for Ketchikan, Juneau, Sheep Creek.
Treadwell, Douglas, Cordova, Ellamar, Valdez and Batouche. Explosives
S. S. Seward. S. S. Seward, 5th; S. S. Latouche, 15th; S. S. Cordova,
25th of each month.
This company reserves the right to change schedule of steamers
without notice.
Tickets on sale at np-town office Alaska Steamship Bldg. Baggage
or freight will not he received at dock later than one hour before
sailing tims.
F. B. TRACY, T. J. TALLENT,
general Agent. Ticket Agent.
R. T,. H. MARS H A L, L
FREIGHTING
From McCarthy to Chisana
CONTRACTS WANTED
We Deliver the Goods
The Only Modern Hotel in Chitina
Steam Heated Rooms Parlor and Bath
Commercial Hotel
John Palmer, Propr.
FIRST CLASS BAR AND DINING ROOM
CHITINA. ALASKA
•The Mail Stage.
Makes Trip in from One to Three Days
Between McCarthy and Shushanna
FARE, $75
Freight at Current Rates. Baggage 2oe per pound.
GEORGE W. HANDY
McCarthy, Alaska
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