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VOL. L
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1910
NO. 2
Postmaster
Has Arrived
John Foulkes, Chitina’s postmas
ter. arrived on today s train and will
from now on be in charge of the
postoffice, which is being fitted up
at the Stringer building. There are
many here who have begun to kick
good and hard on account of mail
being handled as it has been for the
past two months, and have wondered
why the postmaster and an ofiicc
weren’t established here several
h week ago. Mr. Foulkes’ appoint
ment was confirmed in July and the
office should have been in commis
sion by August 18th, but the Chitina
stamp and paraphernalia necessary
to establish an office did not arrive
until the last trip of the steamer
Northwestern, and so he is here as
soon as possible under the circum
stances. That he will make a good
postmaster, we feel assured, as fit
gave the best of satisfaction while
at work for Uncle Sam in Cordova
New Trail
A Revelation
J. Hawkinson, one of the old-tim
ers of Alaska in this mineral beit,
and who has two placer claims on
Bonnifield creek, returned here on
Tuesday from a trip to Portland,
Ore., on a visit to his brother. He
has been away only three months,
and says that he expected to hive
to return to his claims by the Va'
dez trail to Copper Center, and was
much surprised to learn that he cou’d
come as far as Chitina in a passenger
coach. He left Thursday for his
claims, by the way of the new gov- i
ernment trail, saying as he left that'
he could hardly realize he was in
Alaska, the transportation now be
ing such a snap.
Frank Cole, of the Chitina road
house, is the real nimrod around
these parts. One day this week he j
went out for a few hours and re
turned from the hillside with over
two dozen ptarmigan—and he didn’t
forget his friends. The ptarmigan
are now turning white as winter ap
proaches, their plumage being about
half brown and half white at the
present time.
Big Celebration on Railroad Day
Chitina had her first big day on
Sunday last, when the excursipn
train from Cordova arrived between
12 and 1 o'clock. There were about
123 people aboard the train, who, af
Ur arriving, scattered all over the
town, and were soon shaking hands
with old friends anu began to size
up and inquire all anout our coun
try and town here. The visitors stat
ed that it was raining hard at 7
o'clock in the morning before leav
ing Cordova and every indication that
showers were to follow. Those who
had visited the interior before had
no fears of the weather and as ex
pected an ideal day was awaiting
them at Chitina, where the sun al
ways shines.
It was a merry crowd and the
Cordova brass band enlivened the
occasion with a number of selec
tions en route. Refreshments were
also served and all congratulated
themselves upon being numbered
among the party. To many the
scenery along the line, and particu
larly between Tiekel and Chitina was
a revelation and this alone amply
repaid them for the trip. Notwith
standing this was the first regular
passenger through to Chitina, as the
rails had just been laid to that town,
the run of 132 miles was made in'
four and a half hours.
A reception committee met
the train and the freedom ot
the city was extended by Mayor
Exum. Judge Ferguson and Captain
Hill, who were untiring in their ef
forts to see that all spent an enjoy
able day. And to the matrons of
Chitina too much credit cannot be
given for their hospitality. They
had very thoughtfully arranged
luncheon parties and in this way
were enabled to entertain a great
many friends in their newly erecteo
homes, where an agreeable surprise
awaited their guests. As a result
their praise is being sung by those
who were fortunate enough to par
take of the noon day meal, which
they so generously provided.
The program of sports started
promptly at 2:30 o’clock and the dif
ferent events were pulled off prompt
ly on schedule time. The main fea
ure was the boat race on the lake,
three crews being entered and was
exciting from start to finish. Captain
Krueger’s men were victorious and
won the prize of J20. They carried
the red flag and his oarsmen were
Oscar Michelson J. Hall and Carl
Sand. The blue flag crew consisted
of Oscar Spane, John Hollis, Pete
Iveson and Ed. Cannon, who came in
second. Theo. Sweers, Gjs Johnson.
Bert Anderson and Chas. Ramstead
rowed the boat, over which waved
the green flag.
There was an Interesting 50-yard
ladies race, which was won by Mrs.
St. Clair, the prize being a silver
toilet set. The boys 7 5-yard race
was won by Herb Young; prize, pair
of Club skates. The 75-yard three
legged race, prize $10, A. Ban and
Bert Anderson. Standing broad
jump, prize $5, Claud Snyder. Run
ning broad jump, $5, Williams. One
hundred yard race, free-for-all, was
won by Jack O’Brien, with Jack
O’Neil second. The prizes were $20,
and $5 respectfully.
In the tug of war contest there
was considerable rivalry. Captain
Oscar Strand’s team capturing the
$35 cash prize. His men were Ol
son, Hola, Timothy, Creiggs and
Johnson. The losing t?am was com
posed of Bell, Anderson, Quiglin,
Soversoa, Warner, Thomas and
O’Neil.
Immediately after the sports were
over an adjournment was taken to
the newly erected pavilion in front
of the townsite company’s office on
Fairbanks avenue, where dancing
was indulged.in for several hours.
The Cordova band and a siring or
chestra furnished the music and the
worshippers at the shrine of Goddess
Terpsichore enjoyed themselves un
til dinner time. There was a prize
waltz for a prize of $10, which was
awarded to Mrs. Reeder and Captain
Hill by the judges. Dr. Whiting, E.
L. Harwood and E. W. Exum.
The reception committee, who
worked hard to clear the grounds
and get things in readiness, greatly
regretted their inability to enclose
the dancing pavilion, erect seats and
put in a stove as at first planned, but
they were still at work wnen tbt
train whistled a warning that our vis
itors were here, and the *only com
plaint heard was the unfinished con
dition of the pavilion, for as even
ing set in it was most too chilly tc
dance in the open air, while the mu
sicians had hard work to manipulate
their instruments. We predict that
on the 25th of next September, when
Railroad Day will have rolled
around, Chitina will have three times
the amount of visitors on the exeur
sion train; that our present frontier
condition will have changed into
an ideal, thriving interior city ana
that there will be many times the
present number of people to extend
courtesy and hospitality to our
guests.
Frank Alba, the “Mushing Kid,” j
with whom nearly everyone is ac
quainted from Cordova as for as ftif
Bonanza mines and all over the great
copper belt, made another trip up
the line this week, taking with him
a good supply of reading matter, in
cluding copies of the Leader, for the
miners and prospectors, and expects
to go as far as Mile 196, or the Bon
anza mine. He has arranged with
the Northern Meat Market, Chitina
branch, to take a supply of fresh
meat twice a week for the benefit
of camps along the line, which will
be greatly appreciated and fill a long
felt want. Frank expects to use a
horse this fall and possibly part of
the winter, as he will use the trail
between here and Willow creek.
When the weather is bad he will use
his dog team, as he did all last win
ter, from Tiekel to Mile 133.
Conductor Jack Conley was taken
quite ill early Friday morning, and
was unable to perform his regular
duties going into Cordova. H. H.
Wilson, his efficient brakeman, tak
ing charge of the train on the wav
down.
Station Man is Badly
Injured by a Bear
On exhibition at the MacCormac
hotel, in Cordova, is the skul! of a
brown she bear, which Dr. Whiting
had mounted and sent down about
two weeks ago. Had it not been fo*
the timely arrival of Mike Bloom
quist, a partner of Ernest Sundahl,
two Swedish station men located at
Mile 177, the latter would undoubt
edly have been torn to pieces by the
enraged animal.
The men were fishing on a small
tributary of the Lakina about two;
miles from camp. They had become'
separated a few hundred feet, when :
of a sudden Bloomquist heard a
stream from his partner, and run
ning towards him was horrified to
see an enraged she bear biting and
badly lacerating Sundahl, who was
lying face downward on the ground.
The old bear evidently had cubs in
that vicinity and immediately at
tacked the unlucky Swede, knock
ing him down with one blow of her
big paw, inflicting a deep gash ten
inches long from the shoulder to the
back. Bloomquist, who fortunate
ly, had a rifle with him, fired a shot
at the animal as she was tearing at
the back of his partner, the bullet
taking effect in the abdomen, but
Bid not quiet her rage until anoth
er ball was fired into her
body. The bear then went back
to inhere she had left her cubs,
and finding them safe, made a rush
for Bloomquist. The latter stead
ied himself for the attack, and as
the bear raised on her hind legs to
strike him, he shot her straight
through the heart, and she dropped
to the ground.
Bloomquist then assisted Sundabl
to Camp 177, £nd immediately start
ed for Camp 182, where the hospital
is situated, and Drs. Whiting and
Schreck returned with him to the
injured man. The wounds, which
consisted of a badly mangled shoul
der and a large rip in the back were
dressed and Sundahl removed to the
hospital, where he is at present con
fined.
The party returned that evening
to get the bear, and if possible the
cubs. The mother had moved about
100 feet from where she dropped,
showing the great vitality of these
brown bears, asthe heart was torn in
shreds.
Bear are very numerous all along
the line of railroad, and as not one
man in ten carries a rifle, the above
is a pretty good object lesson to
any one when in woods to "keep
cases” on the brown bear. They’re
bad ones.
Branch Line
to Copper nine
W. H. Hilts arrived in town Tues
day from the head waters of th<=
Kuskalina. The copper properties
of Messrs. Deyo, Gray. Price, Mc
Carty and McConnel are all in this
vicinity, which is about 12 miles
from the main line of the railroad
to the Bonanza, and Mr. Hilts, who
has been doing assessment work foi
some of the owners, says there is
considerable talk of constructing a
branch line to these properties when
the railroad begins handling ore, and
that it will be a paying proposition
on the part of the property owners.
Outfitting at
This Place
*.
Albert Miller arrived in Chitina
this week from his placer claims on
White river. He intends to pur
chase a miner’s grub stake here for
he and his partner, Al. Brown, and
will take it in by pack horse, over
the summer trail. Mr. Miller’s
claims are located about 100 miles
from the head of the White. He
says they intend to work all winter,
using the rocker or long tom, and
can make from five to seven dollars
a day on the beach diggings, which
is far better than remaining idle dur
ing the winter months.
J. C. Cawley, who has been witn
the Chitina Townsite Co. all sum
mer. left this week for Valdez, where
he will inspect a number of the
mines tributary to the galcier city.
Mr. Cawley is an assayer and all
ronnd mining man and is much in
terested in the quartz showings from
the newly discovered prospects near
Valdez. He says there is telluride
and tellirium in a sample of quartz,
which Mr. Golden showed him this
summer, something he hasn’t seen
since leaving Colorado and declares
that the prospects are most encour
aging if the leads discovered are as
good as the sample. Mr. Cawley will
spend several weeks at the glacier
city in the assay office after an in
spection of the mines, and promises
to send the Leader a report of the
ore in that district. He speaks very
highly of this mineral belt in this
section and believes Chitina will soon
have need for an assay office.
G. V7. Johnson, who is in the for
estry service, made a visit to Chitina
this week.
Are Locating
Quartz Claims
H. S. Dean, Len Erickson and An
drew Johnson have located three
quartz claims near the head of Falls
creek in Dean’s basin, about 16 miles
east of Taral, or a distance of 20
miles from Chitina. Mr. Dean was ex
hibiting a few fine samples in Chit
ina last week, stating that a mill
test had been made which gave them
$2" to the ton. The ledge or surface
showing is about 15 feet in width,
and they have developed a vein of
free milling ore after tunneling about
30 feet, which is fully two feet wide
and has great promise of depth.
Natives are
, Destitute
Goodlataw, chief of the Taral In
dians, was a visitor in town iasc
week. He reports that there are
about 50 r.en women and children
in his jurisdiction, and that his peo
pie are in a bad way this season
Owing to a very little fur being
caught last winter and a poor run
of salmon this year, the Indians have
no money or food, and, according to
til reports, they are in really desti
tute circumstances for the winter.
An appeal to the Women's Episcopal
Guild in Cordova, and all charitably
inclined people, has already been
made, and if any one can help by
dousting food or clothing of an.
kind, they will be doing a Christian
and humane act. It is claimed that
the natives will suffer from cold this
winter, and if any one wishes to help
by leaving clothing or donations of
any kind at the Red Dragon club
house in Cordova, the management
will see to its prompt delivery.
Messrs. Conley and Newton have
been in charge of trains on the lo
cal run from Cordova this week
Messrs. Holden, Dunlap and Jones
are their trainmen. Frank Town
send and Dan Rice are pulling the
trains, with Jack Terry and Eddie
Wildt keeping the engines hot.
John Rosin this week purchased
the McReynolds laundry and bath
house and expects to more them in
to bis new building, now being erxt
ed on the Sullivan property on Third
street. A small stream runs through
this property which is open the year
around, thus guaranteeing a plenti
ful supply of water necessary in his
business.
The good people of Miles Glacier
claim to have quite a burden lifted
from their minds, and are enjoying
a little quiet and peace since the
launching of “Deacon” Jones’ gas
boat. The launching was a success,
though in attempting to start the
craft appeared a little dizzy. The
Deacon was there, however, with an
extra sparkplug and a dry cell of his
own invention, and he now claims
to have the best launch this far
north. He intends to run by the fa
mous Childs glacier and on down in
to the flats for a duck hunt. If you
should meet him and see him fumb
ling with a sparkplug its policy to
have an important engagement and
beat it, quick, too, for you know the
brand of the fellow who carries a
sparkplug, and the Deacon has them
all beat when it comes to what Chief
Goodlataw calls “Hi yu talk—maybe
so, no say nothing.”
The old 50 and 51 spots are now
across the river double-heading ov
er the “hump,” with Johnny Fillin
ger and Henry Lee at the throttles,
and Elgin Vaughn and Jack Court
ney at the scoops.
Native Copper
White River
Zeke Mullet arrived in Chitina last
week from the White river country.
He intends remaining here until
about December 1, when he will se
cure a horse and return over the
winter trail to the claims which he
and his partner, Frank Smith, have
located. Mr. Mullet says they have
located eleven copper claims and all
have splendid showings of fine nari
copper and glance. The head of the
White river is about 120 miles from
Chitina, and is best reached by the
winter trail, leaving mile 191 and
going down the Kennicott for nine
miles to the Nizina river, thence up
the Nizina for over 30 miles till the
Nizina glacier is reached. The trail
then leads up Skoli creek till the
White or Skoli glacier is reached,
and the traveler finds himself in a
splendid mineral belt. The White,
Skoli and Chitistone rivers all have
their source in the White or Skoli
glaciers.
Old Timer
Is Returning
Frank Alba is in receipt of a let
ter from Wm. Farrell, one of Alas
ka's old-timers, well known in the
interior and having business inter
ests in Cordova. Mr. Farrell is now
engaged in the real estate bn in".ss
at Englewood, California, and in ve
ply to Frank's letter informing him
he could now come to Chitina by
rail, express.-d great surprise, saying,
that he thought it impossible to get
this far this year, and announced
that he would arrive soon on out
of the next steamers, take a trip
over the route by train on which
he had spent many weary hours of
mushing, and purchase property at
the Chitina townsite, realizing thar it
must be a good investment, and will
! erect a building here h> November
I first.
The teams being used on the gov
ernment road came into town Wed
nesday and returned heat ily load
ed with supplies for the men work
ing on the trail.
Send us your Job Printing.
Work Will Soon Start
On Kuskalina Bridge
sy
It is expected that trains will be i
running over the new Kuskalina j
steel bridge by Nov. 1st. or shortly j
thereafter.
The Seward is now unloading the
last of the steel and it Is being rush
ed to the front as fast as needed.
This bridge is 720 feet long and con
clsts of two anchor spans, each 235
feet long, and one center span 250
feet. It is 235 feet above water at
the highest point. On account of pre
vailing conditions a sling carrier is'
taken across the river on cables. The
masonary work is all in place and
one of the towers will be construct
ed at this end of the line and carried
across complete. This weighs over
one hundred tons.
It will take ten days in which to
complete the tower, take it across
the river and put it In place. Sev
en days more will be required to fin
ish the bridge, the construction of
which means the accomplishment of
a great engineering feat.
'ihe total weight of the steel re
quired is 1,200 tons, and of this
amount the Seward is now unload
ing and storing on the dock 997
tons. This will be taken out the
line as fast as required, the tower
being loaded on flat cars today. The
Katalla company is expending tens
of thousands of dollars expediting the
work.
In order to quickly discharge from
the freighter the 2,000 ton of steel
rails, an engine has been a.-signed to
work at the dock and four cars an
hour are unloaded and rushed to the
yard, where another crew is engag
ed in unloading and placing the rails
in piles. A third crew is working on
an Emerson bender machine, curb
ing the rails and as fast as these
are unloaded they are being shipped
to the front.
It seems remarkable when one con
siders the many seperate pieces of
the bridge which are landed and must
be put together again, each bolt ii its
place, that the structure can be prac
tically rebuilt without any mistakes.
Experience in handling the bridg ■
material has enabled the steamer of
ficials and others to land the steel
in the most systematic manner, sc
that the pieces needed first are the
first to arrive on the ground.
CHi m ii SERVICES.
Mrs. Henry Burkhart is in receipt
of a letter from Rev. S. Hall Young,
of the Presbyterian Jlission, of Cor
dova, announcing that he will be in
Chitiua next Tuesday evening and
will hold services here on that night.
All are invited to attend the meet
ing which will no doubt be held In
the building now occupied by Mr,
Exum and the Townsite company.