THE GHITINA LEADER
CHITINA, ALASKA
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postofflce at
Chltina, Alaska, under the Act of Conbress of March 2, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Tuesday by
HARRY G. STEEL, Editor and Proprietor.
Office: Hotel Chltina Building. Cordova Office: Dally Times.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Month .8 .SO
Six Months .2.00
One Year
3.50
ADVERTISING RATES
Made known upon application. They will be found reasonable for the service
given. Official publication for legal advertisements pertaining to mineral lands of
the Copper River District.
CHITINA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1915.
ANTIMONY MINING A NEW INDUSTRY.
The mining of antimony is a new industry in Alaska.
Although it has been known for several years that Alaska had
antimony deposits, none has been produced in commercial
quantities until the present year. During the season several
substantial shipments of this mineral have been made from
Fairbanks and Nome districts, and a discovery of antimony
ore was recently reported near Nizina. The production is
said to have been stimulated by the increased' demand for it
caused by the European war. Another effect of the demand'
has been the erection of an antimony smelter at Van Asselt,
a Seattle suburb. Antimony is found in nature in the metal
lic state, but its chief commercial source is stibnite, a sulphite
of antimony. Stibnite was known in very early times. The
paint used by Jezebel, the notorious wife of Ahab, the Jewish
king, was finely ground stibnite, and it was largely used by
the women of the East for many centuries for painting the
eyebrows and eyelashes and giving luster to the eyes. The
Arabs called it al-ko-hol, with which we may compare alcohol,
also an invention of an Arabian chemist. The origin of the
word antimony is not known. There is a legend that certain
monks were poisoned by it, and that the name is derived from
anti (against), and moine (a monk); so that the word would
mean “monk’s bane,” or something of that sort. The deri
vation, however, is purely fanciful. It is a bluish white, brit
tle, crystalline metal, and forms valuable alloys with other
metals, and this is its most important use in the arts. Type'
metal is an alloy of lead, antimony and tin, with sometimes a
little copper. The tin adds toughness, while the antimony
gives hardness and causes the alloy to expand upon solidify
ing, giving an accurate cast to the letter.
--:o:
THE GUGGENHEIM BOGYMAN.
The Seward Post is charging that practically every one
who says a word in favor of the Copper River & Northwestern
Railway is on the payroll of the Guggenlieims. It charges that
Col. Richardson in trying to get additional appropriations for
improving and keeping open the American overland trail is in
league with the Guggenlieims; that with the building of a gov
ernment railroad from Seward to Fairbanks there will be no
further need of an overland trail. In fact, the Ballaines, who
have interests in Seward, are quoted as also charging a giant
Guggenheim conspiracy to try and defeat the purposes of the
government railroad running from Seward.
The charges are so absurd on their face as to carry their
own refutation. It may be worth while to note that Col.
Richardson has been severely criticised for keeping the gov'
ernment road open from Valdez to the interior by the resi
dents of the Copper River Valley, on the theory that it was
paralleling of Copper River railroad at least as far as Chitina,
and the need ceased with the building of the railroad. Col.
Richardson, however, maintained that many people might
want to use the overland trail who did not want to use the
railroad. Even when his opponents stated that it was not in
tended for the government to enter into competition with
private carriers, the colonel insisted on following his own
judgment. In fact, the building and maintenance of the over
land trail has been one of his Alaskan hobbies. So much for
the argument that he is in league with the Guggenlieims.
Other alleged arguments advanced are just as baseless.
It is the same old tactics of shouting the cry of wolf. During
the conservation craze under Pincliot every resident of Cor
dova, and every one who dared to say a favorable word for
any of the operations of the Guggenlieims were accused of be'
ing in their employ. Every resident of Cordova was supposed
to be owned, body and soul, by the Guggenheims, notwith
standing the fact that Wiekersliam, who was fighting the
Guggenheims, received an equal break in votes.
Many Alaskans have readily discriminated between
“petty” officials and agents of the Guggenheims in Alaska,
who sought to further their own ends, and the real construc
tive operations of Guggenheim capital. The people resented
the officials getting into politics and trying to use the “Gug"
genheim club” for selfish purposes, and very properly smoked
them out.
There is enough room in Alaska for the government rail
road from Seward to the Matanuska coal fields, to the Tanana
and' finally to the Kuskokwim and Iditarod, and for the Cop*
per River & Northwestern to the Bering River coal fields, and
to the Matanuska, if it wants to build there, and also to the
Tanana and' the head of the White River, and for the govern
ment overland trail from Valdez to Fairbanks, or even a rail
road from Valdez to the interior, without fighting each other
and trumping up charges and imagining all sorts of conspir
acies. To rush into print with unsupported charges, on the
least suspicion, only cheapens us in the eyes of the people out
side who really want to do something for Alaska. — Juneau
Dispatch.
-•-:o:
When you are inclined to grumble at the fate which as
signed to you another winter in Interior Alaska while your
friends and associates are traveling the “great white way”
Outside, just console yourself with the thought that most of
those supposedly lucky fellows would give their good' right
arm to be back here before spring.—Iditarod Pioneer.
Water sells for 25 cents a bucket at Brooks. If you don’t
want to pay the price there is plenty else to drink.—Fairbanks
Citizen.
To the credit of Judge Bunnell it can be said, without
fear of contradiction, that he has presided over his division
in a manner entirely satisfactory to Interior Alaskans. Not
a voice has been lifted to accuse him of uiifaimess; not a
complaint has been heard regarding his judgment in matters
upon which he has been required' to rule. In short, he has
made good, and at the end of his first term of court finds him
self solidly established in a division where judges are given
the acid test.—Fairbanks Times.
COMMENTS OF ALASKAN NEWSPAPERS.
With respect to the building of the Matanuska branch
line, Commissioner Mears expressed the view that this work
could best be done in the winter time, and said if fund's were
not available to construct the roadbed this winter it would be
much cheaper to defer it until next winter.—Anchorage
Pioneer.
The editorial in the Cordova Times about our mail ser
vice, reprinted in this issue, is a good one. And the statement
that the editor of that paper makes in commenting on the fact
that the way to build up a large community is to patronize
home industry is correct. The mail order houses will never
help Alaska. People look to the merchants to subscribe to
everything that will help the people, and it is about time the
people cut out the mail order houses and bought better goods
in Fairbanks, with Fairbanks money, at mail order prices.—
Fairbanks News-Miner.
Cordova seems destined to become the metropolis of Alaska,
as the big merger completed today will place her in the ranks
of one of the territory’s heaviest ore producers. The immense
coal fields to be opened in the Bering River district, and the
mountains of ore in the Kennecott and other mines, will un
doubtedly bring her citizens riches beyond the dreams of
avarice. We are heartily glad’ to see our neighbor get her
just share of the good things slated for Alaska during the
coming year, and trust that she will help Valdez when her
time comes. The coming years promises to be great ones for
Prince William Sound, and Valdez Bay, and those who have
waited so long and so faithfully seem destined to reap their
reward.—Valdez Prospector.
The members of the Commission have, indeed, very natu
rally, shown an easily understood resentment when Anchor
age has failed to receive anything but the most favorable
notice in the papers of other places, but it would be absurd
for Anchorage or the Commission to expect other towns from
telling what is the truth, if they stick to the truth. Goodness
knows Seward has had' her own share of knocking, and let it
be said in the most friendly manner possible, Anchorage has
not displayed any very angelic disposition towards humility
or self'abnegation in attempting to show her infinite superi
ority to Seward as a terminal for the government railroad.
Seward has a perfect right to boost its own wares legitimate
ly, and it is very often hard to do so without contrasting those
wares with the opposition stock.—Seward Gateway.
The complete and sudden ending of navigation in Cook
Inlet for the year is to be regretted fo rthe sake of Anchorage.
The closing up of the water road to Anchorage at this time
of the year is going to prove to the government and to the
world that for nearly half the year anyhow, Seward must be
regarded as the only possible terminal of the government rail
road. The fact that so much freight is unable to get into
Anchorage shows that some shippers, the Engineering Com
mission included, were deceived by the mild weather of last
year, and looked for a longer season of navigation. No one
can be blamed’ for this. It looks as though the weather gods
had something against Seward or the Democratic administra
tion or something, and made last winter mild' purposely. From
this time forward it will be at least mildly interesting to
Seward people to observe the effects which the closing of the
Inlet navigation will have on this city.—Seward Gateway.
Just at this moment there is the same old trouble going
on over the government railroad. One clique seems to have
smelled out some horrible conspiracy against the present
route of the railroad', although the route has been definitely
decided upon, and millions of dollars have already been spent
on its construction along that route. Whenever an attack of
this kind is being delivered it is quite the fashion to see the
Guggenheims at the bottom of it all. Were there no Guggen
heims some of our eminent Alaskan friends might lose their
chief reason for existence. Of course, there is always some
ground for suspicion when a syndicate gets rich and owns
an awful lot of territory, but, after all, the Guggenheims paid
for all they got and made some mighty poor bargains at that.
But the great trouble is that when one man wishes to hurt
another politically or financially he feels it necessary only to
say that he is “on the Guggenheim payroll,” just as though
all of us would not honorably be on it if we could', even our
eminent friends aforesaid.—Seward Review.
Postal Inspector Neil should be dismissed from his pres
ent position, so far as his visits to Alaska are concerned. If
the present misfit government feels that it must retain such
incompetents then they might allow him to draw a salary,
but give him a nindefinite leave of absence. Through the fool
recommendations of this individual the postal service of
Alaska has been completely demoralized and thus far three
postmasters along the coast have tendered their resignations
sooner than attempt to conduct their offices with insufficient
and' poorly paid help. Simply because a man like Nei lis not
worth $80 a month, for the service he renders is no criterion
that Uncle Sam’s employes in this northland, who labor from
twelve to fourteen hours a day, should be paid the same star
vation wages.
MODERN WAR COMES HIGH.
In view of the fact that Great Britain’s war bill for less
Mian a year and a half of modern warfare will be in the neigh
borhood of $8,000,000,000, it is interesting to recall that dur
ing the 23 years that England fought Napoleon she spent only
$4,850,000,000. During the same period, due to Napoleon’s
thrifty method of making other countries bear most of the
expense of his wars, France spent just about $487,000,000.
In the last year of our Civil war the United States gov'
emment spent $1,030,690,400. The Civil war debt, which rep
resented outlay in addition to the current revenues of the gov
ernment, reached a total of $2,808,549,437, a sum which Eng'
land had exceeded before she had been in the present war six
months.
The enormous financial drain under modem war meJ,,ods
is a factor that must determine the length of the conflict. The
spirit may be willing, but the purse has its limitations.
--;o;
Hero Hobson may be a bell'ringer as a naval expert, but
we seem to be able to get no enjoyable and satisfactory intel
lectual reaction out of his statement that there is perfect ac
cord between Mr. Wilson and Mr. Bryan, and that Mr. Bryan
will support Mr. Wilson in 1916, while Mr. Wilson will support
Mr. Bryan in 1920. Mr. Bryan just at this moment doesn’t
have the appearance of a “good Indian.” He carries in his
right hand' something that gleams very like a scalping knife.
Furthermore, he is one of the poorest forgetters on American
soil, and there’s that one-term plank in the Baltimore plat*
form.
GROWTH NEWEST
TOWN ALASKA IS
PHENOMENAL
The town of Brooks, as it is called
on the records of the district court
of the Fourth Judicial Division, and
in all telegraph directories, is thf
newest town in Alaska. In fact
from the standpoint of a town, tt is
less than two months old, although
Its first building was constructed
during the month of May last, as
nearly as can be learned.
Brooks is the mercantile centre o1
the new Tolovana mining camp. It
is located on discovery, Uvengood
Creek, which was the first stream or
which good prospects, and later pay
dirt, was found in the new camp. It
lies, for the most part, on the right
limit bench claim off discovery, but
the first part of it was constructed
on the creek claim.
There are now about 95 buildings
at Brooks, which are completed. Sev
eral more are under process of con
struction, while there are at least
50 tents scattered here and there
among the buildings, whose occu
pants will later put up houses.
There are three streets at Brooks,
the longest of which is about three
quarters of a mile long. Then there
are several cross streets. The ma
jority of the business nouses are lo
cated on the longest street, or that
which is on the creek claim, the resi
dence portion of the town being
higher up on the gently sloping
benches.
In fact, the growth of Brooks is
nothing short of phenomenal. It
sprang up over night, so to speak
for practically all of its buildings
were constructed during the past 6C
days. Prior to that time it was prac
tically impossible to get lumber foi
buildings on the ground on account
of the poor condition of the trails. A
shortage of lumber and teams for
hauling it also had something to do
with retarding development in a
building way, for although two saw
mills have been working almost day
and night since they were first in
stalled at West Fork, at the head of
launch navigation on the Tolovana
river, last summer, they have been
unable to supply the demand for
their product as soon as the trails
became passable for teams and heavy
loads.
The business houses at Brooks are
similar to those in all new camps.
The residences, however, are general
ly very comfortable. Built either of
lumber or logs, they present a very
cozy appearance from the main street
of the business portion of the town,
as they rise tier upon tier on the
bench. The house which shelters the
wireless plant is located on the high
est point of the bench. Near it the
building which will be used as head
quarters for the resident commis
sioner and deputy marshal is under
construction.
And Brooks has its “tenderloin.”
It is situated in the best place in the
town, from a location point of view,
being up on the bench away from the
business portion of the city. Some
pioneer spirit with a regard for lo
cations as compared with famous
places, has called the height of land
“The Dardanelles." which name still
sticks to it, and by which it will pro
bably always be known.
Those who are familiar with the
situation in the Tolovana country
state that there is no doubt but that
the prospecting this winter will show
a big camp. In fact, some even go
so far a sto assert that it will be a
Becond Fairbanks.
-:o:
FRED MARTIN DENIES STORY OF
WEDDING ’FRISCO GIRL.
A rumor was circulated at Fair
banks that Fred. A. Martin, formerly
of that place, but now of Ancnorage,
had recently married a sister of
former Mayor Schmitz, of San Fran
cisco, and had won a bride worth
from $250,000 to $500,000. But Mr.
Martin comes out with a denial of
the romantic tale. He says that he
knows Schmitz, and that he was
fonnerly a partner of Schmitz’s
brother, but that he did not know
that Schmitz had a sister, and that
there is absolutely o foundation for
the story.
-:o:
STAGES REPLACE AUTOS.
The Northern Commercial Company
has discarded the use or autos on
the greater part of the Chitina-Fair
banks trail, at least until spring.
From this time on the old regulation
stages will be used, but it is probable,
according to the statement of the
stage line officials, that the use of
autos will be resumed in March and
April to accommodate the increased
passenger traffic, which always oc
curs at that time of the year.
Navigation is closed for the winter
in Cook Inlet, and many thrilling tales
are being told of the ice blockade at
Anchorage, and the narrow escape
the launches, stern-wheelers and
barges had, before they could be
towed to a place of safety. The Ad
miral Farragut took the barge Sperm,
three lighters, one stern-wheeler, two
gas boats and a big skiff in tow,
making a string nearly a mile long,
to Seldovia, where they will remain
until the opening of navigation next
spring.
As a result of navigation closing at
Anchorage most of the freight for
that place was taken back to Seward
for winter storage. The Farragut
discharged 650 tons there; the Kan
sas City 1,600 tons for the Engineer
ing Commission, and 100 tons for
merchants at Anchorage. The Kan
sas City, Seward and Alliance were
also compelled to store their freight
for Anchorage at Seward.
Many parties who came aboard of.
the Admiral Farragut at Anchorage
to greet friends and tend to business
matters were unable to get ashore,
and were brought to Seward. Among
these are. Harry G. Locke, harbor
master; George G. Vause, wharf
inger; William Jones, assistant su
perintendent of construction, and
about fifty foremen, longshoremen,
etc. They will probably all return
to Anchorage overland, walking most
of the way, if not all the way, owing
to the scarcity of dog teams at
Seward.
In discussing the conditions at
Anchorage the Seward Gateway says;
“It is estimated that the cargoes
which have returned after an effort
to land them at Anchorage and the j
cargo yet to come aggregate close to
five thousand tons. It is stated that
the supply of staples in the new
railroad town will be nearly suffi
cient for the winter, and a shortage
will only be felt in some articles. A
vast amount of potatoes had to he
returned, but this is regarded as a
blessing to the home growers, who
have thus been provided a market.
The whole affair is to be regretted,
as it is a sad blow to the new rail
road town, showing as it does that It
can never be a terminal in fact of the
government railroad for any import
ant length of time each year. Owing
to the unusually mild winter of last
year, shippers had acquired a false
feeling of security, and no one is J
really to be blamed, notwithstanding
the fact that oldtimers had poined'
out what might be expected.”
———— -O!
CLOTHING SENT TO ANCHORAGE
BY PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS.
One of the freight consignments
which left for the westward on the
Alameda was a large box of clothing
and bedding, which has been collect
ed by the Presbyterian missionary
Society here to be distributed by the
mission recently established at An
chorage.
The various reports from persons
coming to Juneau from the new town
all seem to tally in regard to the
threatened epidemic of poverty there,
and it has been frequently stated
that not only are there a great many
men out of work, but that there is
no work for them of any sort.
So far as is known, the box which
has just been sent out, is the first
to go. Everything in the way of
warm wearing apparel was sent and
a number of pairs of shoes. All of
the articles, many of which were new,
were given for the purpose by the
members of the Presbyterian congre
gation.—Juneau Empire.
-:o:
NEW TEACHER FOR KENNECOTT
MVM-i* —
Teachers' permits were issued by
the governor to the teachers in the
Fairbanks public school-,- as follows:
F. J. Karrer, Ralph D. Matthews,
Daphne I. Moody, lone Jones, Mrs.
Josephine Tupper, Anna M. Karrer
and Florence Gertrude Smith. A per
mit was also Issued to Miss Eleanor
Hilda Clark, who will shortly take
charge of the Blackburn scnool at
Kennecott, succeeding Miss Marie
Dennis, resigned.
BE DELEGATE
Judge Charles E. Bunnell arrived in
Cordova Sunday afternoon from Fair
banks, and reports a most delightful
trip over the trail. The judge took
passage on the Alameda for Valdez,
and from there will go back to
Pennsylvania to visit his parents,
whom he has not seen for seven
years.
When asked as to the report that
lie intended to be a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for Delegate
to Congress. Judge Bunnell said that
he had not given the matter mucn
thought, but did not think that he
should enter into a political campaign
while occupying the bench. He ad
ded, however, that his friends in the
interior seemed anxious for him to
enter the race.
Since taking office last sprrng,
Judge Bunnell has worked hard,
clearing up the large civil and crim
inal calendar that had accumulated
during the time that there was no
judge in the division. Of the total
215 days, not counting Sundays and
holidays, court has been in session
182 days, while the rest of the time
was spent in traveling. Fairbanks to
Iditarod and Ruby and back again.
During the long session of court
Judge Bunnell has had no less than
277 cases before him for consider
ation. in which it was necessary for
him to take some action. In addi
tio nto this, he has heard many ap
plications for naturalization; has
been dispersing agent of the indigent
fund for the division, and has Had
many other duties to attend to in
his chambers, which never appear or
record, but which required a great
deal of time, thought and work.
:o:
IDLE
John Endlund, formerly of Cordova,
is out of luck again. John seemed to
be in the money. First he took unto
himself a young and charming bride,
and then he landed a contract with
the government to saw a few million
feet of Alaska lumber for the rail
road commission. John found an
angel and three partners got a mill,
erected it and started to fill the con
tract. The company was known as
the Talkitna Lumber Company, and
operated on Portage Bay.
Mr. Johnson, one of the members
of the company, left for Seattle soino
time ago to meet the payroll and
other obligations of the concern.
Since putting in an appearance at
the Arctic Club in Seattle some eight
weeks ago, Mr. Johnson has neves
been heard from, although those in
terested in the concern have made
strenuous efforts to find him. Mr.
Endlund recently passed through
tiere on his way to Seattle. He ex
pects to return in the spring.
H. E. Ellis, of Valdez, has been
tppointed trustee of the Talkitna
Lumber Company, and has taken
sharge of all the property of that
concern. The trustee holds a mort
gage on all the property of the com
pany, and all the creditors have
igreed to accept a considerable por
[ion of their claims and to await a
[omplete settlement at some future
late. Mr. Endlund will return from
Seattle in the spring, and there is
[■very likelihood that the concern
will do a large business next sum
mer, as it has a very good plant, a
splendid site, with lots of lumber on
ill sides of them, and a good con
:ract.
-:o:
FAIRBANKS TO HAVE LEAGUE
OF BASKETBALL TEAMS.
Fairbanks, Nov. 30.—A basketball
eague has been formed here for the
winter months. It consists of four
earns, and a series of games will be
irranged.
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