THE CHITINA LEADER
CHITINA, ALASKA
Entered as second-class matter, November 12, 1910, at the postofllce at
Chitlna, Alaska, under the Act of Conbress of March 1, 1879.
Office:
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Tuesday by
HARRY G. STEEL, Editor and Proprietor.
Hotel Chitlna Building. Cordova Office: Dally Times.
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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, OCTOBER 12, 1915.
A REAL BONANZA MINE.
It is quite probable that Alaska’s copper production during
next year will exceed the output of gold. Indeed it is possible
that the copper yield may be greater than the gold output for
the current year. Yet copper mining began in Alaska less than
a dozen years ago; and for some years the ouput was not suffi
ciently large to boast of. The increase in the price of the metal,
due in part at least to the European war, has greatly stmulated
production in various sections of the Territory during the past
six months, and it has been such as to cause comment in copper
mining circles throughout the country. The Bonanza mine, or
the Kennecott mine, of the Kennecott Mines Company, is largely
responsible for the increase, although other copper mines have
added to the production. Developments in the Bonanza dur
ing the past year show that its name is not a misnomer, accord
ing to authentic reports. As long since as 1908 it was stated
that there was then ore to the value of $20,000,000 in sight in
the Bonanza. No ore was shipped trom this mine until a year
or two afterward, but shipments have been made with con
siderable regularity for a number of years. It is now stated
that there is more ore in sight than ever before, and it main
tains its extraordinary high quality. Certain mining sharps
some years ago ventured the opinion that it was an exceedingly
rich “blow-out,” and the orebody would not attain depth.
How little these men knew what they were talking about is
shown hy the dividends that have been paid, the greatly in
creased output, the volume of ore in sight, as well as the steady
maintenance of ore values- Enough is now known about the
Bonanza to place it among the greatest, if not the greatest, of
the world’s copper mines. The ore shipped tells its own story.
How much ore is being shipped every week to the smelter at
Tacoma and elsewhere- is not known, but it is stated that it will
reach in value from one million dollars to two million dollars a
month. This is a remarkable showing, and, it must be remem
bered, too, that the Copper river valley, and Prince William
Sound, the foremost copper producing district of Alaska- were
an unpeopled wilderness but a few short years ago, save for a
handful of Indians. Copper mines have since been developed
that are as well known as those of Michigan or Arizona and
copper mining in this Territory is yet in its infancy.—Juneau
Empire.
:o:
NO HASTE, NO WASTE
ciiiiii^ifi^’s?»^ii^05H^’ipi^ff9,m0fegar(/1{bnpermanent construction
at Anchorage after the commissioners get a glimpse of Cook
Inlet at its worst, all of which makes the following remarks
apropo.
The engineering Commission has not so far made any rash
steps in the permanent improvements any tv here on the line.
Anchorage is the logical place from which to commence the
construction of the interior section of the railroad and so far
the commission has made no improvements at Anchorage which
would not be necessary were it only to be a construction head
quarters.
Reports last year were not sufficient to warrant a conclu
sion as to the average conditions at Anchorage or the type of
construction necessary should it be deemed advisable to make
permanent improvements there. Desiring an expert’s opinion
on the matter of docks, the commission called in one from the
navy department who has completed his inspection and left.
What conclusion have been reached or what will be decided
after this winter will determine the future policy of the com
mission.
The same cautious preceedure is being shown in the plan
of relocating the line of the Alaska Northern. It was first con
tended that an entirely new route should be picked' beyond
Mile 45. Chairman Edes stated recently that careful re
surveys of the route show that the original locators of the Alas
ka Central did not miss the most feasable route by very many
rods. Of course the road will stand the elimination of many
trestles and curves and the loops can be made less spectacular
and more practical. In the meantime Alaska is to be con
gratulated on that, contrary to the reputation gained by the
government of handling projects “pork barrel” style, the
Alaskan engineering commission has not wasted' little, if any,
of the first $3,000,000,000 entrusted to it by congress.—Seward
Gateway.
—- 1 ;u:-—
The cutting of a large quantity of lumber at Portage Baj
has aroused some curiosity at Seward and the Gateway is au
thority for the statement that Mssrs Edes and Riggs know
nothing about it being for the government railroad. The fact
remains that a large sawmill is in operation at Portage Baj
and three hundred thousand' feet of lumber has already beer
cut. Several months ago when John Enlund, an old-time Alas
kan, was in Cordova on his way outside, he informed the
writer that he had the contract for two million feet of lumber
from the Engineering Commission and was going to Seattle to
get the necessary mill with which to cut this timber. Since
then he has been actively engaged upon this work and judging
from the conflicting statements made there is somebody not
telling the truth.
-:o:
A return of the good old days at Nome is apt to materalize
if the several recent placer strikes pan out and here’s hoping
that they do.
— :o:
Cupid has certainly been working overtime at the White
House since the Hon. Woodrow Wilson became president.
————so:
Washington, Oregon and California lead the Union in good
road. An eastern expert says so. The West moves rapidly,
and good thoroughfares accelerate progress.
HOW THE EAST LOVES US.
From the Atlantic to the eastern base of the Rocky moun
tains the settlers helped themselves, as they advanced, to every
theing they could find' in the then wilderness. The very most
they ever paid for th rictiest lands was $2.50 per acre—just
enough to pay for the surveys and the making out of the deeds.
Some three score years or more ago some crank startd the
idea that inasmuch as the government owned the public domain,
it in reality belonged to all the people and if it anywhere con
tained special treasures, like lead or zinc or coal or iron de
posits, the whole people should own the deposits. The idea
seemed a good one to the men in the far east, who knew nothing
of the frontier or the hardships incident upon its settlement
and redemption, and they caused a law to be passed to secure
to themselves their pro-rata of the undiscovered or undeveloped
wealth.
It was tried for five years and' its unprodcutiveness and its
manifest injustice caused congress to repeal the law without
one dissenting vote.
But a few years ago the thought was revived in the east
and though in the interval between the repeal of the old law and
the resurrection of the old thought, the west, and mostly the
deserts of the west, had supplied the means to the east to enable
it to make available its many resources and grow rich, this re
vived thought took a strong hold on eastern cupidity, and the
then President, one Theordore Roosevelt, selected a personal
friend, one Gifford Pinchot, to go west, spy out the land and see
what he could find and appropriate. By the way, it is under
stood that Mr. Pinchot, for his personal use draws large annual
revenues from coal mines in Pennsylvania which originally
cost his ancestors only $2.50 per acre.
In the meantime because ot the partial subduing ot electri
city to man’s use, water power liad become valuable. So had
timber lands, so had oil lands, so had' iron and coal lands.
Thus when Mr. Pinchot came west, what he did was in
effect to deliver an ultimatum to the men of the desert, which,
set to words, was about this:
“Our great and beneficient government loves the men of
Alaska, almost as much as it does the lovable mongrels in Mexi
co; it wants you all to prosper and so opens the whole of this
domain to you, only keep in mind that if you discover any for
ests, any streams that will make water power, any coal or iron
mines or oil lands, you must not disturb them for they are on
the public domain, they may become valuable after a while and
all the people of the east have a common interest in them and
must realize their pro rata of any profits that may come from
them.”
Then he sent out a small army of his friends on govern
ment salaries, as spies to see that the greedy men of the west
and north should not appropriate anything in which his bene
volent friends in the east had their pro rata interest. In this
way about one-third of the state of Idaho was placed under a
timber reserve, including the streams that water power might
be created from. In the same way Utah oil and coal and timber
lands were covered'. In Alaska some nervy men had begun to
make some coal lands availal ’ for the people, but the cry went
up that they were monopolist nd the government immediately
sat down upon them, and for six years past, the general
public here has, with ample coal measures at its doors, been
forced to buy coal from Japan and British Columbia.
But it is idle to inveigh against the mingled cupidity and
stupidity of the educated idiots who at long range feel it a duty
‘o rob the west, arid Alaska fb/3jj#b &6y,ie God they pray for
blessings from. So they continue to pray to Good and to prev
upon the pioneers.
:o:
EDITORIAL COMMENTS.
Valdez is to have another paper making one daily and two
weeklies in the glacial city.
Life is one dam thing after another, but don’t the dams
give the stream of power it would never have without them?
Itinerant peddlers are taxed fifty dollars a dav in Cordova
and seven cents a day in Seward’. There is a chance yet that
our copper output will beat that burg.—Seward Gateway.
Col. Sleicher continues to tell some truths about Alaska in
Leslie’s Weekly. His series of articles on this Northland are
well worth reading.
Anchorage is to have a public school building, says
Lieutenant Hears, provided the residents of that town dig
down in their pockets and' subscribe enough money to sustain
the school.
Judge Wickersliam is soon to be with us and the word has
gone forth that he will take a “swing around the circle,” to
see how his political fences are standing up, before again en
tering upon his duties at Washington as Delegate to Congress
from Alaska.
Over twenty secret indictments have been returned by the
present grand' jury and there are rumors afloat that some of
the people connected with the building of the government rail
road at Anchorage have been caught in the drag-net. The
fishing interests to the westward are also included among those
against whom the law is reaching out after, but as to the truth
of these conjectures, which is all they are, time alone will tell.
A few weeks ago a young woman came North to an Alas
kan sanitarium seeking health. She found it and something
pise. Now she is the cherished bride of a sturdy Alaska mine
operator. What a wonderful land this is.—Donkins NWs.
The Ketchikan Progressive has purchased the Miner of
that place and is now issuing a daily under the name of the
Progressive-Miner, and Editor Rivard is publishing a very
creditable newspaper.
The navy wireless station is again in operation, and al
though most of the press dispatches must be received at night,
we are glad that a means has been afforded to keep Daily Times
readers in touch with the news of the world while the cable is
out of commission.
V an tt. Manning has been appointed by President Wilson
to be the Director of the U. s- Bureau of Mines filling the vacan
cy caused by the death of the first Director, Dr. Joseph A.
Holmes. Mr. Manning is from Mississippi and has been As
sistant Director of the Bureau for several years, serving as
Acting Director since the death of Dr. Holmes.
People are too prone to overlook their own faults while
picking the other fellow’s character to pieces. The word that
is spoken and the arrow that is sped can never be recalled. The
damage done by a thoughtless remark has watered many a pil
low with bitter tears, and its sting can never be effaced. If
you hear a vile story about your neighbor, don’t pass it along—
thank God that you and yours are not nailed to the cross by the
scandal monger and liar; or if you feel so pure and spotless that
your life will stand thegreat white light of publicity, throw
up your job and take to the woods: You are too good to associ
ate with the rest of us.—Valdez Miner.
WHAT IS DOING
COURT
Judge Brown upon request of George
Kerr, of North Yakima, Washington, a
creditor holding a note against the cor
poration, appointed W. M. Goodwin of
Valdes, receiver for the Cameron
Johnson Gold Mining Co.
The grand jury returned three secret
indictments on Monday.
In the case of Geo. F. White vs.
Joe Domenzet, Ike Westberg, et al..
the jury returned a verdict in favor
of the plaintiff, giving him judgment
for the sum of $426.
The case of the Alaska Northern
Railroad company vs. John E Bal
lalne, was set for trial by the court
to come up on October 11th. The
case involves ownership of a portion
of the Seward townsite.
Dudley A. Wooten, a practicing at
torney before the courts of the state
af Washington, wih offices in Seat
tle, was admitted to practice in the
courts of Alaska.
H. Ballinger, of Seattle, was also
admitted to practice before the court.
The case of Enmund Smith, et al„
vs. H. E. Ellis, is now on trial in the
federal court. The case is one in
which Enmund Smith, Geo. C. Treat
and Logan Archibald are suing S. E.
tfilis for twenty percent interest in the
famous Cliff mine. It is expected that
the trial will be a lengthy one as a
number of winesses have been sub
poenaed in the case. Enmund Smith,
who is one of the plaintiffs, and form
erly practiced law in Valdez for sev
eral years, came up from Seattle as
counsel for himself and associates.
Five men who were convicted last
week have been sentenced by the
court. Two of the cases were for sell
ing liquor to the Indians, one for stab
bing with intent to kill, one for lar
ceny, and one for selling liquor with
out a license.
James A. Field, convicted of lar
ceny at Anchorage, was sentenced to
serve one year at McNeil island peni
tentiary.
Frank Tragirae, a Japanese con
victed of selling liquor to Indians at
Ellamar, was given one year in the
penitentiary.
Alvin Lund, convicted of selling
given" one year at" MV^eW^Waliu^or
his offense. The court gave the pris
oner a severe lecture and stated that
he hoped Lund’s conviction would
serve as a warning to the unprincipled
white men who had been debauching
the natives by selling or giving them
liquor.
Cardine Esmile, a Mexican, convict
ed of stabbing with intent to kill, also
received a sentence of one year.
Peter Johnson, convicted of selling
liquor without a license at McCarthy,
was sentenced to pay a fine of $500.
The court told the accused that owing
to his previously having bourne good
character that he was being leniently
dealth with. Johnson was giving
twenty days under bonds, in which
time he might return to McCarthy to
secure the money to pay his fine.
:o:
Our former townmans, George A.
Shea, of Kingman, Arizona, has dis
covered high grade ore on the Ohio
group of claims, sixteen miles from
where he is now living. Samples as
sayed are reported to contain telluri
um in quantity. Several shallow cuts
have been opened on the property and
a shaft is now being sunk on the vein.
Samples from this shaft, which is but
eighteen feet deep, show values of
from $170 to $1884 per ton. The vein
is composed of stringers of a highly
oxidized quartz, several of which con
tain diseminated specks of gold and
silver tellurides. The width of the
vein has not yet been determined.
COMMERCIAL RATES NOT
FIXED TO ANCHORAGE
The commercial rates between Se
ward and Anchorage on: the tele
graphic line have not yet been fixed
but the press rate has been fixed at
half cent a word. The system will
be operation In a few days.
--:o:
Judge Bunnell has issued an order
authorizing the city of Fairbanks to
sell all property upon which taxes
have been permitted to become de
linquent. Only about $400 in back
taxes are delinquent this year as the
railroad activities of the government
has caused the values of property to
advance. Almost $3000 i8 due the city
from last year’s taxes but the owners
are mostly non-residents who are liv
Ini in the states.
MONEY WILL BE
Secretary Franklin Lane can have
all the money he wants for the pur
pose of railroad building in Alaska
even though the amount asked for by
him should be the whole thirty-three
million dollars which remain of the
thirty-five millions provided for by
the act of congress. This is stated on
the authority of no less a person that
Congressman J. J- Fitzgerald, the
chairman of the appropriations com
mittee of the house, who said so in a
speech in Seattle in the hearing of
Maurice D. Leehey, who arrived in
Seward last night from Anchorage.
Mr. Leehey is a member of the Al
aska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber
of Commerce, a director of the Bank
of Seward and one of the most prom
inent lawyers of the state of Wash
ington. When Fitzgerald was tn
Seattle some time ago, Mr. Leehey
says, he made a speech in which he
recalled to the memory of his hearers
the statements to the effect that
Secretary Lane had asked only for
two millions at the last session be
cause he believed it impossible to se
cure any more. “This statement,”
said the chairman of the appropria
tions committte, “means that 1 as the
head of the committe would have
refused to give Mr. Lane a greater
amount, but I want to assure you
that, although I was opposed to the
railroad bill and would probably op
pose it now, that bill has become law
and Secretary Lane can have all of
that thirty-three million dollars at any
time he asks for it.”
Mr. Leehey, as all others would
takes this to mean that when Mr.
Lane asks for the eight or ten millions
at the coming session he will have no
trouble in securing it and that the
house will live up to the law which it
took part in having enacted.
NEW MINING PAMPHLET
HAS JUST BEEN ISSUED
Bulletin No. 94, of the United
T*--a# Vf inon *»-*•- • ^•”
J. W. Thompson has just been issued,
a circular to The Times announces. It
is of 1772 pages and is bound in cloth:
The circular says:
"Owing to the expense involved in
the preparation and publication of
this bulletin and the limited printing
funds available for the use of the
Bureau of Mines, it has been neces
sary to place a price of $2.50 on the
work. Orders should not be sent to
the Bureau of Mines, but should be
addressed to the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing offi
ce, Washington, D. C.
-:o:
BIG AUTO TRUCKS ON
RUN CHITINA TO FAIRBANKS
The regular winter auto service is
now in operation between Chitina and
Fairbanks, by the Northern Commer
cial Company, using 20-passenger Jef
frey Quad trucks.
This will be an innovation in win
ter travel from the interior of Alas
ka. Lighter autos have been used on
the trail for some time, but the big
trucks are as commodious as the small
gasoline motor cars used for interur
ban service on steam lines.
For the first two trips the fare will
be $50 each way, then it will be in
creased to $100, which will be the fare
during the winter months.
THE CHUGACH FOREST
HAS IIAANY CHANCES
W. J. McDonald, of the forestry
service, came in on the car yesterday
afternoon to meet his wife who came
on the Alameda from Cordova. After
finishing about ten days work in the
Kenai lake vicinity they will leave for
Anchorage overland. Mr. McDonald
says that with the aid of T M. Hunt,
also of the service, they will finish the
survey work on the Cook Inlet in
about a month and a half. Mr. Me
Donald states that the Chugach Na
ional Forest boundaries have been
changed vey much during during the
past season. In fact the territory hag
been cut almost in half. The Kenai
Peninsula boundary war formerly at
Mile 12 but has now been moved to
Mile Six. A lot of the Copper River
territory has been removed from the
reserve. A new map, gottent ou by
the Forestry Service, showing the new
boundaries is now on the press and
should reach here at any time now.—
Seward Gateway.
T
I
WO FISHERMEN DROWNED
OFF CAPE SI. ELIAS
Two members of the crew of the
halibut schooner Ommaney were
drowned the other day off Cape St.
Ellias, is the word brought here by^.
Walter Werner, who returned last
night from a trip to Katalla on the
launch Prospector. The men were
fishing in a dory, when the later upset
and both were drowned and the boat
lost. It was impossible to learn the
names of the unfortunates.
STEAMSHIP CO. TO FIGHT
CASE IN ALASKA COURTS
The attempt of the Valdez city
council to fine masters of steamers for
not landing their boats at the City
Pock, instead of a private dock, has
created a great deni of interest In
Seattle shipping circles.
R. W. Baxter, vice president of the
Alaska Steamship Company, recently
stated that so far none of the masters
of his company's steamers had been
arrested: that the company is awaiting
developments, and that should any of
the masters he arrested the company
will put up bonds and fight the case in
die Alaska and other courts.
.-:o:
TRAVELS FROM ALASKA TO
SAN FRANCISCO IN DORY
The seaworthiness of the ordinary
codfishing dory was given a new dem
onstration with the arrival in San
Francisco on the evening of August lfi
of Thomas It. Thompson and John
Abrams, after a trip of 1800 miles from
TTnga, Alaska, in such a boat. Their
first stop was at Casper, on the Men
docino coast, where they put in three
days for repairs after colliding with a
log. Their boat was one regarded as
too old for codfishing, and they bought
it at TTnga for $5. Putting on a canvas
deck, they left Unga July 3. Three
severe gales were weathered in safety i
and n badly needed supply of fresh '
water and food was secured from the ^
steamer Esquimau on the way down, \
—Pacific Fisherman.
-:o:
ESCAPED ASYLUM. CAUGHT
AND THEN DISCHARGED
The Sanitarium Company, Portland,
has advised the Governor’s office of
the discharge of Aolph Rajurga from
the Mornino-siffe Sanitarium on August
28th. Rajurga was committed to the
institution on April 3, 1915, by IT. S.
Commissioner at Seward. He escaped
on May 14th, was apprehended on
August 27th, and as he seemed well
able to care for himself and showed
no mental symptoms he was dis
charged as recovered, and is now
working near Portland.
—-:o:
NOT ENOUGH VESSELS TO
HANDLE ORE SHIPMENTS
The bunkers at the Three-Men min
ing Company’s property, Lamlloek Bay
are filled to capacity and that ore is,,
piled up in every available space
around the works, owing to no steam
ers being available for transporting
the ore to the smelter.
The loss of the Alaska Steamship
company’s big freighter Edith, and
the Admiral Watson of the Admiral
Line, has proved a serious handicap
to the shippers of copper ores from
the Southwestern Alaska coast mines,
and the announcement that the Alaska
Steamship company has purchased
two big freighters to operate in these
waters is good news to the mine own
ers, who will suffer loss if their mines
are closed down for a time.
—-:o:-——
ANCHORAGE YOUNG LADY
EXPERT RIFLE SHOT
Mrs. Marvilla Jones, a resident, of
Anchorage, is a young lady who en
joys a reputation as a rifle shot. She
was born in the West and from a ten
der age has been able to handle a gun.
In her hunting experience she has kill
ed bear, deer, cougars and other large
game animals. In hunting the small
game native to this section she em
ploys with great skill a 22 riHie, and it
is her boast she can driye a nail with
this small weapon. Mrs. Jones is the
wife of Casey Jones, a former boxer of
note.
--: o:
Statement of the ownership, manage
ment, circulation, etc., required by
the Act of Auqust 24, 1915.
Of The Chitina Leader published
weekly at Chitina. Alaska, for Oct.
a. vi. oiet'i, euuor ana pub
lisher, Cordova, Alaska. Owner, H.
G. Steel. Known bondholders, mort
gagees, and other security holders,
holding 1 per cent or more of total
amount of bonds, mortgages, or other
securities. None.
H. G. STEEL, Owner.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this 5th day of Oct. 1915.
EDWARD P. MEDLEY
Notary Public for Alaska.
(My commission expires Oct. 11, 1917)
—-:o:
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