The Chitina Leader
CHITINA, ALASKA.
Entered as second-class matter. November 12, 1910, at the postoffice at
Chitina, Alaska, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
ONLY NEWSPAPER IN CHITINA
Published every Saturday by
WTT.T. A. STEEL—Editors, Managers and Proprietors—HABBY Q. STEEL
Office: Hotel Chitina Building. Cordova Office: Daily Alaskan
Seattle Office: 551 Colman Building.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Month .•.
Six Months .
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.
CHITIXA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8. 1912.
THE LOYALTY OF CORDOVA
On Saturday night the voters of
Cordova took such action as should
solidify the various forces and fac
tions almost as one man in further
ance of the real material and politi
cal welfare of the town. At the
mass meeting in city hall there was
given a rare instance of the majority
yielding to the minority; of former
political foes accepting an opponent
whose friends had in the past given
persistent warfare. And all because
of a sincere, unselfish and most cred
itable impulse and desire {o do that
thing which to them would seemingly
best conduce to a more neighborly
and friendly feeling, and to the suc
cessful preferment of a man from
Cordova to represent this important
section of Alaska in the Senate of the
Territory.
A large majority of the voters of
this town had, by non-partisan pre
ferential primary, selected as the
man best qualified to represent Cor
dova in the Senate, Hon. George C.
Hazelet. While not a candidate for
office, the choice of the people was
not adverse to responding to the call
that had come unsolicited and with
general spontaneity. Upon his re
cent return from Seattle the nominee
looked over the political situation in
the division, was informed of the
combinations that had already been
made, and concluded that while in
all probability he might be elected,
that to make certain the election of
a Senator from Cordova it would be
necessary that all elements get to
gether with such force and unani
mity as would impress the voters of
other sections and draw strength to
the only man that Cordova asks re
cognition for.
After carefully considering the
matter and advising with many inter
ested friends, Mr. Hazelet decided
that he would withdraw from the
contest and ask his supporters to
transfer their allegiance to such
Other candidate from Cordova who
might receive the majority vote of
a mass meeting or primary. The
logical recipient of that favor, as
the candidate with the next greatest
Strength was T. B. Tansey, as the
test vote on Saturday night indicated.
He was already the nominee of a
party that had not heretofore been
closely associated with Mr. Hazelet
and his friends. So in agreeing to
accept Mr. Tansey the supreme test
of loyalty to town discounted all
feelings of bitterness and animosity
that had been engendered in pre
vious conflicts.
And in deciding to rise superior
to the ordinary methods of politics,
the majority did a generous act that
cannot help but bear the rich fruit
of a closer friendship among neigh
bors and a united and more forceful
effort upon the part of all the people
for the future advancement, pros
perity and happiness of the commun
ity. This only made possible be
cause the minority have a deep sense
of appreciation for the unusual and
unexpected act, and a feeling of deep
gratitude for the strong support ex
tended a worthy man whose candi
dacy is now so fortified that his elec
non will naturally follow.
The men who declared in favor of
Cordova and Mr. Tansey did not do so
in a mere prefunctory manner. They
are earnet and sincere In the desire
to elect this choice of the people of
this section. We feel that we are
in a position to say that they will
give him the same loyal support that
would have been extended to Mr.
Hazelet. Not alone by their votes
will they prove their faith, but the
personal effoTt that will be exerted
by them in the Copper river country
and other sections of Alaska will fur
ther demonstrate the same honesty
of motive that has characterized the
actions of these men who have
’■ought former battles for their com
nunity.
The voters of Cordova endorsed
jut one man. All are left free to
select the other Senator and four
Representative. As time goes on
there will be very likely alliances
imong variouc candidates and sec
tions. Voters of Cordova will natur
ijly wish to support other good men
(vho will creditable represent the di
vision and may be ot assistance in re
ciprocal arrangement with Mr. Tan
sey. So far as the Dally Alaskan is
concerned Mr. Tansey will have our
support. As he and his friends
know, in these loyal issues we are
either for or against, and in the
present instance we are for Senator
Tansey,believing that he is a man
whose honesty of purpose, intelli
gence, reliabilty. and general capa
bilities cannot be questioned. And
we are further inclined to favor his
running mate, George E. Baldwin, a
man whom we have long known as,
one of Alaska’s best friends and ad
vocates.
LAUNDRY AND THE JUDICIARY.
Inasmuch as all of us nurse with
pathetic persistency the hope that
some day we shall have the ineffable
pleasure of living on an expense ac
count, we are keenly interested in
knowing by what process of logic
the comptroller of the treasury ar
rived at the decision that federal
judges and court clerks in Alaska
may not properly have their laundry
dene at the government’s expense.
Here, midway between the laundry
in Alaska and the cashier at the cap
ital, the ruling appeals to us as one
of bureaucratic arbitrariness, devoid
of all justice, humanity and gener
osity.
If the persimonious comptroller
of the treasury realizes that there
are some things, such as food and
domicile, that are necessary to em
ployees en route, how can he rule
that the washing of the judicial
shirt and collar, the cuff with a do
mestic finish and the trouser with
razor-edged crease are not essential
to the proper administration of ter
ritorial justice? Does he suspect
that the Guggenheims run the laun
dry and Morgan the pressery? Does
he expect the blind goddess to take
the bandage from her eyes, roll up
her sleeves and get into the suds?
Or does he want judges and clerks
to perform their functions negligee,
or fortified by dickeys or celluloid
linen?
Departmental heads in Washing
ton have done much to repress Alas
ka; they have bottled up Control
ler bay and made the possession of
a scuttle of coal an extradictable of
fense, but the limit of officious med
dling seems to have been reached in
this deplorable instance of the ju
diciary laundry. We call for Gif
ford Pinchot and all other true
friends of our Northland to see to it
that justice in Alaska need not
stoop to reversing cuffs and turning
collars inside out. The time to con
serve our Alaskan judiciary has
come. Let us act.—Seattle Post-In
telligencer.
-o—o
MISFORTUNE IS JOY TO SOME
Our esteemed contemporary the
Valdez Prospector, seems to be Tun
ing over brim full of joy these days
because of the wash-outs on the Cop
per River and Northwestern rail
road. And now that no through
trains are running between Cordova
and Chitina, owing to several bad
slides and wash-outs, the Prospector
proudly boasts that men from Chiti
na can go over the trail to Valdez
quicker than they can get to Cordo
va. It may be so, but the assertion
would certainly have Teddy’s short
but expressive •word hurled at It by
the fifteen passengers who came in
on last night’s train. They left
Chitina the previous day. Then
again the nineteen men who left
Chitina on Sunday and reached Cor
dova on the train Monday might
differ from the over zealous Pros
pector man. We are mighty glad to
hear that the Valdez boulevard to
the interior is in good walking con
dition, for the fates may decree that
it be necessary to send freight in that
way before through traffic is again
resumed on the railroad.
-o—o—o
AX HOXEST VIEW
The people of Cordova will re
member the young man who spent
several weeks in this neighborhood
during the summer of 1911, for the
purpose of securing material for ar
ticles treating on the coal questions
of Alaska. Like William E. Smyt’ne
and other really honest writers, who
came with an absolutely wrong con
ception of conditions, he had the in
telligence to soon realize the facts
and then further had the courage to
admit that he was wrong in most of
his preconceived notions. Mr. Hurl
burt was supposed to come here and
write about Alaska in the same vein
that Mr. Roosevelt had a short time
previously in the Outlook. But he
didn't do it, and neither did Mr.
Smythe, the representative of the
notorious Scripps news bureau.
They were of a different calibre
from John E. Lathrope, the Pinchot
hireling who absoluteuy ignored
facts. Mr. Hurlburt was recently in
Seattle, and he talked about Alaska,
and this what the Post-Intelligencer
says about him and his lecture:
. “The address delivered by W. D.
Hurlburt, the magazine writer, for
merly connected with the Outlook,
before the Men’s Club of the Ply
mouth church, in this city, on Mon
day evening, contained information
which should be known to every citi
zen of United States. Mr. Hurlburt
went north as a representative of the
magazine of which Col. Roosevelt is
contributing editor, for the purpose
of securing information which to
back up the Pinchot policies under
which the coal lands in Alaska had
been withdrawn from the possibility
of utilization. Being an honest
man, after he had thoroughly inves
tigated the conditions he reported
the facts to the magazine which em
ployed him, stating in substance that
the mission was based upon a mis
apprenhension; that the facts were
radically opposed to the theories.
"In his lecture he tells that the
“frauds” in Alaska he found were
not frauds in any proper sense. The
coal land claimants in Alaska were
held up on narrow technicalities—
strained constructions of the law on
which there was no room for honest
difference of opinion. They had
endeavored to comply with the law,
and had proceeded in absolute good
faith.
"Nevertheless these men were
deprived of their lands, the money
which they paid the government was
forfeited, and the coal lands of Ala
ska continue tied up beyond the pos
sibility of utilization.
"He contrasts the treatment of
these men with acquiescence of the
Roosevelt administration in the act
ually illegal acquisition of coal lands
by the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany in Wyoming, where dummy en
trymen took up the land which was
turned over to the company. Yet,
with full knowledge of all of the
facts, the Union Pacific was permit
ted to retain the lands and the com
pany was not prosecuted or its
rights questioned during the entire
Roosevelt administration."
-o—•—•-. —
When the money washing ma
chines come into general use it is
suggested there will be no more
filthy lucre. But how about the
tainted variety. Alaskans haven’t
much experience with either kind,
but they like to keep posted.
* * *
In view of the litigious activity
over the New York gambling scan
dal it need not be surprising if one
of these days “Gyp the Blood” and
the rest sue the District Attorney
for defamation of character. And'
then they might come to Southwest
ern Alaska.
* * *
It’s rather a touchy question to
ask a Cordovan when the train Is to
leave.—Valdez Prospector. Not at
all. They leave and arrive every
day or two. The only question is
how far they get and where they
come from.
AN UNFORTUNATE POLICY
If the people succeed in keeping
girls who are under age and without
experience or protection out of the
cafes where intoxicating liquor is
sold in Seattle they will be doing all
the people of this city have right to
expect of them.
Certainly there is absolutely no
excuse whatever for these “raids”
and “round-ups" of cafes and room
ing houses. These performances by
the police give out wrong impression
of Seattle. It will cause many out
siders to believe we nave an ugly
condition of affairs in this city, when,
as a fact, we have not. Seattle cafes
are as orderly and as clean as the
cafes of any other American city, and
that is true of rooming houses also.
Of course there are bad cafes and
bad rooming houses in Seattle, but
persons who wish to avoid these
places will have no trouble about
doing so.
Seattle has no restricted district.
The people have said they did not
want a restricted district. But there
are bad women in Seattle, and unless
and until human nature undergoes a
radical, and now unthinkable change
Seattle will have a fair quota of bad
women. Smug moralists may cry out
against the evil, but it will do no
good.
If the police want to be busy they
might get after the unclean macques
and mercenaries who prey upon fal
len women in this city. They are
here in considerable numbers, some
of them pretending to earn their liv
ing in an honest way, and the police
man who does not know it is too
dull to hold his job.
The police should get after these
vagants if they really want to do
something worth while, for they are
crooks, pickpockets, burglars and
strong-arm men.
If the fallen woman does not make
a nuisance of herself, if she does not
flaunt her shame in a way that will
hurt public morals, let her alone, but
round up the macque and put him on
the rock pile or run him out of town.
If Mayor Cotterill is eager for his
police to make a moral showing he
can do it without compelling them to
pounce upon fallen women who al
ready are plundered and abused
enough.
Besides these“raids” and “round
ups” are opening the way to police
graft. Caught, and conscious alike
of her guilt and helplessness in the
presence of the law, the fallen wo
man’s first thought will be to offer
to pay for protection, and, in some
instances at least, perhaps in many
instances, she will get protection,
and Seattle again will be facing the
old unholy alliance between the law
and offenders against the law.—
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
■-o—o—o
RECOGNITION OF WORTH.
The voluntary offer of two posi
tions to our townsman. Mayor R. J.
Barry, will undoubtedly b3 received
by him with feelings of gratitude
ard appreciation, because of the
knowledge that during his absence
of two and a half years from the
states, his former efficient labors in
railroad circles have not been for
gotten. Mr. Barry has practically
decided to return t.> the Southren
Pacific railroad and his decision will
be heard with sincere regret by prac
tically all the people of Cordova and
the vast Copper river country. He
is one of the most valued and val
uable men to come to this North
land. The people of Cordova have
frequently attested their faith and
confidence in him. His removal will
be an unfortunate loss to the com
munity. He has performed his pub
lic duties with untiring zeal and has
always stood for what was for the
best interests of the country. His
optimism has been an inspiration
and encouragement to many. In
business life he is an efficient work
er who secures results. Although it
may be to his future advancement
and prosperity we are almost in
clined to hope that Mr. Barry may
yet change his mind and remain with
us.
* * •
Quite a discussion has been excited
in regard to the characteristic of the
“old-fashioned Democrat.” The bet
ter discussion in Alaska would be
relative to the new-fashioned Dem
ocrat, and the new fashion in every
thing. It is a period of new fash
ions, even in the gowns of the be
loved girls.
ROUSING UNCLE SAM.
Director General Barrett of the
Pan American Union recently re
turned from a tour of Europe with
his concerting news calculated to jar
our assumption of the benefits we
are to gain from the opening of our
waterway at Panama. Considered
with reliable reports from Latin
America, Mr. Barrett reaches the
conclusion that unless the manufac
turers, exporters, importers and
shipping interests of this country
get busy preparing for the opening
of the canal, only a year and a half
away, Europe will have us beaten at
the start in the race for the South
American market.
Among the evidences of European
preparation he noted extraordinary
efforts to improve the efficiency of
the ports of the maritime Nations,
that shipbuilding yards were work
ing to capacity on vessels for the
Panama traffic, that Governments
were urging their diplomatic and
consular officers to study every phase
of Latin American trade and oppor
tunity, that chambers of commerce
and other commercial organizations
were absolutely cultivating Latin
America. On the other side of the
world Japan has three companies
building ships for the interoceanic
trade and agents in the field. The
Pacific Coast of South America is
extending railroads into the inter
ior and improvement on the Atlan
tic Coast is being hastened.
Meanwhile American commercial
organizations seem, with some ex
ceptions, to be waiting for the canal
to be opened before bothering about
its possibilities. Mr. Barrett earn
estly repeats that unless we awake
to the situation we shall find it a
long and stern chase to overtake the
more forehanded Europeans in cap
turing the benefits of the great high
way we have created. This is a sub
ject that every manufacturer, ex
porter and importer should at once
take up. It is not a mater that can
safely be left until the day before
the canal is thrown open.
-o—o—o
Russia and England have decided
to assume more direct responsibil
ity for Persia, which means that the
Persians will have less. It is only
a question of time and diplomatic
dust.
• * *
And everyone has a gues as to the
name of the federal judge in Alas
ka who thought the government
should pay his laundry bills. Pos
sibly he think's that as Uncle Sam has
paid for the washing of much other
dirty linen in Alaska that judicial
robes should not be exempt.
• * •
A Chicago dispatch saying that Mr.
Wilson has accepted the nickname
“Woody” may or may not be true,
but it is a w'oodenheaded idea any
way. “Teddy” and “Bill” are nat
ural, but “Woody!” Imagine if
Grover Cleveland had been hailed as
“Grovey.”
* * *
The question is raised whether
Teddy is sincere. Of course he is.
All men are sincere, even in Cor
dova. And certainly all women are,
including suffragettes, even though
they may be deceiving themselves.
* * *
One of the charms of the current
National conflict is that each one of
the parties stands at Armageddon,
is battling for the Lord. No matter
which way the thing goes, therefore,
it makes for the divine thing. What
ever is is right, is a very old say
ing, though many of the modern so
ciologists assert that whatever is is
wrong. Of course in Alaska its dif
ferent.
* * *
J. Adam Bede is “answering the
Colonel by calling him a “four
flusher.” Crushing, isn’t it? There
are a lot of the same kind of an
swers in Cordova.
-o—o—o
Through the death of a relative, T.
E. Macaulay, who Is well known in
the Copper river country, has inherit
ed fortune of several thousand dol
lars. He is now traveling in Europe.
Mr. Macaulay is clean and ambitious,
and his many friends will be glad to
learn that his energy and ability have
thus been given a larger opportunity
of expression. He will long be re
membered here as an active advocate i
of clean government.
1 1 -O——O-—v—— 1
The Chitina Pharmacy has the i
Freshest, most up-to-date stock in s
Chitina. ]
IMPROVEMENTS AT
WIRELESS STATION
A press of other matters prevent
ed the editor of this newspaper
from accepting an invitation yester
day to visit the collier Nero and the
wireless station at Cape Whiteshed,
and to learn of the excellent work
that is being done and has been
done by the men who are establish
ing an excellent wireless system in
Alaska. We commissioned Geo.
Dooley as our special correspondent
and he furnishes us with the follow
ing excellent article concerning the
work referred to:
The officer in charge is Lieut. E.
H. Dodd, Radio Officer U. S. N., in
command of expedition. Assistant
Surgeon, G. W. R. French, is the
surgeon in charge. The construc
tion is under the direct charge of
Electrical Expert Aide George E.
Hanscom. The master of the ship
is Capt. Kelton. U. S. N. A. The
crew consists of 31 civilian employes
from the Mare Island Navy Yard
and consists of carpenters, electri
cians, machinists and laborers. The
enlisted men are composed of electri
cians and mechanics of all descrip
tion, composing a crew of 28 men.
The expedition arrived in Cordova
on Sept. 14th, and expect to leave on
or about Oct. 14th. The Nn men
are removing the old set at White
shed and installing a 10 kilowatt
Telefunken Quench Spark, high
frequency set. it being a twin set to
ofset delays that might be incurred
station can talk with all Alaska at
all times, and with Mare Island and
North Head by night.
The expedition are building a
boat house, boat ways, a cottage for
the operator in charge, installing
fuel tanks, an addition to power
house and making other necessary'
minor repairs. This station has 4
operators and one cook, the approxi
mate cost is $21,000.
The busy scene at Cape Whiteshed
reminds one of a minature city in
the making, as the work goes on re
gardless of the elements. The court
eous treatment extended the corre
spondent by Lieut. Dodd, Mr. Ilans
com, and Capt. Kclton was appreci
ated and the spirit in which the
sixty odd mechanics and enlisted
men enter into their work shows
that the men and officers have be
come used to the rustle and pro
gressiveness of the Alaska people.
With the help of such men and spirit
Alaska will soon take her place as
one of the richest territories under
the American Flag.
From Cordova the expedition ex
pects to go direct to Kodiak to re
build the station destroyed by fire
during the eruption of Mt. Katmai.
There they expect to instal a 5 kilo
watt Quench Spark, High Frequency
set, specially designed by Mr. Gct-ge
E. Hanseom. There will be four op
erators and a cook, and an auxiliary
set will placed in the town of Kodiak.
The party will go from Kodiak to
Sitka where necessary repairs will be
made, and they will get to Mare Is
land on or about Vov. 26th, weather
permitting.
The total cost of construction of
the different stations is over $liu,
000. With iha completion of the
Kodiak station the expedition will
have finishel a cimplete wileless
station throughout Alaska. The
Navy expect to turn the different
stations over to the public for com
mercial business as soon as pending
regulations are passed upon by the
Navy Department. This expedition
is one of the largest Itadio expedi
tions ever sent out on the Pacifc
coast, being larger then the one sent
north on the “Buffalo” a year ago.
The United States revenue cutter
McCullough received orders to re
turn immediately to Port Townsend.
In consequence she sailed from Val
dez Wednesday morning and it is not
known whether she will again re
turn north. The members of the
Alaska Railroad Commission, who
came to Alaska on the McCullough
left Valdez for the interior on Mon
day morning. They went in three
buckboards. The first team con
tained Maj. Jay Morrow, C. McCrea
Ingersoll, and driver Henry Ueyo.
The second buckboard was driven by
Boyd Leedy and was occupied by Ur.
Brooks and L. M. Cox, of the expe
dition,and the third conveyance was
driven by Ambrose Bell, having Jack
Ingram as an occupant and the bag
?age of the commission. The
secretary and the steongrapher did
lot go inland and they are at Valuez. 1
1 Chitina
T 4 *
| Pharmacy!:
r ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ^
| Drugs
t Stationery
X Magazines
l Candy j
| Fruit 1
| Cigars |
\ A. G. MOREY, Prop, j
♦ ◄
|| GROCERIES, HARDWARE
:: and.■■■■■■ ■'.= 3
!! MEAT MARKET I
* i «
• «
» i
* We have a big line of Sec- •
•
ond-Haml Goods, and cen •
■ t
> save you money on your out- ■
!fit. Bunk House, with free !
!! C’ook House, in connection. !
.. .
CHITINA HEIGHTS
• ■ C. A. SIMONS & CO.
PUBLIC LAND AND MINING
CASES.
If you are interested in any contest
or any matter before the Interior De
partment, write to Clark & Wright,
registered land lawyers, 902 F Street
N. W. (opposite Gen’l Land Office),
Washington, D. C. Free information
about contests and where to obtain
scrip, locatable upon public lands,
without residence or cultivation.
Feed, Fuel
and
Lumber
HAY, BRAN', OATS, CHOPS,
ROLLED BARLEY
We can make prompt ship
ments to points on the rail
road. Our feed is the very
best quality.
0. A. Nelson & Co.
CHITINA
HOTEL
WASHINGTON
ANNEX
SEATTLE
New, modern and fireproof.
All outside rooms
The most conveniently located ■
hotel in the city.
Rooms and suites are patticiv 1
larly large.
Very desirable for families or
parties traveling together.
RATES MODERATE
Auto-bus meets all boat? and
trains. Write for booklet.
J. H. DAVIS, Prop.