TANANA LEADER
Issued every Thursday.
Sam J. Callahan. Publisher
Subscription.—One year, $10; six months,
$5; one month, $1; single copies, 25 cents.
Advertising.—Rates on application. Right
reserved to reject any advertisement.
Thursday, July 7, 1910.
FOR DELEGATE
JAMES WICKERSHAM
WHAT AWAITS QUARTZ MEN.
Evidence -accumulates that Alaska is
no exception to the general rule that
payable quartz exists in all rich placer
regions. Fairbanks district within the
past year has produced proof of the ex
istence of hard-rock mines there that
under favorable conditions would not
only pay, but in all probability produce
great riches. This is indicated by Fair
banks newspapers and verified by prac
tical, sensible mining men who cannot
possibly be mistaken in their conclu
sions. As far as they go these demon
strations of actual fact are pleasant
things to contemplate. They reveal
conditions esssential to permanency,
prosperity and progress.
Unfortunately, however, there is a
dark side to the picture. The men who
are seeking to develop these resources
are poor: but even if they were rich
the same channels that have already
drained the.district of more than forty
millions of placer gold would just as
certainly carry away the profits of the
quartz. The sitter in the game will see
the kitty absorb all his means, whether
they be large or small. Unless there is
a radical change in the affairs of this^
territory it is a pretty safe prediction
that none of the men now putting their
money and energy into quartz in the
Fairbanks district will be in the busw
ness after the lapse of five years, with
the possible exception of the few who
are wise to the game and place them
selves in a little freer attitude by em
ploying arrastres in treating their ore.
The elements that enter into the ex
cessive cost of operating in the interior
of Alaska are twofold—natural and arti
ficial. Just now the natural conditions
are being flaunted before everybody’s
eyes to distract attention from the arti
ficial condition that interested persons
would make permanent and that are far
the greater menace. The cry is: “Grab
what you can while you can,” and while
people are looking for some appropria
tion to come their way the interests are
framing up plans to place the country
more certainly in the control of the cor
porations.
Just as certainly as the men who got
in and developed the rich placers have
seen the benefits of their enterprise ab
sorbed bv other people and other sec
tions of country — and they can be
counted on the fingers of one hand who
have retained any considerable part of
the wealth they produced — just that
i sure will the history he repeated in the
! ease of the quartz unless they take
! prompt and vigorous action to prevent
| it. _
IT WAS REALLY TOO BAD.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner of
June 23 contained an article about Ed
j S. Orr, since declared the candidate of
the “regular” Republicans for delegate
to congress, the closing paragraph of
which is as follows:
Mr. Orr was once mayor of
Tacoma, and old timers of that
city refer to his administration
as the best one Tacoma ever
had. He is a quiet, unobtrusive
man, desiring nothing else so
much as that he be allowed to
keep out of sight in publio mat
ters. He is always there when
the subscription paper is circu
lated, and is always doing some
thing for others, but is never
after anything for himself. In
his candidacy there is hope that
he may be successful.
There, in compact form, are assembled
a wonderful array of qualifications for a
holder of public office. Old timers, as
is pointed out, well remember how they
were appreciated in Tacoma in days
gone by—days when most mayors had a
detestable habit of obtruding and re
fusing to keep out of sight in public
matters.
How grateful to the old timers must
be the memory of a mayor who was al
ways there when the subscription paper
was circulated, and was always doing
something for others, but was never
after anything for himself!
There is nothing more annoying than
for an office holder to obtrude and not
keep out of sight in public matters; to
not be on hand when the subscription
paper is passed around; never doing
anything for others, but frequently
wanting something for himself.
It is really too bad that Alaska has
not had a nice, quiet, unobtrusive gen
tleman at Washington who knew enough
to lie low and say nothing.
ORR.
In selecting Ed S. Orr for their candi
date for delegate to congress the so
called regular Republicans put in the
field the strongest possible man they
could have found had they raked Alaska
with a fine-tooth comb. Even in inte
rior Alaska Mr. Orr will get votes where
Leroy Tozier or any other of the aspir
ants for the candidacy could not have
secured a serious thought. This is be
cause he is known and liked by rough
necks throughout Alaska—the very peo
ple, in the irony of events, that the
men putting out Mr. Orr have the
scantest consideration for.
Mr. Orr’s qualifications for the office
of delegate are small or great, according
to the point of view. He is not equip
ped to comprehend the territory’s needs
or to defend its rights against cunning
and designing lobbyists. He is unas
suming and, in case his election could
be secured, if he could not be relied on
to work for the ends desired by his
BILLIARDS
Fine Liquors and Cigars
POOL
THE GRAND
Tanana
CHARLES CHANQUIST, Prop.
Alaska
party lie could yet be thrust into the
background, which might serve their!
purposes equally well.
The pitiable part of it is he possesses
virtues the vultures of politics have set
about robbing him of.
MOTOR BOAT EQUIPMENT
Official Circular Letter Bearing on
the Prescribed Regulations.
A circular letter sent out by the de
partmsnt of commerce and labor for the
guidance of collectors of customs and
others concerned defines the equipment
required by law to be carried on small
motor boats. Copies of the letter are !
posted at the United States marshal’s ,
office, the postoffice and the Northern
Navigation Company’s office, where they j
maybe scrutinized by parties interested. '
A brief summary of the requirements j
is given below:
Whistles, Fog Horn and Bell.—All j
motor vessels, without regard to size or j
use, must be provided with an efficient
whistle, an efficient fog horn and an |
efficient bell. The power to operate the
whistle is not prescribed, but it must be.
of such a character as to produce a “pro-:
longed blast,” which is defined as.from
four to six seconds duration.
Lights.— When navigated between 1
sunset and sunrise they must carry reg- j
ulation lights, namely, a bright white
light at the bow or head of the vessel, a !
green light on the starboard side and a j
red light on the port side. Side lights
must be properly screened. They may
be so affixed to the coaming or to the i
sides of the deckhouse as to be properly
screened, provided the lantern be backed
with metal. Whenever the green and
red sidelights cannot be fixed they must
be kept lighted and ready for use as;
provided by article 1> of the act of June
7, 1907. The law does not appear to
permit the use of a three-color “combi
nation” headlight. A white light must
be carried aft, showing all around the
horizon, to range with the headlight.
Copies of Rules.—Such vessels are re
quired to have on board two printed
copies of the rules which must be ob
served by them, which rules will be
furnished by local inspector^ of steam
vessels on request.
Life Preservers.—All such vessels of
15 gross tons or less engaged in carrying
passengers for hii’e, in addition to the S
equipment above stated, are required to
carry one life preserver for each passen
ger and shall be operated only in charge
of a person duly licensed by the local
inspectors of steam vessels. Such ves
sels when used only as private pleasure
boats and not at any time engaged in
the carrying of passengers for hire are
not obliged to comply with the provis
ions in regard to life preservers and
licensed operators. The life preservers
must be of a sort prescribed by the reg
ulations of the board of supervising in
spectors and must bear the United States
inspectors’ stamp. While the law does
Stoddard Kay
THE
NORTHERN
Best Wines, Liquors and Cigars
Pool Tables in connection
I
Stoddard Kay
i
St. James’ Mission
Holy Eucharist the first Sunday in each
month ut 11 a. m. Each following Sunday,
Evening Prayer at 8 u. in. Every Wednes
day evening, Evening Prayer and Litany at
8 o’clock. WINTHROP PEABODY,
Priest in Charge.
not require it the department recom
mends in the interest of safety to life
that a life preserver for each person on
board be carried on all motor boats, re
gardless of size or occupation.
Documenting, Inspection, Etc.— All
motor boats of over 5 net tons engaged
in the carriage of freight and passengers
for hire must he documented; that is to
say, licensed by the collectors of cus
toms. Vessels under 5 net tons are not
documented in any case. The license
of the vessel obtained from the collector
of customs is additional to and must not
be confounded with the license required
for the operator of a motor boat of 1.3
gross tons or less carrying passengers for
hire. Motor vessels of over 1.3 gross
tons engaged in the carrying of passen
gers or freight for hire must also be in
spected by the United States local in
spectors of steam vessels and must carry
a licensed engineer and a licensed pilot.
Documented vessels must have name
and home port on stern and name on
each bow. Official measurement is nec
essary only in case of vessels requiring
to be documented. While the law does
not require it, the department recom
mends that the name be conspicuously
displayed on undocumented motor boats.
DAD KARSHNER MARRIED
The Man Who First Recognized the
Worth of Hot Springs.
The nuin who was first to comprehend
the wonderful possibilities of what has
since become famous as Manley Hot
Springs has taken a wife. Jlis many
acquaintances, especially amojig the
older residents of this region of Alaska,
will wish him good luck in his new
venture. The Hot Springs Echo of June
25 says of it:
J. F. Karshner, the founder of Hot
Springs, and Mrs. Cordelia M. LaBrache
were married last Sunday afternoon by
Commissioner Olsen. After the cere
mony the happy pair, accompanied by
the judge and chief groomsman Lynn
Smith, repaired to the hotel, where the
wedding supper was served. The Echo
congratulates Mr. and Mrs. Karshner.