ANCHORAGE WEEKLY TIMES
AND COOK INLET PIONEER
COOK INLET PUBLISHING CO.
Anchorage, Alaska.
I | ; CHAS. E. HERRON, Publisher.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Anchorage Weekly Times $3.00 per year, in advance.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR THE DAILY.
8tngle Copies .$ .10 Six Moaths (in advance) ....$ f>.oo
One Month ... 1.00 One Year (in advance) . 10.00
Entered In the Anchorage Postofflce June 5, 1915, as second class matter
under the Act of of March 3. 1873.
For President—Charles Evans Hughes.
For Delegate to Congress—James Wickersham
ASSOCIATED PRESS TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1916.
ANCHORAGE—A HOME TOWN.
The fine success that attended the sale of lots at public
auction Saturday evening is conclusive proof of the abiding
faith of the people in Anchorage, Alaska’s newest town. The
gratifying feature of this sale is the outstanding fact that for
the most part the successful bidders were persons who wished
to secure lots for home building purposes. Every person who
purchased a lot Saturday night is converted, by this act, into
a booster for the town, because he has gained a financial inter
est here.
We believe we are within the facts when we assert that no
other town in Alaska can boast of as many individual home
owners as lias Anchorage. And these individual home owners
are distinct assets to this town. They are substantial and con
stant contributors to the town’s advancement. One has only
to take a walk about the residence districts of Anchorage to
see scores upon scores of houses and cabins housing families
and individuals who feel a vital interest and concern in the
town’s well-being and growth, because the occupants take
pride and derive satisfaction in making improvements. This
healthy and desirable condition would not exist if our resident
ers lived in rented abodes.
SMELTER WILL COME.
The encouraging reports from the Broad Pass country
with respect to the mineral possibilities of that region are of
the utmost importance to Anchorage, in that if it should be
found that a smelter will be required to treat the ores native
to the Broad Pass district, the smelter would be erected at this
point. At least, this is the logical place for the smelter, being
on tidewater of Cook Inlet, permitting other ores to be shipped
here for treatment, aside from those transported by rail. A
smelter at Anchorage would be a great factor in the town’s
growth, permanence and prosperity, and would stimulate the
entire mining industry of this part of Alaska.
It is highly probable that at sea level, and possibly before,
the mines in the Willow creek gold camp will change from free
gold to base ores, requiring smelter treatment to recover all
the values. This is looking somewhat into the future, but if at
depth the Willow creek mines should evolve into base ore pro
ducers, a smelter at this point would certainly be assured.
There is another hope held out to Anchorage in the way
of mineral wealth about which little is heard. Tin-bearing ore
has been found in this vicinity. Of course, sufficient develop
ment has not been done to determine the extent or value of tlie
discovery, but the fact that tin-bearing ore has been found
gives the chance at least that it exists in commercial quanti
ties.
Anchorage is fast becoming a center for the mining ele
ment of the Cook inlet country and the water sheds of the 811
sitna and Matanuska valleys. Time will come when the mining
men will have their homes and families residing here. This is
due to the accessible location of the town, which may now be
reached by water transportation from about all the mining dis
tricts of this part of Alaska. The government railway will
further increase the town’s accessibility to the mineral dis
tricts. —
ALASKA COAL LAND LEASES.
The new Alaska coal land lease bears evidence of an in
tention in the department of the interior to at least accord
a measure of the same Jiberal treatment of Alaska as is ac
corded other parts of the United States, comments the Alaska
and Northwest Mining Journal. The desire of Mr. Pinchot
that the great wealth of Alaska should be preserved for gen
erations yet unborn, to the detriment of the pioneers of Alas
ka, seems to have long ago given place to a practical endeav
or to determine what the exact resources are and to frame
laws based on this information that would at the same time be
attractive to capital and yield a reasonable revenue to the fed
eral government, which is now engaged in opening the coun
try by means of the railway project.
The department of the interior has drawn a leasing regu
lation for the operation, by private individuals, of coal lands
in the Matanuska and Bering river fields, that is admitted by
eminent authority to be fair and workable, and which is, in
fact, similar to the leasing system effective in West Virginia,
where coal has been mined successfully for years past.
Alaska Brevities
From All Parts
ITEMS OF INTEREST CULLED
FROM NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH
ED IN VARIOUS TOWNS IN
THE TERRITORY
Seward had $314.40 left of its
Fourth of July fund after all expenses
were paid. It has been suggested
that this sum be turned over to the
baseball team.
Delegates to the democratic divi
sional convention to be held at Juneau
recently elected at Skagway, were in
structed to vote for Senator Tanner,
of Skagway.
John H. Patton and Fred Pauli re
cently took a lease on Cal. Franklin’s
ground in the Tolovana district, and
have uncovered pay as rich as any in
the district.
For several months past Cordova
has been suffering from a house fam
ine, men arriving with families find
ing no place to house them except in
the hotels.
The Willow Creek Mining company
is crushing 40 tons of ore a day, and
the company has enough ore blocked
out to keep the mill running through
out the season.
The Loyola Social club is the name
of a new Catholic organization re
cently formed in Cordova, and the
large hall in the Windsor hotel has
been secured for its quarters.
A representative of the Universal
Film company took a moving picture
of Juneau’s Fourth of July prepared
ness parade, which will be exhibited
throughout the country.
Philip Girard Funke, vice-president
of the Alaska Fish Salting and By
Products company of Kalisnoo, died
in the hospital at Juneau following an
operation for appendicitis.
Charles N. Hayes, foreman of the
cyanide plant at Treadwell and Miss
Martha J. C. Olson, teacher in the
Douglas public schools, were quietly
married recently to the surprise of
their friends.
Fine Job Printing at Times office.
Skagway held its Fourth of Julj
celebration on the first.
Fairbanks postoffice became a sec
ond class office on July 1.
The Petersburg shrimp plant is re
ported to be having a prosperous sea
soil.
Last week Whitehorse was visitec
by a genuine old-fashioned thundei
storm.
Two native bands furnished the mu
sic for the Haines Fourth of July cel
ebration.
Nearly every coast town in Alaska
barred firecrackers from the Fourtl
of July celebrations.
The foundry firm of Fritz & Manr
of Ballard, Wash., will establish a
foundry at Anchorage.
Frank Berg, a gardner at Meloz
station, recently severely cut his knee
cap with an axe.
Bernard Friss was convicted re
cently at Fairbanks for beating his
wife and was sentenced to six months
in jail.
A movement has started at Fair
banks to grab the army post stationec
now at the mouth of the Tanana river
Tom Young, who is operating a
prospecting drill on the Lewis river
is reported to be taking out an ounce
a day.
Reports from Gold Hill, in the Fair
banks district, say that a shortage ol
men is handicapping the operators.
The Ketchikan Miner says the sun
has shone so much in that vicinity
that even the water in the creeks ap
pears dry.
vrregory ro.;, a resident oi E>eiaa
via, has been taken into custody at
that place, charged with making
“Hooch.”
A baseball club has been formed at
the new railroad town of Nenana and
has challenged the Fairbanks team to
a game.
Lars Johan Erikson and Charles
Theidor Crozier, of the Fairbanks dis
trict, have received patents to their
homesteads.
The Juneau band is making ar
rangements to give Monday night
open air concerts during the summer
months.
Fifteen hundred people took part in
the preparedness parade, which con
stituted a feature of Juneau’s Fourth
of July celebration.
Owing to recent strikes the town of
Pool-man is taking on new life, and a
number of new business houses arc
starting up.
At the Douglas Fourth of July cel
ebration Graeff & Martini won the
rock drilling contest with a hole 25%
inches deep.
The Indians of Metlakahtla are
some ball players. They recently de
feated the Anyox, B. C., team by a
score of 4 to 3.
J. H. Wheeler, superintendent of
streets at Juneau, has resigned his
position. He has held the position for
the past two years.
Yukon territory has made a greater
per capita contribution to the Cana
dian patriotic fund than any other
province of Canada.
Fairbanks papers claim that the
Tolovano country, principally Livin
good creek and its tributaries will
produce a million dollars this year,
and will do much better next year.
The Number Nine Mining company,
on Fairbanks creek had a clean-up re
cently. Four men were working on
the ground and the clean-up showed
up close to $2,000 for each man. ‘
The Cordova Light & Power com
pany has commenced the rebuilding
of their dam at an expense of $3,000
and are employing a crew of eight
men.
The liquor licenses have been
granted at Douglas.
Valdez has one of the largest ice
factories in the territory. About 15
miles long and 500 feet high.
William Pdrthwright, a well-known
colored chef of early Dawson days,
died recently at Butte, Mont.
Harry Williams, a well-known au
tomobile man of Juneau, has patent
ed a combination automobile lock.
Bernard Benson, an old-timer oi
Nome, was taken into custody there
recently on the charge of insanity.
There is talk of changing the new
railroad townsite of Nenana from the
north to the south side of the river.
Pete Ringseth, of Tolovana, re
cently killed a 400-pound black beat
with one shot from a 22-calibre rifle,
M. J. Sullivan, of Cordova, is re
ported to have struck a big coppei
mine in the vicinity of Mile 99 on the
Copper Rwer road.
Ketchikan’s Fourth of July cele
bration was sadly marred by a stead j
downpour of rain which continuer
throughout the day.
Judge Jennings recently grantee
seventeen saloon licenses in Juneau
took two applications under advise
ment and refused one.
For the first time since the closing
down of the Alaska Northern roae
several years ago, a train went oul
to Mile £4 this week.
Burk & Lang are reported to have
struck a copper vein nearly 600 feel
wide near Hollis* The property has
been bonded for $100,000.
Owing to the longshoremen’s strike
at Seattle there has been a decidet
shortage of green stuff, butter ant
eggs in Alaskan coast towns.
The mother of Postmaster Deal, cl
Fairbanks, died recently at her home
in North Carolina. Mr. Deal was
with her at the time of her death.
Miss Paddock, teacher in the Rubj
public school, has been presented bj
her pupils with a handsome pin oj
mastodon ivory and native gold.
Fairbanks celebrated the Festival
of the Midnight, Sun on June 21.
This is an unusual affair and ranks
ahead of the Fourth of July in that
> city.
| On Spruce creek in the Foorman
' district, Niehoff & Indegard are in
exceptionally good ground, one pan
from the face of their drift yielding
’ $27 .
Judge Peter D. Overfield, formerly
. of the bench of the Fourth division of
Alaska, is reported to be at Oatman,
Arizona, where he has opened a law
office.
A. B. Hamer, connected with the
office of the special agent at Tacoma,
is making a tour of Alaska checking
the offices of the various customs
houses.
The Alaska Supply company, of
Juneau, has sold out its stock of
hardware to the Juneau Hardware
company and will drop that branch
of its business.
Adolph Holtman, in the employ of ,
Patterson & Finley in the Tolovana
district, had his leg broken by a fall
ing slab, and was taken to Fairbanks
for treatment.
Charles McDermott, for many
years chief of police at Chena, has
resigned the position and Richard |
Stein, a pioneer resident, has been
appointed to succeed him. 1
It is estimated that about $15 is 1
saved and a day or two of time by 1
taking the auto stage at Valdez for 1
the interior, instead of going via Cor- ■
dova and Chitina.
Miss Elizabeth Montgomery and '
Miss Elvina Crosby, of Oakland, Cal., 1
are touring southeastern Alaska in 1
search of “local color.” They are '
movie scenario writers.
The first dredge in the Nome dis- 1
trict started work on May 24.
Juneau and Douglas are suffering 1
from An pnidpmin nf mpnslps
Douglas is all stirred up over the
appearance of a ‘keeping Tom” in
that city recently.
Juneau Elks are expecting a visit
from the members ofthe Sacramento
lodge of the order. '
Charles Goodall and M. J. Sullivan *
and associates are preparing to erect 1
a sawmill at Cordova.
Paul Kegel, leader of the Treadwell 1
orchestra, is starting a mushroom '
farm at that place. !
The Treadwell Gun club is holding '
special shoots for ladies in which a -
number have participated. 1
The Northwestern on her last trip 1
south took from Cordova 1,600 tons
of copper ore and 10,500 cases of
salmon. 3
NEWS ITEMS FROM
TALKEETNA CAMP 1
Our Talkeetna correspondent has
sent in his weekly letter under date 1
of July 18th, with news items relative :
to that vicinity as follows:
H. W. Nageley arrived on the last 1
Hazel B No. 2 with six tons more of
merchandise for his new store here. 1
Mrs. Schaeffer, wife of our genial
storekeeper, arrived in Talkeetna last
evening and Mr. and M s. Schaeff' r
have go.ie to housekeeping in a little
log cabin.
Messrs. Edes, Mears and Christen
sen are expected here on the ne^t
boat on a trip of inspection.
J. D. Meenach and son and Mr.
Price are in Talkeetna en route to
their quartz property in Broad Pass
with four tons of provisions and six
horses. The party expect to make
this place their headquarters while
in this section of the country.
The wagon bridge over the Talkeet
na river will be finished this week and
this bridge is badly neded on account
of the swift surrent making it diffi
cuu, uu cruss uy means oi uoais or
rafts and almost impossible for a
horse to swim.
Mr. Wright, of Anchorage, is build
ing a neat log cabin which will be oc
cupied by himself and family upon
completion.
The Con,mission has established a
new camp at “Dead Man s Gap,” 20
miles up the Susitna river.
FLAGSHIP BRINGS'
BIG LIST PEOPLE
The flagship Alaska reached An
chorage at 3 o’clock this afternoon
with 50 passengers for here, as fol
lows:
M. Strongren, T. M. Sheehan, Miss
F. Rogers, H. P. Allen, A. F. Lang,
W. J.. Herron, Chas. Herron, Babe
White, W. H. Baker, R. Kran, Mrs. L.
Joy, Anna A. Mort, Mrs. C. L. Murry,
Mrs. G. W. Meeks and daughter, Mrs.
Fjnklestein and children, F. Berry,
Mrs. P. M. McMahill and children, H.
J. Gloss, J. M. Fate, F. C. Broman, B.
J. Taylor, J. L. Baker, Miss K. Mc
Hugh, Miss R. McHugh, C. K. Riggen
and wife, Mrs. D. P. Wymour, Mrs. JL*.
B. Graves, Mrs. J.C. Noonan, E. T.
Hoodson and wife, and four steerage.
The following made the round trip
on the Alaska, stopping off in Anchor
. age for a brief view of the city:
Miss B. Turrell, Geo. J. Fumel and
wife, Miss D. Williams, Miss E. Bur-:
rough, J. C. Harper, M. A. McRae,
' Miss G. E. Andrews, Miss E. An
i drews, Miss M. L. Millard, Mrs. J. A.
, Dustin, Mrs. E. S. Holt.
The outgoing passengers on the
s Alaska were:
H. Seidenverg, J. Christner, Villa
i Morgan, Lorraine Gilmore, Julius
Rockor, J. O. Bruggeman, J. V.
i Black, Mrs. J. J. Young, D. A. Prate
1 ly, J. E. Hawkins, Allen R. Moore, L.
: V. Ray, J. Lafer, Robert Ashland, T.
W. Chriswell, H. C. Heywood, S. H.
' \ owens, Moses Ellis, Edward Heu
bach, Pat Corona, D. P. Penock, E. A.
; Swanson, Pat Crow, John Lee.
Fred Laubner is down from the
Willow creek, district and reports ev
erything going on nicely at the Mabel
mine.
I.IITLE DAMAGE IS
DONE BY BLAZE
It took the Anchorage Are depart
ment Just ten minutes to put out
the that started from a defect
ive flue in the Riverside Inn early
this afternoon. The Are was dis
covered at 1:17 and at 1:27 acting
Chief Powery said "all out.” The
carpenters working on the new post
ufllce as well as volunteers from the I
street also helped. Mr. Kock says <
the loss will not amount to more
than 1200, in addition to the loss of 1
having the front windows washed 1
this morning, which is labor lost. 1
la the absence of water the chem
icals were used and with gooa re- 1
suits; axes played an important -
part and Mr. Koch desires to thank 1
the Anchorage Volunteer Fire de- 1
partment and all assistants for their 1
good work. 1
rEAMSTER MEETS
WITH ACCIDENT 1
Cyrus Robinson, a teamster em
ployed by H. T. Fowler had the mis- '
’ortune to fall from a loaded wagon '
.his morning which passed over his
>ody, fracturing the femur bone in \
lis right leg and badly bruising his
:hest. The accident occurred at 7 1
>’clock this morning while Mr. Rob- ,
nton was returning from the brick ,
fard with a load of brick and in at
;empting to evade one of the numer- ’
>us stumps that this road is full of :
;he team ran the wagon into another '
itump, jerking him from the wagon
mto the ground and the loaded wag- '
m ran over him, with the abo,ve re
sult. He was immediately taken to
;he hospital where he was placed un
ler the care of Drs. Reedy and Ree
ion and who reported this afternoon 1
;hat he was getting along nicely.
MAKING SURVEYS
SUSITNA VALLEY
J. P. Walker, assistant supervisor
>f surveys for Alaska, returned from
;he Willow creek camp yesterday and
says that the work in the Susitna val
ey was progressing satisfactorily
md that they had been fortunate in
laving such good weather for the
surveying work. Mr. Walker has
:harge of all land office surveys in
Alaska and has several outfits in the
ield in different parts of the territory
mder his supervision.
The present work in the Susitna
ralley calls for a survey of the land
■rom the river to the foothills and
Hr. Walker said they would work in
his district until fall.
Mr. Walker said that Willow creek
vas a veritable fisherman’s paradise
ind told some remarkable stories of
•ecord catches. He will remain in
Anchorage several days on business
:onnected with his department before
•etuming to take up his duties in the
ield.
I
1
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i
i
1
ROBERT MATHESON, HOPE
MINER, VISITS ANCHORAGE
Robert Matheson, of the Matheson
Mining company, operating a hydrau- 1
iic plant on Resurrection creek, near -
Hope, arrived in the city this morn- 1
ng on the launch Wilhelmina.
Mr. Matheson brought in a likely ■
looking poke of dust from the last
cleanup and reports a very favora
ale season with everything working
licely at the camp. ;
He also reports that the St. Louis
Mining and Trading company, whose ^
property adjoins the Matheson hold
ngs, are working in good pay and
he management feel very much en
jouraged over the prospects. Mr.
Matheson spent the day in Anchor
ige on business and will leave for
:amp with Captain Parker on the
aunch Pioneer.
PALMER’S SCHOONER
ARRIVES IN PORT '
Geo. W. Palmer’s freighter Lucy J
irrived in port this morning and will 1
discharge freight for several Anch- .
irage merchants before going to
joose bay where the balance of the ,
largo will be unloaded for the big
Palmer store located at Knik.
1
COMMITS SIDE
JUNEAU, July 24.—Belated news
from Sitka tells of the death, by su
icide, of John Goodell, a pioneer of
Alaska. Last Friday afternoon at
5 o'clock Goodell entered the bath
room of the Pioneer’s Home and took
Eiis life by cutting his throat with a
razor. He first slashed his left
wrist with the razor, but failed to
sever the artery. The news of the
self-destruction of the pioneer shock
ed the little settlement of Sitka, al
though it was known that he was in
financial difficulties and that his
health was badly impaired. He leaves
a son to mourn his loss and a host of
pioneer friends throughout the south
ern coast of Alaska.
Interment was made at Sitka and
the obsequies were largely attended.
The Worthen mill at Juneau recent
ly cut a timber 32 by 37 inches and
28 feet long, containing 2,762 feet
board measurement, from an Alaska
spruce tree.
Nick Krinis, a bulldozer in the
rreadwell mine, was instantly killed
i few days ago by a falling reck. He
is survived by a wife and five chil
iren.
HAD DELIGHTFUL
TRIP OVER* ROAD
Mrs. Alice E. Anderson, Miss Juliet
Stryker and Miss Juanita Anderson,
stopping at the Parsons hotel, told
i most delightful story of a fine trip
they have just taken along the gov
jrnment railroad and to the Willow
:reek mining district. To say they
were treated with hospitality doesn't
lalf explain the courtesies they re
vived. j
Although they were often told la
lies’ could not be accommodated they
laid they invariably found the best
>f accommodations.
One of their fondest memories
leemed to be of Ira Brown’s place at
Moose creek. Of course. Brown’s
dace represents the par excellence
>f up-to-dateness and the scenery
iround that point would beggar a de
icription.
The girls said real nice things about
;he cosy cabins the ranchers have, and
spoke enthusiastically about their
srops.
Mrs. Martin’s hospitality was dwelt
ipon at length. They told of the tent
irected and floored and furnished for
hem, of the fascination of seeing real
?old bricks retorted. In fact they
showed a thorough knowledge of
nines and mining.'
And the memory of mile 12 and Mr.
thorp was most pleasantly recalled,
the mushrooms which grow there arc
nost delicious and it seemed a speci
illy nice kind of trout makes the as
sent of Cottonwood creek for the ben
;fit of the people in that vicinity. The
jirls spoke of Mrs. Van Orman at
Mile 16, remembering her thought
fulness in regard to having a lunch
•eady for them upon their arrival.
The road house at 31% was also
nentioned.
According to Miss Anderson won
lerful results have been acquired by
;he A. E. C.
And the fact that she has made a
study of civil engineering at the
Jniversity of Washington surely
daces her in a position to know.
In concluding their remarks the
jirls said that every minute of the
;rip would be to them a pleasant
nemory and they surely hoped to
nake it again next year.
SAD EXPERIENCE
OF ALASKA GIRL
A 17-year-old Fairbanks girl was
sent by her parents to California for
;he purpose of acquiring an education.
She got it, but not in the manner her
parents anticipated. After a few
veeks in school, she married a man 30
fears older than herself. This hap
jened last fall. Before the time for
ilanting onion sets and setting spring
lens arrived, the young wife had left
ler sere husband and was suing for
i divorce. She obtained it only three
veeks ago and the other day she was
n Gastineau channel on her way back
;o Fairbanks. She acquired the edu
:ation all right. The moral to this is
hat, while it is perfectly right to
send young girls from Alaska to the
states to acquire educations, discre
;ion must be exercised in the selec
;ion of girls to send. If they have a
jenchant for men 30 years older than
hemselves—well, there are lots of
nen that class in Alaska, and trans
lortation comes high.—Ex.
HAPPY WEDDING AT SEWARD.
The Seward papers of July 22nd
mnounce the wedding of Erwin E.
Wright to Miss Marjorie Bailey at
hat place last Friday. The groom is
employed as linotype operator by the
Gateway and is a son of J. W. Wright,
‘ortjman of The Daily Times. The
innouncement follows:
“Miss Marjorie Bailey became the
vife of E. E. Wright, popular young
nan of Seward, at the home of U. S.
Commissioner Ennis yesterday even
ng. Mrs. Wright arrived on the
Mariposa from Cordova and the wed
ling came as a complete surprise to
nost of the groom’s friends, although
le had taken one or two into his con
idence. The bride visited Seward for
;he first time this spring, coming here
’rom Seattle.”
SALE OF LOTS AT
MATANUSKA JUNCTION
The sale of town lots at Matanuska
Function drew quite a crowd from An
:horage, among them being several
•epresentative business men who will
10 doubt establish branch houses at
hat point.
A. Christensen superintended the
sale and the bidding was keen. The
;otal sales up to 2 o'clock this after
loon as reported direct to The Daily
rimes office amounted to over $10,
)00.00. The highest price paid for a
ot up to the time the information
:ame in was $475 by A. A. Shonbeck,
vith Fred Polley a close second pay
ng $400.00, the next highest price.
Many ranchers from the Matanuska
/alley were present at the sale and
;he contractors and railroad employes
vere well represented. The business
ots are 25 by 100 feet and no busi
less lot sold for less than $200, while
six went at $300.00 each.
A full account of the sale and pur
jhasers of the lots will appear in to
morrow's issue of The Daily Times.
Deputy United States Marshal
John H. Robinson, special inspector
for the Alaskan Engineering Com
mission, left last night on the pow
sr launch Alaska for a trip of inspec
tion of the camps in the Tumagain
Arm district. Mr. Robinson reports
that there are four camps in this dis
trict located at Mile 71, employing 30
men; Mile 103, employing 52 men;
Mile 112, employing 229 men and
Mile 113, employing 48 men, with en
gineering camps located at different
points between Anchorage and Kern
:reek.
Record Yield b
Expected From
Martin's Mine
H. C. Emory, superintendent of th$
Martin mine, writes The Daily Time?
that in order to keep in touch witfc
the outside world in regard to war,
religion, politics and finance as wefl
as conditions locally it is absolutely
necessary for him to have a copy of
The Anchorage Daily Times and thif
addition helps swell the rapidly grow
ing subscription list of this paper.
Mr. Emory has been connected witli
the Martin mine for several years in
the capacity as superintendent and is
exceptionally competent and deserv
edly popular. He sends down word
that everything at the mine is ip
splendid condition and that they will
run the mill until late in the season
and possibly all winter and that this
season’s output will break all records.
He further advises that there ar$
more real prospectors in the Willow
creek district this season than any
year of his experience and that sever
al new leads have been opened that
promise big results with proper de
velopment. In making the remark that
the Willow creek district is only in its
infancy Mr. Emory substantiates the
reports of other experts who have
recently returned from a visit and ex
amination of that district but should
bear more weight from the fact that
he is more familiar with the condi
tions and formations in addition to
being a thorough mining man.
SPENT TWO YEARS
IN THE BLACK HILLS
ihe following article clipped from
the Fairbanks News-Miner reports an
instance of two trappers and ' pros
pectors having been away from civili
zation for two years and while this is
not an uncommon thing in Alaska it
clears up the suspicions in regard to
the reported death of one of the par
ties, Stephen Foster, who is a well
known miner and prospector and who
has many acquaintances in Anchor
age:
After an absence of two years in
the Lake Minchumina and Mt. Mc
Kinley districts, Stephen Foster and
Walter Ames are back in Fairbanks
once more. During their long ab
sence they saw but very few white
people; and, in fact, for the first 14
months they never laid eyes on any
one but an Indian, and only a few of
them.
One of the interesting facts on
their trip, and showing how far they
were removed from civilization, was
the fact that they did not hear of the
war in Europe until March, 1916, or
eight months after it had started. It
was by the merest accident that they
learned of it. Mr. Foster was visit
ing at Tleda, where he met a couple
of prospectors. Casually one of the
partners remarked something about a
battle. Mr. Foster, at once curious,
asked what battle, and for the first
time learned of the great struggle
and gained what meagre information
the trappers had.
While in the Lake Minchumina dis
trict they did some trapping and
hunting.
Foster Reported Dead.
During his absence Mr. Foster was
reported dead at one time and a dep
uty marshal was sent out in search of
him. The official learned from the
Indians, however, that he was safe
and did not continue the search. In
the papers of the interior, including
those of Fairbanks, Ruby and Idit
arod, there appeared articles telling
of the reported murder of Mr. Foster.
While he was not killed, he did
have a very narrow escape, as it hap
pened. He had gone to one of his
outlying cabins, about 60 miles from
his headquarters, having been advised
that his cache had been robbed. Sure
enough, it had .been cleaned out com
pletely. As he started back for home,
during the month of January, and
while the weather was bitterly cold,
he had but one white fish, no blankets,
no axe and was poorly equipped to
weather a storm. After starting out
he lost the trail and after wandering
for five days, during which he lived
on a little hot water and the white
fish, he finally got into his own camp.
He expects to spend several weeks
in Fairbanks, after which he will re
turn to the Minchumina district.
PIONEER JAS. GIRDWOOD
VISITING ANCHORAGE
It isn’t everyone who is able to
have an Alaska town named after
them and still carry the honor with
such dignity as though it were an
every-day occurrence.
The new town of Girdwood, situat
ed at the 'mouth of Glacier creek on
Tumagain Arm and on the main line
of the government railroad from An
chorage to Seward, was named after
Jas. Girdwood. who is making his
first visit to Anchorage, arriving here
yesterday morning on the launch
Brighton.
Mr. Girdwood has been mining in
this part of Alaska since 1901 and has
valuable placer holdings on Crow
creek above the property owned by
the Crow Creek Mining company and
is interested in other property in this
vicinity. He said that he could not
help but be impressed with the rem
arkable and substantial growth of An
chorage and spoke particularly in re
gard to the high class of stores and
the enterprise shown by the local
business men.
O. G. Heming, a Knik merchant,
was in Anchorage on business yester
day.