Seward gateway. [volume], August 11, 1905, Image 2

About Seward gateway. [volume] (Seward, Alaska) 1904-1905

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
SEWARD GATEWAY
PDBLISIII I) WEEKLY BY
GATEWAY PUBMSHING COv
SKWAKD. - - ALASKA,
K titered us Second Class matter August 21th,
IAH, at the iiostoltlce at Seward. Alaska, un
ler the Act of Congress of March 8. 187V».
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year (In Athance) - * * $3.00
Six Month* " ... SI.50
Three Month* " $1.00
Advertising Rates Made Known on Ap
plication.
Birth amt Death notices free; Marriage an
nouncements according to the generosity und
*iuuncial standing of the groom.
Eastern ofltce 212 At worth Building. Duluth.
Minnesota. Chas. B. Aske. authorized agent.
FLU DAY, AUGUST 11. 1905
Mining Corfu's First
What Seward most needs is the
development of the mining re
sources lying at her back door.
Itailroad construction and ocean
shipping will do much but neither j
affords much trade .directly to:
local business men. The railroad |
itself will depend for its traffic!
mainly upon mining. For that
it is building and but foi the be
lief that extraordinary mineral
resources lie along its route it
would not be built at all.
Nevertheless up to date the
outside world does not know
that Seward has any mineral re
sources. The del elopment Work
which has been in progress on
ivenai peninsula and adjoining it
has never been heralded abroad.
The men who are doing the Work
seem contented with then- pro
gress and let it go at that. So
far as they are concerned that is
sufficient but Seward’s business
men and its railroad are interes
ted in seeing its mining resources
developed at a rate many times,
greater than at present.
Seward needs to advertise her i
mining wealth. Tne work that
is being done now would furnish
columns of news to Denver pa
pers if it were in Colorado.
Whenever a Colorado miner picks
up a piece of float that assays
well the veteran liars of that
state announce the discovery of
a nother Comstock lode Seward
oes not have to imitate Colora
do mendacity but her residents
an well afforb to take especial
interest in reporting all the real
mining news of this region. In
the past few days several Seat
tle men familiar with Alaska have
reached the town and each has
expressed surprise to learn of
the extent of mining develop
ment on this peninsula. They
had never heard of any as far
away as Seattle, and rival towns
have asserted that there are
none.
Seward must let the mining!
world know what she has within
easy reach and mining men will
come here in platoons.
Portland Sails South
Steamer Portland arrived in this
purl Sunday from the west, some*
what belated, and sailed soon after for
Seattle. She brought eighty tons of
Coal from Scldovia for the Alaska Com
mercial Company Alnmt thirty nas
sengors sailed for Seattle. A party of
■ Vtroit men were aboard who had just
located coal claims of bit) acres
each, at Anchor point on Cook Inlet,
'.’hey promise immediate development
As soon as the regulator arrives
v\ Inch tv ill be soon everyone can secure
the correct standard time from Bab
bage the Jeweler.
Allen Cate
COLEMAN HOISE ANNEX
All the delicacies of the
s< asen properly prepar
ed and served.
MRS. L\ It. ALLEN. Prop.
l'ti fl ttdit i l j
ENDS EIVEEY
CONTROVERSY
Location of Cable Station in Seward
,v
Determined After Acrimoni
ous Struggle
The 16Cation of the govcrnitfent cable
station on lots 10 and LI, block 8, ended
a lively controversy which for a time
was little understood in Seward, but at
tracted keen interest. The Gateway
is in possession of all the correspond
ence on the subject, and is able to pub
lish for the first time the full particulars.
Major W. A. Glassford, in charge of
tlie United States Signal Service in
Seattle, on March 13 last requested of
John E. Ballaine, the owner, with his
brother, Frank L. Ballaine, of the Sew
ard townsite, the conveyance to the
government of a lot as a site for the
cable station iu Seward, the appropria
tion for the extension of the cable being
•‘so limited that no money could be
spared out of it to buy a site.” The
same day Mr. Ballaine replied:
“Referring to our conversation of
this date, I agree to convey to the
United States lot 10, block 8, Seward,,
Alaska, as a site for the government!
cable office. This conveyance will be j
made with the understanding, of course,
that the government shall erect a good
and substantial building on the lot.”
Two weeks later, March 25, Major
Glassford wrote Mr. Ballaine thatGen.
Greely thought it would bo better in
order to secure plenty of light to have
two lots, other wist the cable building,
planned to be 30x30, would have to be
made narrower, lie asked fora donation
of a second lot. Mr. Ballaine was then
absent in Chicago, but on liis return,
April 13, wrote. Major Glassford that
tiie lot he had already oll'ered was one
of the best in Seward, and that theone
adjoining was worth $1500. It was nec
essary to donate lots for churches, the
public schools, a library, and other
public or semi-public organizations,
amounting in the aggregate to a large
part of the total, and he therefore de
clined to convey two valuable business
lots, each 30x100, for a building only
30x30, particularly since the government
had the privilege of selecting a corner
lot, where the light could not be ob
structed. But Mr. Ballaine offered to
keep the adjoining lot vacant for a per
iod of live years to prevent the obstruct
ion of light.
In reply, dated April 14, Major Glass
ford told Mr. Ballaine that he had been
“reliably informed no longer ago than
last evening that property in Seward
had only a nominal value.” He asked
Mr. Ballaine to withdraw his letter, as
otherwise the government eould not ac
cept a donation of property having
value, for acceotance would place it
under obligation to the donor.
The same dav Major Glassford gave
an interview to the Seattle Post-Intelli
gencer, published in the issue of the
next morning, April 15, stating that
the cable might not be at Seward, but
at some other point in Resurrection bay,
‘because the government was unable
to obtain a location in Seward.”
Mr. Ballaine in a letter of April 15
demanded of Major Glassford a correct
ion of the misstatement of facts in the
interview, and denied that Major Glass
ford had been informed by “reliable
authority” that property in Seward
had only a nominal value. Such infor- i
mation to be “reliable” could only mean
that the Alaska Central Roil way, start
ing from Seward as its ! ’acific terminus,
was not a bona fide enterprise. . Major
Glassford did not make the correction.
Mix Ballaine then, under date of April
18, wrote Gen. Greely, chief signal ofT
icyr at Washington, D. C.-, enclosing
Major Glassford’s interview and a copy
of all correspondence on the subject or
the cable site, calling his attention to
the falsity of Major Glassford's state
ments in the Post-Iutelligencer. Gen.
Greely replied to, Mr Ballaine, April
24. that a special,act of congress would
be required to enable him to accept the
site offered the government, and, there
doubtless being government land ad
joining Seward, he saw no reason for
considering the question as to whether
the lot originally offered, was suited to
the needs of the service or not. It was
not his duty, he said, to pass on the
truth or falsity of Major Glassford's
statements.
On the same date, April:?!, Major
Glassford’s wrote Mr. Bkllainc:
“Referring to your letter of the 15th
in$t., delay,, in replying to which was
due to corre.qwndenee with Washing
ton, I beg to say that the chief signal
officer of the army (Gen. Greely) wires
me to ieform you (hat the signal corps
will not build at Seward, Consequently
the lot Is not desired. ’ ’
Thu following day, April 25, Mr. Bal
laine was advised by telegram from
Washington that Major Glassford Had
repudiated the interview credited to
him in the 'Post-Intelligencer of April
15. But oti the same day the telegram
was received, April 25, another inter
view with Major GlaAsford came Out
under display headllifcl on the first
page of fhe Post-Intelligencer, quoting
Major Glassford as sayixlg that “Seward
will not be the cable terminus.”
When the cableship Burnside arriv
ed to survoy the harbor on May IP,
Capt. Wallace, the signal officer in
charge, di$d5vered that there was no |
government land adjoining toward. W.
W. Ballain&j then temporttniy in Sew
ard representing the owners of the
townsite, gave Capt. Wallace a written
statement to the effect that the owners
were prepared to convey lots 10 and 11,
block 8, to the government, but did not
say on what terms the conveyance was
to be made, whether as a gift or for
cash. That statement was cabled from
Valdez to Major Glassford, May 14,
and in the Post-Intelligencer of the
succeeding day Major Glassford announ
ced that “the citizens of SewiVrd and
the townsite owners had donated a site
for a cable station, ” that it had been
accepted, and that the cable station
would consequently be located in
So warn.
John L. Ballaine wrote Gen. Greely,
May 18, that so far as the owners of
the townsite were concerned l^lajor
Glassford’s announcement in the J’ost
Intelligencer was in error, and that!
the owners of the townsite “had bo in
tention of repeating an offer once de
clined with an untruthful and insulting
interview added.” He assured Gen.
Greely of the pleasure it would give
him to extend every possible courtesy
to the government, but expressed a
wish to deal with a representative of
the government “who would not resort j
to the newspapers with bluffs and false (
statements.”
Gen. Greely in reply advised Mr.
Ballaine that he had not accepted a
cable site.from abybody in Seward.
Negotiations rested until June 16,
when a representative of Major Glass
ford called upon John E. Ballaine at
his office in Seattle and asked on what
terms the government might obtain
lots 10 and 11, block 8, os a site for the
cable station. Mr. Ballaine replied
that in view of a former refusal to ac
cept a site as a gift, coupled with the
publication of false and prejudicial
statements by Major Glassford, he
would lease these two lots to the gov
ernment for a terra of year's or sell
them at their market value. But he
added that if the inquiry was in behalf
of Major Glassford, he would insist on
having it direct and in writing, and he
would give his reply in writing, in \
order to protect himself against the
publication of false statements by Ma
jor Glassford in newspaper interviews.
Accordingly, Major Glassford wrote
Mr Ballaine, June 16, saying he under
stood Mr. Ballaine “declined to carry:
out the kind offer of \V. \V. Ballaine,” i
but that even if he had ratified it, “the 1
government could not accept the lots
without an act of congress.” Major
Glassford inquired in the same letter;
on what terms Mr. Ballaine would lease
the lots to the government..
Mr. Ballaine replied, June 1;:
“ It is true that I stated to your rep
resentative that I declined to convey
these lots to the government as a free
gift, and I also Hated my reasons. In
order that there may be no misunder
standing in the matter I incorporate
my reasons in this letter. A former;
offer I had mado of lot 10 block 8, was i
j
refused by the government and a false i
statement given by you to the papers!
designed to place me and the Alaska
Central Railway Company in a preju
dicial attitude.”
Mr. Ballaine then offered to lease the
lots to the government for a term of
years, the government to have the
privilege of purchasing them any time
within the life of the lease a^ their
market value. The lease was accord
ingly made on those terms.
Brit the most remarkable of thfc series
of remarkable announcements and in
terviews given to the Seattle papers by
Major GlassfOrd appeared in the Seat
tle Times of July 14, as follows:
“ The signal corps station at Seward
is now about completed, according to
advices received yesterday from that
town by Major W. A. GlassfOrd. Title
was some days ago secured to the two
lots donated by the citizens of Seward
for the site of the cable station and
they are now the property of the gov
ernment. It was only after he became
certain that the lots would be deeded
absolutely to the United States that
Major Glassford allowe.d the work to
proceed on the building. ”
The trut ji is, as every infoi’med per
son in Seward knows, the citizens of
(Continued on fourth page) »
, „, yr,flfr- - _^
SEWARD WL COM®
COAL SHEDS AT FOOT OF SECOND AV’E., SKVV.\t:i, 1
Coal! Gasolene! Wood
Coal Tit shed $10.00 pd’r ton bulk, or $11.00 saek<*(l
Gasolene by the case $6.00; 5 gallon can $3.50.
PROMPT DELIVERY. Offices at Pier I or Yakutat Imbr (;0
HOTEL McNEILEY
■ —== EUROPEAN PLAN ■ - <
ACCOMMODATIONS STRICTLY FIRST-CLASS
Rates 50c to $2.00 per day
Will A. McNEILEY, Proprietor '
FOURTH AVENUE - - SEWARD, ALASKA
±_- n .... ;i _„j
'<» -f >■ _
STOVES AND RANGES
---Wholesale and Reatil
TIN, COPPER AND SHEET STEEL WORK
JOBBING AND PLUMBING A SPECIALTY
80-40 Winchester Repeating Ritles.-Axes, S,.
large Assortment of Tents. Granite and Tinware
J| PDAFF FOURTH AVENUE
• turn* fif\ ■ ■ SEWARD, ALASKA
MORTHERN .QALOON
W’HlTTEMt'RE, & SMITH Proprietor
WINES, LIQUORS AND CIGARS
FOURTH AVE. SEWARD, ALASKA
THE COMMERCE
FOURTH AVENUE
® A Gentleman’s Resort and Club Rooms.
FlTrIhiishId roo~ms
We Purchase TJold Delist at Regular Rates I
- - ■— i
PETERSON & BROWN, Proprietor;
I ' " ■■■■■ ■ 'l'1 .....1
NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL ANt)
PERSONAL RROP^RtV
IN’ THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT
COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALAS
KA. THIRD JUDICIAL DIVISION.
\V H. Cook R. L. Royers A G. .
Pickle. Mrs. M. L. Gleason.
Plaintiffs, j
vs. j
The Turnayuin Arm Gold Min
iny Company. Defendants
Notice is hereby yiven that pursuant to «
Judyment duly made and entered on the 2nd rin.v
of January 1905, in the above entitled oourt. in
the foreyoiny cause, wherein W H Cook R.
|k Royers. A. G Pickle. Mrs M. L. Gleason are
plaintiffs and the Turnayain Arm Gold Mininy
Company is defendant, I will sell at public auc
tion all the riyht, title and interest that the
suid defendant held and owned at the date of
said judyment in and to the hereinafter de
scribed personal find real proi*ert.v.
Said sale will trike place on the 38th day of
Auyost 1905. at the property of the defendant t
situated on Gnlch Creek. Sunrise Mininy Dis
trict. Cook Inlet. Alaska.
The property to be sold at said sale is describ
ed as follows, to-wit: The ‘ Emma", a mininy),
claim: the “Gilderoy", a mininy Claim: the'.
"Contidenre", a mininy claim: the ’^Charity",
a mininy claim: Little Mayyte", n mininy.
claim: "Numbers", a mininy claim': "Valen
tine", a mininy claim: "Valentine Bench”, a
mininy claim: "Montana Mininy Company's
Claim": block, 1. 2, 8: "The Treasury’’,, a min
iny claim: "Lucky Strike", a mining Vluim: an,
undivided half interest in the "Diy For It",, nr
mjniny claim: "National Bank". A mining
cl: im: "Telephone", a mininy claim: full claim
of the "Brooklyn", a mininy claim: "Bear ", a
mininy claim ;and “Discovery ".a mininy claim: *
together with the pipes fit,'Tries boxes, black
smith outfit tools. i>eIton wheel, cable, cabin
and every thing connected with the mininy op
erations and business of the Turnayafn Arm
Gold Mininy Company, situated orf Gulch
Creek and tributaries and adjacent bejnehes.
end all contiguous, within the Sunrise Mininy
District. Cook Inlet. Alaska.
The terms and conditions of said sulo are
that all of said property, or so much thereof us
may be required to satisfy the foreyoiny judy
ment. court costs, attorney’s fees, and costs of
sale, shall lie sold to the highest bidder for
cash
Dated Vuhlez Alaska, July 28th. 1905
GEO. G. PERRY
U. S. Marshal,
By H P. WY BRANT Deputy
By consent of W. H. Cook, one of the plain
tiffs above named thesuleof the above property
is posponed until Sept. 5 1905 at 13 M
GEO. G. PERRY
U. S. Marshal ,
By H. P WY BRANT. Deputy.
First publication Any. I 51 -At
TUq session of. the Seward Union
Sunder School will ho held in t he read
ing joom on Fifth avenue, at 10:45 a.
m., until further notice. All are cord
ially invited to attend. •
DR. C. T. DAGGETT \
DENTIST
4
S E. Cor Vourth Ave. anc: Wu*l" s
*; * B
SEWARD - •
DR. C. L. HALE
DENTIST
*>x «
. Over Brown & Hawkins' store t
SEWARD
H. H. HILDRETH
r
NOTARY priJLll I
U. 9. COMMISSIONER
SEWARD - ALA>1
CECIL H. CLEGG *;
M
]
ATTORNEY AT LAW it
at
Fourth Avenue. -
E. R. GRAY
(
NOTARY PI'BLH
I
SEWARD _ xr-*'l
0. LASGY
U. S.htP. MINfRAI and 1*1
SIRVEYOR PQR THE DISTRICT Of ' ■
Civil Engineer, and Land :in!'.'l
iug Attorney. Addiv-s 1
Alaska* or in care of Mai! • > J
Steamer Dora. JB
jFRANK H.LASCY
U. S. MINERAL and LAN?
Surveyor for the District of
wo NOTARY PIIBIIC
Addees: Seldovia, Cook IwL-'- -v'y
or care Mail Agent, fetea- ■'