Stikeen River journal., January 22, 1898, Image 1

About Stikeen River journal. (Fort Wrangel, Alaska) 1898-1899

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
STIKEEN RIVI :Fl JOURNAL Sr
. DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF WRANGEL, SOUTHEAST*! SKA, AND THE ALL-CANADIAN ROUTE TO THE YUKON.
VOlTi - FORT WRANGEL, ALASK-T SATURDAY, .JANUARY 22, 1898. NO. 4
Duncan. flcKinnon
-DEALER IN
✓General Merchandise"'
—AND—
MINERS’
SUPPLIES
21 The most complete Outfitting £
* House in A’aska. We sell at j
2J prices that defy competition. ^
**************************** ^
'Front Street,
WHANG EL, .... ALASKA
X NOTICED
J
We desire to announce to the general public that we have
i
on hand a complete line of j
l
General 1
* i
Merchandise 1
i
Consisting of Groceries and Provisions, Clothing, Boots 1
and Shoes, Rubber Goods, Mackinaws, and
a Full Line of ~ i
Miners’ Supplies
Reid <2 Sylvester
The Pioneer Merchants, *
i
FRONT STREET, WRANGEL, ALASKA i
4
/V\. Sc K. Gottstein,
J; ▼ tl'
Ii u
f Wholesale A) Liquor?£ Dealers f
£j Sole Agents for 5$
I 0 K and Crown I
* Pacific Club . . $
! ®
J tft
Whiskies 1
j $
©
lilo Front Street, - - Seattle, Wash. $
This
Space
Reserved for
Fort Wrangel Hotel
OFFICIAL DIRECTORX OF I
ALASKA #
The following is the official directory
for the District of Alaska: —. ..
Governor, John G. Brody; private secretary,
Mrs. Gertrude Knapp. I
JJ. S. Judge, C. S. Johnson.
U. S. Attorney, Burton B. Bennett.
Assistant District Attorney, Alfred J. Daly.
District Clerk. Albert D. Elliot.
Deputy Clerk,_W«1 ton D. McNair.
U. S. Marshal. J. M. Shdun. , I
Surveyor General, W. L. Dwtin.
Register, John W. Dhdley.
Receiver, Roswell Shelly.
Court Interpreter. George Kostromettnolf.
Commissioners, C. Vf. Tuttle. Sitka; John Y.
Ostrander, Juneau; K. M. Jackson, Fort Wran-'
gel; L. R. Wookward, Unalaska; PhillipGalla
Sher, Kadiak; John U. Smith, Dyea: W. J.
ones, Circle City; Charles H. Isham. Unga.
Deputy Marshals. W. A. McNair, Sitka, id
ward S. Staley. Juneau: Andrew G. Bays, Fort
Wrangel; J. McDonald. Do.uglsss; Edward C.
Hasey, Kadiak; Lewis L. Bowers, Unga: J. C.
Blaine. Unalaska. H. J. Mclnnis. SUaguay: J. J.
Rutledge. Cirole City; A. A. Richards. Dyea.
Deputy Internal Revenue Collector. W. CT.
Pedlar.
Eduoutionul Agent. Sheldon Jackson.
Assistant Agent. William Hamilton.
Superlntendant of Schools, W. A. Kelly.
Postmistress at Sitka. Mrs. A. M. Archangel
sky.
CUSMOMS OFFICERS.
Collector, J. W. Ivey.
Special Deputy. W. I* McBride.
Deputy unu Inspector V/m. Millmore and C.
L. Andrews. Sitka.
Deputy Collector. (*. S. llanmim. Juneau.
Inspectors at Juneau. Luring. K. Adams and
Louis Blumenthal.
Inspector at Fort Wrangel Edward Ilofsted.
Deputy Collectors. Joseph Arment, Fort
Wrangel: E. M. YanSlyck. Mary Islaud; W. G.
Thomas. Kodiak: (J. W. Caton, Cook Inlet. T.
E. Holmes, lvurluk; ,1. F. Sinnot, Unga: John
P. Word. Unalaska: Erwin Anders, St. Michael;
Chas. Smith. Circle City.
Inspectors Afloat. ,J. Sluter. P. A. Smith. Os
car Gard. E. Hcrrmun. Thomas S. Luke and
Thus. A. Markham.
STICKEEN HOUSE
P. HAUGHT, Proprietor
Board by the Day. Week or Month.
Day Board
Furnished Rooms
This Hotel is newly built and fur
nished and eommandsthe most, nuigniti
cunt view of any hotel in Fort Wfuture 1
BAY VIEW AVENUE
LUNCH COUNTER
BILLY CRAIG Proprietor
In Connection With
. Victoria Hotel,
Meals at all Hours,
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT.
Regular Dinners and Short
Orders a Specialty.
OLYMPIA and EASTERN
oysters
In Every Style.
I-----—
J. P. LOWE,
Watch maker and Jeweler,
FORT WRAXUKL. ALASKA.
Thirty years experience on the Paci
fic Coast in practical Watch making
and repairing: satisfaction guaranteed.
A line stock of Jewelry and I’luted
Silverware on hand.
Spectacles of all kinds. No charge
fortesting the eyes. Clive me a call.
ROBERT HYLAND
Dealer in
Groceries & Provisions
Furs,
Curios,
Etc. . . .
Telegraph Greek,
Head of Stikeen River
Miners supplied with everything
necessary in making the trip to
the Klondike.
' ./ . ■>
i THE KLONDIKE (IOLD.
(Scientific Accounting for the Low
w; ness of its Standard.
V _
j An interesting point in connection
with the question of age is that the
ground remains perennially frozen,
only the surface being thawed in sum
mer to a depth of two or throe feet. It
would appear that these deposits have
remained undisturbed and unaltered
e' er since the glacial period, and per
haps some such evidence of this will in
eoUrse of time be discovered, as was af
forded by the remains of mammoths
and other animuls in the Siberian froz
eir mud.
' It is worthy of note that the compara
tive lowness of the standard of the gold
Is under existing conditions in favor of
the view that placer gold is derived
fr<?m the erosion of auriferous quartz
lodes formerly existing at a higher
level, and has not been formed in situ
by being deposited from solution. For,
according to those who support the for
mer view, placer gold Incomes of higher
standard than reef gold, after it has
found its way into the drifts, the base
metals being gradually removed by
th£ solvent action of running water, in
which gold is not readily soluble. Since
however, the Klondike gold lias been
frozen up during a large part of the
time since it was deposited in the gravel,
it obvious that it cannot, have altered
in com position so much as the gold in
the river sands further south, and
might lie expected to resemble the gold
in the parent lodes, which is not usually
more titan Mil) tine. The low standard
of tile gold is not so readily accounted
for by tlie accretion theory of forma
tion of placer gold. Nature.
A Border State Pass Word
Kansas had a shibboleth in border
state days. In lt-nl. when the first tide
of New Falkland settlers becan to drift
into the southwest, the Missourians
tied a cow at each crossing of the Mis
souri river. When a now settlor ar
rived at the crossing he was sure to
make some remarks about the cow. If
he said “cow," lie was permitted to cross
over to Kansas. But if he said “kaovv".
h. -emf* hustled not nl t.hii country as an
hated aliolitionist. To retaliate, the
Kansans tied-a bear on their side of the
river. When a new settler said ‘’hear",
he was welcomed with open arms. But
if he saiil "bar", lie was scooted back
into Missouri as a wicked shivery ad
vocate.—San Francisco Argonaut.
Cuban Cabinet under Blanco
The following are said t,> have been
accepted by (low (ten. Bianco, as mem
bers of the first Colonial Cabinet, un
der autonomy:
President of tile ( aliin.-t .lose Maria
Calves.
Minister of Finance lhifnel Montoro.
Marquis of Montoro.
Minister of the Interior Antonio Co
vin.
Minister of F.dueation i raueiseo /.a
yas.
Minister of Commerce Arturo Am
hlaril.
Minister of posts and Tciejrraphs
Bafael Fernandez Castro.
I t is understood that they will take
tile oath at the Palace after attend
ing mass. Tile under secretaries will
then be nominated, together with the
chief subordinates of tin- permanent
staff.
Winter Habits of the <,)uai!
Sportsmen, epicures and the bird's
cheery whistle, have made the hob.
white one of our best known birds. As
the most northern representative of a
family that has its centre of abundance
in subtropical regions, bob white is
more susceptible to the rigors of a' nor
thern winter than more truly boreal
birds. Being eminently terrestrial,
heavy snows sometimes completely bury
bevies of birds, roosting as is their
wont, uiKtn the ground. They seem,
however, none the worse for a living
interment, and have even been known
to seek shelter in a snow bank, diving
into it while itt full flight. It is when
a fall of snow is heavily crusted that
Boh white is in danger. Kseape from
their snowy coverlid is then impossible,
and whole Hocks have been found froz
en where they had roosted.- Frank M.
Chapman, in Chatauquan.
Image in the Kock
At a depth of 27 feet, while blasting
rock in a well, at Robinson, 111., a braz
en image was found.
The image represents an angel, beat
ing in one hand what is supposed to
have been a candlestick. In the other
hand is a Iamb. The image was un
doubtedly imbedded in the rock. In the
same vicinity, there have been a num
ber of Instances of finding pieces of
petrified wood.
The supposition is that centuries ago
the old valley of the Wabash river was
inhabited by an artistic and intelligent
race of people, long preceding the
American Indian.
THE SWORD OF SALADIN
A Smith Says He has Learned the
Secret of Damascus Steel.
The Damascus blade of Saladin may
yet be duplicated. It wlil lx; if the
claims of James H. DntTey, a Machias
port, Me., blacksmith, are justified by
the practical results which lie promises.
Mr. Duffy, asserts that lie discovered
the long lost art of producing Damas
cus steel, and also the ancient method
of hardening copper and brass.
Ten years has the “Michiasport Wiz
ard,” as his neighbors call him, spent
patiently experimenting with .the metals
during which time lie has often severely
taxed his iinaneial resources. He de
clares however, that for bis saerD’ces
he has been more than repaid by his
success.
Mr. Dully was first led into making
experiments when lie opened his smith
shop in Machiasport. He was born in
llangor. Me.,lifty-fonr years ago. and
after a few years' schooling learned the
trade of horseshoeing and blacksniith
ing. When lie moved to Machiasport
the canning industry had begun to
grow, and the soldering coppers used
in the factories were sent to him for re
pairs. He noticed that the coppers
wore away rapidly and that when two
thirds of the business end of one was
worn away it had to be cast aside.
Mr. Dulf.v thought tltat if copper
could lie welded, two old soldering tools
that were worthless might l.e welded
into one t hat might lie. worth something.
The difficulty was to find the way to
weld them. It couldn't tie done by tile
ordinary way of heating, because cop
per became soft when heated, and
they would be no good after having
been welded.
A few years ago be astonished the
factory men by taking a lot of east off
soldering coppers and bringing them
buck nicely welded and as perfect as
new ones. In fact they were more per
fect than the new ones, for not only did
they hold the heat as well as the new
tools, but they did not wear away so
rapidly, and for this reason alone they
yvere more valuable.
Then the wizard surprised ids inti
mate actpminraJThff fW j Nxi'd uein g"fWiTri
his labratory a copper sword, which lie
proceeded to bend into a circle and let
it spring back into shape again, which
says the Heston filolie. it did as the
most perfect Damascus steel would.
Next he astonished them by producing
a copper razor, with which lie gave
himself a perfect shave, and the razor
still retained its keen edge.
The w izard will talk about the (null
ity of the metal lie produces, but is re
ticent in regard to the process through
which lie puts it. He willonly say that
in his experiments to weld copper, lie
struck upon the secret of the ancients'
method of making Damascus steel.
He ig positive liiat he has it. He says
that although lie has made some vitlu
able discover^ . he has learned that
these are the beginning of a series of
discoveries that must, follow.
RIVAL CLAIMS IN AFRICA
There are four different grounds on
which European nations base their
claims to territory in Africa. One is
actual occupation: another is a treaty
with it native chief, conceding territory:
a third is the claim that the occupation
of the mouth of a river gives a right to
to the country which it waters: a fourth
is the ■■hinterland" theory, by which is
meant that a nation which occupies a
strip of territory on the coast has a
right to the country lying lathi ml it.
Of these grounds of claim, the lirst is
least likely to he contested: but as to
the others, the same chief may give
concessions to two or three rival na
tions: or the territory which is claim
ed by one because it is watered by a
river the mouth of which it controls
may lx- claimed by another because it
is in the hinterland of territory which
it possesses on the coast -youth's ( inn
panion.
Selling Boats for Alaska
The steamer Alliance. .'100 tons, has
been purchased by the Copper River
Transportation and Mining company, of
Port Townsend to lie placed first on the
Dyea run, and later on the route to
Copper river. The name of the craft
will be changed to the Townsend. She
was purchased from the Portland and
Coast Steamship Company, and is 12f>
feet long twenty seven feet wide, and
12 feet deep. It is said that the Cop
per River company will also engage the
stoam schooners Proctor and Defense
for the Alaskan trade. The Alaska
Steamship Company, operating the
steamer Rosalie and the barks Shirley
and.Colorado, have purchased the
bark Canada, now on the way to Ta
coma from San Francisco, from the Ta
coma Mill company. The Company al
so has the bark Seminole, which will
be used with the Canada for carrying
lumber and freight to the north.
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE
Freely Used by Members of the
Cabinet.
The necessity for the material pres
ence of cabinet officers and other gov
ernment officials occupying important
posts in tho capital appears to be di
minishing as time and the march of in
vention goes on. When the applica
tion of the telegraph caused a spread
of wires over the country it was a
great relief to public: officials who wish
ed to absent themselves occasionally
from Washington with a feeling of
safety in ease they were needed in
an emergency. They felt that if
they were called upon to act in any
important case they would be informed
of that fact with little delay and could
at once return to their posts. When
the telephone was introduced into bus
iness life it was a boon to officials who
wished to attend to affairs in the quiet
of their homes, while they could be
placed in communication with any em
ploye of their departments at a mo
ment's notice. Hut it was reserved to
the long distance telephone to abso
lutely annihilate-space. No invention
has ever been a greater boon for the
government official in a place of great
responsibility, and a week seldom pas
ses without this invention being freely
used by one or more cabinet officers in
the transact ion of public business while
they are hundreds of miles from
Washington. Many questions aro re
ferred to cabinet officers over long dis
tance 'phones. Secretary Hliss. not in
frequently holds conversation, while he
is in New York, with officials of his de
partment. and while here he has in
terviews with bis business managers iti
New York- i'ostnuistcr-Ucucral Gary
when in Haltimore. utilizes the same
means in looking- after bis department,
and while here in supervising his pri
vate business. Nearly till the cabinet
officers do the same thing*, and it is un
derstood that more than one member of
the cabinet would probably not lie in
such a position were' it not for t he con
venience of modern means of commun
ication. which lias made it no iong-er jj
necessary for an official to be tied to his Jg
desk in the department over which he
presides. Washington Star.
New Bout for the (iold Fields
Lewis Nixon, of Klizabathport. N. .1..
is tu build a stern-wheel steamboat of
special clesiyn ior use on the Yukon
river by the Philadelphia Kxploration
and Mininy < 'oinpany. which is about to
send an cxpeditien under eharyo of
Prof. Anyelo lleilprin. of Phihulel
phia. Die party will have eiyht mem
bers who ex]met to spend two years
in Alaska, i’iie new hoar will be Ml ^k
leet lony over ail. lifteen feet beam and
three feet lo inches depth. She will
lie built in ten water tiylit sections and
entirely of steel, of six pounds to the
square foot, up to the main deck. It is
estimated that she will carry thirty-live
j tons on 1* inches of water. There will
be two < nyines and one la rye boiler lil
ted lo burn either coal or v.ood. as it is
expected that the principal fuel will be
driftwood, picked lip in transit. The
[ eiiyincs will lie expected to develop (ill
| horse [lower. The contract calls for
I the completion of the boat within no
I days, when she will lie shipped across
the continent by railroad or else sent
around tile Horn on one of the many
steamers yoiny to participate in the
Klondike trade. Mur liyht draft will
enable hererow to pull her up on the
hank mid transform her into a shore
dweliiny when overtaken by winter.
The Klondike.
In addition to the reindeer, the gov
ernment is to employ "snow loooino
| lives" to transport supplies to the Ivlon.
i dike. These, failing, it will probably
resort to the Keeley motor. Louisville
('mirier Journal.
Shortloigh My Unele Frank is a ver
itable Klondike.
Longleigh Why, how's that?
Shortloigh—Plenty of wealth, but
cold and distant ('liieago Xows.
If you cannot go to the Klondike, and
are curious to know,
How the temperature affects one in
that land of ice and snow.
You can gather an idea how they feel
who northward rove.
If you will hover with the mourners
Around a working street car stove.—
Chicago llecord.
Elephant and Hose
An elephant keeper in the Central
park menagerie has been experimont
with an elephant and a hose. The ele
phirtit has learned during the hot weath
er how to handle the hose with very
good effect, until now lie is able to_
bathe himself all over, and thus secure
some relief from the heat. Tom some
times fills his trunk from the end of
the hose, and sprinkles himself in this
way. He is able, however to take the
hose and put water on any part of his
body.—N. Y. Sun.