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vo| u NO J - SKWAK1L ALASKA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, ______
Alaska Convention Urges Changes in federal Mining Laws applicable
to District, t vlensioii of Cable and Telegraph Lines.
Construction of Government Roads, and
Various Other Reforms.
By Cable to Th- fDatly Ga‘?wa7.
Seattle. Nov L’l The Vu-ka con
vention hist night unanimouslyadopted
lie report of the committee or. tvso’u
tions revomti etiuirg a forui "t me
morial to he presented to congress. It
emlHHlics tit" recommendations an
nounced \ esterdr.y ru t ning as agre* it:
upon.
The preamble to * lie memorial adofe
ted re* ites that oe.otia rm rican cite
'eiis are rt or*sonted it the convention
|> tproceeds to outline prt sent con
e■.i jo:.s. in Alaska, showing that the
• istre; has tveeiv •••; far S s* considera
tion from the oat ional gov ernm tit t han
any of the recent1 > acquired tropical
t>.w*e«-.iot a!tu«< ! fl it yiei-.s a far
larger r tue to the governtt' n* than
any of !h* n, and its population *'
ehietly of men trained it: tiie oh ga
| ions of citizens! p.
The preamble demands the applirv
• J ■ • \ .. s ’ } Mil • ■ . ■ ..
principles of » •va-mmer:. no! id
ing elective t r* viiut; >r in t *.»n< •
it recites that the people of the dis
trict ask -■ • rav ' !> t on.v fie i"
of all American c.i’izens to work ora
their own « estiny. The memorial then
presents the following as ti> mo-'
urgent needs , , <he district:
To tiehrm ifiitic lows
First Tim < ;;;e* m at ’■> t'orijr
of a statute amendatory of and stipule
mental to the present ft ora! mintnjf
law. t * * be atipli •:ib,e *«» Alaska .1 :one
•i«!< to all of the district. . ■ dm: >'z
fht 1 ration of plueec.ttdnintf cl.*; ms by
1 »• wet* i f attorney; a further ; a* ::d»
Went making it impossibl.. to locate
more than twenty acres « •■!ae t
•around in one claim, or root- lit tn two
air. s on *•! 1 reek l a’. *«» . >r s Z '■'1 :•'*>
t»t claims, w iiicii is dechit o to h.- a
c-'fsr to a ir.iea ■_ oisrrict : niaU nz fie
findi of jfoid in .my quant it ujkui a
id.o* r claim a iaw faI discovery : sohsti
1 'll inz a *•-•*» annua! tax or lie* -1 upon
•u r.i* ■/ e a r.is for the >1«N) assessment
tv juir< • it, and making the failure to
pay tie e« as>- ' .*>■,.-cl the claim to re
l«K*a* 1 : *e ' .n '>r > iv( dfrom 1 icons* s
to in employed in road build in*! in the
ferritmv: and an explicit declaration
• •t ;h“ law "f wat r rights in connec
tion with jdacer mining claims.
Second: Tin appropriation by Con
•yress . if s|,.*o i,c;m to he expended in
buihiitvjr wa.'ot: r*eats and trails in
Alaska umler the divert ion of a govern
ment commission or supervisor.
Asks T.'lrqraph fxier.ions
Tt inl Tie :• indication *>t all ••urn
in-- of Alaska cabin wi:vl. » and land
|.*ri'ai'h 1 iii« - to the improvement of
t he line- and the construct i-mol oilier-.
\ particular recommendation i-made
pa tl • .xten-ion of the '"dde from
Sitka to WranvivU and Ketchikan: and
itor St ward to liiamna. Hutch Harbor,
ami Ki-ka
Fourth: Leyi-lation relicviny IVd
«m! jr.d-.--ofudmini.strati\v dut'e -and
the > -o;. tmein of Fnited State- com
n:i—toner-, hv tran-ferriny -uch power
to other federal official-.
Fifth: \ t e-aliyument of the pre
-etit •. , ,il ui-triets in Ala-ka, an in*
er« :-e in i he number of jlultf* - and f he
ereat ior. of an appellate court in A'aska.
Sixth: The abolition of the antiquat
ed fee-\-teni for public officials, and
the substitution of adequate -alarie-.
Seventh: -The removal of the annual
lax upon railaoails of ■rl<h> per mile of
• f.errt.o line-, which i- declared to he
r -triciive of railroad con-*ruett n.
Kiyh'h: The estahli-hment of i• i"«•
line- and meridians for ;i permanent
-urvey of government lands Ummyh
out SuttHiepn ami We-tern Alaska, in
. txier that hotue-teader- now located
or w t-h ny to locate upon ay’m.'ii u-vi i
- for farminy purpo-e- tn vy do so
•toon at: equality with homes: eader
;-*-whet ■ in the Fnited States.
Seeking More Light
Ninth: Provision for mor* lijfht
: * up the eo:»>t of Alaska.
T* •;'>>: Plotter postal facilities for
the e 'triet, ami especially provision
• assistance for |»ostmasters
: ra \ ‘jrtovin^ towns.
• h'v-M’ii: The els et ion of suitable
e >».;i tlinys for the transaction « f
mini.'■ business of all kinils in the
territory.
Tw, f; m : Placing the on re and prr
• et ; of the native popu at ion under
ft;,' cired supervision of the governor
,>f :in* territory.
T . resolut i ;:is commit ?e is consid
• ■ rij i r further report uhieh will he
. i.; iater in tin* day. or tomor
row. The convention passed a resolu
tion of thanks to the Washington dele
ft ion in t onyta-ss for past services
r> me i > d to Alaska interests.
Mayor Ualiin^er of Seattle addressed
tii c nvention and promisi-u that Seal
tle would do every tiling in the power
of its citizens to secure Alaska de
mands from Congress.
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Seattle. Nov. J4 Three steamers
will sail dii- ■ from Seattle to Seward
by the outside assume next year, be
trinnin^f March !■*>. They wiM bo opera
ted by the Northwestern Steamship
Company which annourced the plan
today. The vessels will return by way
of Valdez.
The < >rejron. Santa Clara and a third j
\ steamer, not yet selected, will make
| the run. A contract wa> signed today
with the Alaska Central Railway Com*
pany for 'h< t.ew steamer lit.e, which
' jumanir* (l to insure prompt delivery
of material for the railroad and direct
ami quick transportation of passengers
to Seward*
On the : ew schedule a steamer will
| sail every eiifht days frojQ Seattle to
[Seward, a d also from tin* ther end.
c4
Prof. Geqrgeson qf the Alaska qgri
cultural experiment stations telk ih
his annual rejK»rt of a thriving herd of
Angora goats oq Wood island, owned
by Itev. G. P. Go,
,, — --' '» ■ * '
Ord* r> ljiqve been receive 1 at North
em Pacific car shops in South Tacoma
for the immediate construction of l.ooo
freight cars. Work will begin on them
lust as soon as the material arrives.
William,/Jayson jailed on the Ore
gon. lit* Till vi.^it tfye Sound and will
spend soiju, ti^rn* at Sjca^way, looking
after that his clothing business.
He has a larji store there, as well as
in Seward.
The Kskimos at Nome departed im
mediately Hie bijr tire with thejr
l>oats loaded >wu with loot stolen from
the merchants.
OPEN CUE WITH
TEN TON BLAST
Tunnel Workers Destroy Rock
Wall and Move 5000 Yards
in one Mass
Ten t .ns of dynamite shoved ot)00
vards of rook in one mass into Placer
river near liic lirst tunnel which will
he bored by Rich A. Harris on mile ;VJ
of the railroad. The blast was touched
olT Sumlay alternoon and Mr. Harris
rt period *o il <’ railroad otllce that (h»‘
operation was v-nt irel\ successful, to
employ a sury'Cal term.
The hiy blast was on the bank of 11 it
Placer river, across from the portal of
tin* tunnel. Tin* track is to cross the
rivet-on a bridye and on the farther
side it will enter the tunnel. *ht tips
side the approach to tin- river was
blocked by a wall of rock sixty feel
hiyli which :t w.i> necessary to pene
trate. Instead ol tuuneiin>; it was de
cided to make what is known in rail
road enyineeriny as a throuyh cat.
that is. to cut clear to the top-ol th<
wall.
Mr Harris decideil that the cheapest
wav i<> make tin* cut was to tear it out
with a buy - blast. Aecordinylv he
bowl 1.early lift; feet intv) the rock
wall and planted the ten tons of powder.
The blast perfonnv d the work with
neatne -s and dispatch.
Just Scraped !t Off
Ip ;i blast of that ma<rniuule tli> re i>
scarce'y any dancer from living rook,
as there is in handlinc small blasts.
The tremendous weight above the
powder and the lone distance to the
surface prevent the shat u rine of the
rock. The explosion merely loosens
and Itii* mo tips the Imye mass with
a mow iient like an earthquake. In
this ctis.* the displacement was at the
eti_>e of a canyon ami the rock rolled
down t he jforev as easily as a snow slide.
All that remains now is to level the
surface where the rock stood and the
approach to the hridjfe will be com*
pole.
The actua work of borinjf tin* Rich
Ov Harris tunnels will be«fin vyr.v soon.
It is era inaliy yrowiny colder in that
1, ality and a _ood deal of snow has
fallen. So far it has quickly turned
into slash, hat a iurth-T hill nf a few
decrees in t* mineralure will soon make
;> snow road v« r whicii heavy loads
ean be carried on sleds, and the hijj
steam compressor to drive the drills
wiil be taken up.
Brgh Traiklaying Again
Traeklayinjr i***trin ajjain this week
hut will emceed slowly, as there arc
several bridges on mile 41 which have
have to be decked as the ruil-Iayinjr
proceeds. The track now ends u little
i beyond tie' l.’lrd milepost and the next
stop will !>■ made about a mile further
on. up n il.- Id. at the summit, some
heavy rock work is still incomplete
which will re juiri several weeks.
When that is finished track will b(
laid with little delay to mile -M*. near
the southern portal of the litvsi tunnel.
A larjre number of tuen tire working
on the rocks eut remainin'* between
the end of the track and the tunnel.
Part of the men who mine up on the
Orejron were added to the force there
and pirt were turned over to Kich re
Harris to work on their tunnel con
tract.
The days are yrettitijr so short now
that th<* men cannot work full lime
although they are beinjr paid for full
time. It is the intention ot Construc
tion Kajjineor Cameron to place Huek
eye lights in the rock cuts as soon as
he can install them, so that full time
can be put in the rest of the w inter.
Lost Big Money in I ares
The steamers Portland and Kxeelsior
each passed up a chance to make up
ward of $2000 In passenger t'arOs by not
goipg to Seldovia on their Iasi trips.
Tin Bertha v ill get this as she is the
first, boat put, . The men who have
been waiting,rjf lyhy. s^ll. Mu\ month tp
get out are <jbout as.,;ore. as ;ucn can
be, a.ltjio^h they, arc,..feeling better
since ply y i^nche(d ^wiyrcL l(,Some of
their say tj;at if ^.i;y..could get. to
{seattle without, patronising, either
'sterfmship company they would do it
OUTSIDE KEEPS
EVE ON SEWARD
■
Coast Cities Well Posted and !l,
A. Ingalls Predicts Big Rush
Here This Winter.
Seward has found a place on the
maps in use in Pacific const cities. It
| was dot so a few months ayo when the
jSealth newspapers were shippiny the
j cargoes of the Alaska < 'entral to Val
| dez. Men have been cominy here this
fall from other parts of Alaska and
jlroiu the states who said that thev
had just learned that the town was
in existence and all ayroe that Seward
is rapidly h*c>miny the mi »st talk'd of
Alaska town. II. A. Inyulls. the Nome
mitvny man who was here two months
ayo and bonded Falls creek quart/,
property and who returned on the
ore yon Saturday, said this week:
•• I expect a biy rush to Seward this
winter from all parts of the t oast. I
was in San Francisco a lew days while
[ was outside and they were talkiny
Seward down there. It is the same
i way all alony t he < 'oast
Mr. Inyalls is a reticent poison, who
talks very little about his own business
j and not much more concerniny matters
I of yoneral interest. Ilis simple state
I moot that he is lookiny for a rush
j meat’s that the opinion is based upon
; tangible information.
The Oroyon brought up several
; youtiy nun who had novel been here
1 hut who came because of what they
! had recently heard com*' rniny oppor
tunities.here. Other parts of Alaska
i draw their immiyrants in the spring*
hut Seward is heyinniny to yet them
t in* year around.
L. F. Shaw, formerly of the Nome
Nnyy«y:. who is interested with Mr.
Inyalls, has said repeatedly since he
came here a month ayo that all Sew
ard needs is ad vert isiny and the town
will draw from all of Alaska, because
of its milder climate and the fact tl at
it is an open port every day of every
year.
Waj. Richardson of Army Board
in Charge Predicts Extensive
Building Next Year.
By C/iL-le to Tlic Dally Gateway.
Seattle, Nov. IN Muj. Richardson
president of the 1". S. army hoard
which is manairinjr the construction of
government roads in Alaska, arrived
here toda.v. li<‘ says the work this
year has been conlin**d mainly to the
ovcani/alion of the oilices at Ska^way.
Fairbanks and Nome for superintend
ence of the work.
Little actual road huildintf lias been
done this year, but Maj. Richardson
>a,\s he expects active work m \t year
and the (piantity of work will he lim
ited only by the appropriation from
Congress. One job which will be
rushed to completion will be the trail
from Valdez to Fairbanks. Improve
ments will also be made upon the roads
from Circle City to Rampart: from
Nome to Council City: and from
Nome to several interior points on Sew
ard peninsula.
Sunrise Truii Very Bad
The Sunrise trail is almost Impassa
ahle in places. The snow in spots is
four feet deep. This report is brought
by several mop who arrived in town
Tuesday. Fred Haefs, who is earry
the Sunrise mail, says it is about the
worst he ever saw.
Butler & Company now have nearly
dOOO feet ot pipe laid oti I heir Lowell
creek power line, and expect to Have
it finished and the water running be
fore the end of the month.
The new Chichagoff district nea#
Sitks is still drawing prospectors, and
the Sitka papers publish "heap talk ”
from them.
c:'
Boston Company Given $200,000 Option on famous Hydraulic
Claims Which Will he Taken up December lr>--Arranqe
ments for Transfer Made by Representative
New in Seward:
t ...
Boston capita! ha- : a km an option
on the fifteen claims of t he < row < reek
Minini: t onipanx on the north sjd * ol
'I’writatriin Aim. I*y the terms ol vvhieii
it must take tin property h\ heeeir
her i:».
That the com pain will t:.k< ovn t lie
property i> a certain!' because a hijdiiy
1 favorable report lias I.. made In
<\V. I’uriuton. the noted minim:
expert who wrote t he .government re
port on Alaska minini: n-soinves
which was published a lew nmni h> au'o.
and who is regarded as an an*horit,'
on t lie subject
Mr. I’uritittflon i now in.Sewam. He
came in Tuesday nijflit with .several
inemhers of the companv and the nec
essary documents to consummate tin
ideal are to be exchanged l\ore. Mr.
I’urinjfton went up kite in Semi mb' r
i to see the property and mad' a care
ful investigation. 11<* was clothed
itli ant iiorit.V to make a bargain if 11 i
| judgment dictated the aeipns.i ion ol
the property, and has done so. Kurthe*
than tliai lie will make no admissions.
■ sa\in;:' that it is not his function to do
any taikinc for his employers. The
main facts i-euardini: the deal were ob
tained trom the other side.
Value widely hiiovtii
The <'row ... property i- known
to I>e one of tlu‘ richest hydraulic
mines in Aia-ka. Ii i- a surprise to
Seward people that lie* present owner
11; l V t • ' ec;di d to sell, hill a- they a I’**
told Alaska -ourdou*;li- it i- stippused
11hat a yearnimr lo hunt new pa-lure
. lias seized t hem.
The property which tin* < row tvek
company ha- agreed to sell eon-i a* o{
! fifteen claims. Seven ol I lie-e an ai iin '
the lied of 1 row creek and -even are
1>< ncli ela’ms parall**lin}» them. Th<
fifteen!it claim is at ilie jmici ion
< row CM'k w il h < lacier cr-ek. h u<
; course of the work already done tie
' pay taken out has ranged from 'i ceio
hi yard to >•». it varies greatly. In'
practically every yard enrrie- color
in paying (p’antPy. 'I’lie mine ha*
ample water supply and where tie
company has he<*n working the lace i
I |n feet hij.rh and afunit the -am*
width. Tin miners simply turn a
stream from -he flume against tiii- fan
and wa-li it down. The Hume take
water from the creek at the upper .1.0
of t he properly.
Owners Come to Seward
Four menders of the (.'row creek
company came over with Mr. f ‘urin^ton
to Seward. They arcT. Fcnstermaeher.
tie- -ec ret a r.v of the corporation. \V. < ■
.lack. (I. \V. Davies and Paul Ifuckh ;,.
They jjive no re ison for -elliny 1
property except that they hav< dum
well on it and are willing that sotm -
body else should make somethin*..
Work on the mine will proem
steadily, regardless of the pendin.
transfer, hut it is assumed that v\ I
the eastern syndicate takes it o\>*
operations will lie conducted on a vast
-cale. as it i> the pftliev of tniniti.*
capitalist-Jo work their property ’
the uimo.-t. This company ha-minin.
interest- in many -tales.
'I'll* attention of the syndicate which
In- piircha-eii t he property was d'rcct *<:
to it f;ist summer hy one of their enjyin
■ er-, 'dr. Radford, who was here it
•Inn* . Ile recommended it K'the com
pany as <>oe of the tno-'t renntrkahl*
lti*n:iii/.i»- he had ever seen. Mr. I’t -
inyiou was then sent upwitlt authoriiv
to buy it it his opinion coincided with
that of Mr. Radford.
Gy Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Seal lie, Nov. 21 At the annual
meeting of the directors of the Alaska
Central Kaiiwai Company in this city
, yesterda) it was decided to rush con
struct ion of the line to Knik Arm. 142
miles from Seward, before winter next
year, and during the summer to huild
a trail from Knik to Ivantishna aim
| Fairbanks, for the aecimrtnoda.ion of
freight and passengers bound for the
Tanana.
'I'his trail will be built over tb*- route
of the railroad so that traffic can !*•
| curried constantly to the end of t
track and then placed directly upon
it lie trail. As the country is mostly
level little work upon the trail will h
necessary h yond bridging the streams.
< M11ei.il reports show that since* .lim
itary I. the railway company has ex
pend'd <1 .tidd.OiMt upon tile road,
i I’resident A. C. Frost came from
Chicago to attend the meeting. Xearly
all the directors were present.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
All Kinds of Weather Took a Whack
at Seward this Week
Thunder and lightning formed a
; rare feature of .the bunch of weather
| which was handed out to Seward this
| week. This is almost a phenomenon
on i lie southern coast of Alaska. Snow*
rain. hail, sleet and the rest of the
mixture surprised nobody. The com
j lunation couldn’t he worse if the town
had a government weather bureau.
Since the middle of the week the
weather bureau has reformed, and two
days of sunshine with the mercury
along in the thirties has made life
very pleasant from a climatic stand
point.
Dr. Applewhite, who has been one
1 of Dr. Hums’assistants on the railroad
hospital force for seven months, went,
j out on the Oregon to spend the winter
! at his old home in Portland. Oregon,
j He will return in the spring.
LtrT TRAIL OL CHECKS
Goods!! Passed Eorged Paper all the
Way to Sioux City
Wallace (ioodall, the clever forget
who passed several spurious checks op
loeal business men and made his exit
safely, has left a trail of Itogus checks
as foi‘ us Sioux City, Iowa. More re
mote places have not yet been heard
from* F. (i. Hale, president of the
Bank of Seward, says (ioodall’s check"
are coming in on every boat.
The local bank has lost nothing as
all the forged checks went through in
dorsers ttefore reaching there. Tin*
cheek in favor of Booth «V Watson and
stolen from the letter to them by Good
nil. 'was cashed by him at Seattle
bank. He also cashed other checks
in that city.
It has been suggested that the young
plunger ought to change his name to
(Joodhaul.
A Masonic temple is to be built at
Nome to cost about $l;>t000.