®hp Haliifz Sailg Prospprtor
VOL. 8.
VALDEZ, ALASKA, MONDAY, JUNE 17,1912.
NO. 206
WICKERSHAM AND THE DIKE BILL
OFFICIAL VISITS
THIS SECTION
Vice-President of Large Enter
prise, Passes Through on
Inspection Trip
As a round I rip passenger on
Mo' Alameda, which departed foi
the south oil Saturday night, was
Mr. H. \V. Baxter, vice-president
and general manager of tin- Cop
per River and Northwestern rail
load company and the. Alaski
Steamship Company.
Mr. Baxter is making this trij
to familiarize himself with the
lines over which he has super
vision. lie is an affable and
courteous gentleman, who will
soon know everyone worth whih
in the Alaskan trade.
He stated to a reporter of tin
Prospector that he was ready ft
send the Alameda to the west
ward to render such services a>
were needed, and to that end com
municated with the captain of tin
Manning, who in reply stated thai
lhey had all the transportation
required in any event, and thai
il would he useless for the Ala
meda l<> undertake the trip. Not
wil(islanding the hora was dis
patched to the weslward to ren
der I he people such services a
l.hey may require.
BIG CLOUDBURST
KILLS MAN1
Guanajuato, Cuba. June 17 \
terrific cloudburst Hooded (hi
country with several of wa
ter, leaving srores of dead in it
wake.
New Officers at Fort.
The transport Sheridan depart,
ed for Nome about midnipht Sat
urday, leaving companies (». ant
II. of (he 30th infantry, to Kar
rison Fori Liseum. The post i
now in eomrnand of (!ol. O'Neil
The officers a I the garrison a
present are ('.apt. Nichols an
I,ieul«<. Koun/.ig and Harris. Tlier
are approximately 75 men in c««;i
command. II was a mailer o
rommeni on Hie streets that III
officers mii Ihe 30lh off Hie I rans
porl were an unusually maul
looking se| of soldiers.
A Complete History of the Dike Bill In Congress, Showing That
the Measure Was Never Before the House Save When
Reported By the Committee, and When Sent
Back From the Conferees
Last summer Col. Wills P.
Richardson, president of the
Alaska road commission. I«*Ie—
graphed to I lie Secretary • • f War.
asking lliat an engineer otViccr of
tin* army be detailed to Valdez for
tin* purpose of making- an ex
amination into the practicability
of building a dike for the pro
tection of (rove rn men I property
ami buildings situated here, at
, the same time giving the de
partment a report on the floods
then occurring.
Tn answer to Col. Richardson's
telegram Major Cavanaugh, of
the Kngineer Corps, was order
ed to Valdez, to look into the
, conditions and report on the ad
, visability, practicability and
probable cost of constructing a
dike. i
I.'pon making an examination,
Major Cavanaugh reported that a
dike could be constructed to pro
tect. the threatened property for
#75,000. whereupon James Wick
crsliam. delegate to Congress, on
February I i. introduced a bill in
the House of Representatives ap
propriating $55.nun for that pur
pose.
On March -'ml the Senate
Commit Ice* on Commerce, nf
which Senator Knutc Nelson i.«.
' chairman, favorably rccomuiend
ed tin- passage of the measur.'.
On March Kith, the House
Coimnit.tee on Territories, of
which Mr. Henry 1). Flood, of
, Virginia, is chairman, favorably
recommended the measure.
In the meantime the Senate
Commit let c on Commerce, who
had charge of the bill, attempted
to have it considered by the Sen
I ate, under Rule 8, whereupon
- there came objections from Sen
< ators Overman, of North Caro
. 1 ina. and Hitchcock, of N bras
t ka. on the grounds that the
1 measure was one to protect the
* town of Valdez. and had not been
i urged by the War department,
f I'nder the rule, objection having
been made, the bill could md he
- considered, and went I• > its place
V on the calendar.
Coventor C|ark. who was in
I
LIVELY TIMES IN CHICAGO
CLANSMEN AT FEVER HEAT
DELEGATIONS ARE ARRIVING—ROOSEVELT SAYS HE WILL j
FIGHT FOR CONTROL FROM THE DROP OF THE GA
VEL—INTENSE EXCITEMENT
(illicit}"'. .June I 7.--Tin* «• iI> is
wenMug mii unusunllx Ii\i• I> ap
pearanee. The d«»wn l»»wn slreels
are crowded will) a mass • • f liu
niaiiily and Ili«* air i« hcinn rent
willi cheers ami cat calls as dcl
eyal ion after dclcgnl ion arrive*
at llu'ir respective headquarters
headed l»> hand* playiiik martial
air**.
Yesterday was one of I ho wild
est Sundays ever witnessed in
Chicago. Bulletins are being is
sued from the Roosevelt and Taft
headquarters, which is adding loj
the excitement of the occasion.
Roosevelt's gang claim* that]
Tiifi's follower* are »*rlin^t
llilli. whirl) tilt' Tafl people \er>
prom |»11> 11**11 ji>i|. liolh lad ion
have oii11 j immI | li«* ji* plal fornix. Hie
keynote of wliirli i* lo curh mo—
nopi >ly.
||oi isevell say* lit- Will IIkMI for
rnnlrol from llie fall of Ih«• ga
vel ami promise* «'i lively lime on
Hie floor of llie convention. The
\hol-headed plans of I he lenders
•of I ho faelions, il Is feared, will
I'od Io many physical clashes.
Bryan wn* loudly cheered when
he visited Iho Tafl headquarters
In his capacity ns n newspnper
man.
The Socialist* have open.d
(Continued on page 4)
Washington at the time, \vn1 to
t ti«* objecting senators and ex
plained the hill t•» them, and ob
tained from them a promise that
if the War department recom
mended its passage they would
support the measure.
in llie meantime Senator Nel
son wrote a eommunieation to the
Secretary «• f War asking him the
stains of tin' department towards
I he bill.
Col. W. I*. Richardson called
i»n Assistant Secretary Oliver, the
Secretary of War being absent
from his post, and urged him to
recommend the passage of the
bill, and finally wrote a letter so
recommending and embodying the
points made in his telegram of
the summer before to Ili«* Secre
tary of War, urging the con
struction of a dike for the pro
foci ion of government property
in Yaldcz. Willi this favorable
reply in his possession, Senator
Nelson, to ensure the passage of
I he appropriation, placed it as
an ilein in the Kiwrs and Har
bors lii 11. which had come from
the House and which had passed
the Senate on April 2-itli.
In I lie meantime Hie dike
measure in the House was where
it was It*ft by the Committee on
Territories, near the foot .of the
calendar, where theiv was no
hope of its being reached, and
less of its being passed.
The Hivers and Harbors bill
IMPROVED GOVERNMENT ROAD
LOWERS FREIGHT RATES
FREIGHT RATES TO COPPER CENTER LOWERED OVER FIVE
SIXTHS SINCE THE BUILDING OF THE VALDEZ-FAIR
BANKS TRAIL
l.asl wi't'k .ili»• quartermaster's
ilepartmenl at Fori Insulin* let a
contract for haulinK freight from
Valtlez, alonp the government
roa«l as tar norm as Paxsons, as
well as from r.hitina to Teikhell,
Tonsina, Copper Center. fiulkana,
11 oralis ami Paxsons. approxi
mali'ly Ipound* willi tin*
privilfge of incrrasing or de
creasing tin' amount 50 pi*r r«*nl.
or li's*:.
Tli« contract was let to Ktl.
Woods, of iln> C.opper River Deny
ing company, al tin* following
(Continued from page 3).
WILLIAM A. QILMOftE,
the ?Yepublloan oandldate for Delegate to Oongrese, will speak thle
evening In Kaglei Kail, oommenolng at S o'olook. Mr. Qllmore Is
a pleasing as well aa a convincing talker, exhibiting an sarnast
ness In his work, whloh generally Impresses his audlsnos. It Is
hoped for ths good of the town and Its hospitality to strangsrs
that hs be given a large audlenoe, no matter what ths polltloal fast
ing of ths oommunlty may be. Kveryone, especially ths ladles,
are Invited to attend.
passed the llmist', but contained
no it<*in of an appropriation for
tIn? Yaldez dike.
On May 2nd a report was sent
out and published that the House
had passed the appropriation, but
in fart no measure bad passed
the Hons., carrying an appropri
ation for I lie construction of a
dike at Yaldez, Alaska, up to June
(», 1912, as tin* foregoing dis
patch indicates:
Washington, I). .Tune f».
I !M 2 Yaldez Prospector, Yal
dez: Yaldez dike bill never pass
ed House as separate measure.
SOUTH THIMBLE,
Clerk L". S. 'House of Hepres-^n
tat ives.
The passage of the dike bill is J
due entirely to the fact that it
was placed as a Senate amend
ment to the Rivers and Harbors
biii and was subsequently agreed
upon ly the Senate and House
conferevs. and was at all tim.^s
under the dir; et charge of Sen
ator \elson. The Wielicrsham
hill si ill remains at th«' tail end of
the Mouse calendar, as dead as
his chance* of re-election to,
( (ingress.
If t is such a »*«•«-• »i-i| as I his I
lliv triends of James Wickersham
wish to slaud upon,
.■»!c'.'iik." they arc mi.• i.ij
their footing. for without tliei
hard ami constant work on Ili«*!
part of Senator Nelson, t'.olj
'lichardson. fiovernor ('lark and]
O P. Huhhard, Valdez would lo_l
day be going deeper into delitt in;
its futile effort to protect itself
fiom 'fie ravages of the glacial
stream.
The people of Valdez had a
right to assume that James
\Viekcrsham, as the delegate from
Alaska, and one who had been
signally honored by the town,
would have taken the lead in the
passage of the bill, which means
so much to the community, imt
instead we find him lagging be
hind, hut ever willing to claim
whatever credit there may be in j
the passage of this important ]
measure.
Subscribe for the Prospoctor
TWO STEAMERS
SAIL FOR NORTH
Both the Admiral Sampson end
Mariposa Sail With Passen
gers for Valdez
Seattle. June 17 Till' S. S.
Sampson sailed mi Sunday iimni
intf af 1 o'clock with Mm- follow
ing passomrer list: II. M.C.Iiam
herlain. Harry Warren, 1'. |..
Warner, \\*. II. C,H,rlii»r. Jennv
rsoinez. Rose Johnson. Tlie|'e«.e
Johnson, (Hadys Cannun and si»
lt»r. John Cook and wife. A. M.
Powell, I.ucy I'liilon, Howard Beii
soii, .F. < >. Buzzard, Frank Win
choska, P. Oshturned.
The S. S. Mariposa .-ailed al 0
o'clock last nifrlil with (lit* fol
lowing Valdez passonpers: Jo..
Johnson. Frank Stone. William
Smith, Peter Haynes. Bert W IJI III -
roue. I>. J. Harrington. I". M.
Brown. Wlialen. Mr-. I..
Miller. B. O. Pelel'soli.
ANOTHER SOFT SNAP
FOR MRS. MARY HART
Si*alll»*. .11111•• 17.--Mr-. Mary
Hart, only |oo \\«'ll known >
Ala-kan>. has wnrmi*il h»*r way
into a joh with tin* San Kranri-ro
exposition ami will ^o north to
irathiT ••\hihit> fur tin* hi^ -how.
8teamers Leave for North.
Tin* Alaim*<la ari*i\I from tin*
westward at tur.'tn Saturda> »-\
•>ninvr. depart inir for tin* south
an hour later. carrying the fol
lowing' passengers: Sratlle
Ilarry Schultz, Al. Sullivan, C.ora
Cook, Mrs. K. l>a\is. K. It. INilver,
(i. F. Simpson, Anna Monehur,
Stella I'achnt'^ji, Seidnit/.er.
Cordova--!''. Harris, Mrs. Him* l>a
vis. Jack Ingram, ('has. Simeu
slead, Sain Hri^htwell, K. Yana
saki, Mrs. \V. S. Adams. A. Join's,
J. Mel.ran, A. Henson. Juueau
KU. Matson. Kd. Jackson. K-tcli
ikan--flohert Martin.
Rex Beach Goes Blind.
.\ew York. June I7--Ilex Hrarh.
tin' author, was smhh'ul> slrirk
♦•n hliml while here. Specialists
say In* may never repaid his
siRhf.
SOME ALASKA LEGISLATION
LIKELY TO BECOME LAW
THE SENATE BECOMING ACTIVE IN ALA8KAN AFFAIRS
CHANCES THAT SOME LEGISLATION MAY PASS THIS
SESSION—MAY OPEN THE COAL
Wa^liinulmi, .1111 m* 17.— 11 im»w I
look* a* if Alaska 1'*
1 if mi will Ihtmiiii* law, i r I hf.-ir'ii>
an* m• • l all wrong. '[VrrilMcial
Kiivri'iiiiM'iil r«»r Alaska: tin* nv
nIi«• 11 of a railroad ini»iii»»n.
ami lilt* passaK*' «>f tin* coal l»,a*»
iiiR hill an* axMirnl.
Two Si'iuilc (•ominiHi'i'f* who 11a\»•
had tlii> Hoim** bill* tnir1<*r con
xblcralioti, hav« rpportml favor
ably on the uitMiHiiro ami il i*
generally believed I hoy will l»i» -
coino law before the adjournment
«if CoiiKroHf.
If the bill introduced by Hen
n(<»r Smith. of Michigan, a?* an
amendment to the naval appro
priiiliMii lull. ^I'jiiilinu lh»* I11111
iln*»| | In mimii 11• I 11<*11 n i » l • • • • |11 a
rnnl mine in Ala»Ua. I'«• i* I In* u>t«
«•[ iln' iiii\y, |»ji.-*—«• «*. n iiM'iin- Ih;il
Alaska's 11•• I• Ir* an' •»|»»*n#*«I.
TO TAKE TESTIMONY
IN HUMBOLDT CASE
Si'iillh'. .lum* 17.--A n>itimifIim*
«• r l lit* Inli'i'-^l nl«*
('.omuii.«*iou will lake I»».«•!iitiony
Iii'im* ami nl HktiKwny. nmunxll I he
railway ami mIi'IUium' coinhiu • in
llumhnhll rn*»\
The Vnhh'z camp of Hoy Seoul?*
Icfl for Snwmill boy I hi* morn
ing, wlioro I hoy will go into romp
for n numhor r»f <lny».