Valdez Weekly
Vol. 7
No. 52
INNOKO HAS GREAT
FUTURE AS A CAMP
Passenger On Santa Clara
Gives Opinion Of Country
He Has Just Left
That" the Innoko is destined to be
eome 0110 of the big placer camps of
Alaska, and that quart/, will also
be found in paying quantities is the
opinion of Charles Sanders, a pas
senger on the Santa Clara, bound for
the states. Mr. Sanders came out of
the Innoko by the way of Seward,
and concerning his opinion of the
country the Seward Gateway pub
lishes the following interview:
"Charles Sanders arrived in Sew
ard yesterday afternoon from the In
noko region. He left Ganes creek
November 1 and stopped at Knik
from December 7, to the 22. Mr.
Sanders has been in the Innoko coun
try much of the time for the past
three years, lie has an interest in
ten claims. The ground could not
be thoroughly worked last year
owing to the scarcity of water. He
will another year build a new ditch
which will furnish plenty of water.
Notwithstanding the lack of water,
Mr. Sanders took out considerable
gold in the short time that he worked
last season. The gold is much of it
course and is worth §17.75 to the
ounce. Mr. Sanders said that a man
by the name of Pelkee, who has
claims on Ganes creek found several
good sized nuggets, 1 the largest of
which weighed seventeen ounces.
Pelkee with two other men after
shoveling in three days cleaned up
§3,000. The ground is easily worked,
but the water was scarce. Mr. Pelkee
claims that he lias taken out about
$20,000.
Mr. banders estimates that there
are 1500 peoj)le or more spending the
winter in the Innoko region, and
that they all seem satisfied with the
outlook. The three creeks that have
so far turned out the best are Ganes,
Ophir and Little. Other creeks may
yield as well or bettor when they are
worked.
"Many of the claims are cut up in
to small lays. The owners of the
claims give the men who work them
sixty-six and two-thirds per cent. The
number of men working next year,
Mr. Sanders thinks, will be greatly
increased, and that the region will
prove to be good diggings.
"Provisions, says Mr. Sanders,
while not abundant, yet will be
enough to supply the miners' needs
for the winter. Fresh potatoes and
other vegetables were shipped in dur
ing the summer. Potatoes were thir
ty cents per po und. The mining
done in the Innoko country has been
placer, but there is also quartz. Mr_
Sanders mot a man from Nome who
represented a Chicago company, go
ing to the Innoko region to look at a
quartz proposition which is said to be
very rich.
"Mr. Sanders is on his way outside
and will return to his claims next
May."
CANTWELL GETS FINE
PICTURE OF AURORA
Photographer George Cnntwell is
congratulating himself on the poses
Hi on of a beautiful and unusual photo
graph of the aurora borealis. Inci
dentally Mr. Cant well obtained sev
eral other photographs of moon-light
effects, for ho was obliged to expose
sixteen plates before ho finally at
tained- success and the aurora, for
the latter was an elusive subject.
In all Mr. Cantwoll net. his trap for
ten nights before he developed any
thing that resembled the northern
lights, but when it did come it wan
woll worth the trouble, and the pho
tograph will convince anyone of the
boauty of nature's illumination. The
other photographs obtained by Mr.
•Cantwoll, while lacking the unique
ness of that of the aurora are never
theless beautiful views, and what is
more to the point they are really
"moonlight pictures." In each ease
the camera was set. in the moonlight
and the plates were exposed for peri
ods ran/ing from twenty minutes to
two h(V(irs.
Kennecott Crew Is Coming
Heattlo, Jan. II—It. F. MoLollan,
the new superintendent of the Kenne
cott Mines Company is in this city
enrouto to the mines by the way of
ValdoB. With M?. MeLellon aro
thirty men who will go north with
him on the steamship Pennsylvania,
departing ne*t Hslurdsy.
TILLMAN ACCUSED
s OF CROOKEDNESS
President Asserts That Sen
ator Benifited By Oregon
Land Fraud Deal
Washington, Jan. ft—Senator Till
man is charged with using his frank
ing privilege in private business, and
with having used his influence :is
senator to force the government to
compel the railroads to relinquish
title to lands in Oregon that the sen
ator and J. Knight might profit there
by. These charges are those made
by the president in the report sub
mitted yesterday to the senate com
mittee headed by Senator Hale, and
show what was done by secret ser
vice operatives working under direc
tion of the president.
Senator Tillman declines to make
any statement until Monday.
Tanana Man Is Sued By Wife
Seattle, Jan. 8—Non-support is
charged against Judge Davis Hoy of
Tanana in a criminal complaint sworn
to this morning by Mrs. Roy. A i
warrant for the arrest of Hoy has
been issued at the direction of the
prosecuting att< rney. Mrs. Roy as
serts that for many years she lias
received no monej from her husband
and that she has been supported by
her daughters. The crime charged
against Roy is a penitentiary offense
in Washington.
Woman Makes I,ong Hard Trip '
On the On* staj.ee arriving today
came to Valdcz Mrs. McGrew, who
resides in Fort Gibbon. Mrs. Mc
Grew made the trip from Fort Gibbon
to Fairbanks by dog team. The dis
tance is 200 miles and the trip was
one of considerable hardship, bad
weather being encountered nearly all
the way. Mrs. MeGrew is domiciled
in the Seattle Hotel, awaiting the
departure of a boat for Seat* le.
Looters Are Ileing Executed ,
Messina, Jan. 8—Legal execution
of those arrested for looting the dead
of the earthc/uake district began this
morning. Several hundred have been
sentenced to death, and several hun
dred more remain to be tried.
Mrs. J. M. Lathrop gave an after
noon party to several young ladies in
honor of Miss Elizabeth Boyle of
Seward, at her home yesterday.
Little boy—"Pa—why do they al
ways represent Victory as a woman?"
I'a—"when you get married one of
these days, my son, you will find
out."
CAP! BLDDGETT
SELLS STEAMBOAT
I
Alaska Commercial Company
Is Preparing For Stampede j
Through Cook Inlet
Brattle, Jan. 0—Cnpt. 1'. I>. Blod
gett, for many yearn a trader and
transportation man in the Cook inlot
countryi Iuih wold to tho Alaska Com
mercial Company bin tranHportation
fleet, consisting of the steamboat
Tonquin, Tyonio and Kingfisher and
several lighters, The purchase price
is not given but it i* believed to be
close to *10,000.
It in understood that Cnpt. Biodgott
purposes retiring from active busi
nefs, and that the Halo carrion with
it the management, if not the owner*
Hhip, of the trading post, established
in Beldovla by the Captnln. The
Alanka Commerclnl Company ex
poets that tlilH Hpring will witness a
stampede into the Busitna and Yent
na countries, and it in making exten
hIvo preparatioiiH to tak«> eare of t he
business.
"Augusta," «aId Mr. Wyss when
the cpiarrei wn« at its height, "Yon
have devised a great variety of wayH
to call me a fool." "Merely a matter
of necessity." replied Mrs. Wyss.
"You have devised so many ways of
being one."
Mrs. H. Blum entortained a small
number of friends at "r»00" ln*t night.
Work Planned For Valdez
Fair banks Jrail Of Great
Moment To District
| SUMMER TRAVEL TO ME EASY
Present Season Will See 300 Men
At Work Between Thompson
Pass Summit And Delta
The work planned by the Alaska
road com mission on the Valdez—Fair
banks trail for the coming summer
will require the employment of MOO
men during the entire season between
the Thompson pass summit and the
Delta. Tim heaviest work will be
between the summit and Tonsina.
The distance between these two
points is fifty-three miles. A wagon
road will be made the entire distance
like that cut last year in Keystone
canyon and will make summer travel
comparatively easy from Valdez to
Tonsina.
The supplies required for this work
aggregate 300 tons and are mostly
provisions but include tools for road
work. Forty horses and fifty men
are now engaged in transporting these
supplies under the direction of Super
intendent Jack Ingram.
Captain Pope, engineer of the Alas
ka road commission, is coining to
Valdez on the Yucatan and further
details of tin* proposed work can
prohably he obtained from him. The
extent of the summer's work depends,
as a matter of course, upon the size
of the appropriation to lie made for
the purpose by congress at the pres
ent session. Maj. Richardson is now
in Washington working for a large
appropriation and as he has been suc
cessful in the past in seeursng a lar-1
ger appropriation each year for Alas
ka roads and as congress each year
shows more interest in the subject
the prospects are considered good for
securing very nearly the amount nec
essary to carry out the plans of the
commission for road work during 1000.
From a rough pack trail almost im
passable in many place,s the Valdez
Fairbanks trail has been improved
each year by the work of the road
commission until it is now, a good
winter road for stages and freight ;
sleds. In summer it is still impas
sable in many places for wagons, j
This is through t he swamps and can j
yons. It is the plan of tin- road com
mission to make a first class wagon
road from Valdez to Fairbanks which
either wagons or sleds can traverse |
every month in the year with heavy
loads. The work done in Keystone
canyon and from Wort man's to the
summit last year made a fair road as
far as the summit, good all tlx- year
round.
The road through Keystone canyon
not only gives a summer highway j
through that defile but saves to Val- 1
dez freighters the annual winter ex
pense of bridging difficult places on
♦he river. This annual expense for
temporary, frail bridges was about
£1000.
Captain Hanson B. Black, chief of
the Alaska cable and telegraph offi- j
ccs, has started on a three months!
trip of inspection of all the land lines, j
BOWLERS ARE TO
FIGHT FOR TROPHY
Plans for a big bowling contest, to
embrace the crack teams of Vnldoz,
Seward, Cordova, I'Mirltanks and .1 it
noan are underway, having been set
in motion by the management of the
Howling Alley in Valdez. The plan
is to organize a tournament, each of
the towns named being represented,
and to have the ronulta conveyed
from one town to the other by cable.
Kaeh town will appoint an ofllcinl
scorer and pains will bo taken to so
conduct the tournament that there
will be no snggestion of unfairness.
This morning ('. (\ Reynolds of the
local alloy sont a to egram to Fair
banks, and from the manner in which
the other towns linve roeelvod the
suggestion it is evident that the tour
nament will be a bij? fHlceess.
BASEBALL DRIVES
! SEWARD FANS WILD
Valdez Will Find It Is Not
Only Town Interested
In National Game
That Valdez in not the only Alaska
town taking an interest in the imme
diate future uf the Great American
Game is evidenced by the following
published in the Seward Gateway of
January 1:
"For the purpose of expressing the
compliments of the season some of
the members of the Seward base ball
team called on Mr. James Fit/.pat-1
rick last week, and their spokesman
told him that they very much appro-j
ciated the work he had done for them I
I
as manager of the base ball team last ■
summer. He said the team wished
to show their regard for the value of
his services by presenting him with a
small token of esteem. A box neatly
done up was handed to the surprised J
inanaSer, who upon opening it found
a lemon. .Mr. Fitzpatriek made a
neat response ending with tin* state
ment that he appreciated the gift of |
a lemon just as much as though it j
had been two lesvons.
"After manager Fitzpatrick hadre-!
covered from his first surprise the'
spokesman for the team arose "and ,
sai<l that inasmuch as their manager
was so much pleased with the lemon
they wished to present him with anoth- 1
er token of their regard, and he there
fore handed him a gold watch fob
with a handsome gold charm attached j
hearing the engraved words, "Our I
Manager Pop."
"Plans were then discussed by
members of the Seward base ball
team for the coming' season. By
means of the dances given this win-j
ter the team is accumulating <|iiitc a
substantial sum of money which they
hope will enable them to have a ser
ies of games next summer, not only
with Valdcz, but also with teams from
Port l.iscum and Cordova. It is the
purpose of the local base ball team
t<> raise enough money from the on- :
t< rtainmcnts given this winter to en- ,
able the team to continue the sport
another season without the need of
calling for contributions from the
people as was necessary last sum
mer."
PRESIDENT TUFT
MAY GET $100,000
Senate Committee Reports j
Favorably On Bill To Raise
Executive's Salary
Washington, Jan. 8—Ah president
of tins United States, William II. Taft
will probably bo in receipt of a salary
of $100,000 a year. My the name to
ken James Schoolcraft Sherman, as j
vice-president, will receive an annual ;
stipend of $20,000. At present the i
president receives only $60,000a year, |
and the vice-president receives only |
$10,000.
The proposition to increase the sal-1
ary of the president and that of the I
vice president has been ntldor con
sideration for some time. It has long
boon advanced that the salary paid
the head of the United States is woe
fully Inadequate when compared with
the amounts paid the various riders
of other countries, and this morning
the senate commltteo having the snb
jcet under consideration reported fa
vorably on the proposed Iwreaso.
Hawkins Hues For CottimlBslon
Seattle, Jan. 8—Z. Hawkins this
morning filed In the superior court
suit to recover from John Garvin and
Galen Woods IJtftOO alleged to be due
as commlason for effecting the sale
of mining property In the Nome min
ing district.
Mining Edition, now r**dy,2fce. per
•opr.
United States Senate Is Threatening: To Rebuke Na
tion's lixeeutive For What Is Declared To Be A
Reflection On The Integrity (if Members
Of The House In Connection With
The Secret Service Statements
Washington, Jan. s—There i> ••wry
chance that President Uhom veit wi'i
he forced to swallow the chagrin <>t
seeing his message to ei>Mi;te-. labl <1
hy a vott of the sonata. This action
has been recommended l>\ th»• ^cintf
committee of which Senator lYrkins
is the head, and it appli« s not onh
to tilc second message son- l»\ t • i<■
president and having to <lo with the
secret service subject. hut also to
that part of the regular message I».i> -
ing to do with this subject.
With regard to the regular inosage
the senate committe llnds tli.i: that
portion of the document n i'< mug :•>
the secret service branch o( i Id gov
erinnent reflects upon the i'ite<;rit\
of the house. So tar a-- the regular
message is concerned there i:. donl><
as to the action of the senate imt it
is believed that there will he ih. • (>
position to the recommendut i>n *.o
table the special message.
It has been learned that in u. .• di
rection of the president m eret *••« r
vice • >| eratives have for a long time
• »<••!■ shadowing Senator Tillman,
who is siisjioctcd by the president of
h.iviii}; been mixed up in t tie Oregon
laml pral) scandal. The information
to this effect was sent to (he senate
in eoniflian.ee to the request of Sen
ator Hale that t!»•> president furnish
a statement concerning the activities
of l lie secret servie". The text of
the president's report Iihs not heen
made public.
Present indications are that thin,
the last session of the Sixtieth (!on
yre.-s, will establish a record for sen
sat ionnlism and that the tight be
tween the se.iate and the president
will be of Mich a nature as to clearly
establish the status of the opposing
for The anti-Hoosevelt wing
of ilie senate is somewhat in the dark
as to who is io lead the fight against
ii. Tile lir>t lest is expected when
: he time comes to take a vote on the
qncstisu ol tabling the president's
tnes <<:e e.
Never Before In History Of Town Have So many Men
And Horses Been Engaged In Transporting: Sup
plies Into Interior Points, And Indications Are
That Before Season Is Past Wonderful
Record Will Be Made
Tin* present winter when rtidi'd will
eclipse all records in the <|iiantity i>f
freight t ransportcd 11 <>■ >i Valde/ no r
the trail. The freight already assem
hled in Valde/, or now on the way in
side exceeds tin whole of la^i win
ter's trail business and before all <>f
that still to come from the eii'sidc
has gone through, the HOOO-ton record
of the winter <>f |(HMi-07 will drop into
second place. The miningouffits are
more numerous ami larger than ever
before and the government business
will also establish a new reeonl.
The construction of the govern
ment road through Keystone canyon
last summer enabled the freighting
to begin a month earlier than ever
before. In previous years it was nec
essary to wait for thick ice over the'
river in the canyon.
Almost a congestion of freight now
covers the trail from Valde/. to the
summit and both the old line around !
Icy Point and the new one built last
summer are in constant use. Tin
new trail has a lighter grade but is
nearly twice as long from Wortman's
to the summit, and is said that more
freight is going over the old trail than
over the new one.
l*et Awny lrnat
Onu of the first «»»itfitm to gel "tin t
ed was that of Fish and Walsh, who
have a contract to take supplies for
the telegraph line. The farthest sta
tions they will supply «rr> Megan's on
:he Fairbanks line and Mentasta <<m
jhe Kaglo line. The contract is for
eighty-four tons* and tho camp out
fits and stock feed of the freighters
add thirty-two tons to tho total. Th<*
entire consignment is already beyond
the summit.
Along with the Fsh caravan is thir
ty tons for tho Cakona Trading Com
pany. Charles Bram Is in charge <>f
this outfit, bram is also taking eight
tons for Pollard's madhouse and sev
en tons for Meyer's madhouse.
Big Mining Outfits
Ed Wood is transporting F.
Cray's Croat Northern {Development
Company outfit, This consists < f 160
tons of supplies and mining machin
ery including an electric motor and a
I gasoline engine. A new station ,s to
1 r>« established on Willow creek, ai.OUt
'.«• 11 mil' >i from ISilhtm's on the Kot
sina trail. and the supplies cached
llicn . This cache will lit* centrally
i< »ea t ed a • a supply pill lit for tin* dif
ferent "-ainpN wht'i'"' operat ions arc
coin I! h 'I ■<! |.\ Mr. (ir.iy. The largest
of t!f s<' are ;i llell Koaring creek
and a: Iron mountain. Two years
ago.Mr. <lray l>uilt a private tele
phone line from Tonsina to the head
of the Kotsina and tliis summer a
line will It cons'rnetod to his Iron
moiintai "am;', on the Nizina trail
about throe miles from Strelna.
Nelson and Wilson are taking I HO
Ions of >oyernmenl Ir'ight to dupli
cate t lie t elec.ra|>h line from (Jnkonii
to Fairbanks, This will complete
tic- duplication which was laid froit
Vuldc/, t o < iakolia last year. The con
tractors are obliged to transport fifty
tons of supplies ami slock feed for
t heir i>wn use.
For Vnldey, Creek
Wickorsham Brothers have ;i min
ing otitlil ui lifti• i• 11 tons destined for
Yaldi z cn-ck, wlicrc they have exten
sive placer holdings. They are tak
ing in a diamond drill.
Charles Ilammond will st art in a
t< w d:i.vs with ;i huge cargo of eggs
for Fair ha nk*.
I'art of the Kennecott Minos out
fit is now on I hn wharf in Valdes?, in
cluding material t<>r theitrani from
the mine to tin' (hittina river. Some
of the men (<> go with it are in town
now. This is the Bonanza or Re
called (ttiggcnhciin mine. It. F. Me
I,ellau, formerly with the company,
succeeds (Jeorge Baldwin as nuuerin*
tendent ami Ix- will come to Valder,
on the ivnnsyivanin from Belittle.
I'd. S. Orr ('omnatiy are steidHy
taking in large supplies and stores for
stock feed for tit'' stage line,
Nafsted, Blix and others are taking
in heavy road house supplies.
Jack Ingram has forty horses and
fifty men engaged in freighting sup
plies for government trail work next
summer.
Victor Olson has gono through the
Taznuna to fill his contract to cut
5000 cords of wood for the rivor
steamer ('hittina. flic Ouggonhoim
hoat on the Copper river.
Other outfits aggregating an much
na those mentioned Will go in lahnr.