THE ALASKA PROSPECTOR
Vol. 7 Valdez, Alaska, March 12, 1908. No 6
CHINA DEMANDS
COUNTER PLEDCE
*
Note to Japan Insists On
Assurance That Traffic in
Arms Will Stop.
W1U, SACRIFICE NO DIGNITY
Officials Say Tatsu Affair Is Now
Up to Mikado's Government
for Mutual Concessions.
Pokin, March 12—China sent a note
today to Japan Haying that nothing
further will bo done in tho steamer
Tatsu affair until Japan Higuiflos her
willingness to prevent tho traffic in
supplying arms to Chinese revolu
tionists by Japanese subjects.
Chinese officials say that China is
(Continued on page 4)
STRIKE BREAKERS
HAVE HARD TIME
John Bodino, one of the") strike
breakers who started to the Tanana
last, week, has returned with a story
of misery on the trail, lie says
many of t he men had their feet frozen,
lost caps and shoes and had to take
off their shirts and wrap them around
their feet for protection, and wrap
towels around their heads in lieu of
eaps. Bodino says many of the men
wanted to come hack hut the herder
held their baggage and they were
compelled to go on or lose every
thing except what they wore.
Bodino claims also that the men
were poorly fed and some of them
threatened to come hack 011 that ac
count hut were not allowed to tako
their baggage. The weather was
cold bceausc of the storm which be
gan blowing soon after they started
from Valdez and several tents were
blown away and lost on the summit.
Before the army had been on the
trail long men began stealing from
each other, and Bodino predicts that
some bad fighting may occur, as he
says nearly all the men carry guns.
One night a harnessed mule went
through a tent which sheltered a lot
of men. A hook on the harnoss
caught a guy rope and tho mule stam
peded down the trail with the tent.
A Htray mule was arrested at Ptarmi
gan Drop later, but the missing tent
has not been located.
SUPREME COURT
RELEASES SCHMITZ
Ban Francineo, March 10—Tho Cali
fornia Huprome court today denied r
rehearing in tlio court, of appoata on
tho Bchmitz crhc, which tlio court of
appeals diHinitmcd on tho ground that
tho indictment agaiiiHt. Mayor Bchmitz
WftH dofectivo and did not charge a
crirno under tho ntatuto. Tho supreme
court unaniinouHiy upholdH the do
ciHion of tho court of appoalt* and
ordored tho roloano of Bchmitz, who
wa« diHohargod immediately.
Langdon and Honey tried to necure
a reversal of the court of appeata in
the Huprome court on tho pointH of
law involved hut woro beaten on
every Ihhuo. Tho HUpromo court- also
HUntainod the court of appoalu in all it*
findings of errors in the rulingH of
Judge Dunne at the trial of Bchmitz
In the superior court.
Saratoga Puc Tomorrow
Bteamor Saratoga sailod from Nan
almo for Valder. direct at a. m.
Monday. With favorable woathor she
is duo in Valder. any timo aftor break
fast tomorrow.
Deputy Marshal For Ntalna
Ooorgo Max Kstorly has boon ap
pointed a deputy United Btatos mar
Hhal at Nizlna. He haw ordered a star
as hig aw a stove lid from the Yak
nhaw stovo works.
CONCENTRATOR FOR
DRIER BAY MINE
Knight's Island Consolidated
Company Plans to Build
One This Year.
The Knight's Inland Consolidated
Copper Company plans to bnild a
concentrator at Drier bay, on the
east shore of Knight inland, where
the company hat* extensive coppor
property in an advanced stage of de
velopment. The company expects to
work a largo force of men in the
mine and have a Hteady output. A
shipment, of 110 tons of ore was made
last month to the Tacoma smelter for
a test. Numerous assays have shown
that the ore is of good grade.
It is accepted by mining men inter
ested in Prince William sound copper
that in order to secure the utmost
profit possible from the output of the
mines of this region the ores must be
reduced by a concentrator. Other
wise nearly all the profit will go to
the smelter trust, and many low
grade mines cannot operate except
at a loss. A concentrator in the
vicinity of the mines will make possi
ble the working of every mining
property on the sound which has an
extensive deposit even though of low
grade. For this reason several con
centrator projects are now being
promoted.
ATTACK IN COURT
ON SANTA CLARA
Scuttle, March 10—Attorney Wil
liam Martin filed a complaint in the
United States district court this
morning charging that the steamer
Santa Clara is utterly unseaworthy,
unsafe and unfit for ocean travel.
The complaint recites that she was
forced to return soon after starting
on her last trip to prevent her from
sinking hocause of a leak which she
sprung. It is further recited that the
steamer had several times before
leaked so badly that she was navi
gated with difficulty.
The complaint also demands that
the steamer Saratoga he officially in
spected as soon as she returns from
her present trip to Valdoz and that
sho undergo needed repairs before
she is allowed to sail again.
OrdcrB Inquiry into Santa Clara
Seattle, March 12—Judge Han ford
in the United States district court to
day ordered all litigation against the
steamer Santa Clara to cease until a
report can bo made by a commission
which will hoar the case, to have t he
vossel condemned heard upon its
merits.
EVELYN SUES 10
ANNUL MARRIAGE
New York, March 11—Evelyn New
bit Thaw filed unit today for annul
ment of her marriage to Harry Thaw.
Ho will content tho suit. and says the
girl has boon coercod into it by hiH
relatives. Mrs. Thaw denies the re
port that she in getting $1,00(),()0()
from Thaw's relatives to bring tho
suit.
Evelyn Thaw In Sanitarium
Now York, March 10—Attorney
Bartlott, reproHonting tho Thaw
family says that Harry Thaw and
Kvelyn are ostrangod. Evelyn wanU
a separation. Hhe is now in a sana
tarium a complete wreck.
BODY UNDER SIDEWALK
BESIDE OPIUM PIPE
Han Francisco, March 11—Tho l>ody
of William Adix, a Nomo mining en
gineer, was found under a sidewalk
beside an opium pipe this morning.
It was badly gnawod by rata and
doath had occurred several days
before.
Htoamor Dora arrived In Howard
yosfcorday afternoon from tlnalaska.
TOOK NO PART IN
POST OFFICE FIGHT
Lieut. Orchard Denies That
Road Commission Op
posed Jefferson.
NOT MEDDLING IN POLITICS
Somebody in Washington Invented
Story Which Was W ired to
Alaska Newspapers.
Lieut. Orchard of tho Alaska road
commission cabled today from Skag
way to Sam Iilum of Valdez a denial
of tho telegraph story published in
the Daily Prospector January 2S that
tho withdrawal of the nomination of
J. D. Jefferson to be postmaster at
Valdez was due to tho opposition of
the Alaska road commission.
The story came from Washington
and as soon as lie saw it in print Mr.
Jefferson expressed doubt of its ac
curacy, saying that he had never had
tho slightest difference with any
member of tho road commission.
' Tho message from Lieut. Orchard
was handed to the Prospector this
morning by A. L. Levy, who re
ceived it in tlie absence of Mr. Blum.
It roads as follows:
"I notice in the Valdez paper the
statement that the road commission
was the cause of tho withdrawal of
the name of Jefferson for appoint
ment as postmaster at Valdo/.. Please
publish in the paper a positive denial
of this statement as neither Major
Richardson'nor myself know I his man
(Continued on page 1)
Steamer Northwestern arrived Fri
day afternoon with 3(51 passengers
for tills ]K>rt—140 cabin and 224 steer
age. Added to these the Cordova
and Seward lists run the total up close
to 400. This is said to he the largest
number of passengorn carried into
Valdez by one steamer since the Val
encia brought in more than 100 once
in 181)8. Most of the steerage passen
gers are men sent up to work in the
Tanana mines.
The steamer also brought to Valdez
3T»0 tons of freight, thirty head of cat
tle for Fairbanks aiulj It) homes.
Two horses died on the voyage. Her
Cordova cargo is 400 tons.
Steamer Northwestern sailed from
Soward for Valdez at noon today.
She will sail from Valdez for Seattle
as soon as possible after midnight
tonight.
ORCHARD ENTERS
PLEA OF GUILTY
DoIhc, Idaho, March 11—Harry
Orchard pleaded guilty to nitirdor in
tho flrAt degree, in tho district court
hero today, for tho murder of Kx
Clovernor Hteunonhcrg. Ho utatcrt to
tho court, that, ho undorHtood what 1
hi« pica of guilty meant., tint, had
talked to hit* attorney and liin mind
waH fixed.
PORTLAND SAILS WITH
FULL PASSENGER LIST
Heatt.le, March 11—Stoamer Port
land nailed at, 0 o'clock yeatorday
ovening for Valdosc loaded with
pafMongoro totho Hmltof liorcapacity.
Hho haw 70 mlnerw for the Tananu.
Cfulwcr Ht. I/oi^h Wina Trophy
Maro Inland, M/irch 12—1The crimier
Ht. I/OuIh won tho trophy at target
practice yeHtor/lay. Tin* hatllcHhip
Maryland wa« in that dawn.
'
A grand hall in honor of Ht. Pat
ricks Day wllj ho given In Valdosi.
TERRITORIAL BILL
SET FOR MARCH 19
House Committee Will Hear
Arguments on Self-Gov
ernment Issue.
SUMIvR ARRANGES HEARING
Gov. Iloi^all ,ni(l Oilier Opponents
Expected lo Appear and Take
Pari in Discussion.
Washington, March 12—'The hearing
upon the hills for territorial govern
ment in Alaska before I he house com
mittee on territories is set for March
15). Clov. lloggatt and others opposed
to territorial government, are expected
to appear and argue against the hills
and a notable hearing i* anticipated.
The sitting of the hearing is due to
Congressman Sulzer.
Sul/.er Opposes Cale Bill
Washington, March !i— Congress
man Sill/am* of Now York announces
lils intention to light Delegate (file's
hill for territorial government in
Alaska introduced in Mm house Feb
ruary 20. Sul/.er's objection to the
bill is its failure to provide for a com
plete territorial government such as
is granted to all organized territories.
Specifically Sul/.er points out as
weaknesses in the proposed form of
governmeiit-: lirst, that it deprives
the people of the privilege of electing
members of the upper house of the
legislature, providing that the council
he composed of appointive olllcials;
second, t hai it does not provide for a
sufficiently large number of members
in the lower house and that it so ap
portions them that most of the mem
bers will be elected from the large
towns of the territory; third, the
provision that members ol the house
mi*st. be owners of taxable property,
iuis depriving miners and prospectors
'^.eligibility to election.
Seattle, March !)—Steamer Sarato
ga sailed for Valdez Sunday with
[•very berth taken. She has ir»u
miners for the Tanana. She goes by
u*ay of Nanaimo.
The Portland, sailing Tuesday oven
ing, is sold out. She will take 100
fillers for the Tanana. More miners
iiro waiting to sail on the Yucatan
the 10th or the Northwestern the
Jlth. After that no more miners will
lie sent north until navigation opens
hi the Yukon.
Aboard the Saratoga are Frank
lierry and wife, formerly Miss Julia
11olgren of Fairbanks. They were
married here Saturday night.
FLEET ARRIS
AT 1GDALENA
Hhii Dlogo, March 12—Tho hattlo
thlp floot arrived at Magdalen a at
nidni^lit, four dayn ahead of time.
It Ih engaged at (argot practice thin
nornlng. An invitation wan awalt
ng Admiral Kvann to vIhII
Colombia with hlw warHldpH.
TO SELL 30,000 ACRES
OF CHUGACH RESERVE
YVftfthlngtoo, March II — Thirty
t.hoiiHnnd acres of the Chngach foroRt.
reserve, adjacent to Prlneo William
lound, AlaHka, will ho open to nettle
mont Juho 1, The rcHorve wiih ere
iUmI only laat year.
Throo vein* of good coal have hcon
Dpmied np at Cape l/lnhnrne, In the
Arctic ocen—enonpeh U) mipply the
wants of Howard ponliiHida for a long
1.1 mo to come.
PUNS FOX FARM
ATCOPPER CENTER
Superintendent Heidemanto
Cultivate Black Ones
by Breeding.
A black fox furni, owned and opera
ted by the government, in a project
which C. W. H. Heidenian, superin
tendent of the agricultural experiment
station at Copper Center, intends to
add to the productive industries of
that paternal ranch. The government
has plenty'of land in Alaska for sev
eral kinds of experiments without
pinching space on miners and home
steaders, and Mr. lleidman figures
that if black foxes can be generated
successfully instead of being just al
lowed to happen a now and exceed
ingly profitable industry will be added
to Alaska's wealth.
Black foxslcins are the rarest and
most valuable of fnrs. The finest fur
seal skin is worth about 23 cents on
the dollar with black fox as the stan
dard of value. Mr. Heidenian lias no
fear that a fox farm would break tin*
back of the market for a long time.
mack Foxes Freaks.
black foxes are believed to be a
freak in nature, like black sheep,
while blackbirds and red-haired ne
groes. Still Mr. Heideman thinks the
freaks can be multiplied by careful se
lection and breeding, just as Luther
llurhank has produced green roses and
other impossibilities in nature. He
believes the black fox belongs to the
silver gray tribe and in that opinion
is upheld by other authorities.
Fifteen miles from Copper Center
stands Mount Drum, a quiet hilltop
in spite of its name, where foxes have
holes and birds of the air have nests.
In the foothills of this rustic resort
silver gray foxes are more numerous
than anywhere else in Alaska and the
tribe is always more or less dotted
with black skins. This induces Mr.
Heideman to believe that the region
is a natural habitat of silver grays,
and he is even hopeful that some
thing in the scenery or air currents
has a tendency to make gray hairs
grow atramental. Hence the project
to make it the domicile of silver foxes
and the site of an effort to strew more
black hairs among the silver.
Hopes For The Best.
Mr. Heideman's only fear is that
partial domestication or too close as
sociation with depraved humanity
(Continued on page .'{)
GETS NEBRASKA
AND OKLAHOMA
Omulm, March 12—The Nebraska
republican state convention today in
structed the delegates at large to the
national convention to support Secre
tary Taft for the presidential nomina
tion.
Oklahoma I/ines Up.
Oklahoma City, March 12—The Ok
lahoma republican state convention
today adopted resolutions indorsing
Taft for the presidential nomination
and instructing the delegates at large
from this state to vote for him.
SENATE CONFIRMS
REID NOMINATION
Washington, March 7—The senate
yesterday afternoon confirmed t l»o
nomination of Hllas H. Ilold to be
ju<lgo of the Third Judicial division
of AlnHka.
WICKERSHAM MAY
RUN FOR DELEGATE
Hcattlo, March 12—A dispatch re
colvod from Jnncnn last- night says
Judge Wiekorsham Is out as candi
date for dnlogato t" eongrons to suc
ceed Cale. Alaskans hero Hay that if
tho ex-Judge bo com oh a candidate it
will precipitate tho bitterest tight In
the history of Ahtska.
New York, March 10—Copper rose
today to 13.3-8.
VALOEZ IMPORTS
NEARLY DOUBLE
Total Receipts of Merchan
dise During 1907 Amount
to $1,411,671.
TERRITORY SHOWS DECREASE
Falling 01V Attributed by Collector
lo Heavy Purchases in hjoO
and Labor Troubles.
Valdez rankod fourth among the
ports of Alaska in 1907 in value of
merchandise received, and was tho
only largo port besides Katalla which
showed a marked increase. The total
imports of Valdez were $1,111,071. In
liMHi the total was $803,392; in 1905 it
wus $435,145; in 190t it was $371,957.
Although Valdez nearly doubled
its imports last year it retained the
same rank among Alaska ports as in
the preceding year, due to the phe
nomena) increase at Katalla caused
by extensive railroad building there.
The total of Alaska decreased from
$52, 100,537 in 1900 to $48,425,330 in
1907. In 1905 the total was $39,159,772.
The decrease in I!H>7 was due to the
miners' strikes in the Tanana and
Seward peninsula districts and to ex
cessive imports in 1900, according to
the report of Collector C. Ij. Hobart
of the Alaska customs district, from
whose annual report all figures are
taken.
The decrease in Alaska trade was
all in the Bering sea and Yukon river
districts. Southeastern Alaska show
ed an increase of about $100,(XX), and
Southern Alaska—from Yakutat to
Dutch Harbor—increased from $3,205,
913, to $1,50(1,920. This increase was
practically all in Vaidez and Katalla,
as there was a net loss in all other
places, only a few of the smaller ones
showing an increase, Seward and
Cordova fclljJofT heavily.
Nearly every port in the Bering sea
pistriet and the Yukon river district
fell Jaway. The total of Bering sea
dropped from $(>,051,185 to $1,293,943.
Yukon river ports decreased from
$1,659,841 to $3,501,591. Nome feJl
from $3,710,188 to $2,425,440. Fair
banks dropped from $2,128,392 to $1,
009,409; St. Michael from $1,070,577
to $890,511. Nome and Fairbanks
rank first and second, as they have
for several years, but St. Michacl fell
back from third place to fifth.
The shipments of Alaska products
decreased from $31,251,4(19 in liMHi to
$28,440,552 in 1907. This loss was
chiefly due to a decrease of about $2,
000,000 in gold production, chargeable
to the minors' strikes.
LOUISIANA SENATOR
KILLED BY RIVAL
Amitei, La.,March tl—I). 8. Kemp,
United States Honator-eleet, was hIioI
and killed thin morning by O. P.
Hyde, liin rival for t he nomination in
the democratic primaries llyde i«
in jail, widcli is Hiirronnded by a
heavy guard. A mob is gathering
for the purpoHC of breaking into the
jail to get Hyde and lynch him.
10 CHECK OVER
ALASKA SURVEYS
Washington, March 12—Tho ontiro
government geological nnrvoy in
AlaHkii will ho chocked over thin Hum
mer under tho direction of Alfred II.
Brookfl, chief of tho huroau for Alanku.
A largo force will ho placed In the
flold.
AtuundHcn Coining To Bcattlc
Seattle, March 12—Captain Uaol
AmundHon, tho Arotlo oxploror, wll
ho Iti Seattle March 20
Rertha Reaehea Seattle
Seattle, March 12-- Steamor Morfha
arrived from Vftldo* laat night.