Valdez Weekly Prospector
Vol. 8 Valdes, Alaska, February 25, 1909
No. 3
ROAD COMMISSION
PLANS BIG SEASON
So soon as the snow is off sufficient
ly to permit of work the Alaska Road
Commission will have between .'UK) and
400 men employed on the trail between
Valdez and Fairbanks. It is the in
tention of the commission to have by
theeno of the summer a road along
which a man can drive an ordinary
vehicle between Valdez and Fairbanks,
and within two years it will be possible
10 do the heaviest kind of teaming over
the road, summer and winter.
Lieut. Orchard, who is in authority
when it comes to management of the
commission headquarters, now in Val
dez, discussed the intention of the com
mission in an interview with the Pros
pector this morning, and he said that
the present plan for the summer is to
have three main sections to the work,
the one at this end of the road to be
under the supervision of .lack Ingram,
the center section to be under the sup
ervision of James H. Watson, who
came to Valdez w ith the commission,
and the Fairbanks end to be directed
by Superintendent Zug. The supplies
are now out on the trail and the work
of establishing camps for the summer
will require only a short time.
The commission is rapidly getting
established in its new quarters and the
work under Lieut. Orchard's direction
is moving smoothly. The headquarters
force consists of W. J. Daly, chief
clerk, S. L. Carter, chief of the engi
neer corps, James II. \Vatson, perman
ent engineer. James G. Mulro\ and
Miss Klinor Moorhouse, clerks.
Lieut. Orchard is no stranger in Val
dez, having some years ago been in
charge of the quartermaster's depart
ment at Fort Liscum. Lieut. Orchard
and his family are established in the
rooms in the upper story of the build
ing housing the commission otlices.
MarsiKi I Sh on p Resigns
Washington, Feb. 28—United
States Maashal Shoupof Juneau
lias tendered ] 1 is resignation to
take effect June 1. The resigna
tion lias been accepted. There
are many applicants for the
position.
Fleet Is Safely Home
Hampton Roads, Feb. 23—
Safe and in better shape than
when it departed from here a
year ago, the Atlantic fleet is
now at anchor, having comple
ted its trip around the World.
The battleships arrived at 10
o'clock yesterday morning, and
an hour later were being re
viewed by the president, and by
an enormous crowd representing
ail parts of the country.
Hoosevelt's Nephew Is Killed
Cambridge, Mass., Feb. 24—
Stewart Robinson, nephew of
President Roosevelt, was in
stantly killed yesterday after
noon as the result of a fall from
a window. Young Robinson was
attending Harvard College. He
was the son of the Robinson al
leged to have profited by the
Panama canal deal.
Excursionists Are Killed
Hampton Roads, Feb. '28—
Seven persons were killed and
titty were injured in the* wreck
of an excursion train enroute to
this city yesterday for the pur"
pose of joining in the welcome
of the fleet.
HORSESHOE MINE
IS FINE PROPERTY
f O. W. Harrington, the mining en
gineer who has been doing the assess
ment work on the Reynolds property
at Horseshoe bay, is back in town,
his labors completed. Mr. Harring
ton says there is 110 doubt in his
mind as to the value of the property,
and he says that with time and money
the mine can be placed on a profit
able shipping basis as the develop
I ment work has established the fact
that large quantities of 8 per cent ore
are in sight. Mr. Harrington freely
admits that when he began work he
had no great faith in tne property,
and he is surprised at the showing
made.
Mr. Harrington brought to Valdez
between 300 and 400 pounds of ore
I that has attracted the attention of
I mining experts. One piece weighs
nearly 200 pounds.
Samples Are Much. Admired
James McCarty is receiving"the com
mendations of his friends who wax en
thusiastic after being shown two cop
per ore samples that McCarthy has had
brought to Valdez from his property
on Nugget creek. The samples are to
become a part of the Valdez exhibit at
the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
and they have been in the hands of
I'ainter Sanders who has polished them
up until the reflection from their sur
faces makes a peacock's tail appear
like a smudge by comparison. The
samples are to be labeled, and they are
of such character as to appeal alike to
the mining expert and to uninitiated
One of the samples weighs 157 pounds
and is 70 per cent ore. The other is
practically as line. The samples came
from the Valdez claim of the McCarthy
property, and Billy Egan sfiys that last
summer he cross-cut the vein exposing
the ore body for a width of twenty
eight and one half feet.
Clark Is Refused Saloon License
The application of Dell Clark for a
renewal of his saloon license was re
fused by Judge Ileid because of the
protest of District Attorney Crossley,
the matter being presented without
notice to Clark, who knew nothing of
it until served with an order directing
him to close. The case has been the
subject of some discussion and the com
ment is made that the official action
does not accord with the rule that
every man is entitled to his day in
court, that a defendant is ent itled to
be confronted by the witnesses against
him and that judgment cannot be
rendered without service of process.
J. I). Johnston, the Boulder bay log
ger arrested yesterday on a charge of
rape, appears to have been the victim
of a woman's anger. Johnston was
given a preliminary hearing before
('ommissioner Beeks yesterday after
n jon and it was developed that there is
not the slightest excuse for the charge
against him and he was discharged.
The story as told by the witnesses is
that Johnston and his wife have had
} numerous quarrels and that after the
last of these quarrels the woman
wrote the letter resulting in the
arrest of Johnston. Neither Mrs.
Johnston nor the alledged victim, her
l(>-year old daughter, had any evidence
to substantiate the criminal charge.
Tetiiitssec Man Succeeds Wright
Philadelphia, Feb. 24—Presi
dent-Elect Tttft, now in this city,
announced this morning that lie
will appoint J. M. Dickinson of
Tennessee to the cabinet position
of secretary of war to succeed
Luke E. Wright. Mr. Taft last
nitfht delivered an address be
fore the students of the Univer
sity of Pennsylvania.
BEEKS HOLDS
JAP POACHERS
I
Commissioner Heeks decided yes
teiday that the Japanese poachers
are not entitled to discharge as poor
convicts under Section 1042 of the
federal statutes which provides that a
prisoner sentenced by any court of
the United States to pay a fine with
or without imprisonment may secure
his discharge after serving thirty days
for its non-payment, on making an affi
davit that ne has less than $20 in mon
ey and property. District Attorney
Crossley demurred to the jurisdiction
of the commissioner, urging that the
district court of Alaska is not strictly
a court of the United States.
Judge Heeks overruled the demur
rer, upholding his own jurisdiction,
but decided that the Japanese could
not avail themselves of the poor con
vict act because the term ot their
sentence entitles them to serve it out
at the rate of $2 a day. He held that
the only purpose of Section 1042 is to
prevent perpetual imprisonment for
non-payment of a fine. The case
will be appealed by counsel for the
Japanese.
TELEGRAPH 1C BREVITIES
Washington, Feb. 26—Delegate
Cale of Alaska enlivened an all night
session of congress last night by
caustically giving advice to Gov.
Hoggatt who, it was declared "would
do a great deal better if he would re
main in Alaska, where he belongs,
instead of in Washington lobbying
for corporate interests." The con
troversy arose when it came to a dis
cussion of an increased appropria
tion for the enforcement of the
Alaska game law.
Delegate Cale opposed the measure
whicn was advocated by Re] r -senta
tive Humphrey, and which linally
passed at 4 o'clock this morning, in
creasing the appropriation from $5,
000 to $10,000. Representative Graines
of Tennessee, in opposing the bill
declared that it was drafted by Gov
ernor Hoggatt in order to increase
the executive's patronage. It was at
this stage that Delegate Cale made
his remarks.
Fairbanks, Feb. 26—Fairbanks' first
stamp mill was christened yesterday
with elaborate ceremony. The mayor
of the town declareid a holiday and
all commercial houses were closed in
honor of an event that presages for
Fairbanks and the Tanana country a
long and prosperous future.
Miss Kellogg, a native born Alaska
girl christened the mill and as the
first stamps to sound their thunder in
the Tanana country fell with a clang,
a band played and whistles from all
up and down the creeks for miles
sounded their jubilations.
Witnessed by thousands the stamps
fell grindingly upon ore from the
Chatham creek quartz mines, and the
initial operation of what is believed
to presage a cycle of quartz activity
in the Tanana became history.
Seattle, Feb. 26—Mackenzie Bros.,
Ltd., of Vancouver, B. C. have char
tered the steamship Leelanaw and
April 1, will enter the Alaska trans
portation field. On the date named
the Leelanaw will be dispatched to
southeastern Alaska ports and thence
westward calling at Valdez, (Jordova,
and Seward. When the Nome season
opens she will go through to Norton
sound ports.
Attorney-General Bonaparte wires
to Marshal Love that it seems cer
tain the Fourth judicial division bill
will paws congress at this session, to
become effective July 1. For that
reason the attorney-general declines
at this time to allow deputies asked
for by the marshal, as he wishes that
matter to he arranged in the organiza
tion of the separate divisions.
ALASKA ROADS TO
BE INVESTIGATED
Washington, Feb. 26—The senate
territorial committee will report in
favor of the war department conduct
ing a thorough investigation this sum
mer to the effect, that the needs of
Alaska in regard to wagon roads may
be determined. The committee will
further recommcnd that a lighthouse
inspector made a tour of the Alaska
coast for the purpose of determining
the necessary improvements in the
way to aids to navigation.
The committee urges the extention
of time in which Alaska railroads may
be completed. It is specifically re
j commended that the Alaska Short
i Line and the Katalla road be each
given an extension of three years.
The measure providing for the inves
tigation of projected railroads is not
to be retained in the committee re
port.
l'ortus Weave Dies Penniless
Los Angeles, Feb. 26—Portus B.
Weare, formerly powerful in the com
mercial affairs of Alaska died here
last night, penniless. During the
past ten years Weare's financial
downfall has been rapid.
Portuw H. Weare. in 1898, was pres
ident of and the largest stockholder
in the North American Trading and
Transportation Company operating
in Nome. For more than twenty
years he was a member of the Chi
cago Hoard of Trade, and ten years
ago he was rated as a millionaire,
llis financial difficulties originated
from unsuccessful speculations, en
tered into at a time when Weare's
faculties were impaired by old age.
Asa young man he never speculated.
Last summer Weare made an assign
ment for the benefit of his creditors.
His speculations caused his expulsion
from the Chicago Board of Trade,
and for the past year or so he has
been living in Los Angeles, in retire
ment.
Wilmer raises Reid
Seattle, Feb. 2f>—Gen. L. Allison
Wilmer, special assistant to the at
torney general, arrived on the Penn
sylvania from Valdez where he has
been investigating the conduct of
Judge JSilas II. Reid, accused of
questionable action with the Alaska
Central receivership. Gen. Wilmer
declared that Judge Reid's oflftcifl
acts are absolutely without suspicion
and the charges against him were
utterly without foundation in fact.
Gen. Wilmer said, however, that cer
tain of Judge Reid's appointees are
open to criticism and that District
Attorney Crossley is to investigate
the acts of two men, whom Gen.
Wilmer refused to name. Gen. Wil
mer departed this morning on his
way to Washington.
Billy Lear of the Buffet has r< -
ceived !• letter from Jack Hardy, wl o
i« now in Arkansas Hot Spring*.
Hardy writen that he i« having the
time of Iiih life and that the town iw
••good,*' but not in the moral «ense
of the word. Hardy will be in Seat
tle early in March and will remain
there until after the exponition.
J fog aft Mdhen Suggestions
Washington, Feb. 26-Gover
nor Iloggatt of Alaska has sug
gested the name of Nelson for
the new townsite to be estab
lished at the head of Cordova
bay. The Nelson to be thus
honored, if the suggestion is
adopted, is Senator Knute Nelson
of Minnesota.