The Alaska Prospector
I'MblUtietl nt VftMox, Alaska, rvory Thursday
by tilt.* l'lMMPKlTOR I't BI.ISIIISO Co.
I'honk Main 1.
Kntoroit nt the Vuldcz I'ostoHU'O a* second
cIbw matter.
ubscriptlnn £{ jusr year. lor six moil I l>
single copies 10 i-cuts
NEW YORK KNOWLEDGE
The Owl Drug Company of Valdez
lias received a letter from a New
York house explaining that it cannot
now return several fountain jwns
which were sent there to be repaired
because the New York post ollice re
fuses to receive registered packages
while navigation is closed in Alaska
waters. The postal officials of that
provincial town kindly explained to
the business house that navigation
would open June 1 and they would
then accept registered packages for
Valdez.
This serves as a reminder that a
few years ago 50,000 school children
wero refused admission to the public
schools of New York city because of
lack of room. The school board of
Tammanytown had failed to make
provision for as many as the census
ought to have shown were likely to
attend. It is probable that the pres
ent registry clerks in the New York
|iosl olllce were among those 50,000
yotmg persons who were unable to
break into the schools of that half
civilizcd city a decade ago. Or it may
be that the geographies in use there
w»-re published before the annexation
of Alaska.
t'pon one claim all the rest of the
I'nitcd States votes without dissent,
and that is that New York is the jay
est town ill the country and the
most densely saturated with puerile
self-esiee.in.
MISSED HIS CALLING
Francis .J. lleney plainly missed his
calling when lie f:tiI• I to go on (he
stage. He is era/.y for the limelight
and has other instincts of an actor.
Hi; is a very rotten heavy at the har
and in politic^ hut he might do bet
ter in lo-'2«)-:5<> cent melodrama.
The suspicion is becoming wide
spread that lleney, the* strutting re
former, is a fotir-lliish aggregation of
false pretenses. lie has liecn posing
as a pri/.e prosecutor hut he has hard
ly ever been able to make a convic
tion stick m an appellate court and
he has hoodooed his own side in every
political campaign he ever butted into
lleney lias had a small pattern of
greatness thrust upon him by tin
whistle newspaper writers, who make
a specialty of boosting anything they
imagine to be popular, lie has heen
a fad, like popular songs and Teddy
bears, and when the wind of pretense
escapes from the punctured air bag
he will flatten out like any other toy
balloon.
The announcement of Judge Har
lan's resignation of the district at
torneyship will be received with re
gret in Valdez, where nearly every
body is his friend and believes in his
integrity and ability. It was known
that Judge Harlan was tired of the
worries of the place and that his
health was much impaired, Before
leaving here for Fairbanks he told his
intimate friends that lie would re
sign before the end of the summer.
His illness at Fairbanks seems to have
hurried his decision to retire.
Talking about ingratitude here is
this mail Charles Davis of Nogales,
Arizona, who kicked his wav out of
his cotlin while the hearse was taking
him to the grave, after kind friends
had given him a nice funeral and
probably a good newspaper notice.
Mr. Davis was so sore about the ob
sequies that he refused to ride home
in one of t he mourners' carriages, and
next thing people may expect to hear
t hat he refuses to pay for Hie collin
he busted, or any of the funeral ex
penses.
Secretary (larfleld may bo thoor
ctioally ri^ 1»t. in Haying that coal land
lawn h)iouI(I ho the same in Alaska an
in tho rent of the country, hut what
in ho doing to reform tho existing Im
booilo statutes for tho disposal of ooal
lands? Those laws woro passed soon
aftor tho ooal bods woro formed in
tho CarboniforoUH period and aro a
inonnmenttoeongroHHional ignorance.
if Ham (fill of Seattle Ih eo rroot in
his assertion that lloosovelt and llryau
aro tho only candldatoH In Might thore
Hoomn to Im nothing left for tho con
servatives to do bill organize a little
Hide hIiow of their own and nominate
drover Cleveland for president. Ho
could probably got several thousand
votes.
Tho Alaska Record spread Itnelf in
« whole front page story of tho dedi
cation of the Rlks' hall in Junonu,
dotted with handoomo cut* ami carry
ing a purple lino head dear Aerosn
tho page.
The automohlllHt* must have come
to Alaska beoauso thoy hoard Valdoz
wah worth Hoeing.
China refuses to swap mnil any lon
ger with jApnn and continues to make
boycott faooH.
WATER RISING IN
KEYSTONE CANYON
Water is slopping over the ice in
Keystone canyon aiul within a few
days the winter trail will be ono of
the things that were. The ice will
hooh be ho rotten an to be dangerous
and the water already makes deep
wading in Heveral placet). The trail is
giving way by the melting and set
tling of snow, and it is so broken with
chuekholeH|that travel is'getting fierce
on the horses. The sleds will have to
take to the hill in a few days and will
soon bo out of business.
The road to the canyon is getting
in a bad way and Lowe river may be
gin running almost any time. Soft
weather is reported all the way in
interior and the trail is softening in
consequence.
VAI/DK2J CAN STAND AI,ONK
Valdez may not get the Copper
River & Northwestern railroud but if
the terminus goes elsewhere Valdez
will still he a growing town. The
mining resources so directly tributary
to Valdez that a railroad from a rival
port cannot take their proceeds away
are sufllcient to maintain a larger
town than Valdez today.
Within fifty miles of Valdez copper
prospects are developing into mines
which will soon have a long payroll
and all their business will he done
with this town. An ore concentrator
here to reduce the product of these
mines would pay out more in wages
than a railroad terminus.
For half a decade railroad pro
moters have passed Valdez by with
the exception of a little mere tenta
tive work and in that time more than
$.ri,(MH),000 has been spent at Seward,
Cordova and Katalla, yet Valdez to
day has a larger population than all
three of these towns exclusive of men
employed in construction, proving
that railroads are not their chief fac
tor in the building of Alaska towns.
Nevertheless a railroad will be
built from Valdez. The best engin
eers and the best informed men agree
that Valdez is the natural gateway to
the Bonanza eopper fields and other
extensive mining districts in the
same general region. The route from
Valdez is much shorter and freer
from enormous physical obstacles.
When capital gets tired of burning
money in futile experiments it will
come back to Valdez and start right.
Taft is scraping in the little states
with visible industry but he seems to
be lip against it in all the big ones
but Ohio.
Seems to be all quiet in the Tanana
and they don't tell us whether the
strike is still in business or not.
fVIUCH FREIGHT WAITING
TO GO UP COOK INLET
Five hundred tons of freight are
waiting at. Seldova to be taken np
Cook inlet, reports Alex Dautrick of
the Alaska Coast Company. The
warehouse on Herbert's dock at
Scldovia is crammed full and a lot
more piled outside.
The inlet was free of ice at the
lower end April H and Capt. Illodgett
started that day on the Tyonic for
the first trip of the season.
STRANGE ADVENTURES
OF CAPT. MIKKLESEN
It would bo a pity to spoil thin iiown
story from Hearst's Chicago Ameri
can with any comments further than
to montion that ('apt. Mlkklesen
sailed from Vaklez on tho steamer
Northwestern tho day ho was alleged
to have boon in Victoria:
Victoria, 11. March 28—Captain
Rintir MikklcHen, tho Danish explorer
today declared his intention of con
tinning his quest for a new continent
in the Hcanfort Hca. lie Is nndannte<l
by t he long series of misfortunes that
havn befallen him.
Twice Hhipwrockcd hIiico hiH depart
ure from thin port on the schooner
Duchess of Bedford, Captain Mlkkel
hcii wan landed at Vaidez on tho Alas
ka const, together with forty-Hlx oth
er unlucky south-bound travelers and
reachcd Hoattlo on the steamship Har
atoga.
The passengers and crew lashed
themselves to the rigging and happily
were rescued after Hixteen hours' ex
poHuro by the little coaster Klsle,
which conveyed them to Victoria.
Tho treasury department will create
a new Internal revenue division In
tho northwest, to Inolude the states
of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Alaska. The permanent headquarter*
will l>o located at Heattle.
Hylvanlto ore found near the rein
deer station at Teller assays $ 132,000
In gold and silver per ton. Thus do
|k>mos the Nome Nugget.
Bar silver Is down to 86 8-8.
FAIRBANKS TRYING
TO ANNEX SUSITNA
Valdez creek is ^regarded in Pair
banks as the coming camp of Alaska,
writes E. A. Henderson to R. A. Fer
guson of this city. He says:
"In keeping with a promise mado
to you to report all the news I could
get hold of from Valdez creek I would
say that parties have come in here
from there within the week and they
report that Smith has struck dirt that
goes $20 to the pan 011 the bench
known as tho "Bay Horse." This
looks good to me."
'•The postmaster here has got a
move on and has established a provisi
onal post ofllce there named McKin
ley and has appointed a postmaster
und has had a bid for carrying the
mail sent in and is trying to get the
government to contract for a regular
service from here. We will havo a
monthly mail at least for this summer.
The merchants here are out after the
trade of that camp like u dog for a
bone. (A11 Indians half-starved Si
wasli dog I mean.) You will havo to
wake up in Valdoz or they will cap
ture that business."
"I hear it rumored that a lot of
Monahan's ground has been jumped
this winter. The boys should form a
strong organization and you should
impress upon them .that they must
look after thequestion of •'discovery"
and assessment work very close and
they should havo plenty of witnesses
to every discovery and staking."
"There is u lot of talk here about
Valdez creek and a number have gone
in from here. If things turnout good
this summer you will see a stampede
of a thousand people 111 there from
1 here next fall or spring. We all have
some good pro|>crty in there and it
will be a big mistake to sell it except
for a fancy price. It is likely to be
the best camp in Alaska and it is up
to t he Valdez boys to get some of the
benefit of it."
CAPT. MOORE BECOMES
MASTER OF PORTLAND
('apt. Frank Moore will comp up as
| master of the steamer Portland on
this month's trip of that vessel, hav
ing resigned from the service of the
Alaska Steamship Company.
Capt. Moore was with the North
western Steamship Company and its
predecessor, the Alaska Pacific Navi
gation Company bo long that the
memory of man runneth not to the
contrary. He was on the little old
Newj>ort for several years and was
then transferred to the Santa Ana.
Two years ago ho was transferred to
the Saratogo and from that steamer
to the Yucatan last summer. He has
since been on the Yucatan. He is
one of the most popular captains on
the Southern Alaska rnn, and is re
garded as one of the most capable.
ZIM MOORE TO BE
CAPTAIN OF BERTHA
Capt. '/Am Moore, for several years
master of the steamer Dora, running
to Unalaska, and one of the l>est
known and most popular steamship
masters in North Pacific waters, has
resigned from the Dora to become
master of the Bertha, of the Alaska
Coast Company. He wired his resig
nation from Howard yesterday to the
Alaska Steamship Company at Heat
tie. He will make one more trip
westward 011 the Dora to give the
company time to fill his place.
The offer of the Bertha to Captain
Moore was left with Mrs. Moore at
Heward while her husband was gone.
Dora Reaches Beward
Bteamor Dora reached Howard from
the westward Sunday aftornoon.
On board her were Deputy Marshal
Bowers who is bringing O. L. Crimes,
the Afognak school teacher, who was
bound over by tho Kodlak commis
sioner, Dr. Hilvorman, on tho charge
of raj»o, and threo native witnesses.
lloporta from Kodiak state that
public opinion thoro Is almost wholly
with Crimes and harsh comment*
are mado on tho commissioner and
deputy marshal for arresting tho man.
Tho rape story Is looked on there as a
dream.
C. I'. Honkol, superintendent of tho
govommont fish hatchory at Lotniek,
was discharged from tho same accu
sation Involving tho samo girl.
Santa Clara Balls South
Htoamor Hants Clara returned from
Howard Hunday, calling at I,a
toucho and Cordova on the way, and
sailed at midnight for Hoattlo by way
of Katalla.
Ouy B. Krwln, for a long tlmo
United States commissioner at Fair
banks, came to Valdor. on tho Orr
stag** Friday on his way out to the
statofl, where he will visit several
months and then return to Fairbanks.
(Inc) Bankers and General Merchants (Inc)
Visit our BIG STORE while in the city and look over our line
of Dry Goods, Groceries, Ladies' and Gents' Furnishings, Boots, Shoes,
Hats and Caps, Rubber Goods, Furniture, Carpets, Linoleum, Mats, -
Draperies, Glass and Crockery Ware, Hardware, Stoves, Miners'
Supplies, Etc.
We receive a large shipment of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables on
every steamer. Special attention is called to a line of S. & W.
canned Goods, which are the highest pitch of perfection.
1DEZ BANK I MERCANTILE CO., INC.
min PIONEER OUTFITTERS mm
YUCATAN ARRIVES
WITH BIG LOAD
Steamer Yucatan reached port
from Seattle Tuesday afterj
noon, bringing thirty-flve first-class
passengers and twenty-two second
class passengers, 200 tons of coal and
87 tons of freight. Capfc. John A.
O'Brien is once more her master.
The Yucatan had several prominent
passengers aboard, including E. C.
Hawkins Chief engineer, and M. J.
lleney, contractor, of the Copper
River & Northwestern railroad, and
J. It. Van Cleve, formerly master
mechanic of the Alaska Central at
Seward, who goes now to the Gug
genheim company. These three
went to Cordova. Henry Deyo,
well-known in Valdez as an engineer
of the Guggenheim syndicate, stops
in Valdez. Frank Watson superin
tendent of the Matanuska coal com
pany, was a passenger for Seward.
COMPLETE CONTRACT
FOR GOVERNMENT
I '
Fitth & Walsh have completed the
contract to deliver 140 tons of supplies
for the second government telegraph
lino from Valdez to Onlkana. The
supplies were left at stated intervals
along tho trail as fur as Paxton's
roadhoiiBC. Work on the erection of
poles and stringing of the wire will
soon begin.
Mr. Pish camo in Sunday and re
ports the trail from Keystone canyon
on to tho interior to ho in excellont
condition. He said it was a shame
tho American automobile failed to
give tho trail a trial, as it would have
had excellent going from tho summit
on to Fairbanks.
Getting Up Koyukttk Itiver
Por tho first. 300 milos the Koyukuk
is a somewhat sluggish stream and
easily navigated. Boatfl can row this
distanco. The river is more like a big
canal. Then tho river begins to up
lift and tho wator flows more swiftly,
and tho last 200 miles to Bottles is
like going to tho mill race of tho un
der world. Bottles Is the head of
navigation, and consists of the North
ern (Commercial Company's store and
a few housos. It is 00 milos from
there to Goldfoot, near the mines, and
it costs as much to freight over that
distance as it does to get goods to
Bottles. In the summer time a barge
drawn by horso is used, under favor
ablo conditions, when the water is
low enough.
Surveying Beldovia Harbor
Tho United States survey ship Mo
Arthur will mako a complete survoy
of Hcldovla bay, Just insido (Cook in
iot, this summor. The ship is already
there and the Alaska Coast company
will tako in 600 tons of coal for her
use, probably on tho hext trip of the
Jeanie.
An employo of the Senate reat.au*
rant received a letter on the last
mall Informing him that by tho death
of his father In Ireland, a fortune of
$2/i0,000 had l»een left to him.
Telegraph and Mail Town in Itself. Blaakannth Shop,
Station. * etc., otc.
Wortman's Roadhouse
FOOT OF SUMMIT, TWENTY MILKS FROM VALDEZ
Accommodation for 40 horses. Warm Doghouses
A FULL STOCK OF GENERAL SUPPLIES
K"ro!» "IiUm ~^>PoiltillS MagtlUSOn PfOp
ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO.
Have established a sta
tion at SUSITNA, at
the forks of the Susitna
and Yentna rivers and
will carry a full line of
MINERS' SU P PLIES
Other Stations at UNALASKA, KARXUK,
AFOGNAK, SUNRISE, KODIAK,
KAGUYAK, TYONOOK
Alaska Steamship Co.
~T" All Alaska Routes
SEATTLE-SEWARD-VALDEZ ROUTE
80UTIIWK8TEKN ALAHKA ROUTK Steamers Sail from I'lor No. 1
KOR CORDOVA. VAI.DKZ, LATOUCBK AND HKWAHI)
Steamships NORTHWESTERN, YUCATAN, SANTA CLARA.
Through tickets laaued tc» Fairbanks, via Valdez, and Kd. 8. Orr <fc Oo.'a Htago Lino.
SO nODfl HaiiH froin Howard the lath of each month for Holdovla, Kodlak
■ O. UUnA Uyak, Cold Hay, Unga, Ohlgnlk, Dutch Harbor and Unalaaka.
SEATTLE-JUNEAU-GKAGWAY ROUTE
Southeastern Alaska Ron to-FOR KKTCIIIKAN, WRANGKLL, DOUGLAS,
HAINKH AND HKAOWAY
Alaska Flyers JEFFERSON and DOLPHIN
FOR KKTCHIKAN, WRANOKM-, METLAKAIITI/A, HADLKY, DOUOI.AH
S. S. FARALLON and DIRIQO
All Htcamora connect with thcWhlto I'asn and Yukon Ron to. Through ticket* to
Dawaon In connection with Mage line from White florae. Right to chango steamers or
nailing date la reacrved.
yhK Valdcz Dock Co. Agents
HKATTLK, WAHII. VAL.OKZ, ALASKA
Alaska Coast Co.
The "INSIDE" ROUTE
Botwoen Bonthwof»tf»rn Alanka-Pugot Sound, f Operating
Htoamorn, PORTLAND, BERTHA and JEAMIR. uNoxi
Hailing for Hnattln, Taooma and all Int-ormodlato Porta:
Portland A|>ril Z7
Right Ih rCHorvod to ohange Rtnamorti or nailing datnn
without notice
II. V. ALEXANDER, A. H. DAUTRIOK,
(iKNKRAI, MaNAOER, TAOOMA. UrNKRAJ, AoRNT, VAI,f»r.7.