THE ALASKA
Vol. 7 Valdez, Alaska,
PROSPECTOR
—► ——
July 2, 1908. No. 25
PLAN NOW ON TO
GULL CONVENTION
Effort to be Made to Have
Alaskans Decide What
They Really Want
MEASURES WILL HE DRAWN
Mayor Brown Advances Idea of
Only Possible Way to Get Any
thing From Congress.
A movement is on foot to call an
Alaska convention to be held in Val
dez next October to formulate a list
of measures most urgently needed in
Alaska to be submitted to congress
for enactment. The suggestion was
made a few days ago by Mayor Fred
M. Brown and instantly struck a pop
ular chord. It is planned to issue a
letter to all Alaska towns requesting
them to send representatives to such
a convention.
Valdez considers itself more easily
accessible to the great majority of
residents of the territory than any
other town, having direct steamer or
land road connection with every im
portant town in Alaska except Nome.
The object of the convention will ho
to obtain an agreement of representa
tive Alaskans upon a demand for a
few measures of legislation. With
such a concentrated demand, not ask
ing for any measure except as will
arouse little opposition it is believed
that an effective ap]>eal can ho made
to congress at the next session. Con
cerning the status of Alaskan legisla
tive demands Mr. Brown writes to the
Prospector:
"The name okl cry in made at tho
close of each session of congress, that
Alaskans do not agree aw to what
they want, and therefore congress
eau do nothing, Both of theHe pro
positions are unquestionably true
people of Alaska do not and cannot
agreo, and congress does nothing.
"Tho people of Alaska can agree
junt as people in the states agree, by
a majority rule. Self-constituted lob
byistw go to Washington during each
session of congreHH, and quarrel among
themselves—knocking one another's
suggestions and demands as not ex
pressing or representing the real
wishes of Alaskans.
"It is extremely doubtful if a bill
providing for extending the open
season for killing snakes in Alaska
eould be passed under present condi
tions, unless after an investigation by
a congressional committee, and then
another investigation of the work of
the first committee, and a depart
mental investigation as a substitute
for all previous investigations, tho
real truth should bo discovered—that
there are no snakes in Alaska.
"Let factional fighting and quarrel
ing bo HUHpondcd long enough to pre
iiiit of tho bona lido Alaskans—not
politiciaiiH—but tlioHO who make their
homes in Alaska and aro not Hooking
political proferment for thomflolveB,
holding a reprenontativo convention,
at Home point, froo from tho influ
enco of tho Seattle spirits, and other
detrimental Bpirit, and in a buBlncBB
liko way adopt. by a majority vote
(which Ih tho only civilized method,
short of an appeal to forco and armn,)
a not of demands which eongroHH
muHt and will heed."
NEGRO ARRESTED FOR
POSTOFFICE ROBBERY
Kaunas Olty, June 20—A negro
wIioho pookeU* wero stuffed with
money and Jewelry, the poHossion of
which he cannot account for to the
HatiHfaction of the ofllcors, was hint
night placed under arrest on huh
plclon that ho in (lie man who Hovoral
dayn ngo robbed tho sub-postofllce
station in this city. The stolen mall
pouch ban been found in a clump of
weodH outsldo the city. If contained
several articles «»f Jewelry bttt tho
$70,000 consigned to Los Angeles Ih
mlHHlng.
Hhcrinnn Able To Travel
Cleveland, July 2—Vlce-Prealdon
tlal Nomlnoo Hbernmn ban ho far re
covered from IiIh recent IIIiiohh an to
bo able to travel ami he departed to
day for bin home In Utlca, N. Y.
ALASKA POLITICS
AGITATES SEATTLE
Friends of John Corson In
sist That Cale Must
Retire From Fight.
Spccial To The Prospector
Seattle, July 2—Alaska's political
situation with regard to the congres
sional delegateship is causing much
speculation in this city, especially
among those who formerly resided in
the territory and those residents of
the territory now sojoining here. For
some reason, possibly because they
have more time at their disposal or,
perhaps, because while calling them
selves Alaskans they find the pleas
ures of a big city more attractive, the
friends of John Corson seem to be in
the majority here and they are insist
ing that Delegate Cale not only should
but must throw his support to the
Corson eandacy.
So far the near-Alaskans who are
insisting that Delegate Cale must in
dulge in self- abnegation have failed
to advance any very convincing argu
ment to sustain tl\cir assertions. Into
their reasoning comes the aspoct of
the situation as it is changed by the
candidacy of James Wickersham,
who t hey say will draw more from
Cale than from Corson with the i>os
sible result that John Konau, the
democratic candidate, will win, or if
not him, then Clum, running indepen
dent. It is declared that Corson and
Cale are nominees of the republicans
of the territory and that Corson car
ries the backing of the regulars of the
Ketchikan convention; hence, say
these political Moseses, Cale should
realize that he must withdraw in
favor of Corson for otherwise the re
publican party in Alaska is doomed
to defeat.
In the mean time there come from
Alaska, reportH of mass meetings en
dorsing Cale, aiul of agitatioiiH in be
lialf of the territorial government ho
vicioUHly inveighed against by Gov
ernor Hoggatt, whose candidate John
Uoraon most assuredly in. "Bun
combe" is the ejacnlHtion coming
from the political prophets when
these things are cited in the face of
their contention, and they go on to
explain that it in only a disgruntled
few desiring either Cale or territoria
government and that Governor Hog
gatt and his candidate, Corson, are
ilrndy implanted in the respect of
the majority of the men of the terri
tory.
SHEA SAYS CORSON
IS BETTER THAN CALE
Heattlo, June 29—George Hliea, del
egate from Nome to the republican
national convention, is in Heattle.
He says that Delegate Cale is worth
less in congress so far as his services
to Alaska are concerned as he is re
garded as antagonistic and non-part
isan and cannot afilliato with either
of the big parties.
Shea who belongs to the Hoggatt
faction of the republican party in
Alaska, say« that tho big men of tho
adminiHtration iiiHint-H that Alaska
eleet a republican delegate and that
the convention has ho cemented fac
tional differences in tho territory that
every one purposes to work for the
success of C!orson, tho Hoggatt
candidate.
Prominent Mining Man Here
Frank P. Hkoon, ono of tho original
discoverers of the well-known Falls
crock gold quart/ properties, located
on tho lino of tho Alaska Central
Railroad, Ih a passenger on tho Penn
sylvania onrouto to Howard, whore
ho will bo engaged in Hiiporintonding
development work on tho claims In
which ho Ih interested. Mr. Hkoon,
while a young man, is a projector
of largo oxj>orlonco and ono who has
had a Huccossful career. Ho was
among tho original party of miners
'hat left Nome In the year 190*2 for
Northeast Siberia, remaining in tho
c/.ar's domain for throe years. When
tho Alanka Central started to build
to tho Interior Hkoon was on tho scene,
and secured, near the lino of tho road,
gold properties which will make him
an Independent fortune.
London, July 2- Tho navy depart
ment of Kngland Is planning tho mob
illzatlon of .'WK> war vohhoIs under the
command of Admiral Horosford.
STEAMSHIP OHIO IS
ICEBOUND OFF NOME
Soattle, Juno 27—Steamship Ohio,
one of the flint, {of |tho fleet to got
away to Nome this yoar is fast hi the
ice 150 miles from that port and the
little steamship Corwin has gone to
try and aid the 500 passengers who
for two weeks have been aboard the
liner. Word of the Ohio's j>eril was
received here this morning and has
caused consternation among friends
of those aboard her.
Owing to the reduction in the fare
the Ohio went out of this port with
every inch of her crowded with pas
sengers and as she took only sufficient
provisions to sufllce for the voyage if
made under favorable circumstances
there is fear that the passengers may
suffer for want of food. The agents
of the Ohio say that there is no rea
son for fear in this respect as the
I vessel's cargo consists for the most
part of food stuffs.
Among steamship men the position
of the Ohio in regarded us very criti
cal and they nay that if she in far in
to the ice floe she may be unable to
get out for several weeks. 11. is also
said that there is grave danger that
she may be crushed by the grinding
floe, this being especially probable
in case rough weather sots in.
All the vessels in the Nome fleet
had rough experience with the ice
this year but the Ohio is so far the
only one to get into serious difficul
ties. A week or more ago the ice
fields were close to Nome and it was
feared that none of the vessels would
be able to make the roadway but
after being delayed a few days they
found open water.
ALASKANS BELIEVE
CALE WILL SUFFER
Wickersham's Candidacy is
Expected to Aid John Cor
son's Ambitions.
Seattle, Juno 20—Alaskans in thin
city are llrm in tho belief that the
candidacy of James Wiekerahant,
who lias announced that he will run
for delegate from Alaska t-o congress,
will hurt tho chances of election of
Thomas Cults. Tho announcement
that VViokorshain is to become an
eleventh hour candidate has caused
much discussion here and the friends
of Corson are jubilcnt.
Admirers of Wickortiham are, under
the circumstances, dubious as to his
chances for success and say that he
made a mistake in not coining out
sooner. They believe, however, that,
he will make a strong campaign and
say that if Cale can be induced to
withdraw from the light that Wicker
sham is sure of election. There is
considerable talk here as to the pos
sibility of the latter contigency. It is
pointed out that Cale was never anx
ious to be re-nominated and that re
alizing that Wiekersham is accepta
ble to tho Cale supporters Cale may
withdraw in favor of the former
judge.
KING EDWARD WIRES
HIS DEEP SYMPATHY;
Princton, June 27—Just before Pres
ident Roosevelt left hero ^for Oyster
Hny liiHt evening ho recolved£a cable
gram from King Edward of England,
expressing the monarch's deojwst
sympathy at the death of Mr. Cleve
land who was referred to as the pres
ident's distinguished predecessor.
The message was forwarded from
Oyster Hay.
Despite the large crowds that came
to Princeton because of the death of
Mr. Cleveland no overt aet marred
the funeral services. All placos of
business were closed the greater part
of the day and the persons in the
streets stood with bared heads as the
funeral cortege passed on its way to
the cemotary. Only threo newspaper
representatives wore admitted to the
cemotary, the others being present at
the Interment being friends only.
Harvard Winn Boat Race
New l/ondon, Conn., Juno 26 — Har
vard won the annual boat, raeo with
Yale Inst evening, Yale with one of
hor orew erlppled in tho arm finish
ing a quarter of a mile behind the
crimson. Presidential Nominee Taft
was among thoso who cheered the
victors. Tho big race was postponed
from the afternoon because of rough
water. During tho afternoon Yale
won the four-oar and Harvard the
eight-oar raeo.
Cummins And Allison Endorsed
Waterloo, Iowa, June 26— The ro
publiean state convention today en
dorsed Coventor Cummins and Hena
tor Allison to succeed themselves.
GOLD OUTPUT SET
AT $45,000,000
Seattle Estimate Places Al
aska's Production This
Year at Huge Sum.
Soulilo, Juno 150— 1 'onservat ivo esti
illUtoH set $15,000,000 as the value of
gold Mint will oomo out of Alaska (his
your. The gold receipts for Juno
total $.r>,(iKU,(Kil) being nearly $1,000,000
more than the Juno receipts for any
previouH year.
From all parts of the territory come
reports of the most favorable import.
The Howard peninsula in particular is
expected to hrcak all records as a
gold producer.
ALASKA GOLD RECEIPTS
BREAK JUNE RECORD
Seattle, Juim 27—With the arrival
at Seattle of t he steamships Jefferson
and Victoria, both of them on the
way, the receipts of Alaska gold 'or
the month of June will total more
than $.r),000,000. This will establish a
record for any June month in the his
tory of Alaska gold production.
MORE GOOD REPORTS
FROM VALDEZ CREEK
Report** going U> show that- the Val
dez crock district is destined to be
conic one c»f tho groat placer mining
localiticH of Alaska continue to reach
Valdoz. Tho latest conies in tin?
shape of a letter writ ten to .lames
Lathrop by W. (1. VVhorf of Heldovla
and Indicates that there will he sev
eral outfits go into the country in
question hy the way of the Husitnn
river.
Mr. Whorf says that Mr. ICrsklne,
who is in charge t>f the Alaska Com
mercial Company's stores on Cook
inlet, has just returned from up the
river and that he is greatly excited
concerning the outlook for t he Valdez
crook district. According to the let
lor, Mr. Krsklue has engaged all the
horses to he obtained, has bought a
boat and has directed t hat *200 tons of
merchandise be sent up the river to
remain until fall when it will be
sleded into Valdoz creek. A Valdez
crook man whose name is not given
in the letter is said to have ordered
sovonty-llvo tons of food supplies
from Knlk,
Mr. Whorf states that. Iliamna gives
promise of having a small boom this
fall.
Wada, the .lap ntiishor, on a recent
i t rip from llersehel island to Dawson,
ran out of dog feed and kept t he dogs
alive by tilling them up on his seal
pants and mueklucks, thereby arriv
ing in Dawson In a deficient costume,
Alaska enjoyst ?) the fllntinctlon of
being the only territory in America
that has ever had it man who was at
once governor and inhiroprosentfttlvo
to congress. NVrangel Hen tin el.
GAUSTEN WINS IN
SUPREME COURT
E. T. Barnette Must Share
Fortune With Man Who
Grubstaked Him.
Olympia, Juno '20—James H. Caus
teu, collector of customs at l'orto
Kico, ami formerly deputy collector
at St. Michael, today gained in the
tjuprenie court a decisive and final
victory in his legal light to he de
clared a part owner of the holdings
in Alaska of E. T. Barnette. Barnette
is the founder of Fairbanks, owner of .
the Fairbanks Banking Company j
bank and iH largely interested in
mining and other business in the j
Tanana country and the decision I
means that Causton has a partnership !
interest in all of those enterprises.
The case just decided came up from !
the superior court of King county, on j
appeal taken by Barnette. The do- ;
■ ision of the lower court is affirmed
as is also the order issued restraining
tho sale of $200,000 in gold bars sent
to Seattle banks by the the Fairbanks
Banking Company. It is Held that j
this gold belongs to the partnership, j
According to the evidence in the
case, Barnette and another man !
started for the interior with a large
load of supplies. They got as far as
St. Michael but through some mis
fortune the river boat on which they
had expected to get their stuff inside
was wrecked and the outfit was
stranded, everything Barnette and
his partner posessed being represen
ted by the consignment of merchan
dise.
Rarnette was practically unknown
and could no flnancial assistance
in St. Michael until lie finally induced
Causten to go on his notes, t he con
sideration being a half interest in
the outcome of the trip, Rarnette
got inside, founded what is now Fair
hanks and waxed wealthy. Causten
went to Porto Rico.
From time to time Causten tried to
get a settlement from Rarnette, hut
without avail and ahout three years
ago began suit for au accounting and
settlement. Rarnette fought the
case, although, so it was reported,
Causten would have settled for a few
thousand dollars. One of the sensa
tional features of the case is that
during the time Rarnette was on the
witness stand he wus forced into ad
mitting that he had served time in
the state penitentiary in Oregon, his
conviction arising from fraudulent
financial transaction. Just prior to
making this admission Rarnette had
persistantly denied ever having been
in Oregon and the admission was
forced to show that his veracity when
he declared that Causten was not
entitled to a ty share in the Rarnette
fortunes was not to be depended
upon.
Rarnette attempted to prove that
there had been no profits accruing
from the merchandise he took in at.
the time Causten assisted 1dm.
NO SALE PENDING
OF BEATSON MINE
No Bftlo or bond of Beatson'a Bonan- j
xa copper mine on Latouche island in j
now ponding, and no chango in the |
management is eon tem plated at Mi in
time, in the statement made by Barn- j
uel J. Clarke, brother-in-law of the
late Andrew Robertoon of New York, i
who owned four-flftha of the mine. A.
K. Heat won, cousin of Mr. Robertson, 1
owns the remaining one-fifth and hat* I
been manager of the mine aincc he
helped to locate it in 1897.
Mr. Clarke is executor of the estate I
of Andrew Ilobertaon and came to Al- j
ask a aolely to investigate the proper-,
ty with a view to ascertain its proba
ble value and to form a personal opin-1
ion as to the pro]>or dispositioe to be I
made of the intestate's interest' He ,
is accompanied by Ids attorney, VVU-,
llam MacHaiu, also of New York. They '
went to Latoucho on the Farallon
and returned this morning on t in* .
sijme steamer on their way borne.
New King For July Fourth
Washington, June 37—The presi
dent has ordered that on July Fourth
all government buildings fly the new
flag having forty-nix stars. The old
number baa been iuereased by the
addition of that commemorating the
admission to statehood of Oklahoma.
I
BLACKBIRD MINE
IS RICH PROPERTY
Claims Owned by Latouche
Copper Mining Company
Rival Beatson's.
GlklAVOOl) MAJORITY OWNER
Actual Mining Suspends Pending
Improvement in Market for
Metal Produced.
Latouche island has u copper mine
adjoining Beatson's famous Bonanza
which promises to rival that marvel
ous deposit of rod metal. It is the
j»roperty onee known as the Blaek
bird group, now owned and recently
developed by the Latouche Copper
Mining Company, of whieh James
Qirdwood is president, holding two
thirds of the stock.
Mr. Oirdwood says his mine will
beat Heatson's, and he wouldn't say
so if it wasn't so. He allirms that A.
K. Bcatson tacitly admits it and that
Beatson occasionally laments that he
didn't buy the Blackbird group when
it was for sale cheap. It is conceded
that Mr. Heatson's knowledge of cop
per ore is such that he ought to be
charged advertising rates for publish
ing his opinion of anybody's ledge
and that is why Mr. Oirdwood re
joices over his neighbor's grief that
he passed up the stack of ehalcopy
rite which hounds t he Beatson Bonan
za on the north.
I,ies Near Tide Water
The Oirdwood property, like Beat
son's, lies a little way up the hill from
t ide water near t he northeast corner
of Latouche island. A tram road
is built to carry tin; ore to the wharf,
where the largest Alaska steamers
can tic up. On this wharf and back
of it extensive bunkers have been
constructed. In the mine, which is
less than half a mil" away, a huge
ore body has been blocked out by a
tunnel 1,000 feet long and by numer
ous drifts. lOnotigh sloping ground is
ready for work to last for several
years whenever the price of refined
copper is tilted a few cents.
The company was just, getting busy
at actual mining last year and had
made one ore shipment when some
body stepped on the price of copper
and tlattcncd it down to a figure
which gives ;ill the poflatch to the
smelting trust. Then the Latouche
Copper Mining Company rested, and
will wait for tin- price of copper to go
up, serene in the knowledge that the
mine can't run away. The ore is of
a grade that requires sorting to ship
outside for submission to the mercy
of the smelter trust, but reduced by a
local smelter it would earn millions.
11 is of the sulphide variety known as
ehaleopy rite.
The Blackbird group of six claims
was located by George barrack sev
eral years ago, and Mr. barrack still
retains an interest and is superinten
dent of operations, living at the
mine Mm year round.
Mr. Gird wood is a pioneer mining
man of Southern Alaska. He went
iitt-o (Ih« Cook inlet region in I8WI, and
ran a small steamer lip TurnaKain
arm himself, although he doesn't pre
tend to he a navigator, because no
body in that region who claimed to
(Continued on page 4)
FORT CASEY SOLDIERS
BREAK WORLD'S RECORD
I'ort Casey, Wash., June 26—The
world's record for artillery marks
manship was broken during target
practice yesterday afternoon by the
men stationed at this post. A target
three miles distant, and moving seven
milus an hour was struck eleven t imes
in ns many seconds.
McClcllnn Wina In Recount
New York, July I The recount of
the election three years ago, con
tested by W. It. Hearst, has just been
Mulshed and shows that MeClellan
was elected by 3,(HN) votes. McOlol
lan lost. 180 votes in the recount. In
au interview McClcllau stated that he
pidd ii lawyer IIU.OOO to defend his
rights in the contest.