THE ALASKA PROSPECTOR
Vol. 7 Valdez, Alaska, February 20, 1908. No. 3
IANANA OPERATORS
TO CHARTER SHIP
Plan to Carry Large Num
ber of Miners North on
Special Vessel.
SARATOGA BRINGING IN 120
Many Applicants Waiting Trans
portation and the Owners
Want to Hurry.
Seattle, Fob. 17—Delayed in 'trans
mlselon—ReprerteutatlveH of tho Tau
ana mine owners' association are
negotiating for tho charter of a vea
eel to tako u small army of men north
ut once to work in the Tauana mlnen.
Tho Saratoga, mailing Sunday, car
ried 120 men for Falrbankd under
contract to tho mining operator*, and
Hcverai hundred applicant* are await
ing transportation, while tho number
la being augmented dally.
QUIET REIGNS
III FAIRBANKS
Fairbanks, Feb. 14—Ooueral quiet
ban characterized the situation here
ever sinco the huIoouh were clo«ed
Wednesday afternoon. Tho deputy
United Statoa marshal* disperse all
crowdH wherever they gather.
Tho RuAslan strike breakers are
etlll kept in a hall and guarded by
deputy marshals. Five union pick
ets wero caught at 1 o'clock this
morning prowling around the build
ing and placed under arrest. It in
deemed inadviHable to allow the Rus
(Continued on page 4)
RESCINDS ORDER
TO SEND TROOPS
WaHhlngton, Fob. i7—-I>olayed In
IranBraitttiion -The troops at Fort Gib
bon, Alanka, which were ordered to
Falrbauktt to help repre»* violenee
were ordered today not to move. Tho
latent Information reoeivod by tho
war department is that the Rituatlon
does not warrant military Interfer
ence. Civil olUcialft report that they
. believe no nerloun broach to the
peace 1h irnuilnont.
GUN FLOURISH IN
STATE CONVENTION
El Itoiio, Okla., Feb. 19—Liout-Gov
ornor Bellamy wan arrontod today for
Xlorishlng a rovolver in tho democra
tic state convention during a flght to
drive a contesting delegation from
Muskogee out. Bellamy immediately
gavo ball. Tho convention was dis
orderly and ehsraoterized by aeveral
. fight*.,
MORSE HELD ON
LARCENY CHARGE
New York, Feb. 1&—Charles W.
Mor*e, ox-banker and ice king, re
turned today from Europe and wan
arrested on a grand larcony charge as
eoou aa he came down the nangplauk
from tho steamship. He is accused
, of banking frauds.
It is reported that the snow this
winter In Heward Is the heaviest
since the town started. The snow at
Latouohe is unusually lioavy also. In
Valdes tho fall this winter has been
hardly half the average.
SALMON PACKERS
DODGE ALL TAXES
Grand Jury Report Shows J
They Take Advantage of
Hatchery Law.
The grand jury in tho district court
at the present form sharply criticised
tho rebate law which was lobbied
through the last congress by the
salmon packers, allowing them to pay
their taxes on canned salmou by
planting fry in hatcheries. The
grand jury found that tho salmon
packers have been able to evado all
taxes by alleged planting of fry, and
urges tho repeal of the Inw. The
Alaska Packer's Association last year
paid 32 cents on canned nalrnon,
swearing olf tho rest like a New York
millionaire.
Your grand jury llnd that tho now
law relating to the rebate of license
monoy to canneries operating hatch
eries, providos for 10 casus of ealmou
equal to -40 cents for each thousand
of rod salmon fry liberated from such
hatcheries. The law places tho duty
upon tho clerk of tho court of Issuing
certificates, which are redeemable in
money for the payment of the former
licence. In other license matters,
which are not of such Importance as
this, the court Is called upon to pass
upon them; in t-liis ouno, the most
important in many ways to the Inter
ests of the territory, tho court lias uo
volco whatever. Tho first year of tho
operation of thin law the Alaska Pack
ers' Association alone shows the re
lease of about90,000,000 of fry. For
tho past year this same company
shows through It,-» paid agents the
liberation of 80,680,000 for the Fl»-*ii.
and Third divisions, aud under the
law the clerk was compelled to issue
certiileates at 40 cents for each thous
and of red fry liberated to tho fishing
company. These certificates are
then turned into the clerk's olllee in
lieu of ca«h for the payment of their
license tax on thoir output of canned
(Continued on page 4)
SWOLLEN RIVERS
FLOOD PITTSBURG
PI ttsburg, Feb. 17 — Delayod in
transmission—North Pi'tsburg is In
undated by overflowing of the rivers
and several largo mills woro coin
polled to cease operation, throwing
20,000 men out of employment. The
proporty loss In estimated at $30,000,
000. The Ohio river la rt>]x>rted to be
nearly bank full all the way down
and part of Cincinnati and other low
land districts are threatened by high
wator.
PloodB Blowly Receding
Pittsburg, Feb. 19—The water in
the rivers it* slowly receding although
it still covers the lower part of tho
city. Oroat damage was done to
shipping as well as to business blocks
and mills by the flood.
BLIZZARD BLOWING
IN MIDDLE WEST
Chicago, Fek. 19—Tho thermometer
registers 20 below »ero this morning,
A blizzard prevails all ovor Illinois
and adjoining state* and trains are
blocked on all roads.
Steamer Fearless Bitik*
The steamer Fearless st Uualaska,
owned by the Alaska Commerolal
Company of Han Francisco, suuk at
Iter mooring January 90. The boat
was not carefully looked after, and
the heavy fall of snow kept accumu
lating upon her till she listed ovor
and went down.
8teamer Oem A Total Wreck
News comos from the west that tho
sohooner Cloui went ashoro at Ikatlk
last fall. A wrecking outfit was
started oat from Ban Franolsoo, bnt
the sohooner is a total wreok, being
oompletely broken up.
Nome has an "East Bud Whist
Club," composed of society ladles.
VALDEZ10 HAVE
ORE CONCENTRATOR
i. L. Steele Organizing En
terprise to Aid Local
Copper Production.
GETS SITE AND WATER POWER
Capital Partly Raised to Free
Alaska Mines From Exactiuus
of Smelter Trust
Plans for the erection near Valdez
of a concentrating plant largo euough
to reduce all the oroa of Prince Wil
liam Bound hava so far progressed
that a tract of land and a water right
of at least 8000 borne power at the
lowest winter stage have been ac
quired elose to the town and hoavy
subscriptions mado to the capital of
the proposed company.*
The low price of ooppor, which is
believed to bo arbitrarily fixed by the
smelter trust, tho excessive charges
for Hineltlngores lu the raw state, and
the cost of transporting the crude
ore«, all are factors in this project to
handle the ores of sound mines at a
minimum of cost.
From J. L. Steele, or tho Standard
Copper Company, to whom is duo
credit for the origin und promotion
of the project, the Prospector lias
received tho following facts and fig
ures relativo to the cost of treatment
of Prince William sound ores under
tho present system, and tho saving to
be effected by concentrating ores be
fore shipment to the smelters.
Charged For Smelting
The smelters of the American
Smelting A Refining Company give
the following rate for the treatinont
of these ores: #3 per ton. base rate,
lo which add 10 cents per unit of ex
cess of silica over iron, maximum
rate £5 per ton. Prom the base rate
deduct 10 cents tor each unit of iron
in excess over silica, minimum chargo
$1 ]>or ton. Prom the assay percen
tage of copper deduct 1.3 percent for
loss in treatment., and 3 cents per
pound for rofining and freight to
New York. Gold to the value of less
than $1 per ton and silver less than 1
ounce to the ton not to bo paid for.
Settlement, 50 |>er cent, on a basis of
the New York market re porta as
given by the Engineering and Mining
Journal ten days after the shipment
has been received; final aettlement
on basis of tho Now York quotations
as given.by the engineering and Min
ing Journal M days aftor the ship
ment has boon rocoived.
With the above smelting charge
and a freight rate of $>3 per ton,
Prince William sound ores averaging
8 per ceut copper cannot bo shipped
at u profit, though this average far
uxooeds the average ores of either
Montana or Michigan, the two largost
copper producing states.
Mnkea Numeroun Testa
During the past three mouths Mr.
Bteole had exhaustive tests made In
Seattle, Denver and St I,ouis, to
iletermlne the most economical
methods of handling the ores of this
section, in which the Hllloa contents
are so largely iu excese of the iron as
to make for them tho maximum wnel
tar charge of per ton. Matte
nmeltlng furnaces wero considered
(Continued on page 4)
KILLS WIFE AND
COMMITS SUICIDE
Hoattlo, Fob. 19—A1 Anhbury, a
Black HIIIh and Dswhou minor, shot
Ids wlfo «lca«l us nhe wan ent-orlng tho
Denny building to attond a religious
norvtco last night. He then shot and
kill<xl himself. Tho woman was suIiir
for a divorce and rofuwed to return to
hhn.
Heavy Overflow# On Delta
Heavy overflown on tho delta are
reported to D. T. Kennedy's looal
stage oflloe. A Stage which made
MoCellum's, at this end of the delta,
In the feat time of three days and *
half from Valdex, wired that progress
would be slower beyond that point
because of wet roads
BONANZA MINE TO !
BEGIN PRODUCING:
i
Tram to Be Constructed
! This Summer to Carry
Ore 15,000 Feet.
MATERIAL NOW GOING IN
Keunttott Company Will Pile Out
put on Dumps Until Rail
road Builds.
To build an aerial tram 16,000 loot
loug at a cost ol §126,000 and begin
the work of taking ore from the fa
mous Bonanza group of coppor mines
tho KonnecoU Mines Company is
transporting 360 ton* ol construction
material to tho interior. About fifty
men will bo omployoil in building
tho tram and in other construction.
It la planned (uncomplete tho tram by
next fall and to begin actively the
work of taking out ore. This will bo
piled on dumps until the railroad
reached tho toot ol tho tram.
Development work has been pur
sued steadily on the Kouanza group
for aoveral years and immense bodies
of oro have been blocked out by tun
neling and drifting. One tunnel near
tho summit of the mountain runs
through from side to tide, about 7,00
feet.
Huh 4,000 Acree
Tho Konnocott Mines Company has
4,000 acres ol ground, all patented
and all contiguous. The group lies (
adjacent to Kenuecott crook, a short
tributary of tho Nizina river rising in
Kenuecott glacier. Tho developed
ore body has an elevation of t>000 foot
above sea level. From this level the
tram will reach downward to an ele
vation of2,000 feet to tho terminus of
tho railroad.
Tho 360 tons of construction mnl-er- i
ial now going in for tho tram includes
win? cable and other steel. About
twenty tons Is small articles ol which
six tons is nails, and the remainder
bulky material. 11 is estimated that
it will cost 10 cents a pound to trans
port tlds 360 tons to the foot of the
mountain, or lower end of tho tram.
The expense of carrying the material
up the mountain side and building tho
tram can only bo roughly estimated.
Not All Guggenheim
While tho Bonanza group Is known
as a Guggenheim property the Ken
nocott Mines Company has other cap
italists in its list of stockholders and
it is denied by outsiders that the
Guggenheim* own a controlling Inter
est. Tho company's main office is at
46 Broadway, New York. Norman
Schultz is president, Stephen Birch
gonerai manager. The local superin
tendent is George K. Baldwin, now
In Valdoz.
It is given out by the company's
officials and all its other mouthpieces,
including tho newspaper reporters,
that tho railroad arm of the Bonanza
octopus intends to push construction
to tiio mines us rapidly as men and
inouoy can accomplish tho work —
from Cordova if a practical route can
be found from that port to and up
tho Copper river, from Valdoz If tho
Cordova route Is blacklisted by the
final report of the locating engineers
- -but build it will, on the hurry up
plan, say those numerous persons
who claim to know.
HASEY TRIAL SET
FOR MARCH 24
MuftHaK('» from Juneau today an
nounce that the (rial of Kd. Hanoy at
Juneau ban been net for March 24
by order of the attorney gonorul.
The district attornoy'H oftloe and
attorney# for tho dofeone each re
ceived mcHHAgeH with Instruction* rc
gnrdlng wltnosBCH.
Judgo Iteld thin aftomoon dl»
charged the wltnoHBoa for the proee
cution from further attendance In
aourt here and dlrooted thorn to he
roady to go to Junoau In tlmo for the
trial. The rnowage to the dlntrlot at*
torney'n office han an orror In tranH
mlstlon but in understood to nay tha
•ubpoenas will arrive on the Uertha.
TO INSTALL 616
HYDRAULIC PUNT
EsteMy Company Will Treble
Capacity of Outfit on
Nlzlna River.
The hydraulic plant installed last
year on the Nlzlna river by George!
M. Ksterly and his associates will l>e
enlarged thin season to three times i
its former capacity. An outfit of ISO!
tons containing the addition to the1
plant Is now on the trail and w)u<u !
thin in installed the plant will be the
largest in Alaska, and in mechanical
equipment will be unexcelled by any
hydraulic plant in the states.
It Is believed by the owners that j
tiiis hydraulic | machinery will wash .
as many yards of gravel with as close j
economy and a* nearly complete sav- j
ing of gold as any hydraulic outfit j
now in operation.
Mr. Ksterly has made hydraulic j
mining u social study for several j
years, visiting all the important by-1
drunlic plants in operation in Califor
nia, and has adapted for the Nizlna i
plant live methods and machinery in i
use in that state, where hydraulic 1
mining has been made an exhaustive j
study. He has also added numerous !
Improvements of his own suggested
by the different conditions existing
in Ala-ska.
it is expected that the additions to
the Nizlna outfit will he completed
and that the plant will be in opera
tion by May 16. Besides the usual
equipment of ditches, pipe lines, gi
ants and sluice boxes it will have a
sawmill, „electric light plant with 18;
arc lights of lftoo candle power each, !
two 3000-candlc power search lights, j
a large number of Incandescent lights j
and a complete machine shop.
The plant was visited last year l>y a I
party from the United States geologi
cal survey, uiul their report has in- j
dnced the survey bureau to detail an- j
other party of six to collect data t his j
year relating to hydraulic mining in I
that region of Alaska.
MASSING TROOPS
IN BATTLE ARRAY
Ht. Petersburg, Keb. is—Russia is
preparing for i>attlc on the Macedon
ian frontier with the Turkish troops
now massing along the border. A
detachment of soldiers from Hiln-ria
Is arriving and will bo hurried to the i
aoene of international dispute.
Turkey Getting Ready
Titlis. Keb. lft—1Turkey is calling out
the entire array of soldiers in Asia
Minor and is rushing all the men fd»e
can move toward th*» Russian border.
Turkish Reserves Moving
London, Feb. 18—Turkish reserves
wore ordered Unlay to the Macedo
nian frontifj .vhere Russian troops
art) massing. The issue of the Mace
donian boundary is the cause of '.lie
military array and the situation Is re
garded as menacing t-o International
peace.
BRITAIN TO BUILD
17 BATTLESHIPS
London, Poh. 19—'The hou*e of ]
commons today voted to appropriate
money for the construction or seven
teen now battlcahlps ns rapidly as
they can be turned out.
Thin decision wan induced by the
growing international complications
in which Oreat Britain may b»iuom«
Involved. It also pointed out that a
large proportion of Britain's preaent
navy In antiquated and many vessels
useless for war.
Knrly Spring In Valdec
1 A gentle, Intermittent rain with the
mercury near 40 in making slush of
the anow today, and m»>n interested
in the trail are worrying over the pos
sibility that the bottom may drop out
of It before the next, cold snap. And
Ohloago, 20 degree* aouth of Valdoa,
ia entertaining a blluard
TREMOR BREAKS
ALASKA GABLES
Sharp Earthquake Cuts Off
Connection on Both
Lines Near Ellamar.
SHOCK FELT OVER WIDE AREA
Whole Sound Region and Interior
to Summit (iets Shaking Up
Without Damage.
An earthquaku shock jarred uho
region tor many miles around \ralde/
nt 1 o'clock I'Yiduy morning, breaking
both the Sit kit nixi Seward cables,
in • he vicinity of hllamar, aa nearly
as can bo determined from the Vai
de* station. The heaviest movement
Heems to have been in that locality.
Northward tremors were felt only as
(Continued oil page •!>
CALE COMPLETES
TERRITORIAL BILL
Washington, Feb., ly — Delegate
Gale's >>ill tor territorial government
in Alaska is complete. It provide*
for an elective house of fifteen mem
bers. The upiM-r house is to be com
posed ot nn attorney-general, trea*
uivr, secretary, commissioner of ed
ucatlon, (Jiu* judge of the dlatriet
court, and two actual resident*.
The measure is designed to over
Come the objections ol t.h«j opposition
to the ordinary form ol tioveriimeul
in organi'/t-d turrit ories, and is nlm ■
ilar to the system provided by con
gress tor Porto Klco.
PRICE OF COPPER
DROPS TO 12.1-2
New York, Feb. t'opj>er went
down to 12^ yesterday afternoon and
the bottom seems to have dropped
out of the market. Various reason*
are given lor the decline. It Is
claimed by the bears that large ntoeki
on hand are responsible, while other
authorities say there i-i no surplu/t,
that, the market has been systema
tically beared and a mddeii rise ma>
be looked far soon.
LEAGUE 10 NAME
NATIONAL TICKET
New York, Hob. IS Olliciuli of Urn
Independence League will moot hi
Chicago in*xt Saturday, February 2'J,
to call h national convention to tioml•
lint*"• n presidential ticket. It i* an<
iiouuced ft be tli<< intention of th«
Leugtie to conduct mi active eam
pflign In nil northern *tate*, ami to
nominate mate ticket* everywhere.
It l« umlerHtooil that Hearst will aup
port the movement with aJJ th«
power at IiIh nomiiiaiul.
MAI SEND AGENT
ON POST OFFICES
Washington, I), i'., Keh. IP —tl
In given out that I'ronldont Rooae«
volt will probably hoiiiI a *i>eoial rep
rCHontatlve to Mkagway ami Valde-t
to InventIgato ami report on the re
Rpeetlve merit* of the rival candidate*
for pont master In those towns.
The Kagle mull arrived lant night lb
charge of Carrier I'arke OrUwold,
who made tho trip from CheAtuchiua
to Valdex in four dayn.