Weekly Prospector
i •• .
Valdez, Alaska, September 10, 1908. A No. 32
FIRE LAYS WASTE
TOWN OF RAWHIDE
Rawhide, New, SepU »—llawhide
today in nothing more than a heap of
smoldering embers of what were only
a few hours ago lino business and
residence structures. Fire starting
yesterday afternoon has wiped tho
town completely out and has caused
a loss of nearly §1,000,000.
Rawhide, last night, had not a mor
sel of food and a famine was only aver
ted by the arrival this morning of a re
lief train from Reno. The town is un
der martial law but there seems to bo
no reason for the presence <>f armed
guards as there . has not been the
slightest semblence of disorder.
When it was found that other
meaiis were futile dynamite was used
to check the progress of the blaze
and it ton and a half of tho explosive
was discharged toward tins purpose
but .the wrecked buildings w ere eaten
up by the (ire. The plants of the
throo newspapers were saved and
publication has not. been interrupted.
With the ruins Mill smoking, and
in places, blazing, the business men
are .busily engaged with plans for
reconstruction. Many oilers of re
lief have been received and the San
Francisco Mining Exchange has tele
graphed $5,000. Word comes from
Goldfleld that one relief train is now
on tho way and that a second is be
ing prepared and will depart before
night. Tonapah wires that thirty
minutes $5,000 was raised for I he
benefit of Rawhide.
JAPAN Si RUSSIA
ARE !IU ROUBLE
Victoria, 15. Kept. T>—ftussia and
Japan may become involved in troub
leas tho roHiilt of arrest, trial and
treatment, of Japanese Heal hunters
who are now in Vladivoslock. Word
to thiseffect is brought by the otlicers
and passengors of the steamship im
press of India whieh arrived from the
Orient last night. When the 10 m press
left Japan the government olllcials
were much exercised concerning tin*
re porta coining from Vladivostoek.
According to the n port coming on
tho Empress the Japanese were cap
tured eleven miles off the Siberian
coast. The sealers protested against
arrest on t lie -ground ( hat. the Bering
Hea liutit is three miles from shore
but they were informed that the lies
sian limit is thirty miles and their
protests were given no consideration.
Taken to Vladivostoek tho prisoners
were confined in lllthy dungeons and
they allege inhuman treatment on the
part of their guards, and also that
they were nearly starved. At the
completion Of the trial six of the
poachers were condemned to be shot
but they were afterward granted a re
prieve.
THIRTY-TWO OIE
IN OCEAN HORROR
Neath, Wj.iJoh, Bopt. 5—Thirty-two
liven wore lost and four men j»nd one
woman wero launched upon two
weektt of terrible hardship when the
bark Amazon foundered of/ the const
of Walefl Aug tint 2f>. M'ho five unr
vivorn arrived here thin morning,
having been picked up by a fishing
nmack. They wero totally oxhautiLcd
and dolfrloUH from want of food and
water and from exposure. The
woman wjih in the best condition.
The Amazon foundered after but
tling for threo dny» in a terrific
storm. Ail except one of her boats
were wushed awny and when it wns
seen that the end whs Inevitable an
attempt whs inudo to launch a ruft
COttit rite ted of spars, Those who
were finally roncued took to tt»e boat
which stayed by the roft. until all
those on the latter wiim wafihed off
and drowned.
EDITOR SAYS BRYAN
WILL GET FARMER VOTE
Lincoln, Neb,, Bopt. fl liermun
lliddor, editor of the Now Yorl<
Htaatfc Zletung, who hnfi been travel
ing through the west deolared here
today that (Jnndldnte Ttryan Is huh
of the 4niu>ort of the Agrlctoltural dls
triotf. Mr, Rldder hns been mnklu(!
a thorough analysis of conditions
Lurotighout the went, ho far lis tho\
tippiy to the pf>111len 1 situation.
IKON VALLEY IS
I GOOD FOR FARMS
"It is a pleasure to bo able to report
the gratifying success in all the farm
ing undertakings at the Rampart sta
tion during tlie past season," says C.
C. Georgeson, special agent of the ag
ricultural department in his latest re
port. "For some reason as yet un
explained the climatic conditions in
the Yukon valley appear to bo more
favorable to crop production than
they aro in tho Copper river valley.
Killing frosts occur about two weeks
later and the rainfall is nearly doub
le what it is at Copper Center.
"The land was cropped this year for
the third time and a verv great im
provement was noticeable in its pro
ductiveness. Aside from the garden,
very little of the land has been fertil
ized at all. The grain this year grow
to a uniform height and the hoads
wore of good length. This is a very
encouraging feature. It shows what
a beneficial effect cultivation alone
has upon this soil."
The articles grown range from gar
den truck to the winter varieties of
wheat, and also include berries and
flowers. Hardly an article grown in
the state of Washington but has ei
ther proved to be a good grower or
has shown that at least one variety
can be raised with success.
One of t ho most interesting leatures
of Mr. Goorgeson's report is the let
ters sent by mon who have received
government, seeds and who had been
asked to report their experience in
gardening with the seeds. The most
interesting of all comes from Frank
Howard, commissioner at Coklfoot,
on the Ivoyukuk, in latitude G7:1ft, far
above the Arctic circle. Mr. How
ard says:
".My whole garden was unusually
successful (luring Hie season of 15107.
The reason for such was a prolonged
period of clear warm days and nights,
I could say a period of continuous
day with almost continuous sunshine
duriu? June and July, with no cloudy
weather and frosty nights. I trans
id an ted cucumbers to open garden I
the llrst week in June, The result
was much better than I expected,
with cucumbers six and seven inches
in length.
"We had a fine bed of rhubarb in a
board inelosuro. The turnips grown
are Orange Jelly or Robertson Golden
Hall, Yellow Aberdeen and Yellow or
Amber Globe, one specimen weigh
ing nine pounds eleven ounces.
Marly summer cabbage and Early
I Jersey Wakefield were grown. The
! best Karly Summer weighed nearly
eight pounds. Cauliflower and broc
coli also grow fairly well. I planted
four vnritic.4 of lettuce.
"My potato crop generally was a
success, for this country at least.
The best rosulr. was from seed pot a-:
. toes home-grown, two years. The
I whole crop blossomed. \ sold sev
j end crates of potatoes at 25 cents per
! pound, and have enough left for
table use all winter and seed In
I spring."
Thousands of miners and all the
; stations oMIio signal corps are credi
ted by Mr. Georgeson as raising their
j own vegetables.
StenuishlpH Collide in Fog
Heattlo, Bcpt. 8—Only bccniiHe they
woro traveling at a slow rate of speed
I was HoriotiH disaster averted yoster
day afternoon when tlio Bound stoam
boat Whatcom and the ocean linor
City of Topcka collided in Elliott Bay.
A detiao fog prevailed at the time
and both vessels were feeling thoir
way under a hIow bell. The What
com whs heavily loaded with an ex
cursion crowd and for a few minutes
thero wan much excitement aboard
her. Neither voshoI Buffered damage.
FRENCH AEROPLANE
MAKES WORLD'S RECORD
I'iirin, Hopt. 9— Do Lagrange's aero
plane broke the world's record for
machines of Its kind here yesterday
afternoon, dying fifteen and one
quarter miles In Iohm than thirty mln*
ut <im. ihiring its flight t he aeroplane
was under perfect control.
The performance of the Do Lagrango
aeroplane exceeds by a mile and three
(juafters that, mado Saturday by the
Wright machine.
Deposed Huitnn I,oaort Hope
Tangle)', Hopt. 0- After many per
sistent hut uiiHueeoMHful attempts to
regain his throne, the deponed Hidtnn
has finally abandoned hope and has
disbanded bin army.
GRAY PLANS TO
WORK ALL WINTER
Busy with plans for the winter work
ho purposes, 13. P. Clray manager in
Alaska for tho Groat Northern De
velopment Company is in Valdez, ar
riving yesterday afternson from the
company's properties in the inside.
Mr. Gray's plans provide for the pur
chsso of flvo elcctric drills to bo used
in extending the various tunnels
which are now being progressed into
tho mountains. This machinery will
be taken in just as soon as the snow
will permit and work will continue
throughout the winter.
Tho Great Northern Development
Company owns some 200 claims lo
cated variously in the Ivotsina, Iron
Mountain, Copper Mountain ami Kyn
nokott districts. During tho summer
eighty men have been at work and
all told about 1,<500 feet of tunnel has
boon run on the different properties,
seven camps being maintained. Tho
main camp is at Kotsina. Mr. Gray
purposes working twenty men this
winter. . . . V
In discussing the result of tho sea
son's work Mr. Gray is inclined to be
very conservative and says that bo
far ho considers that only prospecting
has been done. I fe believes, though,
that t he future will demonst rate that
his belief in the value of the proper
ties is correct.
jm\ uray nays that while the sur
face showings arc of high grade ere
lie believes that depth will show a
low grade conccntrating proposition.
Location of concentrat ors and possibly
a smelter, are questions that must
await the result, of further work is the
way Mr. (Iray feels concerning the
situation.
"Wo have found that the ground is
too hard for successful work with a
pick and shovel," said Mr. (Iray, "and
this fact has determined us to install
machinery. I shall go out just as
soon as the mat ters that must be lixed
up hero will permit, and 1 shall re
turn as soon as possible. f ne work
clone by the road commission makes
it possible to get machinery inside
immediately there is snlliciont snow
to make sledding. Wo have abund
ant. water power and will Het up
drills at two of our camps. Once the
in achincs are at work I expect pros
pecting to proceed rapidly."
In the opinion of Mr. (iray Alaska
needs more than anything else at the
prcuent time wagon roads that will
permit getting machinery insido. lie
believes thatoncn tho existence of
ore is established beyond any doubt
railroads will come after tho tonnage.
He gives much praise to the work
done during the present season by
the road commission.
VACCINATION EDICT
CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Han Diego, Hopt. 5—Mothers and fa
thers of this city aro in open warfare
with the city health hoard concern
ing tin? recently issued order making
tho vaccination of children compul
sory. Many parents have declared
that they will notcomply with (he or
der and the hostility has extended to
threats of violence agaiimt Health
Officer Mead.
This morning Mrs. Mead, wife of
tho health officer, found hiseeurely
attachod to the door knob a stick of
dynamite accompanied by a letter
which warned that if the health of
ficer persisted in carrying out the vac
cination order he mightoxpcct bodily
harm.
JUNEAU RECORD MAN
IS STABBED BY MINER
Juneau, Hopt. 4—John T. Powers, a
representative of the Juneau Record,
was stabbed and perhaps fatally In
Wed by some unknown assailant
yVntorday afternoon. Tho assault
took place on the wharf and was com
mitted by one of a crowd of miners
assembled to bid farewol) to Presi
dent Mover of the Western Federa
tion of Miners.
Tho labor organizations have long
boon Incensed attho Record because
of the paper's attitude toward the
miners. President Moyer has been
hero for several days, coming for the
purpose of strengthening the miner's
organization.
The attack on Powers was made by
a number of thoso on the wharf and
during the melee one of them did the
ft tabbing. The other aaiallanta deny
any knowledge of the identity of the
knife wlelder.
Interested Parties Practically Complete Negotiations Before Mine Owner
Departs From Chicago and He Declares That Valdes Will Next Spring
Be Center of Greatest Activity Ever Seen in Alaska.
All doubt as to the authenticity of
the report coining from Chicago to
the effect that the Hubbard and 101
liott copper property has been sold to
L. Ilirseh &. Co., London and Paris
hankers, is removed by the statement
in atiirmation made by Charles Ci.
Hubbard, one of the owners of the
property. Mr. Hubbard arrived on
the Bertha and this forenoon departed
for the mines.
In discussing the report' of the ileal,
Mr. Hubbard expressed surprise that
the facts had become public as there
was every effort to keep it secret.
The deal was consummated on Aug
ust 20 and the next day Mr. Hubbard
departed from Chicago en route to
Valdez.
"There is little to say, further than
has been published in t he Prospector"
said Mr.- Ilubbard last night. "The
property has been transferred to L.
Hirsch & Co., together with other
European financiers and next spring
they will Itavc a largo corps of min
ing ami railroad engineers in this
country. The McCarty property is
included in the deal as is also the
Steuart interests in both mine and
railroad.
"So far as the Steuart interests are
concerned there is absolutely noth
ing optional about the transaction as
it has been taken over outright. With
regard to our property we insisted
upon certain conditions in order to
protect ourselves but these conditions
have been practically agreed to and I
am confident that nothing will inter
fere to alter the present plans."
Mr, Hubbard states that the deal
involving the other properties was
consummated early in the present
year but that the financiers and the
Hubbard and Elliott people were nine
weeks coming to an agreement. It
was this delay that prevented the en
gineers coming to \ aide/, last June.
The syndicate brought to Chicago
several of its engineers who wore
called from south Africa for the pur
pose but the affair hung tiro until Aug
ust.
"ThiH means more for Valdez, and
in fact for all this part of Alrska, than
anything that over has taken place
or that has ever been conjectured,"
declared Mr. Hubbard. "This syndi
cate is one of tho biggest and widest
known of any mining syndicate in
the world and lias at its disposal suf
ficient money to buy outright such
concerns as the (tuggonheims, wore
1 the latter twenty times as wealthy as
they are reported. As might be ex
pected in the case of a transaction
involving $7,500,000 this proposition
has been given a good deal of con
sideration and these people purpose
losing no time in placing on a paying
basis the mines they have bought,
constructing the railroad and erecting
the smelter or smelters which enter
into their plans for the future."
SUICIDE THEORY
EXPLAINS MYSTERY
v
. « '• , • ' •
Onialia. Se pt. 4—That. Dr. Rustin,
whose body several days ago was |
found undor circumstances loading to
the belief that murder hud been com
mitted, died a suicide in now I lie be-1
lief of the authorities. The infornia-l
tion giving rise to the suicide belief!
coineH from Mrs. Abbioree, who for;
three days has been under arrest oil
suspicion that she knows something
concerning the manner in which Dr.
Rust in came to his death.
This morning it was announced
from police headquarters that the;
woman persists in sticking to her lirst
statement that she is in absolute ig
norance of any of the circumstances J
in connection %vith the affair. ilerj
story that leads her to believe Dr. j
Hustin committed suicide is given ere- j
deneo by t he oflleers whojiave proved j
a part of what she has said with re-1
gard to the financial conditions which
Dr. Rustin, just before his death, is
alleged to have told her he was in.
Mrs. Abbioree says that Dr. Rustin
fold her that he was hopelessly in
debt, that be had been notified to va
cate his ollice unless the rent was
immediately paid and that he had
drawn checks when he had no funds
in the bank. Dr. Rustin carried £f>0,
000 life insurance but aside from tins,
the oflleers have been unable to find a
single unencumbered asset to meet
the financial obligations iu which the
deceased was involved.
EARLY COUNT IN
FAVOR OF M'RRIDE
Horfttlo, Hopt. 0—With tho count of
tho voto oast at yesterday's prim
aries far from being completed It In
Impossible at this time to forecast the
result. So far Mellrldo is ahead In
the race for the nomination ns gover
nor. There Is nothing jis yot on whieh
to hase judgment ns to tho outcome
of tho contest for nomination as
senator.
Tho vote was light hut the tlckcta
aro vory largo as there Is a hlg num
ber of candidates for each country
office. For somo of the offices the
tight lms been very hittornml espec
ially Is this t rue of the tight between
Henator Ankeny and Congressman
Jones for the republican nomination
ns senatorial candidate. The guber
natorial light, has also been very
acrimonious.
Boclnltatn Btotm Cathedral
(llnsgow, Hopt. 7—Two thmwaml
socialists yesterday Invaded the cath
edral daring services. The beselglng
party was prevented by extra details
of police. No fatalities resulted.
HEROIC RESCUE IS
CAUSE OF WEDDING
Scat lie, Sept. 8—A romance that
be^an on the field of mimic battlo had
its ending here yesterday afternoon
in Die wedding ceremony that united
.Miss Annie tlertig and Serg't. (leorge
Howling <>f the Twenty-second In
fantry, just before the hitter's com
pany departed for Fort Davis, Alaska,
on (he stea mship Victoria.
During the maneuvers at. American
lake this summer Miss Oertig was an
interested spectator. One day Hhe
ventured too far from the spectator's
boundary line and was in giavo dan
ger of being run down by a troop of
cavalry which was charging across
(lie Held. Serg't. Howling saw the
danger and dashing almost under the
feet, of the living horses ho seir.ed
Miss Oertig and succeeded in carry
ing her out of danger.
The acquaintance thus began ripen
ed into friendship and then love and
at t he eve of Bowling's departure for
the north the wedding was decided
upon.
MINNESOTA EIRE
GAINING HEADWAY
Duluth, Minn., Hopt. 0—The forest
fires t hat wrought such destruction in
St. Louis county have again obtained
a start and there is grave danger that
a fate akin to that which befell ('liiB
li< 1 in will be visited upon sovoral
small Iowiih titid that a largo area of
country will bo devastated.
The (ire is now burning fiercely on
Mesaha range and for mlloH tho
country in smothered in smoko. Hnow
balI, a small settlement of 100 per
sons, Is reporled as destroyed and
other towns are threatened with doB
truction. For two dayb tho country
for a radius of 100 miles ban not seen
t lie huh which has been beating fiercely
but which ban by tho smoke boon
ohsclircd as though behind heavy
clouds.
The governor's appeal for assis
taneo for those made homeless by tho
fire In St. Louis county haH met with
ready response and unless the tiro
eats up too great • territory thoro Is
no danger of starvation. Homo of
the disci-let now threatened is far
from the main sourcos of supplies and
it. is possible that there may bo Buffer
ing before assistance can reach tho
victims, ,
Plttahurg Hank Suspenda
Pittsburg, Hopt. H Tho Cosmopoll
tan National Hank of this city has
suspended. The directors declare
that the batik Is solvent and say
j that. it. will resume business bofore
long.
MINNESOTA HAS
DISASTROUS FIRE
St. Paul, Sept. 8—Forest tires start
ing Sunday afternoon have devasta
ted St. Louis county. The damage
is the worst in years from such a
cause, 12,500 being made homeless
mid property to the value of $:$,r>oo,
D00 being destroyed.
Governor Johnson has issued a call
for relief and has named the mayors
r>f the various cities, in the state as a
committee to take charge of the re
lief work. Immediate action is nec
essary as starvation confronts many
of tliose living in the devastated dis
trict..
The tire was driven before a gale
and swept on its course regardless of
all efforts made to check its progress.
So far as known no lives wore lost
and it is believed that tin* danger is
past as the wind has died down and
the Are has practically burned itwelf
out. The town of Chisholm was com
pletely wiped out.
PRESIDENT'S DEATH
WILDLY RUMORED
Oyster Hay, Sopt. ft—The greatest,
excitement was canned here yoster*
flay afternoon by the rapid circula
tion of the rcjH>rt that President
Roosevelt had been shot and badly
wounded and that the shooting wiih
the rewnlt of an attempt, at. assassina
Won. Immediately there were denials
issued from the home of the president
but the report of the shooting spread
much faster than the denials and for
hours the greatest consternat ion pre
vailed.
Following Upon the llrst. report
came another to the effect that the
assailant had been arrested at. Mine
ola, Ijong Island. It turns out that
this later report, has some foundation
for an armed man named John
Coughlin was arrested near Mincola
while on his way to the president's
homo. The man is Insane.
Secretary Loeb has Issued a public
statement In which ho declares that
there is not the slightest foundation
for the rojK>rt of the Attempted assass
ination, or for any of them in fact,
for starting all at. once, there have
boon several alleged accounts of the
affair. One of the stories is to the
effect, that the president was shot at
while horse back riding and that the
shot camo from ambush.
The rumors of the shooting radiated
to New York where for a wlille they
were given credence ami almost
caused a panic. The most logical
explanation of the cause of the
rumor* Is the fact that the hunting
season on Long Island has openod
and that there has been frequent
shooting In the vicinity of the resi
lience of the president .