The Mining News!
Published by
The Ketchikan Printing Co.
A. P. SWINKFORI). Kditor.
RICHARD BUSHKLL Mgr.
SUBSCRIPTION RATKS:
One year, in advance.^.l.oo
Single copies.1°
MARCH 1. 1!K)7
ALASKA IN DANGKR.
Is the octopus after Alaska?
Whether that be really true or not an
associated press dispatch sent out
from Washington, and which is print
ed elsewhere in this issue of The
Mining News, indicates as much, and
affords food for serious thought and
reflection on the part of the real
friends and well wishers of the dis
trict. The dispatch forshadows a
coming state of affairs, which, should
they materialize, will reduce Un
people of at least some sections ol
Alaska to the condition of mere
“hewers of wood and drawers of
water" for one or more great c-orpoi
ations by whom those particular sec
tions will he practically owned and
controlled. It promises a situation
that will he intolerable, and which,
while it many tend to hasten the
dt velopment of great natural resour
ces as yet practically untouched, will
not 1m- in line with that which is
essential of the growth of a great
state and a generally prosperous am.
happy people. Vet that Alaska is
now threatened by an invasion that
IkmIcs but little, if any, good to hei
people, there is good cause for appre
hension, and no effort should lit
spared to avert it.
The association of capital is net
only essential to the development ol
the natural resources of a new and
undeveloped country, but in the case
of Alaska much to lie desired: and
to the end that it ilia he soy enlisted
should he given all proper and reason
able encouragement. But there is
stit-h a tiling as paying too much foi
the whistle, and the encouragement
which promises not merely more
than a return of fair profits on the
money invested, hut the creation as
well of a monopoly wholly inimical
to tin- genreal public welfare, would
be buying the help Alaska needs tit
too high a price—a price which would
prove but the forerunner of the ruin
certain to follow.
Should tho threatened invasion
come, and the octopus succeed in
fastening its tentacles on the copper
and coal .fields of the Copper Rivet
country, it will be because congress
fails to grapple with and wisely dis
pose of the situation as it now pre
sents itself for the consideration ol
that body. Manifestly one thing that
it should do first and foremost, is to
take effective measures to forestall
and prevent railway monopoly on
the part of those who are intent upon
the construction of railways for the
exploitation of the coppei and coal
di*iM)sits of the section referred to.
This can do by retaining absolute
control of such railways when built,
restricting the amount of coal ami
copper lands to any one company, am.
requiring them to handle the pro
duct of other mines than their owi.
without discrimination in rates, am
to operate thier lines under such
limitations and restrictions as tin
government may see fit to impose.
Whether or not this he feasible, tin
congress certainly can handle tin
situation in a way that, without doing
injustice to or crippling any enter
prise, will at the same protect indepen
dent industries, and above all orginni
locators, who otherw ise would he at
the mercy of a monopoly for which it
would itself lx- w holly responsible.
A MUNIFICENT DONATAION.
The Outlook characterizes the re
cent gift of thirty-two million dollars
to the cause of education in tin
United States by John I). Rockefeller,
as the “largest sum ever given by
any one man in the hitsory of tin
race for any social or philanthropic
purpose. That muniefieut amount
will he placed by him. la-fore the first
o f next month, in the care of the
General Kducation Hoard, which is a
creation of congress, and authorized
h y its charter to do any valuable
educational work within the country,
and is self perpetuating,. Its object
is really the directing of educational
development in the United States,
and the Itoard is composed of men
who have long had this object in
view as an ideal. Its Chairman, Mr.
Fredrick T. Gates, has had the
imagination and executive ability to
work for the formulation of an edu
cational policy that would include not
one institution or one State, but tin
whole Nation. Dr. Wallace Huttrick,
the Secretary of the Hoard, by travel
ing and observation has become an
expert on the condition of American
educational institutions, and his
imaginative foresight enables him to
use his knowledge in directing a
l»rjC j>elicv. AH tb« member* of I
I. - ..
the Hoard, every one of them well
known as a leader either in business
or in education, have regarded the
problem before them as one calling
for educational statesmanship. In
liioi’ Mr. Rockefeller intrusted to the
Hoard one million dollars for the pro
motion of education in the South:
later he gave into the keeping of the
Board ten million dollars for the
promotion of collegiate (as distinct
from academic) education throughout
the United States. With these funds,
and others that have been intrusted
to it, the Hoard has been able to act
as a gardener, pruning here, fertil
izing there: planting in barren
places, and. if not actually destroying,
yet at least neglecting, growths that
were unhealthy or unneeded.
Its power, however, has heretofore
been limited because the money at its
disposal has been designated for
special ends. In this latest gift Mr.
Rockefeller practically says that he
intrusts the Hoard's wisdom and the
wisdom of future generations more
confidently than his own. One-third
of the new gift lie gives uncondition
ally to the general endowment fund
if the Hoard, The income from that
may be used as the Hoard directs.
As to the rest, he reserves to liimselt
ind his son the right to decide latet
if it is to be devoted to special ob
jects. With this financial power in its
control, the Clenreral Education Hoard
is in position to do what no othei
body in this country can, at present,
■vet' attempt. It can determine
largely what insitutions shall grow,
| and. in some measures, what shall
-tand still or decay. It can look ovet
lie territory of the Nation, note the
places where there is a famine ol
learning, and start new educational
plants of any species it chooses, or re
vive old ones. It can do in many
ways what the Government does fot
•ucntion in France or Germany. Iti
nower will be enormous: it seems as
if it might be able really to deter
nine the character of American
ducation. The funds it holds rep
■esent only a fraction of the amount
which it will really control: by giv
ng a sum to an institution on eon
lition that the institution raise an
■qual or a greater amount, it will be
ible to direct much larger amounts
ban it possesses. More than that, it
will become increasingly an adVisei
if philanthropists. Even now its
•ounsel is sought and its juddgrement
letermincs the course of philanthrop
sts who, without expert knowledge,
lesire to aid education. Moreover,
it can administer any gift intrusted
0 it without cost, as its administra
te expenses are already provided
or: so that the person who wishes to
give a hundVed dollars for education
nay put that sum into its hands with
he knowledge that the money will
he used exclusively for an educational
iur[>ose. In these ways it is estimat
'd that the Board will be the means,
within the next decade, of controlling
Tom one to two hundred millions ol
1 ollars.
NOTE AND COMMENT.
The Mining Nows finds its occupa
ion. so far as the discussion of home
government is concerned, about gone,
or flie reason that there does not
tppear to lie among flic editorial trio
if opponents in Southeastern Alaska
t single one capable of a fair compre
tension of plain English. What little
hey have to offer is made up of mere
issertion on the one hand and mis
■epresentation on the other. Here
■nines the Record-Miner, for instance,
with the assertion that “there are
.cry few people in Southeastern
\laska who favor territorial govern
nent at this time.” and that “inves
igation shows that at Ketchikan the
nen who pay the taxes are also unut
eralily opposed to it” etc. It is idle
o argue with a paper which, in the
ight of the result of the August elec
ion, in which the question was made
he paramount issue, has the
•ffrontery to make such assertions as
these. The people of Southeastern
Masku not only voted overwhelmingly
in favor of home government at the
very first opportunity afforded them,
tut there is every reason to believe
would do so again tomorrow. The
tame paper wilfully misrepresents the
■ditor of The Mining News by asser
ing that when once before in the
■ditorial harness he opposed delegate
representation because if “Alaska
tad a delegate in congress it would
he useless to ask to have a territory
organized.” What the editor of The
Mining News did argue was that a
lelegate from an unoragnized terri
tory would have very little weight in
he house of representatives—that he
would have no organized voice of the
people behind him, and that the self
constituted lobby would still bold the
Imards and claim that they represent
'd the people. About how far he was
wrong is a question he is perfectly
willing to submit to the people them
selves, as confident as to what their
lecision would be as he is confident
that those of Southeastern Alaska
would not have voted for him so over
whelmingly last August had they not
been heartily in accord with his
views on the question of home govern
ment.
“Is it natural to suppose,” asks one
iinti home government organ, “that
identical interests obtain in com
munities so widely separated and
whose industries are toally differentV”
referring, of course, to the different
sections of Alaska. Why not? Those
interests may be widely separated,
geographically speaking, and different
in character, but it does not necessa
rily follow that, they conflict with
each other any more than do those of
ilmost any one of the fifty states and
territories. While it is gratifying
to know that there is a diversity of
interest* is Alaska, the kpowledfe
that they can never be brought into
serious, or injurious, conflict each
with the other is equally gratifying.
A local legislature could not, if it
would, enact legislation which would
benefit one section at the expense or
to the injury of the others.
Come now. one of you feeble advo
cates of a continuance of present
monarchical rule in Alaska, give us
the reasons for the faith that you
profess. What would be the cost of
home rule to the people exercising it
as compared with that of the present
r-gitne, the whole of which comes
out of their pockets just the same?
What would render the cost so bur
densome as to make the benefit ex
pected to be gained undesirable?
Certainly, if your assumptions are
founded in truth, you should not
■ expect your readers to rest content
with mere assertion unsupported by
any statement of facts or figures!
The Juneau Record-Miner assumes
as a fact not to be successfully dis
puted. that the institution of populnt
home government in Alaska would
have the effect of driving capital out
of the district. The proposition is
far-fetched, and without even the
lamest kind of a leg to stand upon. It
the Record-Miner will make good
any one of its unsupported propositions
as to result, likely to follow from
popular home government in Alaska,
by any logical reasoning based on
history of the past. The Mining News
will not be slow to abandon further
idvocacy of the home government
cause.
What's that! A Washington dis
patch under date of February JJ, to
the Juneau Dispatch, says that Sen
der l’iles on that day had a long con
ference with President Roosevelt or.
the question of territorial government
for Alaska, The dispatch says that
Senator Piles is strongly in favor ol
Alaska being made a territory, and
the president expresses himself as in
favor of the same. The senator be
lieves that territorial government will
be granted to Alaska. It must In
that the Alaska branch of president's
kitchen cabinet has got away on c
brief vacation.
That is reform with a big R.
Through the crusade inaugurated by
•x-governor La Follette, and forced
■ o a successful issue, Wisconsin will
be relieved of all state taxes this
year, the revenues derived from
the railroads being sufficient to pax
ill costs of the state government.
And what is equally as good is the
fact that under the laws as they non
stand, the railroads cannot recouj
my part of the amount by increasing
passenger and freight charges against
the public.
The army and navy league conven
tion recently held in Washington
passed resolutions urging conrgess to
enact laws making it compulsory for
citizens to respect the military and
naval uniforms of the United States.
That would not be necessary if the
officers and enlisted men of the army
ind navv would at all times so con
flict themselves as to win respect for
the uniforms they are paid for wear
ing.
Almost everybody is satisfied with
this fine old world and longingly
hopes that they may not have to quit
it even when they ought to.
Andrew Carnegie, with the rest of
us, knows he has got to go, and says
lie would give two hundred million
dollars for a lease of life for ten years
only. But his money will not avail
him. In this he has no advantage
over the poorest of his fellow men.
The inheritance tax law yielded a
revenue of $2Hlt,044.00 to the state
if Michigan last year. Did it evei
occur to the opponents of home
government for Alaska, that an in
heritance tax might be made the
source of a very considerable part
of the revenue necessary to the main
tenance thereof?
Heed Smoot, the Mormon senator,
has been allowed to retain bis seat.
Evidently he had too many brother
senators who hold in high regard not
one, but several, of the old time
maxims, bibical and otherwise. The
only wonder is that the “one with
out sin,” could have been found to
"cast the first stone.”
It is claimed that deer have become
so plentiful in Hhode Island that the
farmers are petitioning- for the repeal
of the game laws. It would be in
teresting to know about bow many
deer would be required to overrun
that great state.
“The life of Teddy doth remind us
That we, too, can make a fuss,
And, departing, leave behin us
Teeth marks on the octopus.”
TEN COMMANDMENTS REVISED.
The ten commandments as revised
to fit the mail order catalogue house
plan:
First—You shall sell your farm pro
ducts for cash whenever you can, but
not to us: we do not buy from you.
Second—You shall believe our state
ments and buy all you need from us
because we want to be good to you,
although we are not personally ac
quainted with you. Third—You shall
send the money in advance to give us
a chance to get the goods from the
factory with your money; meanwhile
you will have to wait patienntly a few
weeks because that is our business
method. Fourth—You shall apply to
your nearest city to aid you in bu ild
ing good roads so you may conven
iently get the goods from the depot
which you buy from us, for we do
not build country roads. Fifth—You
shall buy church hells and interior
fixtures from us and forward the
money in advance, for that is our
business method, and you shall collect
from the business men' in your vicin
ity as much money as you can for the
benefit of your churches. Although
we get more money from you than
they do. still it is against our rules to
donate money for building country
churches. Sixth—You shall buy your
tools from us and be your own me
chanic in order to drive the mechan
ics from your vicinity, for we wish it
so. Seventh—You shall induce your
neighbor to buy everything from us.
as we have room for the money—the
less money there is left in your com
munity, the sooner we can' put your
local merchant out of business and
charge you any price we please.
Eighth You shall look at the
beautiful pictures in our catlogues, so
your wishes will increase, and you
will send in a big order, although you
are not in immediate need of the
goods, otherwise you might have some
money left to buy necessary goods ol
your local merhcants. Ninth—You
shall have the mechanics who repair
the goods you buy from us book the
bill so you can send the money for his
labor to us for new goods, otherwise
he will not notice our influence.
Tenth—You shall, in case of accident,
sickness or need, apply to your local
dealers for aid or credit, as we do
n >t know you.—Exchange.
OCTOPUS AFTER ALASKA.
Under the above caption we find the
following, purporting to be a Wash
ing-ton telegraphic dispatch to the
Associated press, going the rounds oi
the Eastern papers:
Advoetates of autonomy for Alaska
intend to urge in support of theii
appeal to congress the reason that
only by self-government can that
northernmost and fertile territory be
saved from the clutches of a trust,
one of whose members—Simon Gug
genheim lias been elected a United
States senator from the state oi
Colorado. Already the smelter trust,
of which Daniel, Murray, Isaac and
Simon Guggenheim arc the moving
factors, is said to have placed its
grasping hand on the fruitful soil oi
Alaska in which lie buried millions
in mineral. The trust is charged
with menacing freedom of competi
tion. it has a firm friend and
supporter in the financial interests
that center about ’.I. Pierpont Mor
gan. The prize of which this gigantit
monopoly is seeking to obtain exclu
sive possession is declared by geo
logical, experts to be tile greatest un
developed copper field in the country
md an area rich in coal and other
peposits. That the largest smelter ii
North America will some day hi
located in this region is the statement
of those familiar with conditions ir.
Alaska. Whether its owners are ti
be absolute despots in the control oi
this valuable tract or arc to lie com
pelled to engage in business as tin
competitors of independent companies
is a question about which the citizens
if AhisKa*are deeply concerned.
The area coveted by the Guggen
heims and their partners in tin
smelter trust is the Copper Valley,
running IKK) miles north and south
md 200 east and west; the Chitina
copper belt, which stretches fifty
miles from east to west, witli a
breadth of ten to twenty miles: tin
Catella coal fields, twenty miles
square; the petroleum licit, which
skirts the coast from Catella westward
to Yukatat for a distance of thirty
miles and breadth of from five to ten
miles, and the Matanuska deposit. It,
tlie Matanuska district is the only
known occurrence on the Pacific coast
of anthracite deposits, and the coal
is declared to be as good as the pro
duct of the anthracite fields oi
Pennsylvania.
The attention of the Guggenheims
was first attracted to this region by
reports made by officials of the United
States geological survey as to the
extent and richness of the copper ore.
The smelter-trust magnates, ever
ready to look into matters that give
promise of an opportunity for an ex
tension of its vast operations, sent its
own experts to the scene, and their
reports were of sucli a glowing char
acter that tiie directors]; of tin* com
bination were not inclined to give
credence to them. Other experts,
men in whom the fullest reliance was
placed, were ordered to the district,
and they not only confirmed the most
optimistic estimates of previous in
vestigators, but even went farther and
were more emphatic in their dec
larations as to tlie resources of the
soil. Their reports indicated that
n iture was playing into tiie hands of
tin- Guggenheim family, for it was
said that much of tiie semi-anthracite
and bituminous coal deposits were
admirably adapted for smelting pur
poses.
With those conclusions in hand,
tlie Guggenheims made their first
move in the game of monopolization.
Quietly they secured all tlie options
possible from placer miners who had
gone into the district when the stam
pede of 1H!)8 came on. Some of tlie
miners, pinched for money for the
time, were glad to sell out, while
others refused to dispose of their
belongings. The reluctance of tlie
latter class did not cause tlie Guggen
heims much concern, for experience
had shown them how to proceed in
sucli a situation.
The next step of tlie smelter trust
was to find an outlet for their product
when once their smelter was in opera
tion. They also appreciated that the
possession of millions of dollars' worth
of coal is of little real value so long
ns you litive not tlie facilities for trnus
ixirtating it to tlie market. Nor were
the Guggenheims unmindful of the
fact that if they controlled these
facilities another reason would be
furnished to the independent holders
of the copper and coal lands why they
thould sell out to the trust, which
could haul its own product and on one
pretext or another refuse to carry
that of the outside operators.
The Guggenlieims are not builders
of railroads, but it did not take them
long to get into communication With
certain financial interests in New
York that made a specialty in such
enterprises. Mr. Morgan himself, it
is said, looked over the field. From
the moment he was convinced i f its
great possibilities dated the tight that
is now on to prevent the railroad
monopolization of Alaska.
Close Bros, it C'o. of London, Kng.,
very much alive to the way things
were drifting in the territory, even
befoi^l^K, had begun the construc
tion from Cordova Bay of the White
Pass and Cordova Bay railroad, under
the direction of M. ,1. Heney. It
looked at first as if the projectors pi
this line would be satisfied with the
hauling of such freight as they could
obtain without invading the section
which the Guggenlieims had set their
especial seal upon—the Copper River
Valley and vicinity. But Heney
had enough foresight to realize that
within comparatively few years the
output of copper and coal and petrol
eum there would.call for large trans
portation facilities, and he began
active preparations for piercing the
district with his tracks: whereupon
iie was promptly informed that ii
lie undertook to do so. the Guggen
heims, acting through the Moragn
interests, would parallel his lines into
| the Yukon Valley, haul their own
freight, and, inferentially, cut rates
to a point where he could not stand the
competition. Heney made a survey
of the size of the respective purses
that would be involved in such a
struggle and came to the conclusion
that he had better content liiinseli
with the bird in hand.
This is about the situation as it ex
ists today. The actual construction ol
.railroads from the Copper River re
gion has not been begun, but it is said
this is only because the Guggen
heims are not ready for the work to
start. Alaskans conversant with the
facts appear to have no doubt that
lie smelter trust and its railroad
allies intend to repeat the history ol
it her vast combinations of in capital
like circumstances by refusing to carry
die products of others and finally
starve the independents into sub
mission. These Alaskans insist that
they are not opposed to the develop
ment of the country by the Guggen
heims—in any other quarter—but do
protest against the territory being
handed over bag and baggage to the
amtrol of this or any other trust.
Prominent residents of Alaska who
recently visited in Washington con
tend that if they were granted auton
omy there would be less danger oi
monopolies getting a firm foot-hold on
the valuable mineral deposits than
under the present arrangement by
which legislation affecting their
people is enacted thousands of miles
distant from the locality affected by
it. They added that the same ob
jection presents itself in connection
with the acts of administrative officers
in Washington when dealing with
'.lie territorial affairs.
The charge is also made here that a
studied campaign of supression of the
facts as to Alaska’s possibilities is
being carried on in the interest of
the smelter-railroad combination.
The great wealth of the territory b
being minimized, it is claimed, by
the organs of public opinion close to
this combination, with the object oi
not attracting too much attention to
the locality until the trust has firmly
established itself there.
O 11 1) E R
In the District Court for the District
of Alaska, Division No. 1, at
Juneau.
In the matter of the fixing of the
erms of Court for the year li)07.
Now on this day, this being the
time required by law, for the fixing
by order of the terms of this Court for
and within Division No. 1 , for the
District of Alaska, for the year 1!KI7 :
and it further appearing that public
business and the business of this Court
requires a continuance of the Term of
this Court now in session known as
the November, lltoti, Juneau Term,
and that tlie said term should be con
tinued in lieu of adjournmen thereof
and the calling of another Term at
a later date with Terms of Court at
other places intervening, now there
fore upon consideration,
It is hereby Ordered that the Terms
of Court witiiin Division No.I of the
District of Alaska for the year 1907,
be held at the following places, as
hereinafer set forth, towitt:—
At Juneau, commencing on Mon
day, Nov. 25th, 1907;
At Skagway, commencing on Mon
day, June 3rd, 1907;
At Skagway, commencing on Mon
day Nov. 11th, 1907;
At Ketchikan,'commencing on Mon
day, October 14th, 1907.
And it is Further Ordered that
the Clerk of this Court have notices
in accordance with this Order duly
published at least once in a newspaper
published in each of the said above
named cities.
Done in open Court this 2hd day of
January, 1907.
ROYAL A. GUNNISON.
District Judge.
District of Alaska, .
Division No. 1, ' h'
I, C. C. Page, Clerk of the District
Court for the District of Alaska, Div
ision No. 1, do hereby certify that the
above is a true and correct copy of an
order made and entered of record in
this Court on the 2nd dav of January,
1907.
Dated this 15th dav of January. 1907
C. C. PAGE, Clerk.
Job Printing:
At this Office
Ready as Promised
Our Motto:
Home Patronage
Keep the Money Among Us. We all need it.
We solicit your patronage, you are entitled
to ours.
Come to our
MEAT MARKET
For Choicest
Fresh and Cured Meats, Fish, Fresh Rrnch Eggs, Butter,
Apples, Vegetables, etc., etc.
Try our
GROCERY AND BAZAAR
For the best of
Groceries, Notions, Stationery, etc., and
That Velvet Flour
Once tried you WILL always have it.
Hunt-Lathrop Co.
HENRY GOEMAERE Promp Attention given
Prop. to Mail Orders
The Seattle Bar
First Class Liquors, Cigars
and Tobaccos
NEWTOWN
KETCHIKAN .... ALASKA
I W. H. GILMOUR TOM JOHNSON
Proprietor Manager
ADMIRAL SALOON
♦ The place where the good
fellows hang out and where '
you get what you call for.
Ketchikan = = Alaska
*•*•»* I <"8»1* 8 I"i' 811' l 8 i"t ■!' I J'<8'HNi 'i"l' 8»8iHHT'8'l"fr» 88 8-1 'I I PH 88 •
;; The Budweiser Theater ii
HIGH CLASS VAUDEVILLE “
> 1 i i
\ | YOu are invited to bring your friends and J J
t I
spend a jolly evening at the only theater in < <
* * < <
■' Keteehikan. The line moving pictures will be I I
■1 ii
;! exhibited again as soon as the lighting system j ‘
is repaired. !!
; i ■
: KETCHIKAN ■ - - ALASKA ||
* i~ I1!' r r i i it n1x r)? * •
Nice Clean Rooms Electric Lighted
50c and Up Steam Heated
The Emerald Saloon
P. F. GILMORE, Proprietor
Domestic and Imported Wines, Liquors and Cigars
Genuine Irish Whiskey a Specialty
Ketchikan = « Alaska
MOUNTAINEER SALOON I
Newtown %
ISAM GOWAN I
Proprietor %
THE MIDWAY SALOON f
Opposite Frye IJruhn’s X
A tidy first class place. ♦
Nothing but the best of goods. $
FURNISHED ROOMS KETCHIKAN $
»<&<»<$> <i> <»• <i> <S><S> <8 <£•<$> S> <$>$'£><$> <•><$>•$><♦><& <S> <$><£> <$><$><$.
%\)t ^itifhoart)
M. E. MARTIN, Proprietor
The Best of Wines Liquors and Cigars. Fine assortment of
High Crade Bottle Goods
Water Front, Corner Front and Dock Streets
Ketchikan * - Alaska