©ije latlg
PUBLISHED B*
STEWART & SELBY, Proprietors
TERMS.
Dally Prospector.
By carrier, per month .!„!■??
'By mail, per annum .$10.00
The Weekly Miner.
By carrier, per month .$ .40
By mail, per annum .$ 3.00
The Dally Prospector and Week
ly Miner, by carrier, to one ad
dress, per month .$ 1.23
The Dally Prospector and Weekly
Miner, by mail, to one address
only, per year ..$12,30
Business Office and Editorial Rooms,
TEL. 152
Advertising Rates on Application.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1»M>
VALDEZ OPPORTUNITIES. '
Since publishing our few statistics
on the price of coal, we have been
further investigating and can say
without truthful contradiction that
Valdez gets the cheapest coal and the
cheapest electricity on the Coast.
Coal is selling in Seattle for $8
per ton; in Bellingham for $7.50; in
Ketchikan for $9; in Juneau for $10;
in Cordova for $17.60; in Seward for
$17.50, and in Valdez for $12.60.
Electricity in Valdez is 2 cents per
kilowatt, for heating and cooking
purposes, and yet our local agitators
‘are not satisfied. They must kill the
goose that lays the golden eggs by
inducing other companies to enter the
field.
Good furnished cabins are offered
by local real estate men for $6, $8
and $10 per month. These are fur
nished complete to carpets and por
tieres, and are as comfortable as any
house in the States. Two men can
live as cheaply in Valdez as in any
part of the State of Washington, and
can live as comfortably.
Now, the point to our argument is,
why not be satisfied with the goods
the gods provide, instead of this con
stant effort to tear down our indus
tries, and work harm to the business
interests of the town?
The working man gets nothing out
«f it, and the business men get noth
ing out of it, so why not drop this
silly attempt to “get” somebody and
help us make a town here?
SNIPPING ALASKAN RED TAPE.
If ever there was a moment auspi
cious for a new deal in Alaska, that
moment is here, says the Seattle
Times. The topic, in substance, is
developed in the annual report of the
Secretary of the Interior, made pub
Hc today.
For Alaska the home-building era
has arrived. Mr. Lane touches a pal
pable defect in administration when
he says pointedly that there is still
too much beaureaucratic control;
that, while there has been some cur
tailment of the red tape which has
*een wound about nearly everything
pertaining to the territory, there is
still need for improvement, to the
end that the individual may not be
strangled.
It follows, in the opinion of the sec
retary that all matters bearing a nat
ural relation to the territory should
he treated from within it, and not
from a multiplicity of distant bu
reaus.
One of the big substantial facts
about Alaska is that. it contains the
great body of the American public
domain. The total is perhaps 400,
000,000 acres, heavy mineralized and
of unknown possibilities. The coun
try will have more mines. Its fish
eries are worth approximately $20,
000,000 a year and its fisheries pro
ducts since 1867 have reached a value
of $254,000,000, almost equaling the
total value of the mineral output
since the Seward purchase.
It is interesting to observe that the
Secretary touches rather gingerly
upon the topic of halibut, a subject
of direct moment to Seattle and
Ketchikan. He admits that concerns
buying and freezing halibut in Alas
ka may be hurt by the competition
of Prince Rupert. He* suggests that
if the Grand Trunk Pacific would
grant terminal rates to Ketchikan,
such action would do much toward
insuring the retention of the bust
--THE
EMPRESS
TO-NIGHT
2 Shows—at 8 and 9:20,sharp
PROGRAM
PATHK WEEKLY NEWS
OUT OF THE PAST,
Two-Part Drama with a Good
not.
COURTSHIP OF THE COOKS
A Comedy full of Laughs.
—*—
Swell Program on Sunday
Admissibn 25c and 10c.
ness in American hands. But then
he dashes the hope; it is barren, for
“the granting of such rates and privi
leges can scarcely be expected in the
near' future.”
The brightest light on the Alaskan
horizon is the increase in popula
tion. It will be remembered that
when the blight of Pinchotism was
on Alaska the territory was at a
standstill, or worse. The present re
port estimates that the white popu
’ation is 44,000, an increase ol 5,000
over the estimate for the fiscal year
of 1914. The growth is largely con
fined to the coastal divisions; but a
favorable sign is found in other geo
graphical divisions, in that the inte
rior is now slowly increasing its pop
ulation, through agricultural and
agricultural and other pursuits.
Though the government has snip
ped off some of the Alaskan red tape,
Secretary Lane knows that the ef
forts in that direction should con
tinue. Good results have been ac
complished, and still better results
will be recorded by the administra
tion of purely territorial affairs at
home.—Juneau Dispatch.
TALKING THROUGH HATS.
(From Portland Telegram.)
"Any one who says we can be beat
en in 1916 is talking through his
hat,” says Woodrow Wilson, presi
dent of the United States, dropping
into the easy vernacular of the Demo
cratic National Committee which he
entertained at the White House.
We are regaled too with a word
picture of this true Democrat thrust
ing his hands into his pockets and
getting right down to simplicity with
the boys.
Now the Telegram isn’t inclined to
|»e finical and has been at various
times an openly expressed admirer of
Mr. Wilson and his utterances on all
important questions; but right here
it wishes to remark that this particu
lar dispatch should have been censor
ed.
Not so much because it reflects an
appearance of aping that great com
moner, Jefferson, who received the
British ambassador in an old dress
ing gown and slippers down at the
heel, but because it calls to mind
that remarkable document, the Dem
ocratic platform of 1912 built unde
niably of “planks to get in on.”
While on the subject of “talking
through hats” we offer in evidence,
lest we forget, this last shred of that
famous scrap of paper:
“We favor a single presidential
term and to that end urge the adop
tion of an amendment to the consti
tution, making the president of the
United States ineligible for re-election
and we pledge the candidate of this
convention to that policy. Our pledges
are made to be kept when in office.”
J - V
FAIRBANKS PROSPEROUS.
That interior Alaska is receiving
its share of the home-owning immi
gration is shown by the rapid growth
of Fairbanks. At one time Fair
banks had a population of nearly
fifteen thousand in the district; then
Pinchotism hit the territory and the
population dropped back to but a few
thousands; now it is going ahead
again with leaps and bounds, and in
a few more months will be larger
and more prosperous than ever. It
has become a city of'fine homes and
good buildings, and fine schools.
Most of this growth, of course, is
due to her location in the center of
one of the best districts for mining
and agriculture in the territory,
and still another reason for it may
be traced to the large number of men
who have huilt homes and brought
their families in from the States.
Now that people on the Outside are
finding that the climate of Alaska is
not nearly so rigorous as that of Ne
braska, the Dakotas or Illinois, they
are bringing In their families, and
preparing to stay.
Fairbanks is due to be the metrop
olis of interior Alaska, and Valdez
is proud of her steady, rapid growth.
DON’T BE A GROUCH.
Don’t be a grouch, but be genial
and carry a smile all the time. It
will pay you at the end ot the day’s
work. Grouchiness is a habit of mind
acquired unconsciously perhaps, but
acquired through cultivation never
theless and soon becomes a disease.
It generally begins with, grumbling
and fault finding and impatience over
trifles that go wrong, and it grows
and grows.
The woman who begins to grum
ble at .her husband develops the hab
it until she becomes a nag and a
scold. The man who begins by
grumbling at his help or at his com
panions ends the possessor 6f a full
grown grouch. If we look back a few
yean we find that the troubles that
worried us then were not worth wor
rying about, since we have forgotten
them all. Tour trouble of today will
pass Just the same and soon will be
forgotten. Then what is the use of
being grouchy. The holidays are
over and brought with them cheerful
times. The new year is on. Let us
forget oiir'little troubles and be gen
ial.—Ketchikan Progressive-Miner.
One by one our citizens are coming
back from the States, satisfied with
their vacations, and ready to put in
another year or so of hard licks to
pay for their fun.
And now it develops that the edi
tor of the Providence Journal, which
has raised such a flurry in adminis
trative circles over alleged German
conspiracies, is edited by a native
born British subject, who. has not
thought enough of the United States
to become a naturalized citizen.
WICKERSHAM TELLS OF
THINGS ALASKA WANTS.
A copy of the Oregon Journal, of
Portland, received in the last mall
contains a picture of Delegate Wick
ersham and 'an interview had with
him while he was visiting that city
during the latter part of last month.
Following Is an account of the dele
gate’s visit to Portland:
“James Wickersham, delegate from
Alaska to congress, who is in route
to Washington for the opening of
congress, is a guest at the Portland
hotel.
“Alaska wants a lot of things,”
said Mr. Wickersham. ‘‘She wants
her railroad finished by thfwgovern
ment. She w.ants statehood. She
wants control of those territorial af
fairs now handled by the several de
partments of the federal govern
ment placed in the hands of a devel
opment board such as was first pro
posed by Secretary Lane. I introduc
ed a bill calling for the-creation of
such a board at the last session of
congress, and hope to see its passage
this year.
“This board or commission, would
handle those matters which, now in
the hands of some twenty bureaus,
make for great confusion and lack of
expedition.
“Why, the way things are at pres
ent, one has to go to Washington to
settle a homestead dispute. This
board would sit in Alaska and be on
the job all the time.
“Business is good in Alaska,” de
clared Mr. Wickersham. “The past
year has been one of the best in the
history of the territory. Strangely
enough, when you complain of dull
times in the States, business is al
ways good in the territory.”
“Mr. Wicksham, in common with
all other loyal Alaskans, looks for
ward eagerly to the granting of
statehood to the territory. He is en
tering upon his fourth term as ter
ritorial delegate. Prior to going to
Washington in 1909, he' served as
federal judge of the third division.
Before going to Alaska, Mr Wicker
sham lived in Tacoma, serving as city
attorney of that city and sitting on
the prohate bench of Pierce county.”
Bolivia Mines Undeveloped.
Bolivia lias an area of 708,195
square miles, which is over twice the
area of the Pacific Coast states of
California, Oregon and Washington;
the population Is 2,268,925, while
La Paz, the capital, has but 82,000.
With no coast and being a rough
country for railroad construction, Bo
livia remains to a large extent unde
veloped, though its mineral weath is
undoubted. Previous to the war, its
principal foreign connections were
with England, Germany, France and
Belgium. In the first five months of
1915, the export of ores and metals
aggregated 20,894 metric tons, com
pared with 19,059 metric tons dur
ing the same period in 1914 previous
to the war. They were: tin, 17,065
tons; copper, 2037; bismuth, 211;
wolfram, 243; antimony, 1316; sil
ver ores, 33 tons.
WILL BE OUTGOING
PASSENGERS ON ALAMEDA.
Among the Valdez people who wilF
be outgoing passengers on the steam
er Alameda tomorrow morning will
be Mrs. A. Von Gunther and daugh
ter, Lena, Mark Gleason, Ralph M.
Cummings, W. L. Smith, and Lieut
Kunzig and family. !
HUNT FOR TREASURE IN
PERU PROVES VAIN
COLON, Panama: Harry A. Bar
ber, a United States postoffice inspec
tor, who has been in the wild interior
of Peru trying to locate $600,000,00')
burled treasure of the Incas, has fin
ished his mission. He will go to the
United States and on to Washington
where he will report to the postoilice'
authorities.
Barber says he spent s'x «ceks
making an investigation, but declin
ed to say with what results. It is un
derstood however, that he failed to
find the treasure. He said the natives
told him they bad never known of
any gold in the vioinity.
Barber was sent to Peru in con
nection with the McCnne case, in
which the Du Ponte and other Dela
ware financiers are mentioned. Mc
Cune is said to have fioatea a targe'
.corporation on the report of having
discovered the source of the gold of
the Incas. He finally became involv
ed with the postoffice department.
MoCune is at liberty under bend and
according to Barber is in Peru, en
deavoring to locate the treasure.
ALASKA WILL 8E
WELL ADVERTISED
Frank G. Carpenter who Visited the
North Last Summer Will Supply
Articles to Syndicate.
tV £
Starting last Sunday in thirty dif
ferent papers in the United States,
articles prepared by Frank G. Car
penter, regarding Alaska, will appear.
These articles, according to report,
will average four columns to the is
sue or every Sunday for the year 1916
one hundred and twenty columns of
reading matter relative to Alaska will
be printed, and this in the leading
papers of the country.
The good that Alaska will ga’.n
from this*series of articles cannot he
estimated, as Mr. Carpenter visited
all sections of the territory to famil
iarize himself with conditions here,
and it is safe to say that he will not
be a knocker. He was much pleased
with Alaska and from the re* oils
printed in the interior newspapers
while he was there he appeared to be
the kind who fit in with Alaskans
He has the reputation of sticH\g
strictly to the truth in his writing-,
and Alaskans will ask nothing more,
as all who are acquainted with the
territory believe in its great future.
'
MERCHANT MARINE SETS
RECORD IN U. 8, HISTORY
WASHINGTON: American ship
yards have under construction now
more vessels than ever before were
building in the United States to add
to an American merchant marine
whose gross tonnage already is the
largest in the country’s history, said
a report issued today by the commis
sioner of navigation.
Ninety-eight merchant vessels of
more than 3,000 tonnage are being
built or are under contract. These
with many small vessels being con
structed have a total tonnage of 761,-.
611. The total tonnage of ships un
der the American flag numbering ?6,
883 Dec. 1 was 8,444,258, a net gain
of more than 50,000 tons since July
first.
There was a net gain of 187 ships,
despite 272 vessels lost, abandoned
and sold to aliens. Twenty-three
came under the American flag from
foreign registry and 436 Were com
pleted in shipyards.
Altogether 171 foreign vessels
have taken American registry under
the act of August 14, 1914. Ninety
eight American vessels have been
transferred to foreign registry since
August.
NAVY EXPERTS TO DESIGN
ALL U. 8. SUBMARINES.
WASHINGTON: Bids for subma
rines for the United States navy
hereafter will be asked on the basis
of plans prepared by the naval con
structors.
Heretofore the navy jnnreiv has
asked for bids for submersihles to
perform certain service and the bid
ders have furnished the plans. The
old practice of submitting to bidden
only the general requirements 01. the
navy will be abandoned, but that will
not prevent bidders holding patents
from submitting alternative bids and
between the two the navy may make
its choice.
The fact that such progress in sub
marine construction has been made
by the navy’s own constructors to
permit of such a departure is dis
closed in the annual report of Rear
Admiral David W. Taylor, chief of
the bureau of Construction and ref
pair. ■_
A fine display1, of augget jewelry at
Valdez Drug do’.. . \ tf
FOR SALEi-r-’Hbating stove, apply
Lieut. L. A. Kunklg. tf ;
According to reports winter sal
mon fisherman in Southeastern Al
aska are getting good results and
fishing is going on this season than
ever before. The prices for fresh salf
mon are high and the. fishermen are
all doing well. Two men,, operating
atTyee, netted . j as a result - of
sixteen days work.
A qetition has been presented to
the Skagway city council asking that
the question of ratifying the law
which provides for the election of a
Mayor,' city clerk* magistrate, treas
urer and e then- officials by the people
instead of the counclli be submitted
to the people to be voted upon.
A dispatch has been received in
Whitehorse from Ottawa stating that
Governor Geo. BlackT of Yukon, .who
was' reported to have resigned In or
der to lead a compear of northerners
in Prance in defense of the empire,
has not been oiBcially relieved of his
duties by the Dominion government.
&. Hum & do.,
INCORPORATED f
Rice Hutchins
Shoes for
Ladies
Kitchen Utensils
Aluminum, \
Granite Ware
White Enamel
and Tinware.
The most
Complete
stock of
staple
and fancy
The monarch range is
a fuel saver. B^rns wood
or coal. Secorul lb none as a
baker. |
Cole’s Hot Blast
, t Heaters
Recognized as the best and cheap
est heater to be had.
No. 12 Priced at .$16.50
No. 12D Priced at.$20.00
No. 156 Priced .$25.00
No. 18 lYfoed at.$27.50
Perfection Coal Oil Heater
/ ^ Priced $7.50.
taaMiws®
I
§»
mm
Sole Agents.
Large
shipments
of fresh
fruits and
vegetables
on every
boat.
Phone 12 I
S. BLUM & CO.
GOOD GOODS
DR. H. COCKER1LLE
Graduate National University,
Washington, D. C.
DENTIST
Fourteen Years in Valdez.
PHONE 110
Office Rooms in Whaling Building
DR. GERMAN
,.„o«ETHE dentist
Office rooms over Owl Drug Store. Of
fice hours 9 a. m. to 6 p. m., 7 to 9
p.„m. Sunday by appointment
All Work Guaranteed.
E. C. DALTON, M. D.
j
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
Phonefj42
Alaska Avenue Valdez, Alaska
DONOHOE & DIMOND
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW
Offlc« Ovnoalte Court Houae
Phone #4 VALDEZ. ALASKA
JOHN LYONS ** B. E. RITCHIE
LYONS & RITCHIE
ATTORNEY 8-AT-LAW
OSIrea In Wbaline UulldlnK
Phoae lOl VALDEZ. ALASKA
Somebody
With Money
always has been found to
“back” a good plan, a good
idea, a good business ven
ture-or a good mining pros
pect ; otherwise a good many
of.today’s successful busi
ness enterprises would still
be mere dreams.
Advertising has brought
about a majority of the in
troductions of the man with
the idea, the man with a
prospect, or business to the
man with the dollar.
ADVERTISE IN THE
PROSPECTOR FOR RE
SULTS.
There was no meeting or tne juaaiea
Build yMterday, aa Mre. Harry Whit
ley waa 111 and the meeting waa In
sonaequence postponed.
Arcade Cafe
OPEN UNTIL 9 P.M.
We Serve Corona Coffee
Strictly Fresh Eggs.
Jack Caffin_« » Prapriat—
Dougherty & Ferguson
GENERAL
Merchandise
The best groceries received
on every boat.
Fresh vegetables, fruits, and
nuts.
A. M. DIERINGER
Valdez Transfer
Company
Office on Alaska Avenue, in
George C. Treat Building
Telephone No. 60
General Trucking and Freighting
to all Interior Points. y
LIVERY and FEED STABLE,
STORAGE,
Teaming of All Kinds
Positively No Coal Delivered Un
less Paid for in Advance
m Shamrock
CAPT. TIM ^MARCUM
Sails for Port Wells, Portae*
Bay. Granite Mine, .Saturday
at 9:00 a. m„ from the Val
des Dock Company’s Dock.
For ^Klarnar, Land look Bay,
and Fldalgo, every Wednes
day, 9:00 a. m., from Val
des Dock Company’s Book.
For Rates, Apply on Boat.
Sabaertbe for .he Prospector.
I groceries is Alaska.