VOLUME 3, NO. 10_ VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1904. OFFICIAL CITY PAPER.
Commence On To|>
with
X STETSON HAT
Newest Styles
Latest Shades
Just Arrived
A. L. LEVY & CO.
Oood Goods.
Valdez drug company
Wholesale and Retail Druggists
AND DEALERS IN
Periodicals and Photo Supplies
Save Y ur Coupons. .
P. E. Kern,
Gold and Silver Smith.
Diamonds, Watches, Clocks, Jewelry, Optical
Goods, Sterling Silverware, Fine Watch Re
pairing and Nugget Jewelry a Specialty. Cut
Glass and Lamps.
SKAGWAY and VALDEZ ALASKA
City Market
NEXT TO THE NI21NA.
PRICES ARE
RIGHT
Wholesale and
Retail Dealers
GIVE US A
CALL
Beef, Mutton, Pork
Poultry and Game.
Solomon Gulch.
Geo. Barrack, who has been stop
ping in Juneau, received a tele
gram from his company asking
him to come on to Valdez, and be
prepared to receive the machinery
that is being shipped here for oper
ating in Solomon’s basin. George
arrived on the Excelsior and ex
pects the machinery on the next
boat.
J. \V. Palmer, of Republic, Wn.,
and J. H. McCourt, of Forty Mile
arrived on the Excelsior, and will
go into the Shushitna country to
prospect during the season.
Married.
Ralph Kyburg, formerly of Val
dez, a grand son of Dan Osgood,
was married to Miss Mary Alice
Wilson, at her home, in San Fran
cisco, on March 9th.
Ralph has now settled down as
a resident of San Francisco.
Mail for Fairbanks will leave
Tanaua Crossing on or about May
20th and June 5th, in staunch boats
and in charge of experienced boat
men. A limited number of pas
sengers will l>e carried at reason
able rates.. Apply to James Fish
& Co.
I
Nelson’s Road Bill
Amended To Allow 70 Per Cent
of licenses For Road
Building.
Nelson’s wagon road and school
bill, which passed the senate, was
amended to allow 5 instead of 10
per cer.t of licenses for care of in
sane, 25 per cent for schools and
the balance for roads. The section
making commissioners ex-officio
superintendents of poor, was strick
en out, and the number of children
necessary to form a school district,
was changed from 30 to 12.
This bill, if it passes the house,
allows about $7*,000 annually for
road building.
Wants First District.
Thos. J. Humes, former mayor of
Seattle, is now a full-fledged candid
ate for appointntent as a federal
district judge of Alaska. The peti
tion asking for his appointment
has been forwarded to Washington
and put in the hands of the sena
tors of this state. The petition has
been in circulation for several
weeks and has the signatures of a
large number of prominent Repub
licans, friends and admirers of Se
attle’s former chief executive.
The appointment which Judge
Humes desires is that of judge for
the first judicial division of Alaska,
of which Melville C. Brown is now
judge. The judicial headquarters
of the district are at Juneau, though
sessions of the court are held at
other points in the district.
Judge Brown is still on the bench
but the program contem
plates the appointment of Judge
Brown as governor of Alaska to
succeed Governor John G. Brady.—
Times,
Joe Andrews, a prospector, of
Juneau, foiled his partner iu their
cabin laBt week, and when the
crime was discovered, committed
suicide.
Parker Bunk House on Keystone
avenue. Bunk, stove and wood,
all comforts, ‘J5 cents j,,r day.
_
IN A CABIN AT COPPER CEN
TER
Jim Cummings tilled
Fire Caught From Candle. Cum
mings Could Not Be
Saved.
Copper Center, April 11.—Fire
was discovered in the cabin ol Jim
Cummins, at three o’clock yester
day morning, by Jack McGee, who
gave the alarm immediately. Peo
ple went to the cabin but could not
get in. They looked through the
window and saw Cummins lying
on the floor with one arm burned
off. They were unable to get him
out as the fire had gained too much
headway. He must have been in
a drunken sleep, as when last seen
he was intoxicated.
The tire was cuused by a candle
burning low. After inquest he was
buried this afternoon.
lhe above telegram was received
at Valdez and refers to one Jim
Cummins who had l>een in the Cop
per river country for the past year.
But little is known hereubout him.
He is supposed to have lived in
Idaho or Oregon prior to coming to
Alaska. Last year he was in the
Forty Mile country, from which
place he came int. the Copper riv
ever section, and was on his way
to Valdez when he joined the gov
ernment party at Ernestine and
worked with them for about two
weeks. He left the party and in
company with Joe Porter went to
Copper Center, thence up the Klu
tina river, to the lake, where they
laid up a stock of salmon for dog
food. In the fall they sold it, and
Cummins has since been working
at the Center getting out logs ami
making shakes, all of which bad a
ready market. He drank the pro
ceeds.
The house in which he was burn
ed is an old log cabin, built by
Hans Hanson in 18‘J8, and is near
the Copper river, in what was then
known as the town of Etna.
Plana Completed.
The plans and specifications for
the construction of the Valdez court
house were completed late last week
and sent to Marshal Perry, at
Eagle, for approval last Tuesday.
There is now no excuse for delay
in the matter as a duplicate set of
plans are held here, so a telegram
from the marshal will he all that
will be needed to start the work
going. Deputy Marshal Dmbelbis
is here to look after the business
end of it. The government has
passed on the site,and Judge Wick
ersham has given the order to go
ahead.
Grigsby Will Be Exonerated.
It is learned that Melvin Grigs
by, United States district attorney
at Nome, will be completely exon
erated of the charge of having tak
en a bribe of $10,000 under the
guise of an attorney fee, and that
the only charge now resting against
him is that of insubordination, he
having absented himself from his
post all last winter without the
permission of the department of
justice.
The department is pressing this
charge and trying to impress upon
the president that some drastic
measures must be taken to pre
serve discipline.
Grigsby’s friends claim that the
ease will be adjusted satifactorily.
Souvenirs of all kinds for the
folks at home. Kern.
Murman-Wlieat.
The prettiest wedding ever wit
nessed in Valdes took place Satur
day evening, April 9th, at the
Episcopal church, when Maine C.
Murman, of Oakland, Cal., sister
of Mrs. Jas. Kish, was married to
Ernest Belt Wheat, of Valdez.
The church was made to look ex
ceedingly pretty with elaborate de
corations of green and white.
A huge bell formed a canopy
under which the happy couple
stood during the ceremony.
Promptly at eight o’clock the
wedding march from Lohengrin,
sweetly rendered by Miss Clara
Lecdy, announced the approach
of the bridal party, which slowly
proceeded up the aisle, where the
groom met the bride and took their
places under the liell.
Here the lieautiful and impress
ive ring ceremony of the Episcopal
church was read by Rev. Taylor,
the bride being given away by Jas.
Fish.
The bridesmaid was ^Miss Flor
ence Root, and C. Kearney Ham
mond acted as best man.
After the ceremony a reception
wus held at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Jas. Fish, corner of Broadway
and McKinley street.
Here the color scheme of the
church decorations of green and
white was carried out in the par
lors, where the reception was held.
The adjoining rooms were hand
somely decorated. One was in yel
low and green, while the dining
room was very pretty in pink and
green, with countless pink and gold
butterflies suspended from the ceil
ing.
In these rooms tables were set
where the guests had delicious re
freshments.
J
The bride was attired in a beau
tiful gown of white French viole,
appliqued in silk. Her veil was
held in place by white aigrettes.
Miss Root wore a stunning gown
of pineapple fibre, elaborately em
broidered.
Many beautiful presents were
received.
Mr. and Mrs. Wheat are now at
home to their friends at their cot
tage, 1250 Third avenue.
More Railroad Bills
Introduced In Congress To Aid
Construction Com
pany.
Mr. Lovering, of Massachusetts
lias introduced three railroad hills
tn the house. One for the relief of
the Western Alaska Construction
Company’s railroad, allowing land
grant; one to promote railroad
building in Alaska, and one to aid
Western Alaska Construction Co.,
by extending the time in which
that road must be completed. The
bills were all referred to commit
tees and have not been reported
back.
Nothing definite can be learned
about the company referred to, but
it is thought that it is the Helm
combination.
Favors Two Land Offices.
The Interior Department is
heartily in favor of the creation of
two land districts in Alaska, with
one office at Nome. The bill pend
ing in congress provides that the
marshal for the Nome district shall
act as register and the clerk of the
court as receiver of the Nome land
office. Instead of receiving salar
ies, these officials, under the favor
ed bill will be allowed fees and
commissions, so that their compen
sation will be regulated by the ser
vice they render. It seems prob
able that the bill authorizing a land
office in Nome may be passed by
| the present congress.
WHILE GOING TO SLOOP IN
SKIFF
If. Mm of tllamar
Well Known In Valdez Meets
With An Accident At
EUatnar.
Fred Mattson was drowned at
Ellamar last Monday. It is sup
posed that his skiff upset w ith him,
i although there were no witnesses
to the drowning.
It appears that on Sunday night
Mattson, who lived with Johnson,
left the house stating that he would
go out on the bay to a small sloop
at anchor, and sleep there for the
night. Johnson tried to dissuade
him, but lie insisted and left. A
short time thereafter shouting was
heard which attracted no attention,
as it was supposed to emanate from
some of the convivial spirits of the
town, hut it was evidently Matt
son’s cry for help when his little
boat upset.
Mattson has a wife living at Mis
sion, near San Francisco, from
which place lie came to Alaska.
He has lieen working at odd jobs
about the Elluunar mine, and only
last week he contracted to work for
the summer at the Valdez saw mill.
His habits were sober and quiet.
Mattson was a member of tbe order
of Odd Fellows, and his remains
will lie taken in charge by his
brothers of Valdez and Ellamar.
The body will lie temporarily inter
red pending instructions from his
home.
To Change Limits
Conncil Will Endeavor To Take
In The Water Front.
The council Monday approved
the treasurer’s i»ond of J. Y. Os
trander and ordered it forwarded
to the judge for his approval.
A resolution empowering a com
mittee to have a plat made of a
proposed new town, including the
water front and reservation, waa
passed. As soon as the plat is com
pleted it will he forwarded to Judge
Wiekersham, and an attempt will
be made to secure his consent to
changing the town limits.
There is now a bill before con
gress giving incorporated towns in
Alaska the power to annex adjoining
property, with the consent of two
thirds of all parties interested. If the
the bill becomes a law it will be a
simple matter to change our lines,
but if it fails to pass, it, is hoped
that Judge Wiekersham will see
the justice of the request and allow
the change to be made.
A resolution was also adopted
authorizing an appropriation from
the treasury at any time, to pay
the members of the fire department
who are present at a fire. Thi«
money will be paid out under di
rection of the fire chief in such pro
jiortion as he deems most just.
A committee was appointed to
make arrangements to proceed
against delinquent taxpayers. There
is about $700 now delinquent and
collections will be forced.
W. L. Washburn, of San Fran
cisco, has been given the contract
for carrying the mail during the
season of 1004 between Unalaska
and Nushagak, by way of Bethel.
He is given the privilege of sending
| the return mail either to San Fran
cisco or Seattle. Only one round
trip is required of the contractor
and he receives a compensation uf
$.m