VOLUME 2, NO. 20. VALDEZ* ALASKA* THURSDAY* JUNE 25* 1903. OFFICIAL CITY PAPER
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JAMES FISH & CO
Furnishing Goods.
* ^
We are showing a new line of
HATS
in I
Stetson and Kin^sburies.
I Good Hats For $1.75. Good Hats For $4.00.
Other Good Hats For $5.00 and $7.00.
We also have a new line of
CAPS
You want one of them.
Everything to W~"r.
Cure That Cold at
t
P. O. DRUG STORE.
P. E. KERN,
GOLD and SILVERSMITH.
We Carry a Large Lot of
Watches, Diamonds,
Cut Glass, Silverware,
Musical Instruments.
Fine Watch Repairing
City Market
NEXT TO MEUCHAnVs CAKE.
Wholesale and Retail Dealers in
Beef, Mutton,PorkandPoultry
Our Prices are RIGHT. Give us a call.
W. C. STULL,
, As Fashionable
As they are beautiful.
Shirt Waist Sets
and Pins,
Quite the Rage these Summer Days
v There are a few left.
^Diamonds, Watches, Jewelry
Nugget Jewelry Made to Order
vji’uciau, jeweler ana expert » aiciimaker, uiamona teller.
New Strike at 8unriae.
SrxmsE, May 2(5.—A new strike
has just been made near this place
by Louis Laurinson, a well known
miner of the Cook Inlet country,
on Juneau creek, a tributary of Six
Mile creek, and the pay goes from
25 cents to $2.35 to the i»an. Mr.
Laurinson while working on his
claim a few days ago reached bed
rock, and seeing gold in the dirt
washed a pan, and got $2.35. He
hurried to camp and informed his
partners, John Renner and Roliert
Michaelson, of their good luck.
They returned to the claim and
prospected it further, and found
numerons pans running from 25
cents to $2.00. In order to pros
jiect the claim more fully they put
in a set of sluice boxes, and the
three men went to work and in
three days took out $255.00.
This work was done in ground
that was partially frozen, and con
sequently hard to work, and is con
sidered excellent pay. A large
force of men will be put to work.
The property is situated at the
mouth of Juneau creek, about 20
miles from this place, and joins
the well known Polly mine, that
has yielded so handsomely the past
five or six years.
rrosi»ectors have been in this
ftart of Alaska for the past six or
eight years, but the country has
not been thoroughly prospected as
is proven in this instance. The
new strike is on ground tltat was
owned by a number of persons dur
ing the past five years wlio hare
abandoned it. Bed rock is only
four feet from the surface, and in
all these years no one of the former
owners ever sank so deep. Much
of the surrounding country has
been prospected in the same man
ner. The new strike has been the
cause of a number of men starting
to prospect tne country more thor
oughly, and it is believed a number
of new strikes will be made this
rear.
Notice.
Bill* are wanteil lor morinf the lire hon*t-.
See Ueiu^ie, at tb« bauk.
COPPER PEOPLE LIKE THE
COLNTRY.
Boo# llore Property
Visited Property on t'.ie Sounc’.
Coming Back in Sep
tember.
Last Friday George Mitcliell
and party,and Arthur A. Brownlee;
with J. J. Franey and RoU-rt Blei I
1 warded the steamer Perry for a I
trip of ins|>ection down the Sound,]
going as far as Latouch Island,
where they looked over the Beat-'
son, Franey and Blackbird group. |
On the way down they stopped
into Landlock hay to look at the!
Williams property. From there to ]
Latouch and on the way back they '
stopped to view the wonderful Co
lumbia glacier.
From the glacier the party came
direct to Valdez remaining over
night. They again went down to
Galena hay, and there examined
the Simonsted and Coitnely prop
erties, returning to Valdez on Wed
nesday morning.
Karly this morning, George
Mitchell and A. G. Brownlee aiul
party left on the Perry for Virgin
hay where they will catch the San
ta Ana for Seattle.
In a short interview Mr. Mitch
ell stated that he was well pleased
with the country, and sees a bright
future for it. He has secured some
proi»ertics, on which work will be
started immediately. He regrets
very much that he was unable to go
to the interior, but will lx- back
again in September.
Among the properties purchased
by Mr. Mitchell, are the Simonsti d I
and Connely claims at Galena bay.
Mr. Brownlee, who was here to
look at the Latouche property,
states that he found it to lx- just as
J. J. Franey represented it and
gives Mr. Franey credit as an hon
est representative of the country.
lies and the Railroad.
Mr. lies, the projector of the Val
dez, Copper River & Tanana R. R.
Co. returned from the states just a
week ago. • To-day he started on
an extended trip into the interior.
As his coining brought no visible
signs of railroad progress, and no
l>ositive or clear statement had been
authoritatively issued, we decided
for the interest of the public, as
well as those directly concerned, to
seek Mr. lies personally and in
quire into the status of the enter
prise so inqtortant to all Central
Alaska.
II - . - 1_'ll.. .1 At. .At. 1 t
*tii, xiir nuumivu uiai n v ium
tried to rush the inception of the
scheme altogether too fast,and con
sequently that the initial contracts,
incorporation papers, etc., were not
sufficiently positive and satisfac
tory; and he finds that orders for
rails have now to be registered two
years in advance of guaranteed de
livery. He claims that he will
have all the capital necessary, and
tliat everything requisite is being
done to put the enterprise firmly
on the road of progress.
When leaving he took with him
an experionced railroad engineer,
who will make preliminary surveys
and a more accurate estimate of
cost of construction, and in every
respect properly arrange the ne
cessary primary data wttli which
to organize and build a railroad.
Mr. lies stoutly maintains that
everywhere and everyone cordially
endorsed a railroad through Central
Alaska, and for every reason Val
dez was the chosen initial point.
And that an abundance of capital
is anxious to take hold of a prop
erly presented plan.
The Banquet.
The dinner announced in our
last issue to be tendered bv the
chnml>cr of commerce to the visit
ing copper no n, was served at
Wikidel’s in all its glory last
Thursday night.
Those of the visitors who wen
present were: Geo. Mitchell, A. J.
Brownlee, Rev. A. Quitu, R. Mor
rison, \\ . S. Gage, M. McSweenev,
J. J. Francy, H. X. Winched, S. J.
Robinson and G. R. Bnllin.
Mayor Goodell acted as toast
master in his usual masterful man
ner, and made a short ad Iress in
l>ehalf of the jienple, extending a
welcome to the copper representa
tives, and invited them to remain
with us. He detailed the good
qualities of our climate, and showed
that |>eople here never die, hut
simply dry up from extreme old
age.
The resjKinse was by Robert E.
Morrison,who spoke in an eloquent
manner, anil his words were eagerlv
listened to. He said that the vis
itors were men who represented the
mineral sections of the northwest
ami the southwest, and who came
among us to, if possible, secure in
terests in Alaska.
Mr. Morrison in speaking of his
party, said of Mr. Mitchell, that
beginning at the lowest point in the
mining business from close applica
tion and inventive ability he has
risen to his present high standing
in the mineral world.
Gov. Leedy was next called on
bv the toastmaster, and in his con
vincing manner sjtoke of our homes
in Alaska, and the desiraldity of
Alaska as a home. In conclusion
he said, ‘‘Give us a railroad into
the interior and we’ll do the rest.”
The next call was for B. F. Mil
lard. His remarks were on the!
•‘Pioneer Prospector of the Copjier
River.” Beginning with the rush
of’US Mr. Millard carried the party
with him in his description of the
failures.successes and development
«>f this section up to the present
t inn*
Mr. H. V. Winchell in a very
clever anil entertaining manner
spoke'of “The Mining Engineer,”
of his past and present qualifica
tions, and his relation to the mine,
and closed with
“Then here's a health to Valdez,
Upon Prince William sound,
The zenith port that’s open
Through all the year round.”
The next speaker was Mr. Geo.
Mitchell, who spoke of the “Smel
ter in Alaska.” No one is better
qualified than Mr. Mitchell to
handle the work or speak on the
subject of smelting, and on the
present occasion his remarks were
of great interest to his hearers.
Arthur A. Brownlee was then
called on and Arthur took the floor,
in fact he took the cake and the
whole bakery, and kept the house
in an uproar during the time he
was on the floor.
Edmund Smith ir. a few well
chosen words sjioke of the “Mining
Lawyer.”
Robert Blei spoke of “The Pro
moter.” Jus. Fish, Jr., on-“The
Alaska Mail Service.” K. A. Hen
derson on “The Government Officer
in Alaska.” Joe Bourke on “The
Press.” Arthur M. Edwards on
“Our City,” incidentally throwing
in the brewery.
The final remarks of the even
ing were made by \V. S. Gage in
justice to the mining expert.
The pasty broke up at a late
hour, everyone feeling it was a
night well spent.
Jack Carroll came from Kayak
on the Santa Ana and went west
ward with the Cook cx|>cdition.
Robt. Blei and party will leave
Saturday for the Nizitia.
((Mil fi DUST
PAYING BILLS AND DOING
OTHER THINGS
And Pnt Jail 'n City Ha*1. V.'ill
Have $7,000 To Spend
'ihis Year.
Tlie council had a hill paying ses
sion Monday, at which hills am
ounting to #14!.11 were ordered
paid.
An estimate < f the amount of
money that w ill he at the disposal
of the city during the life of this
Council was j resented, and it ap
pears that not le-s than #7(MH) will
1h- available, in addition to the re
ceipts from the municipal court.
The couneilincn think that they
will he able to get through the year
on #7000, hy practicing rigid econ
omy. The principal hills paid at
this tine ing were for constructing
the culvert on Second street, be
tween Broadway and Keystone
and for putting in five crosswalks
on Keystone avenue and one on
McKinley street. These hilis arc
for the carpenter work. The cost
of tilling in with gravel will not be
known until the work iseompicted.
The committee on lire protection
was given another week in which
to make arrangements for placing .
the fire engine over the stream
hack of the Swan building. They
have secured siiilicient ground,and
are now contemplating moving the
old fire building, which will lie less
expensive than to build a new one.
It was decided to turn the rear
end of the city hall into a jail, and
cells will he put ill this week. The
iront part will be used for munici
pal court room and citv bail.
The* bids for city printing wore
again thrown out. I ho i’ltosi'Kt -
Ton bid 10 cents a line for the lirst
insertion and 5 cents for each sub
sequent insertion an I th ■ news bid
12£ and 5 cents. The committee
on printing considered this exorbi
tant and decided to not let a con
tract .
Ordinance No. 2N, regulating the
construction > i sidewalks was
passed after considerable discus
sion.
Mr. Swan appeared before the
council and requested that bridges
l>c built across the stream between
Keystone avenue anti Germantown.
No action was taken in the matter.
Following are the bills ordered
paid:
O. Dgarf, repairing ladders 7.00
Dr. Boyle, services to fireman 10.00
E. C. Richards, furniture 40.35
G. Merriticld, crosswalks 120.70
G. Merriticld,culvert 231.00
Good News from Nizina.
In a letter dated Nizina, June S,
Geo. Esterlv states:
“Frost still in the ground, conse
quently very little work done. Wo
have lieen working 11 men on No.
2 Rex, opening up the claim, and
so far have made three clean-ups,
one of 30 ounces, another of 35
ounces, and the last one, Saturday
night, of 44 ounces; hut our work
ha: lieen ilead work to a great ex
tent.
We cleaned up .'JO ounces on No.
G Ohittitu, ami our lay men have
made a few smaller clean-ups in
prospecting the ground. To-mor
row we start ou Rex with three
strings of boxes, and a day and
night shift working aliout 70 men.
In a letter from 11. Meyer, man
ager of the Nizina Trading Co.,
dated June 9th, he says: “Sluicing
has commenced and wages are 110
to fl*2 a day. Advise all idle men
to come here as help is scarce.”