CONTROLLER BAY
LOCATIONS CREATE
BITTER DISCUSSION
From the somewhat disjointed accounts which have reached
Alaska regarding the Controller bay controversy, it is difficult to
judge accurately upon the merits of the points at issue, but the fol
lowing facts regarding tlie dispute will shed some light.
Controller bay is situated in Southwestern Alaska, adjacent to
the Katalla oilfields, and not far from the main line of the Copper
River & Northwestern railroad. The district is embraced in what
is known as the Chugach forest reserve, and, until last year, was
withheld from entry.
Late in October, 1910, a tract of land about 15 miles from Ka
tallawas detached from the forest reserve and turned back into the
public domain, thus being once more available for homesteading
Now comes Dick Ryan upon the scene. Mr. Ryan was gener
ally credited with being the secret agent of the Guggenheims, and
when, in conjunction with James J. Ryan, Frank Davis and Arthur
Scheur, some four quarter-sections were located by him in the Con
troller bay region in the following month, the fat was in the lire.
Ryan was openly the promoter of the Controller Bay & Navigation
Company, which had tiled right-of-way applications and an appli
cation for a terminal site.
The land office could see no reason why these applications
should not be granted, claiming that the land to be occupied was of
no other value than as a terminal for railroads.
The matter apparently rested here until Senator Miles Poin
dexter, of Washington, introduced a resolution in the Senate de
manding that President Taft at once produce the records of l he
alleged attempt of the Morgan-Guggenheim syndicate to grab the
whole of the waterfront of Controller bay. In introducing the res
olution Senator Poindexter said that the people had the right to
know why the land had been withdrawn from the forest reserve.
Senator Poindexter w7as followed by Representative Cox, of
Indiana, who claimed that correspondence relating to Controller
bay land had passed between Dick Ryan, Charles P. Taft and
Richard A. Ballinger, the President, Secretary of the Interior
Fisher and others. When President Taft was made aware of the
statement he denied in unequivocal language that he had had any
correspondence whatever with Ryan, saying:
“I never have discussed Ryan or Controller bay, Alaska, with
my brother Charles, nor would I take up such vital questions with
outsiders, such as Richard Ryan, as he is called in the resolution
introduced. The congressman from Indiana has been badly misin
formed in the question of Controller bay, for there has been too
much public talk over the lands in that vicinity of late for me to
jump in and take a hand other than in an official way, which would
have to be sanctioned by the department under which it is con
trolled.”
Mr. Taft’s flat denial admitted of no argument, and it was up
to Representative Cox to prove his statements. This he attempted
to do by an examination of the files in the Department of the Inte
rior, but the alleged correspondence w'as not forthcoming. Traced
to its source, it now appears that Miss Abbott, a journalist, was
the first to make the contents of a letter public, claiming that she
had copied the original in every detail. Under cross examination
Miss Abbott stood her ground, but it is freely stated that she ha
been hoaxed.
The heat engendered by the dispute has been phenomenal,
calling forth from President Taft his famous 15,000-word message,
in which he accepts all the blame for throwing open the ground,
claiming himself to be in favor of development of Alaska’s re
sources, and denying that Ryan is in any way connected with the
Guggenheims.
Charles P. Taft, the President’s brother, denies absolutely that
he had any correspondence with Ryan, claiming that he nevei
heard of the promoter until the present discussion started. Fred
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Dennett, commissioner of the land office, also denies that he ever
heard of Ryan.
Gifford Pinchot has “butted in” with a lengthy statement in
which he says that the President is dodging the issue, and there
the matter is simmering at the time of writing. _J
Koyukuk Operator
Says Camp on Beeline
The total output of the upper Koyukuk region will he less this
year than in either 1909 or 1910, according to W. C. James, who
arrived at Fairbanks recently.
The country lip there is spotted, so to speak, as the pay is
found only here and there, some spots being richer than others.
Some of the richest spots have been worked out, and no new ones
found, which accounts for the smaller output this year. Still, the
region has always been a producer, and after more careful pros
pecting may turn out to be something better than has been imag
ined. Mr. James, who for three years past has been an operator
on No. 3 Nolan creek, which is a tributary of Wiseman river, and
is about eight miles from the town of Wiseman, says that there are
now employed in the district from 150 to 175 men, and this number
is scattered over an area with a radius of 100 miles.
The work carried on there is done mainly in the winter and
has been carried on—in the Wiseman district—principally on Nolan
creek, although some work also has been done on Hammond river,
as well as Gold creek. About 50 men are employed on Nolan creek
alone.
As Betties is the head of steamboat navigation on the Koyu
kuk, it is necessary to either pole or barge (with horses) merchan
dise to the country north of that point, adding greatly to the ex
pense of both living and prospecting.—Fairbanks Times.
Whitehorse Pioneer
Dies in Victoria, B. C.
Word has been received here, says the Whitehorse Star, of the
death of Mrs. Scharschmidt, wife of Dr. P. p, Scharschmidt, former
superintendent of the B.-Y. fleet of steamers with headquarters at
this place, her death occurring at the family home atKeatin", near
Victoria, B. C., Saturday, July 8.
Mrs. Scharschmidt was one of the pioneer women of White
horse, and was closely identified with the early history of the town
in both church and social circles. Besides her husband she is sur
vived by four children, tvyo sons and two daughters, also by both
her parents and several sisters and brothers.
NORTHERN PERSONALS
Judge D. T. Roy and wife are back in Fairbanks from the Out
side. Mr. Roy is an operator on Pedro.
J- E. Barrack, formerly mayor of Fairbanks, who went Out
side last year for medical treatment, has returned to the Tanana
metropolis greatly improved in health.
August Peterson has secured a contract from the Fairbanks
Quartz Development Company for sinking a shaft on the B.-P. lead.
William McPhee has left Fairbanks for the Outside over the
Valdez trail. He will pay a visit to his old home in Eastern Can
ada, which he has not seen for 41 years.
Dick Thorne, the Fairbanks showman, is running a continuous
moving picture show in that city, and is reported to be doing well
John Mihalcik is hydraulieking on Ready Bullion this season.
Walter Rowson, formerly connected with the marshal’s office
in Fairbanks, has turned his attention to mining. lie is interested
with Kenneth Finlayson on Wildcat creek.
Miss Hillby, one of the earliest stampeders to Ruby from Fair
banks, reports that she is established in the grocery business at
that place and is doing well.
Dr. J. A. Sutherland took a party of Guggenheim experts into
the Kantishna l-eeently to look over some ground there. What ac
tion will be taken in consequence of the visit has not yet been made
public
Mike Duval, an old-timer in the North, met his death by
drowning at Katalla July 4.
L. T. Shelton, a pioneer of Valdez, has arrived back in Alaska
after an absence of 13 years. In 1898 he wrote an article to the
Seattle P.-I. in which he predicted a great future for Valdez as a
quartz camp, but his suggestions were treated with ridicule.
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FOKFKITUKK NOTICE.
To FRANK K1TZMAN—
NOTICK IS HKKEHV GIVKN that von or
any to whom any interest lias been transferred
are hereby notified that I, W A Dikeman,
have expended in labor an<l improvements
the sum of $:oc. >o outhe K I’ M asso
ciation placer claim, in the Otter Recording
and Mining l’iccinct, Territory ot Alaska
1'ourth Division. Said work was performed
in '009 and 1910 to hold said claim
U^ider the provisions ot section 2324 of the
Kevised Statutes of the I'nited States and tlie
^amendments thereto uppioved January -2nd,
18H0 concerning annual labor upon mining
claims, being amouut required to hold said
claims for the period ending December 31st.
1910 as named above, and within ninety days
from the personal service of this notice or
within ninety days after the publication thereof
you fail to contribute your proportion of such
expenditure as co-owner, which amount is
$25.00, of the labor expended on claims, your
interest in the claim will become the property
ot the subscriber, your co-owner, who has made
all the required expenditures by the terms of
said section
Dated at Iditarod this 24th day of June. A.D,
1911.
1VM. A. DIKHMAN,
HvJ. 1). SCHWARTZ, Attorney-in-Fact.
First publication July ', 191:.
Last publication Sept. 30, 1911.
1’OllF FIT I UK NOTICK.
I To DAVID WILSON
NOTICH IS HKixKHV U.1YKN that you or
any to whom any interest has been transferred
are hereby notified that I. John Beaton, have ex
pended in labor and improvements the sum of
5 >oo . < on the otter association placer claim, in
the Otter Recording and Mining Precinct, Terri
torv ot Alaska. Fourth Division. Said work was
performed in mo-., awl 1910 to hold said claim uu
tier the provisions of section 2324 of the Revised
Statutes of the United States and the amend
tmvt'i thereto approved January 22nd. 18S0
coucerni>^ annual labor 1141011 mining claims,
being amount requited to hold said claims for
the periotl ending December 31st, 1910 as named
above, and within ninety days from the per.
sonal service of this notice or within ninety
days after the publication thereof, you fail to
contribute your proportion of such expeudi
ture, which amount is $25, of the labor ex -
pended on claims, your interest in the
claim will become the property of the sub
scriber, your co-owner, who has made all the
required expenditures by the terms of said
Section.
Dated at Iditarod this 24th day of Jiuie, A.I).
1911.
JO N BKATON,
F irst publication July 1. 1911.
Last publication Sept 30, 191T.
The Pioneer for Job Printing.
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