.Miners & Merchants Bank
IDITAROD, ALASKA
Capital, $50,000.00
General Banking Bnsiness Transacted Gold Dust Bought and Assayed
Drafts Issued on Any Part of the World
SEATTLE CORRESPONDENT: SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAS BARK
OFFICERS:
CHAS. ROSS, President
JOHN HOLMES, Cuhier
R. C. BUTTON, Asst. Ceshier
MERCHANTS CAFE
Caters to Large and Small Parties
PRIVATE DINING ROOMS
Popular Prices _Everything First Class
CHAS. E. MILLER, PROP.
— I _ Gold St., Fl*t City
IhQ §«£) Nr! Mrt. Swinton, Prop.
I I ID CvllM Dining Room Now Open
Nicely Furnilhed Room* Bern for Hortet end Doge Beths in Connection
LEO CLIFFORD TELLS OF HIS TRIPj
I.eo Clifford returned Thursday from a
visit to the Innoko country and Cripple ,
camp. He reports the outlook in that dis- '
trict promising, and states that there will
be more men employed on Little, Spruce,
Gaines and Ophir creeks this summer than
there were last, and there will be several
out tits working in the camp. He says Fred
Vaughn, Louis Halverson and Sawmill Ol
son have a large winter dump out and are
still hoisting. They estimate the dump at
$6,000. Harry Jensen, Anthony McDonald
and the Burns brothers have been hoist
ing all winter, and have a large dump to
sluice up. Henry Seller and Fred Ander
son are taking out a small windlass dump,
as also are Ralph Zeber and Perry.
John A. Cameron is preparing to operate
on a large scale on Cripple creek this sum
mer. Hans Scarbo and Joe Van Abema
are taking out a small windlass dump on
Cripple creek. Gus Linda and Chris Gra
ham are prospecting at the head of Crip
ple and preparing to work there this winter.
C. D. Whitney and Mike Henry, who left
here last fall on a prospecting trip on Big
river, returned last week. They did not
find any gold, but say they were in a
country of plenty. They had everything
else they could wish for—all kinds of game
and fish.
Paul Minnich. who has been running the
Takotna roadhouse for the past two years,
quit that place last week and came to Idit
arod to make his residence.
Prank Cioli, an old pioneer of the Idita
rod camp, is prospecting on Cripple creek.
L. N. Ellis has taken an option on No.
o above, Gaines creek, Boemaster's ground.
Jake Young and Enul Smith are prospecting
it with a hand drill
The Kuskokwim Dredging Company has
taken options on the ground above No. 5
above, Gaines creek. Joaquin is on his way
Outside again.
Dr. Good, a dentist from Knik, formerly
of Seattle, is at Ophir, on his way to Ruby.
iHe will make trips twice a year from Knik
to Ruby.
Bob Gerky of Ophir has built a fine big
hothouse, and will soon have fresh vegeta
bles for the Innoko market.
Jack Donnelly, who has been in the road
Louse business on the Seward trail since it
was first staked, purchased the Moore creek
roadhouse last week from Joe Honda for
$■.’50.
"Dad" Huddleston, an old-timer of the
Innoko camp, who went Outside last fall,
and who joined the stampede to the Nel
chiua strike, arrived at Takotna last Mon
day from Knik. “Dad" is 76 years old, ]
weighs 220 pounds, and is 6 feet 3 inches in
height. He mushed in over the trail, pulling
a sled and camping outfit by the neck,
with one doy.
Hans Galmack is laid up at Takotna with
a frozen foot. He encountered a storm
while crossing the divide between Ophir
and Takotna about the first of February,
and was lost for three days. He had a nar
row escape. His left foot was badly frozen.
I)r. Green is caring for him and hopes to
save the foot.
GOOD PROGRESS MADE
WITH OTTER CREEK DREDGE
The dredge to be ojierated on Otter creek
this year by Riley & Marston. which has
been lying on barges in the river ice since
the close of navigation last fall, is being
rapidly moved by the workmen and teams
of that firm, under the supervision of
George Riley. The splendid weather and
good roads of the past few weeks have
expedited operations, and it is expected that
the material will all be on the creek this j
week, and that the machinery will be in
stalled and ready for operation by the
first of June.
The dredge has a guaranteed capacity of
2,200 cubic yards per day.
LIBEL OF KING DOES NOT
WARRANT DEPORTATION
New York, Feb. 13.—If it would not in
volve moral turpitude to publish in Eng
land a defamatory libel “against a field la
borer in Devon or a street sweeper in Lon
don, it would not involve moral turpitude
to publish the same libel regarding the lord
chancellor or even the king.” the United
States court of appeals has held.
The court expressed this view in deciding
that Edward F. Mylius, the Belgian jour
nalist whom the department of commerce
ordered deported a year ago, cannot be
barred from the United States on the
charge of moral turpitude. John N. Boyle,
the federal assistant attorney, who con
ducted the case here, said he would not
appeal to the United States court.
The decision of the court of appeals, sus
taining the ruling of United States Dis
trict Judge Walter C. Noyes, is the first
authoritative one set down for the guidance
of the immigration authorities in foreign
libel cases involving moral turpitude, which
they have frequently made the basis for
directing deportation of persons arriving
from abroad,
Mylius was convicted in the English
courts of having criminally libeled King
George V. by publishing that the king con
tracted a morganatic marriage with the
daughter of Admiral Seymour in 1890,
when he was Prince of Wales.
FOR SALE—Complete roadhouse and fix
tures, located at Forks of Flat creek; a
bargain. Inquire on premises.
GRAND BAR N0THIN6 BUT TBE BEST
CITY The Place to Meet
Ngls Glanti, Prop. _Your Friends
NICELY FURNISHED ROOMS BY DAY OR WEEK
Warm, Clean Well Ventilated
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
THE CROSBY "STeSlL
MEDICATED, MINERAL VAPOR, STEAM, mm
TUB, SALT AND FRESH WATER (JcIXIlS
Caribou St., Bet. Black and Willow Sts., on Waterfront
Electric surf Faradic Massage Treatments by Eipert Attendants
Lighted by Gas Heated by Steam
ALASKAN HATTERS
DISCUSSED AT FLAT
The mass meeting held at A. B. hall,
Flat City, on Monday, March 30, under
the auspices of the Wilson Democratic Club
of Flat, to discuss “Secretary Lane's pro
posed Alaska bill and other matters, includ
ing the mining laws," was a most interest
ing gathering. The Beating capacity of the
hall was taxed, and a great many were
compelled to stand throughout the pro
ceedings. That the subjects under discus
sion were such as to arouse the concern of
all residents of the district and of Alaska
was evidenced by the close attention given
each speaker, and the manifestations of ap
proval or disapproval of sentiments ex
pressed by the speakers were frequent.
There was an undercurrent of expecta
tion of sensational developments manifested
by the audience, due to the publication in
last week’s Pioneer of the famous letter
to Secretary Lane on the subject of the
Alaska railroad bill signed by seven of the
territorial senators. While there was con
demnation of the act of the legislators in
the matter by individual speakers, the meet
ing, in a spirit of fair play which is char
acteristic of American public gatherings,
refused to go on record as condemning the
senators before they had been given an op
portunity to justify their conduct. The sen
timent of the meeting seemed to be truly
reflected in the statement of Professor Kil
gore, who said: “Personally I unqualifiedly
condemn the statements of the senators as
uncalled for and untrue, and will be glad
of an opportunity to tell them so, face to
face. But it is unfair to pass condemnatory
resolutions in their absence, and without
giving them an opportunity to defend
themselves.”
The Little Giant Was Chairman
The meeting was called to order by T. J.
McGrath, who called for nominations for
chairman. J. C. Moody was placed in
nomination and unanimously elected. In
assuming the chair Mr. Moody gave a re
view of the Chamberlain bill, incorporating
Secretary Lane’s plans for a development
board for Alaska. He believed the plan
was a good one, but that the bill was lame
in one particulai—Alaska should have rep
resentation on the commission. Speaking
of the territorial mining law, he said its
enforcement would operate to the detriment
of the territory in more ways than one. The
federal law’ was good enough if the associa
tion clause were eliminated. He also be
lieved that the location of mining claims by
power of attorney should be prohibited, but
that a citizen should be allowed to locate
all the ground he wants for himself and
upon which he can do the representation
work. He recited the incident of the letter
written by the seven territorial senators to
Secretary Lane, in which they stated that
the people of the territory were opposed
to government ownership of the proposed
Alaska railroad, and stated that they had
gone out of their way to misrepresent the
people of Alaska. Speaking of the Alaska
territorial government, he considered that
congress had handed us a lemon.
At the conclusion of Mr. Moody’s re
marks William Taylor was elected secre
tary of the meeting.
Mr. Moody then handed in the follow
ing resolutions for the consideration of the
meeting:
The Resolution!
Be it resolved, That the citizens of Otter
precinct heartily favor the passage by con
gress of Secretary Lane's proposed bill, in
troduced by Senator Chamberlain, for the
appointment of a commission to have in
charge the resources and public lands of
Alaska, but amended so as to provide that
at least one, if not two, of the members
of the proposed commission shall be bona
fide citizens of Alaska.
Be it resolved, That the members of
the legislature which is to convene next
year be requested to repeal the attempted
amendments to the Alaska mining laws as
at present framed, as in the judgment of
this meeting they are unnecessarily burden
some and promise to breed unending litiga
tion.
Be it resolved by the citizens of Otter
precinct, in mass meeting assembled at Flat
City, March 30, 1914:
That in its judgment the members of the
legislature to be selected at the coming
election should meet in the territorial cap
ital only for the purpos of repealing all
legislation attempted at the first session,
and after adopting a resolution calling on
congress to give the territory some tangible
evidence of home rule or repeal the farcical
measure now in force, to adjourn sine die.
W. F. Harrison'! Viewi
W. F. Harrison was the next speaker,
and he proceeded to get on good terms with
his audience by the relation of a humorous
story. Speaking on the plan for an Alaska
development board, he said he had the
pleasure last summer of meeting Seth
Mann, who toured the territory as the per
sonal representative of President Wilson.
He spoke very highly of that gentleman,
and pictured him as a man “hungry for in
formation on the subject of Alaska.” Mr.
Mann had visited Dawson and the Yukon
territory and commented on the system of
good roads that were being constructed by
the Canadians, and when he saw the way
Alaska had been neglected, especially in the
matter of road construction, that gentle
man had stated that he was almost ashamed
of his country. Mr. Harrison believed the
matter of building roads for the territory
should be taken out of the hands of the
army officers and placed in the hands of
such a board as that proposed by Secre
tary Lane. He was surprised at the great
knowledge of Alaska displayed by Secretary
Lane, and eulogized that gentleman and the
administration for their work in behalf of
the territory. He was heartily in favor of
the plan for a development board, with
Alaskans as members. He severely scored
the seven territorial senators for their ac
tion on the railroad bill. He said they had
promulgated a deliberate lie in saying that
the people of Alaska were opposed to the
government ownership of the Alaska rail
road, and demanded that they resign. This
sentiment evoked applause. Speaking of
the mining law, he said its repeal would
tend to clear the atmosphere. Staking of
claims by power of attorney should be abol
ished. He cited the so-called ‘‘Andreafski
strike,” stating that although only a handful
of men were there when he arrived on the
scene, every claim had been staked by
means of powers of attorney. The situation
at present was such that we were not cer
tain whether we had a mining law or not.
A Cheechako's Opinion
Charles A. Derry was called upon, and
stated that he had been invited to take part
in the discussion of Secretary Lane’s pro
posed Alaska development board, and he
would have hesitated to appear had he un
derstood the discussion was to include the
subjects embodied in some of the resolu
tions submitted, as he believed this was
not the proper time for action on those
matters. He said that while he person
ally was in favor of Secretary Lane’s plan,
it must be understood that there was in
fluential opposition to the measure, includ
ing Senator Lee Pittman, an ardent friend
of Alaska, who is chairman of the senate
committee on territories, to whom the bill
'had been referred. Until the objections of
these gentlmen were known and understood,
he thought it premature to either approve
or condemn the measure.
Comrade Stanton Wants Competent Men
E. M. Stanton was the next speaker. He
expressed his reluctance to appear at such
a meeting, as he belonged to a party which
was in a hopeless minority. He was in fa
vor of the plan for a development board,
and said that the quicker we get out of the
control of the federal congress the better it
would be. He said the measure of home
rule granted to Alaska had not stood “the
pure food test,” and cited the measures
taken for the government of the Philip
pines as an instance of intelligent recogni
tion of local conditions. If the develop
ment board should matcraiize he hoped it
would not be composed of long-haired
idealists from Iowa with no knowledge of
Alaska and its needs, who might be in
the same position as the eminent Senator
W. Alden Smith, who, during the senatorial
investigation of the Titanic disaster, had
displayed his ignorance of marine architec
ture in asking one of the officers of the
lost vessel, who was on the witness stand,
why, when the vessel was known to be
sinking, he had not put the passengers in
the air-tight compartments. He also spoke
of the “prize donkey from Maryland, who
was anxious to cede a most valuable por
tion of Alaskan territory to Canada with
out adequate return. He characterzcd the
home rule bill as an abortion, and said that
no man can tell what power the legislature
has or has not.
The Mining Law
Discussing the mining law, Mr. Stanton
said the federal law provided a different
assessment woik clause than that for the
rest of the country. Under it, if a miner
failed to do his assessment wurk in 1911,
subsequent occupation and compliance with
the law did not perfect his title. He dif
fered with Messrs. Harrison and Moody,
and defended the Roden law. Prior to the
passage of the Roden law, powers of at
torney could be recorded anywhere in the
district. Thus it was possible for a record
to be made hundreds of miles away from
the claim. Under the Roden law it was
fiecessary to record the power of attorney
in the precinct in which the claim is situ
ated for which the power of attorney was
exercised. It also provided that monu
ments should be plainly marked, which he
considered a good point. He did not be
lieve a change in the law was needful.
Mr. Stanton entered into an extended ar
gument in favor of private operation of the
Alaska railroad as opposed to government
operation, saying that he feared that it
would become the nucleus for a powerful
political machine under federal control.
These remarks were greeted with evident
signs of disapproval on the part of the au
dience. He did not believe there was room
in Alaska for partisan politics.
Kilgore Speaks to the Point
Mr. Kilgore was the next speaker. He
paid that although he had voted for more
Democratic presidential candidates than
most of those present, he was not a mem
ber of the Democratic club, because he pre
ferred Senator La Follette to any other
man for that position. Speaking of the
mining law, he saw no reason for change,
but if a change was to be made it should
be in the way of increasing the amount of
assessment work. If a miner did not do
his assessment work, let someone have the
claim who would do the work.
He approved the bill for the creation of
fk development board, but took exception
to the wording of the resolution offered.
He believed in mass meetings to discuss
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matter# of public interest, but believed they
should formulate their conclusion# in a re
spectful manner to congress, not cringingly,
but yet not as a rebellious child. "Meet
the congressmen respectfully,” he said, “and
tell them what we want, and they will
treat us honorably.” It would be well to
think earnestly before taking action on the
proposition.
Senator Roden Grilled
He was sorry a certain senator, without
consulting the people, had taken it upon
flimself to state that we did not want a
government railroad. We do want a gov
ernment railroad, he said, and we want a
government postoffice, government-dredged
Elvers,, government-owned telegraph, etc.,
“and some of us patriots want government
jobs.” “We want the pork barrel shut at
the other end and open at our end,” said
he, and his remarks were greeted with
laughter.
He believed that Senator Roden had mis
represented the people, and would approve
the resolution denouncing him if he were
here to answer, but not otherwise. (Ap
plause.)
"The Tall Tamarack” Advises Deliberation
A. E. Maltby, in his opening remarks, said
that A!askan9 were too prone to accept the
first thing thrust at them in the way of
remedial measures. He would advise against
haste in approving the bill for a develop
ment board. It may be beneficial and may
not. If men were appointed on the board
who were unacquainted with Alaska and
its needs, as to what roseurces support the
country, and came here and set up an of
fice, the first thing necessary would be for
them to spend considerable time in making
a trip over the territory to learn something
about it. The men appointed on the com
mission should be thoroughly acquainted
with the country, and not be compelled ,
to gain their knowledge after their ap- \
pointment. We want honest men on the
commission, not men controlled by corpora
tions, not men who will take the positions
in order to be able to loot the territory he
said. If the commission is instituted, the
legislature goes by the board. Which do
you want? he asked. We should not be in
a hurry to place the resources in the hands
of three men, but should consider the men
who handle the pick and shovel. Dwelling
on the danger to the territory of putting
men on such a commission who are not
acquainted with Alaska, he cited a recent
editorial in The Pioneer on the ignorance
displayed by a Boston daily newspaper on
the subject. Taking up the subject of the
Alaska railroad, he said government owner
ship of railroads may be called socialism,
or anything you like, but I’m for it. We
warn gUYcruLueui uwuciouijj ui au ^uuug
utilities, he declared. Speaking in deroga
tion of the territorial mining law, he said
he would venture the assertion that not
one man in the hall could go out and stake
a claim according to law. The best thing
would be to abolish the Roden law. Under
the old federal law, known as the Wicker
sham law, any man could stake without
mistake. His only objection was to the
association and power of attorney clauses.
He advocated the repeal of these clauses
and that men be prohibited from staking
more than one claim on any one creek.
Mr. Maltby severely condemned the ac
tion of the seven senators in informing Sec
retary Lane that the people of Alaska were
opposed to the administration's railroad bill,
and favored the passage of the resolution
asking them to meet and adjourn. He con
sidered the action of these men as a slap
in the face of the people and an insult to
their intelligence. He also said he believed
the territorial mining law was passed for
the benefit of the Guggenheim interests in
Alaska. He advised his hearers in staking
claims to follow the provisions of the
old law.
Mr. Maltby indorsed the views of Secre
tary Lane on the leasing of coal lands in
Alaska, which he said was the most im
portant question before us at the present
tome. He lauded President Wilson, and
compared him to Lincoln. He always had
been a Republican, but his “foot was slip
ping rapidly." He reminded his hearers,
however, that the first real recognition of
Alaska had been by Republican President
Taft.
Resolutions Defeated
After a further brief discussion of the
mining law by Mr. Moody, a motion was
made to adopt the resolution indorsing the
plan of Secretary Lane for a development
board, and it was defeated, oply a small
portion of those present voting. No mo
tions were matte for the adoption of the
remaining resolutions.
After the adoption of a vote of thanks
to the various speakers, the meeting ad
journed.
INCIDENTS DURING DEBATE
ON ALASKA RAILROAD BILL
Washington, Feb. 20.—The debate in con
gress on the Alaska railroad bill disclosed
the fact that the majority were in favor of
the development of the Northland.
The presence in Washington of Maurice
D. Leehey, Will H. Parry, Charles G. Heif
ner and J. L. McPherson, representing the
Alaska bureau of the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce, had an excellent effect. The
men took hold of the work with great vigor
and many senators who had been indiffer
ent or mildly antagonistic to the Alaska
bill became its ardent supporters.
Exhibit Is Interesting
The Alaska exhibit in the senate office
building, with its display of minerals, farm
products, transparencies and moving pic
tures, has been a point of interest. The
achievement of Mr. McPherson in obtain
ing a committee room for the exhibit is
unusual under the rules of the senate. It
was brought about through an agreement
with Senator Lee Overman that the ex
hibit was for the benefit of members of
congress and their friends. This generous
list of spectators, of course, included every
body who was likely to be interested at all
in Alaska.
Seattleites in Galeries
One of the features of the debate was
the presence of numerous Seattleites in the
galleries during the debate in the senate.
One day the group of Seattle citizens in
cluded Fred T. Fischer, who is on his way
home from the Bermudas; Mr. and Mrs.
Clark Davis, J. W. Phillips, Falcon Joslin,
D. A. McKenzie, Mr. and Mrs. John E.
Ballaine, Captain J. S. Gibson. Mr. and
Mrs. D. E. Skinner, Charles G. Heifner,
Maurice D. Leehey and It. H. Royal.
In the house the notable event of the
debate was the speech of James Wicker
sham, delegate from Alaska. Mr. Wicker
hsam spoke for more than five hours, cov
ering every phase of the situation and an
swering a running fire of questions. Rep
resentatives Ferris and Davenport, who
signed the minority report opposing the
Alaska bill, led in the cross-examination of
the Alaska delegate. His answers were so
clear and informing that many friends were
won over to the side of Alaska.
Gave Hard Facts
Only once or twice did Mr. Wickersham
indulge in rhetorical flights; mostly he de
voted his attention to giving hard facts con
cerning the North. In describing the sum
mer in the Tanana valley he said:
“During May, June, July and August, the
summer season of the Tanana, the whole
earth is ablaze with the glory' of the solsti
! cial sun. During that period th j Tanana
valley has more hours of sunshine than
sunny California, and more hours of turn
mer than Ohio or any other state in the
Union. The gardeners and farmers are at
work early and late, crops grow vigor
ously in the long hours of sunshine and
heat, and the valleys, the birch clad hills
and the mountains of the Northland respond
to the magic touch of the life giving sun
light.”
Saving to People
One interesting feature of Judge Wicker
sham’s speech related to the saving which
the proposed railroad would bring about
for the people of the Yukon valley. The
data was prepared by Maurice D. Leehey.
Basing his calculations on the report of
Dr. Alfred H. Brooks, Mr. Leehey showed
that 30,000 tons of freight delivered in the
Yukon valley cost $8,000,000 in freight
charges. The report emistates that half of
this would be saved by a railway rate of
10 cents per ton mile. With no allowance
for the saving in passenger traffic, or the
saving to the government for carrying mails
or quartermaster supplies, the amount
saved to the people of the Yukon would
retire the $40,000,000 bonds proposed for
•the railroad in eleven years.
Cleanliness is loveliness. Through this
comes our power with others. The redo
lence of health is like fresh morning air.
The Crosby Massage and Bath Parlors.
fOR SALE—Two dogs. Apply J. C. Cur- j
rin. at Wireless station. I
FAIR-SIZED NUGGET FOUND
ON GAINES CREEK CLAIM
Harry Sheppard, who left here on March
22 for Takotna and Ophir, returned to the
city Wednesday evening, accompanied by
William Acheson and family, who had been
on a visit to Takotna. They left Takotna
Wednesday afternoon and traveled as far
as Smith’s roadhouse, about twenty-eight
miles, that day, and on Thursday they came
through to Iditarod, a distance of about
seventy miles.
During Mr. Sheppard’s stay at Ophir a
nugget valued at $650 w’as picked up on
No. 2 above, Gaines creek, ground belonging
to Sankey & Mackey. Mr. Sankey picked
it up from the creek bottom. It is said to
be the largest ever discovered in the Innoko
district. The largest previous nugget was
valued at $500. and was found some four
or five years ago by Bill Hunter.
WHY
Have your freight hauled over the trail from
Dikeman? Steamer Teddy H. makes a so
ciality of freighting on high water, and will
make a trip, river permitting, before the
15th of May. For rates apply on board.
Adams House
FIRST ST.. IDITAROD
Clean, Warm Rooms, Gas-Lighted. The
Only First-Class Horse and Dog
Stables in Town
A Fine Dog Team to Rent
Free Library and Reading Room
Salmon for the Dog Mushers
THE FINEST
WINES AND LIQUORS
SERVED AT
BACOY’S SALOON
DISCOVERY, OTTER
MAX SIMEL,
DISKAKET AND CRIPPLE CITY
Big Stocks, Standard Goods
Gasoline and Lubricating Oil
Good Roadhouse in Connection
Best of Everything
ALL THE TIME AT THE
Stanley Cafe
FLAX CITY
Open Day and Night
CLEMONS & KOON
Portrait and View
Photographers
FLAT CITY
Phono B«»h«
REGINA
HOTEL
All Rooms Heated by Furnace
Warm Doj and Horto Stabloi
Placa to Cook Food
NOW LOCATED
ON THE WINTER TRAIL
SUMMIT
ROADHOUSE
Meals All Hours. '
Liquors and Cigars
Tel: “Summit Roadhouse."
Good dog team for rent.
Bank Cafe
Best Meek for the Money
CURLY ROBINSON, Prop. FLAT CITY