VOLUME 4, NO. 10 __VALDEZ. ALASKA. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1904. OFFICIAL CITY PAPER.
Commence On ToJ>
with
A STETSON MAT
Newest Styles
latest Sha|>es
Just Arrived
*-• ECVV ro
--— C°°d <fOOrf» _U*
Valdez drug company
Wholesale and Retail Druggists
AND DEALERS IX
Periodicals and Photo Supplies
Save Your Coupons, j
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 NIZ1SA.
PRICES ARE
RIGHT
Wholesale and
Retail Dealers
HIVE us a
CALL
Beef, Mutton, Pork
Poultry and Game.
Will Operate Coal Mlae.
W. G. Wharf, of Beldovia, was a
passenger on the James Dollar. He
is returning to his coal pro}*-rty,
and will do extensive work on it
this season. He brings a large
barge knocked down, which will be
used for loading the steamers with |
coal. The mine is almost at the'
water’s edge and was worked many
years ago when undtr Russian rule'
Mr. Wliarf now has contracts
tiu»t will keep him busy all season
shipping coal, and lie will land on
the ground fully equip]**] for im
mediate operations.
Mall Contracts 1^
The contract for carrying mail
between Seattle and Nome and
other points in that section of Al
aska for the season of 1904 has
been awarded to tin Northwestern
Commercial Company, the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company and the
White Star Steamship Companp.
These companies receive a com
pensation of four cents jier pound
each way for such an amount of
mail as each is given for transpor
tation. The White Star company
agrees to carry maiL, if necessary
on thirteen round-trip voyages, the
Pacific Coast company cn nine and
the Northwestern Commercial oom
juiuy on sixteen.
From White River.
Nick Meckem Returns After
Spending A Tear On
White.
Nick Meckem returned town last
week from White river, where he
has spent about a year trapping and
prospecting..
He left here last spring sad wea t
to White via Xizina. He claims to
have found fair surface prospects
and would return with an outfit il
it was not so late. Joe Lamb, of
Valdez and tour men from Selkirk
are still on the ground, where they
will spend the season.
Air. Meckem was on White river
during the rush from Dawson,
which was caused by a man named
Montgomery, who will be remem
bered by some of our citizens as a
one tims resident of Valdez, an
nouncing that he had found $20 to
the pan. _
Railroad Bills.
The senate committee on terri
tories authorized a favorable report
on a bill extending the time for
the construction of the Western
Alaska Construction company’s
railroad, which is to extend from
Solomon to Council City. The
company has expended #600,000
and completed ten miles of road.
The committee rejected the reso
lution extending the time far the
construction of the Akron, Sterling
A Northern railroad, far the rea
son that the company has had the
franchise far a number of years
and has net proceeded with the
osnstroction An adverse report
also will be made on the hill au
thorising a subsidy to the Valdez,
Copper Jtiver A Xanana railway.
W7e are in receipt of reliable in
formation to the effect that the
hark Bertha, of Antwerp, k now
en route to Valdez with a cargos#
rails from that place. Mail for
the captain of the hark k now here
awaiting his arrivaL
The hoat should reach here some
time in May, and it is more than
likely that railroad construction
will Lx^iu Lhk season by June 1.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
AGREES ON
0000 Tor Survey
Money For Construction Mcy Tet
Me Appropriated. Survey
This Summer.
1
_ 1
The conference committee ha*
withdrawn the appropriation of
$250,000 for Valdez wagon road,
and has agreed on $25,000 for sur
vey of the route. Melson will try
to get appropriation for construc
tion through on general deficiency
bill.
The following telegrams to Al.
White cxjiain the condition of af
fairs regarding the road:
Washington, April 18.—Senate
oouferees on army appropriation
hill, after holding out two weeks,
announced to the senate to-day
that they had receded from the
amendment appropriating $250,000
for Valdez-Eagle wagon road. The
house and senate conferees agree to
inseTt provision granting $25,000
for the survey of the Valdez-Eagle
route, and $2,500 for the survey
of the proposed route from the Yu
kou U> Coldfsot. Surveys to he
made during the coming summer.
Senator Nelson got sv further in
formal agreement to have amend
ment made to tlie general deficiency
hill appropriating a sum of money
not yet specified for beginning the
work of actual construction of Val
dez-Eagle road.
The general deficiency bill passed
congress to-day. Tke senate will
undoubtedly pass Senator Nelson's
amendment. But whether the
house conferees will accept when
the bill .goes to conference is uncur
tain.
Washington, April 20.—Senate
added Ote conference report to the
army appropriation bill this after
noon, which passes. The measure
carries with it $25,000 to survey
Valdez-Eagle wagon road and also
$2,500 to survey Coldfoot trail.
The result is a great victory for
Alaska’s friends. Had it not been
for presidential year the entire ap
propriation would have been made.
1m Men Missa:
Lost On Trail Between Fairbanks
and Valdes.
Last December two men with a
sled and three large malamute dogs
left JPairbanks to come to Valdez,
and nothing has been seen of them
since.
They took the usual route up the
Tanana and Delta. It was on the
last river that the men were lost,'
as Uus Lang, who spent the winter
trapping in Use Delta country re
ports having seen the track of some
men and dogs as they turned irom
the Delta river up a tributary
known as Delta creek. Supposing
them to be oh a prospecting trip he
gave the matter no further consid
eration till he arrived in Valdez,
when he heard of the missing men.
Wttl Chmge the Name.
The ofhaezs of the Alaska Pacific
Navigation company will change
the name of the steamship James
Dollar to the &anta C'hra. The
vessel was formerly the John S.
Kimball, hut was renamed the
James Dollar after being placed on
1 the £eattle-San Francisco run.
1 About two months ago the Dollar
I was purchased by her present
| owners, and jt was then decided to
change her name, as other boats
| plying on the Pacific coast have
similar names, wluch isesult in oon
fnsitm
Bids for Valdes Cable.
Bids for about bOO miles of tele
graphic cable have been called for
by Gen. Greely. chief signal officer
of the army. This cable will lo
used to supply the last link in tin
Alaska military telegraph system |
betwoon .Sitka and Valdez. The'
bills ware to be ojiened at tlu- war
deportment on the 1'JtJi of thi>
month.
The advertisement was issued on
the assumption slu t the reiptired
appropriation of #321,ofSO w ill be
made in the pending army bill, and
as this item has been agreed to by
the ciwifcrence committee of the two
houses there is no doubt tliat tin
funds will become available at an
early date. The laying of tin* Sit
ky-Seattle cable will he completed
in the coming summer, and -lien.
Greeley hopes tliat the stretch of j
t>00 miles between Sitka and Val
dez can be closed up before tin
storms come next fall.
English Capital for Valdez
New Steamship Line from Seattle,
-Am# GeneraXfer Large
Investments.
W ashixgtox, April 2.—A new
line of fast steamships between Se
attle and \ aldez, anil the exten
sive development of the territory
in the vicinity of the last named
port is an immediate prosjieet. A
party of gentleman interested in
various lines of business at and
near Valdez, sailed front Yew York
for London to-day to close up ne-1
gotiations with English capitalists, j
whereby the Latter will invest fully
$5,000,000 in development of Alas- J
ka, near Valdez, and install a new J
steamship lino between the two
points.
It is the intention of the com
pany to plfte at least two vessels
in commission the Doming season
aaid with this end in view two large j
steamships now lying at Yew York,
which mare built within the past;
two years for ithe IVest India fruit
trade, will he purchased and fitted
up Lmmediatly.
It is expected tliat they will be
ready to sail from Sew Yark about
April 15, leaving Seattle about
June 15.
From Fairbanks in Sixteen Days.
Stephen Card, of Fairbanks, was
another musher who, desiring to
reach the States at an early date,
came out over the trail to Valdez.
He made the journey in 16 days
and claims that it is by far the
shortest, quickest and most inex
pensive route either to or from
Fairbanks. There are no high di
vides to cross until the coast range
is reached. Mr. Card will return
to his claims early in the summer.
Nizina Roceiwer.
Judge Wickarstiam has appoint
ed M. Maxwell retieivur of the
Kiziua Trading •company, a corpor
ation .allied to the'Chyttitu Devel
opment company, organized a year
*tgo by Itobt. ftlei, J. D. Meenach
and others. The liabilities are giv
•en as #35,000 aud it said that the
assets will not exceed 910,000.
Congress will probably adjourn
about May 1.
Waslusosex, April 19.—The Sit
ka-Fort Lkcum cable will land at
Valdez. _
A strong 4ght is being made in
Washington against the reappoint-1
ment of Judge Wickereiiam. by the 1
McKenzie crowd. Judge Johnson
is also opposed.
Wash kotos, April 19.—Recom
mendatione Alaska judgeshi|>* are
much tangled. Petitions for Wiek
trshain’s ap|«ointme»t msdlict with
those of ex-Mayur Muiuus.of Se
attle.
(IIITITIM OPfllS
EAREY SPRING IN THE IN
TERIOR.
Several Outfits Studi
River Broke Up April 14. Soft
"Weather All Over The
Valley.
Tovsiw, Aj»ril Isth.—Chittyna
went out on the fourteenth. Fish,
Hazelett, Thorp and Finch were
caught the break up and sus
tained some loss. Frazer and De
laney lost everything,
The foregoing telegram to the
ISiossKiTou was the first news re
ceived of the hreak-up in the in
terior. I lie news has been verified
by later messages giving more par
ticulars.
It is staled that the Chittvna
"rose” ten feet in as many minutes.
There is some doubt as to whether
Nizinu broke or not. .hut if it did
all the outfits on the river, includ
ing tiro. Baldwin and the If ■iiaiiza
crowd are stuck.
At the time of the break-up Os
ear J1 h.h was at McCarthy’s cabin
• >n Chittyna; Hazelett outfit was
fnUT miles In*low on oji|H.hisc side
of the river. They lost some of
their goods. Finch and Thorp
were at the mouth of the Kotsina.
Iwo Swedes, names not given, lost
half their outfit.
It appears that the recent soft
weather has caused a break-up aU
over the valley.
Geo. Harriett and ^Ray Larson
returning with horses, are stuck at
Teikled) canyon, and can’t move.
Hubbard outfit is at Tonsina hill.
Geo. Esterly en Tensina. Many of
the Slate crook people are stuck at
Gakoua.
This is the earliest break-up ever
known in the valley, and will ne
cessitate packing on the part of
many bound for Xizina. Those for
Slate ■will jeobably reach the camp
all right. Every year they have
the same trouble at Gakona long
la-fore the upper river breaks up.
Will Build At Once
Wickersham Orders Work Te
Start Immediate
ly.
The following telegram was re
ceived Ly E. A. Henderson, and
sIkjw-b that Judge Wickersham will
not slop the business of the dis
trict in anticipation of legislation.
Fairbanks, April 18.—Have
instructed Marshal Perry to pro
ceed with work on court house and
jail as rapidly as the public inter
est will justify. I shall go to the
mines tomorrow and will he there
nearly a week.
Jas. Wukkrsiiam.
Called Back.
J. McCarty, who lately left here
in company with Geo. Esterly, in
tending to go to his copjier pro|»er
tice, upon arriving at Ernestine
received a telegram to return to
Seattle at once. His goods will lm
forwarded to fhe Xiziua. He re
turned "to town and departed on
the James Dollar.
During tlie winter McCarty wae
negotiating with some capitalists
for tlie sale of a |>orlion of lus large
holdings of copper claims on Nug
get eredk, Kuskaliiia, Keimecott
and other uroeks. Tlie call hack
means that the sale is perfected
and that Met;arty will return early
in June with 15 horses and a sea
son’s outfit, when he will go te
tlie mines and do assessment wurk.