Our Resources.
Speech of J. L. Hteole at Senator
ial Hfingiiii , *. , •
* * io tlie eastward along tlie
Const some 120 mites from Valdft,
and just ut the mouth of the Cop
jht river, lies the great Kayak oil
field#. Prospecting for petroleum
has lieen carried on for thre or four
years in a desultory way. hut not
until list year were any satisfac
tory »caul U obtained. In August.
1S02, however, a gush'er was struck
and petroleum, equalling in puritv
and market value that produced in
l ennsyl vania and Ohio, spouted
out of the ground to a height of fit)
feet. More .than IOO.OUO acres
have lieen located in the past 12
months in this oil field, and pros
pecting is being carried on in u
much larger wuy than heretofore,
and the Kayak oil fields most cer
tainly have a very promising fu
ture. Just back of these oil -lands
a large body of very good coal has
been found which bids fair to rival
that of British Columbia.
On this side of the Copper river,
rear its mouth are two large sal
mon canneries that pack each year
from 00,000 to lOO.UOO cases.
Along the const frcm the mouth
of the Copper river to Valdez a
distance of some 90 miles, many
copper deposits have been located.
One of these is now shipping ore
at the rate of about 500 tons per
month to the smelters 1400 miles
distant. ,
As I must be brief, I will ask
you to leave the coast and come
with me to the interior and view
the great Copper river valley.
We will start at the head of the
Bremner river, where gold was dis
covered in 1901, and cross over to
to the head of the Chittyna, thence
to the Chititu, Nizina, Chistochina,
Gokona, Delta and Shushitna
rivers. Gold is found on all these
streams. We have been following
the contour of the Alaskan range
on the southern slope for a dis
of about 300 miles in length, and,
allowing 10 miles ns the modest
width of this gold belt, that gives
os on area of 3,000 square miles of
placer country in this small portion
of this great land. But let me ask
where else in any land where floats
the stars and stripes can you dup
licate it? Let us proceed:
A little higher up in the mount
ains lies the copjier belt that has
been so well described to you by
other speakers this evening, and
allow me to say that if the claim
owners are able to realize one hun
dredth part of their expectations,
and judging from surface indica
tions I do not believe they are
r building many air castles, there
-will be developed in the Copper
• river valley producing properties
.that will make such mines as Ana
conda and Calumet and Hecla
pale into insignificance, and the
Copper river valley will produce as
much copper as all the rest oi tha
world combined.
Below the placer belt, and in
valley proper, lies the agricultural
lands that have been so well dis
.cribcd to you by others, covering
in extent from 20,000 to 25,000
square miles of territory, and rich
as is to be found in any country.
To quote from an army Captain
that spent 2 years in the country:
“If you had a few acres of this
land in New England or Middle
Btales you could sell it by the
pound for fertilizer.” While this
may be a little strong emanating
from one who might be over en
thused, still when we take the of
ficial statements from such men
as Prof. C. C. Georgeson, we must
conclude that the agricultural pos
sibilities are such that the Copper
river valley will be and is capable
of sustaining the army of miners,
prospectors, machinists and all
Much labor as are necessary to de
velop its great mines.
With all these natural resources
in such abundance our greatest
need is that of transportation.
Let the congress of the United
Btates appropriate the necessary
money to make the Trans-Alaskan
Military road, a road in truth as
well as in name. As this road
now exists it is only a well defined
trail, with occasionally a bridge
that is fast falling into decay for
lack of funds to keep it in repair.
The road, where it has been
cleared at all, is fast growing up
with rank vegetation of the coun
try, and may be favorably com
pared with an eastern cow path.
Give us a wagon road, and the
hardy pioiieer will soon develop
this couutry to such an extent
that “Seward’s Polly” will become
an empire so rich, and so thickly
populated with the best blood of
America, and citizenship will
raise to so high a standard, that
our people will la» proud to rise up
on all occasions and proclaim that
they are Alaskans.
There is a licence tax imposed
on every line of mercantile or
manufacturing business carried on
in Alaska, and every dollar(except
in incorporated towns) goes into
the general treasury of the United
platen Lust winter some 'large
\
hearted member of congress intm
duced a hill, and it was passed
and I as-a use a lajr, allowing the
intor|Miraled towns to keep what
belonged to them. What muni
ficence! Is there any other |sir
tion of God’s green foot stool where
flies the stars and stripes, the flag
we dearly love—Yes, Alaskans!
love it-as well as tlmse who live in
more favored localities—Is there
any other |>orli»n of the United
Mates where the people are strugl*
ing for an existence; enduring the
hardships of the pioneer, trying to
Iwitter their conditions, trying to
open up a great country, hut suf
fering from an iniquitous license
tax that is paid yearly into the
general treasury of the United
States?
Each year there is a pamphlet
issued by the treasury department
entitled Commercial Alaska.
In the last issue they point with
pride to the revenue paid into the
treasury from struggling Alaska,
showing a balance to our credit of
$2*9,000 annually. What we
want is congress to return to us
what is rightfully ours, to assist
us in opening up this great and
glorious Northland, by appropriat
ing Alaska’s money for Alaska’s
needs. Give us a wagon road
from the gateway, Valdez, to Eagle
on the Yukon, and we will carve
out one, two or three great states
from this northern Empire, that
will ho a credit to our glorious
country and the pride of our
posterity.
You have been told to-night, sen
ators, that we want a delegate to
congress. We certainly do. And
we want to elect him ourselves.
The American people are a patient
and long-suffering people, but we
remember the lessons taught us as
little children, and one was, That
Americans had at least the right to
be heard through their representa
tives; another was, That taxution
without representation was tyran
ny. Now. we ask you in all fair
ness, don’t these sayings apply as
much to-day as they did in 1776?
Give us American road through all
American territory, and a delegate
to congress. These things we de
mand as American citizens, and
as honest men we can accept no
less.
Agricultural Possibilities.
Prof. Georgeson, superintendent
of Experimental Agricultural Sta
tion in Alaska, in reply to an in
quiry made by the chamber of com
merce as to his opinion of the Cop
per river valley agricultural possi
bilities, stated that “After a thor
ough investigation of a large ;*or
tion of the valley, that there is at
least 15,000 square miles of agricul
tural lands in the Copjwr river val
ley. The land being mostly cover
ed with timber, a large portion of
which has been burnt over making
it very cheap and easy for settlers
to prepare the land for crops. The
soil is generally a black loam,with
gravel subsoil in most places near
the river. Hack from the rivers
the subsoil is mostly that of clay.
“All kinds of hardy vegetables
and grasses can lie raised success
fully there every season, and all
small grains of a hardy nature can
be raised with success three
out of four years.
“The valley has a beautiful clim
ate, not too much rain in the sum
mer and a light snowfall; the wind
never blowing with the thermome
ter below zero, making it an ideal
stock country when winter feed is
provided, although horses have
done well even without being win
ter fed.
Copper river valley is capable of
supporting hundreds of thousands
of people in comfort by agriculture,
providing adequate facilities could
be bad from the coast for about 100
miles. A good wagon road con
structed from Valdez to Copper
Center would enable the settler to
transport his machinery, provi
sions, Ac. from the sea to his farm
in the Copper river valley.
▲boat The Indians.
Rev Cram epoke on what the
government owes to the Copper
River Indians. He dwelt on the
way in which the white man had
encroached upon the territory of
the natives, was driving their gan.e
from the country and preventing
the fish from running up the
streams. He showed that if the
government did not make some
provision for issuing rations to the
Indians they would soon be with
out means of obtaining a living.
After scoring Major Abercrombie
for refusing to feed destitute na
tives, he summed up with the
statement that the government
owed the natives, first, a living;
second, protection of their personal
rights; and third, the means of
securing a -higher education if they
wish it, and urged that such edu
cational institution he placed at
Valdes.
Territorial Government.
This subject wns ably handled by
A. \\ . Korhfonl. He gave as argu
I ntents fur territorial government :
; A (termnnent population of 30.000.
j ‘‘who are the very choicest picking
from every state and territory in
the l nion;” a revenue now going
to the government annually of
••VW.OOO, of which only 9150.000 a
year is expended on Alaska; the
imputation not scattering; the coast
and Yukon points, all easily acces
sible, living the onlv inhabited jmr
tions of the district. He compared
Alaska to Oregon when the latter
was made a territory, and summed
up as follows:
“But while we feel pretty capable
of governing ourselves, Congress,
should it make a territory of the
district, should deal with us as lili
erallv as jmssible. \Ve are carving
an empire from a bleak wilderness,
and feel that we deserve every pos
sible aid from the federal govern
ment.”
■ore Pay For Soldier*.
In his forthcoming annual re
port, Secy. Root will call attention
to the injustice in denying troops
serving Alaska concessions that
are made soldiers serving in the
Philippines, Hawaii and Porto
Rico. The laws and regulations
allow double time for payment for
service in the tropics, but nothing
extra is allowed for service in
Alaska. Secretary Root recognizes
the Northern service, especially at
many isolated posts, as especially
nrduous, and urge double time
allowance for them.
John McCrary, expert horseshoer
and blacksmith, is prepared to do
all kinds of blacksmithing at Cop
per Center.
Wqpd is expensive on Slate creek.
Get your meals cooked for II. per
day by Jepson and you will need
no wood.
For Elaterite Roofing see McGil
licuddy.
Prospectors I! Inters
Will mhvc their freight an<l expense of
handling by purchasing their
supplies ai the atorea of
H. M. WETMERBEE,
KENAI AND KUSSILOFF
COOK INLET.
Full line of
General Merchandise
CLOTHIN<i, HARDWARE,
l‘ROVI8IO.\8. ETC.
OEO. 5. HEARNS, Agt
KENAI, ALASKA.
COPP“R
If you arc interested in Copper as a Miner.
Smelter, Owner, Pro*|*ector, Promoter, Specu
lator or Investor, you need the Copper Hand
hook. The I9U5* edition, just out, give* new ami
full chapter* on the History, Geology, Chem
istry, Mineralogy, Metallurgy and l'sen of Cop
per, with a chapter devoted solely to statistics,
ami covering the entire subject of Copper “like
a blanket.” The longest chapter in tite book
is devoted to the description* of mines, and
there are
2,207 Copper Mines
Listed mid described ill this book—all the cop
per mines inthe world—the description* rang
ing from a few Hues to ten pages, according to
impottance. The bonk has fisr_* octave pages,
in brevier type, and is beautifnllr and strongly
bound, with gilt toot. Price is in Imckram
and I7.5U in full library morocco It will be
sent to any address ordered, fully prepaid,
without a cent in advance, on the understand
ing that it will Im- kept anil paid for if satisfac
tory, or returned within a week after received.
If ft docs not suit for any reason whatsoever
If you want a copy on tiiese terms, which arc
tlie most liberal ever offered by any publisher,
■■lease order NOW from the author and pule
fisher, HORACE J. STEVENS. 2 LEE BLOCK,
HOUUHTON, MICH.. l\ S. A.
Alaska’s Official Directory.
Governor— John G. Braily.
Surveyor General and Kx-Offlcio Secretary—
Win. L. Distin.
Chief Clerk—Geo. Slowell.
U. 8, Judges—Melville C. Brown, Diet. No. 1,
•eat at Juneau; Judge Moore, Dist.'No. 2, scat at
Nome; James Wickersham. Dist. No. 3, scat at
Kagle.
U. 8. Attorneys—K. A. Friedrich. Dist. No. 1;
F. Griggsby, Dial No. 2; N. V. Harlan, Dlst. 3
Clerk—District No. t, W. J. Hills, Dist. No. 2,
Geo. Borschenius, Dlst. No. 3. A. R. Hcilig.
C. 8. Marshals—James M. Shoup, Dist. No. 1;
Frank L. Richards, Dist. No. 2; G. C. Perry,
Dist. No. 3.
Commissioners—Edward de Grog, Sitka; H.
H. Folsom, Juneau; F. P. Tustin, Ft. Wrangell;
L. R. Woodward, Cualaaka; P. Gallagher, Ko
diak; J J Rogers, 8ksgway;C K Clay pool, Circle
City; L. B. Shepard,St. Michael; 8ol Rlpinsky,
Haines Mission: K.Stackpole, Ketchikan; U. M.
Irwin, Douglas; J. H. Brownlow,Sunrise; John
Lyons, Valdes, Carl M. Johanson, Ragle; 8. M.
GraR, Forty Mtle.J Llndley Green, Rampart;
D. A. McKenate, Cokifoot; C. H. Klegg, Kush
agak; James R. Saunders, Chisna.
U. 8. Land OIRcera—Register, John W.
Dudley.
Receiver—P. Mullen.
Deputy U.8. Marshals—Dlst. No. 1. special.
W. Li. McNair, J. W. Snook, Skagway; J. P.
Campbell, Sitka; K. F. Kelly, Juneau; Wm. D.
Grant, WrSngsl; W. HU1, Douglas Island;
Cbas. Dreibilbls, Valdes; Lewis L. Bowgrs,
Kodiak: Peter Niaaon, Porcupine; A. Shoup,
Ketchikan; J. p. KeyitohDon, Kagle. J
Zubog, Killisuoo, John K. Richards, Cualaaka
: CHURCHES SOCIETIES ETC.
EvfiFAVOK CoRO. Chi rch—Cor.
Glacier Avenue and Ilnl.art
i Street.* Kev. I». \V. Cram, Pastor.
1 Services every Sunday at 10:.'til a.
ni. and S p. ni. Prayer meetingl
Wednesday night. Christian En
deavor Society min ts Sunday even
ing at 7 o’noek. Melvin IXempsey,
President
ClIfRCT OF THE KpTPHAXY—Cor.
Glacier Avenue nnd Hobart
Street. Services on Sunday at 11
a. m. and 8 p. m. Rev. F. S. Tay
lor, Rector.
OrofuofAi.aska Moose, Pioneer'
Tint Xo. 1. Meet in tiieir own
Hull on Ki ser
vation Avenue,
* every Thursday
’ evening at 8
o’clock. A. J.
I Adams. Ruling
tSi>irit; Chas. li.
Wulff, Keene,
of Wa Wa.
Knights ok Pythias Ci.rn—W.
A. Rvstrom, Pros., W. E. Bonschor.
Soc. Moots 1st and ltd Monday of
eaoh month in club rooms over
Slmw & Williams.
Vai.i>kz Masonic Ci.ub —
* Moots every Wednesday ev
ening at the U. 8. Court
Room, at 8 o'clock. J. \V. Lenlj,
President; C. H. Gibson,Secretary.
Brotherhood nr Alaska Pioneers.
L. Berg, Chief, Arthur Roh^al,
Secretary. {.>■
Headqnarters, Afognak, Alaska.
Valdez Odd Fellow's
i Cum—Meets everv
Friday evening in clul»
rooms. A. K. Heilig, Pres.; P. S.
Hunt, Sec’y.
VALDEZ MT t TITIE (0.
Complete abstracts of title
to all mineral unci other
claims in the Valdez Min
ing district, including the
Prince William Sound,
Copjier River, Chistuchi
na and the Chisna dis
tricts.
Mads EuniisW to Yalta
Tovd Lots
■
Valdez, Alaska
WHERE
sc ? Who?
STOP
Everyone From Valdez.
AT THE
FRANKLIN
OF COURSE.
Only First Class European Hotel in
JUNEAU.
John T. Spickett Proprietor
lie northwestern Line
Operates the finest trains in the
world every day in the year, be
tween
Minneapolis,
St Paul,
Chicago,
Milwaukee,
OMAHA and KANSAS CITY,
making direct connections with
through trains for all points East
and South.
As cheap as the cheapest and the
l»est to he had. For rates or reser
vations, call or write,
F. W. PARKER, General Agent,
151 Yesler Way, Seattle.
vaidcz mm
Bread, Cake, Pies
FRESH DAILY.
All Kinds of Cake To Order.
John Walters, Prop.
Valdez -House
Newly mid Elegantly Furnished. K,r-M,:a-«
in Every Particular. Rest Heated Lion*- »>
Alaska. Ofliee, Beading Room aiul Parlor in Con
nection. P. P.A N. Co. Office in Building. C. 8.
Telegraph Office next door. Half Block from
Post-office.
J. H. Fielding, Prop.
Notice
To Miners and Prospectors.
On May 1st Tin- NIZ1XA TRADING COMPANY
will erect a large handsome store in the rich N’izina
Mining Camp, containing a $60,000 stock of General
Merchandise, Hardware, etc., which they will dis
pose of at the lowest jmssildc figure, as their
freighting train, consisting of 1<N) horses and sleds,
will enable them to take their goods into the
interior at a very small cost.
For further particulars see M. Hass, at the
Valdez House.
Nazina Trading Co.
Herman Meyer,
__ General Manager
C E. BOQAR&US
Assayer and Chemist
Gold and Silver $1.00 Gold Silver and Copper $2.50
60 Coi.u Min a St., Skatti.k, Wash.
WM. WORKMAN P. MACNKSON
Workman’s Road House
First roadhouse built on Government
Trail. Can accomodate 50 people, L - lar-je
warm barn for 20 horses arid I tj iart* ,.
for dogs, (iooit meals and i v* rytliii:_r ih
musber desires.
Twenty Miles From Valdez.
“Our Road Mouse.”
At Foot of Summit on Route to Interior. Best Ac
comodations for Man and Beast. Freighting to all
Points Contracted for. Address Valdez,
21 Miles If rom \ uldez. Good pasture fenced.
WILSON, DAVISON & LITTLE, Pkoi MtlKTOltB.
THE COTTONWOOD INN
On Tasnuna Trail, at Cottonwood Camp, 45 Miles Krom
Valdez and 25 Miles form Workman’s Roadhouse. All
Accommodations for Man or Beast.
WORTMAN and MAGXESOX, Proprietors.
C. DEBORD J. GRIFFITH STEPHENS
Copper River Trading Post
AND FERRY.
Junction of Copper River and the Tonsina River. ROAD
HOUSK Prospector's Supplies and Storage. The most centrsllv lo
cated Roadhouse and Supply Post in the Copper River Watershed
TARAL ROADHOUSE
April 1st we will open a comfortable Inn and Roadhouse at Taral
at the head of Wood’s Canyon, near the mouth of the Chittyna, and on
the new short cut summer trail known as the "Saff” trail to the Nizina
upper Chittyna, Tana ami liremner country. Leaving the government
trail at Kimball pass, it strikes the Copper river at Taral. (lood trail,
tiood boats to cross the river and good trail up Hanngita valley.
WHEATON and W1D.MAIER.
/