VOLUME 3, NO. 7 - VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 24# 1904. OFFICIAL CITY PAPER.
V _ _
SJjrinO and Summer
Wear for Mien.
Having made alterations in our store we are now in a
position to show and display the largest line of men’s
Up-to-date Wear ever brought to Valdez. We have
just received
The Celebrated Acorn Brand Clothing
In the Latest Styles and Patterns. Equal in Fit and
Workmanship to the best Tailor Made Garments
The Cornell Top Coat
The Nobbiest Short Overcoat on the Market.
NEW TROUSERS NEW SHOES NEW NECKWEAR
[LEVY £» CO.
Good Goods.
Medicine for the trail
Snow glasses.
Location Notices.
P. O. PRIG STORE
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 w merchant’s CAFE.
PRICES ARE
RIGHT
Wholesale and
Retail (Valera
CIVE US A
CALL
Beef, Mutton, Pork
Poultry and Game.
Alaska's Plight.
Sen. Burnham, of New Hamp
shire, wants congress to establish
some sort of a land court in Alaska
to determine property rights l>e
yond dispute. He will probably
introduce a hill to this effect. Dur
ing the summer lie visited that ter
ritory. As he sums up tlie condi
tions there, “the situation is that a
man hardly dares to work a claim.
No sooner does he find pay dirt
than some one coines along and
says that he owns the claim.” Of
course such a state of affairs means
irritating litigation and litigation
in the territorial courts is so expen
sive that a poor man seldom tries
it and a rich man only with mis
giving. But the chance* arc, any
way, that in a year or so most of
these claims will peter out and be
worthless. Alaska is nearer played
out than most people realise.—Bos
ton Advertiser.
Hither the Boston paper mis
quoted Senator Burnham or else he
1 had a fit of mental aberration. Af
ter signing the report of the terri
1 torial committee, which speaks very
highly of the mining possibilities
of the country, for Burnham to
make such statements as he is cred
ited with above, would lead one to
' infer that he is slightly crazy or in
his dotage. He should remain in
! New Hampshire and confine his
investigations to side hill agricul
robleias.
_ To Cut Expenses.
TIh* new council has inaugurated
a policy of retrenchment in munic
ipal expenses, and Monday night
declared the offices of health officer
and city attorney vacant.
Some talk was had regarding
cutting out the street lights during
the summer, but no action was
taken.
The matter of appointment of
watchman and treasurer was dis
cussed, but no action was taken.
There are no applicants for treas
uryship, which will not be a paid
office this year. E. C. Hasey, W.
E. Vrooman and E. C. Weaver are
applicants for the position of watch
man, but there did not seem to be
any disposition ou tbe )iart of the
council to make a change in that
office at present.
A resolution was adopted pro
testing against the transferring of
liquor licenses from other points
in Alaska to Valdez. A copy was
directed given to the clerk of the
court.
The following standing commit
tees were ap|>ointed by the mayor:
Assessment and Collection of Taxes,
Blum, Edwards, White.
Fire Protection and Water Supply,
Quinn, Rystrom, Blum.
Streets, Sewerage awl Wharfage—
White, Quina, Edwards.
Public Health and Police Protec
tion—Rystrom, Quinn, Blum.
Finance and Claims—Blum,White,
Rystrom.
Elections and Printing — White,
Rystrom, Quinn.
Law and Ordinances — Edwards,
Blum, Rystrom.
Notice.
All persons are hereby warned
not to trap or bunt on Hoodoo is
land, Prince U’illiam Sound,Alaska
as I have this day, March 7. 1904,
stocked the same with blue foxes
for breeding purposes.
Walter R. Holland,
_Latouche.
Wrangell Active.
Toxsixa, March 21.— Wrangell is
buried under a blanket of ashes
and smoking profusely. Something
never before seen here.
WORK WILL BE STARTED AT
ONCE
Has Been Leased Tw Two Years
and Hydraulic Will Be
Installed.
This year will see the first placer
mining on an extensive scale done
,on this side of tlie coast range,
j The Lowe river projtcrty, twenty
, miles from Valdez has been leased
,to\Vm. Hawkins, an experienced
; hydraulic mining man from Idaho,
: for two years, and he k now mov
mg lumber and hose to the ground
and preparing to start work as soon
ns the snow leaves.
This pro]>erty was discovered and
located during May and June oi
last year, by C. J. Todd, E A.
,Craig and G. CL Wilson. Forty
seven claims were located, and the
‘ summer was speut in prospecting
the ground. At first a rocker was
used, and proved the ground was
rich enough to make a veritable
bonanza as a hydraulic. Later
1 some hose was secured and sluice
boxes put in. A test run was
made, when 107 yards, by actual
' measurement, were run through the
• boxes, and five ounces oi gold were
j cleaned up. Thi. gives a value of
about 80 cents a yard, wliiclr, eou
! sidering the ri/.e of the deposit and
the ease with which it Can be work
ed l»v hydraulic is very high grade
.travel.
The ground is located about three
miles above Wortman's roadhouse,
starting at the upper end of the
second canyon, and embracing all
the gravel deposits on both sides
of the stream down to the flat.
Water is easily obtained with plen
ty of fall; there is a good dump
and timber k abundant.
The property has been leased for
two years, for 25 per cent, of the
gross output, with the option of
buying at any time during the life
of the lease for $100,000.
It was too late when the deal
was closed to geJt machinery in for
this season, but next year there
will be at least two giants working
on the ground.
Good Sbushitna News
Returning Prospectors Tell Of A
Rich Strike..
Copper Center, Mar. 23.—Robt.
Coles arrived yesterday from ishu
shitna with news good enough to
start anybody out prospecting. In
company with Jacotieon they dis
covered and located a number of
•
claims not far from Valdez creek,
which, they say, will put Miller
gulch and Tacoma claims in the
shade. They thoroughly prospect
ed discovery on Valdez creek, and
confirm statement made by Mona
han’s party last falL Coles will
return from here with his season’s
outfit.
Mail for Shushina should he for
warded to Copper Center. Arrange
ments have beeu made with relia
ble party to start the first trip
April 15th and erery mouth there
after.
About one hundred people rested
up and took in the town yesterday.
They started up the Copper river
to-day loaded 3,000 pounds to the
horse. Trail fine. Government
party left this morning. The town
is booming. Judge Hoi man is busy.
MeNeer brothers and a dozen other
parties left this morning for Shu
shitna. White’s party arrived yes
terday.
Janies Fish left this morning for
Fairbanks on a tour of inspection
of the mail route, everybody is
making good time 0*1 the trail this
year—are month earlier than lust
year.
Valdez Stands Third
In Amount of Imports During
1903,
We are in receipt of a rejiort
from I). II. Jarvis, collector of cus
toms for Alaska, giving a detailed
list of imports to Alaska during
1903.
The report shows that the value
of domestic imports to Alaska was
I9.001,2a5. Of this #304,765 was
lumber, #980,195 ha rdware, #2,461.
492 provisions, #389,083 liquors.
Valdez is third in tlie list. Nome
imports amounted to #1,726,242;
Skagway, #543.741; Valdez #496,
709 and Juneau #.‘{46,610. Tlie
principal items are as follows:
ttkujrwHy VrMfi Jnnrim
rnwiwioat |2'I3U 91 12 9l3'Ok>
‘Hurl ware 40.H82 2J,*''7
I.mnbr 2I.V1) 18.H51 3,217
Li«|’lor 30,‘*iy 44,518 23,113
C<>nl 4,0riO 2..HJ8 ft,r»751
2T.».U) 217,’nM 156,1CR»
Valdez imported #7.893 of coal
from foreign ports, making the to
tal value of coal used in 1903
#10,724. !
The report show's that Valdez
lx-at Juucau on inqiorts of pro vis-;
ions, lumlior, liquor, and miscel
laneous goods, and heat Skagway
on lumber and liquor.
This should <>j>cm the eyes of
sontheitsuwn Alaska peojile to tlx;
the fact that Valdez is slowly but*
surely forging ahead under present
conditions, and when transporta
tion to the interior is secured, will
soon run Nome a close race fur
first place.
Want to Equalize Rates
Chamber of Commerce Talk Over
Freight Rates.
At the chandler of oommeroe
meeting on last Friday evening,
tiiough there were hut few members
present, business of considerable
importance to the town wasentered
into.
Mr. White introduced tl»eques
tion of freight rates, and read off
the following list, as taken from
the steamship companies’ schedules
to shear that Valdez is very unfair
ly dealt with;
•Seattle to Valdez. £12 00 per ton
“ Kodiak, 12 00 “
“ i'nga, 17 50 “
“ Unalaska, 20 CMJ “
Valdez to Kodiak, 10 00 u
u Unga, 17 00 “
“ Unalaska, 20 00 “
Mr. Wliite showed by tliis list
that it costs just as much, in fact
more when wharfage is taken into
consideration, to ship from Valdez
than it does hem Seattle to western
points. Me claimed it toheau un
just discrimination against Valdez,
where beer and luadier are being
manufactured in abundance, and
seeking a coast market. The mer
chants carrying general merchan
dise also claim to lie in a position
to do business to the westward if
they are not dkcriminated against
as at present.
in hopes of getting some relief
in the matter, and assist the home
industries, a committee of three
was appointed to confer with with
all concerned.
A telegram dated March 23, says
that Roosevelt is using Ids influence
tor Alaska legislation, and that the
'delegate bill will probably pass.
| To-morrow is set aside for consid
eration of Alaska delegate hilt.
1
THECOURTHOUSE
Will. BE BUILT HERE AT
ONCE
To Be Started Soon As Contract
Can Be Let, and Groand
Cleared.
The f<illowing telegram was re
ceived yesterday by Mr. tfwr.de.r
son, assistant clerk of the court:
Reservation court house site ap
proved. Will act as soon us .Mar
shal Perry gets here.
WiCKERSUASl.
The above is in relation to the
projiosed court house to he built
on the corner o|>i«o*ite McKinley
hall. A jail will he built in con
nection with it and the lieginning
of operations is not far distant as
Mr. Perry is now on his way to
Rampart where he will meet Judge
Wickersham, when final instruc
tions will he sent V.> Chat. I>reibel
his, the deputy marshal at this
place. 1’iids will be advertised lor
during a period of thirty days. and
the work will begin shortly there
after, by tliRt time the snow and
frost will have disappeared.
Addition To Ft. Liscum.
More Soldiers and JSew Build
ings.
On "Saturday last.a telegram was
received at F . Liseuni from the
war department apprising the of
ficers at the |Mist that another com
pany of soldiers, with a livid officer,
would he sent to join the company
•now stationed at Ft Li-cum.
In order to accommodate tlie
new addition to the hwee four new
buildings will l»e erected. Tlie
actual work of construction will be
gin just as soon as tlie material for
the same can be secured.
Lt is reported that a like numlxvr
of soldiers will lie sent to Eagle,
hut nothing definite as to the lat
ter report could be learned. The
actual reason for doubling the gar
rison at these two points is not
known, but it is generally supposed
to be a preliminary act on the part
of the department toward .the.build
ing of the Valdez-Eagle wagen
road, which the hill .provides shall
lie constructed under the supervis
ion of the war department.
This action ou the part of the
department would indicate that
there is iui assurance of the passage
of tlte bill now pending, and that
construction will beginimmediately
after its being sigued by the presi
dent. when it will become a law.
Will Use Water Power.
John Notes, familiarly known
as “Dad,” will leave soon for the
interior with Doe. Irvine, to work
his claim on lower Slate. Machin
ery is being taken in and the lum
ber lias Wen contracted for, to erect
an overshot water wheel, which
will furnish power to operate a
Ituniju thus enabling them to get
to Wdrock. Tins is a new depart
j ure in tlie Cbisua district and will
be watched with interest.
Dad leaves a #1200 position in
I the court lwvjsc to work his proper
ty this summer, but k confident he
is doing the right thing. The gold
k undoubtedly in the ground if
I Wdrock can be reached,
i He k certainly deserving of suc
cess, and that he is a highly esteem
ed citizen is proven by the strong
run he made lor the office of coun
cilman in the ree.-nt flection
I