The Alaska Prospector.
Published at Valdes, Alaska,
every Thursday morning by the
Pkospeitok Publishing Co.
H.H. HILDRETH, Quill Pusher.
W. H. CRARY, Ink Slingek.
JOS. A. ROURKK, Walking Del
HIATT.
SUBSCRIPTION KATES.
One Year.#".00
.Six Months.2.00
Three Months...".1.00
.Single Copy.10
ADVERTISING KATES.
Single column, #1.00 }>cr inch
per month.
Larger ads in projiortion.
Professional cards #2.00 per
month.
Local ails 10c jier line for first
insertion and 6c per line for each
suiiscquent insertion.
Entered at the Valdez ]M>stotfire
as second class matter,
City Government.
Mayor, J. L. Steele
OOUNCILMEN.
James MuHik. D. S. Osgood.
A. P. Olson. Ed. Wood.
C. X. Chary.
H. H. Hildreth, Clerk.
J. G. Snyder, Treasurer.
Hon. J. W. Leery, City Attorney.
Dr. A. VonGunthek,
Health Officer.
Adam Swan, Piies. School JSoahd.
GOVERNMENT OFFICERS.
John Lyons, U. S. Commissioner.
K. C. Hasey, Deputy U.S. Marshal.
John Goodell,
Deputy Collector Customs.
C. X. Chary, Postmaster.
•
VALDEZ, FEBRUARY 20, 1902.
JrxKAi: claims
Wiikkk is thk to have that
Capitol, ok Alaska, distinction.
Sitka is the
Capitol, so its residents say, us well
us the charts and maps of Alaska.
Juneau has the United States Dis
trict Court. Sitka has the Gover
nor, Surveyor General, Land Office,
Custom House, Agricultural Exper
. iniental Station headquarters and
the Territorial Prison. According
to the Civil Code of Alaska, “the
temporary seat of government is
hereby established at Juneau: Pro
vided, that the seat of government
shall remain at Sitka until suitable
grounds and buildings thereon
sluill be obtained hy purchase or
otherwise at Juneau.” The grounds
and buildings have not yet been
obtained, and if they were, the cap
itol at Juneau would lie only tem
porary.
It is well that the law reads us it
does, that the seat of government,
if it ever be at Juneau, should lie
but temporary. Sitka nor Juneau,
should neither one be the capitol of
Alaska. Both of these places arc
too far removed from the center of
this great District, to be its capitol
city.
To lie near
HiiMthTiiKV/AmuL uiu miiru OI
Should 11k. Alaska, of easy
access to all its
people, and to do justice to every
community, the seat of government
should )>e at Valdez. Should the
district ever l»e divided, Valdez
would still he the best location for
the capitol of the southern district.
It can he reached from south, west
and north hy regular lines of steam
ers, and from the interior hy the
all-American trail from the Yukon,
and we lielieve in a short time hy
rail from the north. There should
be a United States district court
here at the present time, not only
for Valdez, but for the entire dis
trict from Sitka to Unalaska. A
larger part of the work at the land
office comes from this section of the
district, and while this part of
Alaska may not contain us large a
.population as southeastern Alaska
at the present time,.yet with our
great gold and copper mines in this
'vicinity, the gold and coal mines in
the Cook Inlet countrv, and the
great salmon canneries and cod
'fisheries of this southwestern coast,
we expect soon to have a much lar
ger population, and a far greater
'busiucss than the |>anhandle of
Alaska, where the capitol is now lo
cated. Glance at the'map of Alaska
and vou can readily see that the
.1,
^proper place for^the capitol city, if
you want to consider the entire dis
trict, and all its communities and
people, is at Valdez.
• • •
Why is it that
_
An IxJt'STicK no ]>ortion of
to Division Xo. 1
Wkstkkx Alaska, of Alaska wivt
of Sitka is ever
represented on any of the juries of
the United States District Court?
If one of our merchants should fail
to pay his taxes, he would lie very
promptly indicted and taken to
Juneau to answer the charge. Those
of our citizens who have any litiga
tion must go -100 miles away, in
curring a large expense ami loss of
time, and this perhaps in the husv
season, and not a (lerson is suli
IMPnaed to act- as juryman from
this vast country, reaching from
Sitka to Una laska. Is it I localise
our citizens are not qualified as
jurymen, or is there a clique that
want to keep all the jury money in
southeastern Alaska. We susjieot,
however that the general treasury
at Washington is short of funds,
and the good oilicials at Juneau
want to l>c as economical as jmis
sihlo, and get jurymen from their
immediate vicinity, and thus have
more money to send out of the dis
trict. It is certainly time that
Valdez and western Alaska should
lie recognized.
* • •
Valors is now
A Cosmopolitan growing quite
Happy rapidly, and
Hkalthy Town, is a cosmos
]>olitan and
progressive.town. V.'c expend soon
to have our community lighted hy
electricity and our business houses
and residences connected with a
modern telephone system. Before
the summer is over we will have
connection hy telegraph with the
outside world via Dawson and the
Vancouver line. What with these
ami from four to six steamers a
month, is to prevent 11s from Wing
cosmopolitan and progressive. We
have great gold and copjwr mines
at our very door, ami a vast agri
cultural country within a few miles.
Our elimate is most healthy, sick
ness Wing almost unknown. Our
winters are not severe and our
summers are delightful. Everyone
who desires to can find work. Our
merchants arc busy and there is
an air of general prosperity in the
whole country. We have happy
homes and as nice people as can be
found anywhere.
There is something aliout the
free and easy out door life in
Alaska that is exultcrating and
makes one glad they are living.
Some people go to the States with
the expectation of remaining, hut
they generally return. We live as
well and almost as cheaply as in
Seattle or other western cities,
while one can enjoy themselves as
well here as in a town of the same
size Wlow.
Consequently we exi>eot that
Valdez will continue to grow and
prosper until it shall W a city
many times its present size and
with many good, happy homes,
and a prosperous, contented people.
The postmaster general has es
tablished a postofliee at Copper Cen
ter and appointed R. Blix as j>ost
master. There was considerable
difficulty experienced in trying to
retain the name of Copjier Center.
The postal authorities objected to
the name for some cause, but after
considerable correspondence the
objections were overcome and the
name is now firmly established. It
is well that it is so, for Copper Cen
ter has l>een as much s(>okcn of
through the states as almost anv
other point iii Alaska, and if the
name were changed ]>eople would
have to study up their geography
again in order to associate the new
name with the old.
• • •
The people of Valdez would like
to know who got the interest on the
$1 ,200 school money held in Juneau
for eight months.
Bromide of Quinine Capsules
cure a cold in one day at Valdez
Pharmacy.
Chamber of Commerce.
Our ('handier of Commerce fins
I
l>ecn hiliernating during the past |
winter and has just awakened
from its long sleep and held a spe
cial meeting. During the winter
months there has only lieen one or
two meetings, and it is now time
that this im|>ortant organization
awaken from its lethargy and
do something.
A Chandler of Commerce can
lie an im|Kirtant factor in the
advancement, promotion and devel
opment of any community if they
are properly organized and work in
the right direction. These 1 indies
are quite numerous throughout the
western states and wield a great
influence. They are supposed to
consist of the liest business men
and property owners of a commun
ity. Their opinions and recom
mendations are sought for and
often acted upon by the various
committees of congress, state legis
latures and other IhmHcs.
It is therefore important for the
welfare of this community that our
Chnmlicr of Commerce should la
well organized, its meetings held
regularly and well attended. There
are many things that could he done
to lienefit this section of Alaska.
Some good work was done last
summer during the first few months
after its organization, and it should
now la- revived.
Obituary.
We were comfortably seated in
our easy chair, and deeply engaged
in writing up a treatise on Beans
as a Diet, when we were rudely
disturlicd in our meditations by
the hasty entrance of one of the
neighlsirs, who in an excited man
ner announced that Joe Bourke
was running up and down (Ilacier
avenue, frothing at the mouth and
evidently very much deranged.
The statement conveyed the idea
that the pedestrians in the neigh
lmrhood were greatly alarmed.
This was certainly very startling
news, and lieing desirous of ascer
taining the correctness of the state
ment, we in haste rushed for the
door, overturning everything in
our path, and upsetting a bottle of
ink over some bank notes of large
denominations that were scattered
on the desk, and which we had no
time to put in the safe.
We soon reached (ilacier avenue
and found that the rejmrt was only
too true. Poor fellow, there he was,
evidently suffering greatly. We
very cautiously approached him.
and finding that he was not violent
we persuaded him to go home, and
there fixed him up as comfortably
as possible lieside the fire. He took
the medicine prescribed, but it evi
dently gave him no relief. He
suffered all night and ilied the fol
lowing morning.
It is hard luck to lose him at
this season of the year, when his
services are most needed. His
master, Jos. A. Bourke, after whom
he was named, will now lie com
pelled to purchase another dog in
his stead.
LAUNDRY
Family and Batchelor
Washing of all kinds
Promptly Attended to.
nKJ.W.E. RILEY,
KEYSTONE AV. SEE SIGN.
Miners Hotel.
Furnished Rooms with
BoardifDesired. Com
fortable Quarters, Light
Airy Rooms.
i
MRS. JOHNSON,
Professional.
—- —
L. K. RILEY, fl. D.
Physician and Surgeon
VALDEZ,
Office and Residence ALASKA
Cor. McKinley ami Reservation Sts.
A, Von GUNTHER, M. D
Physician and Surgeon
City Health Officer.
419 Sherman St. VALDEZ.
GOODELL & EDWARDS
Lawyers.
VALDEZ, ALASKA
A. P. OLSON,
Architect,
VALDEZ, ALASKA
FRED M. BROWN,
Lawyer.
Mining and Land Laws,
Sjwcialtics. 12 Years Ex
perience in Mining and
Land Laws.
VALDEZ, ALASKA
LEEDY & KELSEY,
Attorneys and Counselors.
Keystone Ave. Valdez.
A. JUDSON ADAMS,
Civil Engineer and Surveyor.
U. S. DEPUTY MINERAL AND
LAND SURVEYOR.
Next dcor to Merchants Cafe.
mis mci i mu co.
Complete abstracts of title
to all mineral and other
claims in the Valdez Min
ing district, including the
Prince William Sound,
Copper River, Chistuchi
na and the Chisna dis
tricts.
Abstracts Furnished to Valdez
Town Lots.
Valdez, Alaska
Second Hand (ids
Bought and Sold.
Good Prices Paid.
Mrs. Syring, Keystone Ave.
Thos J. Coles
Carriage Making,
Blacksmithing,
. General Jobbing.
GLACIER St. and Me KIN LEY Av.
The Keystone
WINES, LIQUOR
AND CIGARS.
BEST QUALIT
Hall Adjoining. Mus
Cor.McKinley St. and Keystone Ave.
THE 'RECEPTION
Cor. IA c Kin ley Street and
Keystone Avenue.
CLUB ROOMS IN CONNECTION.
Advertise
the
\
Prosjiector.
C. E. BOGARDUS
Assay r and Ch mist.
Gold and Silver $ 1.00 Gold Silver and Copper $2.i
60 COLUMBIA STREET, SEATTLE, WASH.
DGARF £> MACKINTOSH.
Blacksmith Shop.
All Kinds of Iron or Steel Work
Done in the Best Manncj
HORSESHOEING SLED*
The Montana
Fine
Wines
Liquors
|j Cigars
Alex Singletery, Propriety