Seward Daily Gateway
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VOL s. SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 27, 19*14_Nih 121
INTERESTING NEWS
FROM THE NELCHINA
Nelehina, Feb. 10—A number of
friends have written me asking my
opinion regarding this new district and
wanting advice as to coming into this
section to prospect or engage in other
pursuits. I take the liberty of writing
the Gateway in answer to these many
inquiries.
There has been about 250 people in
this district since the strike was made j
on Albert creek last summer. Men i
who thoroughly understand mining in
all its forms and men who know noth
ing whatever about mining. Nearly a |
thousand claims have been staked and !
located and about two hundred re-;
corded. Many prospect holes from two
to fifty feet deep have beer, sunk, but;
as yet bedrock has not been struck and J
verv few colors of gold have been 1
found. Two holes, one on IU below on j
Crooked50 feet deep, and one on Chick- j
araon, two miles from its mouth, 26 feet:
deep, have been sunk with the aid of a ]
boiler, but in neither hole has bed
rock been struck, nor has any gold
been found. T he ground was frozen !
and consisted of a glacier mud. T hey
are still working on the deeper hole
and hope soon to reach bedrock. In
some places water prevented further !
sinking, but in nearly all ca<es where
work was suspended it was on account !
of lack of provisions or wood to c*»n- i
tinue the work. On a larger part of
the claims the intention was merely to j
do the location work and then return j
in the summer and continue operations. '
Many of t he prospectors were!
up against it. The weather has been j
very cold, but fortunately clear and
no wind. Wood has had to be hauled !
from 4 to 12 miles. Provisions were
scarce and could not be bought here,
and no one had pumps to get the
water from their prospects holes, and
of course there were many other diffi
culties to overcome as is the case in 1
all new mining camps. With persistence j
and determination peculiar to the Al- j
aska prospector, many have “stayed
with it,” and 1 have yet to hear the \
first person “knock” the country and !
and every man that I have talked
with or heard express their opinion, |
it has been that the country is all '
right and they believe there is gold i
here and that it will make a big camp. {
Everyone that I know of intends to
come back with new outfits if possible,
to protpect during the coming season.
The diggings will be deep, and that
means a more permanent and richer
pay streak according to Fairbanks
miners.
There are several miners here from
Fairbanks and Dawson, men who have
made a success of mining, who cannot
overlook a new strike and are always )
ready for a new stampede. These men
will spend large suras in opening up
the country. Messrs. Griffin and Un
derwood have bonded nine claims for
$90,000 on Crooked creek, and will ;
have a boiler and Keystone drill at
work in a few weeks. Mr. Sideman, I
formerly an owner on Cleary is here
and will also do some extensive work.
There are also others here now and
more coming who will open up many
claims. These men believe that the
country is all right and are quite
enthuiastic about it. There will be
three drills at work here in a short ]
time.
There are now six boilers here and
many more are being brought in. If
there is any gold in the country it will
be found and there is apt to be some
good reports in a short time. It is a
big country and there is room for
thousands of prospectors.
The people who are here believe in
the country, although there has been
nothing Sound so far, outside of one
creek, to cause any stampede or ex
citement. The belief in the country
is based on the character of the forma
tion, the great oorphry dikes, the
gravel banks, the low, worn down,
rolling hills and other characteristics
of a placer count ry.
Would I advise a person to come
here? Yes and no. If you have a
good steady position, no. Stay with it.
Don't mortgage your home to get.
money to come on. If you can’t cotue
yourself and have the money and can
get the right man, grub stake him. It
is a good gamble. If you have the
money yourself and the time to spare,
and it don’t make any difference if you
lose both, and you want to prospect for
a season, I know of no better place to
prospect than tlie Neichina.
Personal and Otherwise.
Judge S. P. Shaw is comfortably lo
cated at* the mouth of Crooked and is
“dispensing justice” daily and is mak
ing good. The boys say his is the only
known pay streak in the camp.
The Harper boys and Chambers are
here and have their boiler steaming
day and night on North creek.
Messers Davis, Case and Beach ar
riv ;d a few days ago and are working
on Tyone creek.
Speckhen, Shildou, Grumbald and
Pendergra>t have a large cabin on
Crocked which is headquarters for
Sewardites and many others.
Frank Whitney and Crit Tollman
are moving in an outfit from Knik.
They will use a boiler on some claims
they have staked.
Kelley Olson and James Nicholson
are prospecting some promising claims
they have staked.
The Knik hoys ;u*e nearly all on the
way in with large outfits and the camp
will soon be one of great activity.
There are four ladies #in camp accom
panied by their iiusbands.
There are no stores as yet. Two
men arrived a short time ago to start
a roadhouse and are building a log
cabin.
The church will beat the saloon in
•
this camp. A large tent, stove and
other equipment has arrived for a
church and reading room and head
quarters for the men. Rev. Howard
of Knik has sent in these things and
will be in himself in a few weeks.
H. H . Hildreth.
A welcome home in the form of a re
ception and dance will be tendered
Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Davis at Brown &
Hawkins* hall Saturday evening. The
best of music will be In attendance and
a cordial invitation is extended to the
citizens of Seward to be present to
meet and greet she newlyweds.
Fred Bunce and A1 Roberts came in
last night from Mile 23 for a load of
supplies. _
Meet me at the Branch *
The report comes to the Gateway just as we were going to
press that the steamer Mariposa had gone ashore at El lama r. No
particulars could be learned other than that the crew and pas
sengers were safe.
CONFEREES ARE
STILL AT WORK
.
—
Washington, Feb. 27.—The con- j
ferees on the Alaska railway bill are
making slow progress. Congressman !
Houston says that none of the amend
ments have been agreed on as yet.
The senators point out that a bond is- j
sue would only become necessary when
I there was no funds in the treasury.
! Congressmen insist that the issuing ot
bonds would prove too expensive.
Later—The conferees are deadlocked
over the bond issue tor the Alaska
railway. The house delegation in
sists that thirty-five million dollars is
enough for the building of the Alaska
railway. It is thought by Alaskans
here that an agreement will be effected
by tomorrow.
Northwestern in Seattle.
Seattle, Feb. 27.—The steamer
Northwestern arrived here from Sew
ard last night and will go on the dry-1
dock for repairs and alterations. The
Alameda will take her run, sailing from
here Saturday night.
E. R. Ramsey, one of the old-timers
about Seward dating frr.m the time
when the Alaska Central was in course
of construction, but who has more re
cently been located at Cordova and
| Katalla, came in oh the Evans. Mr.
Ramsey may decide to locate here per
manently- Mr. Ramsey made the
statement that in his opinion the coal
that was tested out on the U. S. S.
Maryland from the Bering river fields
was not a fair sample of the best qual
ity of coal from that sect ion and not in
| the best of condition at the time of the
test. He states that in the event of
the building of a government railroad
from any where near that point, Katalla
expects to at least be connected with
the main line by a spur.
The Arctic Brotherhood gave a de
lightful little supper and dance last
night in their lodge rooms. The mem
bers of the lodge and their ladies, and
a few friends were invited to partake
of the hospitality of the order, and
after an evening spent in cards and
dancing, a dainty spread was set forth
at one large table, running the length
of the hall. Speeches and stories, to
gether with songs helped a pleasant
evening to pass quickly. The music
for the dancing was furnished by Miss
White and Mr Manthey.
James R. Hayden will leave tomor
row for the Kenai-Alaska Gold prop
erty on Falls creek, whore he goes to
inspect the work that has been done
by the contractors during his absence
outside.
Don’t let yourself be forced to eat
what you don’t like, when you can
order what you like at the
Commerce Cafe.
WERE CAUGHT
IN SNOWSLIDE
An accident that narrowly escaped
being a tragedy took place about three
miles this side of the summit of Crow
creek pass on the 6th of this month.
A party consisting of Jim Clinton,
Alex Mol an, Elgin Vaughan, Oscar
Gill. Harry Hoben, Ed Andreesen and
A1 Dreese were enroute to Knik when
the leaders were caught in a snow slide.
| Dreese and Andreesen were caught
fair in the path of the silde and were
buried completely out of sight. Jim
Clinton was just on the edge of the
slide and sent up a loud yell for help
| which promptly brought up the bal
ance of the party. Clinton told them
that Dreese and Andreesen were bur
ied, and they all fell to and began to
dig. They soon located the men and
got them out. Both were unconscions
and were in a perpendicular position,
heads down and show shoes in the
upper snow. Both men were carried
down to the roadhouse and then began
the tight to get them back to life. The
work was kept up for a full half day
before both were out of danger, but
after circulation had been restored,
with the exception of violent vomiting
spells, both men were in first class
shape, and the following morning pro
ceeded on their way to the Nelchina.
— .1. .. .." mm*
Bring your job nrinting to the Gate
wav. We can do it right.
*
For reliable information write Can
non, Pioneer hotel, Knik, Alaska, t
Snow glasses of all kinds for sale at
J. L. Graef’s t
Budweiser beer at the Branch. *
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fRANK J. COTTER
ROYAL AGENT