REPUBLICANS TO
CONVENE AGAIN
Chairman Sheldon Preparing Call
For Meeting at Ketchikan
Next May.
JUNEAU ELECTION SET ASIDE
Two Representatives to Chicago
Will Be Chosen and Candidate
for Congress Named.
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Seattle. IVc. 10—J. D. Sheldon, chair
man of the Alaska republican territo
rial committee elected hy the republi
can convention in Juneau in Novem
ber, is preparing a call today for an
other convention to be held in Keteh
ican next May to elect two delegates
to the national convention and nomi
nate a candidate for delegate to con
gress.
The republican national committee
informs the territorial committee that
the election of delegates by the con
vention at Juneau last month was ab
solutely void and will be ignored by
the nationol committee.
STOPS FISHING
IN TWO RIVERS
Departmental Order Closes Wood
and Nushagak Until Fur
ther Notice.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C. Dec. -1— Com
mercial fishing in the Nushagak and
Wood rivers of Alaska was prohibited
today by departmental order until
further notice. The order becomes
effective January 1, 1908.
Ask Closing of Fish Traps
Washington, IT. C., Dec. IT—Secre
tary Straus is considering a petition
from gill netters of Bristol bay dis
trict, Alaska, asking that fish traps
be closed fur a year at Nushagak and
Wood rive'*, to permit increase in the
fish, which are said to be much dimin
ished iu numbers.
Cale Favors Suspension of Fishing
Washington. D. C., Dec. 18—Dele
gate Cale of Alaska is in favor of sus
pending salmon fishing in the rivers
of Alaska for one year to permit re
plenishment of the stock.
MEMBERS FIGHT
ON HOUSE FLOOR
Williams and DeArmond Pass Lie
in Debate and Then Start
Scrapping.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, L). C., Dec. 20—The lie
was passed between Williams of Mis
sissippi and DcArmond of Missouri in
the house yesterday afternoon and a
fist fight resulted in which the faces of
both men were cut before they were
separated. The trouble was over com
mittee assignments by Williams who
is democratic leader in the house.
Ready for Cash Basis
Seattle bankers are ready to resume
business on a cash basis just as soon as
other leadingcitiesof the United States
abandon the use of clearing house certi
ficates. Gold in large quantities is flow
ing into Seattle every day. The Puget
Sound National Bank has purchased
$200,000 in gold abroad—Pacific
Banker.
FINDING MINES
ON PENINSULA
Numerous Rich Discoveries on
Mainland and Adjacent
Islands.
Special to Tlie Daily Gateway.
Kodiak, Nov. 26—Kodiak island and
the adjacent peninsula seem to be per
meated with valuable mineral deposits,
chiefly gold and copper. L his fact is
becoming more apparent each year as
enterprising prospectors make explora
tions. Only recently has prospecting
been done by men who were willing to
endure hardships to find something.
The early prospectors paddled along
the shore and looked up the hills
but any attempt to climb looked too
J much like work.
A few months ago a large quartz
ledge, said to be a true fissure vein,
carrying gold and copper in good
values, was found near Ouzinki,
Kodiak island.
Mr. Wanberg, an old prospector,
came here recently with two men
representing capital to look at a quartz
gold deposit which he located ten
i years ago at the head of l yak bay.
It is said to be free milling ore of good
grade, the ledge varying from seventy
j to several hundred feet in width. It
; has been traced fourteen miles.
Beach prospecting has been done all
i around the island and fair returns in
j placer gold have been taken from the
1 sands.
Copper On Peninsula
On the peninsula across from Kodiak
island rich copper ore has been found,
carrying gold also. Assays of this ore
have shown from $12 to $100 a ton.
i One ton of ore taken from the tunnel
and sent to the Tacoma smelter assav
; ed $4.5 copper and $4 gold. This prop
erty belongs to Kodiak men. Other
ledges found in that vicinity show
good ore and it is regarded as a tine
tield for prospectors.
Farther westward the NekcverofT
brothers of Kodiak discovered what is
' claimed to be the largest copper de
posit ever found in Alaska. The mere
surface prospect was sold to VV. 1.
Warner of San Diego for $40,000. An
immense slide from a mountain re
veals a body of ore which is computed
to contain $10,000,000 in copper on the
basis of assays made. #This is on I’ros
! pect bay. where there is a tine harbor,
and the deposits begin at the water’s
edge.
Several discoveries were made this
year by Kodiak men on the island
: of Nukehemik, about four miles by
water from the Warner property. It
i>believed that the ledge is the same
as the Warner ledge, extending under
the water from the island to the
mainland. The ore is similar and that
on the island seems to be of higher
grade than the other.
Carries Copper Stream
A stream runs out of the mountain
containing this ledge, starting three
quarters of a mile from the sea and is
deeply stained with copper. In 1898
two Chignik natives who were hunting
on the island failed to return and when
search was made for them their dead
bodies were found besides the copper
tainted stream. It was supposed that
they were poisoned by drinking the
water. Since then no native will go
to the island.
Still farther westward a rich gold
strike has been made on I’opotT island
by Louis Herman, near the Apollo
mine which was worked profitably for
many years until the ledge was lost in
a fault. Herman has refused $200,000
for his property.
Other valuable discoveries have
been made in many places of both gold
and copper. No attempt is being made
to boom the country. No railroads are
building and no townsites are adver
tised. The development is strictly le
gitimate mining.
The National Bank of Commerce,
the biggest and one of the oldest finan
cial institutions in Kansas City, closed
its doors because of the steady with
drawal of deposits. It is claimed it
will pay out in full.
Bar silver was 56$ and copper 13$
December 7.
PACIFIC FLEET
NOW ON WAY
Sixteen Battleships Sail Larly in
Morning After Review
by President.
VESSELS GRANDLY DECORATED
Great Crowds Witness Spectacle
From Shore or Follow in
Excursion Boats.
By C»Dl« to The Dally Gateway.
Norfolk, Ya., Dec. 16—All the bat
tleships of the Pacific fieet were mag
nificently decorated early this morn
ing for the start on the long cruise to
the western ocean. President Roose
velt arrived at 6 o’clock and held a
general review. Immediately after
ward the fleet set sail led by the gun
boat Dolphin with the president
aboard, to the Virginia cape, where
the Dolphin gave way to the flagship
Connecticut and saluted as the sixteen
big warships formed in double line and
moved out on a southward course.
The Dolphin then returned.
The spectacle was witnessed by
many thousands of people on shore and
following the fieet in excursion boats
to the cape. The journey of the big
fleet to the Pacific coast is regarded
as the supreme test of the American
navy and has awakened surpassing in
terest on the Atlantic shore.
TO INTRODUCE
DIVISION BILL
Delegate Cale Will Present Meas
ure for Fourth District
in Alaska.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., Dec. 19—Dele
gate Cale of Alaska will introduce a
bill creating a Fourth Judicial divis
ion in the territory by dividing the
present Third. 'The bill will he prac
tically the same as that introduced in
the last congress.
PORTLAND TO
HAVE WIRELESS
—
Alaska Coast Steamer Will Be
Able to Report Daily Pro
gress on the M ave.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle, Dec. 17—Steamer Portland
is to be equipped with a wireless
plant. She is having a general over
hauling and will sail again on her old
run in January, carrying the mail the
10th.
Heavy Gold Receipts
The receipts of gold at the United
States assay ollice in Seattle for Octo
ber, and for the current year so far,
indicate a slight falling off from the
figures of last year, but still denote an
active and steady output of gold fiom
the far north. The receipts of the
precious metal from January 1 to Oc
tober 1, of this year, aggregate $15,
410,611.60, the month of October alone
contributing $4,357,060.72.
The Egyptian Mines Exploration
Company is now renewing work on a
mine near the Red Sea that was work
ed as early as 1377 B. C. Vast quanti
ties of gold were taken out of it when
the Pharaoh of the Bible was on the
throne.
FAMOUS LETTER
OF WICKERSHAM
___.
Text of Resignation Sent by
Third Division Judge
on Retirement.
Following is Judge Wickersham’s
letter of resignation, in which he tells
the president that he is weary of the
tight to hold an office less profitable to
him than private law practice. The
president’s reply accepting the resig
nation with expressions of regret, is
also printed. It will bo observed that
Judge Wickersham explicitly charges
that Gov. Hoggatt turned against him
because he decided a case against a
friend of the governor’s. Judge Wick
ersham ’s letter is dated Juneau, Sep
tember, 7, 1907. He says:
I wish to resign the office of district
judge of Alaska, to which you have so
frequently appointed me. Several
things make it desirable to do so at
this time, besides the fact that I am a
poor man and now have a reasonable
and proper opportunity to re-enter the I
law practice with a fair prospect of
accumulating a small competence be
fore opportunity fails or old age over
takes me.
The first of these is that it seems
hopeless to expect those senators who
have opposed my confirmation to ever
cease to do so.
Crossed Governor’s Friend
At a recent term of court held by
me at Juneau, Alaska, upon special re
quest of the attorney-general, I had
the misfortune to decide an important
case involving the career of a young
lawyer, in a way contrary to Governor
Hoggatt’s views. Thereupon the gov
ernor withdrew his friendship, which
I had highly valued, and criticised me
so that his loss of confidence became
publical'.y known. His view was both
unjust and presumptuous, but his op
position and refusal to support the
court added greatly to my burden.
I have greatly desired a confirma
tion by the senate of your action in
reappointing mo as judge in this front
ier district, but 1 now think it is vain
to expect it. However, since you have
approved my services by several recess
reapointments and have thus repeat
edly given your high endorsement
thereto, and since the senate would
have confirmed by a large majority
except for the rule of unanimous
consent whicn permitted two senators
to prevent it, I shall bear this injus
tice with patience.
I do not wish to abandon my post,
however, without your consent, nor
until you can supply my successor. By
repeatedly appointing me in the face
of opposition you have assumed a re
sponsibility that places me under such
obligations that I do not wish my
resignation accepted without it is en
tirely satisfactory to you.
Wants Successor Soon
Then, too, it will be some time be
fore you can get my successor to Alas
ka and I shall deem it ray duty to
keep court in active progress until
you can do so. My successor can
come into Fairbanks, via Valdez, at
any time after January first, 1908, and
could take the oath of office at Val
dez. It is highly necessary to keep
court open in that way.
I have the honor, therefore, to re
quest that my resignation as district
judge of Alaska, third division, be ac
cepted to take effect not later than
March 1st, 1908.
Following is President Roosevelt’s
answer to the letter of resignation:
The White House, Washington:
September 26, 1907.
My Dear Judge Wickersham—I am
in receipt of your letter of the 7th in
stant, and accept your resignation
with regret. I appreciate fully how
ever why you feel that you must leave.
With all good wishes for your future
believe me,
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Alaska has 2524 miles of sub-marine
cable, 1403 miles of land wire, 107 miles
of wireless, tffty-five telegraph and
cable offices, eighteen money transfer
offices.
REID WILL IKY
TO KEEP PLACE
Will Come to Valdez to Hold
Court Regardless of Re
ported Opposition.
NEW JUDGE REACHES SEATTLE
District Attorney Harlan Trying to
Land Appointment But Meets
Strong Opposition.
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Seattle, Dec. 20—Judge Reid, the
newly appointed judge of the Third
division of Alaska, is here and will
proceed at once to Valdez to hold
court. He first learned of the opposi
tion to his confirmation when he
reached this city yesterday evening.
He says he will have the support of
the two Oklahoma senators, both dem
ocrats, and believes he will be con
firmed.
Reid May Lose Out
Washington, I). C,, Dec, 19—Judge
Silas H. Reid of Oklahoma will not be
appointed judge of the Third judicial
division of Alaska. For reasons not
given out the president has decided
not to make the full terra appointment
following Judge Reid’3 recess appoint
ment. It is believed that objection
has been made by influences in the
senate which might prevent Reid’s
confirmation. The hitch has been a
mystery ever since the assembling of
congress, as it was expected that Reid
would be promptly nominated and con
firmed.
Judge Nathan V. Harlan, district
attorney for the Third division, is
here trying to land the appointment
lor judge. He has strong indorsements
but will be opposed by Gov. Hoggatt,
and charges are pending against him
that he has not kept gambling closed
tight in Valdez and other towns of the
Third division.
GOV. HOGGATT
ON WAR PATH
Executive Stands by His Record
and Claims Support of
Administration.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway
Washington* D. CM Dec. 18—Gov.
Hoggatt of Alaska called on Secretary
Garfield at the interior department
today to discuss Alaska affairs.
The governor declines to say any
thing for publication concerning the
complaints against him in the terri
tory. He says he believes he has the
support of the administration and par
ticularly the department of justice.
Gov. Hoggatt will make charges to
the attorney-general against District
Attorney Harlan of the Third division,
holding him responsible for alleged
misconduct of the hearing of the rail
road rioters at Valdez. Judge Harlan
is here to make his own defense in
person.
For Local Option In Alaska
Washington, D. C., Dec. 20-Dele
gate Cale of Alaska introduced a bill
in the house today which practically
establishes local option in licensing
saloons in the territory It provides
that no liquor licenses shall be grant
ed in towns unless by consent of a ma
jority of the inhabitants.
If this bill is correctly reported it
offers nothing new. The present law
requires that a petition for a saloon li
cense be signed by a majority of the
the adult residents within two miles of
the proposed saloon location.
Seattle is beginning to sweat over
its next city election, with nominations
at a general primary for preliminary
exercise.