yOL. I SEWARD, ALASKA, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 19, 1905_NO^I
TANANA WOULD I
MAKE A STATE
Judge Wickersham says Alaska Cen
tral will Open an Empire
to Settlement.
“The Tanana region is big enough
and rich enough for a great state,"
said Judge Wiekersham in Seward a
few days ago. “There is a valley 300
miles long and fifty wide, with i\ soil
of remarkable richness, besides the
most marvelous mineral area ever dis
covered on this earth."
Judge Wiekersham admits being
something of an enthusiast regarding
Alaska in general and the Tanana in
particular. He predicts a wonderful
future for the whole of Central Alaska,
that vast region which will he tribu
tary to the Alaska Central Railway,
saying that all that is necessary to
start a rush of immigration is to dis- (
pense accurate information concerning
its resources throughout the states.
Of the Tanana Judge Wiekersham
said:
“ Its mineral resources seem almost
inexhaustible and everywhere the pros
pector bores in he finds deposits similar
to those first discovered. 1 expect the
Kantishna rush to he repeated over
and over again. 1 am told by men
who have investigated that great dis
coveries may be expected all through
Central Alaska. Not all of them will
be as rich as the Kantishna but good
camps will be planted on every creek.
“The Tanana has a magnificent,
bracing climate, no colder than the*
northern states, and it is extremely J
healthful. It is well adapted to stock
raising and the small grains grow well
there. All kinds of vegetables thrive
wonderfully. The soil is dee}) and j
black, like that of the prairie states.
“ The people of the Tanana are look- ^
ing forward eagerly to a completion of
a railroad from this coast. It means j
as much to them as to you. When the
road'reaches Fairbanks that town and j
Seward will have a wonderful growth.
Both of them should become large j
cities, with many prosperous towns;
between."
‘•The Alaska Central will open up an
empire, a region whieli will always he
tributary to that line. It will make no
difference to vou here whether another 1
•*
road goes to the Yukon from Valdez or I
not. Such a road would traverse aj
different territory and would develop \
other resources, so that the net result 1
would be beneficial to the whole of
Alaska. Encouragement ought to be I
given to everybody who wants to build
a railroad in Alaska."
Col. A.V. H. Snyder, editor of the !
Wrangell Sentinel, has been appointed
l\ S. commissioner of Wrangell pre
cinct by Judge Gunnison.
Temperature at 3 p. m. today—47.
OREGON BOOKED
TO COME HERE
Big Nome Liner will Help Reduce
Congestion of Seward Freight
on Seattle Docks.
The big steamship Oregon, which
has been on the Nome run for several
seasons, will he sent to Seward by the
Northwestern Steamship Company
next month to help reduce the freight
surplus for this port now awaiting
transportation from Seattle. General
Manager Trowbridge has so informed
S. 1 \ Brown, local agent of the com
pany. The Oregon is now at Nome, or
on her way down, hut she will prob
ably be able to sail for Seward early in
November.
Seward will be a busy port during
the next few weeks. Besides the live
regular steamers and the Oregon, the
Edith and the Dora are coming. They
will bring cargoes from Seattle before
the end of this month. The Edith is
expected any day. She will bring
rolling stock, explosives and 1,000 tons
of steel for the Alaska Central. The
Dora, which has been on the dry dock at
Seattle, will bring a cargo for Valdez
and Seward and resume her regular
run to the westward. The Corwin is
due from Nome October 28. She will
bring passengers from that camp,
many of whom will stop at Seward.
To Install New Steam laundry
Al. Dickinson has ordered machinery
for a new steam laundry, which he ex
pects to have installed and ready for
operation within thirty days. He be
lieves that the growth of Seward will
require another laundry plant before
long and proposes to get in on the
or round Hour.
NO CABLE NEWS TODAY
No news came over the cable today
for some reason which Operator Faust
was unable to ascertain. The news
failed to reach Valdez and that is all
the satisfaction that could be given to
Seward. It is supposed that one of the
periodical congestions of commercial
messages blocked the line below \ aldez.
Since a record has been kept forty
two men have been drowned at the
mouth of the Kuskokwim, according to
statistics of the Moravian mission.
A new soprano was needed to till a
vacancy in the church choir, and there
were a lot of applicants. Each chose
her own music, the idea being to allow
the candidates to show off to best ad
vantage. One young woman sang a
“piece” which began, “Turn me not
away.” She was turned away notwith
standing.
Mr. Tyler and Mr. Willis entertained j
the whist club last night. The even
ing closed with a dance.
MOVE TONIGHT
TO NEW ROOMS
Employes of Construction Depart
ment of Railroad First to
Change Quarters.
Occupancy of the new railroad office
building will begin this evening when
the department of construction will j
start moving in. This department will
occupy four rooms at the north end of
the building, on the ground floor. The
suite will he in an “L" shape, three
rooms extending across the end and one
lviiur on the Fifth avenue side next to
the corner room.
The other parts of the building are
not yet finished, but it is expected that
all departments of the road will move
in next week, except the commissary,
which will remain where it is beside
the railroad track. The treasurer’s
rooms will extend from the middle to
I the south end of the building, along
the west side on the first floor. Gen
eral Manager Poland's rooms will be
on the second floor, as will those of the
! master mechanic, but the exact ar
! rangement has not yet been settled.
Mechanics are still busy with the
interior work, but the entire structure
will probably be complete and fully
| occupied bv November 1.
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SHIP BUILDING IN 1904
/
Lloyd’s Gives Figures Showing
Extensive Construction
According to Lloyd’s l he l nited
Kingdom launched 712 new ships, ag
gregating 1,205,1(52 tons displacement,
during last year. She also launched
! thirty seven ships of war, aggregating
127,175 tons. One, the C’aronia, dis
places 20,000: another, the Victoria,
I 14,000 tons, is the largest turbine ship
. afloat.
The United States launched 227 mer
chant ships of more than 100 tons each,
with a total tonage of 238,518 tons.
Besides these there were launched
nineteen war vessels, aggregating 170,
885 tons. Germany came third, with
149 merchant vessels, aggregating
200,000 tons, and eleven ships of war,
aggregating 44,970 tons. France was
fourth, with 80,000 tons in sixty-seven
merchantmen, and 43,600 tons in nine
ships of war. Italy was fifth, with eight
merchant vessels, aggregating 30,000
tons, and eight war-ships, 28,662 tons.
The barometer today points toward
the dry weather sign, but the clouds
do not.
Steamer Bertha should reach Seward
Saturday, as she sailed from Seattle
the evening of October 11.
The Salvation Army will bring a
large number of immigrants from Eng
land to Canada next year.
WINTER WORK ON
Tl'RNAGAIN ARM
Railroad Will Operate Two Sawmills
and Welch & Co. Have
Several Camps.
Notwithstanding its isolation during
the winter season, when boats cannot
go up Turnagnin Arm, railroad build
ing will be pushed actively along the
north shore of that estuary. Great
quantities of supplies have been sent
in for the company and for Welch A*
Co., and large quantities are still at
Seldovia, awaiting transportation.
The railroad will operate two saw
mills. one at Glacier creek, and tin*
other at a location not yet chosen.
The company shipped in a large mill
recently, and bought another from M.
K. Davis, which had been operated on
Rainbow creek. Some exchanges of
machinery have been made between
the two to add to the utility of both.
The mill at Glacier creek is located
in a timber belt which contains several
million feet. It has a capacity of lo.ooo
feet a day. This is a short distance
from the head of the Arm. The other
mill will be located farther to the
westward.
Welch iS; Co. have three grading
camps established, and probably will
have another soon. The firm has also
sublet small portions of their thirty
mile contract to station men. The
principal camp is at mile d>, but rock
work will he done on a considerable
scale at the other camps. About 140
men are now employed by Welch
Co. and the firm is anxious to multiply
the number several times.
A strong wind at Nome recently blew
the waters of Bering sea outward and
for several hundred feet from shore
men could walk the bottom with gum
boots on their feet. The low stage of
water made it possible to prospect the
beach at points never before touched,
and pans worth 25 cents and 50 cents
were obtained at several places, in the
vicinity of the mouth of Snake river,
both east and west.
Odd fellows’ Meeting Sunday
The meeting of Odd Fellows to effect
a local organization will be held Sun
day afternoon in the store of‘the Sew
ard Commercial Company.
The regular dance of the Seward
dancing club will be given tomorrow
evening in Moore’s hall.
T. 1). Corlew now delivers goods
with a horse and wagon, his store
being the first in Seward to have such
an outfit.
In spite of the rainy weather the
thermometer.manages to keep above
40 except early in the morning.