Seward Weekly Gateway _
YOl.. II, NO. IS. SI<A\rAI!l>. A 1, ASK A, S A'lT III> A Y. I> IT K M I*. KH Hi. _
TUNNEL BORING
TO BEGIN SOON
Big Machinery M ill l>ri\e Six Long
Holes Through Solid Rock
from Both Lnds
Tunnel work will In* the important]
feature of the winters construction
operations on the Alaska tentin..
Boring will begin soou on the TOO foot
tunnel which the railroad construction,
company will run on mile IP. and a 1st*
on the five tunnels which Rich ,V
Harris hold the contract ‘or on milt*
;*£. These total alwut h»on feet in
length.
Boring will proceet simultaneous!}
at both ends of each of th< six tunnels
every hour from the moment the ma
chinery starts until all are cotnph-fe.
The preliminary work is largely done
and the necessary machinery will be
placed at the |*ortals l*elor© another
month. «)• B. latnerom engineer ol
construction, said this mormng that
all the tunnels should he finished b\
July 1 at the latest.
Rich A- Harris already have th r
big steam compressor at 11.» porta of
the first tunne ; uni a* i tn « dl
drive the drilling machinery h} air
compression. In order to pits » da
work, however, a new ;u • com
pressor has been ordered, t the latest
device for mining operations. Hus
will be sent up on an early steamer.
When l*oth oompressers are put in
ten crews in as many places will he at
work twenty-four hours each da} di-;
reeling the drills which air compres
sion will pound through mountain walls
of almost solid rock. Rich ,v Harris
will employ more than .Women when
the tunnel work is in full blast.
Hill Hork at Both tnds
The railroad company w ill also work
at both ends of the tunnel on mile lb
At the southern end the work will he
done by hand, but at the farther end,
which is almost solid rock, steam pow -
er will do the hammering. This tun
nel will he finished before the others.
More than 2000 men are now em
ployed in railroad work and every in
coming steamer adds to the number.
The construction department at the
end of November had 1412 men on the
payroll. The Oregon. Portland and
Santa Clara brought lot) more, and no!
many are quitting now. . the tota at
present must exceed 1-Vsi. The com
missary and survey departments, ofiiee
employes and station men nutnl" r
a 1.>out 500. Kich & Harris have more
than 10t) employed, and Welch A to.
have al*out 100 on Turnagain Arm.
It is expected that the whole number
will be increased to 3txx> by soring,
and with the advent of pleasant weather
it is the intention is to employ al the
men w ho can be secured by runsueKing
the states, if the number should be
10,000. Welch & Co., will try to get
half that number, at least, in order to
rush their long contract of thirty miles
on Turnagain Arm, which is nearly all
rock work.
Mill Lay Track to Tunnel
Only a few pieces of rock work re
main to complete the grade between
the present track terminus on mile 4>
and the portal of the tirst tunnel on
mile 4'J. Near the latter point the end
of the track will stand until the tunnel
are bored. On the corkscrew grade
between the railroad tunnel on mile IP
and the Rich & Harris tunnels on
mile 52 several large gangs of men are
now engaged upon rock work which
will be finished before the tunnels are
ready for the rail-.
Beyond the tunnel- men arw engaged
upon rock work in several places all
the wav to the head of T.mri ,ain Arm
on mile to. The dirt work in the
low land between 55 and (55 was at.
least 75 per cent finished when the
ground froze and graders were pulled
off of it for the winter. In -pots the
work was within !M> per cent of com
pletion when it was stopped by frost.
On the other side of the head of
Turnagain Arm several camps are es
tablished, where men are doing rock
work. The largest of these is on to,
near where a long trestle is building
across Twenty-Mile river. Another is
on 6(5, and others on 7t> and 72. A
railroad sawmill is in steady operation
near the mouth of Glacier creek, and
another is going in farther up the same
creek. An immense body of good
timber extends for several miles up the
creek, sufficient for railroad demands
for many miles.
The principal Welch camp is at Rain
bow creek, on mile *6, wheiv ne.t? It
100 men are employed. On account of
its inaccessibility not much can bo done
on the stretch covered by the Welch
contract until spring, when thousands
of men will be put to work.
GOVERNOR BRADY
VISITS SEWARD
Says District Has Everythin# But
People and Wants Survey
of Public Lands
Gov. Grady came to Seward mi tie*
Santa Clara, principally to confer
with tin >chool boar! of the town con
cernin': the t isposition of its school
funti. and incidentally to see the town.
He returned southward on the same
lioat. as the time at his disposal was
limited anti he wished to visit other
towns on school business.
“What Alaska needs i> people." said
Gov. Grady in Seward. “You can’t
nuke a nation or a state without peo
i p e. Ilesources are so much waste un
til a region is inhabited. To fp*t them
the territory must be widely adver
tised. and Congress can Itelp a jrood
di al by liberal appropriations for im
provements and survey s of the public
lands.
“Alaska has several military posts
with a large body of troops at each
t>ne. 1 have always doubted tho utility
of >o many military posts, hut they are
here, and vast sums have been spent
f<*r buildings atid equipment. I’hese
t n ops are to protect the residents hut
the residents don’t need protection.
Nobody is trying to harm them. I
think it would 1» a good thing if the
oovernuienl would employ most of the
troops in making surveys of the public
lands. Many of the eiticers are edu
cated etig illerts.
“In the stales every time a little
tract of land is thrown open to settle
ment people stand in line for hours
struggling to *rrt a little homestead.
They could get better land in Alaska
without a struggle. hut they are reluc
tant to settle on unsurvey cd lands, and
the tact that the Government has never
tawen the trouble to survey Alaska
lands militates at.ait.st their reputed
value.
“Alaska wants more railroads. She j
can’t have too many, hut railroads can
not get freight and passengers for
transportation until the people come
n. Immigration is tile thing which
all interests in the territory should j
unite to secure. The resources, mineral
and agricultural, will he developed
when the people come.
"1 am particulalrly interested just
now in the buildiny up of territorial
schools, f believe that lony before tlie
end of the present century Alaska will
have the hiyhest type of citizens with
in her borUer> that can he found in tin
nation. and too much attention cannot
be bestowed upon the education of the
risiny yenerat ions."
(low lirud\ said he did not know
whether he would yo to Washington
this winter or not. lie said he had j
received no order to yo there and had |
r» ceived only one letter from Secretary
Hitchcock concerniny the charyes
ayain.st him. which came months
ayo. _
INCORPORATE LINN COLONY
Aurora Company Files Charter
for General Business
The Alaska Colonization & Develop
ment Company has transferred its
charter to Alaska, tiling a copy with
the clerk of the l\ S. court at Valdez.
This i> the company which has had
representatives at Aurora this fall in
vestigating the possibilities for a col
ony. The promotors have decided to
go ahead and have incorpor
ated to engage in all lines of business
which can he bandied in thi> country.
The board of directors consists of
Axel l>. Romberg. Walter Church.
S. K. Klli>on, G. L. Robinson and K. S.
Churchill, of Now York.
lighthouse for Bay Entrance
At the request of railroad officials
and others interested in ocean ship
ping, Gov. Brady, while in Seward,
wrote a letter to Secretary Metcalf of
the department of commerce and labor,
urging the importance of a lighthouse
near the entrance to Resurrection hay.
The governor believes the lighthouse
can easily be obtained.
Bring Down Falls Creek Ore
L. F. Shaw and T. M. I*»ne escorted
j three and one-half tons of ore down
from the Falls creek mine Saturday
night. It will he shipped on the Ore
gon to the Tacoma smelter. The ore
is of good grade and an excellent as
>ay is expected.
furniture for McNeiley Addition
The furniture for the addition to the
MeNeiley hotel, finally arrived on the
Portland. Seventeen additional rooms
were be furnished at once. Six new ]
rooms were previously furnished.
RYAN AGREED EO
BUY INFLUENCE
Purchaser of Hyde Stock Admits
He Was In a Job to Head
off Investigation
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Nc\j N ork. Dec. I I Thomas K. Uyan,
who hoiiLilit James II. Hyde's stock in j
! the Ktpiitabie Life Assurance Company.
testified today before the legislative
J investiijatiiijf committee that the stock
was sold to him at one-half its reputed
value upon consideration that he was
;o use his business and political in
fluence in the lijrhi on the insurance
companies. It was ajrreed, he said,
that if adverse legislative action came
he should thereafter hi relieved of am
ohlijration to expend further time and
money in the general insurance llirlit.
j lIvan paid *2,ob0,0(M> for Hyde’s old
shares of stock, which were regarded
' as worth fo.eno.tMK). This ldoek of
j stock is .’ll percent of the whole.
I Uyan said he was induced to take the
stock and to jro into the lijrhl 1»\ other
insurance men who said the\ needed
, his influence. He did not know
I whether or not these men paid Hyde
! am tiling to let »ro.
FORT GT ENTRY
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Washington. I >. Ihr. l.'T Seward
was madt a siihport today b\ order t>f
tin* secretary of the treasury.
It was announced .sometime ajjfothat
:•!. Kineh Pitman, depot \ collector of
customs at White I’ass, had been
ordered to take charge at Seward Jan
ts:*i v 1 o' the sitbpoit to be established
here. After that date ocean jroin”
vessels can clear to and from this port
direct.
MANTLE Of SNOW
Kight inches of snow fell Sum ay
afternoon in two hours, but almost as:
soon as it ceased to fall a warm wind
followed, which carried with it part of
the time a drizzling rain. The tem
perature rose almost to 40 In evening,
and wind, rain and warm air annihila
ted the beautiful which gave such
promise of permanent sleighing.
Tin* snowstorm Sunday was ac
companied by several bright flushes of
lightning and crashes of thunder of
corresponding vigor. The wind during
the night was about the limit, and
served as an injunction to keep the
steamer Portland in the hay.
After a day and night of drizzling
rain which carried away the eight
inches of snow which fell Sunday after
noon and made rough skating rinks of'
the streets by exposing the ice formed
in the late freeze, snow began to fall
again the next day and kept coming at
internals ever since. It is now a foot
deep.
TO OPtN NtW DRIIO STORT
“Doc” Allen Will Build on Fourth
Avenue and Go It Alone
The Allen Drug Company will open
a drug store about March 1 in a build
ing to he erected on Fourth avenue ad
joining Wagner's saloon on t hi* south.
Wes Allen, or “Doc." as he is better
known, will manage the store. He will
give up his position as manager of the
Owl Drug Company soon after the be
ginning of the new year and go out
side to purchase a stork.
The building to be occupied by the
Allen Drug Company will be 2SxH0 ft.,
two stories high. The store will have
an expensive plate glass front, and the
entire structure will be llnished in first
class style and of the best material.
The second floor will be equipped for;
offices for professional men.
Mr. Allen is an experienced drug
gist. He learned the business in bis!
native city, St. Louis, later traveled
for a big drug house in the Missouri
valley, then managed a store in Kan-*
sas < ity. Then he came west and was!
in Skagway several years until lie
came to Seward last winter.
It is claimed that Chinese coolies in ,
the South African mines are practical
ly held jin slavery under time contracts.
ALASKA 10 HAVE
ANOTHER JUDGE
Understood at National Capital
That Bill for Fourth Dis
trict Will Pass
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Washington, P. Dec. 15 It is
generally admitted at the capital that i
the bill to create a fourth judicial dis-!
trict in Alaska hy dividing the Third;
district will pass Congress without,
serious opposit ion.
This will give the President the ap- i
[ pointment of another judge besides
successors to Judge Wickersham.
; whose term has already expired, and
| Judge Moore of the Nome district,
: whose term will expire next summer.
Judge Wickershem will he reappointed
by the 1’resident and it is thought he
i will he continued, although Senator
i Nelson of Minnesota is opposed to him,
and the North Dakota senators are ex
pected to stand with Nelson.
The Alaska delegation will meet the
President tomorrow. Besides the
j three delegates elected by the recent
convention all the Alaskans in Wash
ington will he included in the party,
making about twenty altogether.
Richard S. Ryan is spokesman for the!
party.
By Cafcla to TUo Dally Rateway.
Seattle. Pee. 1.1 An oiler to lease
the entire government system of cable
and telegraph to Alaska was made by
wire to Washington yesterday by A. K.
iloyd. general manager of the Nome
telephone company, in behalf of east
ern eapu, lists. No answer has yet
been made by the war department.
An act of ( 'ongress will be necessary
to permit a least.' or sale of the govern
ment lines, and it is thought improb
able that the proposal to transfer con
trol of tin cable and telegraph of the
North will prove popular either in
Alaska or in Seattle, which is the
heaviest patron of the system.
PORTLAND KNOCKS
OCT WHARF PILING
Only a swaying plank walk, rocking
uneasily upon a few tottering piles, re
mains of I he viaduct between the two
doe us. When tin Portland was pull
ing away Sunday evening a tremen
dous gust oi wind drove her against
this platform with a force which near
ly wrecked it and tore away the rail
ing and stanchions of the boat along
the area of contact.
During the night the waves dashing
against >he loosened piles washed them
free. Knough timbers remained under
the viaduct to keep it from falling and
pedestrians can still use it. but no
heavy freight is carried over it.
The railroad company will have the
platform replaced just a> soon as the
pile driver can put in the piles.
TO OPEN CONCERT ICUL
Fred Rasmussen to Build Between
Commerce and Bank Saluons
Fred Rasmussen, a well-known vari
ety theater man from Juneau, will
erect a building between the Com
merce and Bank saloons on Fourth
avenue below Washington street for a
variety theater, ard open it as soon as
constructed for a concert hall with a
bar. The excavation will be made
within the next few days and building
will commence as soon as lumber ar
rives on the (trace Dollar. The con
tract has been let.
The building will be 30x90 feet, two
stories high. The entire ground floor
will he used as a concert hall with a
bar in the front end. A stage will be
arranged in the rear, and regular
nightly performances of flu* dance hall
description will be given. If bu>iness
just ilies the change the building will
later be romodeled and made into a
variety theater.
Baby Born on Steamer Dora
A birth at sea on the steamer Dora
occurred on the last trip westward,
when a daughter was born to Mrs.
Harry Greniel, a native. The child
was named Dora.
COMPLETE TEXT Of
ALASKA MEMORIAL
Seward delegates took a eonspicuou
part in the convention of Alaskan,
held in Seattle November l‘» 22.
Judge Morford was chairman of tie
credentials committee and a member
of the steering committee for tie
Third District. He is a So on t lie per
manent committee appointed to call
future convent ions.
The most important work of the con
vention, that of framing a memorial
and preparing a statement covering'
tie1 needs of Alaska, fell to another
Seward delegate. Major John H. Hal
iaine. After sessions lasting three
days and evening?, the committee on
resolutions chose Major Balluine to
draft the document. His draft as sub
mitted was adopted by the full com
mittee without the change of a word,
and afterward in like manner by the
unanimous vote of the convention.
The Seattle papers announce t hat the
document so comtdetoly met the view,
of the delegates that they generally
expressed the opinion that it would
constitute Alaska's "Magna t'harta."
It i-. tlm fir>t statement of Alaska'-,
needs ever unanimouslv agre»*d upon
by a representative convention of
A laskans.
In view of its importance to Muska,
in that <'ongress is expected to enact
most of tlu> recommendations into law.
the document i- here published by the
(Jateway in full:
Appeal to American People
The <10.(KM) Americans resident in
Alaska represented by elected dele
gates in territoria 1 convent ion. t ids 'Jot h
day oi November. 1!M)5. appeal to the
American people in every state and
territory, and to congn -sand the pres
ident of tiie United States, with a can
did statement of Alaska's need- and a
re-peetful demand for the recognition
oi her rights.
Thai those needs may be clearly tin
d*Ts!o,)d and those rights dealt wiili in
justice, we deem it fitting to present
an outline of conditions a- they exist in
Alaska today.
In t lie precious metals of gold, silver
and copper, and in deposits of coal,
tin and iron ore. we believe that Alas
ka is the world's richest storehouse,
its waters produce one-half of the an
nua! salmon catch of the Western hem
isphere. Its 5*0.107 square miles ex
ceed the combined areas of Germany
and Austria-M ungary, and the islands
of Great Britain and Ireland,
The great mountain systems of Alas
ka are crowned with ice and snow, and
they feed glaciers. Gut in the southern
and central port ions are vast and fer
tile valleys, some a* large as the state
of Ohio, densely timbered and yielding
abundantly of grasses, all varieties of
vegetables, and the hardy grains.
These valleys correspond in area, lati
tude and climatic conditions with por
tion- of Northwestern Burope, contain
ing Ki.noo.otM) enlightened and prosper
ous people.
Within this wide expanse of territory
tiO.'KK) Americans, their numbers rap
idly increasing, are engaged in devel
oping resources of limitless extent and
of incalculable hem-lit to the prosperity
of the United States.
But their work i> a struggle against
adversity. They face not alone the
physical disadvantages of a country al
ternating with rugged mountains and
forest covered valleys, but they are
burdened with laws wholly unsuited to
their needs, which breed expensive
litigation, engender animosities amt
frequently bring progress to a halt.
A heavy tax is imposed by congress
upon every character of Alaskan in
dustry. and hut a fraction of it is
applied to Alaska's welfare as Un
people of Alaska believe it should be ,
applied.
Come From All States
The 00,000 Americans in Alaska re
present the vigor and intelligence of
young manhood from every state and
territory in the Union. They have car
ried with them to their new home th<;
school, the church, the hospital, the
daily paper, t he telephone and the
electric light. They have carried also
to their new home the American love
of liberty and the American belief that
their local affairs can be regulated by
themselves better than by a body of
of men, however.enlightened, living in
different environments and occupied
with other duties many thousands of
miles away.
Wherefore, We demand the appli
cation to Alaska of the fundamental
American principle of self government
and elective representation in Congress.
We ask no help or favors,but only to be
i permitted to work out our own destiny
mi do our share in contributing tothe
•rosperity and welfare of our common
•mintry.
In addition, we present herewith
Alaska’s other immediate and most
urgent needs:
First and Foremost: Astalwl apply
iriLf to Alaska a kmc, amendatory ol a.;ci
supplementary to tin* federal statute
• hi mines and mining', making it im
possilde to locate placer mining eiainis
hy a<;ent or attorney-in-fact with or
without power ol attorney, or in any
manner to locate such claims otlnr
wi.se than in person: making it impos
sible to locate more than twenty acres
of placet* ground in one claim, thus
abolishing the «.rroup claim curse; mak
inir it impossible for any one person to
1 locate more than two placer claims on
; any one creek, or any one ol its trihu
j taries: declarin': that the bona tide
j lindin*: of yolrl in any quantity what
I ever any where wit hie the boundaries
of a placer minini; claim constitutes
discovery: subuit utiny a cash is^'v
im nt of $2’> per annum on each placer
mining claim for the annual labor
assessment of $I*mi now required by
law. with the penalty that failure to
I pay sudi cash assessment subjects the
! claim to relocation, the moneys -u , aid
i to he expended in the construction and
maintenance of wuyon roads and trails
lin Alaska: and. anally, declaring the
' law of water riyhts in connection w;*h
; placer mining c airns.
Second: A direct appropriation of
$l.oon.tion hy congress for the h i'dinj:
i of waj^on roads and trails ondei 'he
supervision of the Alaska road com
mission.
Third: The application of the am
ines of the government cable am! t< <•
jrruph system in Alaska to betterments
and extensions.
Fourth: Legislation relievin'.: l'nited
Stales judges in Alaska of adniinistrat
i v»- duties and the appointing oft n It ■ d
Slate*' coUiimssioiiecs hy transO ri in/
such duties tot lie governor or other
civil otlicials.
Fifth: A redistrictiny of the present
judicial divisions, an increase in the
number of judges, and tie* creating of
an appellate court in Alaska.
Sixth: The abolishing of the anti
qnat« d fee system in all olliees and the
substitution <•»' adequate salaries.
Seventh: The removal of the re
strictive tax of $loo a mile per annum
on railroads in Alaska.
Ask for Ljnd Suncys
Kighth: The establishing of base
line» ami meridians in the vast and fer
tile valleys of southern ami central
Alaska, to the end that homesteaders
now located and locating therein large
'numbers may occupy ami improve the
public domains of Alaska on terms of
eqiialit.N with homesteaders on the
public domains elscwhen in the l nited
States.
Ninth: The providing of more light
houses on the coasts of Alaska, where
a fleet of American strainers isetigaged
in the merchant marine exceeding in
j numbers the American fleet engaged
[ in one field on any other ocean.
Tenth: Better postal facilities, with
special deference to assistance for post
masters in rapidly growing towns.
Klevcnih: The erection of suitable
buildings for the transaction of public
business in the several divisions of
A laska.
Twelfth: The placing of the natives
of Alaska under tin* direct protection
of the governor of the territory.
With those needs recognized and
legislation enacted to give them effect,
Alaska will enter upon a period of un
precedented development and prosper
ity to the lasting good of all Ameri
cans.
In conclusion, we appeal to the press
of the United States for that just treat
ment which it accords, when rightly
informed, to all deserving interests.
Respectfully submitted with the
unanimous endorsement of the com
mittee on resolutions, November 2b,
1905.
Building Houses at falls Creek
Work on the two big bunkhouses at
the Falls creek mine is going on stead
ily in spite of cold weather, under the
direction of T. M. Lane. The mine is
a mile above timber line and the logs
have to be skidded up the trail from
the place where they are cut. This
makes the job slow, but the houses
will be finished soon and then a large
force of men will be engaged to drive
four tunnels during the winter.
The insurance investigators of New
York threaten to make the big ofli*
, cials give back the side money they
! made from company funds.