Seward Weekly Gateway
v.(ii n N(( ,, SEWAUI>. ALASKA. SATl lilJAY. 41 NK Mi. 190(5.
.. .-— ~ - - " ~ ■
COAL DEPOSITS
ON MATANUSKA
Report of Expert Griffith Shows
That it Ranks With Best
on Continent.
CARBON PERCENTAGE IS HIGH
Prof. Martin Gets Assay of Picked
Specimen VXhich Almost
tquals Anthracite.
The report Of William C.riftith. the
coal expert from Scranton. I'ennsjl
>ania, who was >ciu to t tit* Matanuska
last fall to investigate the coal beds
there, gives a highly favorable account
Of the deposits tHith as to quantity and
quality. He took a large number of
samples and had assays made of them
and all showed high percentages in
tixed carbon, which is the main re- of
fuel value. In that part icular the coal
exceed- mo-t of the soft coal- of the
Cnited State-.
Comparisons of the Matanuska Coal
with other coals a- shown by Mr.
liriftith's samples do not give the
former a fair showing, as he himself
candidly confesses that none of them
were picked samples, but were gath
ered up at random in different places
in the veins exposed in order to obtain
h conservative estimate of probable
Talues. The expert admits that the
published assays of other coals which
arc in high repute are undoubtedly of
picked samples since the owner of coal
ready for the market would use every
means to give it a high commercial
rating.
Show High Assays
In spite of this fact assays of the
Matanuska coal show percentages of
fixed carlion ranging from 71.65 on Coal
creek to 45.35 on Eska creek. A ma
jority of the samples ran above 60 per
cent tixed carlion. The highest grade
of soft coal in the Ended States is the
Pocahontas coal of Virginia, which
show s 74.2s per cent tixed carlion. un
doubtedly a picked sample. 1 he t tnn
berland coal of Maryland show s 71.82
percent tixed carbon, and these two
alone excel the samples of Matanuska
coal which Mr. C.riftUh took.
A suggestive comparison in this con
nection is the assay of 79 tier cent fixed
carlion shown by a picked sample tak
en by Prof. Martin, the government
geologist who visited the Matanuska
field lust fall. This sample contained
14 per cent volatile matter and only 3
percent ash, the remaining 4 per cent
being moisture and other matter.
The best Pocahontas coal contains
74.28 per cent fixed carbon, 18.5 vola
tile matter and 6.57 ash. The Cum
berland coal contains .1.82 i>er cent
fixed carbon, 15.21 volatile matter and
10.47 ash. both inferior to Prof. Mar
tin's picked sample of Matanuska coal.
The Kayak anthracite coal alone of
all Pacific coast coals so far investiga
ted. exceeds the Matanuska coal in
quality. It assays S2.7S per cent tixed
carlion. 12.02 volatile matter and 2.8
ash. The best known coals of Wash
ington and British Columbia assay as
follows in fixed carbon; Cotnox. 61.*2:
Nanaimo, 54.67: Black Diamond, 50.3;
Rosljn, 49.4: Benton, 52.55: Wilkinson,
63.82: Carbonado. 56.67.
Estimates Coal Veins
In his report Mr. Griffith makes an
estimate which he admits to lx- ex
tremely conservative of tin* coal de
posits in the Matanuska field, putting
the minimum quantity at £1,000,000
tons. In order to make his estimate
conservative he cuts it in half after
figuring the totals by a process of
measurement
This is only in the Matanuska field
proper. Mr. Griffith reports that
enormous deposits of indefinite extent
exist to the eastward of the Chicka*
loon river as far as Hicks creek, but
that they are comparatively inaccessi
ble and less profitable to work than
the regions which he terms the Moose
Granite field and the C hickaloon,
Kings River and Coal Creek field.
The former lies on Moose and Granite
creeks, tributaries of the lower Mata
nuska, and the other farther up the
river. All are on the west side of the
Matanuska. Mr. Griffith obtains his
estimate by the following method:
Moose-Granite Field
‘•The Moose-Granite field may be
considered as an apticlinal extending
parallel with the! Matanuska river,
about three to five miles northward
therefrom, and carrying one mer
(Continued on page 2)
PASSES ALASKA
CENTRAL RILL
Senate Puts Ihrou?h .Measure
Lxteniiiiij; Time and Sus
pending Taxation.
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Washington, 1*. t'.. dune Id i he
senate passed tin1 Alaska t entra! hill
extending he time for completion to
live years after tiling maps of definite
location, whieli must be within three
years after the date of the passage »>i
the act. The bill also exempts the
railroad from taxation until live years
after completion and grants it bi»>
acres of land for terminals besides
{making provision for intermediate
terminals along its route.
It is believed that tin* bill will pass
tin- house. It was defeated a short
time ago through the opposition of
' Williams of Mississippi by reason of
; lack of a quorum. A majority of
■ members present voted for it then and
it has an undoubted majority in tin*
I house.
OPEN STORES IN
MINING REGION
Several Installed This Summer
on Yentna and Upper
Susitna River.
Several stores to furnish miners’
supplies will soon be in business in the
mining districts of the interior. 1 wo
or three will be located along the
Yentna river, probably at tin* mouth
of Lake creek and at Youngstown, the
head of navigation. If summer de
velopments justify further enterprises
of the kind supply stations will proba
bly be installed near every ereek
where active work is in operation,
j Besides these a store will be con
ducted this summer at the fork* of the
Susitna by H. 1’. Gallagher, who is
* associated with Litchfield Churchill,
owners of the store at Susitna station.
Mr. Gallagher went up the river a*
i soon as navigation opened. Several
dozen prospectors have already gone
in north of the Forks and on adjacent
creeks, as far as Valdez creek and
other creeks north of the falls of the
Susitna, where excellent results were
obtained last year by a small number
| of men. On Montana creek, near the
Forks, several claims have been
located and worked and the surround
ing region is believed to be a fine
placer district.
The Fairbanks News recently stated
that numerous miners of the Tauana
were planning to move southward this
; summer to investigate the creeks of
the upper Susitna. The Alaska Cen
(tral engineers who ran tin* preliminary
line through that region, this spring
returning recently to Seward, reported
that a small number of prospectors
were already in tin* creeks south of
Broad pass, through which the rail*
! road will cross the range into the
j Tanana valley. This locality has long
! been considered a promising field for
mining exploitation by men who have
j been through it.
It i* known also that men from Val
dez have been crossing over from the
Copper river country toward the Su
sitna all winter and spring to pros
pect new creeks and it seems to be an
assured fact that the whole Susitna
basin, with the tributaries of that
river, will receive attention from pros
j peetors this year.
ORDERS EXTENSION OF
CABLE TO KETCHIKAN
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle, June 14—Lieut.-Col. Glass
ford, in charge of the Alaska cable
and telegraph service, was advised to
day by the war department that the
cable will be extended to Ketchikan
this summer by way of Wrangel. The
proposed route is to loop through
Fanchet bay, thence to Petersburg,
through the straits north of Wrangel
to that station, thence to Ketchikan
and Hadley. Col. Glassford will go
north to start the work in July.
To Send Bears to harriman
On the Bertha were three black bear
cubs about a month old which were
givea to Capt. Downing at Seldovia.
He intends to send them to his friend
E. H. Harriman, the Union Pacific
magnate, with a suggestion that he
find a place for them on Wall street.
Re-elects Old Board of Officers and directors
Except That E. Augustus Ifeinze Becomes
Member—Announced That Holland
and London Capitalists Take
$5,000,000 in Bonds.
By Cable to Tlie Daily Gateway.
Seattle. June 15 At tlx* annual
meeting of the stockholders and direc
tors of the Alaska Central Railway
Company this. morning toe old board
j of officers and directors was re-elected
| with the exception of \Y. B. Poland,
who was succeeded as director by i'.
Augustus I lein/e of Butte.
It is announced that Holland and I.on
don capitalists will immediately take
. >.*),otK).non in bonds of the company and
these will he floated at once. The
; funds will be used to push construc
tion of the road this summer. The
REPORT HIGH WATER
IN YENTNA DISTRICT
Several Men Come Out and Say
Little Actual Mining Is in
Progress So Far.
High water on all the creeks of the
f Ventna district is reported by recent
! arrivals and little actual mining work
was in progress early this month on
account of the rising floods, which pre
vented sluicing and in some places
washed away sluice boxes. The
miners were engaged principally in
getting out lumber or in prospecting.
Those who were in all winter mostly
! had their timber on their ground and
I some lost part of their labor by the
j floating out of sluice boxes.
Arthur Tarver, S. L. Peel and
Charles Steen came to Seward this
week with the latest news from the
i district. They came by way of the
Sunrise trail. All are .veil pleased
and expect to return. Peel and Steen
| went in last September. All three
j admit frankly that nothing like a
| bonanza nas been struck yet but as
colors have been found throughout the
I district and pay gold has been taken
j out in different places, all who have
j been up there, except a few whose
i feet got cold easily, are extremely
| hopeful of t lie outcome and will spend
i the summer in the district.
Contrary to earlier accounts the lat
! est arrivals say that indications point
j to deep instead of shallow diggings on
' Lake creek and probably on the
others. They say that some pretty
deep holes have been sunk without
touching bedrock. The creek is full
j of wash gravel, which appears in some
places to be of extraordinary depth.
All necks of land inside sharp bends
of the stream are gravel bars and a
great deal of work will be done on
: these bars this summer. All have
been located.
Coming down the Ventna Tarver
met t ho Cook party in their fast
| launch, and F. C. YVoolsey's launch
; carrying several prospectors and their
supplies. Woolsey’s launch carried
| one boat and was towing two. Tarver
I also met another launch going up.
ANOTHER FAIRBANKS DAILY
Morning and Evening Paper Called
the Miner to Start Soon.
The Seattle Times gives the follow
ing account of a new morning and
evening paper to be called the Miner
which the Fairbanks Publishing Com
pany will soon start in the Tanana
metropolis. Will A. Steel of the
Nome News is the directing head.
The Times says:
“The plant includes two Mergen
thaler typesetting machines, a power
press, complete stereotyping outfit and
engraving plant. The shipment, which
totals sixty tons, will leave on the
steamer San Mateo June 2. On the
steamer Oregon, which sails about the
same time, twelve employes for the
new paper will take passage. Several
of the employes have already left Daw
son for Fairbanks.”
_
Henrik Ibsen, the famousNorwegian
poet and dramatist, died May 23 in
Christiana, at the age of 78.
Dawson started 1000 tons of freight
on four steamers to Fairbanks the day
after the fire.
brokers will probably take f''.000,000 in j
bonds. •
The next annual meeting of the
stockholders and directors will be |
held March 10, 1007. and thereafter;
the board will meet quarterly.
The board of directors is now com
posed as follows: A. < . Frost of ( hi
cayo, president: II. < ’. Osborne of To-1
ronto. vice president: James .\. Ilaiyht j
of Seattle, secretary: G. L. Francis of 1
Toronto, treasurer: Georye Turner of
Spokane. John K. Mallalne of Seattle. ,
O. G. Laberee of Spokane. G. A. Mall 1
of Muncie, Ind.. F. Augustus Ileinze;
of Butte.
FINDS RICH BENCH ON
BRANCH OF COOPER CREEK
Fred Bryant Stumbles on Extensive
(iravel Deposit He Had Passed
For Years.
A big deposit of apparently rich
gravel similar in formation to that of
Crow creek was discovered on a branch
of Cooper creek last Wednesday by
Fred Bryant, manager of the Kenai
Mining & Milling Company, which has
a string of claims extending from the
mouth of Cooper creek to its head.
The new strike is on property of the
company extending up a small creek
called Kicking Horse, which flows into
Cooper Creek, near the confluence of
the latter with Kenai river.
Mr. Bryant has worked on Cooper
creek intermittently since 1WS, in
which year he located and worked a
placer claim near its mouth, yet he
never discovered the gravel bench on
Kicking Horse until this week, when
he picked up a color by accident. Re
peated tests o' the gravel for several
hundred yards up the creek showed
that it contains colors in almost uni
form quantity and always in paying
quantities. Ample water supply from
the creek and another small creek ad
joining, from which it can be carried
across by an inexpensive ditch, will
work the bench easily and at mini
mum cost.
Mr. Bryant worked for several years
for the Crow Creek Placer Mining
Company, and believes that the new
Cooper creek discovery is equally as
rich as that famous property.
JOHN ROSEN E’S OPINION
Says Alaska Central Cannot lie Hurt
hy Paper Railroads
John Ilosene, president of the North
western Steamship Company, in an in
terview in the Seattle Times recently
talked freely of present and prospec
tive railroads in Alaska. Among
other statements was the following:
“Another proposed railroad into the
Copper river district is Orca on Cor
dova Bay, via the mouth of the river.
There has been much published re
garding this latter enterprise calcula
ted to mislead the public. Big head
lines as to how the Canadians have
outwitted the Yankees in Alaska: how
the Canadians are going to take the
Fairbanks business from the Alaska
Central, and how generally the Yan
kees have been foiled by the Cana
dians. With a good press agent it is
very easy to construct railroads in the
newspapers, but it will take a lot of
money and a long time to build a rail
road from Orca by the w’ay of the
month of Copper river, thence to Cop
per Center and the Tanana river. The
statement that a railroad from Orca
can take away the Fairbanks business
from the Alaska Central, or even com
pete with the Alasha Central in that
territory on an equal basis, is sheer
nonsense and would not be published
were it not for the general lack of
knowledge on the part of the public
regarding the territory.”
Toledo Calls Again
Steamer Toledo came in Sunday
afternoon with about twenty passen
gers from Turnagain Arm and the in
terior. She sailed again for Seldovia
in the evening.
TO FORCE VOTE
Steering Committee Decides It
Must lie Taken Before Con
gress Adjourns.
By Cable to Tbe Daily Gateway.
Washington, I). June It The
Republican steering committee of the
senate last night decided that the
question of Judge Wickersham's nom
ination must be acted upon before ad
journment. The steering committee
will force Nelson to permit a vote.
It is expected now that Congress
will adjourn next week. II. as now
seems certain, a vote is forced on
Wickersham's confirmation lie will
undoubtedly In* confirmed In a large
majority.
Cannot Budge Nelson
Washington. I). <'.. June M• in
hers of the senate are laboring w ith
Senator Nelson to induct' him to quit
his tight on Wiekersham but they have i
so far received no encouragement.'
The senate is nearly unanimous for
Wickersham's confirmation.
ADDICKS FIGHT
ENDS AT LAST
Gas Man Retires From Delaware
Senatorial Struggle and Du
pont Is Elected.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Dover, Del., June 12 Henry A. Du
pont was nominated for l*. S. senator
over J. Kdward Addicks in the Re
publican legislative caucus last night
and was elected today by the legisla
ture, the two houses voting separately.
They will meet in joint session tomor
row to declare the result. This ends
a fight of eleven years between the
Addicks and anti-Addicks factions of
the Republican party of Deleware.
Addicks himself made the result
possible. Although some of his old
supporters voted for him in caucus he
had previously advocated the election
of Dupont as the ouly means of saving
Delaware to the Republican party.
Dupont had for years been the candi
date of the anti-Addicks faction for
senator. The term for which he has
been elected expires in 1911. The
legislature failed to elect a year ago
because of the deadlock and the pres
ent session was called by the governor
chiefly for the purpose of electing a
senator as soon as Addicks announced
that he would stand out of the way.
ORGANIZE COMPANY TO
WORK KNUDSON CLAIM
Seattle men have incorporated the
Alaska-Iliamna Copper Company to
work a claim near Lake Iliamna which
is believed to be very valuable. It is
known as the Knudson claim and was
located in 11K)1 by a prospector of that
name who was soon afterward killed
by Indians. His partner escaped and
for a long time refused to return but
finally went in last fall with an expert
representing the company which has
taken the property. The P.-I. says:
“The company has already expended
some $25,000 on the property, and will
ship a consignment of machinery into
the property on the steamer Santa
Ana, which sails from Seattle June 10.
“Secretary Evans states that the
Alaska Short Line Railroad, which has
lately been financed by the J. P. Mor
gan interests, will be constructed in to
Lake Iliamna, a distance of thirteen
miles, during the summer.”
Portland Seeks Alaska Trade
Since the freight rate between Port
land and Seattle has been cut on Alas
ka shipments to 7J cents per hundred
the Portland Commercial Club is send
ing out circulars to Alaska merchants
soliciting a share of their trade. It is
claimed that if permanent trade re
lations are established between Port
land and Alaska a line of steamers
will ultimately be established between
the Oregon metropolis and the north
which will give the territory perman
ent competition in trade. The ciub
asserts also that Portland sells super
ior grades of goods and makes the low
est possible prices.
Martin Welch came to Seward Sun
day from the Turnagain Arm rail
road work.
ISSUES BOOK ON
ALASKA GEOLOGY
A. II. Brooks, Chief of Depart
ment of Survey, Tells of
Investigations.
DESCRIBES CLIMATIC FEATURES
Rainy Bell I xtends Southward From
I’rince William Sound With
Orca the Wettest Spot.
The most instructive work ever !> *
lislied on Alaska i- a document of :._7
pages just i-sued hy the I'. S. < I<•«> ■
icul Survey. It was pre oared ur.*
tile direction of Alfred II. Proof-,
chief of the department havin'- char *
of geological investigations in Ala
The document is technically lain •••
"Professional Paper No. 47*." ant
entitled: The Oeograpln and t :**>'■ /
of Alaska, a Summary of Kxi-tiiv
Knowledge. With a Section on <
mate."
All of tin* knowledge of Ala- a
gained by seven years of otticia in
vestigation is carefully given in the
document. For the first time in any
government publication, ('entral Ala—
ka receives conspicuous prominence
in climate, resources and general ad
vantage-.
One very important point brought,
out by the new work is that Alaska's
excessive rainv belt extends from
Prince William Sound eastward and
southeastward to the southern part of
the panhandle. From government ob
servation covering a series of years if
shows, page 197, that Orca is the raini
est place in Alaska, having a total an
nual fall of 129.31 inches. Sitka, which
has been supposed to hold lirst place
for amount of rainfall, is credited with
an average of iff) inch* -. The greatest
on record at Sitka was 140.2** inch*
ih 188(5 and the least was ."*!»..'!7 inch* -
in 1872. Juneau is next to Orca with
an average record for three year- <>r
98.89 incites.
No Record at reward
No otliciul records have been kept by
the government of the rainfall at Sew
ard. but records kept by residents of
this place prove conclusively that its
annual rainfall does not exceed to
inches. It is west of the heavy rain
belt. The nearest official records ti>
Seward giving amount of rainfall art*
at Kodiak, Kenai and Tyoonok. The
document credits Kodiak with an an
nual rainfall of 66.33, and Kenai with
less than an average of IS inches for a
period of six years. The minimum for
that period was 1.3.50 incites in 1 -H) 1,
and the maximum 18.53 inches in 1885.
The average rainfall at Tyoonok for
four years was 25.08 inches, the mini
mum being 20.IT inches in 1000 and the
maximum 28.20 in 1002. Fort Liscum,
opposite Valdez, shows an average for
two years of 81.,'{5 inches, almost as
much as Sitka.
The very moderate rainfall of Kenai
and Tyoonok is indicative of the rain
fall of the entire Susitna valley.
No complete records are given for
the Yukon and Tanana valleys, but
the partial records indicate a precipi
tation slightly less than that of
Tyoonok.
The chapter on climatology has thi»
to say of that portion of Central Alas
ka which the building of the Alaska
Central Railway will soon make tribu
tary to Seward:
“The Cook Inlet region, including
the lower part of the Susitna basin,
though somewhat colder than that part
of the seaboard which lies directly on
the open ocean, has probably the most
delightful climate of any portion of
Alaska. The charm of the Cook Inlet
•climate is its bright clear weather in
the spring and summer, when there is
just enough rainfall to insure ample
water for growth of vegetation.”
Like a Park
Speaking of timber and grass lands,
the paper says, page 36:
“The southern and eastern slopes ot
the Alaska range, near Cook Inlet, up
about 1200 feet, constitute a beautiful
park-like region, sprinkled with
groves of spruce, birch ard cotton
wood, and abundant open meadows of
6ne grass.”
The great northern valley to be
traversed by the Alaska Central and
thereby connected with Seward is thus
described, page 87:
“The Tanana valley has long been
known for its heavy growth of spruce,
(Continued on page 2)