Sewar i Weekly Gateway
VOL. 111. NO. 25 SEWAKD. ALASKA. SATURDAY. EEKKUAKY 2. I!K)7._
ALASKA TRADE
GROWING FAST
Total Value of Exports and Im
ports in 1906 Reached
S5I.460.JJL
GOLD INCREASE 52 PER CENT
Report of Collector Hobart Shows
Commerce of All Kinds Has
Doubled in Three Years.
Exports of Alaska products in 1006
reached a total of $31,039,082, an in
crease of $9,612,479 over 190'>, or 44
per cent. This includes gold exports,
which were $18,471,451 in 1906, and
$12,131,003 in 1905, an increase of 52
per cent. Imports of merchandise in
1906 reached a total of $19,925,942. as
against $16,143,680 in 1905, an increase
of 24 per cent. Total exports and im
ports in 1906 were $51,460,334, as
against $37,705,386 in 1905, an increase
of 38 per cent.
The annual report of the collector of
customs for the district of Alaska,
Clarence I* Hobart, contains a de
tailed statement of tbe commerce of
Alaska, showing the imports of mer
chandise at each port, even the small
est. He divides the territory into four
districts. Southeastern Alaska, which
extends to Sitka; Southern Alaska, in
cluding ports west of Sitka to l n.il.is
ka; Bering sea and Arctic ocean, in
cluding all ports on Bering sea except
St. Michael; Yukon river, including
St. Michael and all interior places. A
great increase in commerce is shown
bv each one of these sections. I his
record has been kept by Colleitoi
Hobart for four years and comparative
Statements show that the commerce of
was more than double that of
1903.
All ligutes are obtained from copies
of ship manifests, which are required;
bv law to be tiled in the oilier of the I
collector of customs.
Shipments of Alaska products to the
United Slates in 1906 are given as j
follows:
Copper ore and matte.$ 1, iS.»,0l6j
Kish, fresh other than salmon 236,065 (
Cured other than salmon 199,157 i
Salmon canned. 8.449.360 j
All other salmon. 273.756
Kish guano. .{-,*»h>
KUhoil.
Pur,. ««.»»;
Gypsum. n.4tnr
Tin ore anti concent rates.... • l-o i
Whalebone. 367,852
Other merchandise. 506,941 j
Gold . K.*•»•**!
Total t<> l’uited States.$31,039.08*!
Kx|.\.r* i of Alaskan products
t i tor ign countries. 40.>.310
Ti'* i*. i rodviv*t> shipped.$31,534..>92
)( t lie if ! < rts of merchandise last
yc:iv $2.557,797 was from foreign
countries and $18,398,145 from the
Cnited States. No classification of the
former is given but the domestic mer
chandise is classified us lollow-., con!
$540,928; lumber $.>26,732: hardware
$4,306,850; provisions $6,101,536; liquors
$1,025,512: all others $6,016,807.
By districts the total amounts re
ceived were as follows:
Southeastern Alaska.$4,451,203
Southern Alaska.J,205,913
Bering sea and Arctic.. 6,051,1*5
St Michael and Yukon. 4,659,844
Seward ranks fifth in imports of
domestic merchandise, with a total of
$soo,918. Among other ports are the
following; Seldovia $56,709; Kodiak
$54,703; Kenai $23,577; Hope $21,990;
Sunrise $23,972: Glacier Creek $21,257:
Knik $29,613, Palmer Station (prob
ably Knik) $785; Susitna Station $6203;
Tvonok $15,151.
Vook inlet is credited with $.31,116
and Turnagain Arm with $702. These
consignments were doubtless for differ
ent ports on those estuaries and were
delivered by steamer men from person
al knowledge of the consignees.
STEAMER PORTLAND
ARRIVES IN VALDEZ
Steamer Portland reached Valdez
last night from Seattle and will sail
for Seward this evening. The V aJdez
cable office states that she came inside,
passing Juneau early January 30, so
she made Valdez from Juneau in less
than three days. She must have sail
ed from Seattle earlier that she was
reported, which was last Saturday
night, the 26th.
CREATES TWO
LAND OFFICES
House Agrees to Pass Lacey’s
Bill for New Ones at Nome
and Fairbanks.
SENATE WILL ALSO ACCEPT IT |
—
Admitted Measure for Convenience
of Alaska Will Go Through
This Congress.
—
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Washington, I). C., Jan. 31—Con
gressman Lacey’s bill creating United
States land offices in Nome and Fair
banks will pass the house by agree
ment this week. No opposition will
be mad? to the measure.
The bill is urged by the Alaska del
egates and Gov. Hoggatt of the terri
tory and has the support of the inter
ior department, so that no doubt is en
tertained of its going through the sen
ate before the end of the session.
House Passes Ijind Office Bill
By Cable to Tba Dally Gatoway.
Washington, D. t'., Feb. 2— The
house passed the bill creating United
States land offices at Nome and Fair
banks. Alaska, yesterday afternoon.
NORTH DAKOTA
IN STORM GRIP!
As One Blizzard Subsides Another
Rises and State Is Short of
Food and Fuel.
By Cal ie to The Dally Gateway
Minor, N. D., Fen. 1 -The worst
blizzard of the present winter is pre-1
vailing throughout North Dakota and ,
ail railroad traffic* is completely
demoralized. The food supply of the \
state is short and there is practically ,
no coal within its borders. Much i
suffering is reported from many places.
Kail road operation had just been
fairly restored after the blizzard of J
last week when the present storm
came on and the supplies of provisions
and fuel so much needed in the state)
had scarcely begun to move.
SAYS DAKOTANS REFUSED
TO ACCEPT SCREENINGS
By C&Ue to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, l>. 1'., Feb. 2 Louis
W. Hill of the Great Northern railway !
writes to the interstate commerce
commission that North Dakota resi-1
dents refused to accept coal that was
offered to them by die railroads be-;
cause it contained screenings. Mr. |
Hill says the suffering in that state
during the recent excessively Cold]
weather because of the fuu! shortage
was unnecessary.
ALL METAL PRICES RISING
Copper, Tin and Antimony Showed
Marked Increase in 1900
All metal prices were rising in the
! last half of 11*06 and generally through
j out the year. The advance was most
1 marked in copper, which rose from
j $l*.50 January 1 to $22.50 December 1;
j in straits tin, which rose from $36 to
I $43 in the same period: and antimony,
which advanced from $14 fo $26. An
timony was quoted at $27.50.) uno 1 and j
then fell off a little but was climbing!
again later.
Pig lead and spelter were nearly
| stationary during the year but both
were going up toward the close. Lead
was quoted at $5.90 January 1 and at
$6 December 1. Spelter called for $6.65
January 1, $6.10 May 1, $6.30 Novem
ber 1, and $6.55 December 1.
Silver advanced about 4 cents an !
ounce during 1906.
Electric Line at Juneau
The Juneau papers say that the
Silver Dow Basin railroad will be
built this year by the Alaska Perse
verance Mining Com puny. It will be 11
a narrow gauge electric line.
The de Groff mine on Chichagof isl- i
and is getting $150 a ton returns from
the ore it ships to the Tacoma smelter. <
ORGANIZE COMPANY
TO BUILD SMELTER
«* ,
Reduction Plant to Be Erected Near Seward by
Prince William Sound Copper Promo
ters and Other Capitalists.
• •
Assurances Given That Railroad Construction Will Be Pushed to
Matanuska Coal Fields by 1908 So As to Afford Perma
nent fuel Supply—Alaska Central to Let Sev
eral Contracts for Grading as far
•as Knik This Year.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle, Jan. 28— A copper smelter ,
with a capacity ot at least 500 tons daily
will be built on Resurrection bay near
Seward and will be ready for opera
tion by the time the Alaska Central
railroad reaches the Matanuska coal
fields, which is expected to be early in
15H)8, assuring necessary fuel supply,
as the track will he pushed forward
with all the men who can be secured
from the opening of work early the |
coming spring.
This announcement is made by John
E. Ballaine, who returned yesterday
from a meeting of Alaska Central
directors and other railroad officials in
Chicago. He states that the smelter
company is an independent corporation
but is projected jointly by interests
connected with the Alaska Central
and the Huhbard-Elliott and the
Knight Island copper companies.
The officers of the company are John
E. Ballaine, president, Ceurge If.
Heising of Minneapolis, vice president.
K. C. Hale of Seward, treasurer.
Heising is president and owner of the
H 'ising Elevator Company of Minnea
polis, and a heavy stockholder in the
Ilubbard-Klliott Company and the
Knight Island Copner Company. lie
is also actively engaged in mining and
^melting at Sonoma. Mexico. The
general manager of the smelter inter
: ests at. Seward will he a practical
operator who is now superintendent of
a smelter at Butte.
After the meeting of Alaska Central
officials at ‘Chicago President Frost
authorized the announcement to he
made that const ruction of t lie railroad
will be carried forward with the ut
most activity this summer and until the
line is completed. The only limit lies
in the uncertainty of getting enough
men in the existing unprecedented de
mand for laborers in the whole north
west.
Watson & Snow, the bridge contrac
tors, will probably have the contract
to complete the grade to mile 75. The
work beyond 75 to Knik will probably
be let to several contractors in order
to hasten it> completion. The Welch
contract made la>t summer has been
canceled on accoun t of the Laberee
fiasco.
The foregoing dispatch was shown
to F. (i. Hale, who said that lie had
little information concerning the
smelter except that lie had been asked
several weeks ago to take an interest
i . i. and bad answered that be would
be glad to Ik* identified with the com*
pany it given assurances that it would
have first-class financial standing,
guaranteeing that the smelter project
was bona tide and would be made a
success.
WASKEY FIGHTS
BURLEIGH PLAN
Objects to Government Aid for
Alaska Railroad or Any
Unfinished Line.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, I). C.. Jan. 2K Dele
gate Waskey is opposing Andrew Bur
leight's hill for government aid to t lie
Alaska I tail road, which proposes to
huild from <lordova. Waskey appeared
before the senate committee on public
lands today to argue against the prop
osition. He urged that no land grant
or other government aid he given to
any Alaska railroad until its entire
line is completed.
It was claimed by Waskey that Bur
leigh proposes to build only into the
coal and copper Helds of Southern
'Alaska and will not reach the Yukon
and that as the line will he only a local
ono it will of no particular value to the
remainder of the territory. Waskey
said tlie Guggenheitns are ready to put
a railroad through to the Yukon with
out a subsidy.
CARRIE NATION LECTURES
ON WHITE HOUSE LAWN
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., Jan. 31—Carrie
Nation called at the Vyhite House this
morning but was refused admission.
She then began a harangue on the
lawn and a large crowd gathered. She
was forced to leave but soon returned.
She attracted little attention the
second time.
Start to Mush to Knik
J. W. Hamilton, Duke Harris, D. J.
Beard and Al Murphy started this
week for Knik with a caravan of
nine dogs. Mr. Hamilton may remain
indefinitely but Duke will be getting
on back before the snow disappears.
Nevada adopted a constitutional
amendment at the last election pro
viding a uniform tax of $600 annually
on all patented mining claims.
ASK BURLEIGH
FOR EVIDENCE
Senators Want Proof That Gu£>
jjenheims Seek to Control
Alaska Copper.
| _'
•Jy Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D.C., Feb. 2—Members
I of the senate committee on territories
today asked Andrew F. Burleigh for
proof of his charge thut the Guggen
heim syndicate is opposing government
aid to Alaska railroads with the pur
pose of cornering the Alaska copper
fields by discouraging inmediate devel
opment. Senators assured Burleigh
thrt if he can offer substantial evidence
of his assertion an investigation will
he made with the view of giving such
aid to development of t he copper tields
as will prevent a monopoly of their
ownership.
Burleigh’s charge is that the Gug
genheims have agents all through
Alaska investigating copper deposits
and buying up all those of considerable
value wherever possible: that the
syndicate seeks to prevent railroad con
struction into any of those fields while
it is building into the Copper river
country, in order that development
may he prevented except under its
control.
COLORADO RIVER MAY
INUNDATE VAST AREA
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Los Angeles, .Tan. 28—Advices re
ceived here state that unless the Col
orado river is turned hack into its old
channel it is likely to carry out the
government dam at Laguna, near
Yuma, and in that case thousands of
acres of irrigated land in Arizona.
California and Mexico will he inun
dated and ruined for purposes of culti
vation.
The Alaska Marble Company at
Shakan shipped 2500 tons of marble to
Puget Sound last year.
Chena is out of debt and has $12,000
in the municipal treasury.
PLAN FOR BIG
COPPER OOTPOT
Reynolds Company to Ship 3000
Tons a Month Trom Horse
shoe Bay Next Summer.
TO BUILD TOWN NEAR MINE
Aerial Tram to Be Installed and 200
Men Worked on Bonanza
Ledge Now Developed.
The Latouche*Iron Mountain copper j
mine, owned and operated by the Key*
nolds-Alaska Development Company,
at Horseshoe bay, near the southern
end of Latouche island, is installing
equipment which will enable it to have
a regular output of 3000 tons of ore per
month by next summer. This will
employ 200 men. A townsite to be
called Reynolds will be platted in the
spring.
The latest and most expensive
machinery and devices have been in
stalled in the Iron Mountain mine.
Electric drills are employed, the
power being obtained from a waterfall
4000 feet from the mine, at an eleva
tion of 4000 feet. The mine is4iMX) feet
from tide water. In the spring an |
: erial tram will be installed to carry |
the ore to the wharf. At present the
ore is hauled by wagon and no effort is
made to have a steady output, the work
so far being development, ore being
taken out incidentally. Electrical
power is to be employed in all mine
operat ions hereafter.
The Latouche-Iron Mountain mine is
admitted to be one of the most remark
able of the many stupendous copper
deposits of the sound. I be ore
body lias been traced for a mile by
open cuts, and is 2*>0 feet wide. The
superintendent, tiny I,. Bantu, is now
i in Seward, and states that the grade
I of the ore is constantly improving with
| additional depth.
i The Reynolds company is putting in
j a general store both for its own use
| and to equip miners and prospectors
I engaged in the vicinity.
Besides the Reynolds mine other
valuable copper properties are being
developed on Latouche isiand by Bar
rack, Heraple, Buzard, Carlson and
others. The famous Beatson mine has
been a shipper for several years.
AIR STORY OF
COPPER CORNER
—
Metal Dealers Charge Combine
but Associated Press Invest
igates and Denies.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
New York, .Ian. 30— Metal dealers
| charge that a big copper combine is
storing copper in large quantities to
create a corner in the market and un
load at fabulous prices. The Asso
ciated Press caused an investigation of
the charge to be made and announces
today that it has been found to be
untrue.
The Associated Press representa
tives say that the dealers who charge
that the metal is being stored in great j
quantities are unable to locate any
large stocks and that there is no evi
dence that any exist. On the con
trary, they say, it can be shown that
the metal goes into trade as fast as it
is produced and that the rapid rise in
price is due to a demand that is out
stripping production, although the
copper output is also advancing at a
high rate.
GRAND JURY INDICTS
THEATRICAL TRUST
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
New York, Feb. 1—The grand jury
today returned an indictment against
the members of the theatrical trust
charging conspiracy in restraint of
trade._
Temperature In January
The average temperature of January
in Seward was 23.93 degrees. In De
cember it was 21.2. In January 1906 it
was 11 degrees. The highest tempera
ture last month was 42 on the 12th.
The lowest was 3 on the 18th.
LETS CONTRACT
TO MILE 75
Alaska Central Arranges With
A. L. Snow to Complete
Grade That Fsr.
MESSAGE RECEIVED TODAY
Bridge Building, Tracklaying and
Rock Work Will Be in Pro
gress by March 1.
The contract to complete the Alaska
Central grade to mill 75 was let yes
j terday to A. L. Snow. This newscame
this morning in a message to Auditor
George E. Winter from F. H.
Stewart, treasurer of the company,
who is in Chicago.
The message briefly states the fact
that the contract was let to Snow and
Mr. Winter is unable to say whether
it goes to Watson & Snow or to Mr.
Snow alone, but he thinks the latter.
Watson & Snow have the bridge con
l tract but Watson is a bridge man
while Snow is a civil engineer, and as
such has had supervision of important
•railroad building in the northwestern
states and is consequently well inform
ed on all branches of railroad constru
tion. Mr. Winter thinks it probable
that Snow has taken the grading con
tvact for himself. The message to the
Gateway early this week stated that
Watson it Snow would have’ the con
tract to mile 75.
Little grading work remains unfin
ished this side of mile 69. Station
men have been working this winter on
a rock contract on 67. Beyond that is
; a trestle 6*00 feet long w hich extends
nearly to mile 69, where the rock work
begins again and is almost continuous
I to mile lo5. The grade is finished this
side of 67 except a few small patches.
Track is laid through the first funnel,
on mile 49.
From information previously re
ceived it is known that Mr. Stewart
and Mr. Snow will sail from Seattle
for Seward about February *, and that
j bridge building, tracklaying and rock
work will he in progress by March 1.
A. H. Wheatley, who arrived on the
Bertha, says A. L. Snow told him
in Spokane a few weeks ago that Wat
son & Snow expect to be back to re
sume bridge work on the railroad
about the middle of February. They
were obliged to suspend in December
i because of lack of bridge timber. A
| large quantity is now on hand and
every Northwestern steamer is bring
ing more.
EXPLOSION AT BALDWIN’S
CAUSES $1,000,000 LOSS
8v Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Philadelphia, Jan. 30—An explosion
in the paint shop of the Baldwin loco
tivo works caused the destruction or
one section of the plant, with a loss of
$1,000,000.
DISTANCES ON YENTNA TRAIL
Alfred Lowell Makes Computation
of flilcage by Stations.
Alfred Lowell has made the follow
ing computation of distances from
station to station to T^onok, showing
that it is alnjut 180 miles by the pres
ent trail to Susitna station. From
there to Tyonok is called fifty miles
hut Ijowell thinks they are uncom
monly long ones. $
From Seward to Gird wood is 72
miles. The railroad is 2| miles longer,
hut the trail cuts off two miles between
41) and 52 and a half mile on 54. Be
yond Gird wood Lowell's estimate is as
follows, assisted by the general
figures given by others:
Girdwood to Girdwood’s mine, 8
miles; mine to summit of Crow creek
pass, 3 miles; to Kagle river, 10; down
Eagle river to Knik arm, 20; along
arm to Watson’s roadhouse (Old Knik)
20; Cottonwood, 12: Knik, fi. This
makes Knik 151 miles from Seward.
The trail from Knik to Susitna station
is variously estimated but Lowell and
others put it at 35 miles, or 180 from
Seward.
The mouth of the Kahiltna is 32
miles from Susitna station, 30 from the
mouth of the Yentna; Lake creek is 8
miles farther and the Skwentna 13
miles beyond Lake creek. These
figures are given by F. C. Woolseyr
who operated the launch Bat on the
Susitna and Yentna last summer.
The old barge Richard 111 went
ashore at Hadley in a storm January 5.