FACTIONS HURT
ALASKA BILLS
All Legislation for Territory
Threatened by Fi^ht Over
Self-Government.
MOGGATT LEADING OPPOSITION
Waskey Says Giggenbeim Crowd
Tried to Make Deal With Him
at Beginning of Session.
—
By OabU to Tbo Dally OwMway.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 5—All
Alaska legislation is threatened on
account of the fierce fight now being
waged between the advocates and op
ponents of territorial government.
The Guggenheim-Morgan syndicate is
alleged to be backing the opposition.
Gov. Hoggatt is leading the fight
against self-government and insists
that the real business men of Alaska
do not want territorial government.
Delegate Waskey asserts that repre
■enatives of the Guggenheiros came to
him at the beginning of the congres
sional session and told him that if he
would work with the right people his
legislative path would be smooth but
that if he acted independently of them
he would have a rocky road to travel.
All the opponents of territorial gov
ernment declare lhat its advocates do
not represent the real bnsiness inter
ests of the territory.
HOGGATT BUSY
AT LOBBY JOBS
Governor Told If He Do* s Not
Subside He Will Be Attack
ed on House Floor.
By Cabia to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 5—It is cur
rently reported that Gov. Hoggatt has
been warned that unless he ceases lob
bying for certain Alaska bills he will
be made the subject of criticism on the
floor of the hou»e.
This notice to the governor is said to
be responsible for the appearance of
Former Senator Jones of Arkansas as
a lobbyist before house committees
against the bills allowing an extension
of time for the completion of certain
Alaska railroads. It is thought that
the governor decided that it would be
indiscreet for him to advocate the mea
sure.
Before the house judiciary commit
tee today Senator Nelson in discussing
the Alaska judiciary bill declared that
he had nothing but contempt for Capt.
Jarvis. He asserted that Jarvis is
nothing but a lobbyist for certain
Alaska interests.
REPORTS FOR
HATCHERY BILL
Recommended Law Gives Free
Sites and Partial Exemption
From Taxation.
By CabU bo Dally Oabaway.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 8 — Con
gressman Humphrey’s bill for the en
couragement of salmon hatcheries in
Alaska was favorably reported today
by the house committee on merchant
marine and fisherise. It gives a free
site of forty acres to each private
hatchery, the use of building material
on the public lauds, and partial exemp
tion from taxes.
It is claimed that the bill is in
the special interest of the Alaska
Packers’Association, but its provisions
are open to everybody. Some opposi
tion to the measure is expected.
Five men have staked twenty miles
of claims on Birch creek, which they
recently discovered. One of them
arrived in Fairbanks and apologized,
laying that he was opposed to power of
attorney staking but as long as the law
permits hogging he could go as far as
anybody.
TO HOLD BACK
ROAD BUILDING
That Is Said to Be Policy of the
Gu££enheim-Mor£an Syndi
cate in Alaska.
TO CORNER COAL AND COPPER
Understood in East That It Will
Make Bluff at Constroction
to Discooraoe Rivals.
■7 CabU to Tb» Dally Oataway.
Chicago, Feb. 9—'The talk in railroad
circles in this city and New York is
that the Guggenheim-Morgan syndi
cate does not intend to build its Cop
per river railroad lor several years but
will make a bluff of building from
every available port in order to con
trol terminals and discourage rival
projects. In pursuance of this policy
it is stated by men in a position to
know that the syndicate will do soc.e
construction this summer both from
Kata)la and Cordova, and probably
have a small number of men working
from Valdez also.
The charge made by lival interests
that the Guggenheiras are trying to
annex the territory of Alaska is gener
ally credited here. In order to do this
it is important to hold back develop
ment as far as possible. The syndicate
seeks to control the coal and copper
deposits of the entire territory and to
do that it will be necessary to control
the railroads also. If it can prevent
railroad construction for several years
it may force nearly all the coal and
copper owners to sell t) it at low
figures.
It is stated, however, by engineers
employed on the surveys that Katalla
has been definitely fixed as the termi
nus of the Guggenheim railroad, when
ever it is built. This is because of its
proximity to the Kayak coal field and
because it offers an easier and shorter
route to the Bonanza district.
It is reported also that Close
Brothers, who own the White Pass
road, in selling their Cordova line to
the Guggenheiras stipulated that the
latter should not build into the Klon
dike. ___
GUGGENHEIMS IN
ON WHITE PASS
Report Says Copper Syndicate
Has Control of Railroad
and Steamers.
87 Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Vancouver, B. C., Feb. fl—Advices
from Whitehorse state that the Gug
genheim syndicate lias secured con
trol of the White Pass & Yukon rail
road and steamship lines and will
operate steamers from Vancouver to
Skagway.
The belief here is that the White
Pass interests, both railroad and
steamship, have been consolidated with
the Northwestern and that tho Gug
genheiras are trying to secure control
of all transportation interests in and to
Alaska and the British Yukon.
COURT TERM AT VALDEZ
CALLED FOR MARCH 4
Private advices from Valdez state
that somebody has called a term of
court for the Third judicial division to
convene at Valdez March 4 but it is
not stated who will preside. It is an
nounced also that it will be a jury
j term and it is puzzling Seward lawyers
j to understand how the term can be
j held legally when the law requires
thirty days notice to men summoned to
| serve on the jury. No Seward men
have been summoned, but possibly it
has been decided that nobody on Kenai
peninsula is qualified.
The gold commissioner of the Yukon
territory has decided that the Klon
dike river is a creek above North fork.
This was necessary to make creek
locations legal.
Northern lights were exceptionally
conspicuous last night and the result
ing earth currents put the cable out
of tune this morning. For a while the
marker refused to stay on the tape.
TO SUPERVISE
ALASKA ROADS
Interstate Commerce Commission
Claims Jurisdiction Over
Railway Lines.
READY TO HEAR COMPLAINTS
If Courts Decide Territory Is a
District Its Authority Can
not Be Asserted.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 4—The in
terstate commerce commission announ
ces that it will claim jurisdiction over
Alaska railroads, taking the position
that Alaska is a territory. It will
bear complaints of through rates by
steamer and rail for Alaska destina*
tion.
An order will be issued at once re
quiring Alaska railroads to file rate
sheets of freight and passenger rates.
It is expected that the ruling will
very soon be taken into the courts by
some corporation and it is admitted
that if the courts deciJe that Alaska is
not a territory but a district the com
mission has no jurisdiction.
TRAIN COVERED
IN SNOW SLIDE
Great Northern Cars Buried and
700 Men Digging Out but
Nobody Hurt.
8y Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle, Feb. 7—A Great Northern
overland passenger train was buried
in a snowslide last night near Gaynor
and 700 men are employed today in
shoveling snow from the ears to dig
the train out. The passengers are
safe and have plenty of food in the
dining car. No one was injured by the
slide.
Seven passenger trains on the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific are
now stalled by deep snow and none lias
come through from the east since Feb
ruary 2. Four locomotives and two
rotary plows are now buried in snow
slides in the Cascades.
Coast Trains Still Blocked
Spokane, Feb. 8—All trains are still
blocked between this city and the
coast by heavy slides in the Cascade
mountains. Floods at North Yakima
have demoralized Northern Pacific
traffic there by washouts.
Northern Pacific Trains Move
Spokane, Feb. 9—The Northern
Pacific toda\ began the movement of
passenger trains from North Yakima.
Fast-bound trains there are still
blocked. Great Northern trains from
this city to the coast are still com
pletely tied up.
Mercury Goes Down to 18
Seattle, Feb. 4—The thermometer
was down to 18 degrees above zero this
manning and the weather bureau pre
dicts continued low temperature.
L F. YEATON’S STORE AT
SUNRISE BURNS TO GROUND
Loss in Building and Stock Nearly
$7000, but Firm Opens Business
in New Place
Sunrise, Jan. 27.—C. F. Yeaton &
Company’s general store burned to the
ground this afternoon, entailing a loss
of $5178 in goods burned and destroyed
in other ways, and the total loss of the
building, which was valued at $1500.
The loss was partially covered by in
surance. The goods in the store were
nearly all saved but practically every
thing in the rear room and on the
second floor was lost.
The stock saved was moved to the
old brewery building formerly used as
a hotel, and the firm continues
business.
The fire was caused by a break in
the chimney directly under the roof,
the effect of high wind. It started at
5:30 p. m.
A new strike in the Chatanika flats
in the Tanana is distinguished by pans
as high as *15, with frequent t5 pans.
DROPS SPECIAL
PORTLAND RATE
Northern Pacific Withdraws 7.1-2
Cent Tariff on Alaska
Shipments.
STEAMERS REFUSED TO ABSORB
Object Was to Give Oregon Metrop
olis Even Break With Seattle
on Northern Trade.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Olympia, Wash., Keb. 8- The North
ern Pacific today notified the state rail
way commission that it has withdrawn
the 71 cent rate on freight shipments
ftom Portland to Tacoma, destined for
Alaska, which the steamship companies
wore expected to absorb. This was
to give Portland an even break on
Alaska business with the Sound cities.
Seattle made a fierce attack upon the
special rate and as all the Alaska
steamship companies lead out of Seat
tle they refused to absorb the railroad
rate or to accept Portland freight at
Tacoma. Merchants also filed a de
mand for the same rate on local ship
ments and the experiment proved a
failure.
HIGH WATER
IN PORTLAND
Willamette River Rises Seventeen
Feet and Still Moving*
Up Town.
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Portland, Ore., Feb. 6—The Willa
mette river is now seventeen feet
above normal high water mark and
the weather bureau says it will con
tinue to rise two inches an hour for at
least twenty-four hours. In that case
it will inundate the entire business
district from Front and Madison street
to Third and Irving. Portions of
Front and adjacent streets are already
flooded and wholesale merchants are
paying drays $1 an hour to move goods
to higher ground.
The extraordinary rise in the river
is caused by chinook winds which
have melted enormous quantities of
snow in the mountains. A large area
in the Columbia bottoms is Hooded on
both sides of the river and work has
been abandoned on the new Seattle &
Portland railroad because of high
| water.
River Ceases Rising
Portland, Ore., Feb. 7—Flood condi
tions in this city and along the Colum
bia have improved in the past twenty
four hours. The Willatoette river is
now stationary and only a small por
tion of the waterfront is submerged.
The damage by water was compara
tively small but the wholesale houses
incurred great expense in moving
their stocks from warehouses on lower
streets to high ground.
Reports indicate that the greatest
volume of water in the mountains has
passed. The snow is not melting as
rapidly as it was earlier in the week
and the streams in the mountains are
failing.
LOCATE COAL AND OH.
AT KACHEMAK BAY
Finnish Colonists Take Seventy-six
Claims for Fuel Property on
Cook Inlet.
Sixty-five oil placer locations, two
coal and nine placer gold were filed in
a lump this week with Judge Howlett
as recorder of Kenai precinct, by Fin
landers interested in the Finnish
colony which is to be established in
the vicinity of Aurora, on Cook inlet.
The oil and coal locations and seven
of the nine gold locations were made
by the following: Naderchda Horn
borg, Elsa Hornborg, E. Anten, Anna
Anten, Werner Nygrist, E. A. Hed
raan, H. P. Keith, R. Honey. The
other two gold claims were taken by
R, Honey, Nederchda Hornborg, Elsa
Hornborg, E. Anten, Anna Anten.
Lake copper reached the high quo
tation of 925.25 on January 31.
APPROVES PLAN
FOR SMELTER
C. G. Hubbard Thinks Seward an ■
Ideal Location for Copper
Reduction Plant.
PREDICTS BIG SOUND OUTPUT
—
Manager of Knight Island Company j
Says Announced Backers of Pro
ject Can Make It Go.
That Seward is situated to become
the most important smelting town in
Alaska and that the industry once
created here would soon have indefin
ite expansion is the opinion of C. G.
Hubbard, general manager of the
Huhbard-Klliott and Knight’s Island
Coppor Companies.
Mr. Hubbard passed through Seward
this week on the steamer Portland and
while in town was informed of the an
nouncement recently wired to the
Gateway that a company has been
formed to build a large smelter at
Seward and that the Hubbard-Elliott
companies were interested. He said it
was the first information he had re
ceived of the enterprise but he had no
no doubt that his associates would
gladly take an interest in such an in
dustry to be located within a short dis
tance of their extensive properties on
Knight island.
Mr. Hubbard said also that he was |
well acquainted with George II. Heis-,
ing of Minneapolis, named as vice |
president and a heavy stockholder in j
the smelting company, and that if Mr.
Heising were actively identified with j
the project that fact alone would in-1
sure its success. As stated in the j
message to the Gateway Mr. Heising ,
is a large stockholder in the Hubbard- j
Elliott companies and is interested in
copper mining and smelting else-,
where.
Offers Unequaled Site
Seward’s advantages as a smelter
town Mr. Hubbard conceded to be un
equaled in the vicinity of Prince Wil
liam sound, where the copper develop
ments recently have been so enormous
(Continued on page 2)
WATSON-SNOW
TO BEGIN SOON
Railroad Men Will Arrive Before
End of February to Start
Operations.
Private advices from Seattle confirm
the statement previously wired to the
Gateway that the contract to complete
the railroad grade to mile 75 was let
to Watson & Snow, the bridge con
tractors, and that they will be in
Seward before the end of February to
begin work. Frank L. Ballaine writes
that Watson & Snow will probably
have an additienal contract beyond 75.
Maj. Ballaine writes that when he
left Chicago President Frost was plan
ning to have all the work as far as
Knik let to sub-contractors within a
short time, the intention being to push
completion of the line to the coal fields
as fast as men can do it. The great
demand for railroad laborers all
through the northwest is a handicap
but it is hoped by letting the work to
numerous sub-contractors, who in turn
will farm most of it out to station men,
to obtain the neeessary force within a
few months. During the summer,
when it is daylight nearly all the time,
two shifts can be worked.
STEAMSHIP RATES 60 UP
FROM SEATTLE TO NORTH
Steamship passenger rates from Seat
tle to all Southern Alaska ports west
of Katalla advanced February 1. The
first-class rate from Seattle to Seward
now is $45, an advance of $5. The in
crease in the wages of nearly all boat
employes is held accountable by the
steamship companies for the rise. The
increased price of coal is said to be a
small factor.
Juneau high school students publish
a very entertaining magazine called
the Totem from time to time. They
turned out a handsome Christmas
edition.
WICKERSHAM IN
FAVOR AGAIN
Attorney-General Advises Presi
dent That He Thinks Hoyt
Report Is Unjust.
GIVES SUPPORT TO INCUMBENT
Belief in National Capital that
Tanana Judge Will Be Re
appointed by Roosevelt.
By Cable to Tbo Sally Gateway.
Washington, D.C., Feb. 7—Attorney
General Bonaparte has finished his re
view of the Hoyt report on Judge
Wickersham and after a conference
today with three new arrivals from
Fairbanks advises the president that he
believes the Nome district attorney’s
statement is unjust to Wickersham.
Bonaparte upholds Wickersham and
urges his reappointment.
It is believed now that Roosevelt
will withhold any nomination he may
decide to make for Wickersham's
place until near the end ef the present
session. If Wickersham is reappoint
ed Nelson and McCumber will prevent
his confirmation, but it is generally
accepted here that Wickershara will
receive a recess appointment after
the senate adjourns and will remaiD
on the Alaska bench until the end of
Roosevelt's term.
MAY EXTEND
ALASKA WIRES
House Committee Agrees on Ap
propriation of $190,000 for
New Land Lines.
By Cabl* to Tbo Dally Oatoway.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 6 — The
house committee on appropriations
made a favorable report today on the
item in the array appropriation bill
allowing $190,000 to add an additional
wire to the laud telegraph line from
from Valdez to Fairbanks and to build
a line to Circle City from Eagle.
No opposition to this appropriation
has developed in either house and it is
believed that it will go through. The
amount asked for is merely the earn
ings of the Alaska cable and telegraph
in the past year.
WILL ERECT
STAMP MILL
Skeen & Lechner Will Work falls
Creek Mine on Larger
Scale This Year.
Skeen & Lechner will erect a [stamp
mill with five or ten stamps, on their
Falls creek quartz gold property this
summer. This news came in a private
letter from Frank Skeen to L. F. Snaw
this week. The work done last season
showed such good results that the
owners have absolute faith in the per
manence of the mine. With a crude
arastra they took enough gold out of
the ore mined from the development
tunnel last year to enable both of them
to travel this winter. As is well
known the ore is high grade and free
milling.
Mr. Skeen has spent the winter in
Nevada and writes that it is hard to
exaggerate the legitimate possibilities
of the new bonanza camps there and as
a consequence the sale of mining
stocks has swollen to a marvelous bub
ble. He is satisfied to return to
Alaska.
The miners on Murphy creek in the
Tanana have enacted a miners’ law
that claim-jumping is barred in that
district and the jumper is hurried out
in a rush.
The Guggenheims have just paid
several million dollars for 140 claims
on Bonanza creek and the adjacent
hills, in the Klondike.