Seward Weekly Gateway
r“ — ~7T - ~ SKWAltl). ALASKA, SATURDAY, AIMU'ST 3 . 1!)07. _
rOL. III. NO. •>! _______— =__»
DISTRICT COURT TO I
DE HELD IN SEWARD
By Cable to Tbs Dailr Gateway.
Valdez, Aug. 1—The recent order of
the attorney-general creating the of
fice of clerk of the district court at
Seward, with a deputy in charge, was
made effective today by Judge W ick
ersham by the temporary appoint men,
of Mrs. Myra Cox of Seward as deputy.
Last spring J udge Wickersham prom
1 i>ed the lawyers of Seward that he
would recommend to the department
the creation of the office, and the at
torney-general promptly acted on the
recommendation. A term of court
will be held in Seward next spring, at
which time a permanent clerk will be
' appointed. The Seward attorneys here
all agreed to the temporary appoint
I tnent of Mrs. Cox.
PREPARING CALL
FOR CONVENTION
To Elect Delegates From Alaska
in November for National
Republican Convention.
By Cable to Tbe Dally Gateway.
Juneau.July 31 Chairman Sprickett
of the Republican territorial central
committee is preparing a cad tot a
convention to elect delegates •' ,ni
Alaska to the national Republican
convention. He recommends that
primary elections he helu earl\ in
September. Kaeh judicial district •>
allowed fifty delegates to the territor
ial convention, which will he held in
November.
It is anticipated that a big light "ill
he made in the convention between
Delegate tale and Governor Hoggatt
for control of the delegates to the
national convention.
TERRITORIAL
GOVERNMENT
Congressman Says Bill Will Be
Passed at Next Session of
National Congress.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Dawson. Y. T.. Aug. 1 - Congress
man Suker of New York is here on a
tour of Alaska and the Yukon territory, j
He says he believes Alaska will W*
given a territorial form of government
at the next session of congress and has
prepared a bill, with that object in
view, to be" introduced by D< legate
Cale.
Last night Sulzer was given a re
ception bv the Eagles. Cale was a.so
a prominent guest.
FIGHT FOR POSSESSION
OF FIRST ALASKA FLAG
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle. Aug. 3 A fight for the pos
session of the fust American flag hoist
ed in Alaska is to be transfei led to .!.<
courts for settlement. George Hod
man of Wrangell deposited the flag in
the Dexter Horton bank in Seattle.
Edward Ludteke, another Alaskan,
claims ownership of the flag, and made ,
a demand on the bank for its posses
sion. The bank refused to recognize
bis claim, saying the only onu it knows
in the premises is l,oilman who g.i^*
it to the bank for safe keeping.
When to Go to Alaska
Dr. Henry Gannett of the I'niteU
States geological survey, who ha" hail
extensive experience in Alaska, say>:
"If you are old, go to Alaska by a'!
means: but if you are young wait.
Mr. Gannett gives this reason for his
advice: "The scenery of Alaska is
much grander than anything of the ,
kind in the world, and it is not well to
dull one's capacity for enjoyment by
seeing the finest sights first.
jThe cleanup on No. 16 below on len
derfoot creek in the Tananathis spring
started out at the rate of $100 an hour.
The company had 16,000 four wheelbar
row bucketfuls on the dump when
sluicing began.
American prospectors have made a
rich placer strike in the northeastern
section of Siberia, at the mouth of the
Anadir river. It is about opposite the
town of Nome, and is probably a con
tinuation of the great northern placer
belt.
LATOIICHE TO
HAVE SMELTER
Expert on Ground Selecting Site
for Big Concern, Which Will
Be Built at Once.
Lutouche is to have a smelter for the
reduction of ores with a capacity of
one thousand ton- per day. W. L.
Austin, an expert smelter builder, is
at Reynolds selecting a suitable site
for the big enterprise, and a> soon as
lie determines the best place work
will begin. The smelter is to be
built by the Reynolds - Alaska Com
pany, which is opening up several cop
per properties on the island. Hurry
I). Reynolds, head of the company,
-ay- that its own mines will in a short
time produce a sufficient quantity of
ore to almost tax the capacity of the
smelter.
It might be added in passing, that
the Reynokls-Alaska Company is one
of the most progressive mining con
cern- operat ing in Alaska, and is des
i tined to be an important factor in
! this territory’s progress and develou-1
l ruent. __
WILSON PRAISES
ALASKA WHEAT
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Seattle. July JO—Secretary of Agri
culture Wilson is here. The object of
hi> western visit is to make a study of
the forest reserves.
In an interview regarding Alaska
•his afternoon. Secretary Wilson said
that the northern country's wealth
would be greater when agricultural
pursuits were started than all the gold
taken from the ground. He said the
he>? wheat he had ever seen came
from Alaska.
CONNER MAY
SUCCEED PHARO
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Seattle. Aug. - — F. F. Conner, for
years general freight and trathe man
ager of the Pacific Coast Company, has
resigned. It i> rumored that James K.
| Pharo, manager of the Alaska Coast
Company, is to sever his connection
j with that company, and that he will he
succeeded by Conner.
To Explore the Antarctic
North Sydney, C. II.—The American
steamer John It. Bradley, has arrived
here bound for the Antarctic regions,
t >n board were her owner, John R.
Bradley, and Dr. Frederick A. Cook,
'the >cientist and explorer. The
schooner is in command of Capt.
j Moses Bartlett, who was first officer on
the Peary Arctic steamer Roosevelt
' last year. The party will spend two
i months in the Antarctic circle.
Go to Meet Wellman
A party of adventurous newspaper
men are on their way to Point Barrow,
the most northwestern extremity of
the North American continent, in the
hope of meeting Walter Wellman, soon
to sail in a balloon from Spitsbergen,
Denmark, in an endeavor to reach the
north pole.
Igloo No. 1, of Nome, Order of the
Alaska Pioneers, has a membership of
486. Only those who landed in Alaska
in the year 1898 or prior to that date,
can become members.
DIAMONDS ARE
FOUND IN NORTH
Years Ago Natives Pick Up
Precious Stones Near Vol
canoes of Alaska.
—
PROSPECTORS NOW SEARCHING
Elements that Make the Valuable
Jewel — Heat, Pressure and
Carbon—Known to Exist.
In the early eighties, when E. H.
Brown was deputy collector of customs
in Alaska stationed at Sitka, several
small diamonds were brought into the
office one day by the Indians. Repeat
ed questioning as to the place the
stones were found only brought out
the answer, “To the west where the
smoking mountains are." The finding
of the stones did not create any great
excitement at that time, as the resi
dents of the town were busy hunting
for the famous lost lake of gold, that
legion has it, is situated in the hillsbe
hind Sitka, but now the hunt for dia
monds in the north is being prosecuted
by the large diamond merchants of
Eastern Canada.
While, with the exception of these
few stones shown at Sitka, nodiamonds
have been found in Alaska, geologists
are of the opinion that diamonds may
exist in the many volcanic hills in
southwestern Alaska, where the con
ditions necessary for the formation of
the precious stones have been working
for ages. The diamond Helds of South
Africa are the only ones known at the
present time where the stones are
found in the native matrix. Here
they occur in pipes formed in the
craters of extinct volcanoes. The mat
rix consists of a blue silicious earth
which on being exposed to the weath
er for several weeks becomes decompos
ed so that the stones can be picked out
by hand.
NEW STEAMER
FOR SEWARD
Alaska Coast Company to Place
Fast Boat on Outside Run
From Seattle.
The Reynolds-Alaska Company has
purchased ninety-three per cent of the
stock of the Alaska Coast Steamship
Company, and a fast and commodious
new steamship, to run direct to Seward
or Valdez, will be added to the present
fleet, which latter will continue on
the inside route. Other steamers are
to be placed on the outside run when
the business warrants. Such is the
statement of Marry D. Reynolds, or
ganizer and president of the Reynolds
Alaska Company, who came to Seward
from Latouche on the steamer Klsie
and returned today.
It was primarily to meet the ship
pers and business men of Seward that
Mr. Reynolds came, and an informal
meeting was held in Fire hall yester
day afternoon, at which time matters
regarding freight rates and the trans
portation service were discussed.
_. i
Woman Loses Important Case
Judge Wickershara has decided the
famous Hubbard-Elliott casein favor of
the defendants. This suit was brought
by a former wife of Harry Elliott, one
of the original locators of the famous
Hubbard-Elliot copper property on
Kotsina river, claiming a one-half in
terest in all the property owned by the
company on the strength of an alleged
grub-stake agreement, entered into be
tween her and her husband when he
first started to Alaska. After Elliott i
had been in Alaska for several years
and had acquired considrable property,
she sued for a divorce and secured a
decree. Two years later she started
the above suit. The propety involved
is estimated to be worth several mil
lions, and the owners claim that the
suit was instigated by the Guggenheim
interests, who had made a number of
unsuccessful attempts to buy the claims.
The Yukon-Alaska Gold Dredging
Company will soon place a large num
ber of dredges on 8,000 acres of placer
ground on the Stewart river.
GOLD FOUND ON
POPOFF ISLAND
_
Fishing Village of Sand Point
Excited Over Discovery of
Rich Quartz Ledge.
OWNERS REFUSE BIG OFFER
Mining Expert on Behalf of Outside
Capitalists Offers $300,000
for the Property.
A monster ledge of quartz carrying
j free gold, lying in a porphyry forma
! tion, has been found at Sand Point, on
PopofT island, a member of the Shuma*
gin group. The principal owner of the
property is Louis Herman, An expert
mining man has recently made an in
vestigation of the ledge on behalf of
outside capitalists, and the Gateway is
credibly informed that an offer of
$300,000, $30,000 in cash, the balance
in one year, has been made for the
mine. The owners tire holding out
for a larger cash payment. L. L.
Hales, the well known Alaskan guide,
saw the property during his westward
trip, and describes it as one of the big
mining propositions of the north.
Sand Point is known chiefly as a
rendezvous for cod fishers and fur hunt
ers. It is near the mainland of the
Alaska peninsula, one of the finest
hunting grounds in the world for bear
and dear. Two years ago Louis Her
man came down there from Nome, and
began to prospect the beach for gold.
He found pay sands, and soon the
fishers ceased fishing, the hunters gave
up their quest for game, and all joined
in the more exciting and profitable
vocation of mining for gold. A sea
son's work relieved the beach of its
mineral values, and Herman began to
L<;k around for the source of the gold.
A ledge was soon discovered, and de
velopment work has been carried on
intermittently for about a year.
FIND COPPER
AT SUNNY BAY
Clayson, Pitman and Gould Locate
Ledge of Ore Carrying
Good Values.
A copper strike has been made on
Sunny bay, near the entrance toResur
section bay. Specimens prove the
ledge to contain chalcopyrite ore of
good grade. The ledge is about two
miles from tide water, and may be an
extention of the Likes property on Por
cupine, the bay to the north. The ex
tent of the ledge cannot be determined
until a little exploitation work is done,
but the surface indications are ex
tremely favorable for a large ore body.
The locators are Will Clayson, E. F.
Pitman and A. C. Gould, well known
business men of Seward.
When the copper hunters set out
from Seward last Sunday, their friends
jokingly referred to them as the
“featherbed” prospectors. They ar
rived at their destination that evening
in a blinding rainstorm, which contin
ued for several davs. Monday morn
ing, undeterred by weather, they
started out to prospect, like regular
old-timers, and before the day was
done had found float and traced it to
it source. They staked a group of
claims, and called it the “Featherbed
Group.” Their freinds smiled when
they started out; Clayson, Pitman and
Gould are laughing now.
Opposition Town Started
An opposition town, to be called
Carbon Center, has started near Ka
talla. The new site is three miles from
the present town, near the terminal of
the railroad, where several buildings
have already been erected, and saloons
and other business houses are to soon
start. S. O. Breedman has taken out a
license for a saloon in the new town,
where he has already constructed a
large building. He says if the road
goes ahead the new town will have Ka
talla on the run, being in a much bet
ter location.
Wrangell is to have water works.
The supply will come from Graveyard
creek.
RICH COPPER STRIKE
ON PORCOPINE OAT
A remarkable copper discovery has
been made on Resurrection bay by S. K.
Likes, a well known prospector of this
section. The ore is a high grade chal
copyrite, and external indications
point to an immese ore body of solid
metal. The property is located at the
head of Porcupine bay, on the east
side of Resurrection bay, and is about
eight miles from Seward. It is at the
head of a glacier, and this fact has
prevented it> discovery until now, as
it could throw no float, and thereforo
gave no evidence of its hiding place.
The ledge i>> from fifteen to twenty
feet in width and can be traced for
some distance. It lies along side of
an immense body of titanic iron.
While full details are lacking, the
belief is that a bonanza has been found.
RIGH SPECIMENS
OF GOLD QUARTZ
.
W. L. Redman Finds Hitfli Grade
Ore Shoot on Spruce Creek
Claims, Near Seward.
Quartz specimens literally alive with
gold were brought to Seward last night
by W. L. Redman. They came from
his ledge on Spruce creek, about two
miles down the west shore of Resur
rection bay.
Redman located this ledge on July IS.
At that time he found free gold in the
quartz, but a heavy rain prevented
him from making other than a super
ficial examination of the prospect. A
few days ago he returned to take a
more careful and thorough look at the
property. He traced the ledge from
the original discovery about two thou
sand feet, the outcrop being visible
where the vein is cut by intervening
gulches. While the ledge carries
good values wherever investigated, at
one place an ore shoot of extraordinary
richness appears, from which the
specimens were obtained. Sylvanite
is also noted in the quartz.
WIRELESS TO
BE INSTALLED
By Cable to Tlie Dally Gateway,
New York, July 30—The government
has let the contract for transmission
towers for a wireless system to be
installed in Alaka. The towers are to
be made by the United States Steel
Corporation.
It is the intention of the government
to have a chain of towers along the
Atlantic coast, skirting the Gulf of
Mexico and extending to the Pacific
i coast._
JURY CLEARS
S. M. GRAFF
—
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Valdez, Aug. 2—S. M. Grafi’ of Se
ward. on trial charged with embezzle
ment. was acquitted yesterday evening
by the jury, after being out fifteen
minutes. The jury evidently felt that
proof of intent to embezzle was lack
ing. The hearing of the case occupied
the entire day.
On motion of Prosecuting Attorney
Scott two other indictments against
GratT were dismissed this morning.
Locates Sulphur Deposit
While hunting for bear on the Alas
ka peninsula this spring L. L. Bales
found an immense deposit of sulphur
near one of the active volcanoes. The
mineral has belched forth from the
bowels of the earth for ages past until
a large body accumulated. The sulphur
is of good grade and has commercial
value. __
Antonelle Has Big Contract
J. S. Antonelle, a contractor well
known in Seward, has secured a large
contract for tunnel work on Latouche
island on property of the Reynolds
Alaska Company. He will employ
about seventy-five men.
Owners of copper claims in the Cop
per river valley are rejoicing over the
fact that the copper ledges in that
section have depth. A pack train
recently arrived in Valdez loaded with
rich ore taken from the 150-foot level
on the Hubbard-Elliott property on the
Kotsina.
MAY PURCHASE
LIKES CLAIMS
Reynolds-Alaska Company Repre
sentatives to Inspect Cop
per Property.
The Reynolds-Alaska Company has
tied up the Likes copper property on
Porcupine bay and a force will lx* put
to work at once to make further tests
of the ore and examination of the
ground. Guy Banta and H. K. Ells
worth returned last night from an
inspection of the claims on behalf of
the company.
Those who have seen the Likes prop
erty say it is certainly a remarkable
surface showing. The ledge is at least
ten feet wide, composed of solid chal
copyrite ore. An assay lias given over
22 per cent copper. It will require an
expenditure of a vast sum of money to
put the mine on a producing basis.
LIGHTHOUSEON
RESURRECTION
Movement on Foot to Establish
Guide to Navigation at En
trance to Bay.
A petition will be presented to tho
citizens of Seward, to augment one al
ready signed by transportation com
panies interested, asking the govern
ment to establish a lighthouse at tho
entrance to Resurrection bay. Officials
of the Alaska Central railroad are tak
ing the initiative in this matter, and
the authorities have promised to send
an official to investigate the proposi
tion. This official, Captain Ross, i> ex
pected to arrive here at any time.
While Resurrection bay is conceded
to he the best harbor in Alaska,and ex
ceptionally free from submerged rocks
and bars at it> entrance, yet it is ad
visable that a. lighthouse be establish
ed to assist the rapidly growing com
merce.
DENIES GUGGENHEIMS
HAVE BOUGHT COMPANY
By Cable to The Bally Gateway.
Seattle, Aug. 3 W. II. Isom of the
North American Trading cV Transpor
tation Company denies the rumor that
the Guggenheim interests have secured
control of the company. The rumor is
persistent notwithstanding,as is also one
to the effect that Charles E. I’eabody,
of the Alaska Steamship Company,
will be manager of the new system.
Steamer MacArthur Calls
Steamer MacArthur, a government
vessel engaged in coast geodetic sur
vey work, arrived in port this morn
ing. She has been engaged in chart
ing the coast and taking soundings to
the westward as far as Iliamna bay.
This year the government will estab
lish five new schools for natives in
Alaska, at the following places: Golo
vin bay, Sinook, Port Clarence, at a
point on the Yukon near Rampart and
on the Little Diomede island.
Three prospectors arrived from Sel
dovia Monday, bringing with them
fine specimens of bornite ore obtained
from Cook inlet country.
A prospector named Baer, recently
returned from the Susitna valley, re
ports having found a deposit of asbes
tos.