Seward Weekly Gateway
~^()l 1V< SEWARD, ALASKA, SATURDAY APRIL 25, 1008. NO. :\7
SEWARDNOIRE ROUTE
PRONOUNCED FEASIBLE
George Pulliam in Charge of Party Making Sur
vey says Road Lies Along Well Protected
Trail and Can Easily Be Built.
The overland route from Seward to
* Nome, which was taken up by the
Alaska road commission this winter, is
reported to be entirely feasible by
George Pulham, who was in charge of
the party that was sent out to make
the survey and who has arrived in
Fairbanks from Kaltag, where his par
ty struck the Yukon.
Not only is the route a feasible one,
he says, but the distances are much
less than generally supposed. Moreo
ver, most of the distance lies where
the trail will be fairly well protected
and the Nome mails need not be de
layed by winter storms. But
best of all, the construction of this
mail and winter road will open up a
great country into which the pros
pector has never been able to go,
the difficulties of travel preclude all
possibility of his carrying provisions
to last him any length of time.
The Pulham outfit, which l> 't
Seward January 30 consisted of \V. L.
Goodwin, Ross Kenny. F. Jackson and
. George Pulham. Goodwin was the en
gineer of the party, who made all the
field notes of the trip, which will be
forwarded with Fulham’s report in the
next mail. He is the road superin
tendent at Nome.
From Seward the party went up the
line of the Alaska Central railroad to
Glacier creek, over the Crow creek
summit and down Haven creek and
Eagle rivet- to Knik arm.
From Knik arm the party crossed to
Susitna station, thence up the Yentna
river to the point where the Skwent
na joins it. The route then lay up
Happy river to Rainy pass, where the
Alaska range i> crossed at an altitude
* of 3,1*0 teet. From Rainy pass the
party proceeded down the Hazel and
Rhone rivers to the Kuskokwira. The
Kuskokuim wa* followed to the mouth
of the Toeocana river far below the
ALASKA TRADE"
LOCKING UP
Compilation of Figures Show that
Business With Northland
Is Improving.
By Cable to Tbe Dexly Gateway.
Washington, l). (A, April 20. From '
a careful compilation of official figures
and a comparison with the figures in
dicating the trade bet ween the states |
and Alaska during the past, it is shown j
that business with the Northland is
steadily rising and the outlook for ;
Alaska trade is brightening as the
season opens.
W ireless Urged for Valdez
Washington—FfForts are being made
by military authorities to have the
navy department establish a wireless
station at Valdez of sufficient power to
maintain communication with the navy
wireless station already established at
• Sitka. The object of having the sta
tion at Valdez is to obtain au all-Amer
ican line between Seattle and Alaska
which could be used in the event of an
interruption in the cable service with
out resorting to Canadian laud lines
which now is necessary.
The system of wireless statiqps
would run from Tatoosh to Sitka,
thence to Valdez, and overland lines
to interior points.—YV. W. Jermane in
Seattle Times.
forks of the Kuskokwira. At a station
there known as the McGrath station,
where Pete McGrath has a trading
post, the party started across to the In
noko. They then went down to Dis
kaket anil across to Kaltag.
From Kaltag the other members of
the party proceeded to Nome, while
Mr. Pulhatn came up to this place to
make ready for his summer work in
tlu* Circle district.
Mr. Pulhatn was lust summer in
charge of the road work in the Circle
district and will continue this year.
His outfit, consisting of nine head of
horses, which was sent out to Valdez
to winter, has already arrived and is
in readiness to start for the Hirch
creek <• -triot. Mr. Pulliam has not as
vet received the detailed instructions
as to what special road work will be
taken up in the Circle district this
season.
When asked about the difficulties of
crossing tlu* Alaska range with the
new Seward-Norne route, Mr. Pul ham
said it was one of the easiest that lie
has seen and that very little rock
work would be required in making the
road. The rest of the route of the
road will also be easily constructed.
Mr. Pulliam reports that they passed
through a fair game country, especially
as regards moose. The Cook inlet
country is. however, a much better
game country than the other side of
the range.
At that, they had Moose steaks all
the way and the rest of tiie hoys took
a load of moose meat on into Nome.
It is needless to add that the new
route will not only mean a great deal
to Nome in increased mails, in quicker
deliveries and in a much shorter and
easier winter route, hut it will also
benefit all the Tanana country as well,
•
for it will do away with the burden of
the Nome mails, which are now car
ried this wa\. Fairbanks times.
STEAMERS FROM
SAN FRANCISCO
Drummers lo Beat Up Trade in
Alaska and Direct Steamship
Line Will Follow.
3v Cable to Tfce Dally Gateway.
San Francisco, April 2.'} —In view of
the increasing interest in Alaska trade
the Chamber of Commerce at a meeting
recently discussed tlu* proposition to
establish a direct line of steamers run
ning out from this city to Alaska ports.
They decided to send traveling men
throughout Alaska to secure business
that will warrant the establishment of
such a line between San Francisco and
the Northland.
Decides Alaska Names
Washington—The United States geo
logical board has announced the fol
lowing decisions as to the proper
names of the following points in Alas
ka: Elbow, passage between King
bay and Ogden passage, southwest
yioast of Chichagof island: Rough,
channel or pass between Ogden pas
sage and Khaz bay, southwest coast of
Chichagof island: Smooth, charthel or
pass between Ogden passage and Khaz
bay. southwest coast of Chichagof is
land: The Gate, small pass between
Elbow passage and Khaz bay, west
coast of Chichagof island.- Walter E.
Clark in P.-I.
250 KILLED
IN TORNADO
Death and Destruction in Wake j
of Terrific Storm Sweeping
Over the South.
By Cable to.T’ie Dally Gateway.
Atlanta, Ga., April 25—A tornado
passed over sections of Louisiana, Mis
sissippi and Alabama late yesterday
afternoon. Whole towns were destroy
ed. Early morning reports indicate
that at least 250 persons were killed
and thousands of others injured.
Those losing their lives were mostly
negroes. The tornado having torn
down the telegraph and telephone
wires over a considerable area, full re
ports are at present unattainable.
HEAVY LOSS
FROM FLOODS
- I
Northern Texas Suffers Over
$1,000,000 Damage From
Overflow of Waters.
—
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Fort worth, Texas, April 20— High
waters have swept over large por
tions of northern Texas during the
past week. The damage and loss of
property caused by the floods in the
past three days is estimated at over
$1,000,000. The worst seems to be past
and the waters are now receding.
ATTEMPT TO
HOLD UP TRAIN
--
Bandits Place Torpedoes on Track
at Welclie’s Spur and Are
Captured by Officers.
By Cnhlo to The Dally irateway.
IJutte, Mont., April 24 Four ban-1
dit> made a bold attempt to hold up
the North t oast Limited west bound'
at Welches Spur last night. They!
had placed torpedoes on the track with ;
the purpose of blowing up the train. !
When the engineer heard the explo-1
sion he put on a full head ot steam in
order to carry the train through.
Secret service men were quick to act
and succeeded in capturing t lie ban
dits.
Half the Coal Is Wasted
Prof. J. A. Holmes of the United
States geological survey, declared
that under the present system over
fifty per cent, of the natural coal sup
ply of the country is wasted. A mine,
he claims, is invariably abandoned
after the high grade fuel is taken out,
thus permanently preventing the ex
traction of the low grade coal. As an
example of the heavy loss thus entail
ed, he cited an instance where only
four feet of a t wenty-five toot vein was
mined. The consumption of high
grade coal is enormous, the Pennsyl
vania road alone using 40,000 tons
daily for its locomotives. That means
that this one railroad system consumes
annually, for motive power, 14,600,000
tons.
fline Nomennclatune
Not far from Goldfield is that cleft
in the earth known as Death Valley.
Its surroundings boast of singularly
lugubrious titles. Here is an extract
from the Goldfield Review: “Mr. Cof
fin is in from Death Valley. He owns
the Corpse claim in Undertaker can
on at the foot of Funeral range. A
miner named Skull is working on the
‘graveyard shift.’”
DISCOURAGING,
NOT HOPELESS
Efforts Pushed to Open Coal Land
but Garfield Would,Hold
for Higher Prices.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway
Washington, E). C., April 21—The
friends of Alaska are still working for
favorable legislation in behalf of the
territory. Strenuous efforts are being
made to put through some desirable
and much needed measure in relation
to the coal fields. The situation is dis
couraging, though not hopeless. Sec
retary James R. Garfield is in favor
of holding the coal lands until such
time as coal will become more valua
ble.x
To Withdraw Coal Lands
Washington, D. C., April 20—Dele
gate Thomas Cale has introduced a
bill in the House of Representatives by
which measure it is proposa 1 to with
draw from location all coal lands situ
ated within live miles of Wainwright
inlet, which is on the Arctic coast
near Point Belcher in latitude TO de
grees and 35 minutes north.
new Foal land
BILL DRAWN
Garfield Submits Draft Permitting
Bonafide Claimants to
Combine Holding’s.
By Cable to Tlie Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., April 22—A
draft of a Bill for disposing of Federal
coal lands has been submitted by
Secretary of the Interior, .latnes R.
Garfield. The clause relating to Alas
ka provides that the present honatide
holders of coal land claims can com
bine their properties in blocks not to
exceed 2560 acres, and that the sale
price of the coal lands shall not be
less than $10 per acre. The draft of
tlie bill is an adaptation of the ideas
presented by Delegate Thomas Cale.
ENGLAND LOSES
HER PREMIER
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman
Dies Peacefully in Service
of His Country.
3y Cable to The Dally Gateway.
London. April 22—Sir Henry Camp
boll Bannerman, Prime Minister of the
British government since 1905, whose
death has been expected for some time
past, died peacefully this morning.
The Premier was a devoted servant of
the Crown thinking little of himself
he did not take due care of his health,
but sacrificed his life for the welfare
of his country.
Herbert Henry Asquith, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, has been spoken of
as Bannerman’s probable successor.
Court Holds Company
Lansing, Mich.—The State Supreme
Court has decided the stipulations
found on tpe back of telegraph blanks
in which the companies decline re
sponsibility for delays, loss or errors
are of no force or effect. The Court
affirmed a judgment of $960 obtained
by the Commercial Milling Company,
of Detroit, against the Western Union
Telegraph Company for its failure to
deliver a telegram sent to Kansas City.
The telegram was sent to Chicago, but
was lost in the company’s office and
never reached Kansas City.
I
CORRALLING
VOTES FOR TAFT
—
Manager Vorys (iets Busy and
Announces 500 Secured on
f irst Ballot for His Chief.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, I). April 23—Arthur
I. Vorys, manager of the Taft presi
dential campaign is giving his person
al attention to all the details of his
task. He says that every thing is
looking most favorable for the suc
cessful candidacy of the Secretary of
War. Vorys has just announced that
it is his lirm conviction that Taft will
have 5<X) votes on the first ballot at the
national presidential convention next
June.
WAR SECRETARY
OFF TO PANAMA
Taft VN ill Begin Trip to the Canal
Belt to Inspect Operations
on April 30.
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, I). C., April 2.">— Secre
j tary of War William H. Taft, has
planned a trip to Panama to inspect
the situation there and note the work
being done on the ship canal. ITe will
j start from here April 30, and remain
in Panama two weeks.
DEMANDS MORE
BATTLESHIPS
President Will Use Veto Unless
Congress Authorizes Four
Additional Gunboats.
By Cable to Tho Dally Gateway.
I Washington, P <'., April 23 Presi
! dent Koosevelt is set in his determina
! tion to strengthen the nav\ by the
| addition of more warships. In order
to bring congress into line with bis
| wishes it i> understood that the presi
dent will veto tho naval appropriation
bill unless congress aiulioriy.es the
; construction of four additional battle
! ships.
Entrymen Unable to Patent
The immediate matter which is
urged upon the attention of congress
and the interior department is the
need of some provision for developing
coal properties in Alaska. When the
president’s withdrawal order was is
i sued in November, 1906. there had
been something like 400 individual en
tries on coal lands in Alaska. The
territory had had a coal land law for
only a year or two. The withdrawal
did not affect the entries already made,
but the difficulty now is that the inte
rior department refuses to allow these
entries to pass to patent. The entrymen
have paid the required fees into the
public treasury, and some of them are
much distressed because they have
thus tied up their money and yet are
l unable to secure patent to their land
and to develo p the coal deposits.
The bugbear of monopoly is the only
obstacle. The administration is afraid
that large capitalized interests will
“gobble up” the best coal lands in
Alaska and that the poor man will not
have a fair opportunity. The fact is,
however, that no poor man can develop
a coal mine, and it is moreover necess
ary to segregate more than 320 acres
of coal lands into a single holding in
order to induce capital to invest.—-Wal
ter E. Clark in P.-I.