VOL. III.
RAMPART, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1907
No. 40
OUTLOOK IN GHANDLAR
Conditions Look Favorable to Men Who
Viewed the Ground.
Tlie Seattle Xu. 3, which passed down
early Friday morning, reported that
Howard Turner, assistant auditor of the
Northern Commercial Company, was a
passenger from Dawson to Fort Yukon.
At the latter place Mr. Turner trans
ferred to the steamer Koyukuk in order
to accompany the plucky little swift
water craft on its initial trip up the
Chandlar and select the site for the
company’s new trading post in that
district.
It was not stated when the Koyukuk
would proceed from Fort Yukon, hut it
is known that Captain Haines did not
intend to wait for exceptionally high
water in the Chandlar. He wished to
make the trip as nearly as possible under
normal conditions of earlv-season navi
gation.
Men From Chandlar.
At 1 o’clock last Thursday morning
Louis Sevier, Herman Uoaburg and
Charles l’ornander arrived at liampart,
only four days and a half from Caro. It
is their opinion that in a comparatively
low stage of water a boat of the Koyu
kuk’s draft could not ascend the liver
for more than 20 miles, in medium wa
ter it could get to the Indian village,and
in high water it could reach the mouth
of East Fork, 2(1 miles below Caro. It
could not get to Caro under any circum
stance.
The men were pretty well over the
district, and on the whole they consider
the outlook favorable. Nineouttits will
sluice on upper Big creek; five on Little
Squaw; two on Ilig Squaw; two on
Little McClellan, and a lew others may
shovel in from the surface gravel in va
rious places—which will bring the num
ber of outfits w ho take out gold up to a
total of, say, 20. It is not believed the
estimate of $ 1 ">0,000 for the season's out
put, said to have been made by Howard
Turner, is excessive.
However, the men say the l*c*t ground
so far found—that high up toward the
heads of tin* creeks—will Is* dc|>endcht
on rain f**r water to sluice with.
It has liccn demonstrate*! that tin
few small l*oi|crs now in the country are
inadequate to the ws.rk of prospecting
tin* deep ground. Before the lower
j*arts of numerous creeks are ever tested
heavier machinery will have to In
put in.
On their rounds the men encountered
many whipsawing gangs. There will l*e
in* shortage of luinls'r. but in most eases
it will have to la* carried long distances
On the last sleighing Joe Oarrity ami
about twenty others, including the men
from Nome, pullid out \\i111 outfits to
prospect various tributaries of the Hast
Fork. It was reported that (iarrity had
previously found good prospects in that
section. The country is large and as a
whole is little known.
.lust before the breakup seven or
eight parties were building boats at
[ Graves creek with the intention of
poling outfits up the Middle Fork. Jack
Coleman was one of them who is well
known in Itampart, and "Kilby Creek”
Daly u;us another. In a hole on Dicta
tor creek, a tributary of Middle Fork,
bottom was reached at 104 feet and
good prospects found, one piece weighing
oO cents. The bedrock was pitching
dow n at a sharp angle and it was be
lieved only the rim had been struck.
Agitator, another tributary, has also
shown prospects that help to strengthen
confidence in Middle Fork creeks.
Caro is dcscrilied as an ideal townsite.
Its location is central with regard to the
different creeks. There are about twenty
cabins in the place—all good, substan
tial structures built with a view to per
manency. Commissioner Marsh has a
new and commodious recorder’s ofliee
ami courtroom. Mrs. Peterson, former
ly of lbtwson, lately of Fairbanks, has
just opened a new roadhouse. It has no
bar, nor is there any other place where
liquor is sold. Fred Isaacs, of Circle,
has a little store, but his stock was
sold down pretty low, perhaps not ex
ceeding a ton being left all told. Flour
was C!5 a hundred, bacon 50 cents a
pound, and other things in proportion.
Commissioner S. .1. Marsh expects to
get in two big boilers and twenty tons
of supplies in this year.
The men had an accident at the mouth
j of Flat creek May 7 which almost cost
Mr. Sevier his life. They were boating
a small amount of supplies a short dis
tance. Mr. Kosburg had the line and
Messrs, iseyler and Fornandcr were in
the boat. In passing a swift riffle the
current threw the bow of the ls>at out
into the stream and lfoslmrg snuhlas! it
to some willows. The boat Hopjied over
on Sevier and held him firmly to the
bottom of the creek, until finally the
willows gave way. Then Sevier was
rolled along underneath the boat into
deep water, where he drifted free. It
was found when he got out lhat he had
taken a lot of water, had liecn isidly
bruised, had had his clothing tom near
ly from his hody, ami was nearly “all
in.” A few days before the party had
broken through the ice and lost a sled, a
-mall outfit and a flog; but it was the
experience under the Ismt that made
lamie's courage forsake him.
STRIKE IS IN EARNEST
No Indications of Settlement of the Mining
Troubles in the Tanana.
From all accounts there appears to be
no hope of a settlement of the miners'
strike in the Tanana country. The op
erators express a determination not to
recognize the union or to accede to the
eight-hour demand. P>v them, the wage
rate is considered of little moment.
Kight hours and the union are the
two things the miners are determined
upon. To them, also, the wage is a
secondary matter.
Miners coming through Kampart only
laugh at the suggestion of going to work
on the operators’ terms. They are a re
sourceful lot of men, these miners of
the north, and can almost live off
the natural resources of the country.
If necessary, they say, they can go out
side and earn a grubstake on which to
return and prospect for themselves.
The effect of the strike will he disas
trous to the operators and to people in
all kinds of business—to everybody, in
fact, with the possible exception of the
lawyers and others who live directly and
indirectly from actions at court.
It is stated in the Weekly News of
May 24 that the union has declared a
boycott on the Fairbanks Times.
The strike is very orderly, and there
is no sign of weakening on either side,
except that the miners have intimated
that they might accept $5 a day if their
other contentions were granted.
Letters from Fairbanks, as well as
people talked with, say many are leav
ing. Everything indicates that Imt few
will come in from the outside.
The steamer City of Seattle, sailing
from Seattle May IS, the first boat to
offer through tickets, had not to exceed
half a dozen passengers for Fairbanks.
MANY GOING TO THE INNOKO
Not Much Found, but the Striking Tanana Miners Are
Taking a Long Shot at Fortune.
Passengers from Fairbanks' on the Se
attle No. Sunday and on the Cudahy
yess ten lav s-aid between oOO smd (iOU
people have left the Tanana for the
Innoko >>inee the opening of navigation.
The most of them have gone more on
aeeount of the state of affairs existing in
the Tanana distriet than from any
encouraging reports of important finds
on the Innoko. Coarse gold prosjiects
have I wen found on the Innoko, and the
accessibility of the country appeals to
those who will not work in the Tanana
mines while the present strike trouble
lasts. What the hundreds of prospect
ors may uncover remains to he seen.
The Innoko drains a big territory and
the men going in are ex]ierienced, ven
turesome and self reliant, the very pick
of the north.
Captain C. K. Smith, of the mail
launch Carrier, has a partner who came
out of the country recently with $26 in
dust panned from the creeks, and he
thinks well of the district. The ground
is said to be shallow.
OFFICIAL REMOVED JUST BECAUSE
.Iimeuu, May LV.—Juilge Wiekenham
t<«lay ri'in<>vf<l t' ■■■ !•-< 1 Slalrn ('oiiiinia
gioner A. V. IJ. Snyiler, of Wramfell,
from nltiee, umler eahle iiiHtriulioim
from Jnil^e (iiinniaoli. Tlir tr<•««I>1«*
whieh rv«ulltHl in Snyiler'a removal
eame ii|> over noMiem Iwing onlereil to
the Tretulwt-ll mine at the time of the
•trike, tiovernor 11'11 waa re»|*»n*i
hle for the iroo|» living newt to Trea>l
well, uml Snyder, who in editor of the
Wriiiiiirll Sentinel, n mated tin- governor
fur ordering the troopa Iadore then* wan
anything to warrant auch a move.
Oil aeeoiint <>( Siiv.h r lining ail oilieial
hr wan waked tn explain hi* nttuek upon
thr governor, ami Ida aunwer wan not
aatiafnetory, it Wing neither an a|*>logy
nor un explanation. Judge ttnnniaon,
who in in Kairlntnkn, then directed Judge
\\ ivki-mhaui to remove him.