THE ANCHORAGE DAILY TIMES
AND COOK INLET PIONEER.
ANCHORAGE PUBLISHING CO.
Anchorage, Alaska.
CHAS. E. HEKKOX. Publisher.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES FOR THE
DAILY.
Single Copies .$ -10
One Month . ‘ 110
Six Months (in advance; .
One Year (in advance)
. io!oo
Entered in the Anchorage Postoffice June 5, 1016, as second class matter
under the Act of March 3, 1873. _
NOTICE TO MAIL SUBSCRIBERS
The dat*» on the outside wrapper of your paper indicates the date to which
your subscription is paid. On the expiration of your subscription the paper
will be discontinued. All mail Kubs< Options must be paid in .-idvano .
AN'CHORAUE, ALASKA, SATl’EPAY, MARCH J4, 1!>17.
WHEREIN DOES THEIR KICK LIE?
The town <>t' Seward, on Resurrection hay, through its lo
eal newspaper. which presumably voices the sentiment ot its
j>coplc generally, appears to he greatly exercised over the tact
that the Alaskan Engineering commission is now undertaking
to carry out the original plans adopted when it was decided to
luiild tile government railway system front tin* coast to the in
terior over what is known as the Susitna valley route, namely,
make Ship creek, on Knik arm, the coal terminus tor tit least
seven or eight months ot the year. 1 hat this was the plan from
the very first, is plainly revealed in Secretary Lane’s tirst pub
lic statement with respect to the final choice of railway routes.
In undertaking harbor improvements at Anchorage at this
time, the engineering commission is hut carrying out the gen
eral system of construction as planned from the very begin
ning. But the Seward publication would have us believe that
a harbor at the mouth of Ship creek was an lifter-consideration
on the part of the Alaskan Engineering commission, and on
ibis theory goes out of the way to lodge attacks and insinua
tions as against the commissioners.
For the information of the residents oi Seward, and not
shaking for the Alaskan Engineering Commission, no member
of which has been consulted with respect to the proposition, we
can positively assert that if it had not been for an available
harbor on Knik arm as a coal terminal tor the Matanuska
fields, Portage bay would have been selected as the coal termi
nal. How do we know this .’ Because the common horse sense
that (fod gave us tells us so. It is expected that the Matanus
ka coal fields will supply the greatest tonnage for the railway
project. The chief argument employed in getting the congress
to consent to the building of the railroad was the fact that it
would open these great coal measures arid make tin* product
available not only for eommereial purposes, but for tfio 1 riited
States navy as well.
The Alaskan Engineering < 'ommission, composed ol ex
perienced railway engineers, made a thorough study <>f .the
situation, and selected Ship creek as tiie coal terminal. W h\ .
Because there is a water grade from the coal fields to this
point, which will reduce the cost ot rail transportation trom
ihe Matanuska fields to an ocean port to a minimum charge, a
vital necessity if the coal product is to be placed in outside
markets. They but followed the policy of the greatest railway
builder of modern times—James .1. Hill, now deceased- who
always insisted on a water grade. 1 bey but followed the pol
icy of the builders of the Popper River and Northwestern Kail
way system, who selected Cordova as opposed to \ aldez, Kc
cause the Copper river valley provides a water grade trom the
great Bonanza copper mine, the inland terminus, to tidewater
at Cordova, whereas \ aide1/ presents even a less difficult prob
lem with relation to the Bonanza mine than Seward does to
ihe Matanuska fields, in that there is but out* summit to >ur
mount, while in the case of Seward, there are two summits to
accomplish. *
A water grade from the Matanuska fields to Seward is
out of the question, because *>f the great mountain barriers na
ture lias placed in the way. Had it not been for an available
harbor on Knik arm, navigable for ocean-going vessels ol the
largest tonnage, the coal terminus tor flu* Matanuska lields
must have been, in the very nature ot things, at Portage bay,
which also provides a water grade from the coal areas.
Nature having eliminated Seward as a coal terminus tin*
Alaskan Engineering Commission had nothing to do with it
it might be asked. Which point would Seward prefer as such
Ship creek, lying back of the Resurrection bay town, or Port
age bay, a water indenture off Prince \\ illiam sound that lias
no relation whatever to Seward .’ W ith Portage hay as the coal
terminus, Seward would be wiped off the map almost entirely.
Whereas, with Anchorage as the coal terminus, Seward will
grow and expand with our growth and expansion. It is a
short-sighted policy for the Seward publication to lend its col
umns to unjust attacks on the members of the Alaskan Engi
neering Commission, who, in all good faith, are but following
out the plans comprehended in the original scheme ot develop
ment.
The following are excerpts from an authorized published
statement, made by Secretary Lane following the announce
ment of the definite selection of the railway route:
“The work on the railroad is to be begun at once. Lieu
tenant Mears is already on Ufa* way to Alaska. Chairman
hides and Mr. Riggs will soon 'fallow. The first work will be
the building of a wharf at Shi}) creek and the dredging of a
more adequate channel. From this point tin* railroad will he
constructed northward to the Matanuska coal fields.”
And again:
“A side line is to run from Matanuska .Junction into the
Matanuska coal field, a distance of 38 miles. The road is to he
built with its present base at Shi}) creek, on Cook inlet, and
from this point it is expected that the Matanuska coal will
be shipped during the greater part of the year. The grade
from the Matanuska field to Ship creek is four-tenths ot one
|H»r cent.”
The following excerpt from an official report of the Alas
kan Engineering commission, for the period from March 12,
1!M4, to December 31, 1D]Jj, tells of the reason Ship creek was
selected as the coal terminus:
“As stated elsewhere. Ship creek townsite is on the east
erly shore of Knik Arm, and is practically at the head of nav
igation for ocean-going steamers. It derives its name from a
stream coming from the eastward. It is the nearest point oil
tidewater from which products of the Matanuska coal fields
The Stores That Have What You Want When You Want It.
Loussac’s Daily Gossip
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1917.
Vol. 1. No. 212. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. 4th and O
Slow in ruining, l>nt wo finally received our Special R. L.
F. 77 Louse Eastman Kodak. Without going into details, wo
will just say that the F. 77
lense is probably best suited
to this part of the country on
account of its speed and ad
justment to light. •
J)eveloping and Printing is done by the best talent obtain
able. Leave your tilnis with us.
We carry a complete line of Eastman Kodaks and Sup
plies
The first boat will bring us
tlu* very latest in Kodaks.
All outside orders will
re
| ceive extra eare and attention.
Loussac's Drug Stores
PHONE 100-R Itnmcdiutf Drlnfrv PHONE B2-Y
41 ■
4th and D St. 4th and H St.
can be shipped on colliers or vessels of large size, the distance
from the coal fields being 74.9 miles. This is 58 miles less than
to Passage canal and 120miles less than to Seward. The max
imum grade against the iloal traffic is 0.4 per cent, being the
same as to Passage canal, but as against 2.2 per cent to Seward.
The direct distance from Seattle to Ship creek is given by the
United States coast and geodetic survey as 1,430 nautical miles,
as against 1,12-40 miles to Passage canal and 1,235 miles to Sew
ard. Both lines of steamers plying between Puget sound and
Alaskan ports have made this a port of call during the past
season. The vessels lie in the channel about a mile offshore
SATURDAY, MARCH 24
“THE SPELL OF THE YUKON”
A Vivid Drama of Alaskan Life. p
Also—MR. AND MRS. SIDNEY DREW—In
‘THE SWOONERS” _
SUNDAY AND MONDAY, MARCH 25 AND 26
MADAME PETROVA
The < 'elebratod Kmotional Artiste
IN
“The Scarlet Woman” *
And—MR. AND MRS. SIDNEY DREW—In
“Their Quiet Little Honeymoon”
ANY SEAT ANYWHERE 25c; CHILDREN 10c.
MRS. NINA RICHMOND - Pianiste
MINT ,
GRILL ||
Home of the Hot Platter I
MUSIC AND DANCING ^
OPEN ALL NIGHT. J
PHONE 100-Y. 1
and transfer freight to launches or barges, which is later
landed at a favorable stage of the tide. *
“For purposes of landing a limited amount of construc
tion equipment and material the present methods could be
used, but for extensive shipments greater facilities should be
provided. This can be easily done by dredging an interior ba
sin and approach channel, the former to be deep enough to
float tile vessels at low tide, at an expense little, if any, ab<*ve
the cost of proper terminals at the other suggested ports. The
tidal range at Ship creek is large, but the same may be said
of Liverpool, Hull nmf other great shipping points.”
CREDITORS ARE LOOKING
FOR JOE CHAMBERS
(Juneau Dispatch)
Recent arrivals from the states tell
of the disappearance of Joe Chambers,
the well known old-time commission
man. who came north every year since
the early days of the Fairbanks camp.
From the information received it ap
pears that when he left Alaska last
fall ho kept on going, but never stop
ped at Seattle, where he hacf credit
ors to whom he owed $20,000 to $27,
000.
After the creditors in Seattle be
came convinced that he was not go
ing to show up, they engaged one of
the big detective agencies to start the
search for him. He was traced from
Cordova as far as Juneau on the
American boats and from there to
I’rince Rupert on the Canadian line.
Whether or not the detectives suc
ceeded in following him from there is
not known.
Before leaving Fairbanks, Cham
bers is reported to have sold out much
of the personal property which he
used annually on his visits here, so
that there is little doubt that when he
was departing this fall he figured it
was his last trip to the interior.
The disappearance of Chambers has
caused a surprise among his friends
in Seattle, as he had practically un
limited credit among the wholesalers
and jobbers. Mr. Turner, of the Tur
ner, Pease company, of Seattle, is re
ported to have said that the credit of
Chambers was good for $20,000 with
his firm, and others held him in equal
high esteem.
When in Fairbanks last summer the
friends of Mr. Chambers noted at the
time that he was brooding over some
thing, and several commented on it at
the time. His conduct was entirely
different from that of former years,
and noticeable.
Among the people in Seattle who
are known to have been creditors of
Mr. Chambers are: The Scandinavian
Bank, for about $6,000; Turner, Pease,
& company, for about $5,000; Nation
al Grocery company, for several hun
dred dollars and several other mer
| chants.
They Are Coming
THE LATEST; THE DAINTIEST; THE BEST OF THE SPRING STYLES
IN
Women s Ready-to-Wear Suits,
Millinery and Novelties
Mrs. Maud Cattle is aboard the Steamship Alameda with the finest stock
. • «£%<$ «.
ever brought to Southwestern Alaska.
-
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
THE STYLE SHOP
t