IMPROVEMENT
IN TELEGRAPH
_ J i
; ■
Line Up the Yukon to Eagle
In Prospect Next
Year.
GEN. GREELEY’S CHANGE OF HEART
BY J. I.IXDLEY GREEN.
No doubt every resident of Rampart
will be pleased to learn that General
Greely experienced a complete change of
heart before leaving the interior of Alas
ka. It will be remembered that he
stated that Rampart was very fortunate
to have a telegraph line at all. The
general now intends to do what no one
had dared hope for—not only to make
the main telegraph line from Fort (rib
bon to Valdez to run by Rampart, but
intends to construed a line from Ram
part to Eagle, following the Yukon
river.
He says the magnitude of the traffic
on the Yukon from Fort Gibbon to
Eagle makes such a line a necessity, and
especially so in view of the condition of
the Yukon through the Hats.
It is his intention now, if iiossible, to
get material and supplies in the ensuing
summer and complete the line within
the year.
lie also contemplates some changes in
the line from Kagle to where it connects
with the line from Fort Gibbon to Val
dez. He has not definitely decided
what the change will Ik.*, hut it is prob
able a part of the line will be abandoned.
The general admits that he had no
conception of the immensity of the inte
rior of Alaska, and esjiecially • *f the
rapid strides it has made in the last two
years. He says the interior of Alaska is
a big country and its development has
scarcely begun; that the Yukon river is
the great artery of this vast country, and
every fut ility should Ik* given by the
government for the development of the
interior, and that a telegraph line from
Kampart to Kagle, following the Yukon,
has liecoiuc a necessity.
Some of us felt a little bit disc* m raged
last summer when the general pushed
through; but bad we retleeted that
Kampart was the rir-1 place of import
time sen bv him on the American side,
that a* yet be bad no conception of the
surprise in store for him as he continued
his journey, and that lie a a* a man of
great ability and eaprrirnre, we would
have known what his final decis am
walk! l*e and saved •aifselve* i*ond*le fa
ble am let \ as to the results *»f his visit.
A LITTLE NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
FAIRBANKS, Oct. 18.—The Alaska Express Com
pany’s figures show the Tanana gold output to be over
six millions and a half.
NEW YORK, Oct. 17.—William R. Hearst has ac
cepted the nomination for mayor of New York.
PITTSBURG, PA., Oct. 17.—Edward ('unliffe, the
trusted clerk of the Adams Express Company, walked
out with a hundred thousand dollars and has not been
seen since.
Word reached me yesterday that the
telegraph line between Rampart and
Tanana is completed to The Rapids.
Lieutenant Kverington, the ottieer in
charge, is certainly a capable man, and
the manner in which the line is con
structed is a monument which speaks
for itself as to his ability. The lieuten
ant was sent in last year to superintend
the construction of the government
buildings destroyed by tire at Fort liib
Imhi the winter la-fore, and the able and
efficient manner in which he handled
that work made the department realize
that hjs services were needed on the
Yukon lor another year, The lieuten
ant desired very much to go outside last
fall and was sorely disap]>ninted when
he learned that he must stay; but his
loss is our gain, for the line that lie is
constructing is substantial and perma
nent and will not be getting out of re
pair. The right of way is cleared so
that it cannot he disabled hy tailing
trees or sliding risks, and we will not
Ik1 annoyed by having to wait in sus
[iense (or days for an ini|Nirtant iiiessuge
on account of the line being out of re
pair. If we will stop to consider the
character of ground gone over and the
distance made with the force at his
command, we must acknowledge that
Lieutenant Kveiington has shown him
self to lie the most practical and capa
ble man ever sent out on the Yukon by
the department to construct a telegraph
line; and in saying this we wish to cast
no reflection on the cuJability of some
of his predecessors, for in the last three
years we have had very cu|>ahle men
here and we would not for a moment
underestimate their ability. It is really
gratifying to know that there is one de
partment of the government that is
alive to the want* and need* of interior
Alaska. While we do not wish Lieuten
ant Kveriugton any barm, we do ho|«
the department will retain him here
until the telegraph tine is completed
from Hampurt to Lngle,
We do not forget Lieutenant Whipple,
who Is making a good showing for the
time lie lias lawn at work in building
the llio from Kampurt to I lie Tatiana
river, aad we prediet that lie will prove
himself eu|*t(d* to meet and overt ome
the many obstacles that confront one in
Alaska thrt are not met with on the
outside.
We have also met Lieutenant Hemp
hill, who is in charge of the construction
of the lines in the interior of Alaska,
lie was chosen for the place on account
of his proficient work before coming,
and has shown'liis good judgment so far
in the selection of men to superintend
the building of the lines out of Ram
part. He is energetic and goes over the
lines and sees for himself the condition
of the country over which they are to
be constructed, and his past experience
enables him to select the best and most
feasible routes for the lines, thereby re
ducing the work to the minimum.
No matter what may be said of the
other departments of the government,
the signal service department is doing
all that could lie expected to advance
the interior of Alaska and lighten the
burdens of the jieople, and its efficient
service is appreciated.
FAVOR NEW TRAIL
Miners of Pioneer Section
Want a Shorter Route
for Freight.
The mineJn all trihutarien of IHo
neer rwk aro in favor of a trail In-inn
Imilt from K'Jun ini' Mimmk up Alolm
creek, over the iliviiU- ami <lown the
North fork of Pioneer; tlirncr ilown
Pioneer In Kureka.
Thr miner* will m**t likely l>euin
htiiklina thf trail inilnetliatrly.
I'.v huil-limr thi* utreteh of trail it in
•.ml freight naiki In- lamteilon the North
Pork with a *uvin* of ten niilm in ili*
IMrr. It will away with tlu- ntw|>
An'rnl into Ponton ereek ami the four
mil*** of glacier on that *tream
• Nw*' on tlie .ummil at th<* North Pork
of Pioneer it inallilownarwtle to P.areka;
tail hj *m of liontoii it i* one rontinn*
on* -Irait from Pure ka to tire • i if m g" on
tlonrvr ami trihtitarie*
r
LITTLE HURT:
BOOLLER
C. B. Allen and J. Lindley
Green’s Scrap Did Not
Amount to Much.
ANOTHER “BUFFALO” CANDIDATE
There was a fracas in Commissioner
.1. I-indley Green's office last Friday
which resulted in more fuss than feath
ers. Some said that Charles B. Allen’s
head had a new bump on it shortly after
the occurrence—but that may have been
occasioned by the development of some
latent quality of mental pabulum.
Mr. Allen has a client in jail, as some
times happens with the most learned of
the profession. He also possesses* a
writing machine with which it has been
impossible to indite a straight statement
of fact fur more than a year past—along
about the time it was used in rattling
off a few issues of a certain newspaper
here in Rampart.
The commissioner simply asserts that
Mr. Allen’s machine is out of alignment.
He that as it may, the machine, Mr.
Allen and another old resilient produced
a document of great length and uncer
tain import which the commissioner was
asked to certify to as a true and-so-forth
copy of the record in the case of the
client aforesaid.
The commissioner said tlmt the align
ment wan iui|ierfeft, the orthography
was bad, veracity wan absent, punctua
tion was wanting, paragraphs marking
the natural divisions had been ignored,
and under no condition would he eerttfy
to it as requested, or produce a true
copy tor less than live dollars.
Mr. Allen then through a ruse |hih
sessed himself of the document the ini*
]srfections of which the commissioner
had named, and said the commissioner
could not take it from him.
Whereupon the commissioner snatch
ed it.
Whereupon Mr. Allen assumed a stri
king attitude.
WhercuiHin the commissioner struck.
WhereU|«>n Mr. Allen ducked.
And the strenuous part of the transac
tion was over. Indications are strong
that another candidate is out for entry
on the "buffaloed” roll.
Arrival of Mail.
I’wiil fs hwlt* arrivt**! with tlu* »|own
mail lit*•! nitflit. II#* l«*ft t*i»i:U* jit#t aitf»*r
mt'iniirM ih i. *». H»a«l win*!* n mount*
iiitf i» unit* wt*r»* tlw* *u»ly «■ a i !*♦*•* <•(
<M4lt'i itr'iir**#.
Mr. vl»niti will «tnrt ii|» .in* I .!• n
l*wlni • l*»v% i» will* until »Miii**ff*»w Tln*y
will t«ik«* i!w in »l*il •U«U.