Yukon Valley News
Vol. I.
RAMPART, ALASKA, APRIL 26. 1905.
No. 38.
GOVERNOR BRADY
SPEAKS OF THE FAIR
Wishes the People to Do All
Possible to Make a Cred
itable Exhibit.
Commissioner Green is in receipt
of a communication trom Governor
Brady, dated March 14, which
among other things says:
Sir: Congress appropriated $25,
000 toward defraying the expenses
of the Alaska exhibit at the Lewis j
and Clark Centennial Exposition to i
be held at Portland, Ore., openinn I
June 1 and closing Oct. 15.
At the close of the exposition at!
St. Louis our exhibits were packed
and what were not returned to the ;
owners were sent to Portland. We
now have a fine lot of show cases, i
including what we bad at St. Louis
and the fine cases which were in j
the Indian Territory building and
turned over to us by order of the:
secretary ot the interior.
The Portland exposition coming
on so soon and the winter months
intervening makes it rather difficult
to have good collections from the
distant parts of Alaska.
We learned at St. Louis that the i
common people are very eager to I
obtain information concerning Alas
ka, and nothing was small enough
to pass their notice.
The fair at Portland will be an
other grand opportunity to instruct
the people as to what we have.
Our main effort in these exhibits
has been to show the truth con
cerning Alaska, hoping as a result
to get people to come here to make
their homes.
I earnestly hojie that the differ
ent communities will take hold and
do what they can to worthily rep
resent their surrounuings, at this
fair.
I would suggest samples samples
of ores, rocks suitable tor building
or for any other purpose, clays ol
any kind, samples of soils not over
I foot by 2 feet, peat, samples ot
any growing thing, any fish from
rivers or the sea. birds, auiaiaU,
insect*,any needlework from bonus
aid women's tlubs. school work,
photographs, especially whatever w
peculiar to each community. Ta
bles on climate and temperature
would be acceptable. Such cotlec
Alaska’s Two Road Raws
Raise Doubt of Authority
The Alaska road law approved
April 27, 1904, among other things,
provided for the appointment of
road overseers by United States
commissioners in each precinct on
the first Monday in April of each
year. All able bodied male resi
dents between the ages of 18 and
50 years were required by this law :
to do two days’ work under direc-!
|
tion of the overseer, or pay $8 to;
be expended in work directed by
him. The ocerseer was authorized
to lay out new roads and have su
pervision of road work in his pre
cinct. The law was in operation
in some ptecincts last summer, and j
in the Fairbanks precinct, at least, •
several people were before the com- ’
missioner for not complying with
its provisions. In Rampart pre-;
cinct the law has never been put
into effect.
Commissioner Green was recently
isked what steps, if any, he ex
pects to take in the matter; and he
replied that he has never received
the necessary blanks for carrying
out the law, and until he does re- ]
reive them he can not act.
It also develops that opinion is j
held by some that the Nelson law—
approved Jan. 27, t905—is intended
to supersede and annul the older
measure; but there is nothing au
thoritative on that point.
The gist of the Nelson law, so
far as it pertains to roads, is givt'n
as follows:
All moneys derived from licenses out- 1
side of incorporated towns shall consti
tute an “Alaska fund,” one-fourth of
which, or so much thereof as may be
necessary, to tie devoted to schools, 5
per cent, to the care and maintenance of
insane persona, or so much of said 5 per
cent, as may t>e needed, and all the resi
due to lie ilevoteil to the construction and
maintenance of wagon roads, bridges and
trails.
Tliere shall lie a tioard of road com
missioners composed of an engineer
officer of the t'nited States army to I*
appointed hv the secretary of war. and
two other officers of that part ol the
army stationed in the district and to tar
designated by tlie secretary of war. The
engineer officer shall abide in the district.
The board shall have power, and it shall
be its duty, upon its own motion or upon
petition, to locate, lay out, construct and
maintain wagon roads and pack trails
from any point on the navigable waters
of the district to any town, mining or
other industrial camp or settlement, or
between any such town, camps, or settle
ments therein, if in their judgment such
roads or trails are needed and will be of
permanent value for the development of
the district. No such road or trail shall
be constructed to any town, etc., which
is wholly transitory or of no substantial
value for mining, trade, agricul
tural or manufacturing purposes. The
board, whenever more than #5,000 shall
have to be expended on any road or trail,
shall let contract for the work to the
lowest responsible bidder. In case no
responsible and reasonable bid can be
secured, then the work may be carried
an with material and men procured and
hired by the board. It shall be the duty
:>f the board as far as practicable, to
keep in proper repair all roads and trails
instructed un ler their supervision. The
secretary of the treasury shall, at the end
af each month, send by mail to each of
the members of the board a statement of
the amount available of said “Alaska
fund” for the construction and repair of
roads and trails, and no greater liability
For construction and repair shall at any
time be incurred by said ljoard than the
money available therefor at the time.
All acts and parts of acts inconsistent
with this act are, to the extent of such
inconsistency, repealed.
It will readily be seen that a con
flict of authority might arise be
tween district and precinct officers
in the laying out of roads. It is
rlso plain that precinct officers are
given no authority to keep in re
pair or otherwise exercise jurisdic
tion over roads inaugurated by the
ilistrict board
Under the Nelson law the unin
corporated towns and small com
munities foot the bill fot all the
road work in Alaska. If such
places as Rampart and Tanana
find later that in addition to j ro
viding the money they are orer
looked in the expenditure ;>f it,
they may derive some consolation
from the thought that it is an una
voidable penalty for obscurity.
lion* fioto (be various parts of
Alaska will demonstrate to tboti.
sands of people lb* truth m such a
wav that they will accept it. and it
will he information that can not lie
easily obtained any other wav
I would uf|(C every Alaskan who
can puaaiblv afford it, to viatl Port
I.imI ami stay long enough to see
the exhibit ramie there.
There will be man dingle feat
ures at this fair which will excel
things of the same kmil at St LttW*
The grounds arc heautilul ami ev
erything is already set ax in a fine
l>kture.
BIG NIINOOK PLANT
GETTING INTO SHAPE
Outlook Favorable for Active
Work b) August-Pipe
Lines Laid.
With the end of this week the
Rampart City Gold Mines Company
will have its pipe lines all in posi
tion and the Big Minook hydraulic
works will begin to assume shape.
* The outlook is now favorable to
the commencement of active opera
tions by August.
The splendid progress made in
riveting, dipping and laying the
pipe and putting the plant in such
an advanced order in so short a
time certainly speaks well for the
energy of Manager Koonce and bis
assistants.
1 E. Becker, a hydraulic man of
long experience, will be foreman of
the works, beginning the first of
May. Mr. Becker is highly pleased
with the completeness of the plant.
NEW BEACH DIGGINGS
FOUND NEAR KODIAK
From the Valdez News. March 18.
I
Reports were received on the
Dora of what is believed to be a
rich placer strike on Raspberry
island near Kodiak. The new find
is (reach diggings, and excitement
is running high among the people
on Kodiak and Afognak island.
There are at present about seventy
tuen at the diggings, and with the
most crude appliances they are
taking out from $4 to $15 per day.
One man who returned to Kodiak
! tor supplies and tools spent five
| days at the diggings and took out
$75. Many natives are rocking on
the beach, and though they know
little or nothing about placer mining
they are taking out from $2 to $5
per day.
Raspberry island is a small strip
of land lying between Kodiak
island and Afognak island at the
west end of the straits separating
the two. As the strike was made
but feceutly. its extent and itch
ties* has not been tully determine*!,
but further information will proba
bly be received on tbe uext steamer
from the west.