ALASKA BUREAU
NEWS LETTER
Flattie. Aug 15—That Scnith
eastej-i. Alaska is soon t:> have ai
least two wood pulp manufacturing
plants in operation, is the word
brought down to Seattle by Henry
C. Seaborn. of the Skinner and Ed
dy Corporation, who has just re
turned from a three week yachting
cruise in Alaskan waters. "At Ket
chikan I was informed that Now
York and St Louis capitalists had
definitely decided to operate pulp
mills in that vicinity." said Mr. Sea
born and the New Yorkers have
alldady picked out a site for their
ji/mt which will be located at or
near Ketchikan. The coining of
these industries means a great deal
for Alaska, for the slack fishing sea
son and the closing down of many
of the mining properties make busi
ness anything but good in that vi
cinity. From my observations even
the limited activities planned by the
canneries which have decided to op
erate have been decidedly disap
pointing due to the small and prac
tically negligible run of fish so far
developed this season.’*
From his observations in Alaska
he believes that the eventual use of
Alaskan spruce in the manufacture
of pulp for paper will bring about
the rehabilitation of that section of
the north. He declares that there
art; innumerable waterpower sites
available for pulp mills and particu
larly refers to Granville Channel,
where he says there is a waterfall
practically every half mile, anyone
of which could funish sufficient pow
er for such an enterprise.
With one of the largest consign
ments of canned and mild cured Al
aska herring, as well as 30.000 cases
of canned Alaska salmon and some
copper ore. the liner Alameda of the
Alaska Steamship Company’s fleet
has airrived in port. The vessel
loaded the herring at Latouehe.
where considerable activity in this
line is being carried on this season.
Construction <Sf the Hurricane
Gulch bridge of the government’s A!
a ska railroad is expected to he com
pleted in September, say advices re
ceived from the north by Major C
K. Dole, head of the purchasing de
partment of the Alaska Engineering
Commission. Erection of the arch
was completed early in August with
the exception of the string Thn
bridge is at Mile 284 fr vard
and on its completion the : will
Ik* pushed forward. From tue north,
ern end of the road, the track has
been built south to Healv at Mile
,258 from Seward and soon will be
completed to Rilev Creek at Mile
247. The road will then be com
pleted except for the 62 miles be
tween Hurricane Gulch and Riley,
this section being in the Broad l ass
country. The 62 miles of track will
be laid the coming fall and winter
and trains will then begin running
through from Seward to Fairbanks
Bids for a steel bridge at Riley Creek
were opened recently by the commis
sion and the contract is expected to
r* awarded soon. The structure is
to bp delivered in Alaska in N'ovem
Confklence in the ability of Sec
retary of the Interior Albert B. Fall
to serve the best interests of Alaska
was voiced by Dr Alfred H. Brooks
geologist in charge of the Alaska
division of the United States Geolo
gical Survey, on the eve of his de
parture from Seattle to inspect the
coal and oil resources of the Far
Northern territory. ‘Secretary Fall
Is a practical mining man” said Dr
Brooks, "and knows the conditions
| in a mining country. He has lived
on the frontier.”
A Washington dispatch says: —
Consolidation of government func
tions and duties having to do with
the territory of Alaska under the De.
partment of the Interior is proposed
in a bill Introduced by Senator New.
Republican, Indiana. It will be
taken up for consideration by the
Senate territories committee, of
which Senator New is chairmln. The
bill also would establish through
transportation service from the
mainland of the I'nited States by au
thorizing the persldent to draw from
the Shipping Board ahlps t ' «•••
They would work in connection with
the government owned rail line3 in
| Alaska, and the system thus estab
1 llshed. or parts of it. would be sub
! ject to lease to private parties upon
approval of the President With
drawal of the function provided for
by the measure would touch practi
cally every executive department of
the government to a greater or less
extent All personnel now employed
in connection with the duties affect
ed by the proposed change would be
transferred to the Interior Depart
Mine buildings and living quarters
were completed and a compressor in
stalled on the property of the El
Nido Mining Company of the Lisan
ski Peninsula. Chicagof Island, late
in July, when active work was start
ed on underground development.
It is reported that the Admiralty
Alaska Gold Mining Co., with hold
ings at Hunter Bay. Admiralty Is
land. are completing plans for ex
tensive development, including the
erection of a large stamp mill.
Splendid progress is being made in
the shell fish industry in Alaska,
which will, with development, be
come an industry of large commer
cial importance. The export of
shell tish rrom Petersburg in June
totaled in value $26,000. and includ
ed crabs, clams and shrimps.
The Sukio Island Fox Company,
recently organized by Juneau busi
ness men. has purchased the famous
fox ranch on Sukoi Island which is
close to Petersburg, and which has
been successfully operated for a
number of years by Chastik Bros.
Bringing gold bullion valued at
$275,555. shipments of whale bone
and ivory. 35.000 cases of canned
salmon and 287 passengers, the Al
aska Steamship Company’s liner Vic
toria. Capt. C. S Davis, arrived in
Seattle recently from Nome and St
Michael
Shipments of gold from Nome so
far this year show an increase of
$75,000 compared with the amount
forwarded during the same period
last year, according to advices
brought by the Victoria. The total
value of last year’s shipments from
Nome was $1,250,000. It la be
lieved that sum will be exceeded this
year, as mining operations in various
sections of the Seward Peninsula are
increasing.
On her first voyage from this port
in the service of the Alaska Commer
cial Company, the auxiliary powered
schooner. Oregon. Capt. C. Johnson,
sailed from Seattle on Monday. Aug
lr, for Kodiak. Cnalaska. Nushasak
and the Pribilof Islands, of Bering
Sea. She will have shipments of
winter supplies for the Alaska divi
sion of the Cnited States Bureau of
Education at Nushagak and for th.
United States Bureau of Fisheries la
the Pribilofs.
OFFICIAL PARTY MAKES
GOOD l\ INTERIOR TOWN'S
Cordova.— (By mailt—After a
hurried visit to Fairbanks and the in
terior Governor Scott C. Bone and
Surveyor General Karl Thiele left
here on the steamer Notrhwestern for
the capital The governor s party
made the trip over the government
trail from Valdez to the interior,
where they visited Nenana and Fair
banks and returned to Cordova by
the way of Chitina. Kennecott and
McCarthy.
Speaking of the governors' visit in
Valdez on the initial stage of th«
journey the Valdez Miner in part
“Governor Bone stated that his
trip was in the nature of getting ac
quainted with his constituency, and
that it had no special bearing upon
the political appointments yet to be
made. He declared himself greatly
pleased with the cordial reception
emended to him all along the line
from Ketchikan to Valdez, and hop
ed at an early date to return to Val
dez and remain sometime.
“I am taking up the work in Alas
ka with the conviction that the ad
ministartion will be behind me in
every matter that is for the better
ment of the territory.’ said the gov
ernor. With its thirty-eight bueraus
controlling Alaskan affairs. I am con
vinced that there are thirty-seveu
too many, and will advocate their
being made into one. Bureaucracy
must he laid aside and the pioneer
spirit of Alaskans unshackled. In
terest is being shown in Washington
in Alaskan affairs and the president
and Secretary Fall are deeply con
cerned over its development. Sen
ator Harry S Ney and Representa
tire Charles F. Curry are working
togethe on legislation designed to
remedy the situation so far as the
federal government is concerned.
• I am firmly convinced that the
government railroad will be of great
benefit to the territory, as the will
ingness of the government to Invest
many millions in the project of this
kind shows its interest in the welfare
of your people. With this nation
wide interest, both official and public
it is certain that congress will give
the territory beneficial legislation
and this means that all obstacles will
soon be removed.
•I am convinced that a new era
is about to dawn upon Alaska, and
I will use my utmost endeavor to
speed the day when the sun of pros
perity will shed its rays into every
nook and corner of the territory.' "
i'nder date of August 5. the Cor
dova Daily Times said that Govern
or none and Mr. Thiele made splen
did impressions upon the communi
ties visited and were royally received
at every town and camp visited Con
tinuing. The Times said:
‘ Governor Scott C Bone and Sur
i vevor General Karl Thiele arrived
in Cordova last night from a trip to
the interior, having gone from Valdez
to Fairbanks and then to Nenana
They returned to Chitina over the
government trail and visited McCar
thy and Kennecott. being cordially
received and royally entertained bv
the residents of all the towns visited.
“Governor Bone expressed his ap
preciation of the cordial manner In
which he has been received by all
Alaskans and hopes to be able to
secure some constructive legislation
for the development of the territory.
He says that he has good reason to
; know that the government at Wash
ington is interested in Alaska and
has a more sympathetic attitude to
ward this northland than ever be
fore in its history He continued:
“ ‘This official interest has had Us
inevitable effect on file genera! pub
lic Alaska is in the public eye.
and the press of the whole country
is devoting columns of space to Al
askan subjects.
j “ "With this nation-wide interest,
both officially and popular, it is cer
I tain that congress will give the ter
ritory the treatment to which it is
entitled—and this means that all ob
stacles to general prosperity in Al
! aska will soon be removed
“ ‘The outlook for legislation fav
i or^ble to the territory has never been
better. The Cummins bill, providing
for the simplification of Alaskan ad
ministration. was recently introduced
in the senate and I am positive that
the measure will he successful—con
gress will pass either this bill or one
so closely akin to it that there will
be no substantial difference between
the two.
*' ‘Once the government of Alaska
has been simplified, the greatest
step will have been made toward a
rehabilitation of the territory. Al
aska In the past has been governed
largely by bureaus—and any one
conversant with Alaskan affairs can
appreciate the benefits which will
accrue to the territory once these
bureaus are supplanted by a central
simplified government.
•• 'I'm taking up this work just as
I would a business proposition.” he
declared, "and l*m going to give It
the very best care that I have in me.
As a matter of fact that’s just what
Alaska is—a business proposition .
Wi*h its. as yet. unscratched treas
ury of resources and its vast area
there’s not a bigger business prop*
tlon to be found on the whole con
tinent—or the whole world, for the
matter of that
" ‘I am convinced that a new era
Is about to daw*n on Alaska—and
you may rest assured that I will do
my utmost to speed the day when the
sun of prosperity will shed its be
nignant rays into every nook and
corner of the territory.’ **
.ICDGE CHARM** E. BUNNELL
ACCEPTS PRESIDENCY
A«RI< 1’ I .Ti lt A L COLLEGE
Fairbanks.— Opening of the Fair
I banks Agricultural College and
School of Mines has been signalized
by Judge Charles Bunnell accepting
the presidency of the institution up
on confirmation of his successor as
judge of the fourth division. Judge
Bunnell expects to leave soon for the
outside to personally select the
equipment for the college and engage
the necessary teaching staff, prepar
atory to pening the college next year.
Judge Bunnell stated that he is
perfectly satisfied to devote the re
mainder of his life to constructive
work and education in the territory
which has been his home tor the last
twenty-one years.
* DR. W. I.. FROMM *
S DENTIST #
W Old Location Opposite Bank W
$ s * * x s *-.« *•**!«* « « *
New Salted Herring
5c each
The Fish is of the
finest Quality.
Cured and packed
by John Winther
at Golovin Bay.
11 DM MB
and Notions arrived on
the Str. Ketchikan
On this Victoria we will receive
a big Shipment of the Famous
PATRICK’S TOP SHIRTS,
SWEATERS, AND MACKINAWS
DIRECT FROM DULUTH
They will be on Display in a few Days
Wait for their arrival.
THORULF LEHMANN