The Alaska prospector., 1902-02-13

mile, have the hest record for at. . tendance.
 MERCANTILE PsTABLIsHMEyTs.
 Valdez has number of firstclas. mercantile establishments. and they do large and lucrative business Not only do they have the local trade, but tons of provisions and outfits of aA kinds are sent to the interior, throughout the Sound dis trict and to the westward. The natives from the interior. living POO or 100 miles distant, come here to tra lc, and Valdez is now the con- rrrcial centre of southern Alaska Most of the miners in this section purchase their entire outfits here instead of sending to Seattle for them. One intending to come to this part of Alaska will do well to purchase their outfits here. They
 .. get just what they need, and get it in good condition and frstclass or der, as cheap as it can be bought in Seattle with the freight added. aud it will be more satisfactory in every way. as our merchants know from actual experience what is needed by the miner or prospcctor, and do not keep anything that is not oi use to them. When outfits are bought below, all kinds of articles arc sold that the merchant there thinks should be used here and in many cases these articles. that are of no value to d miner. arc thrown away.
 FISH BROS.
 Mr- James Fish came to Valdez Tn 1899 as special mail clerk at large, for the government, having supervision oi the mails from Juneau to Unalaska. Bcinga good business man he saw an opportun- ity for establishing a large mercan- tile establishment. His brother, Mir. Oscar Fish, joined him during that year and the firm secured the contract from the government for carrying the mail from this place to Eagle City on the Yukon. He also bought out two small stores at this place and combined them and has added large stock oi mer- chandisc and is now carrying the largest stock of goods in this part of Alaska. The firm have several trading posts in the interior, along the mail route and do a large busi- ness with the natives ip furs, and also with the miners at the various mining camps during the summer months. MT. Oscar Fish has charge of the business at Eagle city lar ger part of the time, alt though he finds an excuse to come to Valdes whenever possible.
 TEMPLE & DOUGHERTY.
 - Among the pioneer merchants in Valdez. who are still in business here is Mr. $. A. Temple, who ar rived from Missouri in the early si,ring of 1898. MT. Temple opened 8 small store, and being Il jolly good fellow soon had a large trade. His business increased steadily until at the present time he has large stock of general mcr- Last year Mr. Temple decided to go to Slate creek, where he has an interest in one of the richest claims in the Chesna dis trict, aud he sold half interest in his business to Mir. Dongherty of Seattle, a gentleman of long ex- perience in the mercantile world. These gentlemen are accommodating and lninstaking ill their business and everyone feels at home in their store, whether they are there to make purchase oE not.
 B. AGEN's STORE.
 The name of J. B. Agen is well known throughout Alaska on ac- count of his butter and eggs that Shave ,toodsthe test" and have been shipped to all parts of this country Tn great quantities. Mir. Agen sent a representative here q year ago in the person of Mr. H. w. Miller, one of his trusted employees, with d