The San Francisco call., 1909-09-02

IN the WOrld, next TO tnaI III
Pennsylvania, came near slip
ping the other day into the hands
of one individual. "A property that
is destined in the future to pro-
duce such wealth in fuel that all the
world will draw upon it came near
passing from the ownership of the
public to the ownership of one man.
The benefits that the people should
receive from this great natural re-
source that aeons of geologic time
have piled UP for them come near be-
ing passed over to one exploiter that
he might take his own toll to the end
of time from this property which now
belongs to the government and
through it to the people.
The Cunningham claims in Alaska
were to have been patented, but Louis
r. CLAWS, chief of the field division Of
the land office, an humble but upright
public servant, protested and prevent
ed it. Claws earned his salary Of
something like sS on the day he saved
the government a billion. Later he
told his story to President Taft and
the chief executive is investigating
methods in the interior department
through which such claims as those Of
Cunningham are patented
In the meantime, two high govern
ment officials, each having something
of Jurisdiction over the Alaskan coal
lands, are showing something of a dis
position to criticise each other, and
there is promised the greatest shaking
up in departmental circles that the
national capital has known in 20
years.
Clarence Cunningham, who was a
few years ago an enterprising pros
pector in Idaho and a man of no
means, has undertaken the develop
ment of the new coal field. For this
monumental task he has associated
with him many other kindred spirits
having the right as American citizens
to locate mining claims and among
them all the valuable lands have been
located. Patents were about to issue
when the question was raised as to
whether these men had right to COM
bine for this purpose, and the patents
were delayed pending an investiga-
tion. The interior department had
deemed the time ripe for the patenting
of the lands, and the forest service,
having jurisdiction over a large part
of them lying in national forest, has
differed and urged delay. The delay
has been granted and thorough in
vestigation of the lands will be made.
Incidentally, an inquiry into the facts
in the case in so far as the land office
is concerned is being made by Presi-
dent Taft
But while all this is going on little
is known as to the bone of contention.
as to just what and where these lands
are and of what Importance they are
as far as the public is concerned.
THE Bering river anthracite says
C. C. Martin, government mineral ex-
pert. who investigated the field, has
no equivalent among the Goals now
being mined on the Pacific coast, and
compares favorably with Pennsylvania
anthracite. 1t ought to be put into
San Francisco and other Pacific coast
markets at a cost far below that of
eastern coal, in which case it should
have no difficulty in entirely supplant
ing the latter.
The Bering river semibituminous is
also better than anything that is be-
ing mined iii the west. These Goals
are the equivalent of the Pocahontas
New River and Georges creek Goals of
the east and are eminently adapted to
which a high grade, pure and smoke
less steaming coal is required, and for
these purposes will command a consid
erably higher price than any coal that
is now being mined on the Pacific
coast, or, If offered at equal prices,
should readily drive the latter from
the market.
Part of this coal will produce an
excellent quality of coke, better, in
xuh ha
from any of the Washington and Van
couver island Goals and equal to coke
from Crows Nest pass. If an impor-
tant smelter industry grows up in
Alaska, as now seems possible, the Ber-
ing river coking coal should have the
advantage, both in quality and in trans
portation rates over any col<ing coal
which is now being used on the Pacific
coast"
This statement comes from the most
conservative source Imaginable. and
taken in connection with the authori-
tative information of the geological
survey as to the quantities of this coal
easily accessible means simply that
these deposits have undisputed control
over the coal markets of the western
coast.
The tale of the region from which all
this fuel is to come reads like a ro-
nance of uncovered wealth such as
are ordinarily dealt with only in fic-
tion The surface outcroppings in this
far northland surpass anything that
PENNSYLVANIA ever boasted in the early
days of her exploitation. Outside of
Pennsylvania this is practically the
only anthracite fields of any Importance
in the world, and it's finding is of
untold Importance in the face of the
threatened exhaustion of the eastern
field.
The deposits lie along Controller bay,
which is located about half way up the
Pacific coast of Alaska and is land
locked harbor always free from ice.
Seattle is 1850 miles to the southwest
and Sitka is 400 miles in the same di-
rection There is the town of Katalla
nearby and Juneau is a near neighbor
as Alaskan neighbors go. Inland from
the bay there is stretch of marsh
lands rising to hills, and 25 miles away