The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-26
Guggenheim Getting Grip on
Future Development of
Pacific Slope.
NEW LIGHT ON BALLINGER
SECRETARY OF INTERIORS TRoU.
BILE. NOW STIRRING TROUBLE
IN CONGRESS, IS VIEWED At A
NEW ANGLE.

New York, Dec. 25.-''Shall the mir
eral wealth of Alaska enrich the CUE
genheim trust or the United State
treasury" This question is the them
OF an article in the January issue o
McClure's Magazine. The fight owe
the billion dollar coal deposits in tn,
Bering River section of southern Alas
ka that brought about the CLAWS cpl
sode and the trouble between Secre
tary Ballinger and Chief Forester Pin
chot is viewed from a new angle-th
interest the Guggenheims have in tn
case.
Under the title Billions of Treas
ure," John E. Lathrop and Georg'
Kibbe Turner review the history o
the discovery Of the anthracite and bi
luminous mountains in Alaska, ant
the manner in which various syndi
Gates the past eight years have sough
to get full possession of the minera
treasures. Then they assert that con
troll Of Alaska is drifting into the
hands of the Guggenheim family
which bids fair to get a grip on the
whole future development of industry
on the Pacific coast.
Like Belt and Barnato.
"The control Of all exploited coun
tries" says the article, Especially
mining countries, in the last twenty
years, has come inevitably into the
hands Of great syndicates. For the
last ten years, and especially in the
last five, the control of Alaska has
been drifting steadily into the hands
of the Observation-Disclosures as the
diamond and gold fields Of South Afri-
ca came into the hands of the great
diamond spectators. Alfred Belt, Bar.
ney Barnato and their associates.
"At the present time the Guggen-
helms final requirement Of the dis
trict seems inevitable. They started
there in small way nearly ten years
ago, in the Nome district, through the
Northwestern Commercial Company.
They now hold the great part of the
famous gold district in the Klondike,
with their $17,0OO,OO0 Yukon Gold
Company, and they have a practical
control of the ocean transportation to
the district.
Transportation Control.
"In all their companies exploiting
Alaska, capital. is represented aggre-
eating $4O.0OO.O00 or $5O,OOO,OOO. AS
in the West, they pay especial atten-
ton to the question of control of
which is the key to
the control Of all mining business"
In discussing the various groups Of
claimants which are trying to get pat
ents and full possession OF the big
prize, the article pays
particular attention to the Cunning
ham claims. which brought forth the
CLAWS incident The Cunningham
group comprised Idaho and Washing
ton millionaires. the management of
the syndicate being in the hands of
Clarence Cunningham, it's promoter,
and in showing the influences through
which it worked, the article brings in
Senator Hepburn of Idaho.
Quotes Cunningham.
1t quotes from Cunningham's jour-
nal under date of Sept 10, 1903, the
journal being part of the documentary
evidence that CLAWS secured in pre-
pairing the coal land cases:
"'Have agreed with w. B. Hepburn
in consideration for his services as
attorney to carry him for one claim of
100 acres in the coal, free Of cost to
him, and he agrees to do all our legal
work in procuring titles, ETC., free of
cost to him. and he agrees to do all
free of expense to u.s.
This arrangement would bring high
to Mr.. Hepburn if the
Cunningham claims went through.
From the present estimate of the val
lie of the coal in this property each
claim would have a value of 1880 900
In commercial coal. In 1903 it was
clear that each share would
be of great value. 1t would certainly
constitute great fee, demanding val
liable service. In September, 1903. Mr..
Hepburn was United States senator.
having been elected by the Idaho legis-
lature eight months before.
Prospeetor "Used in VAIN"
"The basic unit in political or legis-
lative oratory concerning Alaska is
the hardy prospector' Everything is
done in his name. In the spring of
1904 Mr.. Hepburn introduced in the
Senate, for the benefit Of the hardy
prospector of Alaska the Alaska coal
land bill of April IS. 1904. This broke
the circle in which the law OF 1900
had placed the governments coal in
that district, and allowed it to be
taken over by persons who had sur.
Keyed it at their own expense"
A rough estimate of the amount of
money in circulation throughout the
world on November / places the to-