Douglas Island news., 1910-10-12

Ashmun Brown, Washington cores pondent of the Seattle P..I. writes the following, which Alaskans may take as a hint of what President Taft and his cabinet are prepared to do to this coun- '. try: Although reports to the contrary have been set afoat, it is known that Pres. Taft has not changed his ideas in regard to the government of Alaska, and his cabinet appears to be in accord with his ideas, although the matter has not been exhaustively discussed in cabinet as yet. The preliminary dis cussion of Alaska matters yesterday and today indicate that the administra- tion will again present. to congress bill for an appointive rather than an elective government for the territory. There has been some talk of need for a greater centrallzation of government al affairs of Alaska, predicted ln the interview with Secretary Nagel at Seat tie. Such centralization, however, in- stead of meaning local self government has to do with carrying out the sugges- tion approved by Gov Clark for cen- tralizing authority over Alaska in the department of justice. At the same time the president wants to hold the governor responsible for the conduct of all the appointive officials. This, it IS argued, can best be accomplished if the supervisory control rests in the one department. Neither Secretary Nagel nor his associates seem to favor an el. ective government for Alaska, but sev- eral do favor the transfer of authority over the territory from Secretary Ball. finger to Attorney General Wickersham.
 The Cordova North Star gives the description of the antics of an Alaska oil well:-The Amalgamated Develop ment company's well No. ?, at the head of Katalla slough, has been the source of number of surprises of late. In the absence of log of this we'll, the present management can only guess at the probable location of the oil strata which furnishes the oil and the gas which, for years, has issued in small leaks from between the six and eight inch castings. This we'll is something over 100 feet deep, with six-inch cas- ing extending to the bottom. To let the oil into the casing, as preliminary to pumping, about two hundred feet of the pipe was taken out several days ago. The six.inch casing with the ele- vators attached had acted as capping for the oil, and as soon as it was started and for several hours thereafter oil un- der great pressure of gas gushed forth at the rate of hundreds of barrels an hour. A couple of days later when the pump was put on the we'll commenced flowing again and had things it's own way for a time, throwing oil to the top of the derrick. Considering that this oil was coming up through two.inch tubing, the capacity of which was les sened at least one-half by the sucker rods, it was remarkable demonstra- tion of gas pressure. A still more re- markable demonstration was had few days ago, when the remaining 900 feet of six-inch casing and 900 feet of tub ing inside of it, weighing in all about ten tons, were forced up from the eight inch casing, allowing the pent up gas to escape and a thousand or more
 barrels of oil. When the we'll went on the last rampage it made a report so loud that employees some distance away thought that the boiler had ex- ploded.