The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1911-04-01

| lard company. which owns the Niko-
lai mine, propose to work on larger
scale than ever. as does also the
Blackburn Mines Co.
The Dan Creek Mining Company is
operating extensively on Dan creek.
The Birch brothers and Jim Galen
have taken in considerable hydraulic
machinery to work their placer
ground. Geo. Max Esterley has TAX
en- in machinery and expects to take
out several hundred thousand dollars
in placer gold from Dan and Chititu
creeks. The Herman company will
also operate on Dan creek.
Scores of otner operators will as
sist this year In disproying the theory
that the Guggenheims have gobbled
up all the valuable copper. and gold
properties in this district.
ktdCCS Oh OICs
While the rates on the transporta-
ton of ore have not been officially
announced by the railroad company;
yet. it comes from a reliable source
that the maximum rate per ton will
be $40, with the minimum running
down to about IS per ton. The price
will be graduated in accordance with
the value of the ore, as is the GUS
tries. Usually ten per cent of the
value is charged Most of the ore
in the Copper River country will ruin
from $50 to $3.50 per ton in copper,
and the freight rate as quoted will
be more than satisfactory to them.
AS one operator declared, he expected
to and would be perfectly willing to
pay 20 per cent of the smelter re-
turns. 10y. as-
Some Interesting Facts. 49,
About fifteen per cent of the rail-
road is composed Of bridges and
trestles. f,~= .-~:
The railroad is on a water grade
from Cordova to Chitina. On the
chitina branch to the end of the line
except two pusher grades, the max
iInum is lis per 100 feet.
Joe Redmond, chief blacksmith for
the contractor, fashioned the copper
spike that was driven at the end of
the road by General Manager Haw-
kins, of the Katalla Company, and
General superintendent Samuel Muir
Gibson, Of the contracting company.
1t was cut from solid piece of ma
tive copper, taken from the bed of
{ hittitu creek; stream near the
Bonanza mine. The spike was after
ward drawn and will be properly in
scribed and sent by Mr.. Hawkins to
the head office IN New York, as the
first return received from an invest
ment of over forty million dollars.
Mr.. Redmond also presented Mr.:
Hawkins as o personal memento, "a
copper horseshoe with nails project
ing to be used for penholders, and
o pick and shovel acting as a. back
holder. 80 10. ..r1.- -. 3.
One of the hardest worked and
most conscientious officials in the
service OF. the Copper River & North
western Railway Is j. r. Van Cleve,
superintendent and master mechanic.
His ability and energy are towers of
strength In the operating of the new
railroad. .......e =. e. ~.
A half million tons of steel rails
have been laid since January 7.
) When the Katalla branch line is
constructed from mile SO, the dis
lance from the coal mines to Cordova
will be SO miles. 49,.
Any timber cut by the railroad up
to mile SO had to be paid for. as it
was within the government reserve.
Practically the only available timber
in the entire reserve is near mile 3f3.
where there is fine native spruce,
which was largely used for ties and
piling. With this exception a select
ed quality of Puget Sound Douglas
fir was used for all timber work.
Three and one-third cents for each
tie cut was paid to the government.
When the railroad reached mile
81 steamboat landing was estab-
lished and until the end of last sea-
son three steamers, the Tonsina,
Chitina and Nizina, were used to