The Alaska citizen., 1912-03-18
Wickersham Fails to Help
 Get Road Appropriation

m-st respectfully call your attention to the Fairbanks Cinema hot springs. a subject which We consider of great importance to the citizens of the Panama valley. These hot springs are highly minaralized and have a temperature of about one hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit and have proved To be of great benefit 10 people suffering from rheuma- tism and many other diseases
 These springs are situated about fifty C5o miles in a general east erly direction from the town of Fairbanks. and have been used by the settlers of the Panama valley for medicinal purposes since about the year 1909.
 The undersigned Commercial club most respectfully protest against a right or title being acquired by any individual in or 10 these springs or 10 property in the immediate neighborhcod which naturally be longs to the springs for the purpose of making them a success for hos pital or for medicinal purposes or for place of natural recreation. except under the direct supervision of the government f the United States or a commission appointed by the government for that pur- pose.
 The undersigned club further rep resents that neither the ground up- on which said springs are located nor any of the ground in the i'm mediate vicinity has heretofore been occupied by any bona fide settler as homestead; that no improve ments have been made or attempt cd upon the same for the purpose of making a home or developing a homestead; that all improvements of every kind or character that have been made upon the same have been made for the purpose of accommo- dating people who go 10 said springs on account of their medicinal properties or for the purpose of rest and recreation for monetary consideration, said charges being made for oil oco1,,,,,,,Jo ;y,,,.. r i eeiyed or benefits enjoyed; that said springs have at all times been rec ognized as valuable for their medi- cinal and curative qualities ever since the same have been discovered ] by white men about the year 1903 ] We respectfully urge that a com mittee of three citizens residing within the Panama valley. Fourth Judicial Division, territory of Alas ka, be appointed by the Secretary i of the interior with full power and authority to execute a lease to a proper person for a sufficient 1 term of years to warrant such 1 lessee to make the necessary i'm 1 proyements to accommodate the pub 1 lie at said springs That said commission of three persons consist of citizens who are not federal of 1 fice-holders and that it shall be their duty and they shall have authority l tn al | diticns of the lease and that they
 shall have the authority to termin- ate such lease for a failure to per form it's terms by the lessee.
 We suggest that the lease provide that all persons shall have the right to the use of said waters for ! the purpose of bathing and that they shall have camping privilege free of charge at all times so as to meet cases where people without funds who are sick desire the bene- fit of the waters of said springs that
 they may bathe and camp without | cost if they so desire; it being un-
 derstood that the lessee of said
 springs shall have the exclusive 1 privilege or right to maintain a
 hotel and to erect buildings for
 lease and to charge for such accom- mcdations.
 The reason for the suggestion
 that this commission be composed
 of persons not holding federal of flee is that the commission should
 be composed of citizens who reside
 in this district irrespective of office;
 who are making their homes here
 and carrying on business in this