The Chitina leader., 1914-04-07

cdCh bdllOH anu the ten Ine1
| who worked and returned with him
from the Matanuska coal fields are
| about town today receiving con-
CALCULATIONS of their friends over
the good work they accomplished in
/ freighting the 900 tons of coal to
tidewater. AS chief of the expedi-
ton. having entire charge of the
arrangements for and actual freight
ing of the coal Mr.. Dalton has been
handicapped from the start because
of the unreasonable opposition upon
the part of J. w. Swift, the disburs-
ing officer. The latter threw every
obstacle in his way to prevent the
successful carrying out of the work,
even going SO far as to refuse to pay
the bills for labor and other ex-
penses contracted by the chief.
Jack Dalton was employed by DR..
J. A. Holmes, director of mines, to
have entire charge of the expedition.
He QUILTED largely at Seattle and
came north with supplies, horses
and men on the steamer Gen. Hub
bard, arriving at the head of Knik
arm on November Is last. He had
all his supplies landed before the
high tide of Nov. %. The first
! thing necessary was to build road
| As miles and bridge many small
| CT +ho 81 NcJy
| which is about 81 miles below
| Chickaloon, where the mine is
located and the coal was piled
From Chickaloon to the Matanuska
river, distance of three miles, a
road was also constructed
1t was found necessary TO resack
about 60 per cent of the coal, and
for that purpose Mr.. Dalton had
taken north 5000 sacks. He then
started in to freight the coal, using
| "a horses and heavy No. 5 bob
sleds, on which from 3 to tons
were hauled. The successful trans
| fer of 900 tons of fine Matanuska
coal to a good landing above Old
Knik was completed on March g..
The coal had been mined last sum-
er by George Evans, mining
engineer of capability, and Mr.. Dali
ton says that it is clean and fine
quality, selected with care. 1t is
now ready for shipment south, but
in the meantime is placed on high
ground and we'll covered, so that
the elements cannot affect it.
Mr.. Dalton has been notified that
| A. HI. Fay has been sent by DR..
Holmes to Knik to relieve Mr.. Swift
and take charge of all the govern
ment property used in freighting the
coal. This includes about IS horses
and sufficient feed to last during the
summer. Mr.. Dalton had made
provision for hauling the coal out
! by wagon this summer if anything
had prevented him from getting it
out over the ice roads. Mr.. Fay is
now to the westward and it is ey-
!
the coal commencing the middle of
May with small vessels from the
head of the arm. If the Maryland is
sent north Mr.. Dalton says she can
get as close to the coal as Ship
| Creek. where the water is not
turbulent.
In coming out Mr.. Dalton and
ten men, with seven horses, decided
to take an easy route. They came
across from Old Knik to Chitina in
II days. From the mines to the
divide there was scarcely a percep-
tible incline and from there on to the
Copper River country it was a COM
paratively level country, with no
snow to speak of, and what there
was, being very light. was sucn
an easy route that Mr.. Dalton de-
clares that he could not help but
be impressed with the idea that this
was certainly the easiest and best
way to bring out the Matanuska
coal over railroad
Mr.. Dalton figures that the cost
of the expedition, in mining and
freighting the coal, with necessary
expenses, would not exceed $4,000.
Although he had been informed by
DR.. Holmes that $4,000 had been
placed to the credit of Disbursing
Agent Swift, the latter for several
months past has refused to pay bills
submitted by Mr.. Dalton, claiming
that he had no available funds. Mr..
Dalton went responsible for many of
the accounts and reported the mat
ter to DR.. Holmes. The removal Of
Mr.. Swift would indicate that his
| conduct has not been satisfactory
to the department at Washington,
and it is likely that full investiga-
ton will follow.