Valdez daily prospector., 1914-03-02
GATEWAY PRINTS
 SW|FT'S STORY
Says They Were Wrong When They Printed First News of Trouble
 Between Dalton and Swift

l W Swift, the government agent who has been having considerable trouble with Dalton in bringing out the Matanuska coal from the mines to Ship creek. The interview is given below in full:
 Last night we had a talk with John w. Swift at the Hotel Seward. Now this is the same John w. Swift that there has been so much in the papers about in connection with the mining and transporting of the Matanuska coal to salt water, and we naturally felt a bit shy about tackling MT. Swift for an interview, because in the past we have written some things about him that certainly could not be con- strued as boost. But we went in and as soon as we saw MT Swift we felt that we had wrong impression of the man. We felt more SO when we were 1 introduced and shook hands with Mr. Swift, because he does not shake hands like man that would do some of the things that he has been accused of, and again he don't look like that kind of man. We told him that we represented the Gateway and that we wanted the real truth on the coal matter and he gave it to us. We ask ed him to go back to the beginning and he did, to the place where he got his appointment, and this is what he said:
 AS you are probably aware, I am special disbursing agent appointed by the Secretary of the Navy, and have been empowered to employ all men, and handle all of the business end in the matter of mining and look ing after the transportation of the coal to salt water and finally to see that the coal is loaded on barges and delivered to any ship that the depart ment sees fit to send up here after the coal. I came up to Alaska last spring with MT. Evans, coal expert em- ployed by myself, and went into the Chickaloon and then went outside and with his cooperation employed mining crew and purchased an outfit to be used in the mining of the coal. This was all attended to in good shape and the coal sacked and made ready for hauling to tidewater In the fall went out with Dr. Holmes and made arrangements for the hauling of the coal out to some point on Knik arm where it would be possible to load it on barges. MT. Dalton was em- ployed to look after this end of the business. and Dr. Holmes laid out a program of operations and schedule of expenses. We outtitted with com-- plete equipment of horses, feed, tents and supplies and all that was neces- sary to carry on the work Accord- ing to the schedule, we were allowed in round numbers $4,200 per month and to employ 34 men, exclusive of Dalton and myself. When the supplies were landed at Goose bay, on account of the danger of extreme high tides, which were soon due, Dalton hired about 75 men and put them to work in building trail and getting the out it up to Knik. Once there I advised aim to keep within the limit as al lowed by our schedule, as instead of ] :he $4,200 we were allowed, our ex- 1 penses were running in excess of $8,- )0O per month, and right there oc-
 ;urred the only friction that has been
 between MT. Dalton and myself. It is
 absolutely false that any blows were exchanged by us, and the entire mat ter has been greatly exaggerated by both press and public. He ignored l ny instructions and said that he
 would do as he d. pleased and he did
 He built trail from Mile 25 on the Willow creek road to the mouth of Eska creek and este blished camp there Approximat ly 300 tons of coal were landed at Eska creek over the ice of the M M"tanuska river and from that point about 150 tons have been freighted down the Matanuska on the ice to Palmers canyon, about 16 miles below. On Feb. 14 the first load of coal was landed at alt water at the mouth of the Matanrska river, about four mileS above old Knik. where it
 will be poj sible o load it onto barges when 1t is needed. Trail and weather conditions have beer very favorable all winter and the Matanuska has been in the best condition tor hauling that has ever been known. With reason able luck the entire shipment of coal
 should be delivered at the mouth oi the Matanuska by the middle o1