The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1915-02-02
Cordova, January 81


Gently off the coast of Massachusetts.
Telegraphic advices from c. E. Stone,
manager for the Great Northern
Pacific Steamship Company. show
that the Great Northern made 24.7
knots an hour in a rough sea. The
sister ship, the Northern Pacific, will
soon be ready for it's four-day trial
trip over the same course.
Overflows are interfering with
work on Hammond river where sew
eral large outfits are working. This
stream, a tributary of the Koyukuk,
is noted for having produced some
of the largest chunks of gold in the
Fairbanks from a 1,200-mile trip to
Wiseman, said encouraging reports
were coming from Wild river, new
camp established last fall, but bed
rock had not yet been reached.
Heavy storms have prevailed all win
ter in that part of the territory.
Friends of Marshal L. T. Erwin
of Fairbanks are worrying because
of his long absence and silence IN
the east. He has not been heard
from in more than a month, the last
telegram announcing that he was i'll
and had gone to a sanitarium at
Battle Creek, Michigan, for treat
ment.
J. Elmer Clark, chief deputy mar
shall, who has charge of Mr.. Erwin :
office during his absence, sent 2
telegram last week, but failed to re-
ceive reply to it. The telegram
was of an official nature, and if Mr..
Erwin is able to do so, it is believed
that he would have replied to it
promptly.
Until three weeks ago, Mr.. Erwin
kept in touch with his office, by
wire, though his last letter was
written in November.
Cordova, January 2S
U. S. Marshal Lewis T. Erwin, of
Fairbanks, was an arrival on the
Mariposa this afternoon and he will
continue on his journey to the in
terror on the train tomorrow morn
ing. Judge Erwin has been outside
on official business for several
months, during which time he was
laid up with illness two or three
weeks. The Judge is one of the
Democratic leaders of the territory
and a strong admirer of President
Wilson, whom he believes will be
reelected if the promise of renewal
of prosperity throughout the country
is verified.
Judge Erwin spent some time in
Washington and expresses the opln-
ion that he would not be surprised
to hear any day that a prohibition
bill for Alaska had been passed by
Congress- Although it requires a
two-thirds vote to submit a prohibit
ton amendment to the states it only
needs a majority vote to establish
prohibition in the territories. The
Judge is of the opinion that there is
more than majority in both
branches of Congress that would
favor the abolition of liquor in
Alaska, particularly in view of the
early development of the country by
railroad construction.
Judge Erwin has the distinction OF
being considered, by the department
OF justice at Washington, as one OF
the best marshals that the territory
has ever had.
X K. Kinney, representing the
Alaska Railway Commission, who
arrived from Seattle on the Alameda
last week, is engaged in studying
snow conditions along the line of the
Copper River & Northwestern rail-
way and obtaining data for use OF
the commission in connection with
the proposed government operation
of this road. Mr.. Kinney was one of
the locating engineers of the Mil
waukee line, and also had charge CT
the location and construction OF
snowsheds along the Great Northern.
He was last summer a member Of
the railway commission, with, head
quarters at Ship Creek, and had
tcharge of the survey from that point
to the Matanuska coal fields. Mr..
and Mrs. Kinney have taken the
Gamble cottage for temporary resi-
dence, as he expects to be engaged
in his observation work several
months.
L. F. Shaw. formerly U. S. COM
missioner in the Nelchina district, is
returning on the. Mariposa from a
trip to Juneau. Judge Shaw received
a commission as notary public and
will go to Knik or Ship Creek to en-
gage in business. He believes that