Valdez daily prospector., 1916-05-09

,ticaaly the whole show. He refeFeeu fights and settled disputes and could handle half a dozen ordinary men and earned the title of the Big Chief He, was a member of the city council at Fairbanks when l.. T. Err win was city clerk for the council, The latter while no match physically for Callahan, was at the same time possessed of dogged determination and many of the qualities of leader shin and it was essential that the two should clash.
 "Callahan's open dislike for Erwin caused him to go directly after what he wanted and by persisting he fln- ally succeeded in getting resolution through the council to fire Erwin. The latter refused to be discharged, on the ground that he had been hired for year by the council and that it had no right to fire him; at least without paying him salary for the unexpired term of office.
 "Then Callahan brought charges against Erwin. At that time the city council made a practice of lining the women on the TOW and collecting monthly fines. Callahan charged that Erwin had been "knockfng down. and had burned the stubs to the re- ceipts given the girls to cover up his shortcoming.
 'It should be said in justice to MT. Erwin that the grand jury investi- gated the charges and carefully checked up all accounts involved and failed to find any evidence to sub- stantiate the charges.
 However, as may be imagined, this did not help matters any. Calla- ihan openly showed the contempt in which he held Erwin and tried to brush him aside from his path as hardly worth serious consideration, but Erwin would not be brushed.
 Erwin was always good party man. He realized the full advantages of organized efforts and constantly worked for Democratic party organ ization in the Tanana, whilst Calla- ahan. although a Democratic, had very litte regard for any party save one which he might dominate and serve his purpose. The two men con- tinued to play at cross-purposes and their hate became deeper. About every time Erwin would fix up slate Callahan would come along and smash it.
 Later on the Democratic party swept into power and then it was that the persistent efforts of Erwin toward party organization bore its fruit. He was appointed United States marshal and recognized as the leader of his party, while Callahan remained out in the cold, but none the less active in trying to defeat the workings of the machine as control led by Erwin. During the last Dem ocratic campaign Callahan announced himself as candidate for delegate, but the convention gave the nomina- tion to Charles E. Bunnell, who sen tenced Callahan to the penitentiary.
 do not pretend to know the in- side facts of the , recent charges iagainst Callahan and have nothing to say concerning the: justice of the trial, conviction and. sentence. But 1knowing him as did in the interior, and knowing some of his kind acts and his loyalty to his friends and the fact that he was essentially product of the early pioneer days when there was mo law of God or man north of 53' I cannot help but feel sorry that he must pass his remaining days in the penetentiary. One might as we'll try and cage and tame full-grown I wild bear used to its native haunts.
 "I am confident Callahan will never live to serve out his full sentence. And I sometimes wonder if some other way might not have been found to show him the error of his ways, to make him understand that the old pioneer days of Alaska are gone to never return, and that he must not continue disregarding the rights of others. Perhaps it is all for the best. don't know; but I do feel sorry for him."