Iditarod pioneer., 1917-01-13
IS WORTH MANY MILLIONS
 BUT DRIVES AN ICE WAGON

A great many Northerners know Leroy Stevens. He used to be a well known base ball player in Dawson, and later was city patr, lman in Fairbanks in the early days of that camp The following story relating to him Is from the New York World, which presents 1t on the sole authority of the mar rator Leroy Stevens. Facts to authenticate it independently must be sought Tn Alaska, continues that journal and refuses to vouch for the accuracy of MT. Stevens statements: Stevens is an ceman, who must be worth (according to himself) considerably more than 100000 900! He Is not the controlling member of the big ice distributing company, either. He just drives one of a big con- psny's ice wagons
 You can see him any morning coming down the smooth white road that borders Van Cortland Park lane on the east. He sits on the yellow ice wagon, His body Is bent forward, his elbows rent on his knees, and the driving reins hang al about the same level as the elbows
 Before telling why man of Stevens af1iuence is driving en ice wagon for next to-nothing week, we shall first describe MT. Stevens.
 I1e HdS tueSS illlIlSS III tuiIlllIOlI "4tii other icemen-bigness and atfability But there the resemblance ceases. He Is broad across the shoulders and through the chest, and narrow in the flank. He has 2 thick, muscular neck and face like a lion, crowned by a thick brindled mane. Now for the why and wherefore of Leroy Stevens atfluence and his present menial occupation The wealth is represented by more than 69,O0O,000 cubic yards of land about eighty-four miles from Fairbanks Alaska Stevens acquired this land by steking 1t about seven years ago He pros pected it himself, and estimates from what pay dirt he has taken out of the 3,200 holas he sunk that it is worth $l.09 in gold a cubic yard.
 These statements, and all others relative to his land money and history were made by Stevens and are here set down. While Stevens was prospecting his land he "went broke" Now, he could have re- mained there and prospected the land and, with no one helping him, could have worked about three cubic yards a day Such a return would never pay him, for his serv- ices as an employe in any mine in Alaska were worth Sl5 day With capitol of from $90000 to s100,000, however he could hire twelve men, working three shifts to twenty four hours, four men to a shift, buy what machinery was needed, pay his men as high as S10 a day each, and work more | than 3OOOOO cubic yards a day So, as you may reckon for yourself, at an expense of Sl2O a day for men, and perhaps as much more for incidentals he could take put of the ground more than S3000O every twenty-fOur hours
 He trled-by every legitimate way-to arise money, and failed. But that did not discourage Stevens. He remained on his holdings, and himself dug trench twenty six miles long in order to bring water to his land with which to work 1t when he -hould collect the money to buy machinery and hire men. Twenty-si miles of trench, one lone man, and the frozen, steel like ground amidst the forbidding, lonely sur roundings of Alaska!
 Adjoining the land of Stevens is large tract of land owned and worked by the Guggenheims When the GuggenheimS heard that Stevens had no money with which to work his claim they had one of their experts prospect his holdings; then they offered him a cash purchase price for the land in excess of s10O,oOO, so ne says.
 Stevens knew that this price was noth, ing like what the land was worth, and not being a man easily cajoled or intimidated, he fiatly refused the offer. No half !oaves for Stevens!
 Unable to raise the money i'll Alaska, he pulled up stakes and started for home.
 Now. the word "home,' here, requires a little explanation. Away back in 'SS Ste