The Nenana news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1921-1923, 1921-06-21
CILCHER SAYS CONDITIONS
ARE BAD IN THE STATES

States will do we'll to postpone their
departure, according to W. H. Gil
cher, former business man of Ne
mana who arrived in town yesterday
aboard the steamer Tanana, accom-
panied by Mrs. Gilcher, after an alb
sence of nearly year. Conditions
on the Outside, he says, are still
very much unsettled, with the cost
of living high and jobs and business
opportunities very few and far be-
tween. And no one appears to know
Just how soon there will be an
improvement.
MIR. and Mrs. Gilcher went Outside
late last fall, by way of Broad Pass,
and they have been on the go very
much of the time since then, look
ing over the country, chiefly on
pleasure but all the time with an
eye open for suitable location.
They found plenty to amuse and in
terest them, but finally decided
that it was not a good time to locate
anywhere outside of Alaska.
Upon arrival at Seattle. Mr.. Gil
cher was advised by substantial
business man of that city not to be
in a hurry to get into anything
Outside. He suggested that sin
months would not be too long to
wait for things to adjust themselves.
And when Mr. Gilcher returned to
Seattle few weeks ago. after hav-
ing been Outside the greater part of
a year, the same business man ad-
vised further wait of year, ex-
pressing the belief that by that time
conditions might be improved.
The readjustment from war times
is taking longer than people an
ticipated, is the way Mr. Gilcher
explains it, There does not appea,
to be any market for anything,
with the result that factories are
closed and many men are out of
work. But notwithstanding this con-
dition, there has, been no material
reduction in prices except in food,
and there is disposition on the
part of workers to resist any at
tempt to lower wages. AS Mr.. Gil
cher views it, there will be lot Of
labor trouble before things get back
to anything like normal.
Mr.. Gilcher did not go to Texas,
as he had intended to do, because
he was advised to stay away from
that state. And he afterwards was
informed that quite number of
former Alaskans had lost heavily
there in the oil game, numerous of
the widely-advertised projects having
landed on the rocks He also heard
that the Montana field was not de-
veloping as rapidly as had been an
ticipated. The Texas wells appear to
have way of running dry after a
short time, or turning into salt water
producers.
Gust Peterson was still looking
for an oil paystreak near Yakima
when Mr.. Gilcher saw him shortly
before starting North, and he said
that he might be back in Alaska
before winter if he failed to bring
in well on the property in which
he is interested. :... -
Mr.. Gilcher was over in UtaE
looking at a land proposition, but
did not find the prospect very al
Turing. Plenty of land, but no water.
and no market either just now for
anything that can be raised on land
Beef is worth only eight cents on
the hoof, hides fifteen cents, no
market at all for cotton or rice
and wheat discouragingly low.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gilcher did their
travelling in Stephens Salient Six,
which they bought during the winter.
But they sold it upon arrival at
Seattle and bought a Ford, which