The Seward gateway., 1922-02-17
c. B. STEVENS, MARSHAL 4TH DIV.
 VISITS SEWARD
ERA OF PROSPERITY IN FOURTH. LID CLAMPED DOWN TIGHT
 ON BOOTLEGGERS

quarters at Fairbanks, arrived on the last tram from the Interior with prisoner for McNeirs Island. He will go on the Northwestern and will re- tur nthrough here in the near future.
 AIr. Stevens reports that prosperity is On the way for the Interior of Alas ka. Prices of all commodities have been cut in half by reason of the thru transportation on the railroad. Anoth- CT cut is expected as soon as the thru freight rates from Seattle are eStab- lished and the bridge is constructed across the Panama. Coal is now sell ing at the Interior metropolis at S6 ton aboar dthe car and wood IS selling at S12 a cord. In speaking ot the freight rates MT. Stevens said, "Ihe rate of forty dollars per ton from Sc attle to Fairbansks is fine. It will be of great benefit to the inteli for but II is high. A rate of thirty dollars ton would be more nearly right and would do more to develop the country than anything else. The development of the Interior if encouraged will in time make the railroad pay even if they have to lose money at present by low freight rates"
 Mir. Stevens is heavily interested in the mining industry of the Interior, both quartz and placer. He has some very promising quartz claims called the Ryan Lode Claims on Eva creek and St. Patrick's divide. It IS De- lieTed that this property by reason or the lowering of the cost of operations cannot be operated at a sair Many other quartz properties pf the lnte- rior have .ren forced to lie 3'e ana untouched becalse-costs have been so high. Ae ,airoad will n3r s-Hatly relieve tre sit- .ation.
 The Berry -Hammel property in the Bonnifield country, has been acQulreu by MT. Stevens and associates ana work will begin on this property thls summer. In 1908 a great deal ot mon ev was expended on this property " the Be>ry-Hammel company. At that time the attempt was made to wash the benches which resulted in a fail ure. MT. Stevens plans to come down off the benches and work the creek He has faith that the property can De male to pay. The present season VIII be devoted to repairing the dltcheS and preparing the property to start hydraulic operations next season.
 In speaking of the mining outlook on the Interior MT, Stevens salo' ..There is no doubt but the Interior will witness great activity from now m both in placer and in quartz. Thou- sands of acres of land which have lalo idle because they could not be wofkeo at a profit under former condltlons' can now be made to yield a pront. Al least five new outfits are now prepar- ing for work this season on low g-'aoe nronositions. The effects of thls actlV- itv will not be felt until next year. me nrasent season will be devoted to get ting ready for mining operations. 1he rronorties will not begin to yield until about next year then the full enects of the mining activity in the Interior will be felt.'
 Mir Stevens declares that the con- ing method of placer mining ln the lh- +or;or is the use of a drag line ana scYaner Such method will enable one to work very low grade ground at Q nrofit The method does away with the costly operation of thaW1ng the pround The idea is to strip the soli from the top and let the sun do the thawing. MT. Stevens has great 1al'h in this method of handling the LOW grade properties in the Interior Whlie he is ont on this trip Mr. Stevens will attempt to interest capital in some property that he has acquired Whlch it is believed can be worked at DIE profit by the dragline method.
 MT. Stevens reports that the new ad- ministration in the Fourth Division IS now fully organized and working very smoothly. The officials of the new re- gime are fully cooperating with one another in the administration of the prohibition law The lid is on tight in the Fourth and big cleanup is on the way. Several big stills have been