The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-21
AT ONE MILE A DAY.
CANADIAN SYNDICATE AGREES TO
BUILD A RAILWAY.
To BE $50 Miles Long and Will Run
From Telegraph Creek. ON the stickeen
River. Across to Lake Tesiin-CompAny
VIII BE Paid In Land.

BullulnB II railway az tne rate VI
o m lie day is quick work, but the Ca
nadians say they can do it. The Domin
ion government recently made a con
tract with the Mackenzie Mann syndi
cate Co build road from Telegraph
creek, a little above Gleuora on the Stick
cen river, across TO Lake Teslin-l5(
miles.
On account of the snow active work
cannot begin before April l, and as the
syndicate has agreed TO have the road
ready for operation by Sept, / it has
just 1853 days, including Sundays, to
complete its job If the workmen have
to lie idle Sundays, there will be only
1873 days 20 finish in.
Besides making an extraordinary
agreement as 10 time, the syndicate
agrees TO find the money itself, thereby
putting itself on record as the first rail-
way company in Canada to build a road
without the aid of big cash appropri-
ation from the government.
| Mr.. Mackenzie estimates the cost of
construction at between So, 600, 900 and
| $4,000, 000 His signing a contract TO
| expend so much money on venture
| proves him TO be man of courage and
| also that he has great confidence in his
scheme. If the railway is done and in
order by Sept. /, the Dominion govern
ment will grant to the syndicate some
20, 600, 600 acres of unclaimed land to
do what it likes with, but not cent in
cash.
The proposition, as they say in the
northwest, is "a good deal of gamble.
If the unclaimed land contains gold or
other mineral deposits, the Mackenzie.
Mann folk may make millions, but if it
doesn't ''pan OUT they will have to
work their railway to the limit to reim-
burse themselves.
At any rate, Canada will have prac-
ticable all Canadian route, for which
there has been much clamor Of late. The
Canadians have complained that while
the gold that is taken out is practically
all Canadian gold, Canada reaps little
benefit therefrom except in fees. She
has almost none of the millions of dol
lars miners are spending for outfits and
she receives but little Of what these
miners elbow in" when they return
from the fields with bags of dust.
An all Canadian route will help
things wonderfully from the Canadian
point of view, for it will enable the
miners to put through their supplies
with no possibility of interference by
customs officials. Consequently it will
attract to Victoria and Vancouver thou
sands Of the men who otherwise would
buy all their stuff in Seattle or Tacoma.
The Canadians claim that with the
completion of this railway from Tele-
graph creek to Lake Teslin the time
from Victoria to Dawson will be one
week. If it were two weeks, even, it
would be much quicker than any of the
present routes.
From Victoria to the mouth of the
Stickeen river is 900 miles; up by river
boat to Telegraph creek is 1877 miles, !
thence by rail to Lake Teslin is 100
miles; thence by lake and river to Fort
Selkirk is 400 miles; from Fort Selkirk
to the Stuart river is 105 miles, and
from the Stuart river to Dawson is lO5 |
miles This makes the total length of
the all Canadian route from Victoria
and Vancouver about ], $50 miles.
AS the Stickeen river sometimes is too
low and at other times too swift be-
tween Glenora and Little canyon for
steamers, the railway will have TO be
extended from Telegraph creek down to
Glenora, about IL miles, and farther 20
Little Canyon, about 33 miles, to insure
uninterrupted passage. Lake Teslin is
from two to o miles wide and 100 miles
long. One steamer is there all ready to
be put together when the ice is out, and
several more are building.
w. L. Jennings, who has been over
this route and made report thereon to
the parliament in Ottawa, says:
The Stickeen has been navigated
from May / to Oct 20 by steamers to
Glenora and Telegraph creek, distance
of l4O to $50 miles from the sea, since
1872, when there was great mining ex-
citement at Cassiar and Dease lake.
1T is low at times, but during fresh
cts is swift and dangerous, especially at
Little canyon and Klootchman's canyon,
96 miles above Wrangell Here if any,
thing happened to the boats machinery
she would be carried against the rocky
walls and torn to pieces. steamer
that would make the first 90 miles up
the river in a day might be two days
more in getting up "a miles farther, to
Telegraph creek, if the water was high.
The railway should run down as far as
Little canyon to insure through and reg
ular transit to Lake Teslin.
The lake region offers plenty of fish |
and game suitable for food, which will |
be SO much saving TO the prospector and |
much gain to him physically, for he |
will be all the better fitted for the hard |
work and canned food he will have TO |
put up with later ON. New York |
Press.
Lawyer Given the "NIissourj Hoo,,v |