The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-02-24
COOK. INLET TO THE YUKON
Need of u Railroad to the Interior of
AlaakR.


Alaska.
Among the many railroad schemes
projected for the Yukon and the in
terror of Alaska this season, the one
that is receiving careful consideration
among promoters is line from Cook
Inlet over the glacier and down the
Tanana river.
The subject is one that engages the
attention of railroad men of the Coast.
Several surveying parties, it is report
ed, will be sent early to the North for
the purpose of ascertaining as soon as
possible the most feasible route from
the coast to the interior. The Lake
Teslin and Stickeen river route has re-
ceived good deal of attention recently,
and every move of the surveying par
ties is closely watched by the Canadian
Pacific. This road will certainly be
among the first to penetrate the wilds
of Alaska at the first favorable oppor-
tunity. 1t is not expected that any of
the great transcontinental systems are
contemplating an extension, but any
traffic connection it could form would,
it is understood, be most welcome. 1t
is not unlikely that if an overland
route to Dawson should ever become
possible, the British road would be the
first to offer its help in backing the
project.
The Portland Telegram says that P.
j. Stone, prominently known man
of the Northwest, who is now in
Alaska, after looking over the situa-
ton carefully, believes that it is quite
practicable to get line through to the
river in American territory. The i'm
portance of railroad in developing the
vast resources of the interior, increas-
ing the output of the mines, insuring
an adequate food supply to the miners
of the Yukon, and. incidentally, help
ing to make the entire country tribu-
tary to the Coast cities prosperous, is
treated in a recent latter. AS route
he suggests from Prince William sound
to some point on the Yukon, within
American territory, and advises that
the value of such construction be i'm
mediately brought to the attention Of
congress by memorial.
"What this country needs most is
railroad from some point on the
Yukon, in American territory. to
Prince William sound, on Cook inlet.
Of course, l know nothing about the
country to be traversed by such rail-
road, or the engineering difficulties that
have to be encountered, but l think
that it might be safely presumed that
they are not of serious character.
The mountains in the northern por-
ton of this continent are so insignifi-
cant that the whole country may be
considered one vast plain. The same
may be said of the northern part of
Asia and also of Europe, where have
travelled, explored and prospected, and
it would seem strange, indeed, if the
country between here and Cook inlet
was an exception to every other part
of the world in this high altitude.
Besides, enough has been found out
from actual observation to make it
pretty certain that there are 10 serious
difficulties. There is sufficient tim
Der along the line for all the purposes
of construction and operation, and the
snowfall is not such as to seriously in
terfere with railroad traffic, and to my
mind railroad is needed in this coun-
try more than was ever needed in the
whole history of railroading throughout
the world.
'This country possesses an abund
ance of what all the rest Of the world
needs, and all the rest of the world
possesses in abundance what the people
are sorely in need of here, that is, some
thing to eat. There never was winter
in this country when there was suff-
cheney of food, and this winter promises
to be at least 100 per cent worse than
any preceding one, and it is more than
likely that next winter will be still
worse in this respect.
From what can learn it seems i'm.
possible that the supply of food can
keep pace with the increase of popula.
ton, and cannot see how there can be
any doubt but that railroad over the
route mentioned would be taxed to its
full capacity, as the country produces
nothing but gold, and all the necessary
comforts and luxuries of life and any
thing else that may be wanted must
come from without. One of the results
of the construction of such railroad
would be an enormous increase in the
production of gold"
Not the Only Riches.
Unless the Canadian government re-
peals its regulation of last fall, restrict.
ing the size of claims to 100 feet, there
is not likely to be very much prospect
ing on British territory this year. The
miners regard double claim to the dis
coverer, and a 10O-foot claim to each
subsequent locator as-inadequate com.
pensation for the risks which they take
in the Klondike country. If the mis-
sion of the committee recently sent to
Ottawa with petition for modifica
tion of the regulations proves unsuccess-
full. there will be big exodus of miners
to American territory. AS result the
vast area westward from the Alaska
Northwest boundary to the Behring sea,
northward to the Arctic ocean, and
southwark to the Pacific. will be thor
-oughly prospected.
The miners will be overlooking some
rich British ground in the basins be-
tween the headwaters of the Klondike
and the Mackenzie, and in the vicinity
of the Big Salmon, the Stewart, the
Pelly, and the Hootalinqua, but there
is just as rich ground on the American
side, and the more liberal American
mining laws promise larger results.
Already, there are 1900 men on
MipOOk creek. Other Alaskan streams