The San Francisco call., 1898-01-15
TWO RAILW AIS TO THE YUKON Rival Companies Will Race in the Building
 of Lines.
Projects Involving the EXpen- allure of Sixteen Million
 Dollars.
Each Road to Run From Pyramid HarbOr to Points on Lewis
 River.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

TACOMA. Jan. IA railroad build ing race involving the expenditure of SIG. GOO. 900 has been commenced by two wealthy corporations, each of which de- sires to own the first railroad into the Yukon country. Each road will be about 400 miles long, running from Pyramid Harbor, near the head of Lynn Canal, to points on Lewis River, below Five Finger Rapids.
 The companies back of the railroad projects are the London Exploration Company, which means the Roths- childs, and the Yukon Company. organ ized last summer by Andrew F. Bur leigh, the principal stockholders of which are Philadelphia and New York men. Both corporations have engineers and surveyors at work between Pyra- mid Harbor and the Lewis River.
 Their efforts at present are confined
 chiefly to the first sixty miles, which
 will take the roads over the summit of ChiIkoot Pass and down into the valley
 beyond This will be the most eXpen-
 sive part of the road to build. costing
 from S25, 900 to S40,000 a mile. The pro-
 jectors of both roads figure on an aver
 age cost of over S20,000 mile, requir- ing an outlay of over $S,000.00O for each IL about S1, 900, 900 more.
 Both companies are actively prepar- ing to send forward materials, ana at the same time working to secure the sanction of Congress to their building through American territory. Rights of
 way from Canada have been obtained. General Manager Dickinson of the Yu- kon Company said to-day:
 "Yes: there Is room on the Dalton trail for two railways, and l believe | they will both be built. MT. Bratnober and the London Exploration Company
 undoubtedly mean business, and I am
 sure we do. I believe there will be two towns on Pyramid Harbor. The Chil- | koot Pass is very suitable for a rail- | road. the ascent being gradual instead | of short and steep, as on other passes. i We shall strike the Lewis River below | Five Finger Rapids, thus getting be- | low all impediments to navigation. We have twelve river steamers and a large | number of bargeS building. After the | road is finished these steamers will be
 operated between its river terminus and points down the river, including i Dawson and Circle City.
 '"The development of Alaska has com-
 menced. and will progress from
 now on on a large scale. The placer | gold production will be enormous for | five years or more, until the quartz
 mines begin producing. Then they will | leave the plaCerS Tar Denlnu Tn prOduc-
 tion. I have no doubt that the mother | lode of the Klondike has been discov- cred. It's location was pretty we'll es- | tablished by Surveyor Ogilvie of the | Dominion Government, and later evil
 dence confirms the reports made to and
 by him. Development of quartz mines
 will determine where the permanent
 supply centers will be on the Yukon | River, and after that, I have no doubt, | railroads will be extended into the | heart of the country"
 The building of roads will require all
 of this year. By the summer of 1899
 Manager Dickinson expects to carry passengers from Sound cities to Daw- i son in five days.