The San Francisco call., 1898-03-09
SHORT LINE
 TO DAWSON
 IS FOUND Up the Copper River and Over the
 Range. It Will Be an All-Amer- jean Route, Which Is
 Important. VaIdes Glacier Now in a Con- dition to Permit of Easy
 Travel. SURVEY FOR A RAILROAD. The Arizona Company Thinks IL Has Found the Gateway to the
 Alaska Mines
Valdes Glacier Now in a Con- diuon to Permit of Easy
 Travel.
SURVEY FOR A RAILROAD.
The Arizona Company Thinks IL Has Found the Gateway to the
 Alaska Mines
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SEATTLE, March S-A letter under date of February q has been brought down by the steamer Alliance from H. B. Allen, who writes from Orca, near the mouth Of the Copper River. He says that within the past week the yaldes Glacier has improved so greatly in condition for travel that Q general movement to the interior has begun Ten days ago an exploring party trav- cling light returned from the interior after a four days absence. They made the trip from the timber on the other side of the range to the head or the bay in fourteen hours.
 Contrary to the general idea, the valdes Glacier is but fifty feet above the sea level at this end and has a gradual rise 10 the summit, seventeen miles distant, averaging about 100 feet to the mile. The descent on the other side is but a trihe more of grade. According to recent reports it is about the southern end Of the Sickle bend of the Copper River, where il is easily navigable for small craft
 About four miles to the eastward of the Valdes Glacier, at the extreme head of Valdes Bay. the Valdes or Lit tie River comes down from the noun tains Following up the course of the river on an easy grade for about thirty miles a narrow, high ridge is encount- cred, which precludes the passage by trail to the other side of the range, but il is the route already partially sur veyed which has been selected as the best to the interior by a railway com pany incorporated at Phoenix. Ariz-, last fall. whose representative. Senator E. E. Greenlaw, has been on the ground since December 15 looking after their interests. They propose tunneling through the ridge. reaching there by a stretch of country gently undulating. through which railway construction will be comparatively easy. It is claimed that Naldes Bay, being over 200 miles nearer Dawson than Dyea gives an immense advantage over the latter point from which to begin rail- way construction The fact Of its being an aIl-American route and much nearer to all points or the Yukon below Daw- son is Q strong argument in its favor. The contour of the southern coast of Alaska seems to many to indicate the fact that ultimately Prince William Sound will be the initial point of the permanent development of the district. While no definite strikes have yet been made on the Copper River. every indi- vidual prospector is enthused with the idea that he is in the van, and if not able to make the first big find will be in the company of those who do. Many are looking also for copper. specimens of which have been brought from thein- terior by the Stick Indians and in & couple of instances by white men. Be- fore next fall it is safe to assert that the Copper River district win furnish good news to a waiting world.