The Nome nugget., 1902-01-29
Mn OF TRAiIS AND ROADS.

4 correspondent of the NtgcET i-r today's issue makes pleZ. for tAe "hagging os trails leading to ths various distrcis He makes the point that with at p.epeF marsing oitras especially across dlvi1es the hazard to lie and limb which mnshe-s must now undergo would be materially lessened.
 We heartily concur in the suggestions c1eGed; they are wise and practical and are ma'ie bS one wbo knows whereof he speaks With trails that are well s.aked the lamentable accidents that occur every winter whereby brave men lose life and limb would oe eliminated. Men frozen on stormy trails be aause they sse their beaEngs. Ia the fierce blz2aTds which iE this latitade on without warning. Ii .aet1ayeley oe caught the naked divide or track less tundra he i. practically at the mercy oi the storm. Thea 1t becomes essentially question of en- dnrance. lie mus, fight the elements-frost and snew~and terrific wind. He nght battle with one anaided and alone and be victorious But when the three sre s.rayed against him le fights against heavy odds.
 No. only should the main trails be staked. but 1t should be done in thorough manner. There should be guide posts which the musher could not miss no matter how the blizzard mi ght rage. And this sak- :pg of trails could be done at 2 comparatively small expense. The residents oi the different districts might get together and then act. Perhaps the work could be best done in the fall of the year after the seasons work IS ever and before the heavy SHOWS come and the ground is frozen. But il should be done no matter what the time O. season. Until trails are saked the list of deaths by freezing will continue to. increase. This therefore, becomes a question of taking steps to lives from being !ificed For the restless spirit of men will impe them to keep moving at any risk or cost.
 We do not see as our correspondent suggests, how federal aid can be enlisted. We wish 1t could We must repeat that Congress and the govern .nent seeu.to care very little for needs qurements Our government has yet to learn the art or science of effectively administering colonies hay ing no autonomy of their own. We must shift for ourselves build our roads and bridges and make our cxn improvements go without them. There fore usually go without them.
 The contrast between the treatment received by Alaska from the federal government and that which the Canadian government accords othe Yukon terri tory is marked. There the Canadian government has spent tens of thousands of dollars in building roads bridges and trails. The government slow in moving 10 be sure but when it once began the work was not allowed to lag Now the different creeks reached by good wagon roads and trails and the miners burden is materially decreased. The result has been to give an impetus to the work Of mining and the money thus invested has been we'll spent.
 There should be no reason why this section of Alaska should not receive appropriation for the building of roads and bridges. If we had territor ial form of government, which, by the way, are net ready for tha, duty would devolve upon it. But failing this. must perforce depend upon the fel eral government for what we need. And judging by the expsrienee Of the tbir,yve years which have elapsed since Alaska is supposed have become 'an integral part of the nation" depending upon a broken reed.
 As we have many times taken occasion 10 point out, our only hope lies in agitation, not spas,nodic or demagogic but real and constant, along legiti. mate and practical lines.