The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-21
COAST SYNDICATE
WILL CONSTRUCT
ALASKAN RAILWAY
Contracts for the Building and
Equipment of New Line Are
Awarded to a Chicago Com
pany-Road VIII Open Coun-
try of Unlimited Resources.

The Seward Construction company
of Chicago, has secured the contract
for building and equipping 413 miles
of the Alaska Central railway. from
Resurrection bay north through the
Cook Inlet country and up the Sus-
sitna valley to the Tanana river, 45O
miles above it's junction with the
Yukon.
The construction company Is made
up of Illinois, Michigan and Ohio cap
italists. It's general manager is John
Dowdle, of the contracting firm of
Nash & Dowdle.
The company has placed an order
for seventy-pound steel rails, which
will be shipped via Seattle and Van
couver. Locomotives and cars also
have been secured and will be for
must start before July Is and be
pushed with all possible speed.
Financed by Prominent Men.
The new railroad is projected by
prominent men of the Pacific coast.
The headquarters are at Seattle and
the financial office in Chicago. The
merly manager of the Northern Pa
cif1c. F. August Heinz. the Montana
copper mine owner, is also heavily
interested in the railway company and
is one of it's directors. John E. Bal
laine, OF Seattle, chairman of the
finance committe, has been in charge
of the financial arrangements, which
are now definitely concluded.
The Central Trust company, Of Hill
nois,. is trustee for the bond holders.
The chief engineer of construction is
A. w. Swanitz, of Chicago, represent
ing directly some Of the financial in
terests behind the enterprise. He
has been in charge Of large railway
constructions in New York, New Or
leans and Chicago, having recently
completed the terminal clearing yards
of Chicago. F1
Road to Open Rich Country.
The southern harbor= of the Alaska
Central is open every day in the year.
Owing to the influence of the Japan
current the weather there never falls
to zero. The route of the railway,
which was surveyed last summer is
opens a vast country rich in coal, gold
and copper. 81
Its northern terminus is IN the
midst of the rich Tanana gold fields,
many times more extensive than the
KIondike- The road will make interior
Alaska accessible every day in the
year and save three weeks of travel,
INV ACCcSScEy 10 1uI0I1OE points ny
the circuitous routes up the Yukon
river. The projectors claim that the
building of the Alaska Central will
increase the annual gold production
of Alaska from the present output of
10000, 900 to 5000, 060, 600 and attract
an increased Immigration OF scores of
thousands. -
Will Tap Farming District
The agriculture department OF the
United States government has carried
on agricultural experiments for the
last five years in Southern and Gem
trail Alaska and has demonstrated that
any vegetation can be grown success
fully which can be grown in the North
ern states of the Union. The climatic
conditions are about the same as in
England and Southern Norway. These
countries are tempered by the gulf
stream similarly as Southern and Cen
trail Alaska is tempered by the Japan
current.
In addition to the resources of gold,
coal and timber, the new railway will
penetrate a copper belt, which has
been pronounced by government and
private mineralogists the most extern
sive and highest grade copper deposits
known in the world.
Mr.. DoWdle will leave Chicago with
his construction equipment next
Wednesday, via Seattle en- route to
Sward, the southern terminue OF the
Alaska Central. Mr.. Ballaine left for
Seattle yesterday.