Evening journal., 1903-10-02
NEW CHICAGO IN ALASKA
Founding of a Town on CoaSt
Of Resurrection Bay.
EANY BUILDING SITES SOLD.

PiOneers Prom the western Metrop-
oils Are Erecting Seward. which
Is to BE a Railroad Center OF the
Far North Municipal OmsiaIs
EIected-Country Abounda In Min
erals and Game.
While Chicago was honoring the
memory of the men who laid its foun-
dations another band Of pioneers, bred
IN Chicago and aided by Chicago CAPT
tai, was forging its way through the
forests of Alaska to found n new Chi
cego there, according to information
received in Chicago recently from A.
w. Swanitz, in charge of the party of
lpioneers, says the Chicago Tribune
II The first clearings for the new city
to be erected by Chicago enterprise
t'vere made ON Aug. 70, when q score Of
sfyhicagoans disembarked from the
eamshiD Santa Anna, anchored in
,ime Seward" by which Chicago's
II lewest suburb will be known, was
nailed to the biggest tree in the forest
beside the bay, and the work Of laying
4 out the little city and marking the
4 course Of the Alaska Central railway
q was begun Immediately.
The railway. which is TO be built by
the pioneers from Chicago, will extend
from the south coast to the Tanana
and Yukon rivers, distance Of 400
miles, penetrating to the center Of the
district
A few hours after the Chicagoans
had unloaded their tools, tents and sup
plies on the beach the forests were
+ echoing the ring of their axes Chicago
engineers soon had their transit and
chain out. and before nlghtfall many
trees had been felled At night lot of
tired men had their first meal on the
spot where they expect to see the rise
of the Chicago of Alaska.
A second steamer arrived in the bay
land dropped anchor More people came
10 swell the population Of Seward.
They had heard of the building Of the
Alaska Central railway and came in
search Of work. Before another sun had
= set the original band of twenty persons
bad been increased by seventy-five per.
sons from Valdez and Sitka. from Seat
le and San Francisco, from Portland
md Tacoma. The town was growing
with the rapidity Of its mother city.
81 A temporary judge and marshal. both
,hicagoans. were elected at noon on
he third day. and thus the community
vas established under the unwritten
. 10
Ftates supreme court, which approves
he acts of judges elected after this
manner. Since then several hundred
building sites have been sold The
ighest price paid for a single lot was
1000.
A fawmill is in operation. Piles for
wharf are being driven. A restau-
ant, a grocery, a meat market and
lheP' shops have been established, and
ors8s have been brought into the city
On dfs1.St points and sold to the
ettlers. Tie tcSSsiff pobuiation or
pt. 1 was 200. The people were
snting civilization where a few
Seks ago the brown bear roamed un
kturbed
The settlers are living on the same
hd of food that Lieutenant Swearin
M and John Kinzie thrived on al
ort Dearborn in 1903. bear and veni
n meat
The residents say nearly every mile
the surveyed line of the Alaska
antral railway reveals new resources
EAR creek. six miles out. and SwaI
yer, fifteen miles from the bay. give
ir returns in placer mining. Ter
lies farther north lies Kenal lake
stled in the forest, with several ricI
acers. Trail creek and the entire
LEY of the Sushitna is said to be ricl
pay dirt. hydraulic and quartz ledge
portunities.
Yhen the Sushitna valley, 110 miles
pm Resurrection bay, is once reached
is claimed that there is a veritabls
Drehouse Of native minerals-not on
gold, but copper, coal and iron
bvernment geologists are claimed t
We discovered tin float and platinum
the rich valley.
rhe country abounds in game and
b. The creeks are full of salmon ant
Pckled and silver trout.
The woods and small barren places
thick with bear, deer and moose
1use, wild geese and ducks. Will,
rds Of wild sheep are pasturing OF
upper mountain slopes. Vegetation
rapid The grasses in the valley. red
prevailing, grow thick and tall, anl
ground can easily be cultivated, tbs
icagoans say.
Some day." say the pioneers, "Sew
will be the biggest city along the
st, and Chicago can point witt
de 20 the fruits OF its push and en-
y"