The Alaska prospector., 1904-01-14
A National Road To The Yukon,

velopmcnt oi inc Panama and Iukor val leys of Alaska. By the enabling aci uf April 30, 1892. one-iwenticth part of the moneys received from the sale oi public lands in Ohio was appropriated hy Congress to the building of great national turnpike over the lofty passes of the Cumberland mountains and connecting the valley of the Potomac and that of the Ohio Of the wis do,n of this great internal improvement President Monroe said: '.lt is impossible to read the ordinance of the 23d of April. 11Sl. or the provisions of the act Of AIril Hi, 1892. which are founded on it, without being profoundly impressed with ti.c en- frightened and magnanimous. policy which dictated them. Anticipating that the new states would be settled by the inhabitants of the original states and their offspring. no narrow or contracted jealousy was en- t,rtained of their admission into the Union in equal participation in the national soy ereignty with the original states It was foreseen at the carly period at which that ordinance passed. that tine expansion of our Union to the Lakes and to the Mississippi and all its waters would not only make us q great power. hut cement the Union itself" What Il prophetic vision that was; for these Ohio states not only cemented the Union, hut preserved it The Cumberland nation al road aided the settlement of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, created great cities. and blazed the trail for that wonderful system of railroads which has joined the West lo the East.
 X national road from Valdez across the Alaskan range into the rich and well tim mrcd Tanana valley-the Ohio of the North i> equally as important to the Union as w;s the Cumberland road of a century ago. ii will open that region tO American trade over an all-Amcrican route. IL will give quick and cheap communication to the copper deposits of the Copper rivcr-the rich est in the world ito the gold placer mines "i the Panama and Yukon: il will enable the homesecker to settle upon the rich and fertile lands ni the wide Panama and Kan tihua valleys. and will furnish the war de- l'artmcnt of our government q quick and easy means oi access to the very heart of inc Yukon region.
 It i- an internal improvement more wor- thy of national aid than any other since the great Alleghany turnpike of century ago IL will be the great mail route and post road |" the interior: it will cost but tihe of the millions which Alaska has already paid into the public treasury and to the ca apiial and labor "i inc United States. II is a military necessity oi ,hc highest order: il will cement rich gerri'oric. belonging to ihc United States. more firmly to that Union to which Alaska will one day add four more sovereign states. What the Cumberland national road was to The development oi the Ohio ami Mississippi yaiIey- that will the Valdez national road Ice to the develop r.ent of the Panama and Yukon valleys oi Alaska. Government Mail Route to Interior Alaska
 K, JANr- rl'n, JR. MAIL CONTRACTOR.
 The al-American mail route from Val dez to the Yukon river was the results of the efforts of ,he Po.t Office Department of the United States Government to establish and maintain a short. safe and practical route that could be operated every day in the year, from some point on the south coast Of Alaska to point on the Yukon river The War Department was also de- sirors of opening q military highway be- tween the same points. and two expeditions were sent to Alaska to explore the country and report the most feasible rou C. In April. 1899. the expedition left Seattle, one bound for Valdez and the "sher for Cooks Inlet. The Post Office Department also sent special agent tn Valdez to accom- pany the War Department expedition.
 The result of these investigations proved beyond doubt that the route from Valdez was the most practical. as that point was not only nearer to the Yukon. but was the most northerly point of Alaska open to navigation the year round. This route is entirely through American territory. and follows up the Copper River Valley, thence over an impercepIible divide to the Panama river, thence to the headwaters of the Forty mile river and down to the Yukon. the dis tance being 4l5 miles, as against 594 via Skagway and Canadian territory.
 This route has been maintained summer and winter, fall and spring, since 1899, without a trip having been missed and without the loss of single piece of mail matter.
 The Post Office Department, recognizing tine value oi Valdez as the hest port of en- try for the Nome. lower Yukon River points and the new and rich camp of Fairbanks on the Panama River, have also established winter service from Valdez to Fort Gib- bon at the mouth of the Panama. twice a month service.
 This route Is now in operation. and al- ready a stream of travel is going over the new route. The distance of overland ,nusb