The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17
ALASKA NO MORE
A WORLD APART
Season Opens With a Gridiron of
Railroad, Telegraph and Tel
ephone Lines.
ERA OF GREAT development.
Four Railway Systems Are Now
in Full or Partial Operation in
the Territory-Two Others
in Course Of Construction.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

ftERC BL1C SPECIAL
Washington. July 16-Forty miles an
hour over the Alaskan tundra on the rail-
| road nearest the pole! Underneath the ties
marshland heavy with gold. This is moi
perspective, but reality. The Alaskan sea.
son has just opened. and the army of gold
hunters may travel this year in comforta-
BILE passenger trains. A year or two age
they had trudged laboriously on foot. or
propelled with equal hardship loaded fat
boats up shallow and swift-running
streams.
Thirty-fve million dollars worth is the
estimate Of the gold clear-up of Alaska
and the kondike for last season, the first
shipments Of which arrived at Seattle a
few days ago. Thirty-fivs million dollars
year is worth building railroads and tele-
graph lines to reach. 1t Is the principal
cause OF the wonderful era of railroad
building which Is now in progress in
Alaska.
PURCHASE OF THE TERRITORY.
In 1861 Alaska was purchased from Rus
sia by the United States, and 50 lightly
was its value held that the price paid
5000 00oo-was generally regarded as being
partly a present to Russia for her sup
six years since that time the United States
Government has received back In revenues
alone from Alaska not only the sum ex-
pended but four million dollars more.
SO great has been the recent development
OF Alaska that there are now four dis
tinct railroad systems in full or partial
operation in the Territory. two others in
preliminary stage of construction and
several projected. All Of the principal Gen.
ters OF population are connected with the
cable line. 100 miles In length, will be
completed this summer between Seattle
and Juneau. giving an alternate route for
commercial business.
Solomon River Railroad. the first of stand
ard gauge to be put in operation in Alas
% "a; mas demonstrated the possibility of
tically as solid as that Of any Of the best
equipped systems in the United States. The
tundra, or Arctic bog land, has been con-
auered by a system OF thorough drainage
and the ties planted on ground which is
either dry or. except near tho surface,
eternally frozen.
An indication Of the present trade i'm
this road has been built. is given in the
records of the Custom House at Nome for
the summer season Of l9o5 The tonnage
that that reached e. there from the outside
tons. being carried in forty-seven vessels
making total Of one hundred trips. The
tonnage In l9O2 was only 1900 tons. More
than five thousand passengers entered the
port In 1903. and 10,734.0OO feet of lumber
was brought In for building purposes.
GRIDIRON THE NOME PENINSULA.
The railroads now building and project
ed in Northwestern Alaska will complete
ly gridiron Nome Peninsula. The first
road put in operation there was called
the wild Goose Railroad" and has lately
been acquired by the Nome-Arctic Rail-
way Company. The first rails were laid
In the summer of 1900. and the enterprise
was a financial success from the start.
During the last few months the Nome
Arctic Company has extended the line TO
Dexter Creek, and. securing a franchise
to enter Nome. has built a station in a
central part OF the city and added three
spurs to facilitate the handling OF freight.
This spring work was begun on a line to
Council City. The owners OF this road are
mostly men who have made their money
In Alaska.
The Council City and Solomon River
Railroad Company Is composed principally
OF New York City capitalists.
Work was begun on the line about July
OF last year, with O force of 600 men,
drawing salaries which amounted to SSO,-
900 a month. The tracks were lai6 on
frozen ground-froxen, that is, from a dis
tance Of about two feet below the sur
face. According as the roadbed was COM
pieted gravel was hauled from the beach
TOR bailsstinE purposes, and on top Of tho