The San Francisco call., 1905-02-12
Two Companies Place Their
Plans Before Congress in
the Hope That Federal
Aid May Be Forthcoming
TO OPEN UP RICH
PART OF COUNTRY
Senator Dietrich Devises a
Scheme Providing for a
Complete Change in the
Territory's Government
BY SAM W. WALL.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-Railroad
builders or men who say they intend
to be railroad builders in Alaska are
thick upon Congress this winter. Those
who have already secured rights want
them extended one way or another,
bills have been introduced to charter
companies that propose, should the bills
pass, to build standard gauge roads
from points on the coast CT the Gulf of
Alaska, one heading from Valdez and
the other from point some distance
south of Valdez across the mountain
range to Eagle City on the Yukon.
Both ask Congress to guarantee bonds
sufficient. in the estimate of each, 10
build the road.
They base their propositions on the
arrangement effected in the Philippines
and the bills will be urged with this
argument, backed with an appeal to
the patriotism of members of Con-
sress. who will be asked to take as
much interest in and do as much for
the prospectors and pioneers of the
North, who are laboring to develop a
portion of their own land, fighting
nature in her most grudging and in
hospitable mood, as they have done for
the alien Filipino. Congress is about to
build wagon roads in Alaska at an es
timated cost of s1,000,000. The railroad
men say they will furnish the money
and build that which will speed the de-
velopment of the territory far beyond
what any mere wagon road will do.
They have the reports of military engi-
neers siding with them as to the COM
parative merits of the two. Represen-
tatives of both companies have paved
lation of data concerning the country,
its resources and needs.
The bill incorporating the Alaska
Railroad Company was introduced in
the Senate by Senator Burnham, chair
man of the Committee on Cuban Rela-
tions and a member of the Committee
on Territories. The incorporates are:
William l.. Bull, Grant B. Schley, Will
liam M. Barnum, Andrew F. Burleigh
of New York, Winthrop Smith, Sabin
w. Cotton, w. Frederick Snyder, Will
liam B. Kurtz of Philadelphia, William
S. Mclean, Irving A. Stearns of
Wilkesbarre and John Rosene of Seat
tie. The line of their road would cross
the mountains through Mentasta pass
and reach the Yukon by an almost di-
rect route. 1t would not touch Fair
banks except by branch. 1t would
tap vast coal and copper fields that are
known and that have called out de-
tailed reports of the Geological survey
and the owners of which, some of
calling for a road and are willing to
enter into contract for freight at fig
ures and in quantity that invite in
veStment.
To reach these mines and traverse
great timber areas is the primary pur-
pose of the road. The provisions of
the bill require the road to be complet-
ed to Eagle within five years, a dis
tance approximately of 500 miles The
cost is estimated at 100000 a mile and
the Government is asked to guarantee
| bonds on this basis at 4 per cent. The
projectors agree to build to the Kayak
coal fields, 80 miles, this year if the
| charter is given. Here is a vein of coal
rated by the geological survey as supe-
| rior to the Pocahontas steam coal of
| West Virginia, and which shows vein
| 20 feet from floor to roof and covering
a known field 35 miles in extent.
The other bill is in behalf of the
Trans-Alaska Railroad Company The
lire here proposed extends from the
| town of Valdez to Eagle, with Fair
banks on the main line. The bill is
|
lines as the other, the material differ
ence being the figures. The cost of the
road is estimated at $4,000 a mile ant
the bond guarantee is asked on thai
basis The limit of time for completing
the road is fixed at eight years. The