The Ketchikan mining news., 1907-03-01

could haul its own product and on one pretext or another refuse to carry that of the outside operators.
 The Guggenheims are not builders of railroads, but it did not take them long to get into communication with certain financial interests in New York that made a speciality in such enterprises. Mr. Morgan himself, it is said, looked over the field. From the moment he was convinced of it's great possibilities dated the fight that is now on to prevent the railroad monopolization of Alaska.
 Close Bros. X Co. of London, Eng. very much alive to the way things were drifting in the territory, even befoIxH had begun the construc- tion from Cordova Bay of the White Pass and Cordova Bay railroad, under the direction of M. J. Heney. It looked at first as if the projectors oi this line would be satisfied with the hauling of such freight as they could obtain without invading the section which the Guggenheims had set their especial seal upon-the Copper River Valley and vicinity. But Heney had enough foresight to realize that within comparatively few years the output of copper and coal and petrol cum there would call for large trans portation facilities, and he began active preparations for piercing the district with his tracks: whereupon he was promptly informed that il he undertook to do so the Guggen- helms, acting through the Morgan interests, would parallel his lines into the Yukon Valley, haul their own freight, and, inferentially, cut rates to point where he could not stand the competition. Heney made survey of the size of the respective purses that would be involved in such a struggle and came to the conclusion that he had better content himself with the bird in hand
 This is about the situation as it ex- ists today. The actual construction oi railroads from the Copper River re- zion has not been begun, but it is said vhis is only because the Guggen- helms are not ready for the work to start. Alaskans conversant with the facts appear to have no doubt that yhe shelter trust and it's railroad allies intend to repeat the history oi other vast combinations of in capital like circumstances by refusing to carry the products of others and finally ,tarve the independents into sub mission. These Alaskans insist that they are not opposed to the develop nent of the country by the Guggen- heims-in any other quarter-but do protest against the territory being handed over bag and baggage to the control of this or any other trust. Prominent residents of Alaska who TcCCltlt NlSluCo III W dollluS lol NOu- tend that if they were granted auton- omy there would be less danger oi nonopolies getting firm foot-hold on the valuable mineral deposits than under the present arrangement by which legislation affecting their | people is enacted thousands of miles distant from the locality affected by it. They added that the same ob-
 ection presents itself in connection with the acts of administrative officers in Washington when dealing with the territorial affairs.
 The charge is also made here that a studied campaign of suppression of the facts as to Alaska's possibilities is being carried on in the interest of the smelter-railroad combination. The great wealth of the territory is being minimized, it is claimed, by the organs of public opinion close to this combination, with the object of not attracting too much attention to the locality until the trust has firmly established itself there.