The Alaska prospector., 1908-05-21

''The Chairman. Do you know what it cost the government to con- struct that system?
 "Mr. Barring. No, sir; do not.
 '"The Chairman. How close are the stations?
 ''Mr. Barring. They are 30 or 40 miles apart.
 "Mr. Chairman. Who has charge of those stations?
 "Mr. Barring. They are in charge of the signal service officers of the army.
 'Mr. Higgins. How long since they were built?
 "Governor Hoggatt. They were built about 1903. The signal office has been strengthening the lines in the interior. The right of way of the government telegraph is from 30 to 100 feet wide. The snow falls and causes an interruptions, and some sol diers who have been stationed up there have been engaged in cutting the right of way from 30 to 100 feet wide.
 Concerning Trails
 "The Chairman. Did Major Rich ardson do that?
 "Governor Hoggatt, No; he has been making the government trail.
 "Mr. Higgins. What was the gen eral appropriation that was made two years ago? '"The Chairman. That was the government trail which was surveyed westerly.
 "Governor Hoggatt. Nothing has been done with that. They made some reconnOissances from Fort Gib- bon to Nome with the object of a pos sible extension of a winter trail and q short cut across the country. A sim pie survey has been made by Mir. McPherson under the direction of Major Richardson. MT. McPherson is very able engineer and has been engaged in the business about twenty-five years. A report has been made to the war department.
 'Mr. Barring. That is the report about which l am going to speak now.
 "Govcrnor Hoggatt. The details are already in possession of the government. The country from Valdez along to Fort Gibbon was generally known by the war depart ment, as are the different rcconnois- sances made by Major Abcrcrombie and other officers, but beyond Fort Gibbon toward Nome no accurate in- formation has been collected as to the feasibility and practicability of d route from Fort Gibbon to Nome. The idea is to get information that can be used in case congress decides to build.
 "Mr. Reynolds Cto Mr. Balring). You have copy of Major Abercrom- bie's report?
 "Mr. Barring. Yos, sir.
 "Mr. Reynolds. Do you intend to insert it in your remarks!
 "Mr. Barring. Yes, sir; I will em- body it in my remarks.
 There was slight earthquake shock in Valdez about II o'clock last night.
 ''The Chairman. What are the tolls of the telegraph system? I presme they transmit messages for every body?
 "dovernor Hoggatt. They take general business.
 "Mr. Barring. At first the charges were rather high and we were compelled to send messages by way of Canada and the Yukon. Now the price is quite rcas- enable. The government has had an offer from the Postal Telegraph Com pany to sell out those lines, but the offer was rejected.
 "Governor Hoggatt. Congress has given more money, and the signal office has strengthed it's line in the interior, so as to prevent breaks. They had frequent difficulty with breaks. This winter they had an in- terruption north of Valdez, and the messages had to be sent around by the Canadian line.
 "The Chairman. Thorc is branch of this line running into the copper country?
 'Mr. Stewart. There is. Last summer the government put up the poles and private business concerns put up the wires, and the cable was extended to Catacina, about 9 miles.
 Abercrombie Report
 ''Mr. Barring. This report was submitted by Major Abercrombio, who built the government wagon roads from Valdez to Eagle, to the war department.