The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-08-06
WONDERS OF ALASKA
IMPRESS :. W. ECCLES
Vice President of American smelling
Co. Back From the North.

SALT LAKE, Aug. 5.-S. w. Ec
Giles, vice president of the American
Smelling and Refining CO., one of
the best known and most welcome OF
the big men connected with the min
ing and smelling industries of the
country, reached Salt Lake City Tues
day morning. after spending some
time in Alaska inspecting the Gug-
genheim Exploration Co.'S enter
prises. Mr. Eccles is most enthus-
iastie over Alaska and its boundless
and practically unprospected re-
sources. 1t is territory which he
terms an empire, whose mineral and
agriculture possibilities are almost
beyond the realization of those most
intimately acquainted with that
northern region.
Mr.. Eccles inspected not only the
copper mines of the Guggenheim Ex-
ploration company along, and in the
vicinity of, the famous Copper river,
but he took a special interest in the
new railroad which is being built to
tap the red metal resources now be-
ing developed This railroad will be
less than 100 miles long, when COM
pleted. and sometime next year the
company expects TO have 1t jone. BY
October the road will be completed
and ready for business from Cordova,
where, states Mr. Eccles, is one OF
the grandest harbors in the world,
to the Abercrombie Rapids, some so
miles away.
From the Rapids the road VIII pass
between glaciers, over streams and
through scenery. the like of which
cannot he found anywhere else. Mr..
Eccles says the scenery along the
railroad excels the inside passage up
the Alaskan coast, for nature seems
to nave surpassed herself II center
ing in this wild section all the won
ders of mountain and glacier. Within
e short distance of The copper mines
is section rich in Goa! which the
company will begin to develop with
in a short time. Mr. Eccles visited
this coal region, and he states that
he never realized so much coal could
be centered anywhere on earth. The
deposits cover an area of 125 square
miles, and he saw teams of coal from
S to 60 feet in extent, and plenty Of
them. The deposits are about so
miles from tidewater, presenting an
ideal proposition for development on
an enormous scale.
At this time the company has not
rounded out its smelter plans for
Alaska. The ore will be brought by
railroad to Cordova, thence to the
company's smelters at Tacoma until
the Alaskan plant is erected and
ready for business in case it is event
ually determined to buid a smelter
there. The management will begin
hauling down ore soon, which then
will mark the beginning of the era
of returns on the enormous invest
ment represented there. Mr.. Eccles
was surprised at the way in which
vegetation thrives in that section OF
Alaska. He says that he found all
sorts of garden truck growing as fine
as in any of the states of the union,
while timothy hay grows as high as
ones head.
How about the Garfield smelter?
Eastern reports say the plant must be
reconstructed, that another stack
must be added and so forth" Mr.. he
cles was asked. He replied that for
any information on that line the local
Offices of the American Smelling e
Refining Co. should be applied to !:
all he knew was that the capacity of
the plant is being increased right
now. Mr. Eccles Ieft last evening for
his Idaho ranch, where he will spend
several days.