The Chitina leader., 1910-12-10

olis with permanent productive and prosperous tributary country paying it commercial tribute.
 The Copper River valley and the territory immediately surrounding, however, does not constitute the on- ly country that is naturally tributary to Cordova. Look at the map of Alaska and you will see that Cordova
 is the only natural gateway and trad | ing center for the great interior, a i distance of many hundreds of miles.
 It is 132 miles by the railroad to | Chitina, the north end of the Copper
 River way.
 The town of Chitina is located at
 the confluence of the railroad and the 1 Chitina cutoff wagon road and trail | to the interior. This cutoff, which
 has by now, become justly famed
 throughout Alaska, taps the great in 1 terior trail to the Panama and Yu- kon. This great trail has carried the l burden of the interior traffic from Fairbanks to Valdez at tide water for the last decade. The Chitina cutoff taps this trail at a point called Will low Creek a distance of 35 miles from Chitina on the main line of the Copper River & Northwestern rail way. This cutoff defects travel from the Valdez trail to the new route, which is now universally known as ."the Copper River way" By this means the worst portions of the over land route are avoided for dis tance of 165 miles. This is no mean consideration, especially in the win ter time The terrors of Thompson's S Pass and Keystone canyon are ob viated in travelling via the new route.
 The luxuries of railway travel down along the Copper River way will appeal more effectively to the travellers of the future than weari- some contention with the inclemen- cies of the now discarded Valdez trail.
 The town of Chitina has already given evidences of it's coming vitality and importance. The coming sum- mer will see the beginning of Chiti mas permanent and spectacular growth. Settlers are coming in and the demand for building materials, food supplies and necessities of liv- ing is expanding rapidly. During the past summer hotel facilities have been doubled what they were in the spring, two mercantile establishments have been built and the size of the town has been trebled. Anticipating the growth of this coming city many people have and are now buying real estate in this town, both with the idea of settling there and the rapid increase in value. The volume of in- quiry for town. property and sur rounding mining lands proves be- yond peradventure that the move ment of immigration to Chitina will be as great as that to any other DOT tion of the Copper River way.
 Undoubtedly this portion of Alas ka, which the poet has aptly denomi- mated "the Copper River way" will enjoy one of the most spectacular developments ever witnessed in country that has already opened the eyes of the world for it's empire building records. And with the com ing of the influx of the population and the remarkable development of the Copper River way, Chitina, like unto Cordova, will blossom forth in- to full fledged city of substantial importance.
 The Copper River way, like all en- pire building movements from time immemorial, has her detractions. All the great and grand things must be besmirched. The muck-raker must suck and blow nauseous atmos- phere, must exhume from the cess pools of human iniquity the filth with which to glut the morbid appetite of the degenerate rabble. His audience is large. Attacking the good and great things of the earth appeals with magic force to the unsuccessfuls and ne'er-do-wells of the world. The dwellers on the heights of worldly prominence must look down on the remorseless envy and hatred of those ha1OW If ic tho fot of noct;,u T+