The Chitina leader., 1910-10-08
Trail Nearing
 Completion

Tuesday evening tram, ana leIC on horseback Wednesday morning to overlook the work done on the trail. He expressed himself as much pleas ed at the progress made on this end of the trail and says that the work should be practically completed by November 1st. Tie workmen are now between seven and eight miles out, and the hardest part of the construction is completed, the next three miles being easy work. An other crew of men are working from the other end this way and it will be but short time now until the road is ready for winter travel.
 The new trail is we'll located, cut wide enough for wagon use and wide enough for a double bob, with easy grades and well sheltered from the winds that sweep up and down the Copper river. In fact it is an ideal route, where no heavy falls of snow are apt to blockade it at any time during the winter.
 This work represents total ex- penditure of $36,000, including the survey of location and the erection of bridge over the Tonsina river. The Alaska Road Commission spent more than s17,0O0 in locating the route and on the construction work of the Willow Creek-Tonsina sec tion, also about $3,500 on the work from Chitina to Tonsina, with like for the construction of a bridge across the river at the latter place, making a total of S24,000. It is expected that the poll tax from the Chitina district will amount to SS,00O, and if this sum is realized but little over $4,000 of the fund by Cordova will be used, making a total of $96,000 expended on the route, including the cost of bridges and survey of location.
 The road is built out from Chitina for a distance of seven miles and ten miles will be completed within a week. This work is under the SUD- ervision of Lars Holland, to whom the Road Commission gives much credit for the excellent route select ed and the substantial manner in which it is being constructed. Fore man Martin Ellington has finished the section to Tonsina and is now due to be crossing the river at the latter place. He will continue work ing with his crew of twenty-five men until he meets Hollands force of seventy-five men. The total distance from Chitina to Willow creek is 39 miles and from there to Copper Gen. ter is 10 miles, making 49 miles in all over as fine a piece of trail as anyone would wish to travel.
 The Tonsina river will be bridged later in the winter. In case cross ing over the ice is not considered safe a temporary structure will at once be put in to accommodate the travel. The completion of this sec tion is all that is needed to put Cor dova in direct communication with Fairbanks.
 Major Richardson said that he felt grateful to United States Commis- sioner Ferguson and the road over seer for the good work they had done in collecting the taxes. Of course this is a matter over which the Alaska Road Commission has no control, but the money collected has been applied to this public work, according to the provisions of law. It is the intent of the law that this road tax shall supplement any funds in the hands of the Road Commis- sion for work in different parts of Alaska. The benefit in this partic- ular case has been very material, for without the aid of this road tax and the money so generously contribut- ed by the public-spirited citizens of Cordova, it would have been impossible to build the road this fall, as is being done. The work has been more expensive than would have been the case if it could have been start ed earlier and by the handling of a smaller crew under more favorable weather conditions.
 In the disbursement of funds the Road Commission has furnished all the equipment and supplies; the road tax will be used as far as it goes in the payment of labor bills, and when this is exhausted the spec ial fund raised here will be drawn on for whatever is needed and the balance returned to the Chamber of Commerce. The men will be paid off in Cordova, so that the town will