The Chitina leader., 1910-11-12
lew Government Cutoff Wagon Road From Chtna To Greek Shotens Distance From Coast To Interior Travellers
 Mail And Freight Now Go Via Cordova And Chhina
WHERE THE TEAM MEETS THE STEAM''

kan travellers and freighters He it was who
 recommended the cutoff trail and appointed
 Lars Holland, the locating engineer to map out
 the work and build the trail and to Mr. Hol-
 land everyone must give credit for his untiring efforts and efficient work. In locating the route
 his duties kept him out until often past mid night before he could make camp so anxious
 was he to get the men on the work, and his personal supervision of the working party from the Chitina end to Tonsna, the heaviest part of the trail, is guarantee of its thoroughness in every respect. Wagers were made him dur ing the summer and fall that he could not finish
 the work, but with his good natured and non- committal grin, he kept on grinding away, with
 the result as shown and the road finished as he prOphesied 1t would be, by November 1st Other officials also come in for their share of praise and commendation in their efforts to finance this great undertaking. Judge Ferguson as commissioner of the Chitina precinct ap- pointed competent and energetic officials to collect poll taxes, and while all fair-minded people give them the credit due them, and real
 iZe that were 1t not for their efforts from financial standpoint, the road could not have been put through they surely had their troubles and are to be commended for enforcing the law
 and standing pat in face of the storm of op-
 position from those opposed to the unjust graft" which they term the poll tax. Judge
 Ferguson was sorely tried on numerous occa- sions, but stood manfully by his interpretation of the law and instructions from federal off
 cials to see that the law was enforced. He ap- pointed H. H. McCutcheon as road overseer or
 head taXcollector, for the division, and those ac quainted with his work say better man could
 not have been appointed in all Alaska. He had
 as his chief assistant Lou Felsing, who was for several years tax collector in California and
 was an earnest, conscientious worker. Geo. Wolfe Capt. Geo. Weber, Ed House. Tom Williams, Geo. Wood and Bert Slavn were as-
 sistant collectors and all did their work and fol- lowed instructions in conscientious and cap- able manner, though cursed and abused more
 than any one on the job Mr. McCutcheon used
 the best judgment in collecting the poll taxes
 The greatest yell heard was from the class of men who come to Alaska in the spring and take out every dollar they earn without contribut- ing cent toard the improvement of this ter ritory. Others who belong in Alaska, and real
 ze that though the law may be an unjust one, paid or worked out their taxes as they pleased. Mir. McCutcheon and his assistants had a ter ritory of nearly hundred square miles to cov- CT, and all fair-minded people will praise in- stead of abuse their efforts to secure the neces- sary money to prosecute and finish the work on the new cutoff trail.
 The generous contributions, immediate action, cooperation of the railroad company in hand ling supplies the untirng efforts of the tax col lectors and energy of the workmen and their foremen are the factors which have given us the best trail in Alaska in so short a time.
 The trail is finished and again we say there is no better in Alaska Soon will the travellers to and from the great interior mail and inter- for freight go by the new cutoff wagon road from Willow cree kto Chitina, ''Where the team meets the steam.''