The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-01-03
By cAfsLYLE ELLIS.

S<CCtSSipie--A gTGnldtiC SHaptSF III
Railroad CONSTRUCTION.
By CAIsLYLE ELLIS.
On its second birthday the Copper
River and Northwestern railroad, of
| which Cordova. Alaska. is the termi-
! nus, finds itself stretched 100 miles in
land up the Copper river BY next
July, it is now practically assured, the
road will have reached the mouth of
the Chitina river. where it branches,
heading for the Kennicott copper
| mines. fifty-eight miles to the east
ward
| The roads arrival at the Chtina
means that the great Kotsina Chitina
copper region IS finally made easily
| available Tor mining and prospecting.
This will he Ut event of considerable
| Importance in Alaskan history Ex
cepting its tyro great coal fields, this
is the riches Known mineral field in
| the territory. Its area is very large,
| and the opportunities for prospectors
| and small cIr-rators there are almost
unlimited. Il is absolutely safe to ex-
pect spectacular developments at once.
| In all of tlis Cordova Is destined
to play conspicuous part. and the
| sixteen-montlI-old baby metropolis is
preparing for 1t with quite amazing
| energy. With the Copper River rail
| road being driven inland by the power
full organ-Guggenheim syndicate to
tap the coal and copper fields and the
| vast golden interior, Cordova becomes
| inevitably the Alaskan gateway par
excellence, and for such future she
was chosen
| The essentials for an Alaskan gate
| way are harbor, a town site, rail
road route and proved resources to
run the Fod0 10.
| Cordova mas all four, each of more or
less excellence, and her railroad has
| now passed the hundredth mile. The
combination is a richly promising one.
Road to Copper, Coal and Gold.
| The harbor. though not large, is eA-
| celleRt and susceptible of unlimited de-
| velopment. while immediately avail
able for ordinary tonnage without
dredging. The town site is tundra
covered. rocky and irregular hillside.
offering most unpromising material,
but which has yielded astonishingly
well to vigorous treatment. The rail
road route, while containing some of
| the worst obstacles to construction
ever encountered. is rapidly pushing
| forward despite these difficulties and
reaching out to the copper region and
| the coal fields@of Bering river as well
as those vast interior regions. the
riches of which apart from placer gold
are still but guessed at.
Almost every foot of Cordova's
streets had either to be blasted out of
solid rock, cut out of four feet or more
Of mushy tundra or built over the
tundra The main streets, in places
cut through thirty feet of hill. In 9th
ers had to be built up as much. The
cross streets climb steep irregular
rock hill. Over all there was heavy
timber.
1t Is typical of Alaska and the Alas
kans who have built and are making
Cordova that these difficulties should
have been so lightly regarded and ,
valiantly met. In her first year Of G
the baby town has been making such
improvements as usually begin to be
planned wh@n city has reached the
10000 mari and feels the weight of
wealth. S-e is still In swaddling
clothes. ragged unkempt. unfinished
but lusty with youth. The rapidity OF
hnr Growth iS anaauipu Ju tha rnoc
she has housed thousand souls. built
churches, schools. clubs. warehouses
and shops that would be creditable In
large city She has fitted herself
with electric light, water supply.
sewers and telephone system and
developed a complete municipal organ
ization. She has also attracted to her
self two newspapers. each of which
receives daily cable service from tn
outside, giving the cream of the
worlds news. and special service from
each of the Alaskan cities connected
by wire or wireless-Seward vaIdes.
Fairbanks, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchi-
kan. st. Michners and Nome
Region Of Opportunities.
These are some Of Cordova's external
indications of vitality Even more
significant is the spirit of her people,
the dauntless adventure loving. chance
taking spirit Of the foreloper They
are opportunists all and wide eyed to
the opportunity at their door.
As have said. Cordova's reason for
being is the Copper River and North
western railroad. Without the rail-
road or the hope OF it she would
quickly cease to exist Her ncighbor,
Katalia-on-the- which blossomed
when two railroads made false start
from there. still lives. though In great