The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-02-10
ALASKA'S BABY
METROPOLIS,
Cordova to Be Gateway For
New Rush This Year.
ROAD TO COPPER FIELDS.

NVAU ~ WI LIN IILLUS,
Rails Of the Copper River and North.
western Viii Be Laid to the Mouth
OF the Chitina by July. When I'm.
msnseIy Rich Mineral Area Will 30
Aeeessibie-A Dramatic Chapter In
Railroad Construction.
By CARLYLE 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 Chitina
means that the great Kotsina- Chitina
copper region is finally made easily
available for mining and prospecting
This will be an event Of considerable
Importance In Alaskan history. Ex-
cepting its two great coal fields. this
is the richest known mineral field in
the territory. Its area is very large.
and the opportunities for prospectors
and small operators there are almost
unlimited. 1t is absolutely safe to ex-
pect spectacular developments at once.
In all of this Cordova is destined
to play conspicuous part. and the
sixteen-month-o baby metropolis is
preparing for it with quite amazing
energy. With the Copper River rail
road being driven inland by the power
full MorganGuggenheim syndicate to
tap the coal and copper fields and the
vast golden interior, Cordova becomes
inevitably the Alaskan gateway par
excellence, and for such q future she
was chosen.
The essentials for an Alaskan gate
way are harbOr. town site, rail-
road route and proved resources to
run the road to.
Cordova has all four, each Of more or
less excellence, and her railroad has
now passed the hundredth mile. The
combination is richly promising one.
Road to Copper, Coal and Gold.
The harbor. though not large. is eA-
cellent 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 Boring 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.
It is typical Of Alaska and the Alas
kans who have built and are making
Cordova that these difficulties shouli
have been so lightly regarded and *
valiantly met. In her first year Of lif'
the baby town has been making sucl
improvements as usually begin to b.
planned when a city has reached tn,
$4,000 mark and feels the weight o
wealth. She is still in swaddling
clothes. ragged. unkempt, unfinished
but lusty with youth. The rapidity o
her growth is amazing. In the yea
she has housed thousand souls. bull
churches, schools. clubs. warehouse
and shops that would be creditable IL
= large city. She has fitted hersel
with electric light, water supply
sewers and telephone system an
= developed a complete municipal organ
ization. She has also attracted to bel
self two newspapers. each of whic
receives daily cable service from tn
outside, giving the cream of tn
worlds news. and special service fror
each of the Alaskan cities cOnnecte
by wire or ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Valdes
Fairbanks. Juneau. Skagway. Ketch
kan. st. Michael's and Nome.
Region Of Opportunities.
These are some of Cordova's externs
indications Of vitality. Even NOR
significant is the spirit Of her people
the dauntless adventure loving. chanc
taking spirit Of the foreloper. The
are opportunists all and wide eyed
the opportunity at their door.
AS have said. Cordova's reason Il
being Is the Copper River and Nortl
western railroad. Without the raj
road or the hope Of 1t she woul
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