The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-01-06

AccessbIe-A Dramatic Chapter In
Railroad Construction.
By CARLYLE ELLIS.
On it's 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 it's 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 old baby metropolis is
preparing for it with quite amazing
energy. With the Copper River rail
road being driven inland by the power
full Morgan 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 a 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
combinat ton 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 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
have been so lightly regarded and so
valiantly met. In her first year of life
the baby town has been making such
improvements as usually begin to be
planned when city has reached the
$4,000 mark and feels the weight of
wealth. She is still in swaddling
clothes, ragged. unkempt, unfinished,
but lusty with youth. The rapidity of
her growth is amazing. In the year
she has housed thousand souls. built
churches. schools. clubs, warehouses
and shops that would be creditable III
large city. She has fitted herself
with electric light. water supply.
sewers and a 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 the
outside, giving the cream of the
worlds news, and special service from
each of the Alaskan cities connected
by wire or wireless-Seward. Valdes
Fairbanks. Juneau. Skagway, Ketchi-
kan. st. Michael's 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 neighbor,
Katalla- on-the-Sea. which blossomed
when two railroads made false start
from there, still lives. though in great
~ reduced circumstances, in the hope
Of their return.
Meanwhile the millions from below
are pouring through Cordova in sup
plies and materials and cash for the
forcing through of the railroad to the
famous Bonanza mine and neighbor-
ing properties in the region around the
head of the Chitina river The build
ing of this road is one of the most
daring railroad enterprises since the
Rocky mountains were first penetvat-