Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-02-25
By CARLYLE ELLIS.

On its second birthday the Copper
River ana Northwestern railroad, Of
which Cordu,a. AlaSaa Is the termi-
nus. finds itself stretched 100 miles in
land up the Copper river. By next
July. 1t is Row practically assured. the
road will have IctChrd the mouth OF
the Chitina river. wimre ii branches.
heading t.r The kcnnicott copper
mines. iifty-ci.ht miles To the east
ward
The roads arrival at the Chtina
means that the great kotSina -Chtina
copper Region Is finally made easily
available for mining and prospecting
This will be au 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 ut once.
In all Of this CordOva Is destined
to play a conspicuous part. and the
sixteen month-old baby metropolis IL
preparing for 1t 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 a harbOr. n town site. Il 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 II richly promising one.
Road to Copper, Coal and Gold.
The harbor. though not large. Is eA-
velopment. while Immediately avail
able for ordinary tonnage without
dredging The town site is IL tundra
covered. rocky and irregular hillside.
Offering most unpromisinS 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
Int I'm
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 Il 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 SO
va.iantly met. In her first year Of life
the baby town has been making such
improvements rs usually begin to be
planned when city has reached the
10000 mark and feels the weight of
wealth. She IL still In swaddling
clothes. rugged. unkempt. unfinished.
but lusty with youth. The rapidity Of
her growth Is amazing. In the year
she has housed a thousand souls. built
churches, schools. clubs. warehouses
and shops that would be creditable In
q large city. She has fitted herself
with electric light, water supply,
sewers and n telephone system and
developed 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. yaldes.