The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-04-09
WANT TO SELL
ALASKAN ROAD
GuggGnhelmS Hold Conference
at White House.
FEAR FEDERAL COMPETITION

Will Part With 1o7 Miles Of Track
age Already Completed For SEQ.
600 coo--Expected to ops1 Rich
Copper and Coal Fields--Sccretary
Fisher Has Recommended That
Government Build Liao 200 or 500
Miles to Westward.
Washington, April 6.--Tbe United
States government has been given a
chance to buy the Copper River e
Northwestern railroad, now owned
by the Guggenheim brothers. this
offer being the direct result OF
the Administrations recommendation
that the federal government under
opening up the Alaska coal fields
and the interior of that great coun.
try. The Willingness evinced by the
Guggenheims to part with this prop
ETY. marks the end Of any efforts that
lie the great coal deposits of Alaska.
The Morgan-Guggenheim interests
now hope to persuade the United
| States government to take over the
| line and use it as n link in the road
| proposed by the Taft administration.
A conference was held at the
| White House on this subject. The
| n. I'D lsu
two of the brothers, Daniel and ST.
mon, the United States senator from
| Colorado. Secretary of the Interior
| Fisher and President Taft partici
| pated in the conference, and Vice
| President Sherman called to present
Daniel Guggenheim to the president.
While the meeting did not develop a
fiat offer from the Guggenheims, they
made it apparent that they would be
glad to have the government take
over the railroad at actual cost to
them. 1t is estimated that the Gug-
genheims have put about $20,000,0O0
into the railroad, which runs from
the port of Cordova back 1877 miles
to the great Bonanza copper mine
controlled by the Guggenheim inter
ests. The original purpose in build.
ing the road was to open up this
copper mine, but the Guggenheims
counted on much additional tonnage
from the opening up of the Alaska
coal fields.
Guggenheims Hold option.
Their plan was to build spur OF
this road about SO miles long into
the Bering coal fields. These are the
fields in which are located the so
called Cunningham claims that led
to the scandal in Secretary Balling
gers administration of the interior
department The Guggenheims them
selves had an option on these claims
and it had been contended by oppo
nents OF the Taft administration thai
the Guggenheims had intended righ
along to obtain a monopoly on the
Alaska coal fields.
I The turning down by Secretary
of the Interior Fisher of the Gun
ningham claims and the action of the
interior department in regard to th'
so.called Ryan harbor rights on Con
troller bay we're, Taft's enemies have
charged, hard blows to the Morgan
Guggenheim interests.
The route that Secretary Fishe
has recommended for the govern
! Of Cordova and starts from Sewar'
as a seaport. Resurrection bay, oil
which Seward is located, Is one o
the finest harbors In the world. Th'
federal railroad as proposed by Sec
retary Fisher would open up tn
Matanuska coal field instead of tn
. Bering field.
Q With government road construct
ed into the Matanuska fields, ther
would be no likelihood of the Berin
coal fields being opened for man
years, inasmuch as the Matanusk
fields are supposed to have ST
perior quality of coal and woul
easily be able to supply the marke
demand
: This is the situation that the Gus
genheims laid before the presiden
and Secretary Fisher at the confer
ence. The conference reviewed tn
entire situation in Alaska, especial
In regard to the Administrations pre-
a gram for opening up the country an
4 the likelihood of Increased freigh
traffic. The Guggenheims were il
4 formed that while Secretary Fishe
has indicated the Seward route a
most favorable the administratio
fayors the appointment of commil
70 sion to examine mines and repoi
i upon route into the Matanusk
- fields and the Tanama and Yuko
20 valleys. A bill already is pending l
congress for the creation of a cou
:. mission of this character. :