The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-04-19

way Is an important port, but Is main
~ used in winter as the starting point
for Dawson, which Is in Canada. and
not In Alaska, as many Americans
seem TO think. These three seaports
are the natural termini for railroads
TO the interior. and the only places
where the commerce OF the country
could be handled Cheaply and success
fully. Cordova is easily the railroad
center OF all Alaska having more
than 200 miles of track connected
with the terminals on the coast. The
Morgan-Guggenheim syndicate op.
crates the road and gives pretty de-
cent service. A man can take his
camp equipment in "a hours TO inter
Tor points that before the advent or
the road required months OF unremit'
ting toll 10 reach
While railroad transportation is the
great problem I'm Alaska, the building
OF roads and trails, especially wagon
roads, is OF great Importance. In
country Of such magnificent distances
as Alaska claims, where much OF the
road-building must OF necessity be in
mountainous districts, the expense or
constructing highways is enormous.
| And the system Of construction so far
employed has been piecemeal. UP
! TO date the Alaska road commits
sion has been handicapped for means
! 10 do the work necessary TO meet the
| demands Of settlements let alone TO
! build feeders out into the country
where the demand for roads is strong
! and continuous.
Good Roads Draw People.
In the building OF roads and trails
! in Alaska Americans have much TO
learn from the Canadians, whose work
in the Dawson country has put the
average American road TO shame.
| There Is but little If any difference
between the country on the American
side of an imaginary line and that on
the side OF the Canadians, yet in the
roads alone there is difference enough
to designate the flag under which the
work was done On the Canadian
side there are more people, drawn
largely by the fact that they can trav.
eI. than there are on the side Of the
United States. and on one side Is a
we'll drained smooth road with mini.
mum grades. fit for automobile traffic,
while ON the American side strips OF
mud and rocks and roots are ruinous
to mans body and soul The Cana
dians have realized the need Of per
manent development. while the Amer.
A. l...l ont for "
ploitation and profit.
When Americans and the United
States congress get I'm as close touch
with Alaska and her needs as have
Canadians and the Canadian parlia
ment with the needs OF Canadian Alas
ka. then will come the end OF Alaska's
troubles For at the bottom OF II al
is ignorance Ignorance OF its i'm
meuse area, ignorance Of It's climate
varied and peculiar though 1t may be
ignorance of its resources aside from
gold and coal; ignorance OF It's i'm
! portance I'm the commerce Of tn,
, world. and. worst Of all, ignorance o
= IT'S people The most widespread ant
. Injurious misconceptions are probabl!
, those regarding the climate and th'
, people. The generally accepted no
tion is that Alaska is a land Of per
, petual snow and ice. Inhabited mainl,
4 by Eskimo. while the facts are tha
}. not one-third ot the area OF America
J.. Alaska is within the arctic circle. an,
= that the majority OF the population /
white. a sturdy mixture OF the bes
L elements of the Caucasian race. L
n other words. the people of Alaska ar
. 6f the same stock as those who bull
is oregon. Washington and California
IS that sturdy class which has ever bee
n I'm the forefront of pioneering sine
n the days Of Plymouth Rock.
d These people have troubles. but th
- greatest obstacle TO progress is lac
4 of transportation. And the solutio
4. is easy-money and brains.
Talk Is said 10 be cheap. but did yo
,bx a.,