Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-08-27

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United States government will
E ~ be in the railroad-b building busl-
ness on a huge scale with the
construction of two great trunk-llne
roads for Alaska 1t is an experiment
that will be watched with keen inter
est throughout the country, for II sue
cessful the experiment will have pro-
found effect upon the regulation Oh
railroads in the states themselves
But the more immediate results of the
building Of railroads by the govern
ment in Alaska will be the develop
ment of territory of imperial rich
ness. and it is expected that there VIII
be a rush for Alaska land that VIII
exceed in keenness anything IN Amer
lean history When the railroads tap
the enormous resources of Alaska
there will come another ringing chai-
lenge to American brain and Drawn
for the conquest of the new west.
Starved and neglected as Alaska has
been by the federal government, II
already has produced $45000O,00O, but
when railroad development comes TINS
Total can be added to easily by $780,
10000 a year Alaska is coming into
| it's own-not for soulless exploitation
by greedy monopolists. but for the
| benefit of all its people and the people
Of the United States who own 1t.
May Build Two Trunk Lines.
The promise of hope for Alaska is
held out most strongly at this time IN
| the work and recommendations of the
! Alaska railroad commission which
! Uncle Sam sent to Alaska last fall to
! study the railroad needs of the coun-
| try, and whose report to congress was
made public this spring. In transmit
| ting this admirable document the
| president made an outright recommen-
| dation for the construction by the
! United States Of two trunk line roads
| 1t an estimated cost of $4,000, 900,
| and the friends of Alaska are now
presenting all the arguments they can
| think of to the senate committee
which has the matter under consider
alton Apparently we are about to
I embark in Alaska on governmental
! construction and ownership of rail
roads The commission consisted OF
| J. j. Morrow, major corps of engineers,
United States army, chairman; A. II
Brooks. United States geological sur
vey, vice-chairman; l.. M. Cox, civil
engineer, United States navy, and g.
NJ. IngersolI, consulting engineer, of
New York. Three of the members are
engineers and the vice-chairman is
the head of the division of Alaska min
eral resources of the geological sur
vey. Proceeding Immediately to Alas
ka. the commission visited the south
ern and central parts of the territory,
including the valuable harbors and
practically all of the railroads, and by
an overland trip of 700 miles to Fair
banks gained a knowledge of the in
terror
The report made by the commission
is not only favorable hut optimistic,
and it comprises just such close
analysis of the situation as might well
be expected from a body of men SO
eminently qualified to consider the
greatest needs of new country
railroads Not only is it entirely feas-
ible to provide adequate railroad IA
cilities for Alaska, but the commission
points out the immense results which
. will follow. 1t calls attention to the
vast undeyeloped mineral resources
and also the large areas of farming
and grazing lands in Alaska. These
are south of the Arctic circle and fully
as capable of high development as
Norway and Sweden lands and of as
great an area as all the states lyins
east of the Mississippi and north o.
the Ohio and Mason and Dixon's line
The climate of the Pacific coast region
I is comparatively mild, and while tina
not unfavorable to colonization and ag
| riculture.
, TWO Great Problems.
Alaskas development, it is well rec
| ognized, centers around two grea
} questions. opening of the coal field
and transportation. The former is de
: pendent upon the latter The fabulou
: resources of this enormous territor.
: are unquestioned, but without an ade
quate transportation system they vii
remain largely potential, undevelope
and unused; but with railroads Alask
must respond to a degree which vii
make even the great activity and tn
I large production of the past doze
years seem as 1t has been in reality
/ mere pioneer work.
e At the present time all sorts c
D transportation methods are in US
! In Alaska Some railroads, it is true