Evening star., 1914-04-19

il is il seems necessary that any route
reaching Cook inlet from the valleys or
the Susitna or Matanuska must be car
ried across the kenai mountains TO
Seward along the line Of the Alaska
northern route or by other passes to the
westward of that line
West of Cook inlet high and rugged
mountains seem 10 bar any direct ac-
cess TO the Kuskokwim rom the west
side of this inlet, but toward the south
erIy end of the inlet these mountains
are less difficult and the passes are low.
The Iliamna lake region offers pos
sible route from some such terminal
point Iliamna bay into the kuskok-
vim. and from that great valley pos
sibly on into the lower fuko', troi,.
which it is separated by only a low
watershed
In its report the commission discusses
these routes in detail both with respect
to topography and resources Of the sec
tons they would serve.
The projected Haines Fairbanks road
would open up a rich country noted for
the gold placers OF the Porcupine dis
trict and the Lake kluane district -
Yukon territory, the copper deposits *
the Rainy Hollow district in British 90
!,imbia and the copper deposits of the
upper White River valley. which are
chiefly on tie Alaskan side OF the boun-
dary.
1t not only would give access to sec
ton immensely wealthy IN mineral de
posits but il would also traverse
good timber belt, in the lower Chilka'
valley and likewise make possible u"
onening up of a large tract of arabic
land Agricultural development in this
field is entirely possible and. as mat
ter of fact. the lower Tanana Naiiey
from the delta to the Yukon is one OF
the most fertile tracts known IN Alaska,
of
valley are estimated at between e,eeo"'
and 100000
The Katalla and Controller bay lines
leading through the third most feasibl.
route of access to the interior, that a
forded by the Copper River valley are
described at length
In discussing the coal resources OF th's
section. which Is one OF the TWO AlasAa
fields containing the greatest amount OF
high-grade coal, the commission states
that the chemical composition OF the bitu-
minous Goals is similar to that OF the nsst
deposits of the Appalachian fields Ihe
Forests of the Bering river field Will fur
nish sufficient timber for mining ana othet
local use for an almost indefinite PERIOD
il is stated
Describing the proposed route from Co..
dova to Fairbanks, the commission states
that the railroad already built by the
Copper River and Northwestern Railway
Company from Cordova to Chitna a as
tance of 49, miles, may be assumed TO pe
available as an operative part of the
through line from Cordova, We're such a
road to be built. Cordova is located on
Orca bay and has LOO inhabitants II
is the general distribution point for sup
plies bound into the interior
Mineral resources tributary to the
projected through line from Cordova to
Fairbanks include some undeveloped
auriferous lodes in the region between
its and gold placers in Hanagita valley
and the Bremner river region: gold
placers in the Chistochina district; un-
developed gold lode deposits in the Alaska
range and gold placer and lode deposits
OF the lower Tanana valley. More i'm
portant however, are the resources which
will be developed by the building or
branch lines.
Included in the mineral resources of the
country contiguous to the Valdez Fair
banks line are gold and copper deposits
of the region close to tldew ater. unde-
veloped auriferous deposits lying between
Valdez and the Copper river; copper de-
posits of the Copper river basin, and gold
deposits of the Chistochina district ana
Tanana basin. Many undeveloped water
sites are to be found in this section. while
there is some fairly good timber Agri-
cultural resources are of limited value
Coming to the next available port,
which is Seward. in Resurrection bay, the
commission discusses the advantages OF
Seward to Fairbanks line. This town pro-
vides the Alaska Northern railway Win
its tidewater terminus.
The developed mineral resources of the
region, which would be opened up by the
proposed railway, together with brancn
lines to the kuskokwim, INCLUDE placers
and gold lode deposits of the Fairbanks
Innoko and Iditarod districts The vaiue
of the total placer output of the province
is upward of 10000. Lode mining has
only begun.
Coal is the principal undeveloped re-
source of this field. Some copper has been
discovered, as have some I'm. antiHofE.
silver-lead and other metaliiferous de-
posits The agricultural areas OF this
section are large.
The last proposed railway iine consio-
cred in the commissions s report is the
1liamna- -kuskokwim route lliamna pay.
an arm of Kamshak bay, on the west
shore of Cook Inlet is now unsettled. but
has been selected as the terminal of the
Alaska Short Line railway.
The developed mineral resources of the
Iliamna region include the gold placers
of the Iditarod-Innoko region, and some
smaller placer camps which are tributary
to the lower kuskokwim. The prospec-
tive mineral resources are copper. silver.
lead gold and petroleum, but none OF
these have been developed on a CONNER
timbered but it is believed that it would
lend itself to profitable farming on fair
ly extensive scale.
In concluding its report the commits
sion states that the Industrial develop
ment which will follow the building OF
the main trunk lines cannot fail to call
for the extension of many branches TO
serve adjacent districts.
Whether the roads are to be operated
by the government or private enter
prise is a matter for future considera-
tion.
Former President Taft expressed his
views on this point when, in transmit
ting the commissions report to Con-
gress he said: II am much opposed 10
government operation, but j believe
that government ownership with prf-
yate operation under lease is the
proper solution of the difficulties here
presented"
President Wilson. in his message Of
December 2, declared that Alaska's re-
sources must not be monopolized upon
as against the abiding interest of COM
munities.
THAT policy be worked out by
conference and concession. he said.
which will release these resources and
yet not leopard or dissi pate them, | for
one have no doubt. and it can be done
on lines of regulation which need be
no less acceptable to the people and
government of the nation at large
whose heritage these resources are.
We must bend our counsels to this end
\ common purpose ought to ke
agreement easy.