Iditarod pioneer., 1914-10-24
e1o V

Judge James WlckerShdm, the AlaSka delegate in congress, says there are immense quantities of gold rocks in the vicinity of Fairbanks And the rich placer mines are very far from being exhausted. So 1ar, he declares S74,000,000 of gold has been tokeI. out of the territory in and arond t' at frontier city-taken out by workingmen, mostly who have owned the claims. Half of all those millions, Judge Wlckersham as serts, was paid for freights-not for food, clothing and machinery, but for the item of transportation alone, says a writer in the Washington, D. C., Herald
 "The freight rates of Alaska he said to me, ''are the highest in the civilized world Every white man, woman and child in the | territory has an annual freight bill of S35O | Such is a part of the tribute we pay to the Alaska syndicate.
 Moreover, the syndicate owns all the warehouses and stores. Independent mer- chants going into the country, Judge Wick ersham states. soon become bankrupts. The l syndicate by it's own vessels, carries provl- sions, clothing, tools, machinery and hay | from Seattle to Cordova. It hauls these necessary supplies for living and working over its railroad to Chitina and thence in it's own sleds to Fairbanks. No outside man, | partnership or corporation can compete, Judge Wlckersham points out, agalnst such an a,l-embracing monopoly
 So Judge Wickersham came to believe | that the national government should buld railroad from southern port in Alaska to Fairbanks, and thus liberate 36,00O white Americans in the territory from the eXtor- tions of the syndicate. He claims that no private interest in the United States could get the $35, ,000,000 necessary for the con struction of the railway. The syndicate IS so powerful, he says that the banks ln thls country would be afraid to finance the project.
 Lobbyists Roosted On the Rails Therefore he went before congress with bill for government road from the shores of the Pacific ocean to the interior water ways of the territory. The bill was de bated, and became law, though lobby lsts" Judge Wickersham says, "roosteG on the gallery rails of the senate and the house of representatives.
 The President of the United States Will choose the route and build the road Army engineers, no doubt, will recommend a route and it IS equally as certain that they will superintend the work of construction. Judge Wickersham believes that the road will be started this year and will be completed Tn the autumn of 1916. He hopes, of course, that Fairbanks his home, will be the north ern terminus of the line. Branch roads will open the great coal stores Of the terri tory. It is about 450 miles from the Pacific ocean to Fairbanks The law limits the President to the construction of l,OOo miles of railway and to the expenditure of S35,- pnA l, use of the army and navy.
 The President of the United States dug the Panama canal There was neither graft TOT mismanagement. Congress IS sure the President can construct 8 railroad Tn Alaska without scandal CT any loss of money Once the road is built, it will be operated by the national government or leased, under regu- lations, to private interests. As yet that matter has not been decided Leasing, how ever, is favored by many members of con gress.
 If Alaska, finally is Liberated" then logically, Judge Wickersham years hence will be called the hberator." He looks the part and has lived up to 1t ever since he began his great battle with monopohsts m the city of Tacoma, though Tacoma was only small village at the time. He had arrived in Tacoma with a wife, baby and S35 in cash
 But he was born back in Illinois on farm. q went barefooted," he said, until I was IS years old" He put on his shoes at that age walked into Springfield and studied law with General John M Palmer, afterwards a senator in congress and Tn 1896, the candidate of the Gold Democrats for President
 Lived on S5 Month
 q slept in a back room of the office, Judge Wickersham informed me "and on bed of my own manufacture. l swept the floors, kindled the fire and washed the win dows ws-occasionally General Palmer paid me S5 a month I lived on that sum- actu- ally. for two years My father would have helped me- but 1 wanted to worry along without assistance After I was admitted to the bar General Palmer get me place in the local census office. A year later i was married"
 At Tacoma, Attorney Wickersham turned to carpenterng. He had learned to use hammers and saws at home. Tacoma was then town of 1900 people, goodly num- Der of whom were trying to practice law and do collecting. The year was 1885.
 Tn 1884 bunch of men met to noml- nate county ticket" Judge Wickersham l said to me "I was still shingEng houses, making fences, and so on, and, being busy and not present to defend myself, the bunch nominated me for probate judge. Honest John,' long in the office ran on the other ticket I beat him. much to his sur prise and disgust, and to the amazement of the rest of the inhabitants. ttJ bolJ +bo for then appointed city attorney. The water and lighting company, after vote of the citizens, had previously sold its plant to the municipality for $1,75O,000. Coming