The Alaska citizen., 1914-10-12


 ~~~~>~~~~o~~~~~o~0~ v " ,~0~o-"~"-o""~o throughout Alaska. one of which was at Panama. which post has been known from the date of its institu- ton as Fort Gibbon.
 In 1898 a party of government sur veyors were sent out to look up pos sible locations for military posts. Arriving at the present site of Fort Gbbon, and the town of Panama, they were quick 10 size up the advantages which would te gained from d post so centrally located and at the con fluence of two such great rivers as the Yukon and the Panama. and accordingly, they made a favorable report 10 their superiors conceninc the place in question.
 On July 10th, of the next year or 1899 congress by special act set 3S17O acres of land on the right bank of the Yukon river. and three miles below the mouth of the Tana ma river apart for military purposes. This tract is about so square miles in extent Starting at a point on the bank of the Yukon the line of the military reservation runs inland for distance of six miles, thence westward for a distance of ten miles, then back to the river again with the stream as it's southern boundary The post is, then, at the extreme southeasterly corner of the military reservation.
 About the same time that con gress set the tract of land aside, the war department sent two companies of soldiers. under command of Cap tain (now maior) Charles s. Earns worth, 10 take charge of it. Work on the post itself also commenced dur ing the same summer. Since that time tract of land 1925 acres in extent has been added to the original reservation for military telegraph purposes.
 THE COST OF TT ALL.
 Since Fort Gibbon was first es- tablished many millions of dollars have been spent by the government for it's maintenance. There is no data obtanable at the post regarding the original cost of the clearing of the post grounds and the construction of the present day buildings, but it is estimated to have been between $75O,0OO and s1,OOO,OO0. The eXpen- ditures since that date have been something enormous. it being esti- mated that the cost of maintaining the post is something over s500,00O per annum most of which money is disbursed directly at Panama
 It is estimated that the cost of the subsistence of the army last year at Fort Gibbon was $160,000. Of that amount all but about $25,OOO was spent Outside, the latter sum being the cost of beef shipped in from the Outside by meat dealers and sold to the government. An other amount of approximately SIP 800 was also spent Outside for hay, oats and dog feed.
 Approximately $67OO0 is spent an nually at the post for wood, at $7 per cord. Of this amount $18,3OO is for fuel for the government steam CTS, General J. w. Jacobs and Jeff Davis, while s4S7OO is for wood for the post and outlying stations. Two more large items of the expense which the government is put to in maintaining Fort Gibbon are $7,56O per annum for freighting and drayage and $2,O60 for water. Rental of quarters for the outlying stations of the signal corps, amounts to $2,- 222 annually Heat and light at Fairbanks alone during the past year was $2,537.
 The civilian payroll at Fort Gio- bon amounts to $5.7O0 per month at least, although during some of the summer months it is even higher. All of this money is spent at Tana- na. A large number of civilians find employment at the post the year round. great many of them being employed on the government transports during the summer.
 Aside from the maintenance of