The Detroit times., 1915-04-28
ALASKA
REEVES
DAYS OF '98
Government Railroad
Project Starts Old
Time Boom
THOUSANDS FLOCK
INTO SEWARD
Northern Village Bids
Fair to Become
Large City
BY g. o. SAWYER.

In few months. IL has room fol
Q million.
One man has been made n million
afro over night A hundred others
Who for four lean years have sea
soned their dinners OF "hooligans'
(candie nsh) and rabbits with hope
have been tapped by the magic wand
of the goddess OF fortune-or op
portunity.
Thousands more are pouring In
equipped with golden dreams and q
stake. Where there was hunger and
hope the boomers" and the presi
dent of the United States have made
. land Of plenty and opportunity.
Cali Seward the Chicago or the
Oklahoma City OF Alaska and you
will be right either way. Today Il
IL the Oklahoma City: tomorrow II
win be the Chicago.
AL this II because Seward was
named az the seaport terminal for
the $4,000 900 government railroad
Can you imagine what this means
20 the $50 pioneers who endured the
hardships OF years awaiting the
great day? Can you imagine what
this would mean 10 Seward was a
town OF 100000! Imagine what II
would mean II the greater part OF
$4,000, 900 was to be spent in your
town.
The din OF industry would all the
air. the cries OF the construction
gang bosses. the shouts OF the team
sters. the crack OF the carpenters
hammers. the ciink OF millions OF
dollars being spent over the coun
tiers OF hsif finished stores Town
lots hardly worth taxes before he
come priled business sites, worth
ts.ooo. 10000 OF $4,000. 4 = -
That's what II meant to Seward
and It's $50 samblers--for they were
gamblers. .chancetakers In a grea,
game.
II Cordova or Valdez had been
picked instead OF the Seward-Fair
banks their years OF waiting would
lave been wasted and they would
have been stranded, penniless.
Seward took It's good fortune
calmly. When its newspaper with
headlines shouting "'Hurrah. Hurrah
seward-Fairbanks route named.
there were few yells OF delight
and then many signs OF relief and
Fl told you SOS" Only two men did
What would be assumed the natural
taing for all men to do In frontier
town under the stress OF so much ex
c:tement--ot hopes finally realized
And when these two staggered down
the main street they were quickly
shooed 20 their homes.
Twelve years ago Frank Ballaine
his wife and son Francis. came to
Alaska and staked their all in hiring
civil engineers 10 lay out railroad
from the southern coast OF Alaska to
the Interior. They decided on Res
direction bay. There was no
Seward then--only few indians
and a white family named Lowell
BaIiaine gave the Lowells $1,000 FOL
their claim and started the Alaska
Central railroad with his brother
John.
/ Il was q bitter struggle and
they lost the railroad which later
was known as the Alaska North.
ern, but Frank Ballaine never
gave up the townsite. He could
dispose OF II today for q cold
millionI
The steamers Watson and Ad
mirai Evans have already left their
load of hundreds OF stampeders and
returned for more. The Watson had
left the Seattle docks when the
news came, was recalled by wire
less and picked up 80 boomers
who were ready to start the minute
the word was flashed that Seward
was the chosen spot.
WaILst. Quickly Establishes Bank
wall-st.. keen, astutc WaIl-st.
guessed the outcome A young bond
stIssrnan two years ago was jerked
from the joys Of Broadway and sent
to Seward 30 the Hartman interests
could comply with the law by hav
/. ing Q resident director when their
bank was established. wall-st, may
dislike government railroads but Il
10 rot adverse TO gathering the
crumbs that fall by the wayside
from one. so the Hartman Nation
nj Bank OF Alaska Is now located al
Seward and a cashier and vice-prest
dent direct from wall-st. have ar
rived.
A i7.ooopound safe. the largest
ever brought north, came up on the
boat the other day. They had an
awful time handling Il In New Yc
and the consignees we're wondering
how TO get Il set up IN Seward
where no modern apparatus could be
obtained.
An old "sourdoush" who own
ec SIX horses came down to the
docks and looked II over. He
didn't say anything; just dashed