The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1915-01-12

neering Commission were in Alaska
during the past summer they made
requests from the various CONNER
cial bodies interested that certain
statistics be furnished them. They
Were to be in the nature of possible
tonnage and development in connec-
ton with the various proposed
routes. Much data was gathered
and presented by Valdez, Seward,
Knik, Fairbanks, Cordova. and other
sections.
From blanks sent out to miners
and operators in the Copper River
country the Cordova Chamber of
Commerce reports that work has
been done on 5S1 copper claims, 1913
placer gold claims, and rs gold
quartz claims, while there are $685.
900 acres available of agricultural
and grazing lands. In development
and assessment work on the mining
properties over three and a half mil
lion dollars have been expended.
The report shows further an APP
proximate southbound tonnage per
month of rs, 1000 tons, provided the
ore was all brought to the coast for
reduction, in conjunction with the
coal of the Bering River fields and
the lower grade ores of Prince Will
liam Sound. The report of the Cor
doya Chamber to the commission
also contains the following informa-
ton and claims:
This showing makes, no estimate
of coal tonnage from the Boring
River fields, because the commission
is in better position to do this than
the chamber, and we have given no
estimate of oil from the Katala
fields, Notwithstanding those fields
are producing the coal oil, gasoline
and distillate that practically sup
plies Prince William Sound.
''The report makes no estimate OF
northbound tonnage. which must of
necessity be great, in the develop
ment of properties and their opera
ton, because the chamber had no
way of arriving at same; neither
does it include any tonnage from the
Alaska Syndicate properties, for the
reason that no report was made by
them. 1t is, therefore, simply an ap-
proximate estimate of ore tonnage
along this route from properties
that have been held and money ex-
pended thereon for period ranging
from to Is years. r.
Sin all American territory there
are but three natural railway out
lets from interior Alaska to the
southern coast The first, from the
east and embracing more than one
third of the territory, is through the
Copper River valley, reaching the
Tanana rivar well up, and serving
that entire valley, as well as the
Forty-Mi district and the upper
Yukon, in American territory. The
second is through the Susitna val
ley, over Broad Pass, reaching the
Tanana river well down toward its
mouth. The third is through the
Kuskokwim valley, striking the
Yukon 500 or 600 miles above its
mouth and not touching the Tanana
district The last route is elimi-
mated, so far as this discussion is
concerned, because of ice conditions
in Boring Sea.
1.-THE proposition, therefore. re-
solves itself into this, that there are
but two practical routes from all in
terror Alaska to the southern coast
for railways, namely, one through
TIE Copper River valley and the
other through the Susitna valley
"These. two sections are separated
from each other geographically by
high ranges of mountains and
divides commercial possibilities. The
Copper River ~Hpte has been proved
to be highlv nlineralized, as appears
from the attached reports, in copper
gold, silver and lead, while that OF
the Susitna is principally adapted to
agriculture and grazing.
Tonnage is the one essential OF
every railway enterprise. Without
tonnage it must prove failure.
1--WE assert, without fear of con-
tradiction that the Copper River
route is the, only route which prom
Uses any return upon the investment,
or even operating expenses, for
years to come, because it is the only
route that possesses tonnage. In
making this assertion, we do not
wish to discredit or disparage the
agricultural resources of any section
of the territory, but we do maintain
that agriculture in Alaska must be
developed in connection with the
mineral industry, and its success