El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-06

have an equal share in the wor1z. The cost
is estimated by the cubic yard, and the pay
is on that basis.
fair treatment It has timekeepers who go
over the work and keep track OF just what
! each man GOES, that the completion
/ OF the job the account shows the efficiency
OF every man on II. There is nothing OF
/ the peonage system connected with these ar
| rsngements, There is no one who employs
! all the hands and gets rakeoff. The gov
! eminent that the arrangement Is on
! q partnership basis. and that each man gets
his individual check for his share. The great
advantage OF this method is that it elimi-
mates all questions as to hours and condi-
lions OF work. Uncle Sam pays for results
only and that within a fixed time
Good Wages Are Paid.
have asked the officials as to the wages
prevailing IN the other branches Of the
construction. Mr.. Edes tells me they are
higher than those paid for similar work in
the western parts Of the United States, al
though they are much below those Of int
rior Alaska. The men here are now getting
from 81 cents an hour upward. Some OF
hour, and some IS. This is without board.
but the latter is furnished at the govern
ment messhouse at $3.50 cents a meal. The
time Is eight hours where the men work by
the day and this makes the wages range
The men have the right to buv their per-
sonal supplies and other things OF the gov
eminent commissary, where goods are sold
Tor their wholesale cost, plus small per-
business.
gives them the goods at about 40 per cent
under the ordinary prices and enables the
poorest OF them to clear much as 81 per
day. Medical and hospital charges are free.
Labor Is Abundant
So far there has been plenty Of labor The
United States has a large class Of profess
Hional railroad builders who move about
from job TO Job. There are also many who
prefer to work the frontier and II is
this class that is now doing the greater
part OF the construction. The men are OF
all nauonalities and the greater proportion
are foreigners- In addition are a few men
from Alaska.
The engineers tell me 1t Is difficult to get
Americans to do the rough work. They all
want to be foremen. bosses or timelxeepers.
They viii work hard prospectors and
miners, but they will not continue for anv
length OF time to handle the pick and the
shovel at so much per day. The Aaskans
are doing much OF the clearing and they
have taken many contracts for ties. They
object to the low wages OF the government
which are far under those which have pre-
vailed throughout the interior. where 50 n
day and board Is still paid.
Looks Like Show Road.
wish I could show you the roadbed and ]
track so far constructed. The new railway |
looks though It might form an exhibit !
in national exposition. It runs through |
the woods but the land on both sides has 4
been cleared and bitches drain away every /
bit Of the water. A smooth he'd Of gravel, !
ten or more feet In height has been made
through the valley OF Ship creek. and this /
Is OF the requisite width for the track. /
have never seen a better looking roadbed /
anywhere, and now at its beginning il com
nares favorably in appearance with that Of
the Pennsylvania or the New York Central.
The engineers have the advantage here Of
building along hills made OF gravel. They
are composed Of pebbles ranging from the
size OF my fist to that OF a pea and all
that has been necessary to get the material
for the fills has been TO drive cuts into the
hills at the side Of the track. These cuts
are then rooted over and the cars are run |
INTO the bank and loaded by gravity. 1 I'm
liars nd hat rrn1 he afFr ]
along the greater part OF the route between
here and Fairbanks, and that much Of the
rack will be permanent and easily re-
!. Ny trip over the new roadbed was made
n company with J. r. O'Reilly. the super !
ntendent Of the railway construction. Mr.
)'Reilly has the management OF the work
nd the men under the direction OF Lieut.. /
iears, one OF the engineer commissioners
eng experience in Alaska where re has been
ngaged not only in mining, but as one or
he builders Of the Alaska Northern road,
which forms a part OF this government line. /
lie has also been connected with railroad I
construction in our western states. He
therefore, has thorough understanding of
he country and how to handle the work.
men who are building the road.
Yards Flat as a Floor.
We started at the harbor and crossed the ,
abroad yards about which the terminals
re 20 be built. These yards have an area
Z 500 or 500 acres, and the ground Is as
lat as a floor. 1t was originally covered
cen cleared away and now II looks Ike I
n Iowa corn field Just plowed- number !
tracks have already been laid upon It..
nd here and there are other tracks build =
lg. Scattered about are railroad supplies [
Z all kinds. There are locomotives and !
oilers from Panama; there are fireboxes I
nd steel rails. and machines OF all kinds / 4
IN one side Of the yards are millions OF T
set Of pine lumber from Puget Sound, and I I
n the other are great piles OF ties that
'ere cut in the forests OF the Renal penin- c
1la and shipped here via Turnagain Arm. n
None OF the large permanent buildings has ! c
IT been erected but they will all be put I'D ! y
n this tract. There will probably be large | y
ifices for the officials and clerks There | u
Ill be machine shops for the roads and a
arehouses and depots for the Matanuska v
here may also be smelters and factories Of r
ne kind or another. fl
Country Not Yet Prospected. g
During my stay at Anchorage I have y
armed about the country through which d
e railroad Will go from Thomas Riggs, r.
no has charge OF much Of the work !
the interior and who has per- I
nally gone again and again over every foot
the ground. He tells me that the most |
the region has not yet been fully pros
scted. The land Is covered with moss and |
her vegetation which 50 hides the rocks ii
lat II is hard to tell what there IS IT is | r
loWn. however. that the road will give | 70
sy access to many rich gold deposits and -
at mining camps will spring up here and | D
lere all along the way from Seward to =
airbanks. o.
There IL quarts gold near the line OF the 81
aska Northern, and there are quartz and pl
acer mines in other parts OF the Kensi ! vi