Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-12-07
MAKE GOOD PROGRESS
ON ALASKA RAILROAD
Chief of Engineering Corps Re.
ports 100 Miles of Line
In Operation.

Seward, Alaska, (by mail).-William
Z. Edes, chairman of the Alaskan En-
gineering commission, who recently re-
turned from Anchorage, reports ex-
celent progress or the construction of
the United States railroad.
tifty-nine miles of track have been
LAID from Anchorage. With the IL
miles of the old Alaska Northern rail-
way that are now in operation to
kearn creek, there have been complet-
ed 100 miles of the 47O thai will con-
meet Seward and Fairbanks. The track
SO TAR laid from Anchorage consists Of
SIX miles south toward Seward; SO miles
OF main line northward to Fairbanks.
n 10 miles on the Matanuska branch
into the Matanuska coal fields.
h right of way has Deer cleared
from Potter creek, on Turnagain Arm,
to Kings river, in the Matanuska coal
field, a distance of II miles. and on the
main line from Matanuska to the Little
Susitna river. Rail will be laid this
fall as far as Kings river, on the Mat
anuska branch, a distance of 81 miles
from Anchorage, and to Wassilla, on
the main line, approximately Is miles
from Matanuska. On the main line in
the susitna valley, between Montana
creek and Indian river, a distance of So
miles, the right of way is 70 per cent
cleared and a number of grading con-
tracts lave been let. Grading of the
right of way will proceed in this sec
ton from Talkeetna to Willow creek,
n north to Broad pass. AT Willow
creek it will connect with the work
under the Matanuska district, and at
Broad Pass with the work from the
Nenana division.
fta1l Will be laid in the near future
as far as Potter creek, which is Is
miles southeast of Anchorage on Turn
again Arm, and from which point the
rock work on Turnagain Arm will be
attacked during the winter.
For the week ending September 9,
S.h6S men We're employed on the An
chorage division, which includes COM
mission employees, station men and la
Dorers. the August payroll being $685.
$50, 900.
The population Of Anchorage. which
Is the main construction base on the
railroad, is between 1000 n 5000. At
M~atanuska, the junction of the Malta
nuska branch with the main line, q
townsite was recently surveyed by the
government and a town is now in
course Of development. There is also
a small town at Moose creek. about SO
miles from Anchorage. where the rail-
road crosses the Knik- Willow creek
wagon road, several people are gather
ing. Wassilla will be the distributing
point for freight and supplies for the
Willow creek mining district. The gov
is taking immediate steps to
survey small townsites at these places.
The railroad north and south from
Anchorage passes through and devel-
ops a large agricultural country. There
are now between 500 and 1000 home
steaders along the line of the railroad
in this section, n the agricultural
land is being rapidly developed. The
homesteaders are supplying a consid-
cradle portion OF the fo%odstuffs for the
railroad EMPLOYEES and other people in
that section Of the country. Recently
the Alaskan Engineering commission
contracted for 400 tons, or over 18. 900
bushels, Of potatoes with the Mata-
nuska farmers. Produsts are being
hauled by the farmers to Matanuska
and shipped over the railroad to An
chorage and other points along the
line. There is still room for a large
number Of homesteaders in the vicinity
Of the railroad, and the government
hopes to encourage farmers from the
states to come to Alaska and take up
homesteads in the territory tributary
to the railroad in order to develop. the
agricultural lands so thatsthe country
may some day in the near future be
self supporting.