The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-09
RAILROAD MAKING
 IN U. 5. RAPIDLY
 PUSHED FORW ARD
Alaskan Engineering Com mission Chairman Re-
 turns to States.

Seward, Alaska, Nov. 9.-Wm. c. Edes. chairman of the Alaskan En- uneering Commission, who recently s-turned from Anchorage, reports S-.ccllent progress on the construc- ion of the United States railroad.
 Fifty-nine miles of track have been laid from Anchorage. With the 72 miles of the old Alaska Northern Railway that are now in operation to Kearn Creek, there have been com pleted 130 miles of the 470 that will connect connect Seward and Fair banks. The track so far laid from Anchorage consists of six miles south toward Seward; 38 miles of main line northward to Fairbanks, and 15 miles on the Matanuska branch into the Matanuska coal fields.
 The right of way has been cleared from Potter Greek, on Turnagain Arm, to Kings River, in the Matanu- ska coal fields. distance of 77 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 Matanuska branch, a distance of 62 miles from Anchorage, and to Wassilla on the main line, ap- proximately 15 miles from Matanu- sska. On the main line in the Susitna Valley, between Montana Creek and Indian river, a distance of 55 miles, the right of way Is 70 per cent. clear ed and a number of grading contracts have been let. Grading of the right of way will proceed in this section from Talkeetna to Willow Creek, and north of Broad Pass. At Willow Greek it will connect with the work under the Matanuska district, and at Broad Pass with the work from the Nenanna division.
 Rail will be laid in the near future fas far as Potter Creek, which is 15 miles southeast of Anchorage on sTurnaEain Arm, and from which point the rock work on Turnagain Arm will be attacked during the win- ter.
 For the week ending September g, S.568 men were employed on the Am chorage Division, which includes Commission employeA stationmen and laberers. the August payroll be- ing $25S, ,330,o0
 The population of Anchorage, which is the main construction base on the railroad. is between 4,000 and 5, ,000. S At Matanuska, the junction of the Matanuska branch with the main fzAiliC, ctf tO W AASAtC fOCOiiSAyt SAA wy aed by the government and a town is about 50 miles from Anchorage, where the first mine on the railroad now in course of development. There is also Small town at Moose Creek, is in operation At Wassilla, the name of the town where the railroad crosses the Knik- Willow Creek wagon road, several people are gathering. Wassilla will be the distributing zpoint for freight and supplies for the sWiliow Creek mining district. The government is taking immediate steps to survey small townsites at these places.
 The railroad north and south from Anchorage passes through and de- tveiopes large agricultural country. There are now between 500 and 1000 ' shonnesteaders along the line of the railroad in this section, and the agricultural land is being rapidly de- s4veloped. The hoInesteaders are SUD- plying considerable portion of the sfoodstuffs for the railroad employees Eand other people in that section of the country. Recently the Alaskan Engineering Commission contracted for 400 tons, or over 13,000 bushels, of potatoes with the Matanuska far merS.- PrOductS are being hauled by the farmers to Matanuska and ship ped over the railroad to Anchorage aI1dt other points along the line. There is still room for a large num- Der 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 that the country may some day in the near future be self-supporting.