The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-11-16
UNCLE SANS RAILROAD
TO INTERIOR OF ALASKA
WILL DEVELOP VAST MINERAL
RESOURCES OF THE
FAR NORTH.

e.. j. Underwood in Sunset Magazine)
The problem of government owner
ship and operation of railroads will be
tested this fall and winter, when Uncle
Sans engineers will be hauling COM
mercial coal over the federal railroad
from the Matanuska fields to Anchor
age, Alaska. Early in August the
laying of steel from Anchorage to
Matanuska Crossing was completed,
and the residents of the new frontier
town celebrated the occasion by an
excursion run to the end of the line.
The government plan contemplates
the construction Of line from Sc
ward to Fairbanks, the metropolis OF
Interior Alaska. Besides opening up
the coal resources of the Matanuska
field, this route will make available
the mineral country at the head of
of the Susitna and other valleys AL
ready more than two hundred home
steaders have taken up ranches along
the line of railroad and are grazing
cattle on their lands. In the vicinity
of Fairbanks also lies large area of
Agricultural land and many settlers
in that district are sowing large areas
to oats, hay, clover, potatoes and other
products. Wheat and oats grown in
this section took first prize at an irri-
CATION and land show held at Mime
apolis in 1912.
Steward the Terminal.
Anchorage, the main construction
camp, is now city of about 5000. 1t
is situated on Cook Inlet, but because
of unfavorable ice conditions it Is des-
tined to be used only in summer. Sc
ward has been selected as the per-
manent terminal The government
purchased the Alaska Northern rail-
road, running from this point to Kern
creek, distance of seventy one miles
Thirty four miles of this line are now
operated by the government for the
accommodation of miners and agricul-
turists in that section. 1t later will
be connected with the terminal at An
chorage. A crew of about $500 men
are now laying steel to connect An
chorage with Fairbanks, and gang
of grade clearers are at work in the
interior working back to connect will
the line from the coast. 1t is esri-
mated that the project will cost $685.
100000. About $1O,OOO,OOO will have
been expended at the close of this yeac
Big Coal Deposits.
The coal in the Matanuska measures
is of all grades, running from Ignite
to anthracite. In the test made by the
government, part of it was found to be
admirably adapted to naval purposes
and it is believed that this field will
supply all the fuel for the United
States battleships and coaling sta
lions on the Pacific coast The AL
aska coal lands may be leased from
the government on royalty basis.
Part of the field furnishes an ex
cellent coking coal, and as Alaska
now annually exports an average Of
$25 100000 worth of copper ore, smels-
ers doubtless will be erected in the
territory for the reduction of this ma.
terial. The copper zone is fairly con-
tiguousN to the coal fields
Competing Railroad.
The government will not be withou
competition in the coal business. \
group of Seattle capitalists, headed
by John A. and James Campbell
wealthy logging men, are constructing
light railroad from Kattalla to th'
Behring river fields. They expect t
have their own line completed early
next spring. Two claims in the Ber'
ing river field have been patented an.
the owners will have an advantage o
the Matanuska operators in that the!
will have no royalties to pay and
much shorter haul to tidewater.