The Alaska citizen., 1916-08-28
PRICES MUCH HIGHER
 THAN WAS EXPECTED
BUILDING ON TOWNSHIP HAS ALREADY MMENCEO-OOZEN BUSINESSES AT NEW TOWN AND MORE ARE GOING MINED tATELT-ALl SATISFIED.

the recent Nenana lot sale benefit. ad the government to the extent O. $132 525. That is, that is the amour, which will have been paid into the government coffers at the end of five years time. when all payments on the lots have been made by their purchasers. A total of "5t lots was sold the sale end ue Friday afternoon.
 At noon on Friday total of 253 lots had been sold for approximate ly $l26.0SO After that time the lots did not bring big prices, 101 pieces of residence property most of them being in the outlying blocks of the .ownsite selling for total Of $6.445 or an average of $63 S1 cents each. The total average, de spite the high prices paid for busi- ness lots on the opening day of the sale wa $374&5 per lot.
 Ali Of the money paid for the Iete go,s into the United States
 asury and not to the Enences ing commission and through il to ward the development of Alaska, as many have supposed Which fact Is another cause for regret in the matter of nigh prices. For ap- proximateIy $44ooO in cold cash has gone into government eoffers out of interior Alaska and twice that amount will go the same way within the next five years.
 Commissioner Thomas Riggs. Jr., has expressed himself as being con siderabIy surprised at the high prices brought by lots which were appraised al no higher value than $250 For that reason he has sug- mana that they prepare a petition and forward it to the President and Secretary of the Inerior Lane, set ting forth the report of the lot sale in it's entirety. stating the prices at which the lots Were appraised by the Engineering commission and asking that the town of Nenana be refunded at least half of the purchase price, said fund to be used ill Improvements at the end of five years time, or after the Engineering commission shall have relinquished it's management of the townsite
 Such an amount, it is pointed out, would be of great benefit to a new town. For it could be used in civic improvements in many ways and would be good thing for a city just starting out with no other fund at its disposal.
 Whether or not MT Riggs sug- gestion will be acted upon is not known. But it is understood that several of the more prominent pur- chasers of lots at the sale will con suit "Ill lli4Il III llIt 4iI1tlSI, anu that as a result such a petition would be forwarded to the proper authorities at Washington with his recommendation.
 The first days sale started at 10 o'clock in the morning, with A. Christensen, chief of the land and industrial division of the Engineer ing commission. acting as auction eer In opening the sale MT. Chris jensen made a statement regarding the regulations which would govern it. He also told of the contemplat- ed Improvements which the govern ment intends to make at Nenana and stated that the town would be good for at least three years. or during the time that the railroad bridge across the Panama river is under construction.
 He also stated that the townsite covered 18O acres and that there were S80 lots plated Of that number, 666 of the lots were for sale, he said. He pointed out the fact that the government is reserv ing the entire waterfront for dock and warehouse purposes. He also stated that the lots fronting on the waterfront in every block were to remain unsold, as it was the idea of the Engineering commission to have a railroad town, not a river town, as are all other interior towns
 The entire east half of block No and the west half of block No. were reserved for James Duke, the former owner of the townsite. The entire valuation placed on the Duke property by the government is s20, 900. And it is understood that MT Duke was offered that amount ir cold cash for his holdings.
 The highest price paid for any lot at the sale was $500 Lot No l in block 12 brought that amour, and was purchased by w. F. White ly for a company of Fairbanks pur chasers On the records of the En