The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-12-07
MAKE GOOD PROGRESS
ON ALASKA RAILROAD.
Chief of Engineering Corps Re-
ports 100 Miles Of Line
In Operation.

Seward, Alaska, (by mai).-Wilifam
e. EdeS, chairman or the Alaskan En-
cheering commission who recently re-
turned from Anchorage, reports eek
Ssllent progress on the construction Of
the United States railroad.
Fifty-nine miles Of track have been
laid from anchorage. With the I'll
miles of the old Alaska Northern raft
way that are now in operation to
kearn creek, there nave been completA
ed 100 miles of the 470 that will con-
meet Seward and Fairbanks. The track
so far laid from Anchorage consists OF
six miles south toward Seward; 3S miles
of main line northward to Fairbanks.
and 10 miles on the Matanuska branch
into the Matanuska coal fields.
The right of way has been cleared,
from Potter creek, on Turnagain Arm.
to Kings river, in the Matanuska coal
field, a distance OF TX miles. and on the
main line from Matanuska to theL Little
Susitna river. Rail will be laid this
fall as far as Kings river, on the Mat
anuska branch, a distance OF 50 miles
from Anchorage. and to Wassilla, on
the main line, Approximately 10 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 20 per cen
cleared and a number or grading COM
tracts have been let. Grading Of tho
Al6ht vi way Will pIOCGCu III lUlS b0C-
ton from Talkeetna to willow creek,
and north to Broad pass. At Willow
creek 1t will connec with the work
under the Matanuska district, and at
Broad Pass with he work from the
Nenana division.
Rail will be laid in the near future
as far 81 Potter creek, which Is Is
miles southeast Of Anchorage on Turn
again Arm, n from which point tho
rock work on Turnagain Arm win be
attacked during the winter.
For the week ending September ..
1858 men were employed on the An
chorage division, which includes COM
mission employees. station men ana Ia
borers, the August payroll being y25S.-
$50, 900.
The population OF Anchorage, which
is III main construction base on the
railroad, is between 1000 and 5000. At
M~atanuska, the Junction of the Malta
nuska branch with the main line,eR
townsite was recently surveyed by the
government and q town Is now In
course OF development. There is also
q 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 win be the distributing
point for freight and supplies for the
Willow creek mining district. The gov
eminent Is taking immediate steps to
survey small townsites at these places.
The railroad north and south from
Anchorage passes through and deyei-
ops a large agricultural country. There
are now between 500 and 1000 home-
steaders along the line of the railroad
in this section, and the agricultural
land is being ~Soidly daveloped. The
homesteaders are supplying a consid-
cradle portion OF the foodstuffs for the
railroad employees and other people in
that section Of the country. Recently
the Alaskan Engineering commission
contracted for 400 tons, OF over Ia, 600
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 O 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 that the country
may some day in the near future be
self supporting.