The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-15
THE ALASKAN RAILWAY TN 1917--By Frank G. Carpenter

| list of missing men" or inquiries con cerning husbands and sons who have disappeared from the knowledge of their relatives. There are also records of the new rifle clubs and baseball teams and oe the railroad branch of the r. M. C.. l A. This branch was organized last De- | cember and an active campaign for mem | bers has been going on during the win ter The work was done by two rival associations among the employees, one of which was known as the Hustlers and the other as the Rustlers. The chief ac- | tivity was at Anchorage, where a build i ing has been opened, and rooming quar- | ters obtained for members at a reason able price. Arrangements have been made to institute billiard tables and bowling alleys and gymnasium. 1t is thought that the old hospital building will be remodeled and given over to the association.
 The government has recently estab- lshed land and industrial depart ment in connection with the commis- sion. This branch now has iurisdic- tion over all land alters It will lay out the townstes and sell the lots at auction and all inquiries concerning real estate mines and development projects along the line of the railway
 
 Andrew Christensen, who was formerly connected with the general land office and had charge of the lands of ti:e territory
 In connection with such development lively activity is taking place along the whole line of the road. Home steads are being taken up all the way from Seward to Fairbanks.
 There are now about 500 farms In the Matanuska and Susitana valleys not far from Anchorage and there are many new homesteads in the Tanana valley. All of these farms are being operated with view to supplying the local market and they are raising con siderable product, but by no means enough to supply the demands.
 The railroad commission is trying to bring about a system of cooperation between the merchants and the home. steaders. which will lead to less inn portation from the outside and q greater sale for local products. They are getting the prices the merchants can pay for the crops raised in Alaska, and information from the homesteaL- CTS as to the amount of farm and gar den stuff they can raise. So far it is not possible to give the actual amount of all that has been raised by the farmers this year.
 The, commission has data showing what has been produced by about one seventh of the homesteads along the line of the railroad. There are alto gether 800 farms now in operation and the reports received come from 70 only. These show that from those 70 farms were sold 920 tons of potatoes, 1T5 tons of turnips and rutabagas. S3 tons Of cabbage and tons of cauliflower. Ths farmers raised also II tons of beets and 55 tons of carrots They sold 7l5 pounds of spinach, 5000 pounds rhu- barb, 11,000 pounds of tomatoes and 4,000 pounds of cucumbers. They raised 300 cantaloupes. many crates of raspberrieS and strawberries, 1S,000 green onions, 12000 heads of lettuce and 30,000 punches of celery. As to farm crops they sold over 50 tons of barley. 11S tons of oats and 300 tons of hay
 The commission has received reports from r merchants along the line of the railroad as to their annual demands for supplies similar to the above. These show something of the market. The merchants sold 10000 pounds of canteloupes. 4000 pounds of cucumbers about 1900 tons of potatoes and 21,000 green onions. They sold 1000 pounds of cantaloupes, 4O00 vegetables as have been supplied by the farms, and in addition 224,000 pounds Of butter. and more than 34,000 pounds of cheese. The farmers have sold only 1000 pounds of butter and no cheese. Chickens are in great demand, but the farmers had only S53 to sell.
 Many of the farms are springng up around the new towns, and the new towns are being laid out at every pos sible traffic center. The most important of the recent townsltes is that of Nenana. The first auction sale of lots was held ct A1tc met nrn1J government S130000 Three hundred and forty-nine lots were sold and the average price paid was higher than at any other sale yet held by the government. Houses are now going up at Nenana. The mu- nicipality has been organized and the