The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1919-11-07


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The summer-no sweeter was ever;
The sunshiny woods all atnrlh
The Crawling aleap in the river,
The strong life that never knows harness
The freshness the freedom. the fairness
God rh n0g gp e% Of stqS Ss U yukon servce
@\HE house of representatives the ouiel
day passed an amendment to the gov
eminent Alaskan railroad act "
which the additional sum OF SltVVv'
600 was appropriated for the comple-
,eNJN ton of the road by December 81 lo@A.
hQ]EZSSN The debate was presumably more or
SyEP Nl$A less tinged with partisan pohlics'
w NM Leaving out the politics many inter-
SfH NH csting facts of value were Drought
MZp%SpT out concerning Alaska-Land OF tne
IL TGTSPA Midnight Sun-which has proved
SDD NJ veritable treasure trove to the united
States and is only at the beginning
of its development Some of these facts are mere
given with credit to the various representatives.
Mr.. Curry of Cafornia-Mr. Chairman In 1860
when Alaska was purchased through the eHoIts
Of Secretary of State Seward from RUSSIA IoE
s7,2O0O00, which was less than cents an acre,
the European nations poked fun at the uni1eo
States, and the papers of the United States ridi
.uled Secretary Seward and referred to Alaska as
Stewards Iceberg"
The climate of the most of Alaska is better than
that Of Scandinavia and New Foundland- Vege-
tables and cereals can be and are raised there,
and il is the richest undeyeloped mineral secuon
on the face of the earth
Time has justified Stewards purchase OF Alaska
FOR the United States. Since 1859 Alaska has pro-
iuced over $S4O,OO0OO0 worth of wealth; $500
100000 of that from her fisheries, most Of the
rest from her mines and from her furs. In the
same time Alaska has bought from the United
States S400OOOOO0 worth Of property. IL has done
chat under existing law that practically ties up the
resources of Alaska and prohibits them from being
developed.
In 1914 under these conditions, knowing that
Alaska should be developed and that railroad
could not and would not be built by private enter
prise, the congress of the United States enacted
i law authorizing the president to construct rail-
road or railroads In Alaska, not to exceed 1000
miles in length and authorized the expenditure
by him of S35 600 for that purpose The presi-
dent placed the construction of the road under the
control Of the secretary Of the Interior and he en-
turn organized what Is known as the Alaskan
engineering commission to take practical charge Of
the work.
The original authorization Of s350000O0 would
have constructed this road under ordinary c0ndi-
tons and circumstances, but the war came along.
wages Increased 80 per cent, the cost Of material
increased up to ISL per cent and transportation up
to lat per cent. Under those circumstances the
35O00,O00 is not sufficient to complete the work.
1t is therefore, absolutely necessary, unless we
wish to sacrifice the S350O0000 already invested.
that this $17,000.O00 authorization be allowed.
The road when completed, will be 601 miles in
length The main line from Seward to Fairbanks
win be All miles In length. The spurs and branches
and side lines will make up the Sol miles. An of
the road has been completed, with the exception
OF some work to be done to complete the first n
miles from Seward north and gap Of 100 miles
and another small gap Of rs miles. Nest OF the
100-miIe gap has been surveyed and some Of the
roadbed has been made.
The road started from Seward on the southern
point of Alaska, and went to Anchorage. Part Of
that road--u mlles-had been constructed From
Anchorage over to the northern terminal Of the
road, Fairbanks Ii located on the Tanana river
The Tanana river is q branch Of the Yukon river
and the Yukon river and the Tanana river are
navigable for 1000 miles. The Alaskan railroad
commission commenced building from the south
ern point north. They brought the material to
Seward and Anchorage and they commenced to
build from the northern terminal south, so that
they could save time and save money.
The road already reaches to the coal neids
There the 1,202 square miles Of coal fields IN
Alaska that have been explored and exported by
the coast and ge0detc survey the geological sxlr
vey and by the Alaskan engineering commission.
That Is ali the line of this road II is estimated
that there are 30,O00000000 tons Of coal that win
Be opened to commerce by this read, and 10000
100000 tons of 1t will be high-grade coal which
such purposes ard the rest OF It for fuel and mat
fars of that kind In Alaska Ii has been estmafea