The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-12-18

of its development. Some of these facts are here
given, with credit to the various representatives.
Mr. Curry of Californla.-Mr. Chairman, In 1867
when Alaska was purchased through the efforts
of Secretary OF State Seward from Russia for
$7,200.000. which was less than cents an acre,
the European nations poked fun at the United
States and the papers of the United States ridi'
culed 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. yege-
tables and cereals can be and raised there,
and II is the richest undeveloped mineral section
on the face of the earth.
Time has justified Stewards purchase of Alaska
for the United States. Since 1869 Alaska has pro-
duced over SS40OO0Oo0 worth of wealth; $780,.
OO0OoO 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 100000 worth of property. 1t has done
that 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 n railroad
could not and would not be built by private enter
prise. the congress of the United States enacted
a law authorizing the president to construct rail-
road railroads in Alaska not to exceed 1000
miles In length. and authorized the expenditure
by him of $35O00,O00 for that purpose. The presi-
dent placed the construction of the road under the
COntrOl OF tne SeCTetury OF anu he IN
turn organized what is known as the Alaskan
engineering commission to take practical charge of
the work.
The original authorization Of $35.OOOOOO would
have constructed this road under ordinary condl-
tions and circumstances but the war came along.
wages increased 50 per cent the cost of material
increased up to 161 per cent and transportation up
to lat per cent. Under those circumstances the
$35 100000 Is not sufficient to complete the work.
II Is. therefore. absolutely necessary, unless we
wish to sacrifice the s35,O000O0 already invested,
that this $17OO0O00 authorization be allowed.
The road. when completed. will be col miles I'm
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 Col miles. All of
the road has been completed. with the exception
of work to be done to complete the first II
miles from Seward north and gap of 100 miles
and another small gap Of 20 miles, Most of the
100-me gap has been surveyed and some OF the
road'ed has been made.
The rond started from Seward on the southern
point of Alaska, and went to Anchorage. Part of
that road-71 mies-had been constructed. From
Anchorage over to the northern terminal of the
road Fairbanks is located on the Tnnana river
The Tanana river Is a branch of the Yukon river.
and the Yukon river and the Tanana river are
navigable for 1000 miles. The Alaskan railrond
commission commenced building from the south.
nont 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 money.
The road already reaches to the coal fields
There the 1902 square miles of coal fields I'm
Alaska that have been explored and exported by
the coast and geodetic survey. the geological sur
vey and by the Alaskan engineering commission.
That is all on the line Of this road II Is estimated
that there 30.000000O00 tons of coal thai viii
be opened to commerce by this road and $4,000.
OO0OO0 tons Of II win be high-grade coal which
could he used for coking and smelling ore. and
such purposes. and the rest of II for fuel and mat
ters Of that kind. In Alaska II has been estimated
that there are 150,000O00,000 tons of coal No
person knows how much there is.
Mr. Strong of Kansas.-There has been dscoy-
cred In Alaska not only gold. but silver copper,
, coal. lead iron. antimony. tungsten and platinum
In large quantities. In addition. there has been
discovered large fields of OIL II has splendid agri.
cultural advantages II Is estimated that II has
over 100000 square miles of tillable land. II has