The Nenana daily news., 1919-02-03
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COMMUNICATION
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Middle, Fork Roadhouse, Jan. 16
 This roadhouse is located eighteen miles from the Summit roadhouse and lies at the junction of the middle and east forks of the Chul- itna river. The proprietor, MT. E. J. Sullivan, has applied for ten acre coal permit on the middle fork, where a 2OO-foot vein of coal lies exposed to the sight in the cliff side.
 This coal, which is used by Mir. Sullivan at his roadhouse, is of an extra fine quality, approximating in appearance the camel coal of the Middle Western states. A pile of coal taken from this vein lies out of doors handy to the roadhouse and has lain there all summer. It integration and heavy blow with a prospecting hammer is required to fracture it. From a superficial examination it would appear that this coal is higher grade Ignite approaching bituminous. And the one vein in it's thickness is greater than the combined width of all the veins exposed on Lignite creek.
 The railroad survey passes up the Middle Fork to the Summit road house, and as we traversed the trail it is apparent that this coal deposit is approximately 8l miles from Lig- nite creek, and 135 miles from Nenana
 The trail from the Summit to this point is the most consistently and consistently bad of any in the writer's experience. This is partly due to late snows. There have been only two sleds over the route and five men since the last snow fall. In consequence it was nee essary to use snow shoes. After the passage of our party, however, it is expected that followers will have comparatively easy trip. al though those who laid out the trail failed to clear out any underbrush or sweepers. in consequence of which the discomforts of travel are very great The blazing too is very confusing, and the route very ill-chosen. If Mike Cooney had done no better on his Nenana end of the trail, we should feel like recommending him for beheading. Even self-respecting pack animal of the genuo burrO could have done no worse. We left the Summit at 8 o'clock this morning, expecting to make this point at noon, instead of which we reached here at four o'clock this afternoon At that we overlook travellers who left Nenana on the 9th, so that it may be said for this outfit that it is getting the best results possible out of present trail conditions If Messrs Pen nington and Laughlin. who were to follow us at two days interval, do not overtake us before we reach Talkeetna. we shall feel that our outfit is the best the country pro- vides
 From here to the Indian River roadhouse is 32 miles, and we hope to make it through to that point tomorrow night, although we may be compelled by the condition If the trail to make camp half way.
 At a point about five miles south of the Summit, one obtains the most magnificent view of Mt. Me Kinley. Seen in the early morning, , its peak and those of adjacent mountains look like the points of some gigantic saw heated to in candescence glowing like fire while the blue gray shadows below them resemble the ashes of burned out fire. Later, as the sun rises higher and the whole range bursts into view, the variegated coloring is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon of Colorado, except that here the colors are more vivid and harmonious The panorama spread out before us was the grandest and most gratify