The Elbert County tribune., 1919-11-07

of its deveiopment Some of these facts here
given. with credit to the various representatives
MIR. Carry of Cnliforna.-Mr Chairman. in 1867
when Alaska was purchased through the efforts
Of Secretary of State Seward from Russia for
ST2l0.OOO which less than cents nn acre,
the European nations poked fun at tile United
Stntes and The papers of the United Sntes rld-
ciied Secretary Seward and referred to Alaska as
Stewards Iceberg"
The climate of the most of Alaska is better than
that of Scandinavia and New Foundand. vege
tnhles and cereals can be and raised there
and II Is the richest undeveIoped mineral section
the face of the earth.
Time hns justified Stewards purchase of Alaska
for the United States. Since 1869 Alaska has pro-
ducea $s4O,OOO,OO0 worth of wealth; 5000,
Od0OuO of that from her fisheries most of the
rest from her mines and from her furs. In the
same time Alaska hns bought from the United
Sntes S400OOO.0O0 worth of property. 1t hns done
tut under existing Inv that practically ties up the
resources OF Alaska and prohibits them from being
developed.
IN 1914 under these conditions knowing that
Ainsiia should he developed and that 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 $50 900 for that purpose. The pres
dent placed the construction of the road under the
control of the secretary of the Interior and he In
turn organized what is known the Alaskan
engineering commission to take practical charge of
the work.
The original euthoriza ton of $35, 100000 would
have constructed this road under ordinary condi-
fions and circumstances. but the came along.
wrges Increased so per cent, the cost of material
Increased up to 161 per cent and transportation up
To LAT per. cent. Under those circumstances the
$sn 100000 is not sufficient to complete the work.
II *. therefore. absolutely necessary unless we
wish to sacrifice the $35, 900 already invested
that this s17000,O00 authorization be allowed
The road when completed. Will be COL miles in
length. The main line from Seward to Fairbanks
viii he 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 some work to be done to complete the first II
mites from Seward north and gap of 100 miles
another small gap OF 25 miles. Most of the
~ mile gap has been surveyed and some of the
itndhed has been nnde.
I IL. road started from Seward on the southern
point Of Alaska. and went to Anchorage Part of
''sat road-71 miles-had been constructed From
Ancharnge over To the northern terminal of the
r"ad. Fairbanks Is located on the Tanana river
rhe Tanana river is branch of the Yukon river
and the Yukon river and the Tnnana river are
nnvieabie for 1000 miles The Alaskan railroad
commission commenced building from the soutb
err point north. They brought the material to
Seward and Anchorage. and they commenced to
build from the northern terminal SOUTH so TINT
they could save time and save money
The road already reaches TO the coal fields
iiieit 'he i'-o- Spuhre mites or COnl fields
Alnska that have been explored and exported bv
the coast and geodetc survey the geological sur
yey and by the Alaskan engineering commission
That Is all on the line of this road 1t Is estimated
'',at there are 80 30000.0Oono0 tons of coal rbnt will
\ ipened 10 commerce by this road, and 15OO0
WH000 tons of it win be hgh-grade coaI wbJch
could be used for coking and smelling ore md
such purposes and the rest of it for fuel and mot
fers of that kind In Alaska 1t has been estn,ta,
that there 15ooo0,Ooo0OO tons of coal. No
person knows how much there is.
Mr. Strong of Kansas-There has been discov
cred In AInskn not only gold. but silver. conner
coal. lead. iron. antimony. tungsten and platinum
In inrge quantities.. In addition. there has been
discovered large fields of oil. 1t has splendid agr
culfsr4 advantages II is estimated that II hns
over ID00W square miles of tillabe land 1t has
= growing season OF 100 days. and because of the