The Arvada enterprise., 1919-12-04

S0JZ7HW4N7AIA.1a
Ths summsr.no swester r, was a. eye, ever;
The sfayinG alesp IN the river. s.,
ri. roas III. isssp That ." x. Know"
ri! II; a: .;s: S. II: ses'soS
ooe a's sps LII o. s'ss: e. iH yukon al
@<HE house Of representatives the other
day passed an amendment to the gev'
eminent Alaskan railrOad act ~
which the additional sum OF $idNoo''
600 was appropriated for the comple-
,e<NA tion Of the road by December 81. lSzz.
ALSy2N The debate was presumably more OF
W. NyM less tinged with partisan poitics.
WI 1HH Leaving out the politics many inter-
SG GyT csting facts of value were broueht
M1MfEN out concerning Alaska-Land OF tue
VSMSSA Midnight Sun-which has proved
80 w 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 CalIfornia-Mr. Chairman. in 1857
when Alaska WIS purchased through the enorts
Of Secretary of State Seward from Russia Tor
T.2OOOOO. which wns less than cents an acre.
the European nations poked fun nt the United
States. and the papers Of the United States ridi'
culetl Secretary Seward and referred to Alaska A.
Stewards Iceberg"
The climate Of the most Of Alaska Is better than
ID
tnbes and cerenls can he and are raised there.
aud 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 1850 Alaska has pro-
duced over SS40OOO.OOO worth Of wealth: $780,
Oo00O 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 4O0.OOOOO0 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. kaowins that
Alaska should Ike developed aud that q railroad
could not and would not be built by private enter
prise. the congress Of the United States enacted
law authorizing the president to construct rail-
mad or railroads 10 Alaska. not to exceed l!00O
milea In length. and authorized the expenditure
BY him Of ss5OO.OOO for that purpose The presi
dent placed the constructors of the road under the
control Of the secretary Of the interior. and be In
turn organized what II known as the Alaskan
engineering commission to take practical charge Of
the work.
The original authorization Of &35O00000 would
have constructed this road under ordinary condi.
tio0s and circumstances but the war came along.
wrEes Increased 10 per cent the cost Of material
Increased up to l0l per cent and transportation up
| to TAT per cent Under those circumstances the
E56 OOO0OO In not sunicient to complete the work.
II ix therefore. absolutely necessary. uniess We
wish to sacrifice the e35.O00000 already invested,
| that this 417OOO.OOO authorization he allowed,
| The rnad. when completed. will be 60l miles IN
| length. The main line. from Seward to Fairbanks.
will bc al miles in length The spurs and branches
| and side lines will make up the POI miles, All Of
the road has been completed. with the exception
| of son'. work I" be done to complete the nsst n
miles from Seward north and q gap Of 100 mllea
and another small gap of q miles. Most Of The
iOlmile gsp has hern surveyed aud some Of the
roasib~si has been mRde.
The road started frOn, Seward On the southssu
point of Aiaska. and went to Anchorage. Part Of
that road-7i miles-had besn constructsd. From
Anchorage over to the northern terminal os the
rnad. Fairbanks II located "a the Tasana river
The Tanana river II q branch Of the Yukon rivsr
and the Yukon river and the Tanana river ars
navtgnhi~ for 1000 miles, The Alaskan rsirosd
cnmmission commenced building from the south.
| eru point north. They brought the material to
HewArd and Anchorage. and they commenced n
huild from the northern terminal south, % that
| they eos,d awe time and save money.
The .nad already reaches 10 the coal Zelda
| There the 10. square miles Of cuai nejds IN
Aiaaka that have hcen explored md experted by
tho cUast and eeoietic survey the geological sur.
v~y and by the Alaskan engineering coumis.Iae
That In all an tho line ~ this road II IL est,mateA
that there are NUnm.0O tons II eoai that Mn
| NJ or~nrsi 70 commerce by this ruad and i6OD
MsltuD tons II II will he high grade cual which
rouid hr us~'i for rOking and smelling ORE. ana
such purposes. nnd the rrst of !, for fuel and mai,
tern ~ thnt kind In Alaska II has been esti>. ~
that ih~rr arr in0ODAoO.0D tons Of coal No
| rsr.an knows how much therr H.
Mr. String IT ksnaas.-There has been dlscsy.
rrrA In Ainska MT only eo.d bat aivss. conner
rual. lead. ir,n. antmoay. tungsten aAd platinva
N large quantities. ln additioa. thsss ~ bsse
,lsrrv~rrsi inrse Ae,da Of all. u has spSendtd ART
| cultural advantages II b eseimated that h ~
'w~r i0OyMn sqvare mlies q tillsbls lasd h hes
| gsoWing sseseo oe 10 1ays. aod boaaUoo q ~