The Alaska daily empire., 1920-08-25
STEESE VISITS MANY SECT|ONS:
 |NSPECTS WORK
Head of Alaska Road Con- mission Returns From Ex-
 tended Trip of Inspection.

the interior and through the West
 ward since he became President o1 the Alaska Road Commission, Col James Gordon Steese, returned tC Juneau last night on the Alameda Col. Steese left here about six weeks
 ago to begin trip of inspection oi
 the roads throughout the Territory On his way to Skagway from Jul
 nSau, Col Steese was able to look over the Haines-Chilkat road. Going to Valdez, he made the
 trip from there to Fairbanks over | the Richardson trial in four days including the time spent walking
 around the new location at Key stone cabin, and taking another
 car on the other side. On his way | in. he inspected all of the outfits working on the Richardson High way.
 Visits Kantishna. After going over all of the local
 roads around Fairbanks and meet
 ing the Fairbanks Commercial Club, Col. Steese made 10 day trip into the Kantishna, going by launch to Roosevelt. 106 miles up the Kan tishna river. This stream runs into the Panama river from the south, about 150 miles below Fairbanks. From Roosevelt he mushed over the winter trail through the swamps to Eureka Creek, the post office point
 of onfiuitU n tho Kantishna mining district.
 Col Steese had a foreman, a gang and supplies sent to Eureka Creek and watched them start work on the improvement of the summer road from Roosevelt. It is necessary, Col. Steese said, to relocate the first 15 miles of the winter road, as it is too swampy for use during the sum mer. The remaining length of the road, however, can be put in shape, for summer travel with very littTe1 expense. From Eureka Creek, Col Steesa went out to Nenana and in to the head of steel on the govern ment railroad.
 Locating Engineer Secured.
 Hawley Sterling, locating en- gineer who has just completed hisI with the government, was by Col. Steese to cruise put several possible routes from the railroad, when completed, to the Mt. Mckinley National Park, pass ing though the Kantishna country. However, no funds will be available for the construction of this route his year. Returning to Fairbanks, | Col. Steese made the trip from there 0 Valdez in three days and mak ng Wortman, 352 miles in 25 hours, actual running time.
 Trails in Fair Shape.
 The Richardson Highway from i to Chitina is in excellent | Tourists have been trav- cling over it all summer, making he trip regularly in three days, by 1 There are still few pad stretches in the 320 miles, Col | Steese said, and considerable DOT ion of the road still requires a ,ravel surface in order to enable itl O stand traffic after heavy rains.
 The section from Willow Creek to Valdez has been little used during he past year. on account of the yashout in Keystone Canyon. A lew location following the general l inc of the old Abercrombie trail up he side of the canyon is now being and should be comple-, ed this season, Col Steese believes. When this is done, it will serve to eopen the only overland road from he coast to the interior, the mili ary road from Valdez to Fairbanks.
 Goes Over Railroad.
 From Valdez, Col. Steese went to eward and Anchorage and out to aent railroad. He visited the new york of the Alaska Road Commis- ion on the trail from Talkeetna to ache Creek and the improvements lade to existing projects in the Willow Creek District
 Incidently, Col Steese said, the zap between the ends of steel on he government railroad is now re- uced to little over 100 miles, and t should be closed by December I, 1921.
 From Anchorage, Col. Steese re- urned directly to Juneau. As yet Ie is unable to make known any uture plans for the work of the oad commission.
 This is the first trip Col Steeso las made into Fairbanks, and the lrst time he has visited the West yard since 1913, when he was as ar as Willow Creek and Gulkana m temporary detail