The Cordova daily times., 1921-03-01
SUPT. PACKER RETURNS FROM
 A. E. FORCE

Direct from the scene of great activity William Packer passed through Juneau on his way to his former home in Ohio, says the Ju- neau Capital For nearly five years he has been employed on the gov ernment railroad in the interior He has completed his work as superin- tendent of construction on 160 miles of the Panama valley railroad, includ- ing the Nenana division. MT. Pack CT, having first completed the work l of construction, retires from the force of the A. E. C., after having spent the time between May, 1916 and the present in the interior.
 At the time of coming out Mir. Packer reports steel at Mile 355 with three miles rapidly being laid, which the southern section of the railroad will drive the last spike at 358. But for the incompletion of tunnel No 1 in Nenana canyon it would be pos, sible to operate trains to Mile 35S from Fairbanks.
 If the southern section of the rail road offered serious problems those on the northern end were herculean in scope, says MT. Packer, who is one of the men who refused to be beaten when conditions appeared against him. Among the difficult ties was the glaciated roadbed he was compelled to lay steel over, the necessity of changing the route after 6 freakish river slipped it's banks and took out approximately twelve miles of trackage, after which 1t re- mained ill it's bed and the out route has remained dry ever since.
 In many places the roadbed crossed glaciers and after the moss was brok- en, thaw set in and it was necessary to continue piling on gravel and ballast until solid foundation was secured. In other places swamps were negotiated by laying logs, plac- ing cross-ties on them and then fol lowing with the gravel until road bed was built
 Owing to the excessive freight rates-often $120 per ton-eyery re- source was resorted to to meet the conditions as they arose. For in. stance there was no blow to move | gravel from the flat-cars. With tim. Der one was constructed, but there was no steel for the Ianges. Taking hoop iron from freight coming in the timber was sheathed and made to work. Then there was no gravel spreader, so one was constructed in like manner, swung beneath flat car and made to fill the need.
 Fairbanks ard other points north ward are now receiving abundant coal from the great Nenana measures, the coal being transported to the end of the standard gauge road to Nenana where, by laying steel on the ice the narrow-guage equipment crosses over and cars are arranged alongside and below the roads and transfer of coal is made an easy problem. With $2 rate on coal to Fairbanks and approx imatetly $5.25 at the mines Fairbanks is receiving SIPS coal.
 It will require 700-foot span to bridge the Nenana river and as soon as the southern end of the line is completed and regular traffic estab. lished to Fairbanks the steel on the
 narrow-gauge will be lifted to stand
 ard and trains may travel direct to
 the northern terminus. In building
 the narrow gauge, roadbed and cross
 ties were laid for standard gauge and
 the work of changing over will be in
 significant.
 MT. Packer reports Bob Donaldson
 as having secured contract from the
 commission for 4,0OO tons of coal and
 Is delivering it rapidly from off the right of way.
 MT Packer believes that steps should be immediately taken for re ducing freight rates from Nenana tC Fairbanks The water route rate is $10 as against $2O by rail per ton, an( aside from coal transportation tho railroad has not benefited the Fair banks public or those at intervening points.
 Owing to the early freeze-up tyini up steel at Fort Gibbon, it has beel necessary to lift sidings, "Y's" anc other steel and use it on the line ex tending south to Mile 358.