The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-02

This new year sees the fond hopa of Interior Alaskans fulfilled in the completion of the Government Rail road from the North Pacific to the navigable tributary, the Tanana, ot the Yukon All that this means to the entire Territory is deserving Of the deepest consideration and is the source of the cheeriest outlook for those tenacious pioneers who so long have kept up the life of the great h. terior. The running over of the va rious substantial reasons for this brightest of New Years for Alaskan5 can in discovering the reality only add to the cheer of the day and year.
 Fairbanks now becomes accessible the year round for passengers and freight In other words, there is 10 longer "close of navigation for this Interior mining center No longer will merchants there have to stock LID their warehouses to carry them through the winter season. Outside goods can now be made accessible at all seasons from Seattle. Mining operations can be assured of coh- tinued operation with no extraordin- ary precauton against breakdowns CT shortage of men and supplies. The new status economically which the region between Seward and Fa f banks contiguous to the railroad now takes is that of a region accesslD'e to year round navigation and with frequent boat service. To picture this new status one can imagine that the year round open waters of the North Pacific had been dragged north 800 miles to Fairbanks.
 Arteries Are Needed
 With this great work fact 1t Is necessary to plan further the reach ing of all that great region contig- uous to the railroad. It is fruitless to expect traffic to reach the rail road unless arteries for communities tion are provided for it. This triOa- tary system has various elements.
 l. The provision for the river navigation on the Interior river sys- tems. About 4,000 miles of rivers with excellent navigation conditions for five months in each year are available by the railroad.
 2. Wagon roads from points upon the Government Railroad. This in cludes in some cases systems of roads leading from Fairbanks to the various farms and mineral workings whereabouts.
 g. Wagon roads from points on navigable Interior rivers accessible from the river terminal of the rail road. This type of road. is that ex- isting at Hot Springs, at Rampant. Circle, Eagle or Ruby. In each case these roads reach to mineral work ings, but the origin of the traffic is always the navigable river at the initial point of the road.
 4, Sled roads and winter trails in some cases following along the In terior river system and in others penetrating regions that due to their topography are only accessible in winter time.
 D Summer pack trails and routes followed by reconnaissance parties are a means of opening up new re- gions to the prospector, who after all is the foundation upon which the discovery of new mineral deposits rests.
 6. Bridges and ferries are always an element of importance in enabling the pioneer country of Alaska to be penetrated. In many cases the pro- vision of safe means of crossing d glacial stream often opens wide areas.
 Taking Broad View
 It is always necessary to look upon the development of the Terri tory in the broadest possible way. For instance, the region around Me Grath has now developed into 9ery substantial placer mining camp and with the addition of the largest lode mine north of the Alaska Range. The work carried out in this region cen tering about the Ophir-Tacotna road has been a potent force in bringing about this activity. Even though this region is 300 miles from the Govern ment Railroad, its development ere ates real tributary to it. The in ! creased number of travellers passing over the Rainy Pass trail has given important activity to the railroad, and i with the provision of better win | ter and summer trail north of the | Alaska Range, this traffic will with O,lf dOllht increase
 For the above reasons, while those 1, roads projected and directly tribu- 1 tary to the railroad. such as the i Chatanika-Miller House, Kantishna, Talkeetna Cache Creek, or Willow Creek roads, are Of high importance, so also are more remote projects. ! but still having a direct bearing on the full development of the railroad. These latter are projects such as Ophir-Tacotna. Berry's Landing, Kan tishna Rampart-Hot Springs, Ruby and Ophir. The making possible of through traffic from Eagle to Ia mana Crossing, which is now barely would be among the lat ter class of roads.
 Results Are Forecast =