The daily Alaskan., 1922-08-01
NEW SPUR WILL DEVELOP
 HEALY'S GREAT COAL SEAMS

Convinced of the value of the immense coal seams on Healy river as a producer of tonnage for the Alaska Railroad, the Alaskan En- gineerlng Commission has decided to expend upwards of $2OO. OOO in the construction of a spur track and bridge in order that the coal may be made accessible at all seasons of the year. Contracts already have been let for grading and it Is expect ed that the four miles of new track will be ready for use before the end nf summer.
 The spur, which will connect with the main line at Healy, will extend up Healy river to the coal lease of the Healy river coal corporation, said to contain some of the largest deposits of Ignite coal in the world, Mining operatoins were started there during the last winter and a large amount of coal was taken out be- fore the spring thaw compelled a partial suspension of activities be- cause of the lack of adequate trans portatIon facilities. Sufficient work had been done, however, to demOn- sTate the value of the coal and the need of track connection with the main line of the Alaska Railroad And 1t was not long afterward be- fore engineers were on the ground making the necessary surveys. The major portion of the cost of build ing the spur will be assumed by the railroad organization, but the coal company will be required to put up S32.OOO as its share GL evil dence of good faith
 Since the commencement of min ing operations on Healy river, the Healy River Coal corporation has shipped a large quantity Of coat to Anchorage and other Ouast points, and new markets are waiting to be supplied with the excellent fuel as soon as deliveries can 5e made in quantities to meet requirements. A large part Of The c0aI thus far shipped to the coast was used in the boilers of the power plant at Anchorage.
 The building Of the spur will en- able the coal company 70 reduce the cost of mining operations which will result in a very material reduc- ton in the cost of fuel to the con sumer. This in turn will result, it is believed, Is greatly stimulated gold mining activities wherever fl is possible to deliver coal
 It is planned by the coal com pany 10 employ a Government coal expert to supervise the mining Op- erations and a large number of miners will be employed in taxing out the coal when the new work IS fully under way.
 Horses and sleigLB were used dur ing the winter to haul the coal from the mine to the company'5 DunEers at HeaIy After the breakup, when the river ice could no. longer be used as a roadway. a tractor was secured and the coal hauled pyer 6 crude road along the river bank, and cabled across the river by aerial tram to the Healy ouukers, neces- sariIy slow and expensive process.
 Manager R. s. Donaldson, of the Healy River Coal Corporation, who was in town this week, says that the company is ready to put up it's proportion of the cost of tn espur and that the mining of coal oa a. large scale will follow the cOm3le- tion of the project.
 As matter of Drecauti9u, the Government has reserved large body of coal between Realy and the property of the Healy River Coal This coal will be made accessible by the spur and will be held in reserve for use in case Of --......---.---.