The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-07-19

the great distance to the seat of gov
eminent, Washington being thirt
of the way around the globe, and
Juneau, the territorial capital, being
inaccessible to parts of the territory
more than half of the year. Men
| sparring for advantage in business
and in litigation, hamper one an
other and kill enterprises by reason
of those things. The people OF
Alaska have been trying for a gen.
Grafton, to get simpler form of gov
| eminent or to get more direct way
of administering it, so that enter
/ prises might be allowed to take their
natural course, and getting the pre-
sident and members of the cabinet
out there to see some of the condi
tions is a wish they have cherished
for a long time. In the Origina
thirteen colonies, things had to be
referred to england for considera
tion and it killed enterprise. The
conditions of business in Alaska
have suffered the same difficulties,
and only the richest things could
survive.
One of the things the President
and cabinet members are to consider
is whether to go on operating a
trunk line of railroad to Fairbanks
and losing money on it, or to recon-
mend making large appropriations to
build branch lines to serve as feeders
to bring business to the trunk line
1t is the same old question that all
railroads have to face, and when the
trunk line was built to Fairbanks
that matter was left in the back
ground.
During the trip into the heart OF
Alaska last Saturday and Sunday,
the party got of the train at one
place and took walk or drive out
over ridge where a thousand rein
deer were grazing in grass and
flowers rich and rare The Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harding remarked
what lot of joy that herd would
bring to the Riddles of the states if
they could be brought in and har-
messed for Santa Claus at Christmas
time. When they returned to the
train there was "speeder," the old
time hand car operated with gaso-
line power, on the track and Mr.. and
Mrs. Harding got on that and fol-
lowed thru the country behind the
train, having as jolly a time as two
out with play wagon.
When they arrived at the big
bridge over the Tanana, where the
golden spike was to- be driven to
complete the 473 miles of govern
ment railroad, the place we told you
about in previous issue, where the
woman saved the bridge when the |
ice went out, the president drove the
golden spike and listened to a speech |
Of presentation of the road to the
United States. He as its chief execu-
tive made speech of acceptance,
and then got on the locomotive, with
Mrs. Harding in the fireman's place,
and he acted as engineer and pulled
the train up the line twenty-six
miles, to the next station. On ar
rival there the real engineer COM
1limented him and assured him he
vas good engineer, but when they
steward told Mr.. President that he
vas bum engineer; that he broke
eleven cups on the diner when he
topped the train.
When they got down out of the
ab to return to their car, they stop
led to greet gang of section men,
md the foreman presented small
10Y and informed Mr.. Harding that
his boy was born on the day he was
lected president of the United
'tates. Then the Hardings greeted
he boy with an extra caress and
ave him a dollar bill.
AS we stated last week, there was