Evening star., 1934-09-18
ALASKAN HIGHWAY
PROJECT OUTLINED.
Fairbanks Would Be North
ern Terminus of 1885,
Mile Road.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A placer mining town that refused
TO become ghost town" IN the
shadow Of the Arctic Circle may be
the Northern terminus Of the proposed
international highway connecting the
United States and Alaska.
Anthony J. Diamond, delegate to
Congress from Alaska, is seeking con-
gressional approval Of the project, ter
minat.ng at Fairbanks.
Passing through scenery which has
been described by visitors as the most
magnificent in the world" the high
way would lead 2.256 miles from Sc
attic to Fairbanks, scene OF colorful
early-day Alaskan mining history.
In the rich surrounding gold fields
restless miners, who had SKINNED the
easily reached wealth Of the Klondike
and Nome placer fields, found new
fortunes awaiting.
S7,00s, 900 to Be Asked.
It is to this Central Alaskan area.
tucked in the land Of the midnight
sun, that Diamond hopes a road will
be constructed, giving the region two
outlets TO the States. Under bill
which he plans to introduce at the
next session Of Congress $4,000. 900
would be appropriated TO help Canada
construct l,lS3 miles through the
wilderness OF Upper British Columbia
and the Yukon territory to the Alaskan
border. Another 100000 will be
asked TO build the 1888 miles Of new
highway from the border to Fairbanks.
More than 1000 miles Of the proposed
highway already has been built through
British Columbia.
After the boom days had ended,
Fairbanks-named for the late Vice
President Of the United States-saw
her glory declining and her population
dwindling. 1t was not until completion
OF the Government-ow Alaskan
railroad connecting Seward at tide
water with Fairbanks, about 470 miles
away, that the way was paved for
revival Of gold mining.
With completion of the railroad,
Fairbanks began to take on new life
as modern methods of dredging for
gold were introduced, and within
few years the millions of dollars spent
In installing the dredges began paying
dividends.
SS5,00O,0 900 in Gold Mined.
From 1904. the year when mining
on an extensive scale was started.
,,,,t;l thu and ~ 1oQ2 onprOviy,o 4 alu
S85, ,000, 900 in gold was produced in
the Fairbanks area. The United
States Geological Survey estimates
that at least that much more is avail
able for dredges, while quartz prop
critics will yield at least $50, 900 900.
Fairbanks no longer is q wild mining
town. There is a newspaper, the
farthest north daily on the American
Continent; and imposing moving pic
ture theater and stately Government
buildings.
But despite the modern appearances
OF the city, bowling malamutes, hark-
ing back to their wolf ancestry, serve
notice that the very edge of the
frontier Is near at hand.
Fairbanks will not be the only pic
turesque mining area available to
travellers over the proposed route.
Already there are many highways
leading from the city. The Steese
highway connects the city with Circle
City, 100 miles farther toward the
Arctic, and traverses the scene of
early gold finds. which yielded abun-
dainty before Dawson was ever given
thought and where Jack London
obtained the background for many of
his tales of the north.
Other roads are being built or
planned connecting Fairbanks with
historic spots Of the territory, and
there Is talk that the proposed inter-
national route should be extended
across the 500 miles of plains between
Fairbanks and Nome, where motorists
would be virtually within sight Of the
Asia shores.