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AND KNIK NEWS
VOL. 1
Anchorage, Alaska, Saturday, June 5, 1915
NO. 1
Railroad Work
Is Under Way
At Anchorage
Anchorage, the coal terminal,
presents a scene of activity, due
to the construction of the big
government railway system now
getting fairly under way here. A
slight delay has been incurred
because of the shortage of cer
tain kinds of food supplies in the
government commissary, but an
early steamer will relieve this
situation and things will move
along more vigorously and more
contracts will be awarded.
In town, the chief activity is
along the water front. Here
pile-driver crewrs are working
day and night shifts in erecting
dockage facilities at the mouth
of Ship creek. A monster barge
for lighterage purposes has just
been completed and launched,
ready for business. A big dredg
er from the Panama canal zone,
to dredge out the mouth of Ship
creek' for harbor purposes, is ex
pected soon. Rails have been
laid on a permanent grade lead
ing from the dock site to the
government storehouses and
yardage areas.
The plateau north of the pres
ent business section of the town,
which will be -used for office
buildings and residences for per
manent employes, is now being
cleared by a gang of twelve men
under the direction of A. C. An
derson, preparatory to the be
ginning of construction work.
The site is a most beautiful and
healthful one for the purpose in
view, and will be laid out with a
design which comprehends both
practicability and picturesque
ness. At the point of the hill,
overlooking the arm, the big
office building will be erected, a
magnificent structure, according
to the plans. Beautiful Mt. Mc
Kinley, the highest mountain on
the American continent, may be
seen in the distance. Immedi
ately in the rear to the east of
the office building will be park
grounds, in the form of a V, con
forming to the contour of the
plateau. Twenty foot avenues
leading out from this park will
reach the residences of the em
ployes. A baseball ground and
tennis court will be laid out to
afford healthful recreation for
the employes. Mr. Parr is the
engineer in charge.
Lumber for building purposes
reached here early this week from
San Francisco, conveyed by the
steam schooner San Ramona.
Notwithstanding the fact that
there is considerable activity at
Secretary Lane to Receive First Copy
Anchorage, Alaska, June 5, 1915
Hon. Franklin K. Lane,
Secretary of the Interior,
Washington, D. C.
Sir: The publishers of the Cook Inlet Pioneer wish
to present to you the first copy of the first newspaper
issued at Anchorage, Alaska, a prospective commercial
center of importance, which owes its birth to the great
Alaskan railway system now building from this point. We
appreciate your wise efforts and achievements looking to
ward the development of our vast northern empire, so rich
in natural resources and so sorely in need of the transport
ation facilities which the building of the government rail
way system will largely supply.
The Pioneer will make*an effort to publish only trust
worthy information concerning the huge railway project,
and knowing your interest in the matter, we are placing
your name on our subscription list.
Respectfully,
Cook Inlet Pioneer.
Anchorage, there is more than an
adequate number of laboring men
to do all that will be done in rail
road work this season. Hence
this newspaper takes occasion to
warn those seeking work that
they had best seek it elsewhere.
The Official Force
The official office and field force
of the Alaskan Engineering Com-j
mission, having headquarters at
Anchorage, is as follows:
Lieut. F. Mears, engineer in
charge.
W. J. Fogelstrom, bridge en
gineer.
James O’Reilly, superintend
ent of construction.
C. G. Jones, assistant superin
tendent of construction.
K.K.Kuney, engineer in charge
of locating party No. 1.
J. H. Bacon, engineer in charge
of locating party No. 2.
C. R. Breck, jr., engineer in
charge of locating party No. 3.
F. B. Standiford, resident en
gineer.in charge of division No. 1.
E. 0. Archibald, resident en-1
gineer,in charge of division No. 2.
Dr. E. S. Reedy, surgeon.
D. D. Vint, draftsman.
R. D. Chase, chief clerk.
H. B. Wilkinson, accountant.
G. C. Hammond, disbursing
officer.
A. M. McDermott, clerk.
M. P. Cotter, clerk.
R. P. Turner, storekeeper.
W. M. Peltier, bookkeeper.
W. R. Manning, material fore
man.
H. G. Locke, harbormaster.
G. H. Remore, foreman in
charge of carpenter work.
Dave McEachern, pile driver
foreman.
E. A. Swift is master and Wm.
Englund engineer of the govern
ment river boat Chulitna.
J. E. Pedersen is master and
K. Bradland engineer of the navy
launch Eklutna.
Contracts on Railway Work
The first contract let by the
Commission, soon after Commis
sioner Hears reached A nchorage,
was to David and Robertson and
called for the clearing of right of
way from station 3548 to 3689 in
clusive, or an aggregate distance
of 14,100 feet. To make this plain
to the uninitiated, it should be stat
ed that in railroad work a station
is 100 feet.
Some 500 men are employed in
station work, consisting of clear
ing right of way and grading, be^
tween Anchorage and the junc
tion and on towards the Matanu
ska coal fields. The last station
gang is located not to exceed 20
miles, by the railway course, from
the mouth of Ship creek.
Contracts awarded to date to
contractors appear below. To
make the information plain, so
that one may figure out just
where the various contractors are
employed, it may be said that
where three or less figures are
used in designating a specific sta
tion, that station is on the line
from Anchorage to the junction.
Where four figures are employed,
the station is on what is termed
the main road. Except in the
David and Robertson contract, the
contracts are let to groups of men
who are equal participants and
partners. The names of all not
being available, the name or
names of the head or heads of
parties are alone given, as fol
lows:
Contract No. 1 David & Rob
ertson, with crew of 20 men. Sta
tion 3548 to 3689. Clearing right
of way.
(Continued on page two)
Business Firms
and Individuals
in Local Trade
Practically all kinds of essen
tial businesses are represented in
' Anchorage, and in making his
rounds the Pioneer man gathered
the names of the following:
In the general merchandise
business are Brown & Hawkins,
with J. W. Kempf in immediate
charge, Finklestein & Sapiro,
Carl W. Boite, F. E. Parker and
B. 0. Tiedemann, A. Wilson, N.
W. Pilger, E. H. Hertel, Wend
ler & Larson, Sheehan & Co., A.
M. Laska, F. D. McCullough,
Mrs. Walsh, J.M. Blase and John
Bulaich & Co.
In the restaurant and bakery
business are Mike Reilly, A. E.
Dickson and Dave Mahoney,
Jack Cronin and Carl Hortness,
Mrs. Martha White. L. N. Mar
: kle, Mrs. N. Dickson, Harry Ta
saki and Fred Hoyashi, R. Wu
fahl and R. Ramsay, Frank Za
remba, Jack Webery, P. K. Kri
vokapich, Geo. Johnson and J.F.
Oleson, J. Hill and F. Long,Mrs.
W. B.Bartholf and P.M. Lennon.
Lodging house proprietors are
F. W. Redwood & Co., Mrs.Mar
tha White, Mrs. E. Mutchler, G.
E. Hudson and J. L. McNamee,
Geo. Crist, A. Wilson, Mrs. Dun
lap, R. G. Matheson, L. N. Mar
ble, Wm. Murray, R. Richter, F.
C. Cobbs and J. A. Holstad.
F. C. Lawrence and B. C. Nich
ols are the local jewelers.
In the cigar and tobacco busi
ness are R. J. Beach and Tex
Jones, A. Walstrom and A. Church,
Mrs. Geo. Williamson, Mrs. E.
Mutchler, C. C. Bush, J.M.Shee
han and P. Burns, A. F. Froden
berg, John M Anderson, E. J.
Hertel, Roy Williamson, Rudi
Marcella, V. A. Schmitz, Ore
Barnhart and K. Ivoplan.
The local drug stores are the
Northern Drug Company, V. A.
Schmitz, manager, and the City
Drug Store, Dr. FI. A. Kyvig
owner.
Oscar Anderson and Louie Jen
sen have a wholesale and retail
meat market and J. Turner is the
owner of the local fish market.
Lumber yards are conducted
by R. E. McDonald, W. B. Bar
tholf, Herman Molen and Al.
Carlson and Hussey & Richter.
Commission merchants are
Hussey & Richter and R. M. Mc
Lean and C. B. Wark.
J. J. Ross and C. D. Ryther
are in the painting, decorating
and paper hanging business,
Transfer and storage firms are
Hughes & Pedersen, with Bob
(Continued on page two)