CLUB SENDS LETTER
TO HASTEN BRIDGES
The principal business before the
Nenana Commercial club at last
night’s meeting was the further con
sideration of plans for hastening
the construction of railway bridges
to span the N'enana and Tanana riv
ers, so as to insure the completion
of the Government railroad by the
time the work of tracklaying is fin
ished between the present ends of
steel.
The matter was referred to briefly
in a letter of general recommenda
tion by Secretary Robert Joseph
Diven last month, and the club is
now sending a follow-up letter, deal
ing with the bridge question ex
clusively. The letter was prepared
and read by the secretary and cor
tains arguments, club members b<
lieve, which will carry much weigh
at Washington. The letter is ac
dressed to J. L. McPherson, sp<
cial adviser of the Alaskan Eng
jneering commission, and copies ar
i to be sent to Delegate Grigsbj
Chairman Mears, and others wh
are in a position to assist in brinj;
ing about a change in commissio
| plans. Figures contained in the lei
iter, relative to the weight of bridg
material, were taken from a repor
prepared by Mr. McPherson.
The club despatched a wire t
Mr. McPherson several days age
: urging the importance of immedi
1
SALT AND PICKLED GOODS
MEATS
PICKLED BRISKET OF PORK
PICKLED SHOULDER OF PORK
PICKLED PIGS’ FEET
PICKLED SIRLOIN OF BEEF
FISH
SALT
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ARCTIC SALMON BELLIES
YUKON SALMON BELLIES
PACIFIC HERRING
ALASKA HERRING
MACKEREL, NO. 1 SIZE
MACKEREL, NO. 2 SIZE
BLACK COD
Northern Commercial Co.
Attention, Ladies!
Having decided to close the store about February 23d, we will
for the coming two weeks reduced prices on all ready-to-wear.
COATS, DRESSES AND HATS AT
GREATLY REDUCED PRICES
Have a Nice Line of
EVENING AND AFTERNOON GOWNS
Now is the time to supply your wants, as all merchandise is
going up in price.
WILL OPEN WITH NEW SPRING STOCK ABOUT APRIL 1ST
THE
LITTLE SHOP
MISS J. O'BRYAN
GROCERIES, MEN'S WINTER WEAR
GENERAL OUTFITTING
JOHNSON’S STORE Front Street
For a Smoke
A Drink
A Card Game or
A Game of Pool
GO TO
THE PORTLAND
STATIONERY
CANDY
ate action in the matter of bridge
work, and apprising him of the fact
that the wire would be followed by
| a letter containing a comprehensive
^ statement of the situation.
A letter from the Fairbanks Com
mercial club was read, in which it
was stated that co-operation might
_ be expected from that organization
^ both in the matter of bridge work
suggested and in the matter of in
creased wages for employes of the
Alaskan Engineering commission.
e The letter requested figures and
, arguments, and contained the assur
j ance that the questions would be
taken up with Chairman Mears upon
1 his arrival from the coast.
The local club’s letter on the
e bridge question reads as follows:
t Nenana, Alaska, Keb. 2, 1920.
The Honorable J. L. McPherson,
3-Washington, D. C.
’ ! Dear Sir: When, in our com
■jmunication of a few days ago, the
i Nenana Commercial club briefly pre
sented the question of the early
'construction of the Nenana and Tan
[ ^ana river bridges, and asserted that
I such action is of vital importance to
jthe future as well as the present
j interests of Interior Alaska, we were
'sure that we were speaking sanely.
; Recent research by a committee of
| the club leads us to present the mat
ter again, and urge all men who
jare interested in saving Alaska from
worse disaster than has already
overtaken it, to look up this ques
tion very fully.
!; The Alaskan Engineering commis
i‘sion’s present plan is to delay the
j installation of these bridges until
I such time as the track is ready to
I carry the materials in from the
; Anchorage end. This program is
based on economy in transporta
tion. It means that we will have
| no bridges for from three to four
■ years from this date, unless some
! thing wonderful in construction
.'work is made possible by Congress
'and accomplished by the commis
sion. With the past and present
record of Congress in relation to
jthe whole Alaskan country before
1 us, we are hardy warranted in en
tertaining an optimism that can con
template such exceptional achieve
:ment as something that is sure to
take place. The tunnels, rock work
and viaducts in the Xenana canyon
country will occupy the commission
!for two years, and must be com
ipleted before bridge materials can
;be brought here by rail. These
j bridges cannot be built in a day,
.nor in a year, after all materials;
are here. Interior Alaska’s coal is
on the farther side of the Xenana!
I river. The temporary bridge over,
the Xenana goes out each summer,
with the ice, just as it is expected,
to do. That event interrupts traffic
for about five months, at a very im •.
‘portant season. By placing these!
,! two bridges simultaneously with the
remaining two years of track work, i
;the whole Interior Alaskan situation I
would take on a more hopeful as-I
pect. The present development work ;
in the Xenana coal fields could and ,
■ would take shape as a commercial;
I enterprise of attractive proportions,
for coal could th*en be mined at all
.seasons, with assurance that it could i
1 be forwarded to the numerous wait-'
'ing markets. With this cheaper fuel
imany important mining enterprises I
iin the Fairbanks district and else-j
iwhere, which, under present condi-!
;tions, cannot operate, could and I
!would go ahead. The prospective!
j agriculturist would then feel justi-!
lifted in locating in this Interior!
! region and actively beginning to i
: make a home. Enough additional j
j labor would then be offered to hold j
; many in the country, who are now
| perforce contemplating as early re
tjmoval as possible. The conclusion
| j is inescapable, that to delay placing
these two Interior Alaskan bridges
beyond the earliest date on which
they could be placed, is to delay
Interior Alaska’s development and
sacrifice the present Interior popu
lation. If this road is not to be
completed as a development project,
which it was surely declared to be
in the beginning, what reason can
be given for its completion, at all?
In addition to the foregoing pre
sentment, we would call your atten
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ANNOUNCEMENT
The Nenana Commercial Club announces the com
ing production of the laughable and thrilling three
act comedy-drama entitled
“RIO GRANDE”
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(By CHARLES TOWNSEND)
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On February 14th; at 8:1 5 P. M., at the
Coliseum, under the direction of
FREDERICK J. DATE
together with a cast of most excellent Nenana talent
Reserved Seats will be on sale at the
Coliseum February 7th
General Admission $1 Reserved Seats $1.56
NOTE---Curtain rises at 8:15 SHARP, and positively no
one will be seated during acts.
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tion to the following figures, which
surely do not support the economy
theory:
The Nenana river bridge will call
for 315 tons of iron; 600 tons of
Portland cement; 756 tons of tim
ber—1,676 tons in all.
The Tanana river bridge will call
for 2,557 tons of. iron; 1,320 tons
of cement; 1,3.75 tons of timber—
5,252 tons in all, or 6,923 tons for
both bridges.
You will find, on inquiry, that
the additional cost of bringing in
this tonnage by the rivers, above
the cost of bringing it in over the
Government’s own road, will not ex
ceed $20 a ton. At that rate we
are able to set $138,560 on the
economy side of the sheet. Oppo
site this saving, set the overhead
cost of maintaining the Engineering
commission an additional two years,
and approximately $20,000 a year
expended and lost, in replacing j
yearly the temporary the Nenana
river bridge, operating the contem- j
plated aerial tram over the same
river, operating ferry over Tanana
river, tonnage lost through lack of
dependable transportation—and what
becomes of the economy argument?!
It is as citizens of this great In- :
terior country that we address this
letter to you and your colleagues,
and we would again assure you ot
our confidence in your efforts in be
half of Alaskan affairs.
Very cordially,
The Nenana Commercial Club.
Horlick’s Malted Milk. Fowler &
Morri*.
DANCE ANNOUNCED;
AT HALL TONIGHT
An informal dancing party will
be held at Union hall tonight, the
affair having been arranged on short
notice at the urgent request of i
number of local dancers who feel
that a week should not be permitted
to pass without at least one eve
ning; of dancing.
The dance will start at the usuel
hour and will continue as long as
the dancers care to stay. And the.
admission charge will be one dollar
The player piano, with an expert-'
enced player in charge, will furnish
the music and announcement is
made that a number of new and
peppy records have been secured for
the occasion.
Everybody is invited.
Ed Johnson, who was brought ii»
from Camp 358 on Thursday nitfht
by special train, underwent an op
eration for appendicitis at the Gov
ernment hospital today.
If you want to know why condi
tions are bad on the Mexican bor
der, be sure to see Segura, in "Rio
Grande.”
See J. A. Slippern for new rates
on subscriptions and renewals of all
leading magazines and periodicals.
Club rates on application.
tr -. v
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PHONE 32
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THE TERMINAL
HARRY DAVIS
JOE O’CONNOR