The Nenana News
VOLUME I NENANA, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 3, Al6.
NUMBER 1.
NEN AN A, THE INTERIOR FUEL DEPOT
SYSTEM TO
■ BE FINEST IH
ALL ALASKA
♦ ALASKAN ENGINEERING COM
MISSION IS INVESTIGATING
COSTS INSTALLING FIRST
CLASS SYSTEM OF SEWERS.
WORK TO BE DONE
EARLY IN SPRING
TOWNSITE MANAGER ANXIOUS
TO SEE VITRIFIED SALT
GLAZED IRON PIPE L\ CON
STRUCTION OF SEWER.
I
Ind.cations are that the town of
Xenana will have the most up-to
date and complete system of sewer
age in all Alaska. According to F.
S. Ryus, the townsite manager, the
Alaskan Engineering commission is
now investigating ure costs of in
stalling a system. Estimates are be
ing prepared as to the cost . of
installing a system of vitrified salt
glazed pipes, and also of wood pipes.
The wood pipes are considered not
as satisfactory and the commission
will prefer to install the iron pipe
and will use it unless the expense
is positively prohibitive.
The sewer installed will be for
what is known as “within the fire
limits." The fire limits consists of
the portion of the townsite
bounded on the north by the Tanana
river, on the east by D street, on
the south by 4th street, on the west
by Main street."
To a representative of the News,
Mr. Ryus said that the work of
installing the sewer would not be
started this fall, as it is so late
in the season, but will be started
early in the spring.
During the winter, special toilets,
prescribed by the townsite managed,
rill be used exclusively in the fire
l'mits. These toilets may be se
cured from the commission at actual
cost price. Pending the installa
tion of a sewer, the townsite man
ager has engaged a scavenger, and
reasonable charges to the residents
have be&n provded for by Mr. Ryus.
THREE MONTHS AGO A WILDERNESS AND MOOSE PASTURE, NENANA NOW HAS A POPULA
TION OF AT LEAST 1,200 PEOPLE—FLOATING POPULATION OF AT LEAST 5,000 PEOPLE AN
TICIPATED NEXT SPRING-APPROXIMATELY 1,500 MEN WILL BE EMPLOYED BY THE COM
MISSION NEXT SUMMER—FORCE WILL BE ABOUT 200 MEN DURING THE WINTER MONTHS
-BRIDGE WILL NOT BE BUILT UNTIL SUMMER OF 1918—COAL WILL BE LANDED IN NE
NANA FROM COAL FIELDS A YEAR FROM NOW -REPAIR SHOPS OF RAILROAD TO BE LOCAT
ED AT NENANA—APPROXIMATELY $400,000 BEING SPENT FOR LABOR AND MATERIALS TO
BE FURNISHED IN INTERIOR ALASKA THIS YEAR.
From a wiiderness, a moose pas
ture, with nothing hut a lone trading
post within ou miles of it, to a
town oi l,2uu peopie, and aii with
in three months, is the recora of
-Nciiana, Aiassa. Where narked six
ma.amute dugs, and rushed madly
tacK and forth aiong the river bank
in front of the trading post on
June Id, 1015, as the lailruad engi
neers disembarked from a Xanana
liter steamer, today, September 24,
are found 1,200 busy people, en
gaged in constructing a railroad,
founding a town and developing the
great Interior of Alaska. Thus, has
"Xenana, the Fuel Depot of the In
, terior,” outstripped in rapid devel
; lament any town in Interior Alas
: ka, and in the whole territory, with
the possible exception of Anchorage.
And a year from now, the busi
ness people of the town confident
ly expect there will be a population
of 5,00u people, of which a large
portion will remain at least until the
completion of railroad construction.
History of Town.
Many years ago, James Duke es
tablished a trading post on the
south bank of the Tanana river, at
the point that is now the town of
Xenana. Here, for years, he con
ducted a trading business among the
Indians, and kept open a roadhouse
which was visited but seldom, except
fcy a stray traveler over the win
ter trail fiom Fairbanks to lower
river points, or by a prospector
'-ound loi the hills.
After the passage of the railroad
ill, authori-ing the construction of
a railroad from the southern coast
to Interior Alaska, and after the
Alaskan Engineering commission
i had been formed with W. C. Edes
las chairman, and Thomas Riggs, dr.,
I and Lieutenant Frederick Mears as
| the only other members, a party
of surveyors came to Interior Alas
ka to make a preliminary survey of
( several proposed routes. This party
, was headed by Thomas Riggs, Jr.,
the member of the commission to
whem was allotted charge of the
work in the Interior.
The first party was divided up in
; to two sections, both landing at Ne
nana on June 15, 1914. One of
these parties went to Broad pass and
worked toward Kenans, while the
other went to the coal fields and
tried to locate a feasible route, di
rect from there to Fairbanks. These
parties went out in the fall and re
turned again in the spring.
After other surveys during the
summer of 1915, the commission de
cided upon the route over which the
railroad is being built now.
Work Starts.
One June 15, of this year, just
two years from the arrival of the
first party, another crew of men,;
headed by F. H. Bailey, who, inci
dentally, was in the first party to
arrive in 1914, arrived and that day
started the work. The actual con
struction, however, and the day
which will be celebrated annually by
the people of Nenana as anniversary
day is July 7, the day on which the
commission started to drive piling
for the waterfront. That day marks
the commencement of the real town
of Nenana, and it will be remem
bered as such.
Coal Next FalL
According to estimates made by
Mr. Riggs and Mr. Bailey, coal
will be landed in Nenana about a
year from now,, provided the com
mission is able to get its freight
and supplies next summer and is
able to secure the men necessary
.o do the work. To a representa
tive of the News, Mr. Riggs said
that the commission could use 5,
000 tons of coal this winter if it
were available and will want a much
larger supply next year.
The coal mines, of course, will be
operated by private parties or com
panies, and it will depend upon them
as to whether ,or not the fuel will
be ready for shipment as soon as the
railroad is ready to receive it.
Waterfront Reserved.
At the present time, there is a
waterfront, with pile* driven along
the whole length for a distance of
approximately 1,000 feet. Of this 700
feet has been reserved for the com
mission dock and warehouse pur
poses and will be retained for that
purpose. The remainder of the wharf
will b$ leased to private parties.
None of it will be sold, as the
government wishes to retain control
of the waterfront.
Telephone System.
If no private company or individ
uals build a telephone system, the
Alaskan Engineering commission will
provide one. Mr. Riggs stated to
day, however, that the commission
would prefer to have this matter
handled by private parties.
An order has bees placed for a
big, up-to-date sawmill, which will
be installed on the ground below
town, which has been used for a
baseball park during the past sum
mer. This will be an electrically
operated plant. The sawdust from
the mil) will be used for filling pur
poses and for fuel for the power
plant.
The amount of lumber to be saw
ed will depend upon the time that
the plant arrives m the Interior,
But Mr. Bailey stated that he
thought fully 2,000,000 feet would
be cut next summer.
Over 500 on Payroll.
At the present time there are
over 500 men on the payroll of the
Alaskan Engineering commission. At
the close of business for the month
of August there were 495 people,
including the contractors and their
men. Since that time 75 more names
have been added, bringing the num
oer up pract.cally to 600.
Of these, about 200 will be kept
busy this winter during the cold
months. As soon as weather con
ditions permit next spring, the num
ber will be increased, Mr. Biggs
estimating that fully 1,500 men will
be employed before the end of the
summer. At the Fairbanks end,
work.ng toward Nenana, about 700
or 800 men will be working.
The commission will not import
any men from the states, as it has
adopted a policy that all men must
come to the Interior and secure their
employment on the ground.
Bridge Work.
The construction of the bridge
across the Tanana river will not
be in full swing until the summer
of 1918. Next summer, however, some
men wdl be employed puptting in
piers and foundations. When the
big construction work starts on the
bridge about 200 men will be em
ployed on this work alone. The final
plans for the bridge have not been
drawn as yet, or determined upon.
Repair Shope
The railway repair shops will be
located at Nenana, according to the
present intentions of the commission.
Big Sawmill Next Summer.
LIGHT PLANT
TO BE READY
OCTOBER 15
Construction of Power Plant Great*
ly Delayed by Lack of Mater
ial; Bert Hoiifieid Is
In Charge.
According to Bert Hoiifieid, the
electrical engineer in charge of the
I construction of the light and power
plant, it ought to be in working
order and ready to accommodate the
wants of the residents of Nenana
not later than October 15. The
plant would have been in work
ing order by this time, Mr. Holifield
states, except for the fact that it
has been impossible to get the
material and supplies necessary.
The two 125-horsepower brickyard
boilers have been set up and the
firebox is now being installed. The
engines and large dynamos will oe
in position within a very few days
also. The setting of these was de
layed, owing to the non-arrival of
cement.
In add.tion to supiying light an ;
power, the plant will furnish steam
heat for the store, the office tuild
ing and bachelors’ quarters. Sep
arate hot water heating plants will
be used for the other buildings of
the commission.
To many people of the Interior, it
may be of interest to know that the
electr.c light and power plant was
fnmerly the property of the Tan
ana Electric company, of Chata
n;ka. The plant was dismantled by
Mr. Holifield and was shipped to
N'enana by him.
IDITAROD GIRL
HERE.
Miss Lillian Smith was in N'e
nana for a couple of days dur
ing the past week on her way to
Fairbanks to join her sister, Mrs.
Henry Weir. Miss Smith was in the
Fairbanks country during the early
days of that camp, but during the
past several years has lived in
Idit&rod.
F. S. KVL'S, TOWN SITE MANAG
ED OF NENANA, AND VIBTL*
ALLY MAYOR Of CITY, HAS
bELN IN NORTH SINCE 1WI5
j _
TALKS KECjAKDLNG
FLTLKE OF TOW A
rsELiEY Ea NENANA »v ILL UK
CiOOD s'liOF TOWN, BCT THAT
IT WILL NOT INTERFERE
j CROYYTU OF FAIRBANKS
.
I Althougn everybody in Nenana
| knows Fred Kyus, townsite manager
! aiul mayor by virtue oi' his office,
as they see him busy about the
streets every da}, but few know
that he is an olutuner of the North,
that he is a sourdoush of eleven
years’ standing. lie has been in
the country and around it enough
to know conditions, so that when
ne speaks oi the interior, he is
listened to oy his sourdough friends.
And, in talking to a representative
of the News, he gave his opinion
as to the future of the tow'll and
conditions, in such a way that his
remarks are worth} the considera
tion of ail people living in Nenana
and in the Xanana valley.
We have been asked so many
times," he said, "as to the future
of Nenana and whether or not it
would ruin Fairbanks; and as to
whether this town would practically
close up shop after the completion
of the railroad, that we have given
the matter considerable thought md
a great deal of study.
“And after this study we come
to the conclusion that Nenana and
Xairbanks may work along harmon
iously as their industries will be
entirely different and the progress
of one means the progress of both.
“Nenana will have a payroll al
ways. There will be shops here and
men employed, which will make it
for all time a good town. Of course,
(Continued on page 3.)
Our representative, with a full and complete
line of sample cloths and style books, will be with
you on or before OCTOBER 1st to take your or
ders for
WINTER and SPRING SUITS
Tailored in the latest fashions and at prices as low
as ready-made suits are sold at in the North. We
order our suits by wire, and you can depend up
on receiving the suit you order when it is’ promis
ed you. The Royal Taylors make the finest suits
made.
FAIRBANKS CLOTHING CO.. Agents
Office with COONEY &. COONEY, Nenana