ANNUAL REPORT
SEC. OF INTERIOR
ON ALASKA RY.
(Continued from Page One)
Work started on filling the trestle
approaches at bridges 3707 and D-10
and on the masonry for bridge 3609
at Dry Creek.
Concrete piles built at Anchorage
for bridge 4321.
Engine house moved from Nenana
to Healy.
Three cottages and dormitory mov
ed from Chickaloon to Curry.
Car repair shop built at Anchorage.
Old boiler house at Anchorage re
modeled for use as a coal testing la
boratory for Bureau of Mines.
Cooling tower built and trestle
changed at Anchorage power plant.
Snowshed 714 extended 100 feet at
south end and 52 feet on north end.
Snowshed 531 extended 48 feet.
Track between miles 3 and 6 raised
from 3 1-2 to 6 feet to place it above
the flood level of the glacial streams;
172 cubic yards of gravel and 47,956
cubic yards of rock used.
Approximately 108,471 crossties re
newed.
The completion of the above items
of work will result in decreased fu
ture costs of maintenance.
Train Operation
From the beginning of the fiscal
year until August 31, three passenger
trains a week in each direction were
operated between Seward and Fair
banks with dining and sleeping car
service, the trains making a continu
ous run between the two terminals.
On August 31 this service was chang
ed to two passenger trains a week in
each direction between the two termi
nals and dining car and sleeping-car
service discontinued, the trains re
maining overnight at the Curry Hotel,
and stopping for the noonday meals
at Anchorage and Healy. On June
21, 1925, the summer schedule was put
into effect of three trains per week in
each direction between the two termi
nals but without dining and sleeping
car service, the trains remaining over
night at Curry and stopping for meals
en route. In both the summer sched
ules a train was run in each direction
on Sunday between Anchorage and
Seward for the purpose of affording a
connection to the Alaska steamships
which are scheduled to leave Seward,
in the sifmmer months, for Seattle at
4 p. m. on Sunday. This Sunday
schedule is so arranged that a round
trip can be made from Seward to Mo
raine and return, and quite a few tour
ists or round-trip passengers on the
steamships have availed themselves
of this opportunity to get a glimpse
of Alaskan scenery. The passenger
trains leaving Seward on Sunday and
Monday and arriving there on Satur
day and Sunday are operating parlor
observation cars, which are also oper
urea on miaweeK trains, out only wnen I
there are a sufficient number of pas
sengers to justify such operations.
From July 1 until August 31, three
freight trains a week in each direction
■were scheduled to go between Sew
ard and Fairbanks. On the latter date
the schedules were discontinued and
as needed. With the present summer
the freight trains were run as extras
business the freight service is ade
quately taken care of by the running
of two freight trains per week in each
direction between the terminals with
only an occasional freight movement
being made.
Maintenance-of-way Department
The history of the maintenance-of
way department is that of a constant
struggle against adverse conditions.
The work performed in the summer
season is to a great extent destroyed
by the severe winter conditions due to
excessive heaving of the roadbed in
cold weather and snow and rock slides
and floods. The general condition of
the track and structures at the end
of this fiscal year was far better than
it was a year ago and at this time com
pares favorably with railroads of like
traffic, so far as the line and surface
of the track and the physical condi
tion of the various types of structures
are concerned.
River Boat Service
The river boat traffic was not as
heavy this year as in the previous year
due to large stocks of supplies being
carried over, by the merchants and op
erators on the river from the previous
year. Ttye increase in shipments this
season indicates that this surplus ,
stock Is now exhausted. Tons of
freight handled In 1924, 3543; tons of
freight handled in 1925, 3125; passen
ger's handled in 1924, 792; passengers
handled in 1925, 833.
Traffic
Total tons of commercial freight
handled in 1925 was 53,865, a decrease
of 5667 tons, or 9.5 per cent. This
decrease was due, almost entirely to
decreased shipments of Mayo ore, of
which 6892 tons were shipped in
1924, and but 1372 tons In 1925. Com
mercial coal shipments increased from
27,884 tons in 1924 to 28,426 tons in
1925. Commercial loading of- vessels
at Anchorage in 1924 amounted to
1532 tons and in 1925 to 2104 tons,
and at Seward 1016 tons in 1924 and
1492 tons in 1925. Rail freight reve
nue in 1925 was $412,194, a decrease
of $20,980, or 4.8 per cent. Rail pas
sengers handled in 1925 were 48,300,
a decrease of 1165, or 2.4 per cent.
Rail passenger revenue was $171,552,
an increase of $2413, or 1.4 per cent.
Tourist Business
Tourist business indicates an in
crease over past season, but the re
cords are not such as to make abso
lute comparison possible. The Frank
Reedy tourist party of Dallas, Texas,
numbering about 94 people, was the
only tourist party moved by special
train over our line. Increased interest
is being shown by the tourist agen
cies in Alaskan trips. During the fis
cal yehr 1925 we handled one party
of tourists who came in from Skagway
Show Cards,
Posters,
Movie Slides,
Cartoons,
Advertising,
Publicity.
E. F. JESSEN,
SEWARD, ALASKA
CHRIS’ PUCE
Cigars and Tobaccos
Soft Drinks and Candies
CARD TABLES
Phone
Madison' 54
CHRIST LARSEN, Prop.
Next Door to Liberty Theatre
THE PALACE
John Mattich, Prop.
POOL, SOFT DRINKS AND
CIGARS
Furnished Rooms
Phone Main 55
CHOP SUEY, NOODLES,
OYSTERS AND SHELL
FISH—
Open Day and Night
Prirate Dining Rooms
SEWARD GRILL
■ • • ' . . i i.
Alaska Airship Co.
SEWARD OFFICE
Box 1486 - . Seward, Alaska
over the White Pass & Yukon Rail
road, down the river from Dawson by
steamboat to Nenana and over the
Alaska Railroad to SewarcJ. The fis
cal year report for 1926 will show an
increase of travel by this route.
Scrapping the Railroad
Talk of scrapping the Alaska Rail
road has been revived. Whether the
railroad should ever have been built
is now beside the question. We have
it, and to abandon it despote the loss
in its maintenance, would amount to
a reversion of the American policy of
progress. This railroad was completed
only in June of 1923. Its construction
was hurried and some of its structures
are flimsy and temporary in character,
menaced by glacial rivers, and its
tracks are underlaid by ice at some
depth the year round. All of w'hich
makes its upkeep expensive and out
of proportion to its earnings.
When the construction of the Alaska
Railroad was originally proposed the
claim was made that with adequate
transportation facilities mines in the
interior of Alaska would be opened
and flourish. In 1915 these minerals
! were valued at $32,790,000. By 1924
: they had decreased to $17,457,000.
I Production of coal in Alaska in com
(petition with the States has not been
i feasible. Neither has the cost of pro
ducing other miners been sufficiently
profitable to attract capital although
the Government has provided the
! means of shipping them out.
Conversion of the right of way of
'this railroad to a truck highway, con
struction of a branch railroad from
| Portage Creek to Portage Bay, aban
donment of the line from Anchorage
;to Seward entirely, or the use of that
.division only in summer, largely for
tourists, have all been suggested.
(There is little commercial use for a
railroad between Anchorage and Sew
j ard as both are seaports. It might j
be maintained in summer, it is sug-;
gested, as a pleasure road and the;
| freight carried to Anchorage by water. '
I Automobiles require hard-surfaced
'roads. These could hardly be built in
| Alaska for less than $50,000 a mile
for surfacing and widening of the
! railway right of way. There are no
j such roads at present constructed in
| Alaska and the effects of extremely
cold weather on them is unknown.
[The alternate freezing and thawing
of the surface in Alaska would be dis
astrous to truck roads, whether hard
urfaced or not. Gravel-surfaced roads
are now impracticable in Alaska for
heavy trucks except in periods when
the roads are frozen.
Automobile traffic would encounter
similar obstructions from slides iff
(winter as do the railroads; their re
moval would be more expensive than
similar clearing from a railroad right
of way.
Looking Forward
Alaska is rapidly becoming a “lost
province.” Without the inspiration of
self-government or freedom of local
initiative, opportunity for expansion ,
j has been curtailed by bureau officials i
j made hesitant Ify limited authority, j ]
| Alaskans have not been encouraged j ]
to develop pride of territorial growth j i
or muepenuence oi administration. 1 ne i
(maximum population of 75,000 whites;
has shrunken to 20,000 and production
from its natural resources wavers
' and recedes.
Inevitable Alaska must compete in
I the markets with its products. Climate
| and sail and transportation are deter
mining factors in agricultural competi
tion and are necessarily weighed wh&n
development work of any sort is con
templated. Climate and soil condi
tions are fixed by nature. Transpor
tation costs can only be eliminated by
home production and consumption.
The situation of Alaska calls for a
prompt sympathetic study by Con
gress. Its natural resources and their
possibilities; its methods of govern
ment and their effect; the attitude
which we should assume toward it,
■ whether governmental control should
be constructive in type, or continue
to cultivate dependency, or be re
moved entirely, should be weighed by
the legislative branch of Government. .
The suggestion that all of the Govern- *
ment’s activities in Alaska be merged
into one department should have the
immediate consideration of Congress.
Mohammedans of Morocco usually
divorce a wife after living with her
four or five years, thus displaying
greater patience than some Ameri
cans.
Next to a blind man, one 'with a
stiff neck misses the most nowadays.
Fresh Haas and Johnson’s fine
boxed chocolates—Alaska Shop.tf.
Short Road Needed To
Grant Lake Sawmill
Site, Says AI Sollers
The construction of a branch road
a little better than ai mile in length to
the sawmill of Al Sollers, located on
Grant Lake near Mile 29, would mean
quite a much larger outlet for the
mill products, which in turn would
create an increased revenue for this
vicinity, stated Mr. Sollers yesterday
in a brief interview with a Gateway
representative. ,
The cost of building of a wagon road
6000 feet long, would be small for the
country it wonld pass over, is void
of swamps and rock work. A tempo
rary road four feet wide, has been
slashed out by Mr. Sollers. Every stick
of lumber manufactured at this mill
is sold in the Moose Pass region. The
demand exceeds the supply but with
such a road as proposed, production
would increase to a considerable ex
tent.
The matter will be presented at to
day’s meeting of the local Chamber of
Commerce, and if that body sees fit
ta take action, inasmuch as there is a
forestry conference now at at the
Cordova headquarters it is quite like
ly a telegram will be dispatched urg
ing the construction of the road next
summer.
Mr. Sollers has been in town since
last Saturday purchasing supplies and
material and departs on the next train
out.
Boys’ Winter *Caps, Urbach's. 323
Smokers’ sets and fine merscbaum
pipes with genuine amber stems—
$8 and up—Alaska Shop. tf.
Large assortment or line box sta
tionary—Alaska Shop. tf
MOORE & BEAULIEU
Gore Bldg. Adams 145
WALL PAPER PAPER-HANG
ING, and PAINTING
TINTING
C.M.B.
CAL M. BROSIUS
Builders’ Supplies
When things Look
BLACK Phone the
Seward Steam Laundry
Telephone Main 148
1
- — ■ __!
HOTEL ANCHORAGE
F, I. REED, Proprietor
Rooms with Bath. Sample Rooms in Connection
Strictly Modern
Steam Heat
Prices Reasonable
Good Service
HOT AJN D COLD WATER IN EVERY ROOM
Bus meets all trains and boats
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
1 .gggg g. jjg 'I -
\ F"'or Sale Clr&eap
\ Piping and Fittings for
£ Power Plant Construction
I I 5000 feet 2 1-2 double extra strong steel pipe, in random
lengths, 12 to 30 feet each; each length fitted with
square machined, four-bolt flanges. One end of run
grooved, opposite end and outlet tongued with steel
machined bolts, hexigon heads and nuts.
3000 feet 1 1-2 double extra strong steel pipe in lengths
12 to 30 feet each; each length fitted with square ma
Ij chined four bolt flanges. One end of run groved, op
!j posite end and outlet tongued, with steel machined
!■ bolts, hexagon heads and nuts.
500 assorted 1 1-2 and 2 1-2 steel four bolt flanges, elbows,
tees, crosses, return bends, divided return bends, re
ducing companion flanges, flange unions, globe and
angle valves, etc.
The piping and fittings are in first class condition^'ready
for immediate delivery F. O. B. mail steamer Starr,
at Portlock, Port Chatham, Alaska.
Our price will be based up Walworth Manufacturing Com
pany’s factory catalog price F. O. B. Boston, Mass.,
thereby allowing the purchaser the cost of the freight
from the Aatlantic Coast to Alaska.
Will sell all or part of above piping and fittings and fur
nish list of quantity of different sizes on hand, upon
request.
Alaska Consolidated Fisheries, Inc.
PORTLOCK, ALASKA
■ ,
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