(•••■—-- i
■ THE COAST TEKMI- j
■ NUS OF THE ALAS- J
; KA RAILROAD.
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MEMBE I
ASSOCIATED PRESS
the terminus op
thru e oceanic
STEAMSHIP LINES.
VOLUME XV. NUMBER 8J
OP
EWAKD, A LA ok A; 1HURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1930.
Alaska Railroad
Makes Possible
Growth of Interior
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE, WRITTEN BY COL. O.
F. OHLSON, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE
ALASKA RAILROAD, RECENTLY APPEARED
IN TWO NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS—THE
GATEWAY IS HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN
PERMISSION BY COLONEL OHLSON TO RE
PUBLISH HIS ARTICLE WHICH IS BURSTING
WITH INTERESTING AND ACCURATE STAT
ISTICS, HISTORY OF THE ALASKA RAILROAD,
AND AN ABUNDANCE OF OTHER FACTS.
3y O. F. Ohlson, General Man
ager, The Alaska Railroad
Alaskan railroad problems were
discussed in Congress as early as
1886; later in 1905 and 1997 Pres
ent Roosevelt emphasized the
importance of railroad building,
followed by President Taft at var
ous times during the period 1909
1912.
♦ An act was passed in August
:9i2. which carried a provision
for the appointment of a Railroad
commission. The report of this
commission was transmitted to
Congress by President Taft, Feb
ruary 6, 1913.
On March 12, 1914, the Alaska
Railroad act was passed, empow*
ering the President of the United
States to select a route and pro
ceed with construction. President
Wilson appointed a commission to
act under the Secretary of the
Interior to make preliminary sur
veys. A year later the commis
sion began rehabilitation of the
Alaska Northern (purchased by
'he government) and construction
af a new line from the northern ;
end of this railroad to Fairbanks !
• The Alaska Central and its sue- j
cessc.r. the Alaska Northern Rail- 1
road, was built by private capital; i
construction of this railroad was
started in April, 1904. However,
► during 1909, after constructing 71
miles from Seward, further acti
vities were suspended, owing to (
financial difficulties.)
The construction of the Alaska
Railroad was started from Anch
orage in both directions; also
from North Nenana to Fairbanks,
the latter stretch originally laid
narrow gauge. The Northern and
Southern units were Joined in
' February. 1922; later, the lines
north of Nenana were standard
gauged, and the first, train with
standard eauionvent was operated
from Seward to Fairbanks on
June 15, 1923. on which date Pres
ident Harding drove a golden
spike at North Nenana commem
orating the completion of the
line.
The Alaska Railroad extends
from 8eward to Fairbanks (dis
tance 470.3 miles main line) with
the following branch lines;
Matanuska to Chickaloon, 37.7
miles.
Sutton to Jonesvitle, 2.9 miles.
Moose Creek to Premier Coal
mine. 3.8 miles.
Eska Junction to Eska Coal
mine. 0.8 miles.
Healy to Suntrana Coal mine.
4miles.
Fairbanks to Chatanika. (nar
row gauge. 3 ft.) 39.2 miles,
or a total mileage of 558.7 miles, j
On August 15. 1923 the desig- j
nation “Alaskan Engineering Com- j
mission” was changed to “Thej
Alaska Railroad,” operation being
continued under the direction of
the Secretary of the Interior, who
aopointed a general manager in
charge of all activities.
In addition to the mileage of
the Alaska Railroad there are, in
Alaska, 1,479 miles of automobile
roads, 87 miles of tramways, 7,184
s.
miles of sled roads and 4,493 miles
of trails as feeders, that have op
ened up for homesteading rich
agricultural lands in the Matanus
ka valley and Anchorage district,
the Susitna valley, Yukon valley,
via U. S. river steamer, and the
government is liberally appropri
ating large amounts yearly for
use hi expanding the highway:
system.
Alaska Railroad Connections
At Seward: With the Alaska'
Steamship Company and the Pa- |
cific Steamship Company, oper-1
ating between Seattle and Seward, i
At Nenana: During navigation
season—June 1, September 12—
with steamer service bi-weekly of
the White Pass & Yukon Route,!
maintained between White Horse
and Dawson, Yukon Territory, and
Nenana in Alaska.
The Alaska Railroad—during
navigation season, June 1 to Sep
tember 12—operates weekly pas- '
senger and freight service on the
Tanana and lower Yukon Rivers |
between Nenana and Marshall,
distance 358 miles, connecting at
Marshall with steamers of the
Northern Commercial Co., oper
ating between Marshall and St.
Michael. Steamer service between
St. Michael and Nome is main
tained by the Lomen Company.
At Fairbanks: The Alaska Rail-1
road connects with Richardson i
Auto Highway between Fairbanks!
and Valdez, and between Fair-j
banks and Chitina. At Chitina,1
the Richardson Auto Highway
connects with the Copper River!
and Northwestern Railway.
Between May 30 and September !
12, during the tourist season, pas
senger trains leave Seward on
Wednesday, Thursday and Satur
day to Fairbanks; leave Fairbanks
on Sunday, Wednesday and Thurs
day to Seward, consisting of mail I
baggage, express coaches, parlor j
and observation cars, all steelj
equipment; during the balance of j
the year, passenger trains leaves i
Seward on Wednesday and Satur- J
day to Fairbanks; leaves Fair-'
banks Sunday and Thursday to
Seward.
Local freight trains are oper
ated in each direction twice per
week and other freight trains
when tonnage is available.
Alaska’s area of 590,884 square
miles is three times that of Swed
en of 173,550 square miles, and
four times that of Finland of
144,250 square miles. Further
comparison of resourcs reveals
that Alaska, has 94.000 square
miles of farming and grazing land
as against Sweden with 24.300
square miles and Finland with
9,500 square miles.
Alaska has also 300.000 square
miles of reindeer grazing land
containing moss, lichen and
browse.
Tlie mineral resources of Al
aska are also greater than those
of Northern Europe.
The Alaska Railroad is actively
engaged, through its agent now
in the states, hi interesting pros
pective settlers to come to Alas
ka where free homesteads, 160
acres (untaxed) can be obtained,
and develop the agricultural re
sources.
The government, under the Bu
reau of Agriculture, maintains
four Farm Experiment stations,
'two of which are located in the
Railroad belt, (at Matanuska and
Fairbanks) which stations fur
nish to settlers bulletins and cir
culars covering their experiments;
also furnish free seed, in 4-pound
lots, of all desirable varieties of
grain, potato, or other plants
adapted to the region in which
they live.
The annual import of food sup
plies into Alaska is over $5,000,
000, and the major portion of
these supplies can be produced
at a profit to the producer in Al
aska.
Precipitation in the Central
region of Alaska, through which
the Alaska Railroad runs, is from
10 to 20 inches, and the mean
summer temperature from 50 to
55 degrees.
Endeavor is also being made to
interest alert business men in the
United States to further develop
the reindeer industry. It is now
estimated that there are between
900,000 and one million reindeer
in Alaska. There have been ex
ported not to exceed 18,000 deer |
and carcasses per annum, in the ;
past, from the Seward Peninsula
where the harbors are frozen over
from the middle of October until
the latter part of May, and it is
essential that the output be in
creased to at least 300,000 per ah
nura, as the increase of this ani- ;
mal is about 35 per cent per an- j
num.
There is available adjacent to
the Railroad, two ifhits (9,600,000
acres) of reindeer grazing land, j
containing nioss,* browse and lich
en, that can be used as concen
tration reserves, where deer can
be fattened before slaughtered, j
Abattoirs can be constructed at i
suitable points along the Rail' J
road, carcasses shipped by fast j
freight to Seward where freezing
and storage plants could be lo- 1
cated, affording an outlet twice '
per week by boat to Seattle or
other ports.
The tourist travel has shown
a steady increase from year to
year except during the early part
of last summer, due to the loss'
of the steamer Aleutian in May,!
1929. This steamer has since j
been replaced and the prospect \
for further increase is excellent.!
An automobile road, 73 miles |
long, is now under construction ;
from the entrance of the Mt. Me- ,
Kinley Park reserve to McKmiey J
Park station t-o Copper Mountain,1
located 25 miles from the base!
of Mt. McKinley, approximately j
50 miles of this highway can be
used this year; the balance will j
be completed during the year |
1932, after which time a large, i
comfortable hotel will be built at j
Copper Mountain, and probably1
another at McKinley Park sta- j
turn.
From Copper Mountain there!
will also be built a 60-mile trail
northeastward to afford views of
Mt. McKinley, and afford better
access to the promising Kantish
ha mining district.
Mt. McKinley is destined to be
one of the great mountain re
sorts of the world, and after the
hotel is built, short trips can be
made by airplane from there, to
and around the majestic Mt. Mc
Kinley, which attains the height
of 20,300 feet; but ns it rises
from a 3,000-foot base, it is the
highest mountain in the world
above its base.
Located in full view to the ;
southwest of Mt. McKinley, are
other mountains; Mt. Foraker,
17.000 feet; Mt. Russell. 11,600 feet
and Mt. Dali, 9.000 feet.
It is not only the beautiful
Mount McKinley, and the bigness
of the Park reserve, that will awe
and thrill the coming tourist, as
on the entire trip from Seattle, j
whether entering Alaska via Skag- j
way, thence down the Yukon Riv- j
or, or via Seward and over the Al- !
aska Railroad, he will find superb j
and Incomparable scenery in the
harbors, glaciers, lakes, moun
tains, and in the vegetation—a
riot in color; and in many places I
fOor.tiou-i-i on Puffe Two) *
NOTIONS GLEABII
THBEE-PGWEB PI
U. S., ENGLAND, JAPAN
LONDON, April 10, (^—Com
plete agreement has been reached
between the United States, Oreat
Britain and Japan and the way is
now open for a three-power pact.
Observers gathered that France
and Italy are being invited, dip
lomatically, to come to a decision
for participation in a five-power
pact and their answer is expected
to be known tonight.
Each of the three powers. Jap
an, Great Britain and the United
States, agreed to retain one capi
tal ship for training purposes
which had been destined for the
scrap heap; this is really a con
cession to Japan permiting her to
retain one ship she otherwise
would have scrapped.
Thus, the United States will
only scrap two ships instead of
three and Great Britain four in
stead of five.
1ST BOARD ON
N, MORALS,
NVESTIGATED
WASHINGTON, April 10, (&)—
The Board of Temperance in >
prohibition and public morals, of |
the Federal council of churches, ;
may be investigated, according to (
a request made to the Lobby
committee, made by Representa- |
live Tinkham.
On the witness stand before j
the committee he said the Meth- !
odist board for some years hasj
attempted to influence and direct j
legislative and executive branches j
of the Federal government; that
this influence interfered with ju
dicial appointments of the ad
ministration.
m
afv
M
11
COUNCIL OF GHHRGHES i
WASHINGTON, April 10, (£>)—
Renewing his attacks cn the
Methodist Episcopal church Fed
eral council of churches, Repre
sentative Tinkham, charged be
fore the Senate lobby committee,,
that the council attempted to in
fluence Congress “on both domes
tic and foreign policies.’*
Chairman Caraw'ay announced
the board council will be given an
opjvortunity to reply to charges.
RECORDS SUBPOENAED !
BY LOBBY COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, April 10, (>P)—
The records of the association
against the prohibition amend
ment were subpoenaed by the
Senate lobby committee and Hen
ry Curran of New York, presi
dent of the organization, was
summoned to appear before the
committee next Tuesday.
Chairman Caraway said the as
sociation refused the committee
permission to investigate and ex
amine the records. Curran denied
such permission had been refus
ed.
f BASEBALL
COAST
Seattle 2, San Francisco 10
Portland 2, Los Angeles 9
Hollywood 7, Oakland 8
Missions 4, Sacremento :2
Few persons would keep their
present jobs if they fell heir to
61,000,000, tests by Dr. Harry D.
ECitson. Columbia university psy
chologist, revealed.
BEWARE!
Many people of the city are
still convinced that the deaths of
so many dogs recently was the
work of a poisoner; they put lit
tle stock in the thought decom
posed fish were responsible. We
know of one resident who claims
to be on the trail of the poisoner
and if he procures sufficient evi
dence, heaven help the skunk.
PLENTY OF DAYLIGHT
The Gateway has been asked
to make an expression on the
proposed daylight saving plan
for Seward during four months
of the summer. To be candid and
to make a long story short, we
feel that the suggestion is entire
ly out of order; not only here but
at any point in Alaska where we
have more daylight than the law
allows—so to speak. And we be
lieve that the sooner we get to
gether working for more local in
dustries, create a payroll, less
time will be spent on this sort of
a suggestion which is not prac
ticable or applicable to Alaska and
would, in view of the train, boat
and difference in time, only result
in considerable confusion.
ANALYSIS
Seward has a city health offi
cer. Why not wipe out all this
suspicion, one way or the other
over these poisoned dogs, and
have an analysis made of one of
these dead dogs stomachs. The
city council could authorise same.
If poison is being spread about
the streets of Seward the citizens
want to know about it as a mat
ter of protection. It may be some
one’s child, instead of a dog. if
this is true.
t « i
In view of the fact poison may
be scattered about the streets
we take back what we said yes
terday; that children should pick
up nails, glass, etc.,
One local family man says he
is seriously considering moving
away from Alaska, back to the
States, where a child is permitted
to own a pet without fear of it
being poisoned, or the child it
self. Something to think about.
WATSON ON
IY10 ALASKA
SEATTLE, April 10, OP)—The S.
S. Admiral Watson, of the P. S.
S. Co., sailed yesterday morning
at 11 o'clock for Alaska with 188
passengers on board of which 22
are for Seward, as follows:
C. C. Harris, B. F. Huddleston,
Vincent Brown, J. W. Ryan, A. L.
Calkies, Mr. and Mrs. J. Kiliden,
Mr and Mrs. Michael Beegler,
Mrs. F. B. Bailey, Miss Marguerite
Bailey. Clement Stroupe, Harold
Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Ros
tad, R. A. Mesfelt, Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Sackman, Merlin Fitch,
E. E. Rennewitz, John Works,
Tony Silva and nine steerage.
CMC INTERESTS
THOUGHT CERTAINTY
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, April 10,
*P)—Unless blocked by some new
xmrt fight the billion dollar mer
ger of the Youngstown Sheet
Pube Company with the Bethle
lem Steel Cporation, becomes a
certainty.
It is said that Judge Turnbaugh
refused to enjoin the voting block
>f 51,000 of sheet tube shares for
;he merger.
L. A. Manchester, general coun
sel for the sheet tube company,
«iid the total vote for the merger
vhen counted showed 875,000 votes
n favor.
up QUESTHUI
WILL HOT BE SETTLED
TONS TIME TO CGME
NEW YORK, April 10, (jP)—
Calvin Coolidge, in a copywrighted
article in the May issue of Cosmo
politan, writes that he has no in
tention of returning to public
life.
“If I am in the Senate it would
be agreeable to many of my col
leagues but with all desire to
helpful it would probably be em
barrassing, at times, to the ad
ministration.”
Ke said, in discussing prohibi
tion, that “considering people
| differed most radically os to the
jbest method of regulating the sale
of liquor for generations, it was
not likely this question would be
settled for a long time to come.”
I
| SEATTLE, April 10, (/P)—The
Arctic Transport Company, thru
Ralph Lcmen, announced the
purchase of the steamer Annette
Rolph from the Roiph Navigation
| and Coal Company of San Fran
cisco.
The vessel will be used between
Seattle and Nome and will sail for
the North June 1. The vessel has
been drydoeked and a large
[amount of refrigerator space is
| to be installed.
The vessel will be operated in
conjunction with the motorshlp
! Sierra in regular service between
'Seattle and Nome to take care
[of the increased reindeer ship
‘ menu.
The vessel is built of wood and
is 2,360 tons gross: it was built in
11918.
i
MARION, Ind., April 10,
A ruse by which Cincinnati de
tectives “hired” three members of
an alleged Chicago bombing ring
to plant explosives in a hi-jack
ers car, led to their being lodged
in jail charged with the bombings
which took the lives in Marion
labor circles during the past six
months.
The trio were arrested after re
ceiving money from an informant
and gave the names of Peter
Emeciak, 38; Harry Danford, 29;
and Joe Beckett, 25, all from Chi
cago.
They were enticed here by the
informant who offered them $350
to bomb the hi-jackers car.
PILOT SAVES FAMILY
GREENVILLE, Pa., April 10, (IP)
—An air-mail pilot, identity un
known. aroused the sleeping mem
bers of the family of Carl Bill
ings whose house was afire and
is credited with saving the lives
of all. The pilot circled over the
farm house with his plane, his
motor roaring full blast, which
awoke them and gave warning.
PLUNGE TO DEATH
ROOSEVELT FIELD, N. Y., April
9. (.P)~Plunging to a fiery land
ing behind a hill near here, a
Bach tri-motored monoplane car
ried to their death T. Worden,
hunter, president of the Bach
Motor Company, and R. W. Mc
Allister, pilot, both of Los An
geles. The craft had just appear
ed over the field at the end of
the fight from Bethany, Cpnn.
Stanley P. Chemaeff, a resident
of the rail belt since construction
days, died at the Anchorage hos
pital last week.