TRAIL TO FAIRBANKS via VALDEZ.
The Great American Route to the Great American Camp. 517 Miles shorter than any other Route from the
Ocean to the Great Camp at Fairbanks. Valdez the Gateway to the Interior.
It nwds no argument to prove
that Valdez is the natural gateway
to Fairbanks, and in fact, to all of
Central Alaska. The government,
after many surveys and experi
ments. has chosen the Valdez route
for the regular winter mail service
to Nome, and the winter and sum
mer mail service to Fairbanks,
Tananu, Fugle and all interior
points.
I here are £nt the present time
sixteen mails a month going over
tilts route to and from Tanaiui and
Yukon river points. .These mails
are going through on time. One
trip from \ aide/ to Fairbanks was
made this month in thirteen davs.
Via Valdez there is no Canadian
territory to cross. It is the all
American route, thus avoiding the
intricate customs regulations of the
Canadian authorities.
The ocean cable is extended to
Valdes, and the military telegraph
lines to nil unints in Alaska now
terminate there, so that the traveler
can keep in touch with the states
all along the trail.
Every day people nre arriving
from Fairbanks, and they are all
enthusinstie over the advantages
of this route. The mail carriers
keep the trail beaten down and
travelers can make the trip easily
in from sixteen to twenty-three
days.
Outfit at Valdez.
Perrons going to Fairbanks who
outfit nt Valdez have many advan
tages over those who nurehase their
goods in the states and carry the
shipping risk. The merchants
make it a point to keep in stock
the things most needed hv the
prospector and miner. A few of
tlie stores carry a special line of
goods, hut the genera! store pre
dominates. The prospector out
fitting here selects from a stock
which has heen carefully purchased
in the season when prices were
lowest, and the prospector laivs
these goods for a very little more
than wholesale prices with freight
added, and saves himself all t c
trouble of shipping hills, wharfage.
etc. If lie huvs his outfit here he
puts it on the -led at the store.and
can set that everything is all right.
If he buys in the states it fre
quently oeeurs that things get lost
or are damaged in shipping. It is
to the Advantage of every prospec
tor anil miner to outfit with a good
quality of goods as near as possible
to the place lit* intends to operate.
Valdez hv its location is the out
fitting city for central Alaska. Its
merchants arc outfitters of neces
sity, and prospectors and miners
should outfit here for their own
convenience and profit.
The senators who visited Alaska
last year were well aware of the
advantages of this trail to Tatiana
^ ukon river points, as is evidenced
hv the following verbatim extracts
from the report of the suh-eommit
tee on territories:
Finest Harbor on the Const.
\ aide* is the most northerly
hnrlnir in the Pucifie ocean. Jt is
in all essential particulars the fin
est harbor on the coast, being open
and free from ice throughout the
year, and is the natural gateway
to the interior. It is the key to
the Copper Hiver Country, the
Upper Tanana and the Forty-Mile
district nnd their future develop
ment. The all-American route via
Valdez is shorter than either the
Skagway, or the White Pass, or the
Dvea, or Chilkoot roads. It un
doubtedly makes the shortest
easiest and most direct coni tion
between the Yukon district ana the
Alaskan coast.
Valdez Route to the Interior.
\ uhk*z harkor and the route* via
Keystone canyon to the divide fur
nishes the most practical and eco
nomical route for the development
of central Alaska, and bid- fair to
more than bold its own for the
freight business of Daw-on and
vicinity. NVidia fine harbor often
the year around and a railroad
route comparatively free from
blockades, built on lighti i grades
and curvatures than the other
route, Valdez may well lay claim
to Ix'iinr t)i** main gateway for
Alafka mmnicrco.
Hie him |> on ihis page was minis
from data secured from mail cai~
riers who have traveled over tho
\ aldez-F airhanks trail, and can 1*.
r*’lied upon as being correct in all
details. 1 he map does not show
'lie roadhouse* now in course of
construction along the mail trail
irom < op| er river to Xanana, hut
the accompanying table gives the
location of these stations, all of
which will lie in operation on or
before February 1st.
Mayor Harnette. of Fairbanks,
says that the time made by the
\ aldez-Fairbanks mail proves thij
to h«- the banner route from tha
coast to Tatiana.
IN Mr A 1*1 ON 8 now point to Fairbanks a* being the
objective point of a great number of people before
the o|H*ultiK of navigation next season. liow to
reaeh there is the natural inquiry of thosV intending to
make the trip. We can say that via VAM’KZ t* the only
praetieable route for winter travel. It is 517 Mll.Es
SHORTER than any other route from the oeeaii terminus.
The trip can be mVdo via Valdez more expeditiously and
at less expense than via any other route, as will be shown
by table of comparison.
Roadhouse charges between Valdez and Fairbanks
are from |1 to for meals and *1 for beds.
The trail is well equipped with roadhouses through
out the entire distance. The traveler follows the l\ 8.
Military tele*raph.line, enabling him to ke«*p in constant
communication with the States, should he so desire.
Comparative Transportation Expenses.
VIA VALUKZ.
Bteam-hip Fare (cabin) Beattie to Valdez_ | to ini
Steam-hip Fare (second cla—) Seattle to Valdez 2. on
Stage Line, Valdez to Fairbauks I.im.im
VIA SK AOWAY.
Steamship Fare (cabin) Seattle to Sk igwwy . f :fti on
Steamship Far • (second cla-s) Seattle i.» Skagwnv *jo ini
Railroad Fare. Skagway to Whitehorse jo <mi
Stage Line, Whitehorse to haw-on . I.m on
After the traveler reaches hawsou he is still fifty
m11.Fis FT'KTiikk from Fairbanks than the iustancf: from
Valdez to Fairbanks.
As may be seen from the above figures this route la
much the cheapest for those wishing to travel without
any effort of their own, and it is tlie only winter route lor
the miner ami prospector who desires to make the trip
with hi- own dog nr horse teams at a minimum expeusc.
The distance from Valdez t.. Fairbanks is ;i*> MILLS
following the military telegraph Hues and I*, s. mail
route, over which 10 MAILS are carried monthly under
present contracts.
It is possible to transport three ton- of supplies over
this trail w ith one horse bv relaying over the mountain
ous portions of the road. This is made possible by the
fact that the trail is kept open and well packed by the l'.
K. mail carriers and their teams, and also by the F. B. gov
ernment which is now engaged in freighting 100 tous of
supplies from Valdez to the interior telegraph stations,
over the Abercrombie military trail, which was completed
in 1000, a! a cost of f lio.uon.00.
VALDEZ THE GATEWAY.
Valdez is the most northerly harbor on the Pacific
ocean. A glance at any map of Alaska will show that
Whitehorse, lln miles inland from Skugwav, is miles
further south than Valdez. It is in all essential partic
ulars the finest harbor on the coast, being open aud free
from ice throughout th * year, and is the natural gateway
to Fairbanks, Popper River country, Xixiuu, Slate Creek
Shustdlua, Gulkana and Delta mining regions.
It is the terminus of the Yukon military telegraph,
and also of the government cable to Puget Sound.
OUTFITTING AT VALDEZ.
There are a tiumbr of large outfitting stores, where
the experience of five years in dealing with !«a*al condi
tions and filling local demands lias resulted in the carry
ing «»i well-ass irted stocks; all useless and unnecessary
articles being eliminated. These merchants carry am
ple stocks of such classes of merchandise peculiarly adapt
ed to AlH.skan tradeaud suitable for conditions prevailing
here, their pric ' being reasonable and only a slight
advance over Seattle prices.
Outfits bought in tin* States nearly always contain
article.' which are found to be poorly adapted to certain
localities in Alaska. The traveler to Fairbanks will find
It to his advantage to procure his outfit at Valdez, and
will pay no more for it taking into consideration cost of
transput tation.
It i' also well equipped with first-class hotels, res
taurams. two banks, and all mercantile lines are credita
bly represented.
STAGE LINES TO FAIRBANKS.
The schedules of the Valdez Transportation Com
pany and other stage lines, cover the distance from
Vaidvg to Fairbanks in TEN DAYS and they hope to
reduce this to eight days actual traveling time.
Table of Distances via Government Mall Route.
MILES
VALDEZ to..' o
fain |» Coin fort Road house . 10
Keystone Telegraph Station . 13
Wort man's Roadhouse aud Telegraph Station. .. .. 20
White’s Roadhouse. *21
Ptarmigan Drop Roadhouse. .. . 31
Saina Telegraph Station . 34
Beaver Dam Roadhouse. 41
Teik hell Roadhouse . 48
Teik hell Telegraph Station. 53
Ernestine Roadhouse. 58
Toudua Telegrapn station . mu
Ton.*, in a P. O. and Hotel. 81
Copjar Center Telegraph Station.103
Copjier Center P. O. and Hotel. 103
Tazltna Road house . 110
(iakona Roadhouse. 132
Chippewa Roadhouse. 157
Roosevelt Roadhouse.. . jm
Casey’s Roadhouse. li#7
Colegrove Roadhouse . 227
Bradley's Roadhouse 2d
Bennett’s Roadhouse, mouth of Delta. 2>2
Joe Henry's Roadu .use... 272
Baleha Telegrajut Statiou . . ... 206
Chena Slough Roadhouse. 3iH
Dolan’s R *ad house. ......... 334
Murray’ Roadhouse.312
FAIRBANKS .350
No Customs. No Duties.
No Foreign Territory.
The Cireat American Route
To the Cireat American Camp
Full information can be obtained fioin Chamber of
Commerce. Valdez. Alanka; Alu»ka Pacific Navigation
Co., Fif»t Avenue, Seattle, Waul*.; Alaaka Commercial i
Co.,tkaUl('. Wa*b.
Published by Chamber of Commerce. Valdez, Alaska, i
fteeeiuher :il, 1»»4.
c*>w.t\Xvy
T Rv\;u.Vo*H
To
Valdez 1