* ---’ j SEWARD THE PLACE
jj COME TO SEWARD j [ FOR YOU TO
OPPORTUNITIES I j MAKE YOUR DOME
|j HERE ARE MANY j |
1 I
Daily Edition, and The Alaska Weekly Post _ ..
{mm ujuia. im1. . _ .rtN 'Km *gCll|,>
VOLUME XII, NUMBER 220. J -----S=
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......iiiimiiiiiiimMiiMiiimiiiimmmiMiiiiMiMHM.. .
Newspapermen encounter strong
subjects while on assignment work,
encounter men ot* all classes and con
ditions, men of all kinds of promin
ence. but the newspaperman must ge!
the facts. When, however, a newspap
erman goes against another newspap
erman, especially when the latter is on
a mission, and both know what the
other wants, the usua* tactics a tv
thrown away and it is biunt talk.
W. A. Kyan. who is in Alaska “to
make a report to Secretary Pane, an*
that report will be made to him, be
fore any publicity is given, and you
can use your own conclusions in tb
words of Mr . Ryan, arrived in Sew
ard last night to remain hero until the
Alameda leaves for the south and
at the Seward Hotel , with hi- wile.
It was newspaperman to ne\ spam
erman last night when the Editor met
Mr. Ryan. Mr. Ryan was city editor
of the Tacoma News when the Kdito.
of the Gateway was “the orignal offi
ce boy of the Seattle Post-Intelligenc
er" and that was years ago. Mr. Ryan
and the Editor chatted about the “old
boys” both knowing the same old
bunch and then the interviewer and
the interviewed began to pain .
“Mr. Ryan, is it true that you are
an investigator of the government
railroad project in Alaska.’
“What do you mean, by investigat
or?" said Mr. Ryan.
MAn investigator in the true sense
of the word, a prober, a man who is
going to ascertain where the $11,000
000 of government money has been
spent, how so little, regarding the real
object, seems to be realized, and when
these facts have been secured, what
will you report''
It was then that Mr. Ryan stated
that he was on a mission for Secretary
Lane and would make his report. fir<t i
to him. but added: “You can draw r
your own conclusions and go a."- tar a.- (
you like."
Mr. Ryan, is an elderly man. sho»*t
and what might be termed chunky. He
is smooth shaven, grey haired. Mr.
Ryan is an alert individual. No matter
what opinion others may have, he is
active, body and mi ml, also suave.
And the Editor will take it that you i
are an investigator, Mr. Ryan and a«^k
you to bear in mind a few things.
You h*ave made the trip out over the
government railroad and the proposed
right-of-way. Y'ou were in the west
when the Northern Pacific was con- j
atructed, when the Great Northern ;
was constructed. You have seen what j
real railroad construction ia and v.ha*
can be accomplished by practical con
structors and not those who have been
foisted upon commissions who knew
nothing of railroad construct ions. or
elaborate scale, a? is the government
project.
Why is it then. Mr. Rvan that tn<
Seward division is not completed ?
Eleven years asro. Mr. Ryan, train
were beinff operated over this rail
road, at a speed of 45 miles an hour
Practically the same trestles, in many
places are still in use, dangerous con
trivances. so dangerous to human !i'«
that train crews will not haul only
certain loads over them. Seward is thr
the terminus of this government pro
ject. But it is not even connected \\ ith
the point where it was 11 years asro
Why?
It is a matter of common knowledge
that certain officials became pique-’
because certain property in Sowar
was held to be of too hierh a value.
But they were grove mm ent official'
and as such should have been broad
minded. There are many miles north
pf thy city of Sewnrd where another^
city could have been built, the sann
as was done at Anchorage; an! dock
could have been constructed at this
new city, a halt* mile north of Seward,
affording berths for ocean steamers.
I’.ut is it not true that these govern
meat officials, because of piijueness.
then and there damped the lid on
Seward; clamped the screws tight on
estimated appropriations for the Sew
urd Did. ion, pruned, shaved, an 1
stabbed the app opriations until the
b st and highest pai<l engineer in t!\
world could not have made a sho,vinp,
on the Seward division.
Also .'ur. Kyan, the pcunaiy reason1
for tne government radroau v. as to
bring coat to tide water, as wiii a
open mining ami aguicuituiai disuicD
Certain lew mining districts were
opened, a small percentage ol the vast
agricultural resources have boon
touched, but i:athe coal been deliver
ed to tide \\a*.cr, ut Seward, when tin
ontnc coa t ha.> been begging fo:
coal? No, eleven hundred tons oi Can
adian coal for use on the Sewaid div
i^ion was delivered at Seward a coup*'
of weeks ago by a steamer.
Why? Because the railroad
was not completed ami again why
Is not the government larger than
a party of men who become piqued,
or should it not be? Did the govern
ment make a mistake in sending l>
men to Alaska to have charge of such
a largo, in fact gigantic project?
The White Bass & Yukon and the
Copper River & Northwestern rail
roads were constructed anti in face oi
great obstacles, far greater than exist
on the government project, even in
imagination.
.ur. Kyaii, in a .special interview
in another part oi touays i--»ue, >ou
sew ioiui way the ruiiioud nius* he
coiitpitbcu. iou are ngnt. in >our “in
ves.igation* and notice how in * v.oiu
is useu, louen upon what has oecii in
competently <ione. but recommend that
the railroad between Seward and the
coal fields bo completed this season
before other work is attempted. I m
appropriation oi $4,000,000 will* n
made this session of Congress, be
cause it is a part of the $:k>,000,000
appropriated by a previous congres.
and is a law. Another appropi.aiion
has been asked for, one of $ id,000.
000. But this Four million dob u* ap
propriation is ours to have. Will you
recommend that this amount be spent
>n the Seward division ? The o; lima*
for this season on the Seward division
is, if the Editor remembers c >riect
' !y , about $780,000. quite insufficient
i to construct the snowsheds and
i
strengthen the trestles. Recommend
that the entire $4 000,000 ho given t >
the Seward division to connect the
; >ccan terminus with tho Anchorage
division which within itself, for l
great part of tho year, fulfills littK*
mission or purpose, as far a . tlu*
great Alaska is concerned. Isn t Irns
latter point correct ? Mr. Ryan.
Recommend, if in your judgement
you believe it, that the present “en
gineers in charge” of the various div
isions. he given a practical railroad
constructor to deal with, a man who
will build and not dally, who \ ill ac
complish something in short time, a
man who will assist the present “en
gineers. This man, the practical rail
road constructor, is surely needed */
the $13,800,000 appropriation ic made
the Fditor believes, in view of the
present railroad situation. That is a
personal opinion, purely so however.
“Complete the railroad” is practic
ally the slogan in your interview else
where. Then, Mr. Ryan, assist, proper
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!y am! engineerly.
Now Mr. Ryan, and this is regrett
ed, there are those even in Seward
who, during your stay here, and whom
you will undoubtedly meet in your “in
vestigation”, will say that Seward, a»
a mass of citizens is “peeved” at the
way the railroad project has been
done, “peeved” at Anchorage and even
v 1
Ncnana.
l»a. s that talk up Mr. Ryan. Seward,
through its Chamber of Commerce,
is asking for the completion of the
government railroad, as you also urge,
to open the interior, and benefit Alas
ka. Seward , as. a community, is r.ot
jealous of any other community. Sew
ard was an incorporated town before
certain other cities were thought of.
But Seward simply wants the right
waich is due her.
M erchants and citizens have helped
the AU.kan Engineering Commission
endojsed its purposes. These mer
chants and citizens were promised the
completion of tl.e railroad in 1916, And
i 1»i7 and then in 1918. Wouldn’t you
fight when y >u had been bunked for
throe years? You know you would,
but perhaps you would have started
your fight earlier, as Seward admits
now that she should have done.
Seward is not belittling, injuring
or acting oontempotuous towards any i
one connected with the Seward divis
ion. Seward is^rying to help them to
get what they have demanded, or |
should have demanded, and the Edito
believes in the first part of the sen
tence. Look what is on this division— '
scrap iron. 1/ook at other conditions, j
look at the small appropriation allott
r<l year after year.
Mr. Ryan be broad rinded in deal
ing with a big question, ul
terior motives of those you q'-o-^on* ;
eliminate the “small town” talk;
treat Seward as she should be treated j
the “terminus of the government vail
road in Alaska;” go from Alaska, .1 j
real “investigator”, if that term can
b^ used; make an honest report, not j
necessarily a “muck-raking episode’
as that style has passed into oblivion
it is hoped; help urge the completion j
of the government railroad on busi
ji^sf principles, not scruples.
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ALAMEDA AT CORDOVA
The cable office announces that the
■tfonmer Alameda will be at Cordova I
at 1 o'clock this afternoon. Suppose
that the steamer remains there the
\su d time, 24 hours and then start
for Sewaid probably time of arriva’
here would be Saturday afternoon.
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WEATHER REPORT
The following is the weather re
port for the 24 hours ending at 7 0’
•look this morning:
Seward 40, cloudy, south.
Anchorage 25, cloudy calm.
T i^keetna 22, cloudy, calm.
Montana 10, cloudy, calm.
Matanuska 36, cloudy, east.
_A_
BRIDGE CLUB TOMORROW
The ladies bridge club will be cn
‘ertained tomorrow by Mrs. Romipr
Luncheon will be severed at Mrs. Van
Slyke’s and all members of the club
• re requested to be present sharp at
2 o’clock.
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Hv Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Feb., 20 Senator
Smoot prevente ! final action this aft* '
ernoon i i the Senate consideration 01
tbo r inference report on the oil land
leasing bill. Senator Pittman of No- i
vada. < ba»rman of the Senate manag
(»rs, explaining changes in the bill a . j
permitting the leasing ami ale o< 1
Alaskan Public lands. Senator Pitt
man lead a statement from S< cretarv
Lane asking that this be done and de
claring that the development of tlo*
roal lands in Alaska, by leasing sys
tern, under a previous bill, was large
ly a failure.
The oil land leasing bill will b>
brougt up tomorrow. I
STOPPED
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By Associated Pres*
PARIS, Feb.. 20— As the result el' I
the attempt to assassinate Premier !
Clemenceau yesterday, the peace con- j
gross held no session today.
The absence of Premier Clemen
senu from the peace congress remov- |
the last European Premier from i
the conference. If necessary to hold a
plenary session before Clcmenseau re
covers, P’cmier Lloyd Geo? go or
I Premier Orlando, Secretary of State
Robert Lansing, of the United States: |
or Marquis*Saionji, will preside :n the j
council of ten, Pichon representing t
France. j
British, American, Italian and :
French sentiment is crystalizing or
plans for the construction of the act
ual peace treaty. It is believed thai
other conference than th'' French
have reached an agreement which will
hasten the conclusion of the peace
treaty and permit the early d-afting
of the document.
_
PARIS, Feb., 20— Premier Clem
( "'pceau passed and excellent right and j
:s today in satisfactory condition.
George Mandel, the Premier's chief
"lerk. is quoted in today's Echo do - ,
naris. as saying that the Pvender is 1
seriously hurt.
_____ I
PARIS. Feb., 20— The father and !
mother of Emile Cottlin, who shot ,
Dremier Clemenceau yesterday, are
plain working people. They say Emile j
has been a reader of novels and book- (
j on astronomy and sociology hut is no*
j iddictod to smoking or drinking.
It is said that Father Cottlin tried
j mainly to combat Emile's anarchistic
I ideas.
King George, members of the P>rit
«‘sh House of Commons, various head
'f nations, including President Wilson,
have sent messages of sympathy to
Clemenceau. The Premier's ohauffeu*
has been decorated at the Premier?
•cquest for bravery.
WILSON NEARING BOSTON
BOSTON. Feb., 20— A wireles*
lhis afternoon says that the transport
Georpre Washington, bearincr Prerf
’«nt Wilson home, will arrive here a*
me o’clock Monday afternoon. TV
^resident’s party will be transferred,
"o the coast cutter Ossiprey, in which
‘he President came, then the trans
port will proceed to New York and
ib embark the returning troops.
s
9
“Our record of 7'.) hours ot actual
traveling time on the trail from the
end of steel 48 miles south of Nenana
to the end of steel at Talked na, has
been reduced to 86 hours by a party
composed of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Kllon
son and Mrs. .1. C. Van Orsdel” said
W. A. Ryan who arrived in Seward
from Anchorage last night. “Wo, Mrs.
Ryan and myself, made the trip over
Iiroad Pass in advance of the rush.
“Nearly 100 persons have crossed
Rroad Pass during January and Feb
ruary and there is every reason to be
lieve that this route to and from th**
interior will continue to be the popu
lar loute. All who come must pas<
through Seward on their way South
and the travel thus inaugurated can
not fail to be beneficial to the Gate
way city.
‘ Alaska is on the eve 01 a revival oi
mining that will soon result in pro
duction surpassing its previous bes:
records. New discoveries are being
made and numerous stampedes hav«*
taken place this winter. Frank Law
son discover of American bench on
Roncnza near Dawson acting for .1
syndicate of Fairbankans has made a
new discovery over in the Salchu
country. The exact nature of the dis
covery , its. extent and richness is be
ing \ery carefully guarded, and only
a few persons let into the secret. All
of the adjacent ground is being very
quietly staked by persons interested.
“New discoveries are also reported
from Eva and Moose Creeks, tributar
ies of the Nenana, ami from the vicin
ity of Lignite or Hasanna cnek. A
very considerable movement of pros
pectors into the hills in the Bonnificld
district indicates the gradual spread
of knowledge concerning mineral dis
coveries adjacent to the railroad.
“It is to he remarked that in the
past most of the rich fields disc >vored
being adjacent to waterways. M m did
not venture far from open avenues 0;
communication. No one will contend
that minerals in paying quantities an
only to be found near to waterways
and the opening of the railroad
through the Broad Pass region will
demonstrate that given means of easv
access to the more isolated region ;. *
new and richer fields will be develop
ed. At Indian River on our way out
we mot several prospectors- with out
fits bound for the Broad Pass country
'ach apparently headed for some point
previously rcconnoitorod.
“Alaska’s great need therefore it
vould seem is the early completion
and equipment of this railroad to th -
interior. Fairbanks today is in a stag •
of almost absolute inertia. Owing t<>
(hc scarcity of labor and the high cost
of fuel and supplies. Only the rail
pad completed through from Sawnrd
r.o Fairbanks will result in the revival
what I believe will be the greater*;
gold producing region of the Forth.
With the railroad completed hundred*
•f not thousands of square mile* of
Tow grade alluvial deposits will
worked by dredging and hydraulic-king
a dozen or more quartz propositions
vill become immediately productive.
Other fields now too distant from
Fairbanks to be profitably worked, be
cause of high transportation costs wiM
become active producers. Onc e the
-ailroad is open through for passerg^.
traffic a new dw of v^itor? mf*y
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expected, tr,e ik*h seekers after new
points of .Mf1*« .>t to which they ma>
travel. These will bring intelligent ob
servation to l ear on Alaskan problem
and Alaskan opportunities and A.a."
kan resources 'J in. resuks can not fai
to develop her nun* lal resources, an
tour,st travel will biing many poten
tial inve. tors within the zone of if.
flucme which will surround thorn an
which must rcsi.lt Irom the persona
inspection of her marvellous resour
ces.
i he Alaska Chi* op <i Fairbanks
proudly di. plays woat it calls an *a !
Alaska’ .Megan, viz “Alaska can pa>
the Nation’s War Debt” and Mr Car
key the Editor says that Alaska no*
only can but will pay the nationa
debt through the creation of new tax
able wealth, provided the U. S. Gov
ernment will only pursue an intelli
gent policy of development. Th< FaY
banks anil Nenana Commercial Club*
and the Fairbanks Chapter of the Arr
erican Mining Congress have there
fore undertaken a campaign for tn
purpose of securing ted^ral aid to*
prospectors, to encourage -y.-t.ema*
search for and development of minora
resources; the installation if a grea
central power plant at »ln* great \,n
nito coal fields to transmit and dis
tribute power throughout the mining
•egions of the interior, and for th«
building of good roads.
. . • i •
“All those projects must oe oi «'
rect and immediate benefit to t!\«
whole of Alaska. Just think what
stimulus it would be to the product
ion of minerals in this region if powe
could be furnished to your mines a
not to exceed $100 per hors ; powe
year from a central power-plant !o
cated at Matanuska coal fields'.’ Th
Fairbankians say this can he don«
from a central plant to be locat 'd a
the Lignite creek coal tield and the
have a market for 10,000 horse powe
continuously the year round in th
fields adjacent to Fairbanks.
“On the trail between Anrhorag
and this point I was greatly impress
ed by the difficulties of maintenano
and operation and was glad to not
the splendid work that is being pe’
formed to overcome them. Long stre*
ches of trestle incapable of sustain in
the anticipated heavy loads oi co;
and passenger trains are being fdle
with solid rock. Bridges that ar
mainfestly inadequate are being re
placed with massive structures bui’
of outside timber of great weight-suf
taining power. Much remains to b
done ,but the preparation for vigo'
our prosecution of the work are man
test in the great quantities of eon
rtruction material and equipment ]<
cat^d at vantage points all along th
trail Next winter ought to see th
lino between Seward and the interim
in as frne operation conditions as an
tran“continental line outside. It
notable that, at several points, th
grade is bo:ng raised a mu°h as foi
feet and that heavy rock ovctmenl
are being insfallod to forestall th
action of tides and glacial streums ar
to reduce the subsequent costs <
maintenance. The very difficulties <
thm route will, in time, prove to be or
cf its chief attractions. Tourist trav<
which justifies the construction (
( Continued to page 4)
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