WEEKLY REPORT OF PROGRESS 1U. S. RAILROAD PROJECT
WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORTS.
Anchorage Division.
(Alaska Railroad Record.)
Following are the progress reports of the various de
pertinents of Anchorage Division for the week endinf
January 13:
MAINTENANCE OF WAY.
Buildings.
The carpenter work on Cottage No. 29 has been com
pleted, with the exception of the fixtures. The painting ii
60 per cent complete. Good progress was made on th<
school house, the plastering being completed and the car
penter work on the second floor finished. The first floor ii
finished, with the exception of the trimming and the con
Crete flooring. The first coat of paint has been applied oi
the second floor.
Water Service, Plumbing and Steam Heating.
The installation of plumbing fixtures in the new schoo
building is 80 per cent complete. Some work was done ii
connection with the making of drinking fountains for th<
school house.
The installation of steam heat in the machine shop i:
now 98 per cent complete; that in the Warehouse No. 2 ii
90 per cent complete. Repairs were made to the coils am
condensers in the cold -storage plant during the period.
Electrical Department. -
Electric light fixtures have been installed in all the Gov
emment cottages, and light is now being supplied. An;
further extension of the electric lighting system is de
pendent upon the supply of fuel.
Mechanical Department.
Running repairs were made to engines 221 and 225
engine 280 was overhauled during the week. A force o:
four men was engaged all week installing machinery am
equipment for the power plant. A wash drill outfit wai
fitted up for the Bridge Engineer to be used in test bor
ings for foundations for the Susitna River bridge. Th<
usual amount of miscellaneous work was performed.
The power plant is now being operated by a complete
force, consisting of three engineers, three firemen am
three helpers.
MATANUSKA DISTRICT.
Matanuska Branch.
There has been little change in working conditions or
the Branch Line during the week. The hauling of supplies
and equipment for contractors is progressing satisfac
torily, five tons to the load being handled without diffi
culty.
The«work of revising and retracing the located line be
tween Kings River and Chickaloon has been completed, and
residence parties are now engaged in cross-sectioning.
The recent thaw has not damaged the ice road on the
Matanuska above Kings River; on the contrary, it appears
to have improved that roadway.
Main Line.
The piledriver crew has completed the driving of tres
tles as far as Camp 166.
Axel Johnson & Company, who have the contract for
clearing between Willow Creek and Kashwitna, are now en
route to their work; and C. A. Anderson & Company, who
have the remaining right-of-way clearing to Sheep Creek,
are now engaged on their contract.
The roads along the Main Line were considerably dam
aged by the recent soft weather, and freighting will be dif
ficult throughout the section until more snow falls and the
weather gets colder.
TURNAGAIN ARM DISTRICT.
Clearing Right-of-Way.
Collins and Company have completed most of their
heavy clearing between stations 1645 and 1668; Baclcstrom
& Company have finished their contract between stations
1840 and 1870.
Grading.
All grading work progressed slowly during the period
on account of exceedingly bad storms and high wind. The
coyote work, however, was not delayed. Nicholson & Com
pany made a very good shot of their coyote hole at Mc
Hugh fireek.
Miscellaneous.
At Camp 91, the Commission force has moved into their
new office and the storehouse at that point has beer
opened.
The recent warm weather has placed the trail in bad
condition, in some places the snow having entirely disap
peared.
A boiler and double drum hoist engine and air compres
sor have been installed for use in drilling and excavating
the cut at station 2629 to 2639. The work at this point
will be done by Commission labor.
H. Anderson & Company have completed their contract
at Camp 101, Potter Creek.
TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE DEPARTMENT.
Telegraph and Telephone.
The through Anchorage-Seward wires were interruptec
several times during the week by wind and sleet storms.
With the exception of one maintenance man at Kings
River, all the employees of the department have been with
drawn from the Matanuska Branch, and are now engage
in extending the wires along the Main Line to Montans
Creek, where they will connect with the Talkeetna District
The metallic circuit betweenAnchorage and Matanusks
lias been simplexed, so that now there are in operation twe
telephone and one telegraph circuits on three wires be
tween these points.
In addition to the toll lines, there are 94 commercial
and 92 Commission telephones, with extensions, connectec
to the townsite telephone exchange. A revised list of sub
scribers is being prepared and will shortly be in the hands
of the printer.
Electric Light and Power.
All the primary and secondary wires on the alleys be
tween Third and Fourth and Fourth and Fifth Streets
within the business district, have been installed. Service
connections have been made and meters installed in al
buildings of the Commission which are occupied. The pub
lie buildings of Anchorage, including the railroad station
new school house, municipal offices, fire department, U. S
marshal’s office, post office and telegraph and telephone
building are now lighted with current from the Commis
sion plant in the terminal yards. These buildings have
also been metered.
A large Scheidel-Westem X-ray machine was installed
in the hospital dumg the week.
ANCHORAGE DISBURSING OFFICE.
(Alaska Railroad Record.)
The total disbursements of the office at Anchorage for
the period of January 15 to January 21 were $18,339.25.
The payment of salaries and wages amounted to $9,796.53;
for local purchases $44.50; to contractors $8,314.09; other
expenditures $185.13.
WEEKLY FORCE REPORT.
Anchorage Division.
The number of employees of the Anchorage Division as
1 shown by the payrolls on Saturday, January 6, 1917, was
• as follows:
i Commissioner’s Office. 36
Shops and Yards . 180
Transportation Service . 14
Store and Dock Departments.*. 117
Accounting Department . 19
Disbursing Office . 5
Townsite Department . 22
Steward’s Department . 12
Hospital Department . 23
Telegraph and Telephone Department 1. 64
Track, Bridge and Ballast—Main Line. 43
Turnagain Arm District. 205
Matanuska District . 207
. Talkeetna District . 119
1066
Stationmen and Laborers—All Districts. 896
Grand Total All Employees Anchorage Division . 1962
LOCAL FREIGHT TARIFF NO. 6.
(Alaska Railroad Record.)
Local Freight Tariff No. 6, covering the shipment of
material, outfits, tools and supplies for contractors on rail
road construction and repair work, has been issued by the
Commissioner’s Office, Anchorage. Copies of this tariff
may be obtained by those concerned by applying to Alas
kan Engineering Commission, Anchorage, Alaska.
ALASKA POTATOES FOR EXPORT TRADE.
(Alaska Railroad Record.)
The proposal of the Northern Pacific Railroad to serve
and widely advertise Alaska potatoes on the dining cars of
its system has aroused much interest among the farmers
of the Fairbanks section. The Fairbanks Commercial Club
has taken the matter up with the farmers of the Tanana
Valley and is urging them to use the best seed obtainable
for their spring planting in order to insure a select crop
from which to fill any orders the railroad may place next
I fall.
The Land and Industrial Department of the Alaskan
Engineering Commission has also called the attention of
the farmers of Alaska to the willingness of the railroad to
make a special feature of the Alaska potato on the menus
of its dining car service. With the wide publicity already
provided, there should be no difficulty experienced in sup
plying the demands that may arise for potatoes of suitable
grade.
The featuring of an agricultural product in the manner
proposed should prove especially effective in dispelling, in
no small measure, the idea so generally prevalent through
out the United States that Alaska is totally unfitted for
practical agricultural development, and should be the
means of attracting prospective settlers to the advantages
j offered homesteaders in the valleys contiguous to the rail
road and along the Alaskan water courses.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
I
(Alaska Railroad Record.)
Alaska derives its name from an English corruption of
the native word “Al-ay-ek-sa”, probably meaning “The
great land” or “Mainland”.
The region now known as Alaska was first visited by
the Russian officers Bering and Uhirikov in 1741. Russian
traders and trappers soon entered the country and through
their activity other nations became interested in this re
gion. Spanish expeditions in 1774 and 1775 visited the
southeastern shore and in 1778 the English explorer, Cap
tain James Cook, made extensive surveys of the coast for
the British Government. The first settlement was made by
the Russians at Three Saints on Kodiak Island* in 1784,
and in 1804 the Russian-American Company founded Sit
ka, making it the seat of government in 1805. •
. In 1799 the trade and regulation of the Russian poss
essions in America were given over to the Russian-Ameri
can Company for a term of 20 years, which was after
wards twice renewed for similar periods.
In 1821 Russia attempted by ukase to exclude foreign
navigators from Bering Sea and the Pacific coast of her
possessions, which caused a controversy with the United
States and Great Britain. The question was settled by a
treaty with the United States in 1824 and one with Great
Britain in 1825, by which an attempt was made to fix per
manently the boundaries of the Russian possessions in
America.
In March, 1867, Alaska was purchased by the United
for the sum of $7,200,000 in gold, and in October of the
same year the formal transfer was made at Sitka. From
1867 to 1877 Alaska was governed by the War Depart
ment, although the customs were from the beginning col
lected by the Treasury Department, and with the latter
the control rested from 1877 until the passage of the act of
1844. This act extended over Alaska the laws of the
State of Oregon so far as they were applicable, created a
judicial district and a land district, put in force the mining
laws of the United States, and gave the country an admin
istrative system.
The influx of settlers after the discovery of gold in the
Klondike, Yukon Territory, in 1896 rendered more adequate
laws necessary. In 1899 and 1900 Congress made provi
sions for a code of civil and criminal law, and in 1903
passed a homestead act. In the meantime a serious boun
dary dispute had arisen between the United States and
Canada regarding the interpretation of the treaty of 1826.
This was settled in 1903 by an agreement whereby the
seacoast of Cdnada extended no farther north than 54 de
grees 40 minutes.
By the act of May 7, 1906, Alaska was given power to
elect a delegate to Congress, and on August 24, 1912, the
creation of a territorial legislature was provided.
Union Laundry
and Bath House ,
Fourth Are., Between H and I,, 1
Anchorage
OUR WORK IS GUARANTEED
—and—
SANITARY
THE LARGEST AND CLEANEST
BATH TUBS IN ANCHORAGE
Sanitary Market
The only cold storage plant In con
nection with market In Anchorage.
Home-made Sausages. Fruits. Veg
etables, Butter and Eggs, at whole
sale. Restaurants and roadhouses,
special attention.
Ilk Ave.. Bet. H and 1 Sts.
£ £ KURTZ & CO.
LEARN TO DANCE.
Latest Dauces Taught. Begin
ners given special attention. For ap
' pointment call at third house from
C on 6th Ave.
WM. BUNTING.
C. HENNING
TAILOR.
Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s
Suits _ Cleaned, Pressed and
Repaired. 4th Ave. and D St.
;; Tony's Cafe
OPPOSITE EMPRESS
THEATRE.
TABLES FOR LADIES—
—NEWLY REMODELED
.ox):o;o:o:o:q:o:o;o:o;o;o:o;o;o;o:o:o;o:o:o:o:o:o:
New Cabinet Shop
Furniture Made to Order. All
Kinds Cabinet Work, Show
Cases, Etc.
Kiln Dried Lumber.
Seasoned in Our Shop.
JOE KITAK.
4th and K Sts.
HOTEL SEWARD
511 THIRD AVE.
Arctic Club Bldg., SEATTLE, WASH.
ZBINDEN BROS* Props.
Rooms $1.00 Special
With Bath $1.50 Weekly Rates
Felix Brown & Co.
CLOTHIER AND FURNISHINGS
] NONE BUT THE BEST. C ME FELIX.
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The Fuel Question Solved
Where to get your fire wood, on short notice, in the right lengths, dry,
ready to bum—has been your problem ever. Now, all you have to do
is to call up 52-Y and tell us your wants, and we will attend to the rest.
WOOD
WOOD
A trial order placed with us will dispel all your aggravation, caused
by former experiences with the keep-warm question.
Bird Creek Lumber Co.
Robert H. Fleming, Manager
Yard Next to R. R. Track in Old Town
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RECREATION
Bowling Alleys and Pool Parlors |
YOUNG VIKING H. HEGSTROM j
Next to Harmony Theatre. {
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PLUMBIHG AND HEATIH6
Full Line of Plumbing Supplies, Pipes and Fittings. <
_PROMPT ATTENTION TO ALL ORDERS. <
T. W. KENNEDY, j
E St. Bet. 3rd and 4tli. Next to Hotel Anchorage j
V <
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EDW. T. McNALLY
WM. MAITLAND
M’Nally & Maitland
Lumber Wood
i
| We carry a complete stock of common dimension. Fin
ish that is CLEAR and properly kiln-dried.
SALES AGENTS
ESKA CREEK COAL CO.
YARD and OFFICE,
Foot of G Street.
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>ToIoTololoToToToTololoToToTololorQrQloToIoI
MONTANA POOL ROOM
The Art Palace of Anchorage.
The First Building in Anchorage.
Carrying a high grade line of cigars, cigarettes, to- <
liaccos. Strongest Fruit Department in the city. ■
Classical music rendered every afternoon and even- {
ing. Piano and violin. You will like it. 5
Have your mail sent to Montana Pool Room. You <
can get it any time. <
You are welcome ! ! Let’s get acquainted this winter. <
A. CHIMENTO and ALEX TSAKUMIS, Proprietors. ;
!o®®
Plo:o:oio:oYyo:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:c:c:o;o:oio:o:o^
[RY A “WANT” AD. IN THE TIMES FOR RESULTS