TOO SOON FOR DIVIDENDS
Representative Free of California,
returning from an Alaskan trip,
advises that the Government rail
road from Seward to Fairbanks be
abandoned because it shows an
annual deficit of $2,000,000. Does
Mr. Free, or any other critic of
the road, assume that those who
built it and who know Alaska
ever imagined, in their fondest
dreams, that it would pay immed
iately? It should be borne in mind
that the last spike was driven but
a little more than three years ago.
This paper does not venture to sing
the saga of that memorable con
struction. It is generally known that
the building; of the road entailed
an epic strife against nature and
natural obstacles— frozen tundra
swamps, rock barrios and mountain
passes. The Susitna bridge was con
spicuous among* a score of great
engineering* triumphs, since its main
span is 504 feet in length,— to
cheat the river when the ice goes
out. The potential territory served
by the line embraces 400.000 square
miles— and Alaska is a new land,
virgin, awaiting development. Three
years are yesterday. It is too soon
to think of Federal dividends, and
it would be folly to rip up the
rails, destroying an investment of
$50,000,000. Give them time to
grow up there.
If, as Representative Frc:* sug
gests, the line were dismantled, how
long would it be before the need
for another road would arise, with
costly material to be freighted all
the way from Seattle, nearly 2,000
miles? The Representative, for all
his knowledge of the North, cannot
pretend to know. But as the years
go it would be soon, you may de
pend on that.
The history of the railroad is
one of pioneering. It is a railroad
which hazards its investment on an
appraisal of the future of the
country, and does not and cannot
expect to pay at the beginning.
Settlers and towns do not beckon
to it, in a manner of speaking, but
it beckons to them. Since this has
been the common experience of
railroad builders, we may well as
sume that it will be the experience
of the Government in its Alaskan
enterprise. (Portland Oregonian
The Alaska Fisherman is on
sale at the following places:
George Edenso, Craig.
Josephine Scott, Hydaburg.
Butler-Mauro Drug Co., Ju
neau.
Will Jones, Kasaan.
Mrs. Chas Newton, Kake.
Peter Nelson, Newtown, Ket
chikan.
Service Cigar Store, Ketchi
kan. ' ' %
Skagway Drug Co., Skag
way.
T. M. Italio, Yakutat.
Little News Stand, Prince
Rupert, B. C.
Holland’s Cigar Store, Ketch
ikan..
Fred Williams, Klawock.
Craig Pool Room, Craig.
Forest J. Hunt, Ketchikan.
L. H. Kubley, Ketchikan.
Walker Drug Co., Ketchikan.
Ben Simpson, Metlakatla.
James Evans, Metlakatla.
Wheeler Drug Co., Wrangell.
Wheeler Drug Co., Peters
burg.
H. Roy, Sitka.
David Charles, Hoonah.
Hydaburg Commercial Co.,
Hydaburg.
Mark Savowish, Hyder.
Ed Snyder, Tenakee.
Otto Bindpage, Myers ChucV
Eli Katanook, Killisnoo.
Peter Pan Candy Shop Ket
chikan.
KETCHIKAN UNDERTAKING CO.
Sucessors to
J. R. HECKMAN CO.
Careful Attention Given Out-of-Town Cases.
E. J. DYER E. M. MARSHA
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