The following systems were absorbed and form part of the U. S. Alaska Railroad: Tanana Railroad, 45 miles, and the Alaska Northern, 72 miles.

Private lines in operation in 1924 were: Yakatut Southern, standard gauge, 12 miles, from Minto Bay to Situk Bay-a freight road running part of the year only; the Copper River and Northwestern (with which has been consolidated the branch of 7 miles from Katalla), the most important private line in the Territory, 195 miles. It connects the open navigation at Cordova with the rich copper district at and near Kennicott, Nizina valley. White Pass and Yukon Railroad, Skagway, to boundary, 20.5 miles, and thence 90.5 miles to White Horse, head of navigation on Yukon River. Dawson is reached from White Horse by steamboats in summer and by stage in winter.

The United States Alaska Railroad

The only very large expenditure made by the United States in Alaska has been in the construction and operation of the governmental Alaska Railroad. Criticized as to the wisdom of the project, as to the selected route, and the enormous cost over the original estimates, it has been an undertaking of tremendous difficulty, and its success has been creditable to American engineers. Years must elapse before its receipts will meet the cost of maintenance and operation.

Congress authorized in 1913 an investigation by the Alaskan Railroad Commission of the various routes suggested. In 1914 there was enacted a law

to construct a railroad to connect an open port on the Pacific with a navigable river in the interior. Although the commission estimated that a suitable road could be built for $26,800,000, Congress appropriated $35,000,000 and left the selection of the route to the President. In 1915 the route from Seward to Fairbanks was designated, and the construction was placed under the Alaskan Engineering Commission.

Progress was facilitated by the purchase at a cost of $1,154,188 of the Alaska Northern road, extending from Seward to near Anchorage, and for $300,000 of the Tanana Valley road, from Chena to Chatinika; both roads were necessarily rebuilt. Largely owing to war prices, Congress increased the appropriation by $17,000,000, and, through supplementary funds and material transferred from Panama and elsewhere, the total amount was raised to $52,460,159.

The construction of the great steel bridge across the Tanana River at Nenana opened, in February, 1923, the main trunk line from Seward to Fairbanks, 467 miles in length. The length of the entire system is 537 miles, including the Matanuska-Chickaloon branch, 38 miles; Happy-Chatinika, 32 miles; and the Eska branch, 3 miles. Other short branches are planned to reach rich deposits of coal.

To develop coal mines, as fuel could not be bought, in the Matanuska district $1,130,242 was spent. Later, coal was obtained irregularly as private mining was prosecuted.

Repair shops were built at Anchorage, the headquarters of the system. The completion of the rail