purington.] FREIGHT RATES. 239 
Freight for the Chistochina district must be packed on horses from 
Valdez, via the military road to the Chistochina, and then up the river. 
The rate in 1903 was, in summer, $10 per 100 pounds, and in winter 
$3.50 per 100 pounds. 
A railway has been projected from Resurrection Bay on the Alaska 
coast up the Sushitna and down the valley of Cantwell River to the 
Tanana, thence across to the Yukon at Rampart. A few miles of 
the road have actually been constructed from the Resurrection Bay 
terminus. There is little doubt that a railway following either this 
route or one following the already surveyed route from Yaldez to 
Tanana Crossing would pay as an investment. The benefit of such 
lines of railway to the south interior portion of Alaska, including the 
Hope and Sunrise, Chistochina, and Fairbanks placer districts, is 
unquestionable. 
Freight rates from Hope and Sunrise to the mining creeks in the 
vicinity are as follows: 
Supplies are freighted from Sunrise to Mills Creek, about 18 miles, 
for 5 cents per pound. 
From Sunrise to Lynx Creek, between 20 and 25 miles, for about 
the same. This is contract work. 
Supplies are boated from Sunrise to mouth of Glacier Creek (7 to 8 
miles) and there packed to Crow Creek (6 to 7 miles) for 3 to 3£ cents, 
but this is b}' private yearly contract. The miners usually bring their 
own supplies over the snow in the winter time so that there is not much 
freighting. 
The transportation of supplies from supply points on Seward Pen- 
insula to the mining creeks is done mainly by hauling in wagons; in 
some cases, as from Cheenik to Council, by flatboat, and in three 
cases, Nome-Anvil Creek, Solomon-East Fork, and Council Number 
15, Ophir Creek, by railway. Between points on the coast the summer 
transportation depends on small ocean-going boats, for the most part 
Igasoline launches, whose trips are not regular, as landings at Nome, 
iSolomon, Bluff, and York depend on the weather. All supplies larger 
than those which can be transported in dories must be lightered at the 
labove-named points. Charges for lightering at Nome are included in 
[table 26. It should be understood that the ocean rates to Seward 
Peninsula points given in table 17 include the charge for lightering in 
jevery case. 
The wagon haul is fairly easy at some times of the year in the broad, 
gravel-filled river beds. These streams are subject to flood, however, 
and such teaming is impossible at times. From White Mountain, on 
Fish River, to Council, Ophir Creek, Gold Bottom, and as far as Goose 
iCreek, on the Casadepaga, a useful type of flatboat, draw r n by a strong 
ihorse, draws 5 tons during favorable conditions of water. Such haul- 
jing, when possible, reduces the freight over the wagon haul by about 40 
