The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-11
SBWARDs IOBBBRG SPECULATION

WARDS ICEBERG SPECULATION.
SECRETARY SEWARD certainly did not expect TO
remain in Office under any contingency after
the great Johnsonian administration should
happily come to a close; he probably did expect
that the Pacific Railroad would be completed
during the present summer, and consequently
he purchased Alaska. Why did he purchase
Alaskan Nobody ever knew but himself
But the intentions of the late Secretary of
State are beginning to leak out, and it is evi-
dent that his brain was not wholly bemuddled
by the intricacies of the Johnsonian
policy, but that he was still able
eye open for the main chance The mystery
of the Alaska purchase is beginning to be
cleared up, and by putting this and that to-
gether, we can begin to appreciate the ability
of Mr. Seward to guess at futurity and to ar
range his little plans accordingly. To be sure,
he sometimes has made mistakes in his
guesses, as when he guessed that the war
would end in ninety days; but the carrying on
of the war was not a mere business operation
of dollars and cents, and it is consequently
exempt from general rules, and the slight mis-
takes of Mr.. Seward should not prejudice his
general foresight.
Mr.. Seward, when he bought our great ice
berg territory, evidently had keen eye to the
main chance; he saw money in it, not merely
for the indefinite American citizen, but for
William II. Seward in particular. We conse-
quently see the announcement that he and his
family we're in Chicago yesterday, en- route for
San Francisco, whence they will start immedi-
ately for Alaska. No sooner is the Pacific Rail
road finished than Mr.. Seward sets out to inspect
our new territorial acquisition. What he in
tends to do then still remains concealed in
the recesses of his own brain-a diplomatic
brain, by the way, that has been trained in a
peculiar and difficult school of craftsmanship
to conceal its real intentions. Mr.. Seward,
however, cannot well conceal his movements,
as the eyes of the nation are on him. and we
consequently have come into possession of the
fact that he is on his way, with all due speed
to Alaska. Does he intend to prospect for
the wonderful coal mines, gold mines, silver
mines, copper mines, and deposits of precious
stones, the praises Of which were sung in such
glowing words about the time of the consum-
nation of the purchase, but of which nothing
has been heard since? or does he intend to
speculate in town lots, and aid in developing
the industrial resources of the region No one
knows but the ex-Secretary himself; but the
probabilities are that he intends to go into
the ice business. With the aid of new and i'm
proved machinery, the icebergs of Alaska
might be chopped up into cubical blocks of
convenient size, and shipped via the Pacific
Railroad to all parts of the American CONT
nent. 1t will be seen that Mr.. Seward has
purchased for us an immense ice-house, which
is certainly cheap at 81, 100000, considering
all things. AS private citizen, he has now
right to turn our purchase to any possible
account for the benefit Of his own pocket if
he chooses; and as by utilizing the icebergs
of Alaska he will develop new and i'm
portant source of wealth, we hope
that success will attend him,
and that those who were not sharp enough to
see for themselves what the advantages of
Alaska are, will not find fault with him if he
makes money by the operation. There has
been plenty of time for other smart business
men to start the new branch of trade, and if
Mr.. Seward can make any money for himself
out of his great national land speculation, he
ought to have at least as fair a chance as other
men. We hope that he will find the Alaska
icebergs mines of wealth, for to all present
appearances any other mines there may be in
the territory are not likely to yield much in
our day, if they ever do.