The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-01-12
is ALASKA A PAYING INVESTMENT ?

known 10 amount TO the following
sum from the respective sources in
dicated. The estimates are all for
gold values.
DIRECT TAXES.
Annual rental Of seal fisheries, S55, 900 OC
Tax on 90, 600 skins, allowed to
be taken by present regula-
Bonus( s21< cents each Jon skins, 1880 0G
Bonus On oil (55 cents per gal.
Ion }, OF which the yield is es-
timated at one gallon for each
seal killed, 1880 0C
Supplies and schools to be fur
nished to natives OF seal is
lands, 1000 OC
..t "s.. PRODUCTIONS.
Value of seal-skins above taxes, S1s, 75O Oc
nuaIiy, $4,000 OC
Other continental furs, 10000 90
Furs and fish OF Sitkan district,
according to Tidball's report, $1,000 %
Annual yield Of sea-otter trade,
estimated at one-half the av-
garage annual yield Of the
last 20 years, Is, 900 90
" alrus, ivory, and oil, C1S6S) 1900 eC
Salt Goldfish (1o,6I2, 900 pounds
Cod-iiycr" oil t1O,oOO gallons,
1860, 10000 OC
Whale oil and bone from Alas
kAwaters, estimated at one
third the whole Behring Sea
catch snnually-viz., 466, 666
gallons oil, 500, 499 GO
Ice trade, $4,000 OG
SpGrs and timber, 1000 OC
Total annual product, 81, 4o7, 339 &C
The product of seal fishery is fix
ed by law and the regulations OF
the Secretary of the Treasury. The
amount of oil actually saved is not
made public, but it is well known
that the seals afford, when they first
arrive, about two gallons each,
which IL reduced to one gallon
toward the end of the season. !
have estimated it at one gallon per
seal.
The schools and supplies contem-
plated by the act of Congress can
not be properly furnished for less
than the sum mentioned above.
The Yukon district produced more
than 100000 worth of furs in the
season of 1S67-S; hence the esti-
mate Is not unreasonable. The pro-
duct of continental furs from other
districts is unquestionably larger
but as / have no exact figures, l
have estimated it at $4,000. The
average annual yield of sea-otter
for the last twenty years las been
1900 skins in 1868 over 1000 were
obtained. / have estimated the an
nual yield at $50 skins, which is cer-
tainly below the mark. The skins
and tails are sold separately; good
skins of both are worth S125, but
have been estimated at 500. The
supply of Goldfish taken has nearly
doubled since 1866, but have esti-
mated the supply of cod-liver oil at
the old figures, though it must have
| largely increased. The Goldfish is
estimated at its market price, whole
| sale, at the close of the season of
1870. While the greater part of the
oil and whalebone taken in the
North Pacific is from Alaska waters,
l have considered only one-third OF
it as being the product of Alaska,
and computed its value at the price
fixed at the Sandwich Islands, as is
the custom of the trade. The ice
trade is given at the old figures, al.
though it is on the increase, as is the
trade in spars. The cod-fisheriec
have increased since the purchase al
the rate of fourteen per cent. pei
annum, and will doubtless continue
to increase.
The act of Congress authorizing
the lease of the seal fishery contem'
plated an annual yield of one hun
dred thousand skins, which will
doubtless be realized as soon as they
have recovered from the indiscrimi
nate slaughter Of the last three
years. The Alaska cedar is the on
ly timber in the world which defiel
alike the rot and the ship-worm
One-fifth of the wharves of San
Francisco annually succumb to TIT
ravages of the teredo, though bull
of the best Oregon pine; and it il
not credible, with an effectual rene
dy within three or four weeks sal
of them, that San Francisco mer
chants will continue to neglect it
A trade of greater or less extent i
bound to spring up in this timber
1t is evident from the preceding OBJ
servations that the business O
Alaska, already f1ourishing, is in {
fair way 10 be largely increased
The cost of production next re
mains to be considered. 1t is hard
ly likely that any unprecedented per
son will object to the preceding est
mates as excessive after the explana
ton which has been made In re2ar
!. to them. l., ~
1t is notorious that the profits O
4 fishing and trading operations ar
far greater than on agricultural o
= -, ann "a aRur; - n. hnasuaoa TNha val1,
of raw fur-seAl skins in LOndoI
from the latest and most reliabl
official reports by d:sinterested pei
, sons, is shown to be from nine I
!, ten dollars in gold. One house i
London, also Interested In the fist
cries, has a monopoly of the opers
ton of dressing the skins, aftG
which they are sold for about tweI
|, ty dollars each. The cost of Pre-
duction, including freight to LoI
= don aud taxes, is not more than for
: dollars and q half each, and state
!; ments to the contrary arc utterl
false and unreliable, and will nj
bear examination. The profit O
: the raw skins alone is about or
q hundred per cent, and on the dres
y ed skins about two hundred an
!, fifty per cent. Sea-otter skins an
tails cost, including all expense
. twenty-five dollars or thereabout
Q delivered in London, and arc wort
: eighty to one hundred and twent,
q five dollars. The profit on the col
e tinental furs, mink, marten, etc.,
about two hundred per cent. tt
whale and cod-fishermen make the
VOYAGES on 'lay," or share of IL
profits, which on successful voyag
Is will average over one hundred p,
: cent ] am inclined to consid
: fifty per cent. OF the entire yield
= perfectly fair estimate OF the CO
y of production, which deductG
r, from the total, gives us as an annu
r. interest on the cost OF Alaska Il
+ sum of 81, EOS. 669. 80, which is ecu
ii to little more than fourteen D
W cent. per annum.
Al This is taken on the same basis
z, the annual interest allowed to 4
ID examples previously cited; but
t. the case of Alaska, having the n
is cessary material, which was war
D. ing in the other cases, we will d
r. duct the present annual cost, pF
IN vioua3v Ea0kA0 nm fpnno che avn,,