The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-12-31

tillng uplands, nothing below good
Ordinary, shipped December or Janu-
airy, 72s; nothing below low mildling,
shipped December or January, rs.
ALAsKA.--A special agent of the
Treasury Department, after thorough
inspection Of Alaska. reported thnt
these remote POSSESSIONS Of tho Go
vernment had been greatly exagGcr.
nted, al fur as their resources aud
utility were concerned; that the princi.
pal reVcnue WAS derived from the seal
fisheries, and the support of the Go.
verDment troops required lurger out.
lay than the receipts from this source.
1t seems, however, that this Alaska ex-
plorer was not as brilliant a genius us
he might have been: that he did not
have sufficient general Information to
know good thing when be saw it.
For We have the very gratifying state.
ment Of three Icelandic gentlemen,
deputcd by Icclandic settlers in the
State of Wisconsin to visit Alas ka and
see il it was fitting habitation for the
descendants of the Vikings. that the
country WAS expressly intended by Di-
vine Providence for the dwelling place
Of their countrymen. In fact, Meesrs.
Ion Olafsson. Oiufr Alafsson and Paul
Blornsson were perfectly delighted
with this bisaltic rock, 80 lisparaged
by the special ngent OF our Govern
ment. They find soil Of fair quality
and splendid fisheries, feature which
seems to have tickled their funcy umaz.
ingly; and while admitting there are
.nmu ugly swamps, they cluim that
they can be drained very easily. In
concluding their report to President
Grant, the committee says:
I'VE, therefore, do not hesitate to
recon mend those OF our couutrymrn
who are minded to emigrate that they
come hitler if they can, and We do
this after minnte and conscientious
isliberation, in the firm belief that it
will be for their advantage, as the land
seems in every respect we'll adapted to
them, aud answers completely all our
expectations. Agriculture is wholly
untried here, SO that it is not entirely
certain how far the country il adapted
thereto; but this circumstances has for
tho Icelandera. who at home nre not
accustomed to agriculture, not the
same Importance which it has for peo.
pie OF many other nations. who will
yet for many years find land to their
taste. not yet settled, farther East.
We cannot. therefore, do otherwise
than express the hope that the Ameri-
can Government will do all that lies in
its power to encourage the immigration
of our country men to Alaska. Since
that land seems to have bren created
just for them. in like manner we think
that men of our race are the best
adapted, or perhaps the only men
adapted, to settle and cultivate that
country and to utilize the natural re-
sources with which it is furnished.
Both for the reasons above stated, aud
also for other reasons. founded not
merely on physical advantages, but
which we will Lot detniu your Excel
lency in specifying. we are convinced
TINT Alaska will suit our ceuntrymen
better than any other lnnd on earth"
1t is, therefore, extremely probable
TINT. through this potent recommenda-
ton. Alaska will soon be overrun with
gentlemen whose names POSSESS the
tina! syllable ''son," aud in few years
the sInewy gentlemen from Alaska will
hnve hearing on the floor of Con
gress. As the Norweglans and Swe,les
have gone into Wisconsin, Minncsotu
and Iowa for climatic reasons, SO onr
Icelnndic friends will seek tho some.
what frigid latitude of Alaska. When
they 10 so We will not hear any more
structures upon the "bmslltic rock"
.