Douglas Island news., 1899-08-30
The Douglas Island News.
Alaska.

Alaska,
 The Chamber of Commerce of the City of Seattle has issued neat little folder, with the above caption, con taining much valuable information concerning the early settlement ana the wonderful resources of thls coun- try, from which we make the following extracts:
 The Russians held Alaska from TAI to 1867. They made but little use or It, the country being leased to fur com pany, which maintained small stations along the coast and in the Yukon Val ley, employing couple ot hundfeu men. The United States bought the land and all on it for S1 S1,2OOUOO, or at the rate of about two cents an acre. This is sometimes spoken ot as the largest purchase of real estate Ill the history of the world.
 Alaska means "the great country" It is immense. Its area is 58O, ,lO! square miles. This exceeds that of all the Atlantic States from Maine to Louisiana, with One-balf of Texas ln- cluded. Governor Brady says there isn't one square mile of all this vast region that can be said to be Valueless. The coast line is 10000 miles in length, and exceeds that of all the other parts of the Union combined.
 The climate, as is to be expected ln so extensive a country, is varied. At Sitka the average annual temperature is 42 deg, the winter mean being3l deg, the summer 35 deg. The rainfall is from 60 to 95 inches per annum. The southeastern coast climate is quite similar to that of Sitka,-a little colder in winter and warmer in summer on the mainland, and a little less rain Tn many places. There are no tornadoeS or cyclones. Old residents pronounce the weather more agreeable than that of many parts of the country east of the Rockies.
 Gold, silver, copper, galena, anti mony, plumbago, mica, asbestos, coal, iron. cinnabar, sulphur and other metals and minerals have been found. Petroleum there is about to be develop ed, a company with large capital having taken the enterprise in hand. Coal has been found in many places in Alaska, but has not yet been availed of to any great extent. 1t is said to be like that of Puget Sound and Van couver Island. On the coast and in the interior coal veins are known that indicate in both quality and quantity i all that will be required, both for steam making and household purposes.
 Alaska has not only seals, whales and ! salmon, but it has the walrus, otter, cod, halibut, herring, oolichan and shellfsh. Cod taken since the acqui- sition of the country has sold in the coast markets for S5,O00,00O. No cOun- l try in the world has so varied and eX- ! tensive fish preserves as Alaska, which more than equal those of all Northern | Europe, Greenland and Newfoundland combined.
 Gold has been found all along the coast. The Cook Inlet miners get from S2OO.OOO to S3OO,OOO per annum. On Unga, one of the Aleutian Islands, is a quartz mine that has yielded half a million dollars during the last three years. On Douglas Island is the great | TreadweIl mine that has been worked for fifteen years, yielding nine million i dollars during that period. Connected with this mine is the largest milling plant in the world, having S80 stamps. At Sumdum is another steady, all-the- ! yedE-IOuuu NludIbL -4llAlIS NIobL ACC' ~AS { Berner's Bay, Sitka, Yakutat, Copper River, Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island and many other places are mines and mining from which frequently come reports of glowing nature.
 Alaska is of great worth to the North west Territory and British Columbia. i It is between them and the sea. From the earliest days it has been necessary to go up the Stikine River or Lynn Canal to get into the province and territory named. This fact has given the southeastern portion much promi- hence during the past thirty years, and has added to it's value both to us and to our Canadian neighbOrs. That DOT tion of Alaska has also been nearer civilization, has been more accessible, has been a more agreeable abiding place, and has generally and properly been regarded as the most desirable part of the country. In consequence, its settlements are the most progress sive, most advanced and most promis- ing. Cut them off and the value of the whole would be immensely lessened. Cut off any portion and the whole would be marred and injured. There isn't square mile anywhere to spare, and not one that the people of the United States would ever excuse its representatives bartering or giving away.