The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-04


II h ssax11fne 20 ~ The Chicago
Tlmes-Hesaid seriously pFopostng 70
trade ~ Alaskaa paaAanAie Tor L.
malca = the essaess and mast satisfac-
tsry vay Of settling the troublesome
Alaska boundary probiem- This ex-
tracrdinafy suggestion might be passed
~ - futile sad rtdtcuioas. bat for the
fact that Il comes from . newspaper Of
prominence which h supposed 70 hare
Ia IN unusual degree this favor Of the
national administration The chaTac-
Ter Of the proposal ~ well N the AZ
tonfshing range and quality Of the CHI
caso Journals ignorance. may Be Judged
from the following.
90 TAR 20 Ne know there has been no
discovery Of vast mtneraI wealth In the
panhandle % AiaskA. There may be un-
told millions In the remainder of alaska
through which the Yukon Aoue. when u
II not frozen solid. naajesticaily. more
than . thousand miles. 10 che Boring Sea.
No matter what mineral wealth may be
discovered in Alaska proper there ix no
possibIItty Of its ever being crowded with
population. II n too prolific Of icicies and
the sunheamn that visit II hare q cold
ana sickiy glare for nine months out Of
the Twelve. : The panhandle shuts
the Canadian mainland from the ocean
for over 90 miles and contributes little
bat vexation, which II not the spice Of
life. 10 the happiness and welfare of the
republic which bought II from Russia IN
N accommodation. 20 far a. I'm
c3e Sam Ii concerned. We shonld think he
would prefer swapping thu whole OF Aias-
ka. n need be. for jamaica. 10 either
arbitration or war"
The panhandle Of Alaska II the most
pnpuious and productive part of the
territory. II contains the thriving and
growing American cities Of Juneau.
skagwsy. sitka, wrangei and others
less known. Its mineral wealth il
great. its fishing industries important,
and its undeveioped resources are con-
siderable. Douglas island is the loca-
ton Of the largest. and one of the most
valuable. gold mines in the world---the
Treadweil group. Tributary to Juneau
b = vast mineral belt upon which ere
mills containing about 1000 stamps and
employing s.0oo people. Valuable quartz
mining disfrtrts Ia state Of develop
ment are silver Bow basin. sumdum
district. Ketchican dissrict and others.
The great salmon and haiibut fishing
grounds OF Alaska are in part OF the
panhandle. The prospects Of agricul-
tural development are good. Can ell
this splendid territory be Justly de-
scribed an . spectacular Ice house." As
the TImes-HefAid puts IL? Would poe
session Of decaying West Indian il
land. notable chiefly for Its earth
quakes and it, bloody Instructions.
and of small extent and commercial or
strategic Importance. be a fair ex-
changer
The prefer cannot be described as
otherwise than timorous and cowardiy.
II fairly illustrates the chronic willing
ness OF some Eastern journals and
statesmen to saerifca any Pacific coast
interest ta gain an advantage, real or
fancfed. along the Atlantic. 1t shows
further the maudiin sentimentaiity that
inspires some American people tn sup
port any scheme. however insane. ard
20 To any lengths. however extreme. to
foster the so-calied AnsIo-American al
lance. II IL possible. Though. that II
the sapient Chicago newspaper diplo-
mat were called upon 10 surrender Lake
Michigan and Its adjacent lands To
Canada just because the dominion
wanted them. and II would please Eng
land. Ii would hesitate little