River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-08-21
THE RICHES OF ALASKA.
Opportunities for StocIxmen, Agri-
cuIturists and Others in the
Frozen NOrthIand.

A million dollars a month is the es-
innate made by the bureau of statis-
tics of the present value of the mar
ket which frozen Alaska" offers the
producers and manufacturers of the
United States, states a special to the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Commercial Alaska in 1901" is the
title of monograph just issued by
the treasury bureau of statistics. In
it are presented some striking figures
about this (until recently little' ex-
ployed and little understood territory
OF the United States. By reason OF
the application of modern systems of
travel and transportation, Alaska is
now as accessible as Arizona. Three
days of travel by modern ocean steamA
ers from Seattle among the islands and
along the coast which forms the
southeastern extension of Alaska lands
the traveller at Skaguay; ~ hours by
rail over the mountains, carries him
to the headwaters of the Yukon, where
comfortable and well-equipped river
steamers carry him to the gold field OF
central Alaska or down the Yukon
river, which is navigable foT more than
1000 miles at this season of the year.
From the mouth of the Yukon another
comparatively short trip by steamer
carries him to Cape Nome-the latest
and greatest of the gold fields OF
Alaska.
Gold, fish and furs are, according to
this monograph, the principal INDUS
try of Alaska at the present time, and
they send to the United States $15,OOO,-
900 worth of their products, $0,OOO,O0
of gold, $6,OoO,0O0 of fish, chiefly sal
mon, and the remainder furs.
The cost of Alaska was $7,200,000.
The revenue which the government has
derived from it since it's purchase
amounts to over 100000, and the
value of the products are now twice
as much every year as it cost. The
total value Of the products of Alaska
brought to the United States since it's
purchase is according to the best es-
Inmates that the bureau of statistics
is able to make) about $150,000000,
of which $5O,ooc,0oo is precious
metals, $50,000,000 products of the fish
cries, chiefly salmon, and $5o,000,0OO
more furs, chiefly seal furs.
Probably $50, 100000 of Americancap"
ital is invested in Alaskan industries
and business enterprises, including
transportation systems. In the sal
mon fisheries alone the companies en-
gagged have a capitalization of $22, oo0,-
900, and the value of their plants, in
Guiding vessels, is given at $12 100000.
In the mining industries there are
large investments-the great quarCz
mill at Juneau being the largest quartz
stamp mill in the world, while several
other quartz mills represent large in
vestments. With the inflow of cap
itaI, the development of transporta-
ton systems, and the gold discoveries,
has come the building up of towns and
the development of cities with modern
conveniences of life.
Nome City, which is located but a
comparatively short distance south of
the arctic circle, has now population
of over 10000; postal facilities have
been so extended that the number of
post offices is now about so, and mails
are being regularly delivered north of
the arctic circle.
Agricultural possibilities in Alaska
have, until within recent period, been
considered of but slight Importance.
AS the country was explored, how
ever, and it's conditions of climate and
soil studied, its natural products OBJ
served and experiments made with
various classes of agricultural produc-
tions, it became apparent that the ag-
ricultural possibilities of the country,
and especially of the south and south
east, where the climate is modified by