The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-12
OUR TRADE
WITH ALASKA
s,cc,a, correspondence of The Tribune'

spccIal Correspondence OF Inc lr'ou"o'
MILLION DOLLARS a month is
n the estimate made by the Bureau
~ OF Statistics OF the present ,vaiue
\ of the market which frozen
Alaska" offers the producers and manu-
facturcrs Of the United states.
Commercial Alaska In 1907 Is the title
OF monograph Just Issued by the Treas
ury Bureau Of Statistics. In IL are pre-
scented some striking figures about this
until recently) little explored and little
understood territory of the United States.
BY reason of the application of modern
systems Of travel and transportation.
Alaska Ia now as accessible as Arizona.
Three days OF travel by modern ocean
steamers from Seattle, among the islands
and along the coast which forms the
southeastern extension of Alaska, lands
the traveller at Skagway; twelve hours by
rail over the mountains carries him to the
head-waters of the Yukon, where COM
Portable and well-equipped river steamers
carry him to the gold field of central
Alaska. or down the Yukon river which
is navigable for more than 1900 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 industries OF
Alaska, at the present time. and they
send to the United States fifteen million
dollars worth of their products. eight mil
lions Of gold, six millions of tlsh-chiefy
salmon-and the remainder furs
The cost of Alaska was S,eOO.0O0 The
revenue which the government has de-
rived from 1t since its purchase amounts
to over nine million dollars. and the
value of the products are now twice as
much every year as 1t cost. The total
nf A1ac ckn
to the United States since its purchase Is
according to the best estimates that the
Bureau of Statistics is able to make)
about $50 millions, of which fifty millions
is precious metals, fifty millions products
of the fisheries-chief1y salmon-and nifty
million more furs-chiefly seal fur. Prob
ably fifty million dollars of American
capital are invested in Alaskan industries
and business enterprises, including trans
portation systems. In the salmon f1shef1es
alone, the companies engaged have
Capitalization of twenty-five million dol
lars and the value of their plants. includ-
ing vessels, is given at twelve million dol
lars. In the mining industries, there are
large investments-the great quartz mill
at Juneau being the largest quartz stamp
mill in the world, while several other
quartz mills represent large investments.
With the inflow of capital, the develop
ment of the transportation systems, and
the gold discoveries, has como the build
ing up Of towns and the development Of
cities with modern convenences of life.
Nome City, which Is located but COM
paratively short distance south of the
Arctic circle, has now population or
over 1900; postal facilities have been so
extended that the number of postoffices
is now about sixty, and mails are being
regularly delivered north Of the Arctic
circle.
Acr,cuI+ura1 oossihilities I'm Alaska
have, until within a recent period, been
considered Of but slight Importance. AS
the country was explored, however. and
its conditions of climate and soil studied,
its natural products observed, and eXperi-
ments made with various classes of agri-
cultural productions. it became apparent
that the agricultural possibilities of the
country, and especially of the south and
southeast, where the climate is modified
by the Japan current, were of consider
able Importance, in view of the practical
hility of furnishing at least part of the
food supply of the population which the
varied resources Of Alaska seem likely 10
sustain and make permanent. These OBJ
scrvations and experiments lead those
who have participated In them to the be-
lief that vegetables in great variety can
be produced all along the southern coast
and in the valley Of the Yukon, and by
some the possibility Of the successful pro-
iuCttOn OF wheat ana oats lS SlToHBly pup
ported The grasses for the support of
cattle are abundant, and the experiment
with live stock thus far Justify the belief
that this feature of the food require
ments of Alaska may be furnished by the
development of stock farms in the south
ern section. In the north, vast areas are
covered with moss similar to that upon
which the reindeer thrives in other parts
of the Arctic regions, and in view Of this
fact, the introduction of reindeer from ST.
IBERIA was begun a few years since and
has proved extremely successful, about
5000 now being distributed through north
west Alaska, and the experiment has
advanced sufficiently to justify the conf
dent belief that the reindeer will, within
few years. prove an important feature
in furnishing both the transportation and
food supply OF northern and northwest
crn Alaska
The gross area of Alaska Is. according
to the 1900 census, 59O.SOi. The governor
OF Alaska, in a recent report, states that
this is equal to the combined area of the
twenty states of Maine. New Hampshire
Vermont, Massachusetts,. Rhode Island
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Vir'
ginia, West Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
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