Evening star., 1902-08-23
ALASKA BY
W IRE E
AND UNITED STATES
SOON TO BE CONNECTED.
General Greely Sees Great Future for
Northern Territory, Both in Agri-
culture and Mining.

Before the present year has ended Alas
ka will be connected with the United States
by wire, and before the expiration of two
weeks many hundred miles of telegraphic
communication will have been established
between the remote towns of that territory
and the coast cities.
This is the statement of General Greedy,
chief of the signal corps of the army, who
has Just returned from visit to Alaska for
the purpose of inspecting and directing the
operations under progress in this line.
Besides talking on telegraphic matters,
General Greely, in an interview with Star
man today, gave some of his Impressions of
Alaska. which are most interesting. He
said:
Il believe that the great need of Alaska
is legislation regarding lands, timber and
possibly the fishing industry. Strange as it
may seem, there is no way by which even
discharged soldier can obtain title to a
homestead in Alaska. 1t is true that the
homestead laws of the United States apply
to that territory. but inasmuch as such
laws have no effect except on what are
known as certified lands, it is practically of
no effect because there are no certified
lands of any worth from homestead point
of view.
Great Agricultural Future.
From reports from the members of the
Signal Corps as well as from other reIja-
bic information gathered while on MY trip
L am impressed with the belief that Alaska
has great agricultural future before her.
In travelling west | passed through large
areas in northern Canada which were for
merly considered to be absolutely worth
less lands, but which are now producing
crops to the value of millions of dollars an
nually as well affording grazing lands
for cattle by the tens of thousands.
Ihere is now in view a settlement of
Fins on the kenai peninsula, and from
which great agricultural developments are
expected. In this connections it may be
mentioned that the summers are warm
the land is fertile, and the possibility of
raising certain cereals is unequaIed any
where. Vegetables of every variety grow
In the Copper river valley, and grass is
hardy. | saw many acres in this section
where the grass stood from four to six
feet in height. This affords most excellent
grazing. as well as an opportunity for hay
making for the wintering of stock.
Tax Laws Disliked.
There is strong feeling in the territory
against the laws which tax all trades and
professions and turns this money into the
Treasury of the United States. Perhaps
Alaska is the only place in the United
States where the national government re-
Quires even a bootblack to pay tax for
the privilege of conducting his business,
and what is true of the bootbiack is also
true OF every Otnef craft or profession. Inc
people there believe that the fees arising
from this tax should be devoted largely to-
ward the education of the children of the
white population of the territory. This
population is rapidly increasing.
Alaska Only for the Rich.
1.-THE mistake seems to have been that
Alaska has been viewed only as a great
mining camp in the past. AS rule, how
ever, L believe that Alaska is a country
only for rich men. While the gold depos-
its are exceedingly rich, they require i'm
mense capital to develop and work them.
This working can be done only hy the most
improved machinery. OF course, there are
parts of Alaska which are barren and un-
profitable, but in this enormous region
there are areas of the size of many of our
smaller states, which, in the not distant
future, will be inhabited with a dense pop
ulation.
Telegraphic System.
The Geographic system. the completion
OF Whlch 1t was my object to hasten, will
be completed within the coming year This
Will Tor the first time make it possible for
htercommunlcatlon to be had at a small
expense between those portions of the ter
rltory where previously correspondence
could De mad only by mail, and where let
ters and answers could not be exchanged
more than twice or thrice during the year.
IL Is anticipated that within the next
week or two Valdez, Alaska, will be in tel
esraPhic communication with the outside
world. This line runs from Dawson
through Egbert, a military wire, and is
about 4oO miles long. There is now in op-
Grafton in the territory about 500 miles of
wire IN the central and lower Yukon val
ley This will be connected with the VAL
dez system, which will bring the lower
Yukon, st. Michaels and Nome within
daily reach of the rest of the world"