The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-08-05

a miliioh aniihff a faHHih H th. a
imsis mad by iha nHHaa ~ HIails
iht ~ ne rtsfthi taiut nf CO., mal.
hsi ahich "ffofsn Alasts' unsu th.
producers ana manufhriurH ~ W.
United states
Commercial Alaska in isoi" BE- th'
titic ~ monortanh iusi Issued ~ th,
Treasury Bureau n Statistic 90 d
are presented some fiflklne hrnrci
about this tuntii recently little espior-
"a and little understood territory ~ The
United states ~ reason ~ the eppii-
cation " modern systems ~ travel
and transportation. Aiaaka is now A.
| acre srihie 40 Arizona Three days %
travel by modern ocean steamers from
Seattle. among the islands and along
the boast which forms the southeast
ern extension ~ Alaska, lands the
traveller at ekagway. twelve hours by
| rail over the mountains carries him to
.he head waters Of the Yukon where
comfortable and well equipped river
steamers carry him TO the gold field ~
central Alaska or down the Yukon riN-
or which In navieable for 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 Alas
4 ka
! Gold, fish and furs are, according 10
] this monograph, the principal indus
4 tries OF Alaska at the present time and
they send to the United States Is mil
| lion dollars worth OF their products,
millions OF gold, 8 millions of fish.
chiefly salmon, and the remainder furs.
The cost OF Alaska was s.. 100000. The
revenue which the government has de-
rived from IL since its purchase
amounts to over nine million dollars,
and the value OF the products are now
twice as much every year as II cost.
The total value OF the products OF
Alaska brought 10 the United states
since it's purchase liz according to the
best estimates that the Bureau OF sta
tistics is able TO make) about $50, 600, 900.
of which fifty millions is precious met
als, fifty millions products of the fisher-
les, chiefly salmon, and nifty million
more furs. chiefly seal fur. Probably IF
ty million dollars of American capital
are invested in Alaskan Industries and
business enterprises, including trans
portation systems. In the salmon fish
cries alone. the companies engaged
have a capitalization OF twenty-five
million dollars and the value OF their
.
twelve million dollars. 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 development Of
transportation systems. and the gold
discoveries, has come the building up
Of towns and the development of cities
with mod. annV.nianHaq Of life
Nome City. which IL located but a COM
paratiyely short distance from the
Arctic circle, has now a population of
over 1000: postal facilities have been
10 extended that the number OF post
offices lie now about 60. and mails are
being regularly delivered north of the
Arctic circle.
Agricultural possibilities in 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. it's nat:Val products observed.
and experiments made with various
classes OF agricultural productions. "
became apparent that the agricultural
possibilities OF the country, and espe- |
cially OF the south and southeast
where the climate Is modified by the
Japan current, were OF considerable )
Importance in view Of the practicable
ity Of furnishing at least a part Of the
food supply Of the population which
the varied resources OF Alaska seem
likely to sustain and make permanent.
These observations and experiments
lead those who have participated in
them to the belief that vegetables in
great variety can be produced all along
the southern coast and In the valley
OF the Yukon, and by some the posi-
bility Of the successful production OF
wheat and oats 10 strongly supported.
The grasses for the support Of cattle
are abundant. and the experiment with
live stock thus far justifes the belief
that this feature OF the food require
ments Of Alaska may be furnished by
the development Of stock farms in the
southern sections. In the north vast
areas are covered with a moss similar
to that upon which the reindeer thrives
in other parts OF the Arctic regions.
and in view OF this fact the introduc-
ton of reindeer from Siberia was be-
gun few years since and has proved
extremely successful about 5000 now
being distributed through northwest
Alaska. and the experiment has adj
vanced sufficiently to justify the con-
fident belief that the reindeer Will
within Il few years prove an important
feature In furnishing both the trans
portation and food supply Of northern
and northwestern Alaska.
The gross area OF Alaska is accord
ing to the 1900 census, 500, s0i. The gov
ernor OF Alaska in a recent report
states that this is equal to the COM
bned area of the twenty states of
Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, Connect
icut. New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
nit haryInnH virginia
West Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Tennessee,