The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-11-08
THE RICHES OF ALASKA.
Ouportunities for stockmen, Agri-
culturists and Others In the
Frozen Northland.

innate made by the bureau of status
tics of the present value OF the mar
ket which '.frozen Alaska" offers the
producers and manufacturers OF the
United States, states special to the
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Commercial Alaska in 1901" is the
title of a monograph just issued by
the treasury bureau of statistics. In
it are presented some striking figures
about this (until recently little ex-
plored 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 steam
ers from Seattle among the islands and
along the coast which forms the
southeastern extension of Alaska lands
the traveller at Skaguay; IL 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 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
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 $4,000
600 worth of their products, $s.0oo,Ooo
of gold, $6,00O,OoO of fish, chiefly sab
mon, and the remainder furs.
The cost of Alaska was $1,000, 600.
The revenue which the government has
derived from it since its 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 its
purchase is according to the best es-
Inmates that the bureau of statistics
is able to make) about $150,000,000,
of which $50,00o, 900 is precious
metals, $50 ,00o, 900 products of the fish
cries, chiefly salmon, and $5o.ooo,ooo
more furs, chiefly seal furs.
Probably $50 ,ocO. 900 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 capitalization of So, 0O0.-
600, and the value of their plants, i'm
GLIDING vessels, is given at $12,000,000.
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 in
| vestments. With the inflow of cap
ital, 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 60, and mails
are being regularly delivered north OF
| the arctic circle.
Agricultural possibilities in Alaska
have. until within recent period, beer
considered of but slight importance
AS the country was explored, how
ever, and its 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