The Alaska prospector., 1903-08-20
Our Resourcea.

and just at the mouth of the Cop per river. lies the great Kayak oil helds. Prospecting for petroleum has been carried on for thrc or four years in desultury way, but not until last year were any satisfac- tory results obtained. In August l9O2, however, gusher was struck and petroleum. cqualling in purity and market value that produced in Pennsylvania and Ohio, spouted out of the ground to a height of 60 feet. More than 100000 acres have been located. in the past 12 months in this oil field, and pros- pecting is being carried on in q much larger way than heretofore, and the Kayak oil fields most cer- tainly have very promising fu- ture. Just back of these oil lands a large body of very good coal has been found which bids fair to riya! that of British Columbia.
 On this side of the Copper river, near its mouth are two large sal mon canneries that pack each year from 9O,OOO tU 100000 cases.
 Along the coast from the mou tn of the Copper river to Valdez a distance of some 90 miles, many copper deposits have been located.
 One of these is now shipping ore at the rate of about 800 tons per month to the smelters 400 miles distant.
 As must be brief, l will ask you to leave the coast and come with me to the interior and view the great Copper river valley.
 We will start at the head of the Bremner river, where gold was dis covered in 1901, and cross over to to the head of the Chittyna, thence to the Chititu, Nizina, Chistochina, Gokona, Delta and Shushitna rivers. Gold is found. on all these streams. We have been following the contour of the Alaskan range on the southern slope for a dis of about 300 miles in length, and, allowing 10 miles as the modest width of this gold belt, that gives ns on area of 5000 square miles of placer country in this small portion of this great land. But let me ask where else in any land where floats the stars and stripes can you dup licate it? Let us proceed:
 A little higher up in the mount aims lies the copper belt that has been so we'll described to you by other speakers this evening, and allow me to say that if the claim owners are able to realize one hun dredth part of their expectations, and judging from surface indica- tions l do not believe they are building many air castles, there will be developed in the Copper rlver valley producing properties that will make such mines as Ana conda and Calumet and Hecla pale into insigniiicance, and the Copper river valley will produce as much copper as all the rest of ths world combined.
 Below the placer belt, and in valley proper, lies the agricultural lands that have been so we'll dis cribed to you by others, covering in extent from 10000 to 25,OOO square miles of territory, and rich as is to be found in any country.
 To quote from an army Captain that spent ? years in the country: "If you had a few acres of this land in New England or Middle states you could sell it by the pound for fertilizer" While this may be little strong emanating from one who might be over en- unused, still when we take the Oi- ficial statements from such men as Prof. c. c. Georgeson, we must conclude that the agricultural pos abilities are such that the Copper river valley will be and is capable of sustaining the army of miners, prOspectOrs, machinists and all such labor as are necessary to de- velop its great mines.
 With all these natural resources in such abundance our greatest need is that of transportation.
 Let the congress of the United States appropriate the necessary money to make the Trans-Alaskan Military road, a road in truth as we'll as in name. As this road now exists it is only we'll defined trail, with occasionally bridge | that is fast falling into decay for lack of funds to keep it in repair.
 The road, where it has been cleared at all, is fast growing up | with rank vegetation of the cOun- try, and may be favorably com pared with an eastern COW path.
 Give us wagon road, and the hardy pioneer will soon develop this country to such an extent that Stewards Folly" will become