The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-22
IMMENSE SIZE OF ALASKAN
TERRITORY.

IMMENSE SIZE OF ALASKAN
TERRITORY.
II Covers Nearly SOC, 900 Square Miles
Hardly one person in 1000 knows
that Alaska covers 590,S04 square
miles, or 369,0O0,OO0 acres-equal to
the combined area of Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey, Delaware, Penn
svlvania, Maryland, Virginia, West
| Virginia, North Carolina, South Car
oina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Notwithstanding the fact that much
of it has never been trod by the foot
of man, it is already producing gold,
silver, copper, oil, coal, lead, tin, cin-
nabar arsenic, antimon y, manganese,
ccrundum. petroleum. slate, clay, and
and many varieties of building stone.
It is also making wonderful strides
in farming and stock raising. Wheat,
barley, oats, rye, and all hardy vegeta-
bles and berries are profusely grown.
Cattle, sheep, and swine flourish. 1t
is already the largest fish and fur pro-
ducing country in tho world.
Alaska can furnish homesteads of
32O acres each to 100000 families. 1t
can support in comfort over 5000, 900
people. When Secretary Seward in
duced the government to buy Alaska
from Russia in 1869 for 81, 200, 900
many called it ''gold brick" 1t is
now apparent that the United States
then made the most profitable invest
ment known to history. The govern
ment revenues from Alaska from the
date of it's purchase have already
amounted to $10,000,000. Its present
revenues are nearly half million an
nually and the ground of this i'm
mense territory has hardly been
scratched.
Its wealth is not confined to pre-
cious metals and agricultural pro-
ducts. There are coal beds sufficiently
extensive to pay the United States its
original invest ment. There are
mountains of iron and ineXhaustible
veins of copper. There is a luxurient
pastprage fer live stock, and the en-
Iilc y Nv
ers, lakes, and streams.
Climate Of Alaska.
Alaska has been maligned, abused,
and totally misunderstood. 1t has
been regarded as frozen, worthless
waste, whose only value consisted in
it's seal fisheries, and as being totally
incapable of furnishing homes for civ
iIized people. Recent developments
aud clearer knowledge of Alaska
make these maligners ridiculous. IN
stead Of a frozen waste you can travel
from one end of the Yukon to the
other in the summer time and never
see snow. On the contrary, you see
luxurant vegetation, large forests, and
such luxuries as strawberries, raspber-
ries, red currents, salmon berries,
huckleberries, and cranberries in pro-
fusion. Cattle are grazed in meadow
grass reaching above their backs.
Naturally the climate of Alaska
varies. Within it's area is combined
the climate of Maine and Florida.
The southern portion. is warmed by
the Japan current. The fact that the
shore line of Alaska, however, is over
10000 miles in length, or more than
the circumference of the earth at the
equator, and much of it in the arctic
circle, suggests the variety of climate
to be found in so great an area as the
territory contains.
In the southern portion of Alaska
the temperature rarely falls to zero,
and even in the coolest portions Of
Alaska, where the thermometer reach.
es its lowest point, the atmosphere is
80 dry and bracing, that one does not
notice the degree of cold so much as
in many points in our Northern states.
One popularity of the country is that
in the summer the sun rises at about
l:3O o'clock A. M, and sets at 1890 L.
M, giving about 90 hours of sunlight,
with four hours of diffused twilight.
In winter time this IS reversed. The
summers last from seven to eight
months. The average temperature of
Valdes is the same as that of Boston,
Mass.
Natural causes, with the rapid in
fux of human and animal life and
their cuincident civilized conditions
the wonderful inventive ingenuity of
the American people-the building of
homes, factories modern trarsporta-
ton facilities and their development
along all other lines will in the very
nature of things undoubtedly produce
a change in the climate of Alaska. Its
people to-day are so acclimated that
the climate is no longer considered.
Original Inhabitants.
The Eskimos of Alaska more close
ly resemble the japanese in appear
ance and characteristics than they do
our traditional Indians. Instead Of
being warlike, they are docile, hope
full, energetic and willing workers,
eag ger to be taught our language,
trades aid bandicrafts. They are eX-
pert reindeer herders and drivers.
Since the American invasion they
have abandoned their old mode of
living and have adapted themselves
to modern civilization, living in
houses, mingling with the Americans,
engaging in sawmills, logging camps,
mining and working about the
wharves, canneries, trading posts and
doing mental work with hopeful
satisfaction. They have taken to
civilization more rapidly than did the
Indians, and are anxious to emulate
our dress and customs.
Gold Production.
The most important gold-producing
700 in A IouLo ia tho X lOndikp regions