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

short trips for short periods have been
possible. as only sufficient supplies fol
: q few days or weeks could be trans.
ported. While thousands of claims
are being worked. at great expense,
other thousands of claims have been
located and are being held, their
owners only awaiting the advent OF
transportation facilities to enable them
to work their properties to their fullest
capacities with improved machinery.
1t can readily be seen that railroads
are an absolute necessity for the full
development of Alaska, even far more
so than in any other country.
Railroads.
The White Pass and Yukon Rail-
road, constructed in 1898 80, at q total
cost of upward of So, 600, 900, for a. total
of only 112 miles, paid nearly 81, 900, 900
profits in the first two seasons of its
operation. Its stock started at $3.50
per share in 1898, and is now quoted
above $500 per share. The company
paid 60 per cent dividends last year.
The little "Wild Goose Railroad"
running only five and three-eighths
miles, between Nome City and Anvil
Creek, which was built by California
milIionaire.at total cost of less than
$50, 900, is reported to have paid the
total cost of construction in the first
few days of its operation, making in
one full summers season, some $3.50, 900
net profits.
Agriculture in Alaska.
Many have an idea that there is
nothing in Alaska worth going for ex-
cept gold. The following Is an extract
from the United States treasury de-
partment's book. Commercial Alaska
in 1901 :" "In almost all parts of the
Valley of the Yukon you can grow
oats, wheat and all kinds of grain. l
have seen blue point grass grow two
tons to the acre and I have seen 400
bushels of potatoes grown in four acres
of ground. Timothy I have seen
standing four feet high and growing.
wild for miles around. These resour-
ces are well worth looking after and
developing"
Secretary Wilson of the department
of agriculture at Washington declared
that the best wheat that has reached
the department was grown in Alaska,
and gave it as his opinion that the
seed wheat of the future would all
come from that country.
John 6. Brady, governor of Alaska,
says: "There are vast areas of the fin
est agricultural land in the world to be
found in Alaska" He says it it the
agricultural development Of the terri
tory that is going to pave the way to
statehood.
1t ia becoming more apparent each
season that great, undeveloped
source of wealth and food supply for
the people of the United States are to
be found in the fish with which the
waters along the coast of Alaska are
plentifully supplied. In addition to
the numerous canneries which have
been in operation for some years, one
has recently been established at Nome.
The Nome cannery will have capaci-
ty of 10000 cases of salmon, and should
the venture prove success, which Is
not doubled, the owners will increase
the capacity to $4,000 cases. They
also expect to ship smoked salmon and
white-fish to the United States mar.
kets in large quantities. There is no
doubt that as large as it is the fishing
industry of Alaska is yet in its infan-
cy.
Big Coal Fields.
Coal has been discovered in various
sections of Alaska. Some of the most
extensive fields are those at a point
westward from Kenal in the Seward
Peninsula, and which rank second to
that of Kyak. The coal is hard, bril-
liant, clean and very strong. These
fields are of unique value because of
their location, these being nearest of all
American coal mines to all Of the
island possessions Of the United States
on the Pacific, the nearest point, il
fact, of the American mainland to
Hawaii, Samos, Guam and the Phil
lipines, and are nearly 1000 miles
nearer to Asia than the Puget Sound
mines or San Francisco. The advan-
tage of these coal fields can be readily
realized when it is considered that
they are 1,792 miles nearer to Nome
than the coal supplied of Seattle, Tao
oma or Vancouver.
In southeastern Alaska the islands
and main coast are covered with dense
forests of spruce, hemlock and Sitka
cedar, and in the extreme southeastern
part the red cedar is found in abund-
ance. There are many forests along
the rivers of the interior. There is
considerable timber in the Solomon
river and Council City territory, little
or none of which has yet been cut.
All the lumber and timber which has
been u ed in the great mining enter
prises and in the rapid building up of
Dawson, Dyes. Sitka, Nome, Solomon
and Council Cities has been transport
ed from Puget Sound at great expense.
The timber of Alaska remains as
great resource to be developed in the
future. When Alaska has obtained
large commerce with Siberia, Japan,
China and the PHILIPPINES, the enor-
NOUS value and advantage of these
forests will be fully realized, and its
cutting, milling and marketing will
give employment to many thousands
of people.
There are churches of every denomi-
nation in Nome. Sitka, Dawson, and
all the other leading towns. There is
less disorder in Alaska today than in
any one of our states or terri ories, not
withstanding the fact that saloons,
music balls and theaters are plentiful.
This high moral status is due to the
fact that it is practically impossible for
law-breakers to escape the clutches of
the law, as there are only two or three
6 Qll,o lnaton nd la VI laoa