The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-01

Alaska at the Worlds fair promises to astonish the civilized world So convinc- ing will be the array of products and the proof of resources that the men in charge of the exhibit from our far northwesterh territory hope to dissipate forever the oiu idea, still lingering in some umnformeu minds, that the United States in 1867 made a had bargain when Alaska was pur- obased from Russia for s7,200,0OO. This price was less than two cents an acre. and the transaction has turned out to pc the greatest real estate bargain ever maue in the history of the world with the ,,oss,h1e execution of the purchase of the Louisiana territory.
 If is this fact that Alaska proposes 10 sbow at St. Louis next year, by argu- ments chiefly visible to the naked eye III the form of specimens of her varied proo- ucts and in figures to support the ciaiihS' The Hon. Thomas Ryan, first assistant secretary of the interior, who has general charge of the Alaskan exhibit IS no" oomn1eting arrangements for the con struction of A1askas buildings at the fair. and Dr. Sheldon Jackson, wno VIII he in direct charge of the exhibit, IS pre- pairing the details for his work
 Dr Jackson. who is one of the few snrvivors of the heroic party that accom- panied John c. Fremont on his pathhnoing expedition has spent much time Tn AlasKd and is the author of a valuable DOCK on that territory.
 Wonderful Revelation.
 rhose who seek the unique or the extra ordinary in human life will discover at the Worlds fair that it is not necessary to look beyond the American domaln to find it-not even necessary to turn 10 the far-avay Philippines for this purpose. The Alaskan exhibit will prove that long hefore the eastern archipelago was added to United States territory there were races in Uncle Sams domain which furnish the student of ethnology much material.
 Alaska will have a group of three puilo- ings at the fair. They will stand on For svth avenue. south of the administration building. The central and main structure will be built from plans drawn by govern ment architects, but it will be fianked on each side by smaller buildings which m themselves will serve to show the world fair visitor something peculiarly Alaskan
 These two buildings now stand in Sitka, Alaska, and will be taken apart and brought to the Worlds fair, to be set up again, just as they were built years ago by native Alaskans. Thus the native architecture insome respects fearfully and wonderfully conceived, will have it's standing exhibit.
 Perhaps the most interesting feature Of the native buildings will be the totem | poles. One of these buildings will be q Hydah Indian house, with a totem pole | at each corner. In the Hydah village nearly every house has it's totem pole, from twenty to sixty feet high' and in some instances the entrance to the house is an oval hole cut in the carved log which forms the totem column. To the Alaskan Indian this pole serves in the nature of a shrine; it Is his holy of holies. and without such an adjunct it is doubtful if the Alaskans who are to be brought to the Worlds fair could be induced to re- main during the exposition. In some of the totem poles the ashes of cremated chiefs are placed Others are heraldic, representing the family orders; they stand for the coat of arms prized by more high | ly civilized families.
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