The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-24
BIG GROWTH
Rapid Development Of Our
Northwestern Territory.
SOON TO BE CROSSED BY RAILWAYS

All Rail- Communication From New
York 10 Paris In sIEhs--Immense
Mineral, Agricultural ana Forest
wealth 10 he Observation-Disclosures
Fisheries Rich Beyond Calculation.
Alaska being topic Of the hour,
now that the boundary decision has
been given Ia favor Of the United
States there Is timely interest in the
story told by William II. Stewart Ia
the current Worlds Work Of its won
derfully rapid development The whole
vast stretch Of the far northwest Ca
madam as well as American, is now
repeating the wonderful story Of Can
fornias magical growth.
Within year or two Alaska viii be
travegsed by railroads almost from end
10 end. Nome, the western terminus
Of the railroad system OF northwestern
Alaska, is already a city Of 25,0O0 pop
ulaton. The railroad tracks that run
to Nome are farthest north Of all the
world. They are almost within the
arctic circle. Nome has good hotels,
daily papers, banks, electric lights, tele-
graphs and telephones in short, conn
plete outfit OF civilization. II is con
nected BY cable with ST. Miehaefs and
BY telegraph with Dawson and Skag-
uay.
When the railroads now building and
projected are completed II viii only
need short northern spur from Rus
sia's great Siberian railroad to give al
rail communication from New York TO
Paris. Meantime Dawson Is the city
to which all railroad building leads
Dawson has 1900 population, and its
municipal equipment includes all mod
ern improvements. Its assessment for
taxation is over S11, 100000. 1t is now
installing a 100000 water supply
plant
The Yukon river Is open to naviga
tion from May to October, and forty
stern wheel steamboats, ply between
Dawson and st MichaePs, covering the
1,60O miles In about ten days
Primarily the railroads so far have
been built to tap the enormous min
eral wealth Of Alaska and the Cana
dian Yukon. But, contrary to old no,
tons, there is immense agricultural
and forest wealth to be developed III
the Hudson bay, north Saskatchewan
and Peace river districts. Nearly a
thousand miles north Of the boundary
between Alaska ana tho Canadian
northwest, in the valley Of the Peace
river, wheat, barley and oats are grown
IN quantities limited only by the NUM-
Der Of farmers. The most northerly
roller process aour mill on the contl-
nent has just been built at vermilllon.
The wheat which took the FIRST prize
at the Centennial exhibition OF 1876 at
Philadelphia came from the Peace rive
or country, which Is estimated to con.
tain more than 100000 acres Of good
grain growing soil
The postal service OF this empire ID
embryo is a wonder Mail steamers
leave the Pacific coast daily, bringing
bags from Sitka, Skaguay, Nome and
other points BY all manner Of means /
wagons dog sleds. etc Russian rein
deer carry the sacks over frozen lakes
and snow covered bills With remark
able rapidly. The highest salarlea
postal official ID tie werld serves II
Alaska. He Is paid $4,000 a year for
carrying the mail fortnlghtly to Fort
Yukon. providing his own dogs and i
sieds for tho purpose. Alaska has now
upward Of 100 post offices, aud mails
are collected and delivered regularly I
beyond the arctic circle.
The fisheries Of Alaska are rich be.
yond calculation Its cod banks are be-
lieyed to equal In wealth those Of New
foundland. More than hair Of our en-
tire salmon product Is Alaskan and
last year It was worth 100000. ~.
actiy what we paid Russia for the
whole territory.
The winters Of Alaska are less rio.
orous than those OF Wyoming or AIon.
-ana, and horses and cattle are worked
there without fear OF being frozen
The cold Ia intense, but there are Id
storms. Except on the coast Of Be
ring sea all the hardy vegetables are
grown with marked success through
'ut Alaska and the Canadian Yukon
south Of the arctic circle.
AS q measure Of Alasha's growth II
: noted that her total foreign trade
II she bought and all she sold. h
+s92 was less than $4,000 In value
while for the fiscal year ended june
y last It reached total OF S85 000
American and British settlers are
cushing steadily north Into this great
eiT1tofy Ia about equal numbers. and
Nr. Stewart says TINT "the entirs
Canadian northwest Is already more
american than British In It's adminis-