The Alaska prospector., 1903-08-20
Necessity For A Delegate.

Mir. Toastmaster, Senators, Gen- tlcmen: It is said the girls of Alaska are all so pretty that they are easy to lock at. The subject assigned to me: "Why Alaska should have a Delegate ia Con gress," is like<ise easy to talk at.
 It is taken for granted, that you gentlemen and visiting senators, thus far on your journey have seen enough of the territory of Alaska and of the intelligence of her peo- ple to know that, barring custom, the constitution and everything else, we are clearly entitled to a representative in the halls of oon- gress. We ask access to your oon- mittee rooms and the privilege of advising with you on the floor of congress We feel that we are only asking what you are un.t nnimously willing to concede when we ask for immediate legislation authorizing the people of Alaska to themselves elect whom they would have represent them
 The very name Alaska, selected by the distinguished Senator Sumner, is derived from the Indian word Al-ak-shak, which means "Great Country" You have skirted one edge of this great eoun- try and have been borne on the bosom of one of it's great rivers.
 Do you realize that that river is longer than the Mississippi, is navigable for 1865 miles, is 60 miles wide at its mouth, and dis charges more water into Boring sea than the Mississippi river into the Gulf of Mexico? The coast line of Alaska is 26,OO0 miles, or 1860 miles greater than that of the At- lantic seaboard of the United States. Alaska is twice as large as Texas and twelve times as large as the empire state of New York.
 Place Alaska on the map of the United States with Point Barrow at the northern boundary of Min nesota and the narrow strip of Alaska upon which Sitka and Juneau are situated, would extend to the Atlantic Ocean at Georgia; the Nome district would fall in western South Dakota near the Wyoming line, and the most west erly of the Aleutian Island group would lie upon the Pacific coast line near Los Angeles. Placed in the eastern portion of tho United States, Alaska would cover, in whole or in part. twenty-three states and territories.
 Clearly, considering size or bulk alone Alaska is entitled not only to one, but to half a dozen dele gates in congress.
 Alaska was purchased in 1867 for $7,2OO,OOO. One mine, the Treadwell, has since produced $22, 100000. Mines just hack of Valdez, in this the first season of their de- velopment, will send in to Valdez within the next 30 days $500, ,OOO in gold. The gold output of Alaska proper this year will be not less than five million dollars.
 The fisheries of Alaska last year sold in the open markets of the world $9,OOO,OOO worth of salmon.
 The copper properties back of Valdez, in the words of the mining experts who recently visited them, are so rich that "when transporta- tion is provided to the sea coast, Butte, Montana and the Calumet X Hela mines of Michigan will be wiped off the map"
 The coal mines, oil wells, tin mines, forests and farms of Alaska are yet to be developed, and will add untold millions to the com merce of the territory. which, ex- elusive of gold, already amounted to $2O,OOO,OOO in the past ten months.
 We feel that we are at least as well entitled to representative in congress as are the natives of Hawaii.
 Another reason why Alaska should have delegate in congress may be found in the fact that the District pays to the general govern ment a surDluRape Over the tOtal