The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-10

NO--@ ~ ~ So
the governor.
Alaska VIII make a special exhibit of
her fisheries3 The salmon. the cod, the
haIibut. the, herring and the ~porpoise
are more or tess familiar to the public,
but in addition to these fishes Alaska
will exhibit the colachan, the beIuga,
the shark, the t~hrasher, the sea lion, the
fur seal, the walrus and the whale;
while the front of the native buildings
described above will be embellished
with carvings of the whale-killer, a
monstrous fish which is said to destroy
the leviathan of the deep with ease.
Gold in its native condition VIII be
shown, the white quartz containing the
precious ore being a part of the exhibit.
Strata Of sand bearing gold will also be
seen, and the gold in the flats beneath
the frozen tundra of the Nome district
Will be shown in the shape in wrich it
is found. Lead. copper. tin. iron and
silver. all of which are found in that
wonderful territory, will have place in
the exhibit.
One freQu tntly wonders what kind Of
vegetables and cereals can be grown in
Alaska. 1t is commonly supposed hat
the country is too rigid in climate for
SUCCESSFUL dSI1CuIIuEt- 10 onset THIS
idea Alaska will bring to the fair Splen-
did specimens OF native-grown pota-
toes, c~abbages, ~cauli1ower, turnips,
r~adishes, lettuce, celery, rhubarb, horse
radIsh. peas, beets, carrots, parsnips,
oats. rye barley, wheat, flax and hay
grasses of many kinds-in fact, practi-
calIy everything that is grown in Iowa
or Illinois.
The animal section of Alaska's exhibit
will be interesting. Here the furs ia
nous in and the animals that
wear them will be seen. Foxes OF five
distinct hues will make an interesting
feature; they are black, silver, red,
white and blue. White, black and
brown bears; the marten, the mink. the
wolverine, the beaver and the ermine.
all will serve to illustrate the fur pro-
ducts of Alaska.
Alaska day at the exposition will be
October IA, 1904. which is the thirty
seventh anniversary of the transfer of
Alaska to the United States. On this
day it is expected that a very large
representation of the GO, 900 inhabitants
of the territory will attend the fair. to
assist in doing honor to the lemon of
Secretary of State William II. Seward,
who was chiefly instrumental in secur-
ing Alaska as United States territory.
1t will be .Alaska's day of triumph, for
by that date she will have proved her
greatness to the world. 1t is recalled
that 2 congress was discussing the
wisdom of paying 81 200, 900 for Alaska,
General Benjamin F. Butler, of Massa-
chusettS, a member of the house of rep
r~esentatiVes, said in a speech on the
floor of the house:
If we are to pay for Russia's friend
ship this amount, l desire to give her
the S1.2O0,0O0 and let her keep Alaska.
/ nave no doubt that at any time with
in the last twenty years we could have
a Alaska for the asking-I have
heard it was so stated in the cabinets
of two presidents-provided we would
have taken it as a gift. But no man.
except some insane enough to buy the
earthquake in st. Thomas or the ice
fields in Greenland. could be found to
agree to any other terms for its ~acquisi-
ton to the country"
Congressman Loan, of Missouri. in the
same debate, said: The acquisition of
this barren and inhospitable waste
would never add one dollar to the
wealth of our country, or furnish
homes to our people"
Sheers and jeers met the purchase
proposition on every hand. You a e
buying al iceburg.' said the public.
Nevertheless. Alaska was bought. That
was out thirty-siX years ago, and it is
estimated hat since the date of pur-
chase Alaska has produced, in furs,
fish. gold and revenues. $162. OOO. 900.
d. L. III ~ ---1l -
produced, as the worlds fair showing
Will set forth. within the past twenty
years.
Most persons will be astonished to
learn that the salmon taken from
Alaskan waters has equaled in value
the gold product of the territory. The
figures show hat about $50, 900, 900 of
each ave been produced. In sealskins
the wealth poured down from Alaska
has exceeded even those figures, being
So. 600, 600.
The agricultural department at
Washington is working hard to over
come the idea that Alaska is a frozen
waste. incapable of producing grain.
grasses and other farm crops. The de-
partment will cooperate heartily with
the managers of the Alaskan exhibit III
Efforts 10 show that the temperature of
Alaska in much Of its area IS more ia
VOrable for sustaining white population
than are some of the countries of Eu-
rope. and that splendid crops may b.
grown throughout vast areas of the
territory, which contains 100000 squire
miles. This is larger than al New Eng
land. the Middle States. Virginia, West
Virginia. North and South Carolina.
Florida. Georgia. Alabama. Mississippi
and Tennessee combined.
The great river valleys of Alaska.
like the Yukon. the Tanana and the
Copper" recently wrote Governor
Brady. embrace c~ultivabIe areas large
enough for goOd-sizeI states"
Arthur -. Jackson. president OF the
Alaska Geographical Society, says that
his country has the grandest scenery in
the world and sufficient TO
support 10. 0OO.G00 people. One feature
of the worlds far sxhibit will be an i'm