The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-15
RESOURCES OF ALASKA.
The Territory Seems to Have
Everything but Railroads.

Washington, June 15.-Professor
Charlss c. Georgeson, formerly profess
sor of agriculture in the Kansas Agri-
cultural college, of Manhattan Kan,
in charge of the government agricul-
tural experiment stations in Alaska
tells an interesting story of conditions
in, and prospects of. our great north
western territory. To him it seems
certain there will be a very rapid in
crease in the population of Alaska and
an enormous development of its re-
sources in the near future.
Alaska" he said, has seemed so
far away to most people that they have
utterly failed to keep in touch with the
great changes which have been going
on, and their impressions of the climate
and conveniences are based upon lurid
tales of experience by the early Klon-
/ the enormous size of which few people
have any conception. 1t is more than
500 times as large as the state of Rhode
Island and nearly equals in area all
the states of the Union east of the Mis-
sissippi river. It has the gIandeSt seen
cry in the world. and resources suffi-
cient to support 10, 900 900 people.
Through the heart of this vast terri
tory flows the mighty Yukon river, the
! largest in North America, larger and
i longer than the Mississippi. On this
great river one may ride for more than
/ 2 600 miles with as much comfort as
upon upon the Hudson The valley of
the Yukon has been pronounced rlcher
than the valley of the Missouri, and 1t
will undoubtedly some day support an
immense population.
people in Pennsylvania are very
much interested in coal and know what
a source of wealth it is. I believe that
there is more coal in Alaska than in
Pennsylvania, nor is the market Tor IL
likely to be confined by any means TO
Alaska A rapid increase in population,
a-n at n a
industrial interests viii naturally pro-
vide a market, but there is in addition
the great geograp hical fact that Alaska
is on the direct route from the Umled
States to the Orient-Ja pan, emma anu any
the Philippiresz During the Spanish
war, transports sailing from san Fran
cisco or Seattle, when IN. q hurry 70
reach Manila, passed WITHIN Slgnt OF
the shores of Alaska. 1t Is d eoIliii ~
iropressiOn gained from maps OF the
/ Mercator projection, that II IS much
shorter from san Francisco TO MAMMA
BY way of Honolulu but IL Is ceIleln
fact that it is several hundred mics
shorter by Alaska.
mineral resources Gold has been the
lodestone which has drawn lnltnS sI.
thousand of prospectors. and many many
millions have been taken out lroln
nlacer claims while the largest STAMP
mill in the world is located near Juneau
and has been in unceaslng operation Ior
MANY wears =.
the Copper river region are now At
tracing great attention Even BEFORE
the Russian occupation the natives OF
4 this section made for themselves Va
rious implements of copper. During the
mast few months this region has Deen
/ in part examined by experts, VINO Hnu
/ actually mountains of this ValuaDiS
mineral. and Governor Brady has stated
I that there is enough copper in sight 10
affect the markets of the world most
profoundly. It has even been stated py
Captain Healy. who was a resldeht 81 %
1 Alaska seventeen years that Alaska VIII
4 in the next thirty years produce more
mineral wealth than the whole Cnltel
States has produced in the thirty years
s.-The Russians made enormous for
tunes in furs, and millions more have
/ been made by Americans since the Dur-
chase by the United States.
alaska has the most magnificent
4 fisheries in the world The catch of
salmon alone last year and each year
for the past three years has eXeeecetl
the purchase price Of S7.200,000- This IS
but one Of the many food fishes which
swarm in Alaskan waters There are
more cod in Alaska than on the banks
/ of Newfoundland Competent authority
declares the fisheries of Alaska are
greater than those OF Newfoundland
and the North sea combined. There are
vast forests of finest timber in ALASKA
4 W men remain DGdCLlcdlly uHlOQtHcu-
Alaska is certain to become a great
agricultural county. One reason why
! there has been no development Of ag
Ticulture in Alaska is that it was only
! last March that congress passed a law
making it possible for anyone to OBJ
tain title to agricultural lands.
"A homestead of 800 acres may new
be secured. When gold was discovered
in California thousands fOcked thithal
across the plains, via the isthmus AMI
around the Horn, and they took provi-
sions with them Great numbers dis
/ appointed in their quest for gold were
| comnelled to seek a livelihood in other
directions. and many took to the land.
with the result that California has
bfossOmed with wonderful grain fields
and fruit orchards.
I believe that there is more gold in
Alaska than has ever been taken from
California and that Alaska will some
! day produce more grain and of a better
quality than any state in the Union. It
has been within my lifetime that the
cultivation of wheat was begun in Mani
toba, the Dakotas and Minnesota, and
as a rule the farther north the better
/ quality.
THE fact that thousands upon thous-
ands of acres of the finest grasses cover
the valley from four to six feet high is
j an evidence Of the grea test opportunities
/ for stock raising. Cattle can be winter
! ed in southern Alaska with far less diff
Guilty and expense than in Montana. and
4 in many places cattle will look out for
themselves and keep fat all winter
! believe Alaska is certain to become one
of the greatest stock raising regions Of
the world.
Agriculture in Alaska is not mat
ter of conjecture. for the United States
government has had for several years
past experts at work carefully investi-
eating its resources and possibilities. and
| after these years of painsralSlng investi-
/ cation makes public its estimate and
there are at least 100000 square miles Of