The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-02-27
ALASKA Rich IN coal.
Thie Country Alone Could Supply the
Demand of the Whole Worrd.

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Thia Country Alone Could Supply the
Demand of the Whole World
Lying at different points along her
10000 miles OF coast line, Alaska pos
sesses an amazing wealth Of coal. The
present yearly consumption Of coal by
the world is known to be not far from
billion tons. Alaska can supply the
whole of that demand, 600. 100000
tons year for 100 years, from fields
along her coast and accessible to deep
draught ocean vessels without the in
tervention Of railroad
Not an acre Of that Alaska coal land
ia owned, nor in the present state Of
the law, can be owned, by any private
party or corporation.
1t is still all public property.
Not ton Of 1t is mined for sale, and
yet, standing there untouched, the coal
beds Of Alaska are wcrth more every
year to the three Pacific coast States
Washington, Oregon and California
than the purchase of Alaska cost the
United States in 1867, which was ST.
100000. -
The coal Of Alaska is worth that
sum every year to thos5 three States
without bringing ton of 1t into the
market. "a
/ California has practically no coal.
Oregon's is not yet much developed.
Washington has fine coal and good
deal of 1t, but it is all owned or con-
trolled by the railroads, and it cannot
be dumped from the mines into shape
without charge for railroad haulage.
! California and Oregon take most Of
their coal from Washington by rail
and water transportation, and the cost
is reasonable and must forever remain
reasonable while that Alaska coal
stands there accessible to all water
transportation as a possible competi-
tor, with its great beds exposed to the
ocean, ready to be dumped into ships
without the Intervention Of a railroad.
1t costs but trifie more-10 cents a
ton perhaps-to ship coal by boat to
San Francisco from Alaska than from
Puget Sound. That's what must al
ways keep the price of coal down to
a reasonable profit in our Pacific coast
Washington mine owners have
no dead cinch on the market, and they
can't work the tariff racket against
Alaska coal. But, on the other hand,
neither can Alaska coal, at the pres
ent cost of labor in Alaska, be brought
into the market to compete with Wash
ington coal at the present scale of
wages for Washington coal.
Washington coal will keep Alaska
coal out of the Pacific coast markets
while the cost Of mining in Alaska con-
tinues 80 much higher than in Wash
ington. But let the Washington mines
raise their price enough to Offset the
difference in wages, and Alaska will
take their trade, for her coal beds are
the most accessible in the world to all
water transportation. They lie direct,
~ on the coast, the beds visible from
the decks Of passing ships, and in
places even deep-draught vessels may
run into shore, throw out the gang,
plank and go to mining.
The coal fields of Alaska lying d.
rectly upon the coast can hardly be
less than 10000 square miles; while re,
mote from the coast 1t probably pos,
sesses vastly greater area not yet dis.
closed-suficient at guess, to raise
: the total to 10000 square miles, OF
about one tenth Of the whole territory
, or about equal to the united areas OF
, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The geological reconnaissance of the
, territory, which the government is now
, pushing with most commendable ener
, gy, reveals that the series Of strata II
which the coal occurs is very widely
. developed throughout the INTERIOR
Portland Oregonian.