The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-06-14
Tie LEEDS or ALASKA
Plan 70 Divide the Country In
to Three Territories.
POSSIBILITIES OF TIE VAST TRACT

Good Roads Are the Chief Obstacles
TO Efficient Observation-Disclosures
pOrtation the Key to AIaska's Min
ssraI weaIth-EnGIian Missions Sue
cess at Farming.
Alaska divided into three territories,
sach With delegate or commissions
er or an agent to represent it's inter
ests in Washington, is the picture for
the future OF that great stretch of
country which John S. McLain draws
in a recently publish I'd book on "Alas-
ka and the Klondike, says the Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
Post The circumstances under which
it was written lend interest to it.
When the special subcommittee of the
senate committee on territories visited
Alaska in the summer Of 1908 to study
the legislative problem which the new
development of that region presented
Mr.. McLain was invited to go with
them in an unofficial capacity. He
w ,
and his view to a considerable extent
is that Of other persons who have visit
ed this newest northwest.
The tremendous distances and the
lack of good roads have been the chief
obstacles to the efficient administration
of the law in Alaska, and for better
transportation facilities Mr.. McLain
cytrs rllna fNrsd
subdivision Of the territory. He tells
that Judge Wickersham of the central
Alaska judicial division holds court for
q district 500 miles long and 900 miles
wide, or fifty times the size Of New
Hampshire And yet it contains not q
mile Of railroad or even Of wagon road
worthy Of the name. Steamships along
the south coast and on the Yukon riv-
er, which runs through the middle Of
the district, furnish the only real trans
portation. 1t took Judge Mckenzie,
United States commissioner at Cold
Foot, On the upper Koyukuk. twenty
seven days to get to Rampant to at
tend court, although the distance is
somewhat less than from New York to
Chicago
Lack of transportation facilities
greatly Increases the price of the COM
modities which Alaska produces. This
Is an axiom of trade the world over,
but 1t is doubtful If it has been illus
frated better in modern times than in
Alaska today. Gold is still an ex-
pensive commodity to produce. Seat
tle shipped during the season Of 1908
20 Nome and st. Michael more than
100000 tons of freight at rates ranging
from 81 to $3.50 q ton. Coal, which
costs SIT In Nome, sells for $50 ton
twenty-five miles inland. This rate at
Nome would be considerably reduced
and correSpondingiy for all the back
country IL suitable harbor facilities
were provided there. A breakwater Is
the first need. 1t is estimated that 1t
costs S. a ton for the lighterage Of or
binary merchandise at that point. The
vessels must anchor about two miles
from the shore. Their freight and pas
sengers are then conveyed in small
boats to point but few rods from
the waters edge, where everybody and
everything is lifted by sort Of travel
ing crane from fat boats and carried
to the shore. The people Of Nome be-
tieve that jetty built out from the
mouth Of Snake river and the dredging
OF q sand bar which lies near the en-
trance would make 1t possible for small
vessels and lighters to pass through to
safe harbor within the sand pit
Mr.. McLain's plan Of division is to
make southeast Alaska, which is In
substance the panhandle strip, terri
tory by itself, with it's capital at Ju-
neau. It has white population Of 49,
900. He would then take northwest
population of slightly less. and make It
a territory, with the capital at Nome.
The rest of Alaska, which would be its
great central and inaccessible part
should remain under Its present sys-
tenn OF government until It's develop
ment warranted its establishment rs a
third subdivision. The people Of Alas
ka are united In their demand for a
delegate 10 congress-. aud such q bill
has once passed the house. The failure
OF the senate to act was due to the
fact that it would be difficult to elect
a delegate. The distances between
places are SO great mat there could Be
little opportunity for harmonious ac-
tion. So 800 e 49, -"'+''-~-'
Mr.. McLain believes that Alaska will
eventually produce it's own dairy prod
acts, but Acknowledges that the begin
aings are decidedly small. He tells an
amusing story of Scandinavian wom-
an at Rampant who was found one day
fn a high state Of excitement because
one of her two red cows. which were
the only representatives Of their tribe
in any direction for hundreds Of miles,
seemed about to choke to death on
potato. Happily this calamity was
averted, ard the supply Of milk, which
sold at ST quart, was uninterrupted.
The best demonstration Of Alaska's
agricultural possibilities was found at
an Indian mission at Holy Cross uD-