Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-29

Alaska, whose marvellous develop
 ment during the past few years has
 been one of the surprising features of
 United States expansion, Is to cele-
 brate with an exposition next year in
 order that this country and the world
 at large may be given the opportunity
 of learning something of the advance
 nnent which the far northern terri tory has been making along industrial.
 commercial and agricultural lines.
 When the suggestion was first made
 of holding an Alaskan exposition, 1t
 was realized that 1t would be almost
 impossible to hold 1t in Alaska. and
 what was moro natural than that Seat
 tie. the gateway to the territory.
 should be suggested as the place for
 holding such a show.
 For two or three years the matter has been discussed and plans have
 been in the making, and all this has
 finally resulted in definite work being
 begun. Last month the actual con
 struction of some of the buildings was
 begun. The first structure to be erect
 ed will be the administration building.
 In this structure will be located all
 offices and from which place the offi-
 cers of the exposition will direct the
 work of construction and preparation of the exposition. The building will
 be 104 feet by 60 feet. two stories in height. the material being veneered brick. This will be the smallest build ing of the exposition.
 1 The official emblem has been se- lected. and Is the design of a Seattle ardst, Adelai Hanscom. The Occident Is represented bearing locomotive in her hand. typifying trade on land, meeting the dark-skinned Orient, with . ship, typifying ocean commerce. ] Alaska clad in white sits to the north with her hands full of gold ready to bestow on each. Across the Pacific the hands of the east and west reach out in mutual welcome. This emblem will be used on all the exhibition sta tionery.
 Alaska has no special anniversary to celebrate. having belonged to the United States only 3S years, but the developments of the past few years have demonstrated that she has a marvellous country to. exploit. She wants to be known more generally. not as a region of perpetual snow and ice. but as an amazingly attractive wonderland. And she will bring out of her treasures things new and things old to surprise and delight the hundreds of thousands of visitors who are expected to visit the show. Alas kan mummies will be trotted out to show that our arctic sister has his tory more ancient and mythical than New England. Fair Alaska maidens will be on exhibition whose tresses reach the ground. to indicate that something in the human line besides ugly Esquimos grow up there.
 Of coursd. there will be totem poles and dog teams and a Klondike gold camp in miniature. such as popular imagination always associates with Alaska. But there will be a great building filled with other things that few people ever dreamed could come out of Alaska.
 The cool summers which Seattle en- joys will permit of bringing down from the north the reindeer. the musk OK. the polar bear and the great kadiak bear. the biggest species of the bear family in the world. All these crea- lures can stand q moderate amount of warmth. for Alaskan summers, while they last sre genial and sometimes hot
 A skeleton of an Alaskan mammoth | dug up from an arctic morass will be on exhibition. It was only 5.ooO or 10.- | 900 years ago that this mammoth of | the north roamed through Alaska's valleys. Specimens of petri- fled fern palms will represent a still | mora remote period. when Alaska en. ioyed semi.tropical climate.
 The scientific exhibit will contain rocks worn by glacial action. picked up from the river valleys, showing that large parts of Alaska once GOV cred by glaciers have now mild sum mer climate. There. as we'll as here b the United States. the glaciers have receded Into the lofty mountains, and ! general epoch now appears to be ad- gancing. The specimens of plant life which will be exhibited, particularly 'erns. would lead many people to 'hink them from the tropics, instead ,f up near the arctic circle.
 Up to the present time tourists who have visited Alaska have touched only f the southeastern ports at skagway, Juneau and Sitka. They usually land 'nly st the Muir glacier. and come way with the impression that llaska'sinterior is a region of perpet. lzl snow and ice. l.
 The Alaska exposition will put forth mother aspect of this country, show- ng if as an inviting summerland, with 'ast valleys as bls as all New Eng and. teemIng with e vegetation al- nost tropical
 While for mountains. Alaska has 'eaks tkat dwarf the Alps. To give