The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
THE SEATTLE FAIR
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

$3.50 has gone west OF tile Rockies, the
Lewis and Clark having this The
Alaska -Yukon-Pacif Exposition means
10 establish record for thorough inde-
pendence and executive ability, IN com
parison with all previous exp0sitions. st.
Louis and jamestown. for instance. had
both gifts and loans. The Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition had a gift OF S5.O0o,000
from the government and loan Of $4,so0,-
oo0 Seattle means to prove that a city
OF her energy and enterprise viii need
none OF this. SO far indications are that
she VIII make good. From eest Of the
Rockies 2s0.000 people are expected. The
Pacific Slope viii send an enormous per-
centage OF its population. and from each
OF the cities and towns that have grown
up in the last half century will come en-
thusiastic and eager men and women.
wearing, as they did at Portland. badges
with such sentiments as Watch Tacoma
I Grow" or Watch Spokane Grow" and
they are the kind who help in the grow
| ing.
Z What an exposition Of this kind VIII
/ mean TO Alaska and the islands cannot
/ we'll be measured now. for with the es-
tablishment Of the nations commercial
supremacy comes the utilization Of every
I natural resource. the exploitation Of every
natural advantage. Even the amount OF
general information the average tourist
viii obtain is not 10 he lightly reckOned-
I At jamestown more than one Easterner
went 10 the Alaskan exhibit athirst for
I something wild and savage and unusual,
and was as sadly disappointed in this as
| he was happily enlightened on the prog
Tess and up-tO-datenesS or the Territory.
as shown in its displays In that great.
/ undeveloped country. one-fifth as large
as all the rest Of the United States, and
as large as all the Pacific States, plus
/ Arizona and Nevada. civilization has
/ been marching for some time unheralded.
II Is the object Of this exposition TO do
| the needed exploiting
Along the coast lie, where Chirikof.
Bodega y Quadra. Cook. lie Perouse. and
Vancouver explored in the interests OF
their respective nations. industry has had
a home for nearly a hundred years.
Aside from the sealing and fishing indus
/ tries. Alaska began nearly a century ago
TO develop her commercial side As early
as ISL Sitka was sending -four 70 the
/ California Indians. In China there are
/ houses built Of lumber cut in Alaska
years ego. and the Jimbers OF vessels
storm-driven 10 the coast CT Mexico. were
! from Alaska forests. and the keels were
/ laid in Alaskan ship yards. Some OF the
/ worlds greatest canneries are on the
! southeast coast Of thet Territory. and the
/ salmon hatcheries at FOrtman. the prop
erty of the Alaskan Packers association.
I are the largest Ii the world There are
homes in her new cities that would grace
/ the residence streets OF any continental
American city. and progressive period
icals are proving TO the rest Of the nation
/ that Alaska is a place OF other things
I than furs, ice, and frost bites.
/ When Secretary Seward purchased
/ Alaska IN 1867. there were those who
earnestly objected. Representative Wash
burn, OF Wisconsin, was particularly bit
\ ter. and deplOred the throwing away OF
4 S7.200.000'' on a tract or country which
we did not need. that nobody wanted.
and as far as known. was utterly worth
/ less" In revenue only, Alaska has al
ready paid into the Treasury OF the Unit
ed States $1,000 000, and the fur, fish. and
gold have brought 800, ,0Oo,OO0 With a
/ population or 5000, not half OF whom
are white. her commerce with the United
! States amounts 70 100000 A year.
! Since her purchase. her fisheries have
produced over Sl50.e000e0. and are now
I producing from $4,000 10 sl000000 a
year With all this. her resources are
! practically undeveloped. ana the agricul-
! tural lands. lands that are as large as all
/ New England. Pennsylvania, and New
York, are practically untouched. All these
things the Alaska Y YukOn-Pacihc Exposi-
ton means TO show the people Of the
! rs-orTT