The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-09
ALASKA A VALUABLE INVESTMENT
Northern Territory Cost the United states About Two Gents an Acre.

AAAShA A NALUAnLE IN MEG Northern Territory Cost the United
 stnfes About Two Gents an Acre. Indianapolis Star.
 The announcement that in 1909 an exposition of international scope will he held at Seattle. Wash. primarily to exploit the resources of Alaska, has brought the northland Into surprising prominence in the United States. For. while Americans should be interested in the district to the north, which comprises a territory one-sixth as large as the United States of America the fact remains that until now they have looked upon the country as a treasure-house. to be pillaged of its wealth. rather than as a virgin soil ft and waiting for tremendous develop ment.
 The Alaska Yuko on- Pacific Exposition has several objects: to correct the pop ular impression that Alaska is a land of ice and snow. to demonstrate that the Yukon territory has othe CT wealth than gold, to bring together the shores of the Pacific in trade, and to tell the people of America by concrete illustra- tion how wonderfully rich is the Pacific Northwest
 The people of the United States in 1887 gave Alaska about as cordial a welcome as a mother robin accords a cowbird's egg which has been planted in her nest against her will The metaphor cannot be carried further; for while the cowbird matched from the egg in the robins nest Is ever an exasperation. Alaska speedily proves her right to a place in the nest and has since paid for herself many times over. There are two theories to account for the purchase of Alaska, then known as Russian America, from Russia. One is the William H. Seward, then Sec- retary of State, appeFicated what a bargain was offered for s7.200,00o. and the other is that the purchase was made for the sake of relieving Russia which had been friendly to the United States in the Civil War. which was hut recently closed. of a troublesome burden. Either theory may hold, but In the opinion of many statesmen of the day. at least, the latter Is the more logical.
 In the course of the treaty debate General Benjamin F. Butler, of Mass achusetts, thundered his disapproval in the following wodrs.
 If we are to pay for her (Russia's) friendship this amount desire to give her the $7,200.000 and let her keep Alaska. have no doubt that at any time within the last twenty years we could have had Alaska for the ask ins-I have heard 1t so stated in the Cabinets of two Presidents-provIded we would have taken 1t as a gift. But no man expected one insane enough to buy the earthquake of St Thomas. or the ice fields of Greenland, could be forced to agree to any other terms for It's acquisition to the country" Con- gressman Washburn, of Wisconsin. called the treaty an Outrage on the rights of the American people" and defA6 Ha0 Itxrfn faa A@ the earth to produce any evidence that an ounce of gold was ever extracted from Alaska"
 Butler and Washburn, both men of national prominence, led the fight against the measure and were support ed by representative men of both houses. Opposed to them, howevtr, were Senator Charles Summer and Rep- resentative Nathaniel P. Banks. Chair men, respectively, of the Senate and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. These were almost the only men of influence who stood by the project but their influence and arguments Banks reminding the House that the objections to the purchase of Alaska were the same that had been put for ward when it was proposed to acquire Texas and California; Sumner review iag the situation in an elaborate speech on the "Cession of Russian America"
 The treaty ceding Alaska to the United States was signed March 30, 1867; was ratified by the Senate on May 28, and on June 20 publicly pro- claimed by the President. On Oct. IS of the same year the United States took military possession of her new domain. The House held up the approp- riation for payment of the purch ase price (s7,200.000), however. for nearly a year so that payment was not made until July 14 1868.
 There Is a story that a few days before William H. Stewards death he was asked what he considered the most momentous measure in his busy oflciai career. "The purchase of Alaska" |" said the grand old statesman. but 1t Will take the people generation to find 1t out"
 The Secretary was right bothin his conclusion that the purchase of Alaska was his greatest official act and in his prophecy that 1t would take a gen. eration for the people to find it out Tn fact. the people are only now be- ginning to find 1t out. The wonder of the bargain that Uncle Sam got will continue to grow for many generations
 Alaska cost about cents an acre. She has produced at least S100,O 0,OO0, 900 worth of gold; the output in 1905 was $15,940,000. The receipts from Alaska revenues have been $10.333,s34-S0per cent more than the cost of the territory The total value of all fur produced in Alaska from 1870 to 1906 was $SO,. 346,934, while fish production between Besides there are millions of acres of land available for farming and millions more covered with the finest timber And all of this Uncle Sam bought for