The Ketchikan miner., 1908-09-26
SHALL kETJHIKAN HAVE :
 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE?


 Skagway has just organized chamber of commerce. That shows she railroad metropolis of the north to be very much slive and on she right track. The 4. |. P. Expoission next year. and the con$eoeuns heavy tide of tourist trsyel through Alaska is the prime cause 0. the action of the busi
 ness men of Sksgxsy. They realize she rare opportunity of next rear 10 enserisiU::she strangers within their gates and make them 10 longer strangers. but life loog friends
 What Sksg&ay has done. kstchikan should do. We understand that an organizaiioo Of the business men Of this c,sy already exists If sleeping,
 i. should receive a vigorous shaking up and open it's eyss-ii actually dead, Ies is rest iu peace and form another. Such au organization should take in every busiusss and professional man, every property holder and everyone Interested iD the development oi Ketehikan Jt is mistake 10 think ihs, ibe city council can Ill the place of 3 chamber of commerce. This bods IS limited in numbers and in scope.
 :. board of business men can under take yas. number of things for the cisy's interest which are beyond the province of ,be council. Besides. the power Of the council 10 expend frnds is clearly defined by law, and however much they nay see the need of the advertising of ;he com muniiy, tbey have TO right 10 appropriate cent for shss ~ork.
 The program possible for live cbanber of commerce in this city is important First there is the cam psign of publicity. Keschiksn is practically sn unknown place 10 the 4orld at large. In fact. while it has no peer iu souibess.rn Alaska in picsUr- esque location. splendid and health .uI eli nate. natural surroundings. business prosperity, comfort of living and future possi biIiiies- Of all towns between Dixou's Entrance and tbe White Pass. is is the least known sbrougbous ihe Union. in me library of CoIumbis University. in New York City, with iss fine collection of books on Alaska, three writers alone speak Of Ketchiksn. One says it is bust ling town where nessboys cry out tbe daily papers,. and the women keep . reading room- Another sa!s, is Like Atlantic City-is has s board walk" The third and last says rnere is nothing 10 see in Kstehik1n. Such is the Keicbikan the world knows. Not word in sDy volume have Ee seen of ToDgsss Ssrrors, not word Of ihe falls and Gorge, rot word oi Big Lake, forest trimmed and mount ain guarded. The view from Deer Mountain. the marvellous tour of the islands past sbe high cliffs of the East Coast. .shs towering heights Of Eddy stone Rock, the winding bays and is land dotted uasers, the fishing for she gsmy trout and the dsep sea fish and the hunting Tor big game, no pen has yet brought these unsurpassed conditions of nature which surround l Rsschiksn to the attention of the ! world. Yet, places Sbicb ReyiIIsge- yido Island scIipses, sr Oday reap ny l a harvest from the seeds of publicity l sowD bDs few years ago.
 The resources of the Ksscbikan Die ] .rics, of aines. sea and forests; it's | towns and people and city with iss business interests, churches. schools aud hOmss. the logging and ssimon enterprises, the Ees England Fish Company, II these should bs made known 10 the world.
 Then, there is the utilization of the