The daily Alaskan., 1908-10-15
< FORTYRINER SAYS ALASKA BEATS
 CALIFORNIA ID 4 STAAOSTILL

Writing from San Francisco to the Seward Gateway, William s. Moses, a 49er, pays tribute to Alaska not only as che land of opportunity but ss 8 place to LIVE. The letter should be given the wides. publicity, as the view of man who KNOWS from experi- ence. Mir. Moses says:
 Three or four years ago there was possibility Of my going to Alaska to. live, but advancing years and the pen alties a man must pay for growing old q Iam Sl years youngl warn me that it were unwise to go and pioneer again st my age. 1 began in California January l, lS5O
 "I still think Alaska offers the very best opportunities for young man, oi any one ot the now uqoccupied lands Of the United States. It's mining poSSi- bnities are the only ones now that are equal 70 the Days of old, the days oi gold, the days Of '49' in California. It's vast coal deposits are future asset Of great value. and when Ihs coal shall be brought to tide-water will give employ menJ to many men and return great revenue Jo Seward and other ports of shipment. It's copper and tn, near the arctic circle, are of great value. It's fisheries and canning industries find @ paying competition even with the banks of Newfoundland or the prolific store houses ot wealth Of the seas Of northern Europe, it's vast area Of forests of coniIerous trees, the spruce and pipe, in the not far distant future, will be the chief source of supply for the paper pulp for the use Of the art pre- seryaEive.
 There Is mistaken idea in the minds of niue-;enths Of the people oithe United States about tbe climate of Alaska, aud great many still speak oi it as the frozen Oorth, the land of the midnight suu, Of six months darkness, Stewards ice box, and only tt for seals, walrus and polar bear to live in. And it would ce all that were it not that nature has sent the warm water Of the Japanese current, the gulf stream of the Indies and far Cathsy with it's beuedcent initiating influence full and freely upon the Aleutian islands and the coasts, and for 100 or more miles inland Of northern Alaska, modifying the temperature Of the great valley of the Susitna river by raising the temperature so that it's annual mean is far warmer than the Dakotas, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan. And how few know that Sttka and San Francisco are but one half Of a degree different in their annual mean-55 degrees fer Sltka and 55t degrees for San Fran cisco. And how few people realize that were it not for the gulf stream Of the Atlantic, Ireland, Scotland aud north ern England would be the counterpart of Labrador, the latitude of each being the same. On account Of nature's ei- forts, Alaska possesses rare advantages for agriculture. Fruits, vegetables, bay, and the cereals grow rapidly and ln proiusion. And hs a stock country it will soon furriSh abundance for it's owp use, and would have much to spare for others Being 3 new country. it lacks roads and facilities for travel to the h. terior, and relies on the pack mule aud the trail, or the dog sled and 'mushing It. So it was in California, when for the first eighteen years there were but 7s miles of railroad in the state. But the world do moye,' as 'Br'er' Johnson used to say, and all new countries.