Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-18

ing to maintain them. Mr.. Pryde and his
family lived alone on Hound Island Tor
two years after his fox ranch was started,
and since that time. with the assistance
Of one hired man, he has fed and cared
Wild through the woods and the rocks and
usually hide themselves except It night
when they come out on the beach TO pick
up the dead Ash washed In from the sea.
| ting out nets and strewing his catch along
the beach. where the foxes pick them up
All Of the fox ranches now belong to east
ern people.
Gold Booth Worth q Million.
The mineral exhibit is classified into
| three divisions. the precious metals, oil
and coal, and each tells q remarkable
story. The distinctive feature Of the
building is the gold booth In the center.
containing gold dust. nuggets and ingots
to the value of $1.25O,0OO. The largest
nugget. valued at $500, was taken out
| of the sand on Anvil creek by the Pioneer
Mining Company several years ago. There
are several other large nuggets worth
from $1,000 to $4,000, and Mrs. Clarence
Berry, wife of a miner who went up into
the territory in 1895, and made millions
of dollars. exhibits $4,000 worth OF mug
gets which she washed out herself while
husbands side. She keeps them as souve-
Mrs OF her early hardships and priva-
lions.
The gold booth has several pans OF
sand and gravel. They look innocent
enough, but each of them is accused OF
containing from $50 to 500 worth of gold
dust, and the gentleman in charge of the
mining exhibit insists that similar sand
and gravel can be found in hundreds Of
places along the seacoast.
Great Coal Deposits.
We know that Alaska contains no end
Of gold and that it lies in the present and
ancient channels Of streams covered In
many places by heavy layers of earth:
that it can be found in the sand along
the beaches Of the ocean and sometimes
fifty and seventy-five feet up in the bluffs
Of sand, where the ocean left 1t when
the water receded. We know. too. that
there is an abundance Of copper OF a
value equal to that of the gold. and other
minerals in wonderful quantities. that
the biologists have already discovered.
but few people realize that there is an
thracite coal enough to supply the entire
world for period OF nifty years:
There are also vast beds of bitun1nous
and Ignite coal, scattered in different
parts Of the peninsula, but easily reached
from the sea. One Of the known de-
posts. with an area of about nifty square
miles, Is cStlndleU Oy tHO Cuitcu Saws
geological survey to contain 6.0OO. 600 ,OoC
tons Of coal. and the explorers declare
that there is more high-grade coal IN
Alaska than in Pennsylvania and any two
other states in the Union combined. Large
areas Of this coal have already been To-
Gated by spectators and others. Mr.. Pier.
pont Morgan is said to he at the head OF
a syndicate that has acquired title to
millions of tons. The Guggenheim ram
lily and the smelter trust have also been
49, "a
fuel that will last them forever. But
thus far none Of the coal deposits have
been developed.
The demand for fuel is SO small and
the transportation facilities are so limited
that the deposits are Of tttle commercla
value at present, but their prospective
value cannot be computed.
Great Supply Of Oil.
In the mineral exhibit are big bottles
filed with various kinds of petroleum
which have been discovered in Alaska,
and although only few wells have been
sunk and there is no commercial demand
for petroleum at present, the mineralo-
gists who have explored the country for
the geological survey tell us that the sup
ply of OIL will compare with the supply
Of coal. and is practically unlimited.
Conspicuous in the mineral exhibit is an
arch Of beautiful marble which comes
from quarry In southeastern Alaska,
right on the shore OF the sea, on the very
edge Of the water, where 1t can be quar-
ried and shipped at nominal expense.
This is another storehouse whose value
cannot be computed, and it will be very
important source of wealth hereafter.
Next to gold. as You have seen by the
figures I have quoted, fish 10 the most
valuable asset OF Alaska. and fishing and
packing fish are two Of the largest indus
tries. The value of food fishes exported
from the territory since 1873. when the
s rss at w sad shs
product at $40. 000.0 900. But this year 1t is
believed that the salmon pack alone will
exceed $13,0OO.OO0. Last year $500, 600
cases Of forty-eight tins Of salmon each
supply Is heavier than was ever known
before. and It IL estimated that the pack
will reach 10000 cases Of salmon.
In order to advertise Alaska salmon.
day. and they are attended by an average
of 1000 people. The commission has q
model kitchen and distinguished chef.
Mr.. Van Horn. who shows the people how
to cook as well as to eat salmon. The
chef says he will cook 1t after different
recipes on every one Of the 1873 days that
the exposition continues.
Work Of Sheldon jackson.
The exhibits which show the social con-
OltlOnS ana the educational work in
Alaska are exceedingly interesting. and
the people Of Washington and Presby-
terians throughout the country generally
will appreciate this because It is the re-
suit Of long years of devoted labor by the
late DR.. Sheldon Jackson. a missionary Of
that church, who inaugurated and had
charge of the schools. And what is most
gratifying of all the features Of this ex-
hibit relates to the increase of the REIN
deer herds which were introduced by Dr.
Jackson from Lapland in 1891 in order to
provide q perpetual remedy for the Pc
riodical famines. He was ridiculed and
resisted in and out OF Congress-, but no
amount of opposition could shake his
faith in the practicability Of providing for
the native Alaskan tribes the same food
that sustains the Laplanders and other
polar tribes Of Europe. DR.. jackson be-
gan by importing Ill reindeer In 1900.
eight years later, the herd had multiplied
to 1852. and in 1908 to 1892, belonging
to III native owners. At this rate there
will be 10000 reindeer in Alaska in 1915
providing a permanent protection against
famine as we'll as transportation facilities
for the natives.
There are now fifty-nine native schools
in Alaska, with a total enrolment Of
S.O6S children and an average attendance
of 1.197 during the past year. Twenty
years ago there were none. DR.. Jackson
was appointed agent OF education in 1900,
and the work that has since been accom-
plished, both In Industrial training and
book learning. Is an enduring monument