The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-06-25
ALASKA m PROCESS OF EvoLU-
TON

Prom the pen of General A. w. Cree /
ley there has recently come an inter-
esfing Handbook OF Alaska" which |
invites the most careful perusal be-
cause OF the prominence into which
this great territorial domain of the
northwest has commenced to loom.
The authoritative character of the
work must be recognized at the start.
For. being at the head Of the signal
corps of the army, IL devolved Upon
this distinguished oficer of the gov
eminent 90 construct over 1000 miles
of telegraph lines through Alaska;
and. In the execution Of this difficult
assignment. he enjoyed exceptional
opportunities for becoming thoroughly
acquainted with one of our most i'm
portant possessions.
Consequently we can safely entrust
ourselves TO the guidance Of this we'll
posted writer.
To begin with. he tells us that this
vast domain. which reaches three hun
dred miles into the Arctic circle, is
one-third greater than the combined
area of all the Atlantic states-from
the woods Of Maine to the Florida
reefs.
The country is well watered. Be
sides the Yukon, which is one of the
great rivers Of the world, there are
numberless other streams which are
today open 20 navigation for at least
four months in the year. Develop
ment is progressing at rapid strides.
Towns are springing up as if by mag
fc. The trail of the locomotive has
penetrated far inland and on every
side can be heard the sound of the
hammer.
OF course there are seasons of the
year when che climate is rigorous
But the severity of the weather has
been exaggerated by the sensational
newsgatherer. II is not TO be denied
that the pioneer argonauts who made
the first plunge into this unknown
country experienced the most cruel
fortunes Of suffering; but in the main
a. was due TO ignorance on the part of
the gold hunters themselves, who
were too feverish with excitement TO
take counsel of wise precautiOn. But
the work of subjugation is being
speedily accomplished. The traveller
Is no longer exposed to the perils of
snow and ice on trackless frontiers;
and the day is not far distant when
Alaska will become not only the para
disc Of the summer tourist, but the
abode Of an immense permanent pop
ulation.
Since 1905 Alaskan exports have
yearly exceeded $3O,O0O.OOO, while
Alaskan imports have aggregated S17.-
900 900.
When this vast domain was pur-
chased from Russia in 1867 at the APP
proximate cost of 100000, it was
thought that the government was
reckless to make such an annexation.
But the fisheries alone have more
than refunded the original outlay.
In game the territory is exceeding
~ rich. The giant moose is the larg-
est animal to be found in the North
American forest. Besides these there
are seven varieties of bears.
And the mineral wealth of Alaska
has hardly been touched.
II is needless to pursue the subject
further. General Greeley has perform
ed an important service to the coun-
Try In the authorship of this volume;
and, II some of the near-sighted states
men who opposed the purchase of
Alaska forty years ago could witness
the evolution which has taken place,
they would probably be anxious to
have what they said on the subject
expunged from the record.-Atlanta
Georgian.