The Sussex Republican., 1911-12-09

4
J funded if not satisfied. Address
LYMAN BROWN, 6S Murray St., New York, NY.
Alaska, A Rich County.
Alaska is as yet comparatively un.
Tknown country and we are beginning
TO learn something about this "won-
derful nortblandp of ours. We have
been brought to the realization that
Jour government made good invest
i&SET-wnea it purchased Alaska from
h nsssa IN 1857. We have learned dur
VIZ the past twenty years that the ter
Y tsory contains vast deposits of valu-
Ase minerals and that Alaska waters
fm with fish. Most of this know
7 fie5ge has been acquired during the
past ten years. We are just now on
the threshold of another important
ydiscovery In Alaska. Farming in a
small way recently has proved success
full. The area Of land In Alaska
adopted to farming justifies the belief.
| Agriculture resources of the country
will support population Of a million,
but Alaska's mineral resources are
of gold, copper and coal in the terri.
tory that century of active endeavor
would not exhaust the product. Not
many persons are aware of the fact
'that Alaska has an area of nearly
100000 square miles, or one fifth the
area of the entire United States. In
such vast country 1t is obvious that
there must be such diversity of climate
q nf
The Southwestern. part of Alaska lie
much milder In winter than Washing
ton, ID. @. The winters of interior
Alaska are cold but the air is dry and
crisp and heavily charged with elec-
trlcity. When winter comes the
weather turns cold and stays cold un.
til the spring thaw begins, The ther-
mometer may fall as low as 60 degrees
f., but there are more days when the
thermo ometer is below zero. The abb
sence of thawing weather which is such
a disagreeabe weather in the Eastern
states, makes the winter climate of in
terior Alaska more heaIthful and to
many people more desirable than the
climate of the East and Middle West.
Even in Artic Alaska and Bering Sea
coastal region, when blizzards are
prevalent, the climate is not so dread
full as the first settlers anticipated
There are many ideal water days but
they are very sholt. AT Nome the
shortest winter day Is about four hours
in length. at Point Barrow there are
two months of continuous night, but
the summers Of Alaska will compen
safe for all the faults of winter. Even
In Artic Alaska the summer days are
zs,.rm and beautiful. The grass grows
iuxuriHnS1y n vast irs.tui .et meadow
and on hills and mountain sides and
varieties of wild flowers
the grass, carpeted earth.
There is a surprising variety of birds,
and many kinds of water fowls build
their nests ana rear their young In the
unexpIored regions of Alaska. After
one has enjoyed an Alaskan summer
the charm OF 1t will follow him to the
end of the earth. The scenic features
Of Alaska are among the most valu
able assets of the territory. A part OF
Alaska ia volcanic and mountains
crested with fire and snow are not an
unusual sight. There are several peaks |
on the Aleutian Islands that are
active. During the last
few years Islands have risen, smoking
from the sea, in the Aleutian group,
and have suddenly disappeared. In
Alaska are some of the
Oldest rocks IN North America, while
In the Aleutian Islands there is some
Of the newest land in the world. ella
ciers and volcanoes are to be found in
a comparatively small area of Alaska.
These are all level valleys where native
grasses grow waist high and some OF
these valleys are large enough to make
a state-notably the Tanana Valley
The valleys of the Copper River and
The Lusitna River, while not as large,
also offer inducements TO the farmer
and home seeker. There are 100000
square miles of farming and grazing
land in Alaska, ana the time is sure to
come when this land will be utilized
Forests cover large area of the terri
tory. Estimating without adequate
data, | would place the lumber lands
as about one third of the area of Alas
ka. a. There is some splendid timber in
south eastern Alaska, and the timber
Of the interior Is large enough to sup
ply most of the needs for domestic
uses. A large part of the northwest
ern section Is treeless, excepting
growth of willows along the streame.
Wild berries grow luxuriantly In every
part. The principal varieties are blue
berries, cranberries, salmon berries,
logoon berries, strawberries,
and hucklebarrIes. Still there are other |
natural features that deserve mention. |
Alaska is a splendid game country. |
Moose, bear, mountain sheep, and
coribon are among the big game.
Grouse. waterfowl and shore birds are
the principal varieties of small game.
The territory cost the United States
81 100000. The value of Alaska's ex
ports since we acquired the territory
totals about $350,0O0,000. These pro
ducts have been minerals, fish, and
furs. The animal valuation exports
is now about $80,000,000. Gold is the
most important product, The value of
the total gold output is In the neigh |
borhood Of $l65,000,000. Ali of this, |
except about $4,000 001 has been pro |
duced during the past fifteen years.
Gold has been found in every principal
subdivision from Ketchikan to the |
arctic slopes with the exception of the |
rreadwell mine, which is one of the |
largest gold mines in the world, vir.
tually all OF the gold from Alaska has
come from placer diggings. The placer
fields are bosh MI nerOus and exten
slye. AS yet Alasxsin gold mines
have paid little attention to quartz,
because the placers are more accessible;
but there are also many promising
quartz mines. 1t IS safe prediction
that within another fifteen years
quartz aiming will be the leading fea-
ture of the gold industry. But the
placers are by no means exhausted. All
of the placer fields have not yet been
discovered, and there are millions OF
acres of low grade gravel that will be
worked by hydraulic and dredging
methods. / believe that Alaska will
produce more gold than any other gold
bearing country in the world. Alaska
is a great copper country. If the dis
covered and prospected copper miner