El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-13
Copyright, 1911, by Frank G. Caupenter.))

" = ASHINGTON, D. c., May 49,
~ / write today of one of the
best investments of Uncle Sam
Patriarch. Our fatheTly relative is a
shrewd Speculation. he makes millions
in real estate, and his chief land invest
ments have paid many thousand percent.
The first was the louisiana purchase by
which the French sold US a territory ten
times as large as the state of Illinois.
That block of land cost about 3 cents an
acre It is now worth $50 and upward
per acre and it annually yields crops TO
the amount of thousands of millions OF
dollars It is producing more than a
billion bushels of corn and two hundred
and fifty million bushels of wreat every
year and is feeding livestock valued at
over nine hundred millions.
The Wealth Of Alaska.
The purchase I speak of today is that
of Alaska Oncle Sam bought it of Rus
STA for less than two cents an acre A
years ago. He has already realized more
than so times the amount OF his original
investment, and he does not yet know
what he owns. The land is netting us
800 percent every year, and 1T will go up
TO 1000 percent in the future. We paid
for II a little more than seven million
dollars. We have already taken out over
four hundred millions. We got more
than the purchase price out of the two
or three little seal islands, and the
salmon fisheries are now bringing IN
over ten million dollars per aDnum. The
yearly output of gold Is close to twenty
millions. and by the end of tins year we
shall have realized more than 80 times
its cost from the minerals alone.
These are big figures, but they are
only pin pricks on the surface of that
land of ice and snow. The most of the
gold so far taken out has been from
olacers and there are quartz deposits of
incalculable value Alaska has copper
of the world, and its coal veins are esti-
mated to contain billions of tons of black
diamonds.
With Uncle Sans Prospectors.
During the past week have been
looking over the latest government in
vestigations Of this mighty property. As
soon as il came into our hands Uncle
Sam sent his experts TO explore 1t and
for the past generation they have been
taking II up section by section. climbing
the mountains and tramping over the
plains and pleateaTss making maps OF the
land and prospecting for mineral wealth.
The greater part Of the work has been
done by the geological survey, which
keeps three divisions of men in the field
One of these. intending three parties, is
devoted to mapping the country and Civ
from which you can tell all the hills
and hollows. the height of the mountains
and depth of the valleys Another
division is examining the water powers,
and a third. and / should say, the most
important OF all, is composed of dozen
different companies CT geologists, who are
looking into the minerals and accumulat--
ing data as 10 the coal. iron, copper and
gold which the country contains.
The mineral branch of the survey is
now under the charge of DR.. Alfred a !
Brooks. who has spent more than IL
wears in the work Of exploring Alaska,
and who knows more about the country
than any other man in the world. He
has written a geography and geology. OF
Alaska. and with his scientific assist
ants has spent about five months every |
year for the past 13 years in making ex-
plorations, with view to the mineral
wealth His parties have gone through |
the wilds on foot and In boats, carry |
ing their canoes from stream to stream. i
and making long tours during which their