The Chitina leader., 1912-08-20


and valuable information sometimes
is found, the following salient facts
about Alaska have been 6:sciosed.
The coast line of Alaska, measur-
ing around ell of the islands is ap
proximately $4,000 miles long
more than the distance around the
world.
One mine in Alaska has produced
four times as much gold as the Uni
ted States paid for the entire terri
tory. This mine. the Traadwell, OPP
crates the second largest stamp mill
in the world. 1t is exceeded in size
only by the DeBeers mine on the
Witswatersand, South Africa.
Alaska contains approximately
81 100000 acres of coal lands. OF
this amount $4,000 acres were stalk
ed by the men who discovered these
lands. According to the estimates of
competent engineers and biologists,
the coal in Alaska is sufficient to
sustain the people of the United
States for $500 years at the present
rate of consumption.
$500, 100000 in Commerce
During the past ten years the
commerce of Alaska with the United
States-in and out-has amounted
more than 100000, 000-several
millions more than the trade of the
United States with the Orient.
The mineral production of Alaska
from 1883 to 1910 amounted to
6,000,000, more than $195 ,000,-
900 of this amount being in gold.
The avoirdupois weight of the gold
out of Alaska-roughly figured-is a
little more than 400 tons. This does
not include several million dollars
in gold brought to the United States
by the Americans from the Klondike
region.
Since occupied by citizens of the
United States, Alaska has yielded
in fishery products-walrus ivory,
Aquatic furs, fur seals, whalebone
and fish-$210.0O0, 1000. The food
fishes at the close of the fiscal year
1910, had netted S129,301 ,4S2, and
the fur seals $50, 366,767.
The gross area of Alaska is $780,
S04 square miles. The governors re-
port states that the area in acres
is 800. $4,000. 1t cost the United
States Government less than two
cents an acre.
combined area of the states of Maine,
sets, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylva-
mia, Delaware, North Carolina. South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi and Tennessee.
Dedicated to Solitude
A large portion of the easily ac-
cessible land of Alaska has been
dedicated to solitude in the shape of
forest and other reserves. These for
est reserves in some places have been
made to extend over agricultural and
mineral land where it is impossible
to find a stick of timber thicker than
a mans wrist.
A large portion of Alaska lies in
the same latitude as Sweden, Nor
way and Finland, has a much better
climate, more fertile soil, and it is
larger than all three of these coun-
tries put together.
There is more agricultural land in
Alaska than in all the Scandinavian
Peninsula, which supports pOpula
ton of more than 100000 stock
farmers and agriculturalists. This is
exclusive of the tremendous reindeer
grazing lands stretching northward
from the Yukon river to the Arctic
ocean.
Mountains and Glaciers
Alaska has the highest mountain
Mt. McKinley-in the continent of
North America. It's utmost altitude is
20,464 feet.
The glaciers in Alaska, many of
which are easily accessible from the
coast, and some of which can be
reached by railroad, are much larger
than any other glaciers in the world.
The scenery encountered on the
journey through the inland waters
of Alaska compares quite favorably
in majestic grandeur and gorgeous
beauty with fjords of Norway, and
Alaska's mountain scenery is said to
be quite equal in magnificence to that
of Switzerland.
The Yukon River has total
length of nearly 5000 miles, and it
is about the fifth largest river in the
world. 1t is navigable for small river
vessels for distance of about 2,40O
miles.
The copper product of Alaska for
the year 1911 was worth $2,S30. 900,
an increase of more than 400 per
cent over the production of the pre-
vious year. Biologists and mining
engineers estimate that the territory
contains more copper than Arizona,
Michigan and Montana combined.
Alaska contains the only tin mines
of any Importance on the continent
of North America.
Besides gold, copper and tin, Alas
ka produces silver, gypsum, marble,
graphite, petroleum, mica, lime and
mineral waters of various kinds. In
metals and minerals prospectively
valuable, but not produced in COM
mercial quantities, include tungsten,
lead, arsenic, antimony, manganese,
scheelite, bismuth, quicksilver, cor
undum, slate, zinc and garnets; and
many other materials have been
found.
Great Iron Deposits
Tremendous iron deposits, both
magnatite and hematite, have been
discovered in many places, and opti-
mistic biologists predict that when
the bituminous coal of Alaska Is
made available to use, many steel
mills will be established in the ter
ritory.
Alaska was the first country in the
world to use the wireless telegraph
system for commercial purposes.