The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-12-11

been all over Alaska, from one end t
the other They were men Of DIFFERING
points Of view, for one man came fron
the Pacific coast and the other from
the Atlantic and neither had a nicke
invested between Ketchikan ant
Nome. Before they had been insia.
Alaska for "a hours they had discov-
cred that something was wrong Each
In his own way had tried to find on,
what 1t was-and they were mer
whose training In life had been Target,
that Of going to the root Of things.
Due Credit to Empire Builders.
Now, suppose you were governor
general Of Alaska" said the East, af-
ter they had talked 1t all over, land
with absolute power to do anything
that your judgment should dictate
what Is the first thing you would do?"
The West reflected moment
Feeling as l do now" he answered
II should be inclined to subsidize
every man in Alaska min
er, merchant, fisherman, homesteader
should regard him as an empire
builder, without hope of reward in his
own lifetime, and one who deserves
we'll OF his country for the hardships
and loneliness Of life in that God for
saken land!"
PenaIixcd the Residents.
"As matter Of fact" said the At
lantic, I'VE have virtually penalized
every bona fde resident in the terri
tory"
You have the right word,' replied
the Pacific. "The Alaskan has been
penalized. Looking back upon all
that we have seen, 1t seems to be a
sort Of crime to live in Alaska"
And so it seems to the Alaskan. He
knows that he is just as truly an
American as the man who lives in
Galveston or Cincinnati, and that
Alaska is Theoretically a part of the
United States. When he sits down In
the Arctic club of his own town with
a friend from home, they talk about
the Same things, tell the same jokes,
and order the same drinks, and know
that they are brothers in blood. But
when the Alaskan comes to deal with
the bureaucratic officials in Washing
ton, he finds that he has not even the
status Of an unwashed Eskimo, or of
Japanese in California Instead of
being regarded as an empire builder
he is supposed to be mild form Of
crook
Alaska Rugged Empire.
+ And what is the net result to the
United States at large? Just this:
That one Of the hardest. most resell
ute units of the American people, liv-
ing In the least favored Of all the
lands under the American flag, is now
holding on by the skin of his teeth,
wondering if somebody will wake up
in time to the fact that Alaska Is an
empire that can be developed only by
such rugged men as now inhabit the
land.
A 6uoyant and Determined People.
That Is one big fact that has almost
escaped attention. 1t Is a mere ac-
cident, In quantity and in fibre, can
make an empire under conditions that
can not be changed. The rush to the
klondike carried northward (along
with the riff-raff that has since float
ed back to the SOUTH a stream Of
Americans of the most rugged and re-
type. Some of these made
their strike" and came back: most Of
them made only a fair living and re-
NAMED, Intending to grow up with the
as men have done in Oregon
and the Dakotas. They are in Alaska
today. buoyant and determined, with
their teeth set, but they are beginning
TO wonder whether 1t Is worth while
% keep up the fight.
May Lose American Population.
Any thoughtful man knows that ;
when these pioneers let 60, in utter
despair. 1t IS likely to be long, long
line before Alaska ever has another
population which can compare with
hat of today. Chance made them
citizens Of the far northwest. and they
ire an asset Of the nation as we'll as :
# Alaska; but once they get their feet
Jack on the home soil. with all of It's
comforts and opportunities not even :,
mother Klondike can get many NJ
hem north Of Seattle again. 1t may
e that, in the distant future, the
overnment may be able to induce
ardy immigrants from Scandinavia 4
r Russia to settle in this Isolated ter
tory, but even that is problematical
Alaska Is to be American in its pop
lation, now is the time, while the :
.merican Is there and willing to re-
lain. Il
Feels Entitled to Square Deal.
And he is willing, for he is a man
grit. There was time, OF course,
hen he "mushed" northward in the (
tpectation Of becoming speedily rich: /
lere was no other reason why he @
lould have gone. But now that his v
sions have faded and he has become b
to the rigors Of winter, to {
e lack of ordinary comforts. to the \
arcity Of woman. and to the utter "
'sence Of such luxuries as theaters 2
ID music, he is willing to be a fixture. n
1T he.naturally feels that he ought b