The daily Alaskan., 1914-09-24
THE GENTLEMAN FROM ALASKA
(CORtlnued trOm Page 1.)

in the Fairbanks camp ia 1902 and the stampede of 1902-OS, with it's stalking and restaking, claim-jumping and grub-stake agreements, litiga- ton flowered overnight. To the judge handling any of the hydra headed growths there was danger. The inevitable occurred. When the first far-reaching decisions were handed down on the involved points of mining law, the camp, already divided on the mining question, took sides as to the judge. With One faction he was little less than demi-god. With the other his name burned through the dailies like the mark of cloyen hoof. Next the enemies of the judge went gunning for him in the halls at Washington, thereby starting the saying now current in the north: Ut is always open season for judges in Alaska"
 Fighting Jim," as his admirers call him because of his aggressive ness, was not idle. Donmng his armor he moved to meet the at tack. Loyal friends, including Presi dent Roosevelt, stood with hiIn and the first assault was repulsed, although desultory firing continued throughout his term.
 In January. of 1908 Judge Wick ersham resigned, and the following August, after a hotly contested campaign, he became privileged to write letters M. C." after his name. Twice since that date "Fighting Jim" has vanQuished his political op ponents.
 Territorially, the Gentleman from Alaska is several times the largest man over whom the Speaker of the House holds the gayel. Measured by his vote he is as small as any there, since a paternaI government does not allow the representatives of it's possessions, although they should be as large as the United States itself, a vote on the laws governing those territories. There fore it is fortunate for Alaska that James Wickersham is big man mentally and physically, of pleasing rorceful personality who knows wha his people want and who has the ability to get it for them.
 Because of the importance of the various bills he has gotten through congress, Wickersham's name will always be linked with the progress of Alaska. He is responsible for the act giving Alaskans a territorial 1 legislature and their first measure of 6elf-governmeut. Of sNl more importance from the standpoint of territorial development in his AL askan railroad bill which became a law in March, and which provides S35, 100000 for the construction by the government of a railroad to the interior. At present the leasing bill which is to make available to AL askans their rich resources of coal and oil, so long bottled up, Is ell gazing the delegates attention. Nor Is this all. He can see, close at hand, the day when the rick valleys of the interior will be thickly dot ted with farms, and the sons and daughters of the ranchecs will be looking about for means to secure higher education. Therefore he hopes to aid in the establishment at Fairbanks of university, school of-mines and agricultural college.
 When not engaged in the practice Of law or involved ill those inter esting political fights of which he Is always the storm center, the Gentleman from Alaska is a close student of the American Indian, among the printed results being, whence Came the American h. dian: An Answer"
 T expect to live in the Panama valley until I die" declares Judge Wickersham; and since he is now in only his fifty-seventh year, and the healthful climate of the north is conductive to longevity, his friends expect to see him in the house of representatives until flask is admitted to the Sisterhood of States. Then, they declare, they will elect Jim" governor or U. s. senator.
 H. c. JACKSON.
 From the first number of the New Sunset, The Pacific Monthly, for Sept.