Evening star., 1914-04-05
ALASKA should longer be called 4No Mans
~ Land" Alaska is frontier wonderland, and

~ Land Alaska is our frontier wonderland, and
by united efforts must make it the Empire
of the North. 1t is Every Mans Land, because
will not tolerate weaklings but to the thorough
bred it will offer indescribable inducements. 1t is
territory unique in its geographical situation, in its
climate in its physical beauties. Point Barrow, its
northernmost cape is warmer than any point in the
world far north of the equator its southern shores
likewise warmer than any point in the world IN
similar atitudes during the winter months the result
of the influence of the Japan Current
Isotherma lines show that of the southeastern
sections have climate temperate and more equa
bic than that of Washington, d. c. Its two climatic
belts known the coast region and the interior.
The coast region is rainy has mild winters and cool
summers the interior region for the most part dry,
has winters, and short but summers. The
immense quadrangle is divided into three by
lofty mountains, which leave between them broad
plains, through which the Yukon with than 1000
miles of navigable waters, and the Kuskokwim with
600, open up its vast interior.
Alaska can surpass all the scenic beauty boasted by
Norway, Sweden, and the Tyrol. Its mountains
higher than Mount Blanc; its glaciers dwarf the Aer de
Gace. Unlike the glaciers of Switzerland which in
closed by inland valleys the largest of the Alaska ga-
cers terminate the border interior rivers,
with towering fronts hundreds of feet height and
miles in width Elsewhere, in sharp contrast, the
peace and silence of the rock bound ords, clad green
with the snowy peaks of far-off mountains cleaning
through the treeops the skyline, pictures beau
tiful than the Hudson or the Rhine show
In the forty-six intervening years since the United
States purchased Alaska, as means of protection
against the possible aggression of foreign nation and
without the hope that it would be sesupporting,
it has added wealth the grand of S500000,
600, although it contains today less than 10000 white
Inhabitants less than 900 for each year has been
possession. Yet it is the largest body of unused
and neglected land in the United States. For almost
a generation it the rich harvest field of single
company.
This vast and unsurpassed asset lies almost unde-
veloped territory one-ifth the size of the United
States contains less than 1000 miles of anything
that be called wagon road. 1t has a few in
considerable stretches of railroads. which terminate,
with exception either in the wilderness at
private industry. For this ought rejoice
that Congress has fit to agree upon appropra
tion of 100000 for constructing the necessary sys
TENS 1t is only with the construction of at least
transaaskan railroads reaching from open harbors
tidewater into the interior that the wonderful
be developed and made serve the uses
of man. Building railroads there is work of great
magnitude, and engineering feat will be second
only to the construction of the Panama Canal With
out great inducements such work could be
dertaken by private capital 1t is probable that the
initial work will be begun once the funds will be
available by the time this article reaches the reader
AND the American-to whom Alaska essentially be
longs, because he is both thoroughbred and
pioncer-is unwillngto