The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-02-02

The new bulletin on Alaska, sw1tle
citing SO many optimistic facts alsS
warns the homesteader that there
are many difficulties to be encounter
ed
ON the south coast, where the eli
mate Is mild, ti11able land is scarce
because OF the proximity OF the
mountains to the shore line; else-
where In Alaska the winters are lons
and very cold and frost-proot pn4o-
fings must be, provided for shelter OF
family and stock.
The ground freezes to a great
ideDtt and there Is but a short period
during which this can thaw, and tn
surface Is covered with an accurn1-
la4iOn or undecayed moss and other
ivegefable material serving as pro-
ltectton TO the frost and q reservoir
TOR moisture. The frost line undef
natural conditions sinks but e rev
feet during season, and the -tha~ed
layer Is usually a morass OF muck IN
Iall portions of Alaska where tillage
is possible This condition makes
land travel almost out OF the ques.'
ton during the summer until wagon
roads shall have been built, ana
these must be largely OF the cofau-
row tyne Meantime the farm nome
must generally be located close TO
nav.gable water.
The swampy character OF mucn
OF the surface OF Alaska makes It
great breeding place for MOSQUITOES
and gnats, which are almost tntoler-
able pests to both man and beast. II
also makes drainage prerequlslte'I
in order to remove the surplus water
so that the land can he worked |
raise ne, temperature OF the SUI
faeesoiI lower thes frost line. taseil- |
itate the decay OF the aecumulatet4 |
organic matter, and bring ,apo9sl
chemical changes which win trans !
form the soil from g very Esaci To-. coz coz
dition 10 one much less so. nature
requires much time for this last pro-
esT WheFe the vegetable aceumula-.l
tions are Largely moss this must pc
destroyed. either by burning or py
carting it from the hand, Tor u
plowed under it decays very Slowly
and seems to have an injurious enect
on most crop plants.
on practically all the land suttaple
for tillage, must, of course, he clear
ed from the land.
All this work-building houses
and barns, drainage, clearing lano
OF moss and timber-is very slowly
accomplished in the short outdoor
working season If done single
handed by the homesteader, ana q
costly almost pro1libitSvely so II
hired labor is used, because of the
high wages and living expenses
Lack Of genral transportation
which would open up the country, o.
Local WAGON roads, schools, churches
and other features OF present day
life. and of the markets In which 10
sell farm products and from Wnlcn
to obtain home supplies ana laru
Al
present, but they will disappear IN
time.
The federal homestead law extenus
to Alaska, excepting that, instead Of
1850. acres. 800 may be hted upon.
Very little of the available land mas
been surveyed, but that work is no"
in progress. One may locate on un-
surveyed land, file claim, ana es-
tabI;sh lines by metes and bounos,
f,It he cannot secure a title until a
survey has been made by an auuhor'
lied surveyor and the survey APP
proved. ST the survey Is made IN aug
vance OF that made by the govern
ment. tbs done at the expense OF ehe
homesteaders, and that is heavy.
That Seattle, Wash, is nearer
Maine than it IS to the extreme west
ern point of Alaska; that June mean
ANIMAL temperature of Sitka Is about
the same as that of Washington, "
= eiie that Is.a Alaska has numerous deep,
1and-locked fce-free harbors; that
the coast Inc is 26, 900 miles long,
and that there are 5000 miles Oh.
nay.gable rivers in our northern ter
ritory: These facts, not generally
known, are brought out in the de
partment of agriculture's new bull
etin on Alaska. The extent of tint
wonderful country with Its scan
seS-a,S1o +ioT ~ az 900 its mountains
liz climate and its soils are fully de
seriDed in the new government pub
Iication. This can be- had free from
the Department of Agriculture, pS
apnJfcation for Bulletin no. so.