The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1914-08-11
One of the best known Alaskans

years endeavOring to secure leg IS
lation from Congress that would
tend to the development of the ter
| ritory, is Donald A. Mckenzie, who
now adds "Cordova" after his sig
nature. He it is who is at the head
| of the company that has secured
| title to the townsite of Nelson, but
a few miles distant from this town
and at the head of Orca Bay. Mr..
Mckenzie. accompanied by his wife,
recently returned to Seattle, after a
lengthy stay in Washington. They
sailed on the steamer Northwestern
and will arrive in Cordoya tomor-
row morning. Speaking of his trip
and Alaska in general Mr.. Mckenzie
in an interview said:
81 expect to remain there until
fall. l shall ultimately make ar
rangements to live in the north for
| good. I have been a legal resident
of Alaska for Is years, although
I've been in Washington City much
of that time fighting for our exist
ence. The only thing that ever did
hold back our progress was the lid
put on so tightly by Washington
City"
Mr.. Mckenzie is enthused over the
| prospects for Alaska's future and
says that everywhere he finds re-
newed interest in the territory and
| it's opportunities. Speaking on this
subject he says:
''The publicity given the territory
during the fight for the passage of
the railroad bill, and the final sue
cess of the measure, have done
much to revive hope and stimulate
interest in Alaska. The Guggenheims
it has been recently announced, are
to spend millions in development
next year, and 1 have met several
of the smaller operators who have
now been able to get capital for
which they have been waiting. One
operator named Schmidt raised
$150,000 within the last few weeks
around Davenport and Des Moines,
Ia, for a dredging proposition at
Rampant, on the Manook, and an
other man with a quartz undertake
ing has just raised S25O,000 in
Omaha. l found several New York
men who were ready to operate in
the Copper River country. Many CT
the old operators who left the coun-
try several years ago are going back
now that there is a chance through
the railroad, to get in their machin-
cry and labor without prohibitive
expense.
''There are hundreds of low-grade
copper properties in the country,
particularly in the Copper River
district, which is 200 miles long by
so miles wide. In that region,
within two years more than 100
copper mines will be operating. This
means 100 new villages. The Boring
river coal field, coal from which
makes excellent coke, is within this
radius. This will assist the develop
ment of the copper, and there is
plenty of room and resources in that
region for a population of 100, 1000"
Il feel sure that there will be
100000 people in Alaska within 10
years. That means something to
Seattle. 1t means a doubling of the
population of this city Figure this
out: With only $4,000 whites in all
Alaska they are giving the United
States a trade of $4,000 year for
each man, woman and child. That's
about $7O,O00,00O isn't it? What
other region is doing anything like
that"
Mr.. Mckenzie says he has no
patience with the idea that appears
to be held in certain quarters that
additional legislation is necessary to
make available the money appropri-
ated by the Alaska railroad bill for
the construction of the lines in the
north.
1.-THE matter is in the hands of the
president" he said, land the money
can be taken direct from the treas
ury from time to time, without fur
Their legislation. The president has
delegated practically the whole mat
ter to Secretary Lane. AS matter
of fact, we could not find a presi-
dent would would go farther to aid
Alaska than Mr.. Wilson, or a secre-
tary of the interior who could exc
cute the details more efficiently than
Mr.. Lane"
"There is other legislation" Mr..
Mckenzie says, that is needed for
the proper development of Alaska.
The proposed federal commission to
handle the details of lands and fish
cries and forestry and telegraph,
which are now scattered through q
number of separate and sometimes
o,~,,iv, h,,1 he