The Alaska citizen., 1915-07-05

of his hearers fittingly dedicated the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. at the impressive exercises held yesterday afternoon when the cornerstone for the new institution was laid. His speech in detail follows:
 WIckERohAMs ADDRESS.
 The Pioneers of Alaska are gather ed here today to lay the cornerstone of college which is destined to be the leading educational institu- tion in the great valley of the Panama On this beautiful birch clad hill, where until today only the foot of the moose and the wild Tena hunter have trod, is assembled a group of people from every land. from Europe. Asia. Africa and America a-representatives of the white, the yellow and the black races-to dedicate to the use of our youth college for the special study of the sciences connected with agriculture and mining. It is both fitting and proper on such an occa- sion that some statement shall be made of the purpose which anlmates us and the object which we seek in thus assuming the burden of organ izing and maintaining such an in stitution before We have even tanned the surrounding wilderness.
 Among those now gathered around this stone to assist in dedicatlnS these lands to the support of educa- tion are students from many lands and graduates from many colleges from Yale and Vassar, from Oxford and Harvard and from the universi- ties of nearly every State ill the Union, while such are the blessings of free schools that not one amongst us, excepting alone the native Tena, is without at least common school education. This group is typical of any other which might be gathered in this pioneer land-it contains stu dents of every color and tongue-but none of us Alaskan born. We are migrants from distant States where schools of learning similar to that which we will erect on this spot gave us advantages which will be denied to our children if we fail to establish them here. We cannot wait for future generations to build nor for the slow growth of years; our homes are here now and our children are demanding the educa- tional advantages which we had, and if We fail to meet the demand promptly there will be retrogression instead of progress in our new state.
 Your representative in congress was openly derided for offering the bill to establish an agricultural col lege in Alaska, and congressman grew merry and sadly exposed their ignorance of Alaska in opposition thereto. But we who have resided in the valley of the Panama for a dec ade know that it's agricultural value is not less than that of Scandinavia, Finland and the northern provinces of Russia where millions of people live happily upon agriculture alone. In addition to the agricultural value of our region We have what the northern nations of Europe lack coal, copper and gold in abundance. From this beautiful southern slope of the northern bluffs of the Panama we overlook a fertile valley fifty miles in width, to the east and west it sinks below the horizon, it is everywhere covered with an untouch- ed forest through which the moose and other wild animals roam in peace; it's rivers and streams are yet threaded by the birch bark canoe of the native Tena, while half a dozen small clearings show that hardy settlers have begun the work of opening farms in the wilderness. Much more has been done here for the material development of the mining industry than for farming. The bonanza placer creeks around Fairbanks have yielded approximate ly seventy-five million dollars in twelve years, and the mining prob lems to be considered involve the working of large areas of low grade gold placers, the opening and de velopment of quartz mines and coal More money will be made by the man who gives careful study to scientific methods of agriculture and mining than the man who merely works hard Still in both lines scientific methods and ideas pay even higher rewards than manual labor, but labor plus scientific methods and ideas will yield the maximum of reward, and it is that combination both in agriculture and mining which such college seeks to offer to the student While the college which we are this day dedi- eating will give special prominence to the study of scientific methods of agriculture and mining, it will also support a university course and become a fountain head for the general diffusion of knowledge among the people of Alaska.
 HISTORICAL STATEMENT.
 As the representative of the peo- pie of Alaska in the congress of the United States it became my duty to introduce bills there to pro- cure the enactment of fundamental laws necessary to the establishment of free and progressive government of the people in the wilderness of Alaska In 1912 the bill to create a legislative assembly to be elected by the people was passed and al ready two sessions of that body have been held in 1914 the bill to locate and construct a government owned and operated railroad from the sea board to the Tanana became law
 it is now definitely located along the base of the slope upon which we stand and is in process of con struction from the coast end; and on March 4. 1915, the bill reserving lands for the support of common schools in the Territory and grant ing the four sections upon which we