The Alaska daily empire., 1915-09-23
THE LESSON ov THE wHEATEN sHEAF

THE LESSON OF THE W8EArEN SHEAF
 Fairbanks sends as her contribution to the great exposition at San Francisco sheat Of golden grain and other products of the so giant nugget of faou- ious intrinsic value nor specimens of rich godbearng quartz The latter would doubt furnish story for some nimbominded writer which after 1t had gone the rounds of the press of the country such stories do and served is brief purpose would leave no lasting impression The little sheaf of wheat and che few we'll selected varieties of the field and the garden win curiosity and cause universal comment; the talk will reach he ear of the poor oer in the led and the worn soldier in the trench in faraway and war-racked Eu rope and stir in him an ambition that has given the world the finest examples Of civilization and made the United States the land Of the greatest love and the greatest liberty the world has ever known.
 Such are the mutual consequences of rightly directed thought on any given subject How easy it would have been and also how human for those en- trusted with this selection to have prepared exhibit of the kind first mentioned, and that such was not the case bespeaks rare wisdom, shrewdness perhaps.
 AI the world knows that Alaska is great domain of mineral wealth but by the same token. vast num- bers Of people believe not knowing the facts that AL aska is a barren wonderland. a broad waste chilled by tho winds Of the Arctic and ettered in bonds of Ice and snow How far aneld they have strayed in their miud-play win be made stunningiy manifest to them when they view and read about and hear the talk of interior Aaskas simple. yet effective exhibit
 Public judgment is only too often founded on some idle remark. some empty comment or some ofttod tale having its origin in the fancful mind of ire sponsible: and again oft times pat phrase timely ut tered gains wide publicity and mantes a land with fame SO farreaching SO pleasing to the seeking mind that fortune follows as the wake of the ship. As wit ness but two of many instances. each widely diff ferent example immediately within the ken of most of our readers The early visitor to California was Of imaginative mind and quite frequently of some literary accomplishment and poetic temperament, skilled in word phrasng and the Of fine sounding terms and in day the Golden Gate known around the world the Eldorado of the West was the topic of eonversa ton in every home and in every tongue California be- came golden empire. the dreamland of the restless soul whose hope reached out that which he much yearned but knew not and soon 1t was an roads lead to the promised and promising land. Quite the trary did Arkansas fare sense of the ridiculous i'm peiled writer to ply his pen is less humor ous fashion and also Arkansas had her fame; but was not the fame that brought her fortune Too meagre
 regard for accuracy for investigation held sway and that state suffered the dart of rdicule piercing the public mind scorn spoken and Che growth of one of the finest states was immeasureaby retarded. Her people @ good people. Q race of strong men and noble women had to bear cruel burden, and many Of the minimizing spoke of them as Hntbnlies and Wool hats The rich soil capable of the finest yield knew not the touch of husbandry her great natural resourc es lay undisturbed and absurd may seem it took years to dspe the idea though obviously false. that Arkansas was a jungle in a wilderness
 Today. after years of education and uphill work, Arkansas has come into her own her great merit is known. she is rapidly becoming one of the leading States of the Union.
 So 1t win be seen that much depends first ex- pressons and first impressions What wonder to the stranger will be Fairbanks modest, yet famegaining display of grain of fruit of vegetables The looked for win be absent and in its stead will be found that which will at first create doubt then desire for fur ther information and from the knowledge gained the beauties the glories and the opportunities of Alaska will become known and appreciated.
 At first thought this little display would seem an incident undeservng of other than casual but upon reflection the contrary will appear to be true; out of it win come an astonishing amount of publicity wide spread win be the talk and ultimate will realization that Alaska is much any other land and "one touch of nature"-perhaps little sheaf of wheat this instance" make an the world kin"