The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-01

then, from, the government. but, little
has been done in development IL :
fact, also. that little of cce va4uaple
coal lands have passed from .the pos
session of the government Tney sun
belong TO the hundred million and
me method OF their future DISPOSE
ton IS st.u unsettled.
There are many fields of great value
but OF les spectacular qualities tnan
those at Bebring and sMatanuska NV
ers. There is. Tor instance. the ian
ana coal field, on the line OF the pro-
posed railroad, sixty miles before II
reaches Fairbanks. This held 4oo
miles in the interior. VII. when the
railroad is completed, be brought IN
tonch with the Tanana river al FAIR
banks. from which il may be distrib-
uted. during the open season OF each
year. throughout the 1000 miles OF
inland waterways Afforded By the u
kon and its navigable tributaries.
Another source OF wealth that prom
ises TO become important when rail-
road facilities are provided are the /
copper deposits. Throughout much OF
the region that is TO be opened up by
the government road are excellent |
copper deposits. A copper mine,
however. requires much machinery
and much fuel and is therefore en-
tirely dependent upon transportation
facilities.
From the copper district OF Chitina
Valley. however, there has been !
steady and profitable output for four
years. Much development work mas
been done on copper claims in taet
Na1espo river and the White river
districts. and these may be expected !
to take on the role OF real producers
as soon as transportation is provided.
Alaska has given indications that!
she may become a producer OF many
other materials when she Is once
thoroughly prospected Tie casual eS-
animation of her mineral resources
that has 50 far been possible, mostly
incidentally to the pursuit of goic, mas
revealed the presence in many places
Of silver. lead. zinc. antimony. quick
sfl.er, peat. graphite. asbestos and
mica. But the difficulties unce.
which mining has. been carried on IN
Alaska have MADE it next 10 impos-
sibIe that attention be paid TO any
thing but gold. All other resources
have been ignored When new con-
ditions arise 1t is but logical 10 be-
lieye that the wealth heretofore over
looked Will be brought 70 light
The men who mine coal in the vicin-
ity CT Cook Inlet, or get out copper
ore. or build railroads. for that mat
Ter. viii live in region where il rains
about fGj days in the year During
the summer they Will find the Their
fncmeter going up 10 fifty degrees. and
IN the winter il viii so down 10 about
ten ABOVE. In the MatanuSka and
Susitna valleys, \ little further IN
land. the summers VIII be few de-
s.rees warmer and the winters a few
degrees colder. Here 1ot more than
ZEN inches oc rain falls IN . year
When the railroad builders get over
the coastal mountains and into the
great interior region they will find.
strangely. that IL is still warmer il the
summer. The mean temperature for
the summer months is ffty-six de-
srees. IN the winter it is colder than
near the coast 1t ranges around
twelve degrees below. Here the snow
falls three feet deep in the winter and
there is about twelve inches OF rain
fall, In none OF the region Is the eli
mate so severe as to interfere with
the normal activities at any season.
None OF ii is so far north that day and
nigh: cease 10 come and go ar any
season of the year. though the nights
are very long in the winter and the
days corerspondingly long in the
summer
All OF which promises to usher in a
period of great activity. with base
al Seward, a village which had, at the
time Of the taking of the last census.
a population of but 81 people. Like
that metropolis of all Alaska. Fair
banks. Al miles in the interior. which
al the same date boosted 2,54l souls.
In Central Park New York. bac-
eria are found TO the extent OF 500