Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-12-15

A FTER hearing Stephen Mather
~ of the department of the in
- terror and James Wickersham,
delegate from Alaska to con-
gress, talk about that country and its
future possibilities you almost think
United States ambassador at PetrO-
grad ought to be to apologize to the
Russians every other day or so for
buying that peninsula for only ST.
100000. And what Mather and Wick
ersham are saying is what the 10000
people of the territory and all the big
game hunters and naturalists of the
United States are thinking, and what
all the travelling, sightseeing world
will gladly admit, say those who al
ready know, as soon as the federal
government is ready to invite the world
to come and ride on its new railroad
to the new Mount Mckinley national
park, remarks a writer in the New
York Times.
The railroad, strictly a government
enterprise, is now under construction.
A bill to set aside 2,200 square miles
of the Alaska range, the highest land
on the continent, as national park
has been introduced by Mr.. Wicker
sham and is pending in congress. But
park and road should be considered to-
gether in making any forecast Of what
Alaska is going to mean to the country
at large. The railroad, which starts
at Seward, on the southern coast of
the peninsula-the Gulf of Alaska-is
to run north to Fairbanks, a distance
Of 400 miles, or almost half way to
the shores of the Arctic. The primary,
commercial purpose of the road - 10
provide an outlet for the products Of
the rich Tanana valley, but, plus that.
it will make Mount Mckinley, now not
much more than a name except to a
handful of explorers and hunters, as
accessible as Yellowstone park.
The new railroad will bring Mount
Mckinley within three weeks travel
of New York city, which is another
way of saying that the sledloads of
dead animals will become q great deal
more numerous unless the government
is armed with protective park author
ity before the sale of railway tickets
begins.
There may still be some hunting,
greatly restricted and regulated, even
after the region has become a national
park, for the introduction of his bill
Delegate Wickersham had two things
to considerable wishes of the interior
department, with which he is in entire
sympathy, and the desires of the peo-
pie of Alaska, who are prospectors and
don't want to be shut out of 5000
square miles of mountain country in
which they think they may find more
gold.
Little Gold in Proposed Park.
There is no fear that the mining
and hunting privilege will be a menace
to the region as a park. "As a matter
of fact" said Robert Sterling Yard,
who is associated with Mr.. Mather in
all national park matters, "we do not
expect the mining operations to
amount to much, for the evidence of
the geological experts indicates that
there is little gold in the region which
Is to be set apart. AS to the game,
we will have in Mount Mckinley park
the repetition of the story of the Yel-
lowstone, where there has not been q
gun fired legally since 1872 and where
there is more game now than before
the coming of the white man, for now
there are no Indian hunters. Cavalry
patrols and ceaseless watching for
pOachers have made the Yellowstone
a paradise for animals. Mckinley is
that now, always has been and with
the passage of this bill, always will
be-"
important as that is. is but one of the
objects which the government has in
view in the Alaska range.
The line of the railway runs within
a dozen or 10 miles of the Alaska
range and parallel to it, and from
Broad pass, 200 miles from Seward
on the railroad, will be easy going to
the great Mckinley, which dominates
that range.
The railroad. at least to Broad pass,
will be ready for operation by the sum-
mer Of 1917, either by the government
itself or by private capital under fed
oro1 ha<
been worked out, but the main point
Is to get Mount Mckinley and the 900
square miles of surrounding country
under the jurisdiction of the depart
ment Of the interior as a national park
before the stream of tourist travel is
turned into the country over the new
line. Otherwise there will be serious
damage to one Of the chief assets Of
the region, its present abundance Of