The Alaska daily empire., 1917-03-30
Was Niftiest Little Grub Stake Since Columbus Was Given His by
 Spanish Queen.
TERRITORY A RICH ONE
Minerals and Products of Waters Along Shores
 Greatest Assets
 of Any Country.

land which lies northward of the Yukon and along the Arctic slopes All things considered, there is a very strong probability that Alaska in the very near future, will hand Old Man H. c. O. L. Q wallop that will put him down for the count
 Timber Most Plentiful
 There's some timber in Alaska some millions of acres of it. and al. ready one pulp mill has been estab, lished and other pulp manufactur. CTS are looking for favorable loca, tions, but unfortunately most of Al. aska's timber, like It's water power, is tied up in government reserves of one kind or another, and for some reason most capitalists would pre-. fer to do business in ,places where they can obtain unhampered titles Co the property they wish to operate. However. paper is becoming more and more costly. and it is quite likely that economic pressure will force the Alaska spruce forests in. to competition with those of the At. lantic coast.
 Secretary Seward became the sub. jeot of much abuse from his politi. cal enemies at the time he made the deal for the United States. The Territory was called Stewards Ice Chest" and Stewards Treacherous Purchase" but despite all opposition, with the aid of Senator Summer and q few friends, he forced the deal through. The children of those friends and Stewards children have lived to see the great statesman's judgment v!ndicated. There is a good reason to expect that within Q very few years Alaska will be divided into not one, but three separate States, and it is just as reasonably certain that one of these States will bear the name of Seward"
 Commerce Great Asset
 Alaska's commerce with the United States has been one of the national assets for years and has proved a tremendous factor in the upbuilding of Seattle as a great port. The vast bulk of the Northern commerce moves to and from Seattle. In the calendar year of 1916. the cargoes in value amounted into the colossal to. tai of more than $02,6OO,0OO.
 The Department of Commerce's first record of the United States trade of Alaska covers the fiscal year ending June 30. 1879, when cargoes valued at $317,OOO were shipped from the coast to the great North. In the fiscal year of 1880, the figures in. creased to S463,OOO. The movement of cargo from the States to Alaska continued to gain steadily in sue. ceeding years. the figures being as follows: 1881, $54S,OOO; 1882, $5S5,. OOO; 1883. $66S,OOO; 1884. $615,OOO; 1885. $S53,OOO; 1886, $S74,OOO; 1887 $l,3S4OOO; 1888, $1,4S7,OOO; 1889. ST.. 6S6.OOO: 1890, 1,S97,OOO; 1891, 1873. 900; 1892, $2,O12,OOO; 1893, $2,317OOO; 1894, $2,794,OOO; 1895. $3,O17OOO; 1896, $3.5O2,OOO; 1897, S3,924,0O0; .S9S. $13,6S2.OOO; 1899, S9,644,OO0; 1900, $1S,463OOO; 1901, $13,457OOO.
 Growth of Trade
 These statistics cover only the movement of cargo from the Coast to Alaska. The southbound movement of freight, representing Alaska's con. tribution to the material wealth of the country, was small during the period indicated and no Department of Commerce records are available. There are also no records for the northbound movement in 1902.
 Beginning with the fiscal year of 1903, however, the records are com plete as follows:
 Trade With United States