The mirror., 1919-12-11
Sslsctsd-W. N. U.


". ". u. III
small gap of 25 miles. Most of
the 10O-mile gap has been sur
veyed and some of the roadbed has
been made.
The road started from Seward
on the southern point of Alaska,
and went to Anchorage. Part of
that road-71 miles-had been
constructed. From Anchorage
over to the northern terminal of
the road, Fairbanks is located on
the Tanana river. The Tanana
river is branch of the Yukon
river, and the Yukon river and the
Tanana river are navigable for
1000 miles. The Alaskan railroad
commission commenced building
from the southern point north.
They brought the material to
Seward and Anchorage, and they
commenced to build from the
northern terminal south, so that
they could save time and money.
The road already reaches to the
coal fields. There the 1902 square
miles of coal fields in Alaska that
have been explored and exported
by the coast and geodetic survey,
the geological survey and by the
Alaskan engineering commission.
That is all on the line of this road.
1t is estimated that there are 3d.
600, 900, 900 tons of coal that will
be opened to commerce by this
road, and $4,000, ,OOO,0 tons of it
will be high-grade coal which
could be used for coking and
smelling ore, and such purposes,
and the rest of it for fuel and mat
tors Of thnt kind. In hfaska IL hnS
been estimated that there are 150,-
OOO, 600, 900 tons of coal. No per-
son knows how much there is.
Mr.. Strong of Kansas.-There
has been discovered in Alaska not
only gold. but silver, copper, coal,
lead, iron, antimony, tungsten and
platinum in large quantities. In
addition, there has been discovered
large fields of oil. 1t has splendid
agricultural advantages. 1t is
estimated that it has over 100000
square miles of tillable land. 1t
has a growing season of 100 days,
and because of the great length of
the days, that growing season is
worth about 200 of our days. So
that they are enabled to grow
crops suitable to take care of a
large population and take care of
the stock that they may produce.
The crops are wheat, oats, rye,
barley, hay, and they have pro-
duced an alfalfa which makes a
good crop. Its vast forests of
timber suitable for paper pulp are
awaiting a ready market, while its
fisheries are the greatest on this
continent.
| Mr.. Miller of Washington. Il
have been over nearly all of Alas
ka. have gone into the hills with
my pack on my back. I have
teamed what few provisions l had
200 or 300 miles with dog team
out to my diggins. The greatest
copper mines on the face of the
earth are within the territory of
Alaska. You know how we
searched the world for metals dur
ing the war. We have SO per cent
of them in Alaska. They are
there awaiting the hand that will
, develop them.
J; Something has been said here OF
, the reindeer situation. There is
no prettier sight in the world than
to see thousand head of reindeer
/ grazing on q mountain side. The
Aleutian islands are full of them
|, There are $50, 900 or 100, 900 rein.
deer in Alaska. They are a god
send to the natives. They go Out
with their little herds. An Indian
, or an Eskimo may not have over
25 or 80 reindeer, but he herds
/ them as q careful husbandmar
49, ~-.~ &e L.. lsk<l, AonL ~