Rockingham post-dispatch., 1919-11-07

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
large population and take care Of the stock that
they may produce The crops are wheat, oats,
rye, barley, hay, and they have produced alfalfa
which makes good crop. Its vast forests of tim
Der suitable for paper pulp are awaiting ready
market while its fisheries are the greatest this
continent.
Mr. Miller of Westinghouse have been over
nearly all of Alaska have gone into the hills
with my pack on my back. l 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 during the war. We have 80
per cent Of them in Alaska. They are there await.
Ing the hand that will develop them
Something has been said here of the reindeer
situation. There is no pretter sight in the world
than to see thousand head of reindeer grazing
on mountain side. The Aleutian islands are full
of them. There are 10000 or 100000 reindeer in
Alaska. They are godsend to the natives. They
go out with their little herds. An Indian or an
Eskimo may not have over 25 or 80 reindeer. hut
he herds them as careful husbandman takes care
OF his little flock of sheep Incidentally they are
cleaning out the wolves and lynxes and the other
predatory animals that infest the country. The
reindeer support the natives. And truly believa
that with the great grazng lands that there are IN
Alaska, the future development of the reindeer
as a substantial source of meat supply for onr
country is one of the most promising that we have
before us. =
now the climate there is not bad. Over in the
Interior, in the Yukon valley, the atmosnbera 20
dry, and with the temperature 25 degrees below
zero you can wear an ordinary hat all dav lono
and your ears will not get cold. When Won % ont
to the coast you get the moisture Going awav
from the coast into the Yukon valley Won 90
over mountain chain some 1000 feet high and
when you get over that chain you are in the great
arctic slope. have come out of that vs,lev y,ith
the thermometer AZ degrees below zero wboro =
could stay out doors all day without discomfor+
ana have dropped over that mountain chain on,v
~ miles and come out to the coast where tho
thermometer was degrees below zero and have
nearly perisled with the cold. The interior 10 =
cold, dry climate. Animals can forage all wintar
In the interior country.
1t would surprise some of you to know tbo+ &,
that country the ground is eternally frozen NJ
one has ever dug through the frost, and thev bovo
been down thousand feet.
The fields of barley and rye and whaat oro
grown on the top of ground that is frozen for =
thousand feet beneath. It thaws on the surface
In the summer time 1t gets very warm. There
- ua'Hsn' ~ - anu q hours IN the day, and
crops mature quickly They come right nm over
night. OF course In the winter the nights are lone
and dark and cold, but the summer seasons are ~,
lightful The thermometer goes up TO 90 on ona
80 in summer, but In the winter It becomes avcaos
ingy cold. The coolest weather ever savv q, ~
Yukon valley was 6S degrees below zero. That =
cold weather. and it is dangerous weather brt as
You 80 down the Yukon river, and perhaps 50I
miles from the mouth, there is Catholic miss,or
the Holy Cross mission. There is one Of the rnoss
beautiful apple orchards have ever seen. nerhons
50 acres Of the most beautiful young apple trees
just coming into bearing. And grazing over broad
acres Of clover was one OF the finest herds Of Jer
sey catte have ever seen All that In d land that
Is frozen. II Is queer country Every rule 81 the
geologists Is reversed when you get to Alaska.
And I tell you. gentlemen. just u sure AZ fsoa
the future viii unfold for Alaska and the Amer.