The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-01-25
ALASKA
Keep your eye on Alaska

Keep your eye on Alaska!
jeAre j. xrjng TO mean lot to that northern
adupted child Of Uncle Sam And Alaska il
laboratniy Of democracy, too~-there we're govern
Inent owned railroads in Alaska, for instance, lOnl
before the war brought government operation o.
the roads in the main United States.
The United States department Of the interior
which has more tC do with Alaska than any Othel
government agency, in an official report predicts
drive Of settlers to Alaska. 1t is expected thou
sands Of men and women will leave the states X
take up life in the peninsula which we bought
from Russia, and included among them will be
many soldiers, seekers OF more adventure and
The outdoor life. Speaking Of these soldiers, the
interior department says
''These men, drawn from the more settled and
sad portions Of the United States and thrown
into the atmosphere of adventure and outdoor
life will not be content To settle down to then
former humdrum existence IN the factory, the Of
fee, bat that they will seek a wider horizon, and
greater possibilities than offered by their return
to former OCCUPATIONS; great immigration to
Alaska is looked for when once the armies Of the
world are dsbanded."
The annual Alaskan report Just made to con
|gGess sh0Ws wonderful strides made by the ter
litory. 1Ihe white population is now estimated at
900 % 1F~ tagzA @s# f v
Trade with the United States during the last
FISCAL year was xIal ,OO0 900 more than the trade
between The United States and the Philippines
Porto Rico or Hawaii, |sh so
Agriculture is tlGUishing; and Alaskan farm
ers are reaching out into northern Siberia for a
market for vegetables which will be shipped in
a dehydrated form, In the Tanana valley the
farmers have, deVeoped strain Of Siberian wheat
which makes fine flour, rlpens quickly and can be
grown in all valleys of Alaska, BY next year, it
is promised that Alaska will raise all the wheat
needed in the territory for -four, and later on, the
territory may export wheat and -four to the Unit
ed States and Asia,
There are 2 public schools, with $500 pupils.
Six salmon hatcheries are operated by the gov
ernment and four by private companies. and there
is Sl7,oOO,O0o invested in the salmon industry.
Fishery products totaled S6l ,4662s0, While over
5000 seal skins were taken, an increase Of 100000
seals is reported, Furs worth 1888. 600 were
shipped out. .... .
The mineral production was $40,7OO 1906,
The government railroad made good progress.
the main line to Fairbanks has been extended from
Seward to Montana creek, 2N miles, and the
branch line into the coal fields now runs from,
Matanuska junction to Chckaloon, in the heart
of the coal field. The Alaska Northern railroad
has been overhauled and put into working order,
The government suffered a loss in revenue of
nearly $4,000 due to prohibition
The United States paid $7,200.0O0 for Alaska,
Last year the minerals shipped from Alaska to
the United States We're five times greater in value
than the purchase price of the whole peninsula
the fishery products We're seven times greater, and
the total export and import trade between the
mother country and her adopted child was 20
times greater
When Secretary of State Seward bought Alaska
from the Russian minister, congress yelled its
head Gil. And here is what some of the bright
and shining lights among our statesmen had to
say:
Alaska is an inhospitable wretehed, and God
fersaken region, worth nothing. but positive in
Jury and remembrance as colony of the United
States. Ferris, of New York,
Greenland is better purchase than Alaska. .
of Wisconsin,
"fhe acquisition of this inhospitable and bar
ZEN waste would never add one dollar to the
wealth Of this country or furnish homes to our
people. Lyon, Of Missouri
Here's one case IN which history has abanS-
antly disproyed the forecasts Of the prophets Of
evil.