The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-11-13
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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 Of
large population and take care Of the stock that
they may produce. The crops 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 the greatest on this
continent.
Mr. Miller of Washington have been over
nearly all OF Alaska. I have gone into the hills
with my pack on my back have teamed what
Few provisions 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 90
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 prettier sight in the world
than to see thousand head of reindeer grazing
on mountain side. The AIeutian islands are full
of them. There are 10000 or 100000 reindeer I'm
Alaska. They are godsend to the natives. They
go out with their little herds An Indian or an
Eskimo may not have over % or 30 reindeer, but
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 believe
that with the great grazing lands that there are in
Alaska, the future development of the reindeer
a substantial source of meat supply for onr
country is one Of the most promising that we have
before
Now. the climate there is not bad. Over in tba
interior, in the Yukon valley, the atmospbere "a
dry, and with the temperature 25 degrees heIo1v
zero you can wear ordinary hat all dav long
and your ears will not get cold. When Won 90 ont
to the coast you get the moisture. Going away
from the coast into the Yukon valley Won on
over mountain chain some 1000 feet high and
when you get over that chain you are in the greet
arctic slope 1 have out of that valley With
the thermometer u degrees below zero wbera 7
could stay out doors all day without discomfort
and have dropped over that mountain chain on11
30 miles and come out to the coast where the
thermometer was degrees below zero and bovo
nearly persisted with the cold. The interior Is q
cold. dry climate. Animals can forage all vvnter
In the interior country
It would surprise of you to know fbo+ -
that country the ground is eternaIiy frozen. No
has ever dug through the frost and tbev h. -
been down a thousand feet.
The fields OF barley and rye and what ~
grown on the top Of ground that is frozen for q
thousand feet beneath It thaws on fha s,,-s.o.
In the summer time. It gets very warm TTba-o
is daylight 16, Is and "a hours in the dsv ana
crops mature quickly They come right mn ovo--
night OF course in the winter the nights are lo7,
and dark and cold, but the summer seasons ara do,
Iightful- The thermometer GOES I'D to so on and
95 in summer, but In the winter II becomes eroa5
ingly cold. The coolest weather ever saw IN +to
Yukon valley IS degrees below zero T-T.t a.
cold weather, and it Is dangerous weather. hnt &c
you go down the Yukon river. and perhaps 500
miles from the mouth, there is Catholic rofsst,-
the Holy Cross mission. There is one of the No.
beautiful apple orchards have ever seen narboTs
50 acres OF the most beautiful young apple tree
Just coming into bearing. And grazing over broad
acres OF clover Of the finest herds of Ter
sey cattle have seen. All that In q land tbst
is It is queer country. Every rule of the
biologists is reversed when you get to Alaska
And tell You. gentlemen, just as sure as God
the future win unfold for Alaska and the Ameri.