Vernon Parish Democrat., 1919-11-15
mr. MZzeHZZEYZX4nQN4L R419K

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 of the stock that
rye, barley hay, and they have produced alfalfa
which makes a good crop. Its vast forests of tim
Der suitable for paper pulp awaiting ready
market, while it's fisheries the greatest this
continent
Mr.. Miller of Washington have been over
nearly all Of Alaska have gone into the hills
with my pack my back. I have teamed what
few provisions had 200 or 300 miles with a 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 no prettier sight in the world
than to see thousand head of reindeer grazing
on a 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 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
as a substantial source of meat supply for Our
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 atmosphere Is
dry, and with the temperature 25 degrees below
zero you can wear an ordinary hat all dav lon0
and your ears will not get cold. When YOU go ont
to the coast you get the moisture. Going away
from the coast into the Yukon valley you 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 valley with
the thermometer AZ degrees below zero, where I
could stay out doors all day without discomfort
and have dropped over that mountain chain only
30 miles and come out to the coast where the
thermometer degrees below zero and bavo
nearly perished with the cold The interior ie a
cold, dry climate. Animals can forage all winter
in the interior country.
It would surprise some of you to know tbs+ IN
that country the ground is eternally frozen No
one has ever dug through the frost and they have
been down a thousand feet.
The fields of barley and rye and wheat are
grown the top of ground that is frozen for >
thousand feet beneath. 1t thaws on the surface
in the summer time. 1t gets very warm Thero
is daylight 16, 1S and "a hours in the day and
crops mature quickly. They come right IN over
night OF course, in the winter the nights are lon
and dark and cold, but the summer seasons are a.,
lightful. The thermometer goes up to So 80 and
90 in summer, but in the winter 1t becomes excaod-
ingly cold. The coldest weather ever saw in tbe
Yukon valley was 6S degrees below zero. Thar i
cold weather and it is dangerous weather: but as
you go down the Yukon river, and perhaps 500
miles from the mouth, there is a Catholic mission
the Holy Cross mission There is one of the most
beautiful apple orchards have ever seen, perhans
80 acres Of the most beautiful young apple trees
just coming into bearing And grazing over broad
acres of clover was of the finest herds of Jer.
sey cattle have ever seen. All that in land that
is frozen. II is queer country. Every rule OF the
geolOgists 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.