The Red Cloud chief., 1919-11-13
-ALAsRzlW G0LD Nz7Nz~

great length of the days. that growing season IL
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 produced an alfalfa
which makes a 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.--I have been over
nearly all Of Alaska. l have gone into the hills
with my pack on my back. l have teamed what
few provisions had 200 ar 300 miles with dog
team out to my dggins. 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 prettier sight in the world
than to see n thousand head of reindeer grazing
on mountain side. The Aleutan islands are full
of them. There are 10000 or 100000 reindeer In
Alaska. They are a 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 u careful husbandman takes care
Of his little flock Of sheep. Incidentally they are
cleaning out the wolves and lynAes 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
us 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 atmospbere ia
dry. and with the temperature % degrees below
zero you can wear an ordinary hat all day long
and your ears will not get cold. When YOU 90 out
to the coast you get the moisture. Going AWAY
from the coast into the Yukon valley you 90
over mountain chain some 1900 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 tho
thermometer was 3 degrees below zero and have
nearly persisted with the cold. Tie interior is a
cold. dry climate. Animals can forage all winter
In the interior country.
1t would surprise some of you to know that IN
that country the ground is eternay frozen No
one has ever dug through the frost and thew have
been down u thousand feet.
The fields Of barley and rye and wheat ara
grown on the top of ground that Is frozen for a
thousand feet beneath. 1t thaws on the surface
In the summer time. 1t gets very warm Tharo
is daylight 10, IS and "a hours In the dov ona
crops mature quickly. They come right nm over.
night OF course, In the winter the nights are lon,
and dark and cold. but the summer seasons ira da
lightful. The thermometer goes up to 80 40 ana
10 III SUMMER oul III the Wlnter IL becomes
ingly cold. The coolest weather ever saw IN tho
Yukon valley was 6S degrees below zero. Thar 10
cold weather. and It is dangerous weather: but as
you go down the Yukon river and perhaps 900
miles from the mouth, there is q Catholic mission
the Holy Cross mission. There is one Of the most
beautiful apple orchards have ever seen, perbans
80 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 Ter
sey cattle have ever seen All that In land that
is frozen 1t is queer country. Every rule of the
biologists In reversed when you get to Alaska
And tell you. gentlemen just as sure as God
ths future will unfold for Alaska and the Ameri.