The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-06-02
PURCHASE OF ALASKA
BIG BARGAIN FOR U. S.
BOUGHT FOR 100000, MINERAL
PRODUCT ALONE NOW is
OVER $500 100000.

Fifty-four years ago was signe,
the treaty whereby the United State
purchased Alaska from Russia 70
s7 600. 900. In the intervening hal
century we have taken from the ter
ritory more than seventy times tn
seven millions of purchase money,
saws a bulletin from the Nationa
Geographic Society.
Most Americans are in the habi
of thinking of Alaska as of insignih-
cant area. yet it is as large as Hi
nois. Iowa. Kansas. Minnesota, Wis
consin and Missouri put together
with stable bits from Colorado. Ne
braska and the two Dakotas added
on" the bulletin continued.
To most people. also. Alaska is Wis
,alized as a land of snow and ice, of
glaciers and scant vegetation. In
point of fact, the Alaskan climate is
fairly diversified, and along the coast
there are slight extremes of cold and
heat. In the interior there is less
rainfall. and the long arctic day pro-
duces a very dry and warm climate.
Advantageously Located.
Everywhere, except in the extreme
north the vegetation is luxuriant, it's
growth is rapid, and fruits, veget-
ables and grazing grasses flourish.
Located no less advantageously than
the Scandinavian peninsula and with
an area almost twice as great as that
of Norway and Sweden combined
Alaska. nevertheless, has a white
population of little more than $4,000
as against the eight millions of
Scandinavians.
The three great sources of Alaskan
wealth are minerals, fisheries and
furs Up to the end of 1915 the mines
of Alaska had produced more than
$500. 100000 In 1916 the fisheries
produced nearly s2OOOOOOO, and the
peltries more than half a million.
There are great deposits of coal as
yet untouched and of low grade ores
more precious which await only the
development of the territory's own
water power to make them available
of tremendous profit.
Forests too. are extensive and suit
ed for the production of both timber
and wood pulp. The heaviest growth
lies along the coast where two ma
tional reservations contain a combin-
ed area of about 2fOOOOOO acres
with an existing stand OF merchant
able timber exceeding so billion feet
board measure.
In recent years Alaska has attract
ed attention as a producer of meat
for expectation to the United States
This meat is derived from reindeer
herds. which Craze on the MOSES and
grasses of the far nCrthern part of
the territory. which at one time were
worthless and unproduc-
tive The Alaskan reindeer herds now
contain more than 200, 900 of the ami
mails. all derived from the 1880 rein
deer imported into Alaska by the fed
eral government Is years ago.
Developing transportation.
The development of the lumber in
dustry. like that of all other enter
prises in Alaska, is largely depend
ent upon the extension of cOmmuni-
cations, especially by rail; and the
federal government now has under
a railroad which is de-
signed to open up the country for
both travel and industry. There are
i57 miles Of this road in operation.
Only SO miles remain to be construct
ed to give this road it's total trackage
Of $40 miles
Alaska was not taken into the fed
nral domain without much criticism
None of it. however, reached the
height of invective with which east
ern statesmen had condemned the
Oregon territory at an earlier period.
though the later prophets of i'll have
been as deeply COMPOUNDED as the
others The price paid seemed en-
tirely out of proportion to the btne-
fits to be derived; and even those
who were inclined to favor the pro-
iect as a means of demonstrating
good will to Russia for her unswerv-
ing friendship during the civil war
found scanty argument in supporting
the payment of what then appeared
so huge a sum. None of them could
'Oresee that in a single year-and
that almost within a generation OF
the time of purchase-Alasla would
yield nearly 1000 per cent upon the
purchase price then paid-fOr in 1916
the value of exports of minerals and
from the territory
amounted to s6s,61S,656.
It is to Stewards foresight and per-
that the United States owes
this opulent outpost