The Stroller's weekly and Douglas Island news., 1921-10-01
IF THEY ONLY
 KNEW ALASKA
Florida Paper Honest in Belief That Mineral Is Our one and Only
 Available Asset

Tho Gainesville Floudal News which is owned by Elmer White Me- creary whose father Hon. H IT, vcrrmry was for several years a mariner of Che publisher Of Tho stroIer's Weekly. hence Che younger mans name. s am cntcrpr.s.ne and reliable publication so far os t knows but its knowledge ot Aaaha s decidedly limited and iu that re- .rc.t it Is similar to u.ucty-uiuc ol every one hundred papers published tbrouehon Che United states thc --elt majority ol which. while they entertain kindly feeling for ths vorthand look with compa .ou and pity ou those Of us who 1.-Two here -Iust as though we could uot eo, .ut and away it we wanted Co do so.
 The late Territorial Bureau ol Publicity was doing much Go educate Che country at large conccruIus AL ,ska hcr advantages and resources by che publication and distribution ef n monthly bulletin chat reached every newspaper Of moro thau iooo circulation tn Che United states and which was vcry extensively quoted
 and somelmcs doubted and which was great factor .n remov- me aso Impressions concerning ta.s Territory However the late i.r.aaurc in ie almost per-m, rml wisdom. considered publicity c,cee baggage and discontinued Che bureau auoe which ume publishers .trourrout thc United sates. apnar- enry having forgotten Che reliable information ucy previously rcad.
 rc publishing weekly hundreds %. columns of ms-aat0mcnu oouccru- .re Alaska. of which Che following from Che Florida paper .s a sample
 .The reported gold strike in A.as- ka comes at am opportuuc umc should it develop equal Go somc pro. aous discoveries Of thc precious metal i'm chat lar away territory ol trc United States Alaska has less population chan it had lo years ago. less even tban it had 2U years aro. The KIondIke. Nome and other locale Hics once toemue with foyer.sh life drawn hItber by Che lure Of gold bave dvindled and arc weI.-uiEh de- serted. The deposits which were worked being exhausted. Che dir- rinrs were abandoned The people came away. for Alaska without gold .s not a land chat would be sought eagerly as place of residence. The population dwudled despite chat, the government Is building railroads there at a cost of at least S5ooON,- 000. If there Is not prosperous mine me Go draw freight Che railroads win bc of slight use and win return less profit ou Che expenditure.
 .rhcre hos been talk of Che asri cultural possibilities of Che land alorr Che coast A writer who spent e0 years iu Alaska says. 'Hurc snow capped mountains and great rarIes. which make cool summers on Che coast. ore not am asset Co the prospective farmer. What he needs I arabic land which cau bc cleared and brought under cultivation witb- out prohib.tIyc cost. markc. for bis product and transportation ia- puucs to reach Che market an oi which conditions exist to very lim- itod degree u Alaska at Che present umc'
 "Thcre Is coal .n Alaska and this may in time provide % profitable in- dustry but Che great interior of Che territory s practically hopeless un- . less its mines of precious metals are of sufficient richness to draw mon there Where so much gold has been found doubtless there is moro and Che return oi thc world Co nor nal conditions win assist in Che quest for Che finds Without thot Che rovcrumcut's expenditure on railroads is likely Go prove highly unproaubo 10 may bo true that wood pulp and other minor Indus tries may be developed but lt seems probable chat without profitable gold strikes Che future Of Alaska ia not bdeht. lt requires more than ordinary lure Go draw people to the iuhosD.tablc climate that prevails