The daily Alaskan., 1921-06-09

The following article was writ ten by Miss Vivian Talbot and given
 at the Skagway Public School com
 mencement exercises. Through an
 iuadyertence, the article in Tues
 days paper. ''The Literature of the
 World War" was not credited. It
 also was a commencement article
 was written by Miss Floris Clark.
 the other graduate of this years
 class:
 ESSAY
 When Wm. II. Seward negotiated
 the purchase of Alaska from Russia
 in 1867, the domain was jeerfngly called Stewards Icebox," and the people declared that $7,200,OOO of
 government funds had been utterly wasted. Alaska was considered q vast barren expanse of territory, cov- cred all the year by ice and snow. and the people said, that the only possible way in which the money in- vested could ever be returned would
 be thru the fishing industry. Little
 did they of that day know of the possibilities which lay hidden back
 of our seemingly forbidden latitude. nor did they dream that in less than 1 half a century after the purchase date another industry would devel- op. which would yield to the govern ment treasury more than six times the original cost. Such, in brief is
 Alaska's past record, and to those only who love her and have at some time made her soil their home is it given to realize her future possihili-
 ties.
 The fishing industry has been Il
 source of great wealth to Alaska and will continue to be because of its permanence. Fer. salmon and hali- | but abound in great quantities in AL
 askan waters. and because the labor employed in the canneries is compar- atiyely cheap, enormous annual pro- fits will be realized from this indus
 try for ages to come,
 We name the fishing industry first
 because it was the first developed.
 Next to this in order of development mining takes its place. We are told that there is scarcely one hundred
 miles of Alaskan territory. where no
 metal of some real value carrot be found This being the case, what ! may We not predict for the territory in the mining industry? Those who ! know little of the land say that our physical features make it impossible
 to construct transportation routes | that will not be more expensive than the output warrants; but with such unlimited resources of mineral wealth that problem would cease to exist should the mining industry re- vive. and the enthusiasm of the days of '9S come back again. The prob- ! lem of transportation was solved in those days by the courage and grit of those who had faith in the land. | Are We of today lacking in both of these? The wealth that has been mined from Alaska is as but a drop { compared with her untouched Ie- sources. The Treadwell and perse- yerance Mines are but as forerUnuers of the greater mining industries which are to come. With gold scat
 tered all over the territory, with the silver of the Interior, the coal of Matauuska. the copper of the West ward. and many other mineral min erals abounding in untold quanti- ties turnout the domain; We feel safe in saying that the mining industry of the future bids fair 10 outstrip that of any previous period in history. Nor are Alaska's future pOssibili ties in her minerals alone; for with
 the recent discovery of oil she prom ises great returns in this commodity : if only the industry ig developed. The discovery Of oil in any land is al- ways welcomed with enthusiasm by the people of that land. and so no less hopeful are we of Alaska. With the discoveries on the Katmai Pen insula. where transportation is not such a difficult problem, these oil fields promise much.
 Another possibility lies in her tim Der. This has been developed to a
 certain extent. but like the coal ill., dustry it has been retarded by the lack of transportation facilities, as we'll as by other restrictions. Col. Greeley, chief forester, on his visit
 to Alaska-after familiarizing him self with existing condiEions-an- nounced that the forests of Alaska
 can supply sufficient material for the
 manufacture of two million tons of paper annually without depicting the