Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-10
Learn One New Thing Every Day

BULLETINS BY THE
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

"Fifty-four years ago, on March
30. 1867, was signed the treaty
whereby the United States purchas-
cd Alaska from Russia for $1,000
600. In this intervening half GEN.
fury, we have taken from the Ter
ritory more than seventy times the
seven millions of purchase money!
says a bulletin from the Washing
ton. D. c., headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
Most Americans are in the habit
of thinking Of Alaska as of insigni-
ficant area, yet it Is as large as Iili-
nois. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Wis
ccnsin and Missouri put together,
with stable bits from Kansas, Ne
braska and the two Dakotas added
on.
ITO most peoples also, Alaska is
visualized as a land of snow and
ice, of glaciers and scant vegeta-
ton. In point of fact the Alaskan
tclimate is fairly diversified, and
along the coast there are slight ex-
trcmes of cold and heat. In the in
terror there is less rainfall, and the
long Arctic day produces a very dry
and warm climate.
As Well Located as Norway and Swe-
den
"Everywhere, except in the ex-
IRENE north, the vegetation is lux
uriant, its growth rapid, and fruits,
vegetables and grazing grasses -four
ish. Located no less advantageous
ly 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 mil
lions of Scandinavians.
The three great sources of Alas
kan wealth + minerals, fisheries
and furs. Up to the end of 1915 the
mines of Alaska had produced more
than 100000 900. In 1916 the fish
cries produced nearly $4,000, 900,
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
T~erritory's W water power to make
them available at tremendous profit.
Spruce Valuable i'm Airpiane
Making
Forests too are extensive ana
suited for the production of both
timber and wood pulp. The heaviest
growth lies along the coast, where
two national reservations contain a
combined area Of about 21,O00, 900
acres with an existing stand of mer-
charitable timber exceeding eighty
billion feet, board measure. These
forests comprise the northwest eX-
tremity of the great northern belt
of conifers which spans our CONT
nent and Alaskan spruce has been
found valuable for the construction
of the wooden frames of airplanes.
for which use it commanded dur
ing the war the remarkable price OF
nearly $3.50 per thousand feet.
I'm recent years Alaska has at
tracted 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 north
ern part of the territory which at
time were considered worthless
and unproductive. The Alaskan
reindeer herds now contain more
than 100000 of the animals, all de-
rived from the 1880 reindeer inn
ported into Alaska by the Federal
government 28 years ago. In this
period. besides many thousands of
\ the animals have been slaughtered
for food. 1t is estimated that the
portions of Alaska unsuited for
ether industries will maintain -four
to five million head of reindeer. In
the Scandinavian countries their
meat is highly priced. The reindeer
meat from Alaska is beginning to
appear regularly. now in many OF
the meat shops of the United States.
Transportation Facilities Greatest
Need
The development of the lumber
Industry, like that of all other en-.
terprise in Alaska. is largely depen-
lent upon the extension of commun-