The Seward gateway., 1922-07-01
ALASKA WILL OUTDO
 CALIFORNIA IN O|L

In an article published in recent issue of the San Francisco Examiner, Miss Estelle Lawton, a special writer, has the following to say in regard to Alaska:
 Will Alaska outdo California as an oil center?
 Albert E. Fraser for 17 years resi- dent of Alaska, and just now visitor In Los Angeles, predicts that she will. Fraser is in the freight department of the government railroad, and he has through his work an unusual opportun 1 ity to know of the resources of the great territory.
 His enthusiasm has the vigor of the far north. When speaking of Alaska he l is almost scornful of our boasted eli mate and if by chance you happen to mention the extreme cold fo Alaska MT. Fraser just shorts and advises you to inform yourself on the facts of phy- sieal geography.
 Don't you know that every harbor in. Alaska from Ketchikan to Dutch Harbor is open all year?" he demand ed. "Our climate is no severer thar that of Boston or any New England state. True, our summers are short, but they are glorious, with fruits ana flowers, every kind of vegetable that anyone could desire.
 "The recent completion or the gov ernment railroad has opened a marve- lous scenic route and the service Is excellent.
 During the gold rush everybody was talking about Alaska; now all the world remembers is that we used to be on the map.
 eff people but knew it we are the great natural sanitarium of the west ern continent You see no pale people in Alaska, no anemic ones. Weddings who come to our country get strong. Even the mosquitoes are harmless, tho carniverous. There are no germs toI poison their peaks. We are on the way to oil development that will fur nish potential death to every mosquito on the continent.
 Several big companies are now drill ing inside the Arctic circle and the in dications are excellent. I'll bet that within the next few years we shall witness an oil rush to Alaska that will exceed in interest and excitement the gold rush of the '90's. ''The government makes it possible for anyone honestly wishing to begin development to drill on 2500 acres of land. Now between Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay the ground is staked for miles. True, the ground is always frog en few feet below the surface, but that helps rather than flinders oil drill ling.
 And when it comes to natural wond CTS, where can you find the like of the Valley of Ten Thousand Snfokes?"I That is believed by most people to bel inaccessible.
 Tt is not. Anybody who cares to take his own food and bedding may reach the valley in a three-day trip from the end of the boat line. It con- tains the largest active volcano in the world and colors that make the Grand canyon colors look pale and uninter- esting. As a potential tourist campine ground Alaska can't be beat. All we need is adequate hotels, and there you have an opening for some enterprising capitalist.
 "A prophet may be without honor in his own country, but country seems to be without honor among it's own sons. I've seen California and I've seen Alaska, and tell you that Alaska has more opportunities, more beauty and a better climate than your boasteu California. That's why I live there. | love it."