Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-22

relics of all the trails and mining
camps of the north country.
Besides his pictures Mr.. Thelin
has prepared an educational lee
ture of Alaska, has evolved a
unique vaudeville act in which he
uses a dozen or two local char
acters dressed in the garb of Es-
kimo and "Siwash," or natives.
He expects to be in Great Falls
for several days and may put on
his show here, he said Sunday.
No Hokum to Collection
There is no 'hokum' to his col
lection of pictures and Alaskan
regalia. He has some Arctic seal
parkas, caribou jackets and vari-
Gus other fur garments made from
almost every animal in the great
north country that would make
MANY an'old sourdough envious.
There are no movie love
scenes, stage settings or impro-
vlsed action in my show to put it
over with the crowd" Mr.. Thelin
said. AS you reporters say, my
stuff is not alleged It's real and
l honestly believe that it is the
truest perturbation of the real
Alaska that has ever been shown"
Mr.. Thelin has Photographic
slides that show the wonderful col
orIng of the northern lights and
their reflection in Lake Bennett,
proclaimed by the Alaskan press
to be the finest pictures of their
; kind ever exhibited. He has pic
lures in color of the famous mid
night sun celebrations of Fair
banks and motion pictures Of the
Al!-Alaska sweepstakes race, the
greatest dog race Of the north
country.
Treasure House of North
Alaska is called Uncle Sans
treasure house of the north" in
his motion picture portrayal of the
north, and the pictures are intend
ed to exploit the territory chiefly
from a summer viewpoint. The
Alaskan AYERS that the north
country is the greatest 'homeland'
of the world. Contrary to the
popular belief that Alaska is a
bleak and ice-clad country, the
home of seals and producer of
gold, obtained only under the cruel
est of hardships, Alaska has a eli
mate as varied as that of Califor-
mia, harbors on the Pacific ocean
that are free the year round, said
Mr.. Thelin. Sitka. he says, has a
more equitable climate than Wash
ington, d. c.
AS proof of the agricultural
quality of the land in the interior
of Alaska, Mr.. Thelin has with
him samples Of Is kinds of grain
grown in the Alaskan interior,
which he carries for exhibition
purposes on behalf of the terri
torial government. In the great
caribou herds, Alaska has a cor
ner on the meat market of the
world, he said.
Like all true Alaskan sour
doughs, Mr.. Thelin is so imbued
with the spirit Of Alaska that to
him all else is petty. AS Alaska
kans great. 1t is always the flu
ture with them, and Mr.. Thelin is
of the north Handicapped and
isolated for years by a monopoly
of transportation facilities that
has made Alaska a goal for the ad-
venturous rather than d home for
the Industrious, the territory now
faces the surest advancement and
steady prosperity that has been
its lot since it has been a terri
tory of the United States. he said
Interior Distance Shortened
The completion of the govern
mental railroad has shortened the
distance into the interior from
points in southwestern Alaska and
it is now possible to get into the
interior at any time of the year
without going overland over the
ice. Mr.. Thelin came from Fair
banks to Seward over the Commits
sion railroad early in April. The
weather has been comparatively
mild ia Alaska this year, he said.
The climate on the Kenai PENN
sula is similar to that of New Eng
land. he said, except that the veg
citation is more ~luxuriant. In
places it is a profusion of dense
growth Of grasses and wild flow
ers, daisies, violets, forget-me-nots
and columbines. the most won-
drous flowerland in all America.
The enthusiasm with which the
Alaskan speaks of the north coun-
try is as refreshing as a little
kids story of a days happenings
at school. His stories of the Alas
ka of yesterday are like chapters
from Service, his hopes for the
Alaska of tomorrow rival Ford's
optimistic dream of industrial