The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-03-10

FUTURE WHEN RESOURCES bet
GER KNOWN.
ny SCOTT G. BOND, Gov. Of Alaska
Editors N~te.-scctt c. hone, COVER
nor Ct Alaska, loves his northern
home with great passion. He be-
lievss in It and. what Is more to the
point for the reader. he knows it. In
the following he tells Of many things
IN connection with hts homeland that
are unknown to tho average man and
also gives voice to hopes that may
mean great things not only for Alaska
but for the entire nation as well.
Comparatively few people know
Alaska. Fewer still comprehend it in
all its greatness.
Alaskans themselves, in major mum.
Der. have seen little Of Alaska. Eight
out Of ten OF them have glimpsed only
small sections Of tho territory.
Tho average citizen Of the populcus
communities along the coast thinks Of
Alaska in terms cf Ketchkan, Juneau.
Cordova. va1dex and Seward. TO him
this average Alaska citizen--Alaska
as a whole Is almost as unkncwn as
1t Is to the average citizen Of the out
side world.
The tourist who vieits these shores
Is overwhelmed With the scenic beau
ties presented to the eyes on every
side, from Dixon's Entrance through
the panoramic Inside Passage to
skagway at the head Of Lynn Canal
and. perchance, on ever the White Pass
In the Yukon territory to whitehorse.
But, II his journey ends there. he does
rot knew Alaska. lie has seen ONLY
the beginning Of Alaska.
Alaska liec beyond
The magnitude of Alaska - 600 900
square miles. or nearly one fifth the
dimensions of tn. American Union
precludes in the unopened stage Of the
territory the possibility Of a general
and intimate knowle dye Of Alaska.
Illustrative Of the prevailing mtsin-
formation is the instance of the fine
young soldier. who. returning from
overseas. visited school friend in
Eoston and. at a social gathering. was
pointed out. as failinE from Alaska
Does he speak EneHsh?" asked Miss
Highbrow. adjusting her glasses and
Inspecting him intercctedly.
Vilhdalmur Stefansson, college bred,
North That Never Was" gives ap-
prevail to the idea of a Cambridge
preacher that the country needs a Ma
tional University of Polite Unlearning.
stefansson himself would At into tho
Alaskan chair Of the institution. Or,
equally so. Dr. Alfred Brooks; the ,cm a
inent geologist. or Major J. G. Got
walls. practical ROAD builder, who has
ShaA ha "a nj nj L., -
from to H.
So profound q statesman sa Daniel
Webster. who vi:icned Americas flu
ture greatness. could see nothing wor-
thy Of consideration west Of the Rocky
Therefore. we may be pa
tient with Twentiett Century dense
ness that still ignorantly visualizes
Alaska as a country of ice and snow.
cious metals and 80 glacial scenery
but really fitted for hab-
itation only by polar bears.
Something more potential with the
masses than a National Tnive rslty Of
rect and dispel these ridiculous popu-
lar misconceptions about Alaska and
force upon the public mind fair and
Ncrthland.
Alaska is net Il ECnume ntal iceberg
or glacier. 1t is not snowbound and
n the grip of bitter. biting elements.
1t is not cut off from the world. Its
ports. save those in the region of the
Arctic Circle. are open the year
around Its Temperature in tho in
terror, in mid-wintcr. is no more SCI
we're than in the Northern and far
Western states. ITS climate on the
coast is generally mild and equab,e
with much rainfall. hut comparable to
the climate of Portland and Seattle.
Hlzzards such as rage in Minnesota,
the Dakotas and Montana and occa-
sionally in New York and the East.
are sometimes experienced in the nor
thermost part Of the territory, but are
uncommon. If not unknown. to coastal
Alaska and ALASKA as a whole.
Millions of people live happily and
thrive in Norway and Sweden and in
sections of our cwn country under eli
matte conditions no more favorable. If
not more severe. than the general eli
matte conditions OF Alaska.
Alaska's summers ere ideally pleas
ant and delightful c,r the coast and
bright snd beautiful. and
often hot. In the interior. Tempera-
ture ranging from 50 to 90 degrees Is
frequently encountered in the Arctic
Circle. Throughout. tine territory flow-
ers and berries grow in prcfusion.
Long days and wa III sunshine give
sturdy growth TO plant life. Fair
banks is a veritable floral bower in
June, July and August. The midnight
sun on the Yukon Is worth travelling
thousands Of miles to see. especially
when It illuminates Mt. Mckinley, the
towering peak CT TIE American CONT
nent.
Alaska possesses 100000 square
miles of agricultural lands and today
numbers hundreds % occupied home
steads under successful cultivation.
Farm products Of the estimated value
Of .$2s0,000 were grown and sold in
the Tanana valley alone the past sea-
son. Year after year there il increas-
ing cultivation.
How are these ana kindred truths
about Alaska to he firmly planted in
the popular mind and the untruths
nd the half.fruthS forever eradfcated ?