, 1923-02-15

fFODhOly one OIL the most lnStTuC-
tive and entertaining addresses aver
delivered before a local organization
was delivered by Mr.. A. T. White
head. well known local geologist and
mining engineer, before the Rotary
club and later the Lions Club OF
Rawlins.
Mr.. Whitehead spent many years
in Alaska and the story of his ex-
periences in that country has given
local business men some idea of the
inducements and h%ardships of the
great and wealthy land to the north
In view of the fact that the re-
cent addresses made by Mr.. White
head before the Rotarians and Lions
have caused much favorable COM
ment and ave led to invitations to
speak before The Wyoming Uni
versity and other institutions and
organizations, The Republican asked
Mr.. Whitehead to write an article
based on his talks before the Ro-
tarians and Lions. He writes as
follows:
am not going to tire or stuff
you full of statistics concerning the
wonderful development of that great
territory during the past two de-
cades, as probably, IL | were to start
to touch the colorful spots from the
time l joined the motley gold-seek-
ers who packed on their backs their
provisions for a year over the Chill
coot Pass in 1898 to the time I left
the country in 1916 you would para
phrase the California Poet Joaquin
Miller's statement that Alaska is
a country of vast distances and aw-
full liars" Poet Miller did make a
trip to CLEAN material and ideas with
the intent of placing the scenic gran
deur of the country and the char
acter of the men who inhabited it in
verse and upon his return to San
Francisco he said through the San
francisco papers, Il was right in my
statement that Alaska is n country
of vast distances bur when : said il
was a country of awful liars | was
wrong as the seeming lies do not
come near telling the truth about
the awe-inspiring grandeur of the
country or the hardships and ex-
periences of the men who are build
ing that empire and | here and now
apologize to all those intrepid Alas
kans who blaZed the trails so that
weaklings like myself could enjoy
on cushions the immensely OF the
""hVi ahu 'he sHOW-Cfdu PEAKS
Alaska was purchased from the
Russians in 1867 for the sum of
$1,000 100000 and was known as
Stewards Ice Box. Lord Salisbury.
when he traded the island HelIgo-
land for ZANZIBAR, made the state
ment in the House OF Parliament that
he had traded n button for an over
coat and that England has gotten
the overcoat. When Seward. Seer
etary OF State under Lincoln. bought
Alaska for $7.2OO.OOO.O 90 the United
States got the overcoat and Russia
has not been able to find an over
coat on which to sew her button.
The area OF the Territory Is 10000
square miles n fifth as large as
the United States. The Geodetic
Survey Issued a report not long
since that the coast lines covered
n distance OF $4,000 miles. The pop
ulation is $4,000 whites and 10000
Esquimaux and Indians.
The first Alaskan industry to be
developed was It's fisheries. The
Russians engaged in fishing but
their efforts to develop the industry
were necessarily limited. Since the
purchase OF the Territory in 1867 It
has produced fisheries products TO
the value OF 56.OOO,O0O dollars.
Under the stress OF war In 1917
seven canneries on the Nushagag
River alone packed 100000 cases
OF choice sockeye salmon values in
Seattle or San Francisco at sl2 A.
case. This is the same species Of
salmon that. during Mid-victorlan
days. only the Kings and a%ristocrats
OF Europe could afford TO purchase
for their banquet tables and today
~ we should take n peep In some
OF the refrigerator cars going east
through Rawlins we would see sock
eye salmon frozen In their natural
state In n square block OF fec. There
are 100000 seals on the Pribllof
islands. situated in tho Borlnr Sea.
These seals may not be lawfully kill
cd except under government super
vision. In 1917 furs were shipped
to the United States to the value
OF s1.700. 900 90. Or. Sheldon Jnck-
son in 1~SaG-O7-'0S imported 1900
reindeer from Siberia and from that
modest beginning there are now
1890 which furnish the natives
who 1.-Two along the coast limo OF the
Bcring Sea and Arctic Ocean with
meat. milk. butter and cheese. These
reindeer 1.-Two on n nos untitled
before tho importation OF the rein
deer and no matter how deep the
snow may be these animals will dig
through II for their food and keep
fat through the most rigorous win
ter.
Inclusive Of 1920. 400. 100000 dol
lars In sold have been produced: