Evening star., 1923-07-08
VAST WEALTH OF ALASKA
TO BE SEEN BY HARDING
Wonders in Undeveloped Regions Among
Greatest Owned by U. S.-Bought
for Pittance Sc Years Ago.

it is used by the fishing. mining, rail-
road and agricultural interests. On ac-
count of it's great distance from the
markets of the Pacific northwest 1t will
be long time before lumber from this
forest will be exported.
Many Species Present.
"The timber in the Tongass National
Forest runs so per cent western hem
lock and 90 per cent Sitka spruce. The
other 20 per cent consists Of western
red cedar, yellow cypress, lodgepole
pine, cottonwood and white fir. The
yellow cypress is very valuable for
cabinet making. All these species ex-
cept the cedar are suitable for pulp
manufacture.
ALASKA probably will develop into
one Of the principal paper sources of
the United States, for national forests
In Alaska contain approximately 100.
100000 cords OF timber suitable for paper
manufacture. Experts report that these
forests could produce 100000 cords of
pulpwood annually for centuries with
out depletion. About 100000 tons of
pulpwood annually are required to keep
US supplied with enough paper. The
Tongass National Forest could easily
supply one-third of this amount indef-
nitely. This forest also is rich in water
power. II would take more than 250,
600 horses to produce as much power as.
that which the streams and rivers of
southern Alaska supply.
western hemlock and the Sitka
spruce are the best for paper making.
The spruce trees are generally sound
and Of good quality The hemlock trees
decay at the butts. This often causes
f1uted trunks. The butt logs from such
trees usually are inferior. This defect
In the hemlock reduces its market value
to about one-half that of the spruce for
paper making. Some of the paper mills
in British Columbia are now using these
species of pulpwood and report that
they make gh-grade paper.
III pulp and paper industry is built
up in Alaska. it will be of great benefit
10 that northern country. 1t VIII IN
crease the population by creating de-
mand for more labor. 1t will aid the
farming operations by making a home
market for their products. 1t will i'm
prove transportation and develop all
kinds of business.
None Exported.
Altogether 400. 900. 900 feet of lumber
have been cut and sold from the ma
tional forests of Alaska i'll the past ten
years. This has been made into piling
saw logs and shingle bolts. All this
lumber has been used in Alaska and
none of it has been exported. Much of
the timber was cut so that it would fall
almost into tidewater. Then the logs
were fastened together in RATS and
towed to the sawmills. One typical raft
of logs contained more than 100000
feet of lumber 1t is not unusual for
spruce trees in Alaska to attain a di-
ameter of from six to nine feet and to
contain 10000 to $4,000 feet of lumber.
Southeastern Alaska has many
deep-water harbors open the year
around. Practically all the timber in
that section is controlled by the gov
ernment and is within the TongaSs Ma
tional Forest. This means this impor-
tant crop will be handled properly. No
waste of material will occur. Cutting
will be permitted only where the good
of the forest justifies such work.
Gold Discovered.
Discovery of gold in 1898 served to
direct the attention of the public anew
| to Alaska. The latest explorations un
der p. S. Smith of the geological sur
| vey appear i'll Survey Bulletin $50. En-
ploration of the Mount Katmai region
| by DR. Robert F. Griggs in 1917 again
drew attention to the country. This
region is called by the Indians the val
ley of ten thousand smokes The
Katmai crater is the largest in the
world, being nine miles in circumfer
ence and $500 feet deep.
Much history has been made since
Peter the Great drew up a program for
exploring Alaska Just few days before
his death. 1t was not until 1741 that
Bering got into the country as the
representative of his majesty. the czar-
The czars have gone but Alaska still
remains. perhaps the greatest asset
Uncle Sam possesses"