The broad ax., 1924-09-27

Former Gov. William Sulzer, Of
New York, one Of the old-time Alas
kans, and Familiarity known through
out the territory as "Sourdough Bill,
arrived in Seattle last night on the
S. S. Victoria from Seward.
The ex-governor served in Congress
for twenty years, and needs no intro
duction to the readers Of The Alaska
Weekly. In fact. it may well be said
that he is one Of Us, as he has fire.
quently been in all sections Of the ter
ritory and has always been regarded as
one Of the active supporters Of every
thing that tends to the development
and prosperity OF the North. During
the time the governor was in Con
gress, he did much for Alaska by way
Of constructive legislation, and was re-
garded as Alaska's best friend.
Mr.. Sulzer has just returned from
ten thousand-mile trip through the
vast interior of Alaska, where he owns
large mining interests, on which a GER
tain amount Of development work ha:
been done during past years. These
properties were examined BY Mr.. Sui
zer, with the idea OF laying out work
on more extensive and permanent
basis.
1t is the aim of Mr.. Sulzer to have
a government railroad built into the
interior, and he has been laboring with
Congress for several years past, with
that end in view Last winter, he
gave his personal efforts to assist Col.
Steese. Delegate Sutherland, Col. Ian
dis and others interested to prevail
upon Congress to make a liberal ap-
preparation for roads and trails IN
Alaska, for the coming years. 1t is
the confident belief of Gov. Sulzer that
the mineral resources OF the great in
terror country will develop in the near
future to an extent that will warrant
the extension Of the Alaska Railroad
to the White River and Chandalar
districts.
Gov. Sulzer predicts that with trans
portation, and greater development.
these sections Of Alaska will undoubt-
eddy become the richest gold and cop
per districts in the world, and will
furnish sustenance and industry to a
million hardy people They will Be
cattle people and agriculturists, who
will supply foodstuffs to the people
living in the large cities Of the world.
Wheat, oats and barley can be grown
in the great valleys Of the Tanana, the
White and the Chisana to greater adj
vantage than anywhere else in the
world, to say nothing Of hardy vege-
tables like potatoes, turnips, rutabagas,
carrots, onions, cabbages, celery and
caulihower. This is on account Of the
soil and climatic conditions.
"You may say that / am an Alaska
enthusiast" said the governor, "but
the things / said about Alaska quar-
ter Of century ago are true today,
and every one Of my predictions now
viii come true in the next quarter OF
a century.
Alaskan mines have had difficulty
in operating successfully in the inte-
rior OF Alaska on account of lack Of
transportation, but this situation must
now be remedied BY the extension Of
the Government railroad, and then
quantity production will be secured
and the railroad viii pay.
This is my nineteenth trip to Alas
ka,' continued Mr.. Sulzer, and per-
haps few people have seen as much Of
Alaska as I have in the past thirty
years. Years ago, ] said that Alaska
was Gods country and the wonder
land Of the world. For health, for
climate, for scenery, and material re-
sources, It is the greatest country on
the face Of the globe. It could easily