The Nome nugget., 1925-11-21
AS WE SEE IT

< If all tho people or the Unitad ? states were of the sam opinion as
 Congressman Free in regards to Alaska. tEere wedld be only one
 hing left to be done, and that would be to either turn Alaska back 10 Russia and admit we were not progressive nation. or turn |, otof to individual concerns to ieast upon ts resources.
 If Wm IT. $ gard. who was Secretary of state, when he pur- chased Alaska from Russia, for the people of the United States. was of l he same calibre as Congressman Free We would not now have 50. eou or more progressive Americans n Alaska striving with strength and brawn 0 develope the resources ni this, the greatest mineral store possibl" that Congressman Free i We in Nome are q long way from he end Of the rails of the govern
 
 banks, yes We are probably close | to 500 miles from it, but we know onr Alaska. we have mushed over ! he ice and snow as well as the "n'eger heads. we remember how lcns We cried and hollored turnout the entire length and breadth of \ t.ti1 t,, ha md bN gad We do not intend to tel il be destroyed by q mere junk "iing congressman. even If his name Is Free
 This being what is usually term ,.d q free" country il is quite p"ssibe that Congressman Free really thinks thai Alaska is thirty second consin of his and that may be il belongs to the Free ancestors or family tree We'll. nevertheless he visited d small section of Alas ka and Of course ne uln uuu get see the real Alaska. because he did not visit Nome, and maybe it ia well for us that he did not. for had he taken a joy ride over our seward peninsula railroad behind doemobile or q gas speeder. it is hard to figure out just what a "wiseaere" like him really would think or be able to think at the end of his trip. Owing to the fact That he would not have the service of Pullman and etc. with meals prepared for him three times I day and served in style. then lean fat cigar. things might take on different aspect.
 If Congressman Free came to Nome wc would treat him like any one else he would be given an opportunity to go over our railroad either behind a dogmobile or speeder, he would sit on plain board seat and if he did not hang on and balance himself he natur- ally would fall off. just like others have done It would be necessary
  wich in his pocket or stop the car long enough at some favorite spot and get off and build wood fire. boil some coffee and fry some bac- on and eggs. and possibly pitch lent or sleep out in the open, just like lot of Us have had to do " to develope the country by prospect ing for minerals.
 or course in order to really ap- preciate what the rails mean to Alaskans, il would be necessary to take Congressman Free for walk, say from our railroad track to Hot Springs, matter of only miles, hut We are willing to bet the pokes of every miner in Alaska that if MT, Free could, by some miracle or wave of the magic wand, swing that railroad into the Hot Springs. SO that he would not have to walk that seven miles over the "nigger heads. would he do it?. say every s0urdough knows he would
 As far as the expense of keeping up a wagon road and railroad is concerned. there Is no argument in Alaska but what railroad bed can be maintained much cheaper than a wagon road. and 1t Is use less to waste time talking about 1t. Experience is the greatest teacher of them all. and that Is what we base our opinion on. And Inst. but not least, let us all remember, good roads are an essential thing for any community. county. state or government. If It is to prOkresa.