Seward daily gateway., 1927-08-22
MORE O|u WILLIS
Continued from Page One)

pioneer of Ohio and familiar witt pioneer conditions. am immensel,
 proud of recollections of fact re counted around the family heartl
 stone; of the time when my parent drove mule team and lived on thu
 frontier. That country today is almos
 the center of population.
 "Alaska's problems are not particu
 larly different from other pioneer day.
 In my judgement things will be work
 ed successfully. But I ain not here tc offer solution offhand, but to ex press my absolute confidence in the
 future of the Territory.
 "Alaska's scenery is unequaled
 upon the globe and it's agricultural
 possibilities unlimited. I came to the Territory so that could say I have
 been here for there are millions who
 still do not believe but what Alaska
 is nothing but a country full of dog
 teams, glaciers and snow, 30 feet deep. kEven talking to members of my own family, and to farmers around home, when I told them about the agricul- tural resources, the magnificent flowers, crops and possibilities, they just laughed and said, you have been reading those tourist books. So came to verify all that already knew about Alaska. It is impossible to over esti- mate the agricultural possibilities. Up to the present time the development has been fugitive
 This, no doubt, on account of min- ing being so fascinating. recall few days ago in the Interior when I saw miner with pan of apparently worthless dirt. After awhile I looked again and there was at least half a teaspoon-fnll of gold I must admit for moment I felt like trying my hand at it. There is both good and evil in this. l talked to a number of farmers and with few exceptions they were either going to go pros pecting later, or the prospector was going to go farming.
 Alaska is the last frontier and when that is gone, or it's memory, something is gone of tremendous loss to the government
 'In time the plains of the Interior will be dotted with cities and with of your vast Interior, likewise will follow the up-building of your coast towns The possibility | of production in metal is simply un- known and it is my judgement there is stored away in Alaska wealth be- yond the fondest dreams of men. They l speak of Kennecott and when that | huge copper mine will cease to oper- ate for lack of ore, some sayrin a few years The suurface has only been scratched; the coming developments such as is going on in Fairbanks at the present time, the Fairbanks Ex- ploration Company, is but an instance showing no one knows what is in sight This company is building an 80 mile canal, stupendOus engineer ing feat. They will wash out great valleys and according to estimates made by expert engineers it is said $180,0O0O00 is in sight.
 Tt may be out of place but wonder if this suggestion might help. I am not here to offer suggestions but I am here to listen and to have good time, which I certainly had. The cen ter of population is down wonder which makes for lack of interest in the Territory as a Territory and which flinders development I might say lack of cohesion. Boston carried on considerable traffic, not with neighbor- ing city, town, or colony, but with Europe; Philadelphia likewise carried on business, not with it's neighboring town or state but in England. The center of trade relations, like Alaska, was wonder. There was a lack of