The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-10-18
ALASkA'S SIXTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY
 AND SOME DEDUCTIONS.

Today is the 61st anniversary of the aequisi- ton of Alaska Sixty-one years is not a very long time as history is usually measured. but in the stories of the early days of most of the American States, sixty-one years spanned periods of marvellous growth and development.
 We frequently dwell upon the wonderful changes that have taken place in Alaska since the American flag was first raised at Sitka October IS, 1867, but when compare it all with the progress made in other political dyi- sons of the Nation during like space of time in their history, beginning from the date of set clement, forced to admit that we have progressed al a snail's pace.
 To illustrate, the first settlements of American States the west side of the Appalachian Noun tain system in Tennessee and Kentucky Tennessee's first sediment in 1769. Sixty one years later the State of Tennessee had popu lation of 6S0,0 ,000 and she the home State of the President of the United States She had been a State in the Union for 34 years, having been admitted in 1796, 27 years after the first settlement
 While Daniel Boone first visited Kentucky in 1767, it not until 1774 that James Harrod and others established the first permanent settle ment at Harrodsbnrgh. Boone did not start Boonesborough until the following year. Sixteen years after Harrodsburgh's birth Kentucky was admitted to the Union State, and 61 years after that first settlement she had population of 1000. Her leading citizen had long been of Americas greatest citizens He had been the candidate of his party for President and had served Secretary of State.
 A later example of rapid progress and one where transportation conditions more nearly com pare with those in Alaska the State of Wash ington. Her first sediment was at Tumwater in 1S45. Sixty-one years after that she had been a State for seventeen years and had population of than 900 000
 And at that, Alaska had start on these other States, for we acquired considerable population from Russia when we purchased the Territory. stka had been settled for more than sixty years when Alaska became American. Writing of a period thirty-ive forty years before 1S67 famous historian speaks of Bar anon and Mclaughlin as being emperors of the North Pacific with their outooks on the banks of the Columbia and at Sitka. dozen or fifteen years before the treaty of purchase they were building boats, both steam and sail ing, at Sitka to handle the traffic of fast de- veloping California
 However while the picture of the past is rather gloomy. it is safe to predict that the next half-century will tell a different story. The outlook this 61st birthday of the Ameri- Territory of Alaska is brighter than it ever has been in the past. And that suggests that it is good time for the people of the Terri tory to take stock and resolve that the things that have held development, in abeyanee must come to an end, and that henceforth there shall be progress.
 The Empire is thoroughly convinced that one of the many things that caused other frontiers to develop much faster than Alaska is the fact that their people granted self govern ment from the beginning and permitted to go forward in their way. Washington Terri tory given full Territorial form of govern ment less than eight years after the first settle ment. A enumeration made immediately thereafter showed a population of 3.965 souls of whom 1,6S2 From that point with that start these sef-governing people push ed rapidly forward to greatness.