The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-07-22
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OBSERVATION
POST
BILL LEE
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Picture if you can. an island
of wrecked ships with a popula-
ton evacuated a few times each
Year by hurricanes and the rest
Of the time broiled ON a sandy,
treeless spit, and you have the
average Alaskan's mental picture
OF Key West.
Summed up, such picture
was given Frank Adams, USO
director here, when he was in
Alaska few short years ago.
And then, you can picture what
the average Key Wester believes
about Alaska.
~ seems that those folks who
argmost ready with an opinion
about another location are the
ones who read the wrong books
or is it the wrong places" said
Adams this week. "The average
Key Wester believes Stewards
Ice box is a territory of barren
snow lands"
Then Adams explains what
ALASKA is really like. He says
that if Alaska were placed on
the United States it would reach
almost from our East to West
coast. It is. he adds. three
countries in one - Southeast
Alaska. Aleutian Islands and
the North country.
Southeastern Alaska has a
very mild climate, said Adams.
In fact, it is so mild that while
Miami recorded a lot of 80 de-
grees this last winter, Ketchikan.
Alaska, in the same period held
an even 40.
"Other than during a few cold
speils, the temperature is not UNI
bearable. I have wandered
around this country in light
topyeeat in perfect comfort.
CONTRARY to an article that APP
peared recently in The Citizen,
Anchorage and not Juneau is the
largest Alaskan city. Anchorage
Nth 10000 persons is about
twice the size of Juneau.
h aIn many ways it is like Key
West, at one time this city han
died the production of the fertile
Matanuska Valley. Now that
function is handled from the
new and beautiful town of Palm
er. The present chief occupation
of Anchorage is the Army at Fort
Richardson.
"F ARB anks which has
little of the natural beauty
makes Anchorage good bid to
becoming Americas northern
most tourist city. Four and one
half to five days by boat from
Seattle through the most beautl-
full waterways in the world and
rail trip over the mountains
from Seward shoL.G make An
ohorage, just a. in the ease OF
Key West, natural.
"Per.capita. Alaskans possess
more modern conveniences OF
living than any other group OF
people. There are more auto
mobiles per mile of road than
any other place in the world.
Folks are 100 per cent air
minded. Even the old prospec-
tor flies to and from his claim
each year.
During the recent war it was
the chosen spot with no ration
ing of any kind and few short
ages. US clubs used to have
signs reading Coffee. First Cup
sc, Additional Cups Free. Case
line is 9 cents a gallon less than
it is in Key West.
"There are few exceptions.
but the cost of living varies
from $25 to $50 month higher
than ii is in the states. You can
live off the land as the Indians
and EskimeS do. The streets are
not paved with gold but there are
still plenty of places where, with
a little technique, you can earn
81 an hour panning il"
Adams had much more to say,
but he added that when he re-
turns to Alaska he will spread
the word of Key West as it is,
not as. the people dream it to
be. -
Have you seen any white
crowned pigeons lately Well
if you have you might find a
way to get around the migra-
tory bird act and send a pair
of the birds to Kenneth Har"
mon. Quincy. Fla.
Kenneth wrote the Chamber of
Commerce here asking if any of
the pigeons had been seen in
Key West recently.
Harold Laubscher, manager of
the Chamber, replied that he
had. He told the boy that the
pigeons migrate along the keys
as certain seasons of the year,
propagate and then fly back to
their snative habitats, Cuba and
the West Indies.
"We could send him a pair of