The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-04-29
Highway to Alaska

BY HERB HILSCHER, In THE Lion
A million people have the Alask;
fever-bad. They just can't wait tt
ct head north to the 49th State. This
wide open spaces. The gold nuggets
waiting for their shovel. The rainbow
trout feet long. The fertile home
steads that will make them landed
barongthe easy way.
To these goth century pioneers
statehood has conjured up visions OF
opportunities unlimited and jobs fol
everyone. To them Alaska is the
promised land-the new utopia.
The rush north is growing day by
day. We Alaskans are powerless to
stop it. We wouldn't if we could. But
we plead that these good people know
what they are getting into before
they burn their bridges behind them
and, on arrival here, expect the
bounty of nature and the big heart
of the new state to bless them with
abundance, wealth and happiness.
Opportunities are unlimited in
fhadShd-IOI Tile IiShe PCiooio. manly
young couples have hit the jackpot
up here much sooner than they would
have in the lower 48. But they have
hit it the old-fashioned way: by hard
work, long hours, personal sacrifice,
and a special brand of stick-to-itive-
ness. Not by 40-hour week, jobless
insurance, and unemployment COM
pensation.
Out of our years of experience in
Alaska, we sourdoughs have few
suggestions we'd like to pass on to
would-be Alaskans before they quit
their jobs in the other states and start
north.
Before taking off for Alaska,
have a round-trip ticket in your
pocket and at least $500 in travellers
checks to cover expenses while you
give the. 10th state the once-over
lightly. After seeing Alaska you may
say, 81 don't want any part of it,
. If you like Alaska, see all of it |
before you decide where you want
to settle. to put down roots. Let the
wife do lot of the deciding on where
in the new state you will make your
home.
. If you are planning on getting
a job in Alaska, write to the State
of Alaska Employment Office,
Juneau, and get copy of the bulle-
tin, "Job Opportunities In Alaska.
Get this booklet before you start
north. 1t can save you lot of
heartaches. Don't come north with
the idea of making a pile in year
or two and then going back where
you came from. Those days are
gone forever.
If you decide to settle in Alaska,
ONE properly prepared. A rockbot-
ON minimum is $4,000. Living costs
re from 10 to 55 per cent higher
han in the Pacific Northwest, and
'oing into business up here usually ,
axes more capital than you had /
tanned. A,
If you are planning on driving to j
llaska, start with good car. You are |
nviting nothing but trouble if you
pad up an old jalopy and trailer I
hat is past it's prime.
This word of advice is seconded by {
canadian officials who, through sad I
experience, have played unwilling c
ost to many broken-down cars and J
bandoned trailers- because the s
wner was attempting to pull a load 6
30 heavy for his motor. v
After taking care of scores of these c
laska-bound Argonauts who were
;randed without funds, the Canadian A
overnment has adopted strict Alas d
q traveller code: The driver of each S
ar must have $3.50 and valid gas il
nd oil credit card, and each passen- Il
sr must carry $100 when bound for tt
laska. In addition, a trailer code tt
'ecifies the size car required to pull a