| Show with the admission of arizona and new mexico exico il into the union the question arises as to whether or not alaska will be the acx next state to be admitted making the forty ninth star in the constellation on our glorious flag which represent I 1 ep resent the states in this great nation in view of 0 lite fact that alaska will more than likely be the next and pos bibly the last state admitted some information regarding her resources might be of interest colliers weekly of aug ath devotes considerable space to the american territory of 0 the far north and we m make ke the following clippings ALASKA would make rhode islands has the only tin mines in the united states has square miles 3 ia 44 acres has the greatest fishing waters in the world is over twice the size of the german empire Is fourteen times the size of new york state has more copper than michigan and arizona is one fifth the size of the united states proper has paid for itself twenty times over in fish alone was purchased for les less 9 than 2 cents an acre has paid for itself twenty five times over in gold and silver is estimated to have half as much coal as all the united states has the greatest cattle and sheep ranges under tinder the american flag has the highest mountain under tinder the american flag mckinley 20 00 feet has miles of 0 genc general ral coast line tile the entire united states has only TO i is larger than all of the states north of the ohio and potomac rivers and east of the mississippi Is in the same latitude as sie I 1 j den norway and finland has a better climate more arable ground and Is much larger than all three of those countries which hae a total population her agricultural resources have rever never been counted as great by those who haie hae never i been up there so the following will doubtless be somewhat sur agriculture demonstrated agriculture is a matter of isotherms not latitude the great yukon valley the backbone and bo body dy of alaska is in the same latitude as finland attilli etli summers that are much warmer and a soil that 1 is much richer and r inland finland supports a population 0 of two and a halt half millions the yukon valley according to the lions already made is a better farming country than northern russia that supports over ten tell millions ol of people by the soil on which they live the winters of tills this great valley are arc cold cold as they are in scotland and norway and russia 40 50 and GO CO below zero cold A dry healthy cold the public schools in fairbanks and other interior towns show less than one per cent of absentees during the winter and this includes the kindergarten der garten classes in southern alaska alasha the climate varies from that cor responding to the span from maryland to I 1 name alaine and the rainfall measures equal to that ot of raleigh north carolina washington D C and indianapolis di diana polls agricultural alaska is no longer a ridicule it has been demonstrated beyond a peradventure it should be borne in mind that the alaskan farmer has one advantage that is not shared by the farmer in the states slates it is tile the long days of summer in tile the yukon there is between march 21 and september 22 an average of eighteen hours sunshine the skeptic and alaska J r I 1 it was less than a generation ego ago when the ever speaking pessimist expressed sympathy for the men inen who iio went wc nt to western canada to raise wheat no one Is surprised to hear beat of the productiveness of the soil in sweden norway finland manchuria or northern noi thorn thern russia the pessimistic class who twenty years ago considered much of the west an all arid and worthless country are now silent unless they convince themselves they will not listen to others they are like the man who at a circus for the first time saw some animals that he had not seen before but had read about and seen their pictures but the giraffe was all new to him gazing at it for some time lie turned away and said hell there is no such animal what farmers do though the growing season is choit the long sunshine ripens everything thin rapidly and the supply as s yet is far front from adequate to meet the demands of home consumption here jis s an extract front from the deport of lit a farmer near fairbanks but little more than one hundred miles from the arede arctic tic circle three acres of potatoes yielded 18 tons which sold tor for per ton two acres of carioss canots yielded T i tons which sold eold tor for per ton fifteen acres ot of barley which bi ought him fi 5 i per ton toil for the hay cabb cabbage age turnips tui nips and other garden truck brought equably equally high prices in closing this report this larmor farmer says there aie acres of land in the vicinity oi of fairbanks as suitable tor for agriculture as that which I 1 have cultivated another farmer at ilot hot springs in t the he tanana valley writes that lie he had acres of wheat hay and potatoes but that which delighted him most nio st was that he successfully raised in the open watermelons water melons cantaloupes squash tomatoes and sweet corn good gardens on bering sea the gardens in southern alaska will do everything expected of a garden in fit michigan or massachusetts cranberries raspberries rasp berries strawberries salmon berries and blueberries grow wild and abundantly in the yukon valley alley and the valleys south of it the gardens in the vicinity of nome on oil the coast of dering coring soa sea raise onions radishes cabba cabbages cauliflower lettuce beets etc the foliage Is large and strong and the roots firm and tender the green of the leaves is ie more vivid and tender than plants raised in the states stales the red of the roots and radishes is a deeper red tile the flavor is delightful and mild government experimental stations report that there are no heads ot of lettuce raised in tile the states that can compare with these leads heads re in the far north the day will vill come collie and that not far distant when ihen alaska will offer to the stock man vast ranges such as lie he once enjoyed in the western terii states and which he lost through the rapid increase of population the old ranges having been cut cit up into farming lands a condition which it is claimed accounts to a considerable extent for the great increase in fit the price of meat the question of stock raising in alaska can not be doubted for the experimental stage passed awny away over a century ago when the russians by no means a thrifty class in land cultivation successfully reared stock of all kinds there are many successful dairy and stock farms in alaska today editor edisol news willie while en louto I 1 to new york we had tile the pleasure of meeting a lady evangelist van who was living at scranton lon pa ila an ami who when lif hearing tring that we were cormons mormons Mor mons ions showed considerable interest in our people and out our religion I 1 had the pleasure piea plea suie of explaining the principles or of the gospel and presented her with a book why I 1 am a mor nion inon and our explanations of the text why are they baptized for tile the lead dead if they rise not at all seemed to find a warm place in it her heart and seem ed to throw a stream or of light on the subject that she had never before seen she learned of our family of ten and of the large families in utah and at our parting quoted tile the following poem which I 1 believe Is worth your time and space in your paper joseph F F hansen I 1 the poem Ss Is as follows WL WE ARE ARC TEN yes true as idi 11 ring ing ive reckoned lecko ned again my ily little family counts up tip to ten A widower cousin my husband and 1 I and seven young folk running busily by ilary and baby two maidens are mine and two chubby rosy checked boys are in line then in the rear full of frolics and fun come three little golden haired motherless ones something to do us its all you may gumbs to rule and to feed and to wash and to dress to list to the tales of the wrongs and the rights and act as chief justice to keep out of lights fights c seven seen each night ni ht to be tucked in alno 0 o bed and seven each day by their hands to be led to give the tight right form to the bent of tile tho mind and teach every one to be loving and kind every week I 1 ila have e ten pairs of sho shoes es and of hose to be shined to be washed and be mended of course there aro are aprons and kerchiefs and collars and shirts and fifty odd changes besides beside s the all white shirts I 1 am shoeblack shoe black and laundry maid ami id baker and cook and teacher as well to each one at his book but when all the ba baarns bair irtis ns are at rest and late I 1 sit text next to the king at the household senate and sometimes when nhen all are locked soundly in it sleep and at their sweet faces I 1 silently peep A voice from above aboe seems to speak unto nie me sa saving ing slee see that thou careful carefully y nurse thern them lor for me but all ah tills this is more than alone I 1 can lord belp me thyself to be faithful and true and when lve ive completed tills this mission ruis sion of love oh may we vs all meet in thy mansion above 4 |
