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Show OCR LAST GREAT FRONTIER i By Prof. I '. L. Johns ) Having been ask.rd to write .some-tiling .some-tiling ri-iati'. L- to Ahiska 1 am glad to respond. U is our la.-t great frontier, a land of uniculized e.vt'-nt, and unlimited un-limited resources. It is a land of surprises sur-prises and contrasts. Few Americans Ameri-cans realize that Alaska is one-fifth j as large as the K'ai of the United j Stales. Fewer still know that South. I eastern Alaska has a milder elimale than Utah. In 1M.7 Alaska was call-, ed "Seward's Ice-Box"; now it might' well be named Uncle Sam's Wonder-Bag. Wonder-Bag. From its resources more money is obtained every year than the paltry pal-try $7,200,000 Russia received for the territory. There is great activity these days to the westward, where the new government railroad is. being be-ing built. Anchorage is the new-town new-town that came into being over night, just as Skagway did during the gold rush of '89. Cordova and Seward are thriving towns, in this section also. The new railroad which taps Hi e Matenuska coal fields is to be a great factor in the development develop-ment of all western Alaska. Having lived in Sitka for three years I am partial to that particular coast town. It is a place of great historic interest, the former capital of the Territory. The great mining projects along Gastineau Channel drew the bulk of trade that way years ago and in 18 98 the capital was changed to Juneau, the one town in Alaska that has a metropolitan appearance, ap-pearance, yet it is only a cityi in min-ature. min-ature. The tourist is especially appreciative ap-preciative of Sitka. Among other things of interest he ' sees Indian River Park which contains the largest larg-est known collection of totem poles, the old Greek Catholic Church, the United States Experiment Station, the Alaska Pioneers' -Home airtl the Sheldon Jackson School. The last named institution is the large training train-ing school in which I have had the privilege of working with the native young people of Alaska during my stay in the northland. |