quire 41 miles of power transmis
sion lines including a two-mile
crossing of Taku Inlet with sub
marine cables.
Sitka—Millsite on Silver Bay
five miles from Sitka; 17,450 horse
power, ample for a plant produc
ing 350 tons of sulphite pulp and
paper daily.
To date, the Newsprint Indus
try’s nearest approach to Alaska
is Ocean Falls, B. C., where a pulp
and paper mill has been in opera
tion 296 miles south of Ketchikan.
Alaska’s principal potent i a 1
source of pulp timber is the 16,
073,000 acre Tongass national for
est which comprises almost all of
the southeastern part of the Terri
tory south of Skagway. The Chu
gach forest on Prince William
Sound also contains pulp timber.
The commercial stand in the
Tongass forest is estimated at
140,000,000 cords—78,50(7,000 board
feet on from 3,000,000 to 5,000.000
acres. It is all at altitudes of 1,500
feet or less, and 75 per cent of the
merchantable stand is within three
miles of tidewater.
The forest service estimates
that on a rotation period of 78
years, during which the entire j
present crop would be removed,!
the commercial Tongass timber I
would produce 1,600,000 cords of
wood, of 600 board feet, annually.
This amount could produce 800,
000 tons of sulphate pulp a year,
or more than 1,000,000 tons of
newsprint.
In 1944, the forest service desig
nated about one-tenth of the Ton
j gass forest, in the Ketchikan area,
lor inspection by pulp producers
I interested in a 50-year lease ar
rangement.
The block contains 14,000,000
cords—7,500,000,000 board feet, or
about 1,350,000,000 cubic feet—of
hemlock and spruce. This is suf
ficient to supply a sulphate plant,
with a daily capacity of 150 tons
for 10 years, and an enlarged ca
pacity of 525 tons a day for the 40
additional years.
Establishment of such a plant,
which would employ 1,050 per
sons, would cost an estimated $20.
000,000. The forest service says
there is enough timber in south
eastern Alaska to maintain at least
four such plants in perpetuity.
CAMEL
The wise men who visited the
infant Christ probably traveled on
camels. In Puerto Rico the chil
dren leave a gift for the camel of
the wise men on January 6, “three
kings’ day.” Often the gift is a
basket filled with flowers.
Santa Claus Is
Bearer Of Gifts
In Many Lands
Mothers of America are over
whelmingly agreed that parents
should teach their children to be
lieve in Santa Claus.
At least that is the conclusion
drawn from a recent opinion poll
by a leading woman’s magazine.
One of the women polled made
an answer typical of many: “Be
i lief in Santa Claus is one of the
! beautiful wonders of childhood. It
gives us a period in which dreams
come true and anything is pos
sible.”
Christmas is like heaven on
earth for the very young, the mag
azine points out. But as America
moves from war to peace, there is
an inevitable emphasis on reality
and truth. No one wants to fool or
be fooled. Therefore, should even
happy myths be promoted?
Should children still be taught
to believe in Santa Claus? Should
they enjoy all the magic of child
hood while they can, including the
traditional myths, or should they
be told the truth in preparation for
the adult world they must one day
| Wise Men Caine
j From The East
Church tradition, presumably
considering the Biblical mention
ol three specific gifts as presented
to the Infant Jesus by the Wise
Men has identified the Magi as
Casper. Melchior, and Balthasar.
There could have been more
: than three; legend reports that
there were 12 Wise Men and that
; their journey to Bethlehem had
been anticipated for generations.
face?
| Considering these questions, the
' opinion poll asked a group of wo
men representing a cross-section
of millions of American homes.'
“Do you think parents should
teach their children to believe in
Santa Claus?”
The response was decisively af
firmative. More than 87 per cent
of the women voted “yes.”
“If a child thinks of Santa as a
man there will be eventful disillu
sionment,” commented one wo
man. “But Santa portrayed as the
spirit of giving remains a beauti
j ful idea.” Another woman pointed
lout: “Santa is as real as Uncle
1 Sam.” '
Twelve learned men who lived
in a Far Eastern land appointe I
themselves to watch for the star of
beautitude which they believed
would announce the birth of the
Saviour. Each year, after the crops
were harvested, the patriarchs as
cended to a cavernous retreat up
on the plateau of a high mountain
to praise God in silence for three
clays while they watched for the
star.
This went on for generations,
when one of the patriarchs died,
his son or kinsman would take his
place.
Finally the star appeared, de
scending upon the mountain and
having within itself the form of a
cross.
The Sign spoke to them and
commanded them to go to Judea.
The journey to Bethlehem is said
to have necessitated two years of
pressing travel and, though in
their haste they provided no food
for themselves, neither food nor
drink failed in their vessels.
YULE LOG
From pagan Scandinavian wor
ship of Thor comes the Yule log,
lighted with a brand from last
year’s log.
JUST
A
GOOD
OLD-FASHIONED
Merry Christinas
Northern Commercial Co.