GREATEST NEED OF TERRITORY
IS INCREASE OF ITS POPULATION
(By Lena Henrietta White, Librarian
Alaska Bureau, Seattle Chamber of
Commerce.)
With resources incomparably richer
than those of any similar area with a
fascination which grips even those
who have spent a few months within
her boundaries, Alaska is today little
more than a village in matter of
population. Numbering less than
50,000 at the outbreak of the world
conflict, Alaska offered nearly half
that number to help win the war.
The majority of the young men en
listed with the fighting forces, while
“sourdoughs” who hadn’t boarded a
street car for twenty years, caught
the “mushing” fever and stampeded
to the States to engage in war in
dustries.
Today one need only attempt to ob
tain reservation on one of the steam
ship lines to realize the reaction
which has followed. Alaskans are
going back, taking with them a new
loyalty for the territory, a new de
termination to win for Alaska the
recognition it deserves, and a new
population attracted by a spirit of
adventure and by confidence in the
opportunities which the territory has
to offer.
The soldier from Alaska, in the
cantonments of this country and in
the trenches of France w^as the best
press agent the North ever had.
Fighting side by side with the dough
boy from Texas, the Alaskan talked
constantly and enthusiastically of his
home land and its people. To the
Northerner wrho told of “eight straw
berries to the quart and rhubarb six
feet high” the Southerner had no re
ply. Either the Alaskan wras a happy
liar or he wrasn’t, and the Texan,
with dozens of others has gone North
to discover the truth for himself
since the signing of the armistice.
Some have gone to prospect for un
discovered riches of minerals, some
to win or lose a fortune from the
great fishing banks, others to work
on homesteads for whatever the soil
has to yield.
Agricultural Possibilities
You may take your pick of the
farming land in Alaska. If you don’t
like the southeastern part of the ter
ritory where the big stra cherries
thrive, you may go into the vail'ys
of the Copper, Yukon, Tanana, Susit
na or Kuskokwim rivers. Alaska has
6,400,000 acres of land suitable for
farming and grazing and capable of
producing vegetables which are su
perior to ihose ra'.sed in more south
y.n latitudes, because of the long
hours of sunshine which produce a
tenderer and more inteas.ve growth.
Several ton.? of potatoes raised by
mers .1 the Mat.anuski valley,
along the government railroad, are
purchased each year by the Alaskan
engineering commission for the use
of those engaged in building the
government railroad. There is al
ways enough besides to supply the
needs of the local community. Cab
bages develop heads often more than
four times as large as the head of
the average person, and a rutabaga,
grown last year at Dawson, the me
tropolis of the Klondike in the Yukon
territory, measured forty-seven
inches around. Peas, turnips, car
COOPER ESTATE
LOTS AT SACRIFICE
The heirs of A. B. Cooper, deceased,
offer for sale the northwest double
corner of Third avenue and C streets
at $1250. This corner was bought by
Mr. Cooper a number of years ago
as the best residence or apartment
site he could buy. Look at it and you
will confirm his judgment.
SEE KELLY
Cordova Adjustment Company
rots and other garden truck grow
wonderfully.
Wheat has matured at Fairbanks
which averaged sixty bushels to the
acre. This was during an unusual
season it must be admitted, but it
proves what can be accomplished
when the wheat does not frost-kill.
The United States agrucultural ex
periment stations at Fairbanks and
Rampart have succeeded, by cross
fertilization, in perfecting hardy va
rieties of grains which will with
stand the first frosts and mature
early in the fall. Wheat ripens in
the Interior valleys every year.
installs Test Mill
J. Weist, one of the pioneer farm
ers near Fairbanks, has installed a
small test mill with a view to milling
home-grown flour. Officers of the
Fairbanks station claim that suffi
cient flour can be milled next fall to
supply the entire Fairbanks district
if last fall’s grain was saved for
seeding this spring. Fine crops of
barley, oats and rye have been raised
every season for several years in the
Interior valleys of the territory.
Alaska is the home of the wild
berry. From Douglas island, where
the blueberries grow as large as
small pie cherries, to the Arctic Cir
cle, some variety of wild fruit may
be found. Cranberries, both high and
low bush varieties, are most abund
ant and supply appropriate sauce for
the grouse and duck which the North
ern hunter knows both how to bag
and how to cook. Raspberries, sal
mon berries, red and black currants
all flourish in different sections of
the territory although attempts to
j cultivate them have proved only
| partially successful.
Obstacles
Yet is doubtful if there are 1,000
farmers in all Alaska today. While
farming will undoubtedly become one
of the leading industries and the
basis of that stable and growing pop
ulation for which the territory as
pires, farming now and for many
years to come must continue a sec
ondary activity. The difficulty of
the Alaskan farmer is not in growing
his crops but in marketing them.
Markets must first be created which
win care for the produce after it is
matured. Last year several hundred
tons of potatoes went to waste in the
Matanuska valley because the local
market was too small and inadequate
transportation facilities and high
freight rates prohibited shipment to
other sections of the territory where
they were needed.
Markets can only be developed
through the opening up of the terri
tory’s vast wealth of natural re
sources—of the mineral area which
has been “barely scratched,” of the
fishing industries which are handling
only twenty of the 125 varieties of
marketable fish, of the thousands of
acres of Alaska spruce adapted to
pulp manufactories; of the billions of
tons of coal as fuel for Pacific ship
ping service—to say nothing of the
oil and other possible developments
of the future.
Solution of Problem
Wth a constructive governmental
policy to further such development,
with the completion of the Alaska
government railroad and better trans
portation facilities throughout the
territory, and with assistance ex
tended to the homesteader during his
first year, Alaska may hope to build
a population which will number mil
lions instead of a few thousands.
Herein lies the solution to a per
manent population of homebuilders
for Alaska, and until such changes
are effected farming in Alaska will be
a minor activity and population will
continue to fluctuate as has been the
case since Alaskan history com
menced. The wise farmer will con
fine his efforts to diversified crops
which he can market in adjoining
towns or use on his own table, spe
cializing on garden truck which
would otherwise have to be shipped
in from the States and sold by the re
tailer at a higher price than the local
product.
Compared wth France, Alaska has
more than thirty times as much farm
ing area. Yet France in the midst of
wars has supported seven million
peasant families for generations on
tiny farms tucked away in most un
expected corners of the landscape.
With markets assured, with an area
vastly greater and resources infin
itely richer, without the devastations
of wars for distraction—who may
venture to predict the agricultural
future of Alaska—America’s last
frontier?
WAR SOUVENIRS TO
AID IN DISPOSAL OF
WAR SAVINGS STAMPS
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 (by As
sociated Press.—Banks of the
Twelfth Federal Reserve district
have ordered 60,000 hand grenades
which were ready for shipment to the
American expeditionary forces when
the armistice was signed and which
have been turned over to the treas
ury department for use as savings
banks to stimulate thrift. The only
alteration made in the hand grenades
to convert them into savings banks
was the removal of the TNT charge
and the cutting of a slot as a coin
way.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco, which is handling the dis
tribution of the grenades to the banks
and trust companies, anticipates or
ders aggregating 100,000 of the war
souvenirs. Robert E. Smith, director
of the War Loan Organization for the
Twelfth Federal Reserve district
said “These American-made hanc:
grenades constitute one of the bes^
souvenirs of the war one could pos
sibly get. Some months ago an East
ern firm managed to get some oi
them and disposed of them readily ai
one' dollar each.”
It is planned to distribute th(
grenade banks to the public through
banks and trust companies exclu
sively. The only conditions imposed
by the treasury department are thal
to gain ownership of a grenade:
Persons 1 to 12 years of age must
purchase $5 War Saving Stamps;
Persons 12 to 18 must purchase at
least two $5 War Savings Stamps;
Persons over 18 years of age musi
buy either one $100 or one $1,000
Treasury Savings Certificate, which if
the big brother to the War Savings
Stamp, bearing the same 4 per cent in
terest compounded quarterly and run
ning for five years.
“Naturally the supply of grenades
is limited,” said Director Smith.
“Orders for them will be filled in the
order received, and after the supply
is exhausted no more will be manu
factured. Eastern banks and trust
companies have asked for hundreds
of thousands of them. In all the
war department had only 15.000,000.”
The grenades are expected to ar
rive in San Francisco within thirty
days.
-— — .... -.
PAPER MANUFACTURER
VISITING ALASKA COAST
D. den Bleyker, one of the incor
porators and stockholders of the Cas
cade Paper Company, whose pulp and
paper making plants are located at
Steilacoom, Wash., was a recent Ju
neau visitor. Mr. den Bleyker, who
was instrumental in the organization
of the Cascade Company, has been
interested in the paper situation in
Alaska. He says the possibilities
YOUR FURS MADE TO ORDER
Best work guaranteed. Low
est prices. Over 2,000 Alaska
customers.
R. W. Drew
Tacoma’s Expert Furreir
11th and B’dw’y, Tacoma, Wash, j
for a great pulp and paper manufac
turing business are very good.
Mr. den Bleyker was for many
years associated with the paper man
ufacturing business in Michigan.
Some Time. Saturday. Where?
Eagle hall. 11-3
Fresh Ever-Ready Flashlight Bat
teries, all sizes. Blum-O’Neill Co. 3-tf
Job printing at Daily Times office.
ilTlDlm
CITATION
In the Probate Court for the Terri
tory of Alaska, Third Division,
Valdez Precinct, at Valdez. In the
matter of the estate of Robert D.
t
Gray, deceased.
The President of the United States,
to L. T. Gray, and all other persons
interested in the above-entitled
estate, Greeting:
Notice is hereby given that James
Smith, executor of above estate, has
filed a petition in the above-named
court, alleging that said estate is in
solvent, and asking for an order di
recting the sale of the property of
the estate, and that a hearing will be
given on said petition on the 22d day
of October, 1919, by the Judge of the
above-named court, at his office in
Valdez, Alaska, at 10 o’clock of the
forenoon of said day, and at said
time and place all persons having ob
jections to the granting of said peti
tion will appear and file their objec
tions thereto.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto
set my hand and official seal this
21st day of August, 1919.
GEORGE J. LOVE,
U. S. Commissioner and ex
officio Probate Judge.
First publication August 28, 1919.
Last publication September 15, 1919
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
! In the Commissioners Court for the
Territory of Alaska, Cordova Pre
cinct, before R. H. Noaks, United
States Commissioner and Ex-officio
Probate Judge, in the matter of
the estate of of Mathew Pedrodas
kalakis, known in Alaska, and here
inafter referred to as Mike Paros.
No. 130.
The undersigned hereby gives no
tice that he has been appointed ad
ministrator of the estate of Mike
Paros, deceased, and that all persons
having claims against said estate are
requested to present the same with
the proper vouchers within six
months from the date hereof, to the
! undersigned administrator, at his
office in Cordova, Cordova Precinct,
Territory of Alaska.
Dated at Cordova, Alaska, this 20th
day of August, A. D. 1919.
B. O. GRAHAM,
Administrator bf the Estate of Mike
Paros, deceased.
Date of first publication, Aug. 20,1919.
Date of last publication, Sept. 17,1919
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
In the United States Commissioner’s
Court for the Territory of Alaska,
Third Division, Kayak Precinct. In
Probate.
In the matter of the Estate of James
Warddell. deceased.
Notice is hereby given that the un
dersigned was duly and regularly ap
pointed by the probate court of the
Kayak precinct, territory of Alaska,
on the 4th day of August, 1919, ad
ministrator of the estate of James
Warddell, deceased. Notice is hereby
given to the creditors of and all per
sons having claims against the said
deceased to exhibit them, with the
necessary vouchers, within six months
after the first publication of this no
tice. to said administrator at his resi
dence or place of business in the town
of Katalla. territory of Alaska, the
same being the place for the transac
tion of business of said estate in the
territory of Alaska.
Dated at Katalla, Alaska, this 4th
day of August, 1919.
W. H. DUGDELL.
Administrator of the Estate of James
Warddell, deceased.
Date of first publication Aug. 6, 1919.
Date of last publication Sept. 4, 1919.
Donohoe & Dimond, attorneys for
the administrator.
NOTICE TO CREEDITORS
In the United States Commissioner’s
Court in and for Cordova Precinct,
Territory of Alaska.—In Probate.—
In the matter of the Estate of Ver
mund Martin Olson, deceased.
Notice is hereby given by the under
signed, administrator of the estate of
Vermund Martin Olson, deceased, to
the creditors of and all persons hav
ing claims against the said deceased,
to exhibit them, with the necessary
vouchers, within six months after the
first publication of this notice, to the
said administrator at the office of
Frank H. Foster, attorney at law, Cor
dova, Alaska, the same being the place
for the transaction of the business of
said estate. E. P. ZIEGLER,
Administrator.
Dated July 14, 1919.
ft
LAST TIME TONIGHT
VIOLA DANA
IN
“BLUE JEANS”
TOMORROW
The Comedian of the Screen
Taylor Holmes
In
“Efficiency Edgar’s '
Courtship"
Some Comedy
ft--------- -- ft
You Can Save Time and Money by Get- ||
ting Your
i a
>> j
A' *-*- |
i
;X :::: |
i:$ :x
i -x ;:;:
i x* -x
•x j
I x* :$ i
xj
X> i
;X i
j| From us. We have in stock a large assort- |j
|i ment of Wool Shirts, Boots, Slickers and ;$
i;:; Raincoats. We will be delighted to help |i
i| keep you dry.
|i WILL CLAYSON j
•S>A^%%^v^%yx^yv:vx:xx:x:x:vX-Xv:;:v:::v:
>>>>>>Iv.v.v.\v.v.v.v.v.v..
_ - I
Keist Furniture
Company
Is the Place to Buy
New and Second-Hand
Household Goods
OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT
We Sell Goods on Commission
Next door to Alaska S. S. Office
ARCTIC BOARDING HOUSE
Second St., Next Door to Times
Now Open—Convenient to All *
Board by Day, Week or Month.
Breakfast, 25c and up
Dinner, 60c and up
Supper, 60c and up
Breakfast—6:30 to 8. Dinner,
11:30 to 1:30. Supper, 5:30 to 7.
MRS. VICTOR RIVERS and
MRS. BEN SHERMAN Proprietors
DO you like an
easy-running,
durable and
convenient type
writer? Of course! x
Then you should
use The Silent
Smith—ball-bear
ing, long-wearing.
—•-—
WRITE FOR BOOKLET TO E. S. HEWITT & COMPANY j
BE SENT ON FIRST BOAT JUNEAU
- -1——————————■™1 — ■— " ,n —— — 1 1 4
liiiiilM^^ .in...mil ™ ..... ..
| CRANE SERVICE MINING EQUIPMENT PIPE AND FITTINGS MARINE SUPPLIES |
I MANUFACTURERS, JOBBERS AND REBUILDERS GENERAL MACHINERY
Jj NOTICE.—We are now located in our new building at the Ocean Dock
Iharmon machinery Company, INC.)
| CORDOVA. ALASKA
...........
_- -.—. . . ::■■■ : — ^.■ .=-rr^-~ =■.■■■■ -.'■ -■ -—.. ..:.V...Y„. , — *