ALASKA

a Territory included in the Western Division of the United States. It includes the extremely northwestern part of the American continent. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Arctic and Bering Sea, on the south by the North Pacific Ocean, and on the east by Canada. It has a gro area, so far as has been determined, of 590,884 sq. miles, including the Aleutian Islands. Alaska was purchased from Ru ia in 1867 for $7,200,000. It was colonized by Ru ian trappers and Indian traders and was very sparsely populated. The population in 1920 was 54,899, of whom 27,883 were whites and 27,421 Indians and Eskimos. TorpoGraPHy. Included within the Territory are the Prince of Wales Island, the Alexander or King George Archipelago, and the Kadiak, Aleutian, Pribiloff and St. Lawrence Islands. Alaska is mountainous, with high plateaus Through the southern part extends the coast range, of which the principal peaks are Mount St. Elias (18,024 feet), Mount Wrangell (14,005 feet), and further inland, Mount McKinley (20,300 feet). The last is the highest peak on the North American continent. There are in this region about a dozen active volcanoes, the most remarkable of which is Mount Katmai, with the s ed ‘Valley of 10,000 smokes’. This volcano which had long been dormant, suddenly erupted on June 6, 1912. See Votcanors. The coast line of Alaska exceeds that of the entire Atlantic seaboard of the United States, and has several important indentations, including Prince William’s Sound, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay and Northern and Kotzeoue Sounds. The mainland from north to south in extreme length is about 1,100 miles. Its extreme width is about 800 miles. Its important rivers include the Yukon, which rises in British Columbia, and is about 2,000 miles in total length; the Kuskokwim which empties into the Bering Sea; and the Colville, Copper and Shushitna. CumatTe. The climate of Alaska is greatly diversified. In the interior the thermometer often records 60° below zero in winter, while in summer the temperature sometimes reached 90° above zero. On the coast the thermometer rarely falls below zero in the winter, with a maximum of about 80° in the summer. This is due to the proximity of the Japanese current. Rain on the coast is frequent. GroLocy AND MINERALOGY. The Arctic district is treele , with ranges of hills. In the Yukon Busin are large areas of forest. The Kuskokwim district has also abundant forests and many mountains. The Aleutian district comprises treele islands, the Kadiak region is comparatively unexplored, and in the Sitka region are valuable timberlands. Gold was first discovered on the Kenai peninsula in 1848 but no general search for it was made until 1880, when surface gold was found at Juneau, and systematic mining was begun at that time. The great Klondike rush stimulated interest in gold mining in Alaska in 1896, and large and profitable deposits were found in the Yukon region in the Cape Nome district and on Bering Sea. Gold production reached its maximum in 1909, with $29,411,716. This fell off to $8635 560 in 1920. The decrease was largely due to the exhaustion of the placer mine and to the economic conditions following the World War. Copper in recent years has taken the place of gold as the most important mineral production of Alaska, but this also has shown a gradual decrease from 88,793,- 400 pounds, valued at $24,240,598 in 1917, to 70,436,363 pounds valued at $12,960,106 in 1920, Silver is produced in considerable quantities. Its value in 1919 was $1,097,000. Lead and tin are also produced, and in small quantities, platinum and quicksilver. The total gold production up to January, 1921, was valued at $320,000,000, and the copper production at $127,000,000. The value of the other metals brought the total value up to that time at $460,000,000. In 1922 the United States Geological Survey estimated the value of the placer gold reserve to be at least $360,000,000. Coal exists in large quantities in Alaska, but owing to the difficulty of transportation and_ restricted legislation, coal mining has been little developed. There are also petroleum deposits of great value, but these have not been exploited. ' FisHBERIES. The most important product of Alaska are those of the fisheries. Of these the most valuable is the salmon. In 1920 the catch of salmon amounted to 4,429,463 cases, valued at $35,602,800. This, however, was the smallest catch since 1914. This is due to overfishing, predatory enemies, and interference with spawning. Many other important fish taken are halibut, herring, cod, and whales. The seal fisheries in the Pribiloff Islands are of great value, and the herds have been greatly increased in recent years following restrictive legislation, which prevented the wholesale killing which went on prior to that time. In 1921, 22,546 pelts were taken. AGrRicuLtuRE. The efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture to develop agriculture in the Territory have had considerable succe . There are large areas of land suitable for the raising of crops, both agricultural and horticultural. Nearly all varieties of hardy grains can be grown in Alaska, as well as most hardy fruits and vegetables. The Fair banks valley produces annually about 4,000 bushels of various. grains. Epucation., Schools are maintained for pupils of white or mixed blood;.and also for children of the natives. In 1922 provision was made for the establishment of an agricultural and mining institution, which will be the first college in the Territory. The education, mental care and relief of the natives are a din in i ste red by a special field force of the United States Bureau of Education. This; in 1922, consisted of 6 supervisors, 9 physicians, 13 nurses, and 133 teachers. Hospitals are maintained in four different places, In the 67 native schools instruction is given to over 3,600 pupils in English, domestic science, and the simple forms of industrial art. CommeErcE. The Alaskan trade has decreased in recent years. In 1919 shipments into the Territory were valued at $37,554,034; in 1920, $33,998,462; in 1921, $27,333,972; and in 1922, $23,625,- 61. The export in 1919 amounted to $72,068,154; in 1920, $66,498,877; and in 1921, $54,126,718; 1922, $36,- 775,810. The principal falling off in exports were fish and copper. The gold and silver shipments were valued in 1920, at $8,793,085 and in 1921, at $7,072,114, RaitRoaps. Congre in 1914, authorized the building of a railroad, not to|}1 exceed 1,000 miles in length. When complete this line will connect Seward, the Kenai peninsula, and Chatinika, Tanana Valley, by way of Anchorage Broad Pa , Nenana and Fair banks, with a branch line into the Matanuska coal field. In 1923 the line was in operation from Seward to Fair banks, 467 miles, with spurs to coal mines, bringing the total length to, 541 miles. The system was completed in 1923. The cost will exceed $52,000,000. Porunation. The population of the Territory in 1920 was 54,899, a decrease of 9,457 since 1910. This decrease was due largely to conspicuous war service of the men of Alaska who volunteered — in larger proportion than in any State. It is due also to the non-production of many mines which are temporarily closed. Chinese, Japanese and negroes have almost entirely disappeared. The / mining town lost heavily in population. — The white, in 1920, constituted barely half the population. The census re-— vealed a decrease in the native popula~— tion of 25,321 in 1910, to 20,803 in 1920. Manvuractur . Apart from the industries connected with fisheries and forests, there are a few manufacturing — establishments in Alaska. The census — of 1920, however, showed a steady increase. The corporations increased from 56 in 1910 to 113 in 1920, while the. capital increased from 13 to 65 millions, — and the average number of workmen from _ Forestry. The forest resources of | Alaska are extremely valuable and are > being developed. The sales of timber — amount to about 50,000,000 B. M. annually. Pulp mills have been established and the Forest Service has made i a combination of the study of pulp | making and hydro-electric power in co-operation with the Federal Power; Commi ion. GOVERNMENT, Up to 1912 Alaska — was an unorganized Territory, and was — governed directly by Congre . It had no local legislative body. Its officers] were appointed by the President. In 1912, however, Congre pa ed a Civil — Government Act creating a Legislature ( and A embly, with limited powers. — By the terms of this act, Alaska became > an organized territory with a Legislature consisting of a Senate of 8 members, 2 from each of the 4 districts, and a House of Representatives, consisting of 0 16 members, 4 from each judicial district. Senators served 4 years and Representatives 2 years. The Legislature meets every two years. Its powers are limited as it can pa no laws which are inconsistent with the laws already pa ed by | Congre . At its first se ion the Legis- | ature gave the franchise to women. The executive officers are the Governor, § appointed by the President; Secretary! of the Treasury; Secretary of the Gover- ¥ nor, and a Surveyor General. There are four judicial districts with a center at’ There is no local government except in towns of 300 or more inhabitants. The Territory is represented in Congre . by a delegate. \ History. Alaska was discovered by the famous navigator, Bering, in 1741, and Ru ian settlements were made at various points southward. By 1772 many trade companies had been established. The Territory was given toA | vy EYE Aart * ey Fn3( MS woh A > 3 ole. £9013, sd a 5 0-911 3.801 CO ott ost OG oDlt. fe iSt4ys V avary PST NVILQATV arm as.'2VGI9NE pobunayyD rain [40 (SI | Oe, my "8 7 aga Oe togtee Re OY op, obot opnysiary otll Ru ian company in 1799 by Emperor Paul VIII., and in 1867 became the property of the United States through purchase. The discoveries of gold in the Yukon valley in 1896, and the years following created difficulties in regard to the boundary between Alaska and the British territory in Canada. The dispute was referred to an arbitration tribunal. This body continued its deliberations until 1914. On October 20 of that year the majority of the members of the tribunal voted against the Canadian contentions. By this decision Canada was cut off from the seacoast, north of 54° 40’, In 1910-11 an acute dispute arose in relation to coal lands, as a result of charges that large corporations were attempting to secure control of valuable coal land under laws pa ed by Congre . As a result of this agitation, R. L. Ball in ger, Secretary of the Interior resigned, and his succe or, Walter S. Fisher, undertook a thorough investigation of the matter. This led to the reorganization of the regulations relating to the coal fields. At the outbreak of the World War over 3,000 Alaskans enrolled for service. The number was far beyond the quota. 94 per cent of the white population and 1,303 of the natives were enrolled in the Red Cro . Alaska led all the States in the per capita subscription for War Stamps. Following the World War the economic conditions throughout the world paralyzed for a time the resources of the Territory. The conditions were due, however, to some extent, to the methods of government by which Alaskan affairs were in the hands of 38 Federal bureaus. The result was delay in legislation and other constructive conditions. To correct these delays under executive authority, the Federal affairs of Alaska in 1920 were entrusted to the Inter-Departmental Committee. Under its direction matters greatly improved and certain powers were given to local officials by the establishment of Federal officers at Juneau. A thorough investigation was made by a committee of the House of Representatives into the natural resources and public utilities of Alaska, in 1920-1. This report forms the most complete Alaskan information ever collected. The Governor of Alaska in 1921 was Scott C. Bone. The capital is Juneau. See Map ALasKa. IMG:map079.jpg: