Yukon Valiev News
VOL. III.
RAMPART, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1906
No. 18
ALASKA-YUKON-PACIFIC EXPOSITION
Extracts from an Article by Frank L. Merrick, for General Publication.
The Alaska-Yukon-Paeific Exposition
will be different in many of its essentials
from any world's fair ever held—differ
ent in plan and scope, different in its
purposes and different in its manage
ment.
Beginning with the idea of making
the new western world’s fair original in
every possible feature, tbe management
has succeeded admirably up to the pres
ent time, and if the financing of it,
which certainly broke all exposition
records, can be taken as a criterion of
the way the plans already outlined will
l>e carried out, there is no rooom for
doubt as to the originality that will
characterize the 1009 fair.
On Oct. 2, last, rive months after the
incorporation of the exposition com
pany, which was effected May 7, the
people of Seattle were called ujhjii to
finance the enterprise by subscribing in
one day to its capital stock of $500,1)00.
The generous and public -spirited man
ner in which they responded by over
subscribing to the amount of $150,000,
making the total amount available with
which to begin work $650,000, is now
history. No other city for any purpose
ever equalled such a feat. “Seattle
spirit,” for which the jieople of the
Queen City are noted, was responsible
for this remarkable achievement. More
than a half million dollars in one day is
a large amount of money to be raised in
a city of 200.000 inhabitants. The slogan
adopted by Will H. l’arrv, chairman of
the ways and means committee, was
“Everybody helps,” and everybody did
help, with the result that an average of
more than $3 was subscritied for every
man, woman and child in the city. The
fact that capitalist and laWer, business
man and wage earner sbxsl shoulder to
shoulder in lending their financial sup
|iort to the fair showed that the people
as a unit Udieve in it us an agency that
will confer everlasting benefits.
As the first iin|»>rtant step was differ
ent, so will lie the others to follow, if
carried out as planned.
Plan and Scope.
International in plan ami m*i>pe, a
world'* lair in nrrjr *en*e, tin- primary
purpoae t<> la- a« imuplwhol i» the aue*
rnrittl eaploitation of .tlaaka, Yukon,
amt the l'iu itiv Ck-mft* «"tintri«-» Itiner
ant it cam from previoit* lair*, the \lan
ka Yukon Pat-ith hapoeition will mil
t-elehratr anjr pur molar event. The
' awakening of the Pacific, the wonderful
' achievement in all lines of effort of the
| countries in and bordering thereon, and
the important role the commerce of the
^ great ocean plays in that of the world,
' are the most noteworthy things the fair
will celebrate. It will be a great inter
national industrial exhibition, Histori
| cal sentiment will not be depended upon
j to arouse interest and induce participa
tion.
The primary purposes of the exposi
tion are worthy of the attention and
hearty support of the entire country,
which will share to a large degree in the
benefits derived from their successful
accomplishment.
Will Exploit Alaska and Yukon.
One of the important results the fair
will aim to accomplish is the bringing of
Alaska into the limelight to give the
world a correct idea of Uncle Sam’s
great territory, of which even the rank
and file of American people know so
little. The prevailing conception of
Alaska is that it is a land of nothing hut
ice, snow and gold. The same is also
true of the neighboring territory of
Yukon, to which the fair will devote
equal attention. Few (>ersons realize
the great possibilities and advantages
of the Northland. Besides the gold,
fish and fur resources, there are others
that are only la-ginning to he developed,
which offer unusual inducement for Un
employment of capital and individual
effort.
It is not generally known that the
country possesses great wealth in tin,
iron, lead, copper, coal, petroleum, etc.;
that in many sections agricultural pur
suit- are possible, including cattle rais
ing; that grasses, grains and wild flow
ers grow within the Arctic circle; that
nearly every variety of vegetable will
thrive in certain parts of the territory—
in fact, that Alaska will soon Is- able to
support millions of people w ith practi
cally all of the luxuries enjoyed by those
living in this country.
i icographicully and climatically, there
is also a liaxv knowledge. Il<>w many
|H-r«ons know that Alaska, with its
)ieniii»ula, if placed >111 top of the map
of the I'nited States,.will stretch from
Savannah, <•«., tw San Francisco, and
from Mi x,eo to Canada, and that its
range of climatic and physical conditions
is even greater’’
The exhibits from Alaska will tw-col
lected with tlic ivini in view of educating
the people and interesting them in a
territory that has long been neglected
except by gold seekers. Alaska has had
exhibits at former fairs, but they were
not adequate. They were collected in a
hurry. It takes time to cover such a
vast territory. The three years inter
vening before the opening of the 1909
fair gives plenty of time to secure a com
prehensive display, ami the people are
not wasting any time; work has already
been begun.
General Features of the Fair.
The bringing of the shores of the Pa
citic Ocean closer together, commercial
ly, will l>e one of the objects of the fair
that will command universal attention
and support. Oriental buyer and Occi
dental seller, as well as Occidental buyer
and Oriental seller, will be brought
closer together to their mutual advan
tage, through exhibits collected with
that aim in view.
The exploitation of the Pacific North
west—in fact the entire western coun
try—will he another important result
that will lie accomplished by the expo
sition. With the foundation in exploita
tion laid by Portland to build ujsm, the
attendance at the lfKW fair and the sub
sequent benefits to follow will lie on a
large scale.
The thousands of visitors who will
take advantage of the reduced railroad
rates to attend the fair, see the country
and its people, study conditions and
take note of achievements, will return
home with minds cleared of very much
haziness that has beclouded them by
reason of the acceptance of fictional
caricature for gosjad fact. Moreover the
fair will bring the far-divided sections
of this country together commercially.
It will offer an unexcelled opportunity
for the eastern manufacturer and pro
ducer to get into closer touch with the
western market, und vice versa; and,
further, it will give them u elinnet- to
exploit tlit-ir warm in Alanka, ami, hy
learning the n eerie of the people, culti
vate their tratle.
The eoat of the exposition i« extimaterl
at 910.000,000. The exposition corpora*
tion will likely spend |7SO,OUO before
the irate* are tipenetl. The State of
Waxhiiitfton will appropriate at leant
91,0110,000. With another million from
the Koverument ami the amount* the
stale* ami foreign countries ami the et■
hilator* ami concessionaire* will x|*-ml,
the total will ea*ily reaeh that ti|ture.
TO RESIGN
Judge J. Lindley Green to Retire
From Commissioner’s Office
First of April.
Within a few days Judgl J. Lindley
Green will forward to Judge Wicker
sliam his resignation as United States
commissioner for Rampart precinct.
It is his desire that his connection with
the office shall end not later than the
first of nest April.
In speaking of the matter this morn
ing Judge Green said his resignation has
been determined upon for purely busi
ness reasons. The commissionership
interferes with his law practice and pre
vents him from branching out into new
•places of development* In the latter
sense particularly the office is a barrier
to business chances. Judge Green cited
the find on Chandlar, and said he had
been tied down here while the Tanana
had waxed great and provided fortunes
for those who got out and hustled for
them
The camp will be fortunate if it gets a
commissioner to fill the office as accept
ably as Judge Green has.
HOYT REPORT
Will be Awaited Before Wicker
sham's Name is Sent to the
Senate Again.
Washington, Dec. 5.—President Roose
velt announces that he will not send the
nomination of Judge Wickersham to the
senate until he receives the report of
Judge Hoyt, who was sent to Alaska by
order of the president to investigate the
charges made against Judge Wicker
sham, but whose report lias not yet
been laid before the president.
The president says that if the rc|s>rt
is unfavorable Judge \\ickersltam's
name will not he presented to the senate
again, but that the judge will hold office
until bis succsssor is named and ipiuli
lies.—J. J. Malone, S|>ecial correspond
ent Fairbanks News.
The mining ramp of Clifton, Arixona,
on the Frisco riser, was struck by a
lb-si caused by a bur-ted dam ami Jt*>
Uvea were lost and much property de
stroyed a month ago.