N. W. Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual and Directory: A Catalogue of American Newspapers, 1922, Volume 1 Page: 45
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45
ALASKA
Population, 55,036
(U. S. Census Bureau, 1920)
TERRLTORIAL CAPITAL, J UNEAU
ALASKA is bounded north by the Arctic Ocean, east by the Yukon district of Canada and
British Columbia, south by the Pacific Ocean, and west byBehring Sea and Strait, and numerous
islands. It has a total area of about 590,884 square miles, its greatest length, from north to
south, being 1,200 miles and greatest breadth over 800 miles. The northern half is low with
great swampy morasses along the streams, running back into low, rolling hills. The population
of this portion consists chiefly of Indians, who live along the streams in small bands. The southern
half is mountainous, and along the southeast coast are some of the highest mountain peaks
on the American continent; Mount St. Elias, the principal one, is over 18,000 feet. Near the center
of the territory is Mt. McKinley, the loftiest on the entire continent, summit over20,000 feet. The
southwesterly section comprises the peninsula of Aliaska and the Aleutian islands, the latter
the principal seat of the fur seal and sea otter fisheries. The production of the latter fur has greatly
decreased,as the animal is now alm ost extinct. This district is mountai nous and actively volcanic.
MINERALS. The principal industry at present. is mining, the country being seamed by the
largest quartz veins yet discovered. Chief mineral productions, 1920, were gold, 380,034 ounces,
value $7,856,000; silver, 792,751 ounces, value $804,745; copper is produced in large quantities;
some tin is found. Coal, which was first discovered in 1855 by the Russians, has been worked to
some extent. The output varies greatly. The 1920 output was 68,000 tons. Deposits of anthracite
of high quality have recently been discovered, as well as new fields of bituminous, the new
coal fields covering an area of almost a tllousand square miles, and it is believed that Alaska,
with improved transportation facilities, will greatly increase its production. Railroads now
reach some of the coal fields. Some small deposits of petroleum have been found, also gypsum,
lead, tungsten, antimony and graphite. Marble is quarried on Prince of Wales Island. The. total
mineral production in 1920 had a value of $22,070,000.
FISHERIES. The fisheries in 1918 employed 820 vessels of a total of 97,622 tons, and 31,213
persons, the product, chiefly canned and dried salmon, being worth $60,000,00C. $73,000,000 is invested
in this industry.
AGRICCULTURE. The agricultural industries in Alaska are confined to a few small truck
farms near the cities, but the Department of Agriculture has established experiment stations in
various places, and oats and wheat have been brought to maturity in favored situations. Some
cattle have been raised on the Aleutian Islands, and it is believed that the enterprise will be
successful. The Department of Agriculture is also raising sheep there.
COMMERCE AND TRANSPORTATION. The exports consist chiefly of gold, canned salmon and
other fish, copper ore and furs. Seal skins were exported to the United States to the value of
$211,830 (7,061 skins) in the year ending June 30th, 1917; canned salmon, 231,322,337 pounds, valued
at $21,195,612, other fish, $2,638,050; copper, $33,098,190, an increase of nearly $30,000,000 in three
years. The imports are chiefly hardware, machinery, tin cans and tin plate, explosives, cotton
goods and provisions, and the export and import trade for the year ending June 30th, 1920, with
the United States was, imports, $33,998,642; exports, $66,498,871. Only about four per cent. of the
commerce is with other countries. About 27,000,000 acres of forest land are set apart as national
forests under the care of the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and their timber
will be cut under the supervision of the department in such a manner as to make them a permanent
source of supply. In 1912, 45,000,000 feet of timber were sold. The coast, from the southern
boundary to Cape Spencer, is lined with a continuous chain of islands, between which and
the main land are salt water channels, navigable for the largest sized steamships. In the interior
is one of the largest rivers in the world, the Yukon, which has a course of between 1,500
and 1,600 miles through the territory, navigable the entire distance. There is a weekly steamboat
between St. Michael, Alaska akd Dawson, in the Yukon Territory of Canada, through the
season when the river is open. There is also frequent steamboat connection between south
coast towns and the ports of Seattle, Portland and San Francisco and monthly steamers from
those cities to the Behring Sea ports. Places on the north and northwest coasts are reached
once or twice a year. The United States government is now building a railroad from Seward
to Fairbanks, on the Tanana river, several hundred miles being already in use: Other railroads
run from Skagway to White Horse, Yukon Territory, Canada, about 40 miles; from Fairbanks,
north, about 40 miles and from Cordova, north, along the CopperRiver, about 200 miles. Branch
roads reach out to the coal mines.
The number of newspapers and periodicals published in Alaska is 20, including 6 daily,
2 three times a week, 10 weekly and 2 monthly. The places of publication number 16, of which
4, designated by a dagger (t), are the sites of the Judicial District Court-Houses.
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N. W. Ayer & Son. N. W. Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual and Directory: A Catalogue of American Newspapers, 1922, Volume 1, book, 1922; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9267/m1/45/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .