Review of reviews and world's work . , however, forty years ago could foreseethe future wealth of Alaska, then for themost part a wilderness, known only throughthe journeys of the fur-traders along Its mar-pirts? Even twenty years after the purchasethe total annual output of Alaskas indus- tries was worth less than four million dol-lars, nearly half of which represented seal-skins. Who could know that the $7,200,-000 paid for this Arctic province, as itwas then called, would be returned with in-terest to the Federal Government by the taxon the seal rookeries alone? As late as 1887the
Review of reviews and world's work . , however, forty years ago could foreseethe future wealth of Alaska, then for themost part a wilderness, known only throughthe journeys of the fur-traders along Its mar-pirts? Even twenty years after the purchasethe total annual output of Alaskas indus- tries was worth less than four million dol-lars, nearly half of which represented seal-skins. Who could know that the $7,200,-000 paid for this Arctic province, as itwas then called, would be returned with in-terest to the Federal Government by the taxon the seal rookeries alone? As late as 1887the entire gold output was less than $700,-000,—largely the production of the Tread-well IVIine. Trade developed slowly, but In 1903Alaskans were purchasing $9,900,000 worthof goods In the States and sending back gold,fish, furs, etc., to the value of $17,900, 1907 the value of goods shipped to Alaskahad reached $19,500,000, while $33,500,000worth of products was returned. The sourceof this wealth is indicated In the accompany-. DIAGRAM SHOWING VALUE OF ALASKA PRODUCTS IN1907. TOTAL, $33,500,000. ing diagram. The annual gold output ($19,-350,000 in 1907) far exceeds in value thatof all the other industries. This, however,Is but a temporary condition, not because thegold production will fail to Increase, butbecause the construction of railways will givecopper and coal mining a fair chance. The Territory, for the purchase of whichIn 1867 Seward was so bitterly criticised,has since produced gold, silver, copper, tin,marble, g>psum, coal, furs, salmon, cod, hali-but, herring, timber, etc., to the value of$324,500,000. The proportion contributedby each of these various products Is shownIn the following diagram. Though AlaskaIs known as the land of gold, the fish-ery products have a value of nearly five- THE ALASKA OF TO-DAY. 51
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