Alaska an episode of Frontier Fighters

Please enjoy Alaska a great episode of the legendaryFrontier Fighters - A Classic Old Time radio Show.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Frontear of fire frontier fighters, memorablemoments from the lives of those who gave

(01:34):
us our frontiers. One of themost intensely interesting and thrilling chapters in the
animals of American history is that ofAlaska, the land of the midnight Sun.
And to those men who gave tothe United States that new land,
we paid tribute in this episode.Our story opens in the year eighteen sixty
seven. In a rather dimly lightedroom in Sitka. A certain transaction is
being brought to a close. Inthe room are several Russians and several Americans.

(01:57):
The scratching of a pen is theonly sound for a moment. Then
they're gentlemen. The United States haspurchased Alaska for seven million, two hundred
thousand dollars. A heavy price,yes, but the deal is finished.
There is no longer any need forus to stay here. A good day,
gentlemen. We hope that your governmentwill not regret the purchase. So

(02:23):
do I goodbye. Well, that'sthat seven million, two hundred thousand for
this snow and ice. I don'tknow what Suward was thinking of. What
will the American people say when theylearn of this? The American people heard
of the purchase of Alaska with incredulousstairs. They read their newspapers one day
in the lobby of Congress. Whatsort of nonsense that it's her do now?

(02:47):
Over seven million dollars for her?Well, for what, I'll tell
you? For what for a countryof ice and snow? Why do you
know that there are only thirty thousandpeople up there and two thirds of them
are esquimos another natures crags. I'mgoing to fight this thing, now,
use fighting something that's already gone throughCongress route. It seems that the United

(03:07):
States will have to put up withSeward's Polly short fie. Why I believe
you'll hit on the name for this, Senator Suards, Polly Sewards icebox.
Maybe we can get our money backby selling ice. That's the only way
we can possibly even things up.I imagine the Russians must be laughing up
their sleeves at the stupidity of anynation willing to buy a balance waste such

(03:30):
as the last seven million dollars.Ah, well, I guess we'd just
better forget about Alaska and try tohush the thing up. And oh,
here comes ser Now he doesn't seemput out about it. It wouldn't do
for him to admit a mistake.Hell, good afternoon, mister secondary.
Good afternoon, gentlemen. And isn'tit very fine? Warm, not too

(03:53):
warm, and not too cold cool? Why should it be cold in October?
It's always cold in some countries,mister Seward, Oh, I see
Alaska for instance. Yes, misterSecretary, we can't keep quiet about it
any longer our constituents or let usknow. But what's wrong with Alaska?
Gentlemen? What's good about it?That'd take a shorter time to tell you?

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Gentlemen seem to forget that we boughtthe Louisiana territory against our position and
no comparison there, no comparison.Louisiana was rich in natural resources. Kevin
Nori knows what's in Alaska, iceand snow and eskimos. Perhaps, mister
Secretary, you plan to do somethingwith them. Gentlemen, I argue slip
Fort and Port Alaska. I think, Congressman, that you hit the nail
on the head when you said Heavenonly knows what's in Alaska. Well,

(04:40):
we're going to find out find outthat you spend over seven million dollars of
your taxpayers money for a worthless bandpiece of land that Russia was only too
glad to get rid of. MisterSewart, the purchase of that iceberg will
go down in history as Seward's folly. Newspaper cartoons of the day reviled the

(05:01):
purchase. President Johnson and Sword wereopenly laughed at. Even foreign countries were
laughing at the gullibility of a youngnation so foolish as to take a wide
elephant off the hands of Russia.Then in the office of the President,
Secretary Seward speaks to President Johnson thatI tell you, mister President, it's
not folly, William. I've hadthe utmost faith in you. I sanctioned
that purchase and sank into spending ofover seven million dollars seven million, Seward.

(05:27):
That's a tremendous amount of money tospend for a pig in the pope,
especially so shortly after a disastrous war. We've made a mistake, William,
a ghastly mistake. Even you thinkthat, how can I help but
think it? William? What's inAlaska? What could possibly be in a
country of ice and snow? We'llnever know until we INVESTI investigate, investigate,
how are we going to do that, mister President. The pioneer spirit

(05:48):
of the citizens of this country sentthem out to California, into the Northwest,
the southwest. What's to prevent themfrom going into a less lack of
incentive to go into a hunter likethat. But they're just warn through it.
We can try, all right,William, We'll try, and I
pray that someday time may vindicate ourjudgment, and perhaps Alaska will be our

(06:11):
last frontier. But the passing yearssaw neither President Johnson nor as Secretary of
State esteem for having bought a worthlessterritory. More and more was the name
swords folly on the tons of thepeople. The seven million dollars spent seemed
greater and greater. Hugh settlers wentto Alaska. But suddenly, in the

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year eighteen ninety six, in Alaska, a placer biner on the Klondike was
panning for gold. Ah, it'sno use change. If there's gold here,
it must be fifty miles down.We're going back to California, this
kid. We can't. You don'twant to stick out another winter here?
Do you see? Everything we cando? We can't go back, and
we can't stay here in this governor'staken country. I should have known better

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than to come up here. Seward'sPolly, Seward's ashbacks. Everybody's right.
The States took a good skin andon this steel and jid with the ethic
nothing. I guess the sun wasjust getting in my eyes for a minute.
But I thought, well, butyou thought had made that pan?
Jed, did you see something?No? I thought I did, may

(07:15):
begin I didn't anyhow, Give methe penny. Thanks. Now tell me
Jared, is it Fani? Look? Is it? He is of young
metal? I quick the big pen. Now, I'm going out in the
middle of the green. You can'tre out this cone. I can do
you, Angie, this is gold. Give me the big pen. I'm
going out there and I'll go.Angie, look, look it is go

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hands of it. I can reachthem and pick a pen cold asie gold.
Thousands of dollars worth of Jed,I'm going out the help. Oh
we'll read. Read. On julnseventeen, see up, a Post Intelligencer
received the startling information that the steamof Portland was arriving with a ton of

(08:05):
gold. The news plunged the nationinto wild speculation. A New Eldorado was
spoken of. From all parts ofthe country came men, women, even
children. Alaska was their goal.The words Seward's folly were forgotten, and
the mad scrambled to get to thisnew land of fabulous wealth. Every corner
could be heard words similar to these, I'm going to al Asculation. The
gorse just bottle down the river.Kim and I have even this afternoon the

(08:30):
Seattle. We've taken the boat fromthere to Alaskas. Sure, Sure,
every bit of it's true. Oneminer took out eight thousand dollars worth of
goal, and a hell of aday Alaska's a paste to go. Sward's
dream of settlers for Alaska came true. Each person who went dreamed of wealth,

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untold fortunes hidden in the bountiful earthof the New Eldorado. But before
they got there there were hardships,chips such as they never knew like this
did. And along the trail howmuch farther ed I don't know, but
look up ahead I can't. Thesnow is blinding me. My feet are

(09:18):
warned. Her ribbons Hie puts upthere, the biggest killer of them all.
Two could pass, tear could pass. Remember what they said about it
here all Mother nature sure got hergo protected up here. Well, we're
going on, are stopping Puck?Puck had taken another grave over there,

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some other poor devil's got his.Yeah, that take gold well, And
I ain't stopping here. I comethis firm. No pile of snow and
ans is going to stuff me fromgetting my mistake and taking it easy for
the rest of my life. Comeon. The Chopus Pass took a terrible

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toll of human lines daily. Thelong line of gold rushers became thinner.
Those unable to stand the riggers inheart breaking trials fell, But those unnamed
heroes went on. Not all ofthem went for gold. Some sought a
land where they could start anew Some, noticing the abundance of fish, decided
to give Alaska a new industry otherthan gold mining. I've did. Their

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courage will always be rememberbentered. Theyfought desperadoes who sought to rule the territory
by guns and killings. But lawcame to Alaska. The bad men of
the Klondyke were driven out, werekilled. The territory prospered, and then
just a few months before the yearnineteen six, scenes such as this were
taking place in the principal cities ofAlaska. PRIs praise. In just a

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couple of weeks, we're going tobe off to Washington, to the capital
of the United States. We're goingon an important mission, and I guess
you know what it is. We'regoing down there to make give us representation
in Congress. It's about time thatAlaska was recognized as part of the United
States. It's about time we hadsomething to say in the governmental affairs of

(11:11):
this country. For we're Americans,citizens of the United States. Every one
of us were away up here inthe North Country. But we haven't forgotten
the days of ninety six when wemade Alaska over. It's a territory to
be part of. When we madeit up part of the United States.

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And in the year nineteen six,Alaska's dream came true. He was given
representation in Congress by a duly electedrepresentative. Nineteen twelve, an Actress passed
giving Alaska limited territorial government. Thefirst territorial legislature convened March third, nineteen
thirteen, and the first law passedgave franchise to women voters for seven million

(12:03):
dollars in the faith of a fewmen, the United States bought one hundred
and seven million dollars worth available forfish industry, whose value up to nineteen
twenty four was one million, sixhundred nineteen thousand, four hundred and forty
three dollars, and mineral resourses totalingin value up to the year nineteen twenty
seven five hundred and eighty six milliondollars. So for those seven million,
two hundred thousand dollars, the UnitedStates had realized thus far a profit of

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six hundred eighty seven million, fourhundred nineteen thousand, four hundred forty three
dollars. But more than that,we have on record the glorious faith,
courage, and vision of those menand women of Alaska who were true frontier
fighters. I