Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-12-31
VOL. XXXVI.
Alaska's Resources.

Mr.. Muir. who has cruised extensively
IN the Southern Alaska archipelago. writes
enthusiastically to San Francisco paper
OF the boundless value of this Yankee
possession in the northwest. First to i'm
press Itself upon the observer are the
grand forests of evergreen trees. chief
among which are the yellow cedar. At
I,ainlng the height of $50 feet and IA
uiameter of from three to five feet,its tough
yellow wood has fragrance like that of
sandal wood, and an endurance almost
Ike that of stone. Close grained and
susceptible Of good polish, the ship build
er ana cabinet maker will sometime find
Il valuable acquisition. The white
spruce or Sitka pine, is another noble and
Useful tree. A century hence, reckons
Mr. Muir, Secretary Seward dream that
Alaska Was to be the shipyard of the world
may come to pass. Next to the forests
he most obvious resource is that of the
fisheries. The banks of Newfoundland
are as miniature tishpond beside the
prolific codding grounds of Alaska This
industry Is now slightly worked, and
California no longer imports Goldfish across
the continent. Salmon, too, swarm in the
Alaska rivers more numerously if possible
than in the far famed Coluna bia. The
mineral wealth of the territory is also
undonbted and the indefatigahle prospector
has already begun to stake out his claims
Tor gold and silver, copper and coal And
the clmateP Why. pretty moist,to be sure,
but mild and equable. This description
of course applies to the portion of Alaska
south of the 6lst parallel To sum up the
sangulne paper asserts hat southern Alask
has more natural wealth than the whole
New England states
Mr.. Muir's letters contain many enter
tanning glimpses of native life and climatic
pecullartie,. Some OF the southern Indians
now fading away, appear to possess un-
| usual intelligence and capacity in certain
directions. There are carvers In wood
amongst them who display remarkable
skill, and single specimens of their work
| for monumental use is sometimes paid for
at the rate of one or two thousand dollars
IN blankets and other pelf. Ruined villages
| show too that the Indians in ages past
we're marvellous carpenters With their
stone implements they hewed timbers and
planks more exactly and neatly than many
Il white carpenter could with his steel
edged tools. Mr.. Muir devotes special
letter to the climate. OF 147 days at Fort
Wrangel, beginning in May, there were
65 rainy, 80 cloudy, and 30 clear. Thun-
der and lightning are rare phenomena,
and the rain steals down in gentle vel
vety fashion. The summer temperature
ranges from "a to IS degrees the hottest
point Of the past summer. Artists in
search of unfamiliar effects will lind them
in an Alaskan summer day. Because OF
the perennial moisture the atmosphere
assumes palpable texture, which in the
light of day that has no setting sun, is
beautifully dyed with varying tints and
ike a clinging robe softly wraps every
| object in the landscape. In winter, 81 to
40 degrees is the average on the southern
coast with plentiful rains, and SHOWS that
quickly melt. Inland, across the noun
lain divide, however, and beyond the
warming influences of the ocean currents,
the cold is Arctic in its intensity Were
it not for the grasping fur company which
now monopolizes the whole territory and
rests upon it like IN incubus. and were
life and property adequately protected by
the nation, he is confident that Alaska
would soon amount to something. The
| first step towards territorial organization
has been taken by the whites of that town
in the setting up of provisional govern
ment, and the federal authorities are now
asked to further supplement and com mplete
the work.