The Osceola times., 1880-03-06
ALASKA.
Interesting Gossip Concerning Its People
and their --One of
the Largest Rivers In the


| IL was sundown as the California
steamed out of the harbor of Victoria.
Instead of putting out to sea through the
Straits of Juan de Luce, the steamer
headed to the northeast through the
Haro Strait, winding in and out among a
thousand islands until we entered the
broader Georgian straits, and for 300
miles our course lies between Nancou-
ver's Island and the main land, then be-
| tween smaller islands and the main land,
so that trip Of over 900 miles is taken
| in sa Ii water without even getting TO
sea, the entire voyage being but little
better than river navigation. Entering
Haro Strait, off to the east is San Juan
Island, so long the boundary in dispute
between the United States and Great
Britain.
Far off to the East Mount Baker stood
in the twilight, great white pyramid
Notwithstanding its internal fires are
still burning. It's crater is now filled
with ashes. During the night we cross
ed the 49th parallel of North latitude,
the imaginary line that separates the
| United States from The Dominion of Can
ada. In the morning We anchored at
| Nanaimo, to take on coal for our long
| Northern Journey. The mines at this
point raised, during 1876, 10000 tons OF
coal.
Alaska is an English corruption of Al
ak-shak of the natives, meaning 1.-The
great land" 1t is indeed great land.
covering over 5S0,l07 square miles. 1t
is the great island region of the United
States, rivaling in number and size the
great archipelagoes of the Southern Pa
1 ,,G, rhapa oil nd total
| of 81, 900 square miles. Stretching along
the Aleutian Islands for 1900 miles are
sixty-one volcanoes, ten of which are
active. The magnificent Shishaldin,
nearly 5000 feet above the waves that
break on either base, Akuten, Makushin,
and others, are belching out fire and
smoke.
This is the great glacier region. From
Butte inlet to Unimak Pass nearly every
deep gulch has its glacier, some of which
are vastly greater and grander than any
of the Alps. The American student
need no longer go abroad to study gla-
cial action. In one of the gulches of
Mt Fairweather is a glacier that extends
| fifty miles to the sea; where it breaks off,
q perpendicular ice wall 300 feet high
and eight miles broad. Thirty-tive miles
above Wrangell, on the Stickine River,
between two mountains 5000 feet high,
is an immense glacier, forty miles long
and at the base four to five miles across,
and variously estimated from 800 to 900
feet high.
The principal fur-bearing animals of
Alaska are the fox, martin, mink, bea-
yer, otter, lynx, black bear and wolver-
inc. There are also the coarser furs of
reindeer, mountain sheep, goat, wolf,
muskrat and ermine. The extent of the
range and quality of the furs in that ex-
tensive northern region are conducive TO
very valuable fur trade, in addition to
which are the seal fur fisheries that since
1871 have Welded to the Government an
income of 81 ,S0l ,030. Besides the fish
cries and furs are the valuable deposits
of coal, copper, sulphur, petroleum, and
amber, with gold and silver. The gold
and silver so far have been found only
in limited quantities.
1t is the great lumber region of the
country. The forests of yellow cedar,
white pine, hemlock and balsam fir will
supply the world when the valuable
timber of Puget Sound is exhausted. 1t
has the great mountain peak of the coun-
try-St. Elias, 1880 feet highland the
great river, the Yukon, one of the largest
rivers of the world.
The Yukon district, bordering on the
Arctic ocean, is remarkable for one
thing. From three TO four feet below
the surface there is subsoil of frozen
earth from six to eight feet deep. This
phenomenon is ascribed TO the want of
drainage, together with covering of
moss tnat shields the ground from the
hot suns of the Arctic summer, and yet,
Notwithstanding this subsoil, during the
summer months there is a luxuriant
growth of vegetation. The great distin-
| gushing feature of this district is the
wonderful Yukon River, 1000 miles
long, navigable for steamers 900 miles.
| In some places on the Lower Yukon one
bank is invisible from the other. A
thousand miles above its mouth il is in
some places twenty-miles wide. including
the intervening islands. 1t is one of the
great rivers of the world, and upon one
| of its upper waters, within the Arctic
| circle, is Fort Yukon, one of the posts of
the Hudson Bay Company. At this far
distant post, where tidings from the out
side world only reaches once year, is q
Scotch missionary. The British Church
looks well after its own people. On its
banks live thousands who know neither
its outlet nor its source, and vet, recog-
nlzing its greatness, proudly call them
selves the "Men of Yukon"
The principal settlement is st. Paul,
on kediek Island, but for political rea-
sons Sitka wa smade the capital of Rus
sian colonies in America, and as such has
enjoyed prominence that has made its
name as familiar as that of Alaska itself.
1t has the largest foreign population and
the best houses in the Territory.
Cape Prince of Wales and the Island
of Alton are the extreme Western points
of land in the United States-in longi-
tude 1872 So l2>-as far west from Port
land or San Francisco as the extreme
eastern point of Maine is east.
Fort Wrangle, village of 100 houses,
is on the northwestern coast of Wrangle
Island, at the mouth of the Stickine Riv-
er. Owing TO the extensive gold mines
at Cassair, on the Stickine River, it has
become the chief business center of Al
oska. The Cassair mines are employing
This season about 1000 men, which Gre
ates considerable trade. For this trade
Wrangle is at the end of ocean and COM
mencement of river navigation. The
coast of Wrangle and the mouth of
Stickine River was first visited by the
Atahualpa, of Boston, in 1902, three
years before Lewis and Clark descended
the Columbia. The permanent popula-
tion is about 100 whites and Russians,
and 500 Indians. Besides, there is a
large winter population Of miners, and a
floating Indian population Of 500 to 700
more, sometimes being from 1000
to 5000 Indians in the place. 1t is on