Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-15
Our UnItnown Empire,
Remarkable rae,. Abou, Alaska.


DR.. Sheldon Jackson's fresh and IN
teresting book on Alaska should put
an end to tho ridicu,e that has been
50 persistently directed against the ae'
QUESTION Of that remote territory, and
It's Incorporation In the union. In
stead Of being an unproductlve and
useless ice bound desert, DR.. Jackson
shows from his own careful oJserya-
ton, supplemented by the researches
OF Mr.. Dali, OF the Smithsonian IN
sti,ution; Mr.. Baker, OF the coast
survey Professor Powell, Mouse aud
others, that the southern portion OF
the immense tract, or nearly a moiety
OF the 100000 square miles comprised
in Alaska, IS fertile aud salubrious aud
that its climate is as temperate aud
more eqaable than that OF the middle
states. The vegetable productions Of
the northern and middle states grow
on its soil as luxrriantly as anywhrle
in the United States, aud ITS resources
OF everything needfll for existence
and commerce-o timber, coal, cop
per, iron, gold, plumbago, and other
minerals-are some Of them illimtable
and others sufficiently abundant to
give full employment to enterprise
and to ensure prosperous future TO
the country. In addition to the re-
sources contained in or dependent up.
on its soil, the seas that surround
Alaska, the vast rivers that penetrate
tone of these rivers-Yukon, is
over 1000 miles long and seventy
miles wide at its mouth and the
boundless forest that cover its noun
tain abound in seal, fish, and fur.bear-
ing animals, which alleady give prof.
table employment to large numbers
and make an important contribution
to the commersc and industry of the
nation. Alaska is az largo as all Of
the United States east of he Mississip
pi and north of Alabama, Georgia and
South Carolina. Its EXTREMIST island,
Attu, in the Aleutian Archipelago, is
as far west of San Francisco as
the coast of Milne is cast Of that city.
It's extreme breadth fro east to west
is 1000 miles, and from north to
south 1,4O0; and its shore-lines up
and down the bays and around the
island is $4,000 miles, so that its coast
if extended in straight line, would
belt The globe. 1t is the great island
region of the United Statea; its is
lands, over one thousand in number,
rise abruptly out of the ocean 10 Il
height of one thousand 10 eight thous
and feet, the channels between them
in some places less than quarter Of
a mile wide, and yet to deep to afford
anchorage. This great archipelago
forms one OF the most remarkable
stretches OF inland ocean navigation
in the world; its island shores are
bold and indented With innumerable
bays and harbors; they have an
abundance of fuel and water, and they
afford perfect shelter from the swells
of the ocean. The voyager may en-
joy among them an ocean sail OF 1000
miles without seeing peril or even
seasiokness. Moreover, Alaska is the
great glacier region, some Of its gla-
ciels being vastly greater and grauder
than those of the Alps; and its hot
and mineral springs are on an enor
nous scale, one Of them being huge
boiling end steaming cauldron eight
cen miles IN circumference. What
with its wonderful natural curiosilies,
its peculiar invitations by land and
water to pleasure-seeking or scientific
travellers, its i|lmitable resources. aud
its strange native popu)ationa. Alaska
offers inducements for travel, for pleas
ure, and for business, that are not
likely to be disregarded by the enter
pris ing and adventurous.