The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-01-17
RosE-coLoRED VIEW OF ALASKA.
A Correspondent who Alleges that it Has
Mild Climate, Great Mineral Wealth
and Plenty OF Fish, Vegetables
and Game.

letter from Sitka, Alaska, 10 the Chicago
Tribune says Like nearly every ono who has
never seen this country. imagined /. was so COW
cred with glaciers aud surrounded by iccbcrss
that II was WORTHLESS except vast fur farm. and
felt sorry for the people who lived here thinking
that at best they must find IL rather diffcNlt TO
exc out a miserable existence. Six months OK.
perience here has changed these ideas. Instead
Decentralization glaciers and iccbergs their alb
sencc Is the most conspicuous feature. II Is true
that on the higher mountain ranges there are
glaciers, but they are generally found only on the
north sides and at great elevations. The scenery
Is magnificent, combining the grandeur of the
Alps with thC beautiful island scenery Of Maine,
or even that Of the famous Inland sea Of japan.
The resources ofthis immense and almost unknown
country are unlimited, AMI I believe that no ter
ritory Of the United States ever had a brighter
future before il than this has. The inhabitants
were until recently nearly all poor Russians. At
present some settlers and an inlx Of miners have
given Sttka the appearance of some oi our new
western towns. Excepting tropical plants there
Is nothing belonging 10 the vegetable Kingdom
that will not grow here and some Of the veecta-
bes raised In this vicinity during. the last sum
mer would surprise people in the States and com
Is really not so strange except for the erroneous
impressions people have about this country. The
rainfall here Is immense aud the only drawback
Of the country. Still. II Is believed that when the
timber Is partially cleared OF, IL will diminish 10
some extent. During one year. when a record
was kept u rained more or less 100 days out of
the 365. The climate Il mild and the coolest
weather on record In Sitka IL 10 degrees above
zero. Fahrenheit. The reason tina, il Is no, colder
IN this country u easily accounted for when
consider its proximity to the warm Japan current,
The latter strikes this coast 90 the westward run
ming near its shores to the southwark aud east.
ward, and IL may be that this current. coming
from warmer quarter. forms par, Of the yapor
which descends rs rain.
Notwithstanding all it, advantage. Alaska
might wait for q long time 90 come. were IL not for
one thing; and that j. the discovery of gold.
During the past summer very rich mines have
been discovered in this vicinity. and capitalists
have had their agents here buying up claims in
all directions and next spring the mining inter
esis Of Alaska will certainly make themselves Eel;
elsewhere. These purchases have ail been made
within the las, sixty days and among the mines
which will probably be in active operation in the
spring are the Stuart Tunnel. Great Eastern,
Witch. Haley Milctich. Bold Mountain Brown
Bear. North Star. Juno. Henrietta and burning
Moscow. Nearly all Of these. together with n
great many others. have been discovered during
the past summer and new locations are bcin.
made continually. The Stuart Tunnel /. the
pioneer mine and will be worked all winter. They
have ten-stamp mill in working order aad in.
tend 20 keep milling all winter. In the sprins
they intend adding thirty more stamps. Their
ore !: very rich and the deeper they 60 the bet
ter the quality seems 20 be. II Is strange that
these mines. although at least two of them have
been know 60 exist for several years. never caused
any exci,cnen, before. The people here claim
tina; the reason Is that the fur company has spent
large sums Of money to prevent the people in the
states from learning the yuiue az fhis
try. Whether this is 50. cannot say: but it al
mos; seems n though il isht be. am told
that Western Alaska. like Eastern Alaska. il not
the worthless waste il has been generally hssicvcI
TO be: and certainly. If the deserts Of Colorado.
Nebraska and kansas have been aad are bein.
settled. this fertile country, with is mild climate.
and vast wealth in timber. f.h anl precious
metals, must sooner or later become q ;hickly-sc,-
tied State, and the home Of Thousands OF happy
families.