Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-10-22
Our Unknown Empire.

Dr.. Sheldon Jackson's fresh and
interesting book on Alaska should put
an end to the ridicule that has been so
persistently directed against the late
Secretary Seward because Of his acqui-
sition of that remote territory, and its
incorporation in the Union. Instead Of
being an uuproductive and useless ice
bound desert, DR.. Jackson shows from
his own careful observations, supple
mented by the researches of Mr.. Dali,
of the Smithsonian Institution: Mr..
Baker, OF the coast survey; Professors
Powell, Nourse and others, that the
south ern portion of the immense tract,
or nearly Il moiety of the GOO, 900 square
miles comprised in Alaska, is fertile
and salubrious, aud that its climate is
AS temperate and more equable than
that Of the middle States. The vegetable
productions of the Northern and Middle
States grow on its soil as luxuriantly as
anywhere in the United States. and its
resources of everything needful for
existence and commerce-of timber,
coal, copper, iron, gold, plumbago, and
other minerals-are some of them
illimitable, and others sufficiently album
dant to give full employment to enter
prise and tu insure prosperous future
to the country. In addition to the le-
sources contained in or Deepen lent upon
its soil, the seas that surround Alaska,
the vast rivers that penetrate it-one of
these rivers-the Yukon, is over 1000
miles long and seventy miles wide at its
mouth-an the boundless forests that
cover its mountains abound ia seal, fish
and fur-bearing animals, which already
give profitable employment to large
numbers and make an important contri-
button to the commerce and industry of
the nation. Alaska is as large as all Of
the United States east Of the Mississippi
aud north of Alabama, Georgia and
South Carolina. It's EXTREMIST island,
Attn, In the Aleusian Archipelago, is as
far west OF San Francisco as the coast
OF Maine is east of that city. Its ex-
treme breadth from east to west is 2, 200
miles, and from north to south 400;
and its shore-line up and down the bays
and around the islands is % 900 miles,
SO that its coast, if extended in
straight line, would belt the globe. 1t
is the great island region of the United
States; its islands, over one thousand
in number, rise abruptly out of the
ocean to Height of one thousand to
eight thousand feet, the channels
between them in some places less than
a quarter of mile wide. land yet too
deep to afford anchorage. This great
archipelago forms one of the most re-
markable stretches of inland ocean
navigation in the world; its island
shores are bold and indented with in
Vulnerable 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
enjoy among them an ocean sail of 900
miles without encountering peril or
even seasickness. Moreover, Alaska is
the great glacier region, some of its
glaciers being vastly greater and
grander than those of the Alps; and its
hot and mineral springs are on an enor-
nous scale, one of them being huge
boiling and stea,ning caldron eighteen
miles in circumference. What with its
.Eaasr.s, ss-t0~s2--ss&s ~ ..!.-ss i..as . -.
culiar invitations by land aud water to
pleasure seeking or scientific travellers.
its illimitable resources, and its strange
native populations, Alaska offers H.
ducements for travel, for pleasure, and
for business, that are not likely to ta
disregarded by the enterprising and
adventurous.-Har Maguzine.