The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-25
Letter from Alaska.
Good Reading for Hot Weather.

| On the 10th of July, 1881, the writer wa
detailed from the U. S. Revenue Steam
er "Corwin" then at anchor off St
Michael's, Alaska, for special duty on
| the Pribylov or what are generally
| called the Seal Islands. As the "Corwin wa
to proceed Northward, was instructed to
take passage for my destination on the Alaska
Commercial Companys steamer ''St. Paul." at
that time discharging freight for the Company
post at st. Michael's-Comparative few peo-
pie, in the East, especially, are aware what an
extensive corporation the Alaska Commercial
Company has grown to be. 1t has established
trading forts in every direction throughout the
Territory, with principal stations at Oon-
alaska and st. Michael's. One may form N
idea of the business carried on by this compa-
ny when it employs constantly feet of four
steamers one of nine hundred tons, the st
Paul, and several sailing vessels to convey the
furs to San Francisco. The company has
leased from the Russian government two is
lands in Behring sea ON which 10000 seals are
killed annually, besides renting the Seal Is
lands, separate district Of which will speak
later, from the United States. OF all great
business corporations that have chanced to
come under my observation the Alaska Com
mercisl Company is certainly one Of the mos
generous to its employees From the hghes
to the lowest of its servants, nothing is heard
but praise of the companys actions. Every
thing possible is done for the comfort OF its res
ident agents. One is surprised to find at the
stations such evidences of civilization as pian-
os, organs, billiard tables, libraries, etc.
OF II LoI IL
going through one of the warehouses there
To see hundreds of sea-otter skins-the most
valuable of Alaska's furs--strung along the
rafters, caused me to think of the enormous
quantity of fur that is annually taken out of
this country to supply the wants of civilized
man. st. Michael's, the headquarters Of the
Yukon district, is a stockaded enclosure of
dozen houses or so, situated on an island in
Norton Sound, near the mouth Of the Yukon,
and in North Latitude $50 05'. The agent at
the redoubt is Russian, Mr.. Lorenz, who ha
married an American lady from the go-dheadi
the State of Maine. Mrs. Lorenz has become
an expert dog driver and has fine team of
animals at her disposal during the winter
months Mrs. L. tells me that last winter was
a remarkably mild one. Tue coolest day 'on-
40 below zero" How many of our Portland
citizens would relish mild winter cf that
kind? There is stationed at this port an off,
Ger of the signal service to whom, believe, is
he has been doing his duty nobly, giving us
continual sunshine from three in the morning
until after half-past eleven at night One
hardly knows when to retire, and occasionally
gets puzzled about eating hours.
There has been considerable excitement at
the redoubt during the past two weeks, caused
by the erection c. small stern-wheel steam
boat, brought In sections from San Francisco.
The vessel was launched on Sunday, the 10th,
at q. m. A bottle of wine, the only one In
the plana LOOKING SnsnieiouQy ike xva
was provided for the occasion, and amid the
waving of flags and the bowling of the assem-
bled natives, the first steamer built in Alaska
since that country has been under the stars
and stripes moved gracefully iato the water,
manned by Mrs. Lorenz who did the honors.
The Yukon" Alaska, has been compared
favorably with Massachusetts in respect to the
probability of the former becoming an agricul-
tural State. How it is in the interior cannot
say, but along the seacoast, in midsummer, one
has only to dig to the depth of four or five feet
to arrive at hard frozen earth. At distance
the land does resemble the rolling pastures of
the Bay State but upon closer examination
the ground is found to be completely covered
with spongy moss called by the
Russians "Tundra," into which one
stepping sinks to depth of six or seven inch
es. In the Spring, the Tundra is full of wat
er from the melting snow and is almost inn
passable. As the season advances, however,
this is dried up by the heat of the sun; grasses
soon presents very pretty aspect, marred on
ly by the total absence Of trees Tnrnips-
radishes and lettuce have been cultivated in
a small garden attached to the post with par
tial success, but the day when Alaska will
stand side by side with Massachusetts, in an
agricultural sense, is still in the dim future
st. Michael's being SO near the mouth of the
Yukon, a word in regard to that river is not
out of place. According to my only authority
on the subject, the traders, this river is navi-
gable for 1900 miles to vessels not drawing ov-
er four feet of water. Its greatest width is
1000 miles from the mouth where the river
forms an inland sea nearly five miles broad. Mr..
Mayo, trader whose station is at the extreme
head of the river tells me the scenery along
the shores of this great stream is simply grand.
Mountains OF tremendous heights whose tops
are veer covered with cloak of snow, dense
forests, animal life abounding, Of every de-
scription, including myriads Of the tuneful
mosquito three of which are said to weigh a
pound all must tend to make trip to the
head of the Yukon one of the great events in
any mans life.
The "St. Paul' left St. Michaels on the 18th,
and arrived at the Pribylov Islands on the
morning of the Goth. After the transfer OF
Alaska to the United States, the privilege Of
killing 100000 seals annually on these islands
was leased for twenty years to the Alaska
Commercial Company for a consideration OF
S2.625 per skin. In addition to this tax, the
company pays ground rent of $4,000 per an
mum, making yearly income for the govern
ment-provided the company take the full
number of skins of 1912 800. D