The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-01-06
Our 0liu.
Our Northwestern Iceberg"

people have nearly the same notion to-da
concerning Alaska that the grandfather
used to entertain about Texas. Thirty o
forty years ago if man wanted to consigl
anybody to what was regarded as only
shade removed from hades he told him tt
90 to Texas. Now he consigns him t.
Alaska. Nobody to-day thinks of Texa
save as one of the garden spots of the re
public. 1t may be that in half a centur.
or less Alaska will have risen in CORES
ponding degree in popular favor.
The popular belief concerning Alaska i
that it is a region of eternal frosts, of deel
SHOWS and gigantic icebergs, of prolonged
and intensely cold winters, region where
in the frost king is undisputed monarch
and the inhabitants whereof-save few
scattered whites, engaged in the service o.
the government or of the fur companies
are ignorant, degraded and filthy savages
1t is popularity said that Russia drove (
sharp bargain with US, giving us in ex
change for our money-$7, 900, 900 in golc
nothing but large iceberg. Yet it may
be that the popular belief is not found
ed on fact.
Rev. Sheldon jackson, a Presbyterian
missionary, who has devoted good deal Of
personal study to our latest territorial ac,
QUESTION has recently published paper
which contains some statements calculated
to astonish those who regard Alaska as OF
no value.
As to the size of the territory, it is much
more extensive than most persons imagine
For instance, from extreme north to south
is ! 400 miles in an air line. From its
eastern boundary to the end of the Aleu-
tian Islands is distance of z, 200 miles, OF
as far as from Washington to California.
The island of Atlu, at the end of the
Aleutian chain, is as far west of San Fran
cisco as Maine is east. A good many peo-
pie have been astonished, when they were
asked where is the centre of line drawn
from the furthest east to the furthest west
of the United States territory, to find that
the true answer is San Francisco.
Alaska is as large as all the New Eng
land aud middle states, together with Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Kentucky and Tennessee combined, or as
large as all of the United States east of the
Mississippi river and north of Georgia and
the Carolinas That is, it is nearly one
sixth of the area of the United States. 1t
has coast line of 25, 900 miles, or two and
a half times more than the Atlantic and
Pacific coast lines of the remaining portion
of the union. The total area of the island
of Alaska DR.. Jackson estimates at 81 ,205
square miles, or twice as much as that of
the state of Maine. To find our highest
mountains we must 60 to Alaska. There
the Coast range of California and the
Rocky Mountain range of Colorado and
Montana unite to form the Alaskan noun
tains, which extend until they gradually
sink into the Pacific, the highest peaks WIS.,
ible above the water forming the Aleutian
chain of islands. In the Alaskan range are
Mount St. Elias, 19,5O0 feet high; Mount
Cook, 10000 feet; Mount Crillon, $4,000;
Mount Fairweather, 15,500. These are
the figures of DR.. Jackson, though for their
accuracy he does not give us his authori-
ties. But the heights are those commonly
given in gazetteers and biographies. Be-
sides its ordinary mountains, Alaska con-
tains the great volcanic system of the
United States. 1t is also the great glacier
region. 'From Butte Inlet to Unimak Pass
nearly every deep gulch has its glacier,
some of which are vastly greater and gran
der than any glacier in the Alps" Hot
and mineral springs also abound in Alaska.
And, in addition, it contains one of the
largest rivers in the United States. The
Yukon river is seventy miles wide across
its five mouths and intervening deltas; for
the first thousand miles it is from one to
five miles wide, and, according to Mr.
Robert Campbell, of the Hudson s bay fu1
company, it is navigaDie at certain seasons
for nearly 5000 miles, if its tributary, the
Pelly, be included
Nearly all the sealskins used in the mar
kets of the world come from two little Is
lands belonging to Alaska. The skins OF
the sea otter are also very valuable, and
there are many choice land fur-bearing an
imals. The waters are wonderfully rich in
fish, as all the explorers of the region, from
Captain Cook down, have testified. Be
sides cod, "Alaska can supply the world,
SAYS DIR. Jackson, "with salmon, herring
and halibut of the best quality" 1t is also
''the great reserve lumber region of the
United States. There are thousands Of
square miles of yellow cedar, white spruce
hemlock, and balsam fir that densely cover
the southeastern section of Alaska" And,
of course, minerals are plenty and of many
kinds in so mountainous region. AS to
climate, ''in general way, it may be said
that inland Alaska has an arctic winter
and tropical summer" At Fort Yukon
the thermometer often rises above 1902 in
summer and indicates from 500 to 7O0 be-
low zero in winter. Along the immense
southern coast and islands the climate is
moist and warm. On the island of Una
lashki, for instance, according to the record
of a Greek priest during five years, the
lowest point reached was zero of the ther-
mometer, and the highest 770, the average
being 80 at Z in the morning, 400 at l,
and $50 at 9 at night. AS to climate and
weather, it is very much the same as north
western Scotland, little more than half
the days being clear, and all the rest cloudy.
At Sitka, according to records kept pretty
steadily for forty-fve years, the mean spring
temperature is 41.20; summer, 54.60; au,
tumn, 44.9o; winter, 32.5o; for the whole
year, 1890. "The surprising fact is
broug ght to light" adds DIR. jackson, who
takes the above figures from the Alaska
coast pilot, 'that the winter climate Of
southeastern Alaska for forty-fve years
past has been the average winter climate oi
Kentucky and West Virginia, and the
average summer climate of Minnesota.
The mild climate of this region is due t.
the warm Japan current of the Pacific, thu
Kuro-Siwo. Generally of Alaska, Mr.
William II. Dale of the Smithsonian insti
tute, says d come back convinced, from
personal inspection, that Alaska is fa1
better country than much Of Great Britain
and Norway, and even part of Prussia,
In letter to his friends at home, al
Intelligent foreigner states that "when