National Republican., 1883-07-30
Alaska.


people of this country as much an unknown
country as the middle of Africa. We are
wont to regard it as barren, frozen region,
somewhere in the neighborhood of the long
sought north pole, inhabited by tallow-eating
savages, and unfit for the residence of civil
lized people. When on the twenty-eighth of
May 1867, treaty was ratified by the United
States senate, by which for the consideration
of $7,200,000 tho Russian government CON-
veyed to this country $50 10Y square miles of
territory known as Alaska, it was regarded as
secretary of state, who was chiefly
instrumental in etfecting it, that it was
denominated as " Stewards folly" Even up
to this period, outside Of the names of few
places on the coast touched by vessels
Alaska Is an unknown quantity" Alaska
lies between latitude $40 40 and 72o, dis
tance north and south of !, 400 miles, and be-
tween longitude 1909 and 1902 east and west
1900 miles. The coast line extends $500
miles, being two and a half times greater in
extent than tho Atlantic and Pacific coast
line of the United States outside of it. The
western part of the territory, n part of the
Aleutian group is as far west of San Fran
thus San Francisco is the middle city be-
tween the extremes of our territory. The
divisions of Alaska are the Sitka or south
eastern portion, the Aleutian, embracing
the Alaskan peninsula and the islands
west of longitude 1859, and the Yukon,
from the Alaskan mountains to the
sixty volcanoes, which have been active since
the country was first settled by Europeans.
From Puget sound one can sail thousand
miles through inside channels among the
islands, passing sometimes by the edge of
mountains rising from one to eight thousand
feet in height. The Alexander archipelago
has ], 100 islands. The Yukon is one of the
largest rivers in the world. 1t is seventy
miles wide at its mouth and for the first one
thousand is from one to five miles in width
| 1t is nayigable fifteen hundred miles and is
over two thousand miles long. There are
other rivers of considerable length which are
navigable.
The chief resources Of the country now are
furs and fish. An abundance of the best coal
hss been found in many parts Of the territory
but the mines chiefly worked are at Cooke
inlet and st. Pauls island. The country
abounds in great forests Of cedar, spruce,
hemlock, and fir trees of great size. Gold
silver, iron, copper, and fine quality Of mar
BILE have been found in large deposits and
only need proper working to make invest
ments profitable. Firoclay of the best quality
gypsum, and sulphur are found in mex
haustible quantities, and there are consider
able deposits of amethysts, garnets, agates
carnelians, and fossil ivory.
Every diversity of climate is found il
Alaska. In the central part of the territor.
tho Thermometer often goes above 1902 il
summer and from 500 to zoo below zero il
the winter The snowfall in this regio
averages eight feet, and sometimes reache
twelve feet. Among the islands and on tn
southern coast tho climate is not unlike tina
of northwestern Scotland. For five years i
this region the greatest cold was zero and tn
! greatest heat TO. At st. Paul, Kadiak, tn
, mean summer temperature is $40 and in win
? ter 20o at sitka 540,6 summer and 320
winter. In only four winters out of forty
} five did the temperature at sitka fall belo
zero. The winter climate Of Souther