Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-25
TRUTH ABOUT ALASKA.
THE STATE OF THE TsRRiToRr.
The White Settlements and the Native In
habltanss-The seal 1sian6s.

Inc pressure upon tNc tAecutt'e NV
psrtmcnts OF The Government for appoint
ment 20 the offices created by The AlasSs
bill was to be expected, says san fran
cisco letter 20 the New York Sas. TO poo
pie In the eastern States Alasks Is Terra in'
ooqnitd, aud II not literally iand over
flowing with milk and honey, II Is In
imagination a regfon in which great TO-
fumes ore 10 be MADE after She manner and
methods Of the Alaska Commercial Com
many. The establishment OF a much.need-
ed provisional territorial government for
Alaska Is undoubtedly directing much al
tention to the Territory.
Although the powers OF the new govern
ment extend over the whole OF The vast ter
ritory Of Alaska. and over thousands OF
square miles which have never been trod-
den by the foot OF white man, their i'm 9.
mediate application Is practically limited TO
the district 81 Southeastern Alaska. which
includes q strip OF the mainland thirty
miles wide, beginning at the parallel OF 5io
40 north latitude. aud following the trend
OF the coast line 20 coo 30T aud TO the i4lst
meridian of west longitude. This strip OF ter
ritory ~ 81 little known value except at one
point-yiz., st tsc miEiug district of Harris
burg. Juineau. or Takou. aS L Is indincTently
called, where Is situated the only white set
Element on the mainland Of Southeastern
Alaska. Between this tuirty-mie strip Of
mainland and the Pacific ocean, and follow.
ing the coast-lne northesiy aud westward.
lie the islands Of the Alexander archipelago,
which. with their surrounding waters, are
The most valuable OF our possessions In
Southeastern Alaska. The largest OF the
1.IcO islands OF tae archipelago are Prince
of Wales, BaTonoh, Hon, Admiralty. ku-
preanoa, Revilla, Gig6do, ChicagoG, and
Etoin. They are all surrounded and in
denied by nayigabe waters, which literally
teen with Notwithstanding, salmon. cod.
and herring being found in almost fa5u-
lous abundance and In the greatest periec-
ton.
The land is covered with dense growth
OF timber. principally yellow cedar and
a superior quality OF spruce, both OF
which occasionally grow 20 dimensions OF
sufficient size 10 be worked into valuable
humber. Trees that are worth telling for
the mill are. however. exceptional, and
those WHO believe that in the forests OF the
ALASKAN islands We baYc grand reserve
OF timber TO be drawn upon when the for
ests Of Washington Territory are cX-
liaustCd will be grievously d,sapp0int-
ed. Three fOurths Of the timber of the
Alaskan forests Is worthless, except
for fuel. The soil upon the Rocky mouu-
tain slopes is very Thin, ana the larger
islands are simply mountains, rising sheer
up from the inland seas, with but few aId
small areas OF Hat or valley land on the
margin Of the bays and rivers. II iSnO ur-
usual sight TO see patches. covering scores
OF acres. Of dead trecs, uprooicd and pros
trated by the wind. while mile after nlle Of
standing trees. which have rim up 70 thirty
and forty feet in height. and dead for lack
OF nourishmcnt, mar the beauty OF the
mount.in scenery rs one sails past il.
The willie settlement, in Southeastern
Alaska are few in lumber and seam in re-
siG6nts, formerly the capital OF Russian
Sitka, America, and the headquarters OF the
Russian American Fur Comuany. is con-
tinuCd as tie American capital Of the
Territory, though IL Is incOnyeuicnily situS-
ted upon the western shore OF BaIonof-the
western inland Of the archipelago-on a
barbor oycn TO the sweils OF the Pacific
ocean. Il Las no resources nor indus
tries within or near the town. Ii is of
the inland route Of trade aGd travel, and
subsisis solely upon Government support
In The shape OF U2itcd States ship OF
war, which is usually found at anchor in
=
pursuance Of his plain and obvious duty
10 visit other settlements in Alaska, de-
PARTS with h, ship from The haTb0r Of
Si;ka, howl Of indignation and re-
monstrance is heard from. the traders
ard saloOn-kcCpcrS. and the old decay
Ing town falls back into scJsoH
Of dulinCss and Inactivity, compared
with which a deserted miaing camp
in California j. q gay and lively resi-
dence. Silka still has among its cltiZrns a
few cid Russian pen ,iCncrS, Who drag OGt
a purpOScleSs existence. having no 0ctups'
ton. and but paliry piltance upon which
To support their useless lives. II has Rus
sim church. with an officiating priest sup.
ported by the Russian Government, aud
ibrec OF -four respectable but needy Rus
sian families. al 4 cosmopolitan collection
Of twenty-five white Inconsistencies,
and tradcrs-and niue
white women.
The next hogi-kuown town is Fort
Wrangd, OIL Etohn island, at the mouth OF
tie Stickecn. The principal river OF ~oulu-
eastern Alaska. WiangcI has srown w.
cultivated. and fallen into decay since the
purchase Of the Territory In 1851, when a
eoupauy Of the United States army was
stationed there and Il dnslom-housc estab-
lished. ItSoon after was forced into some
importance by the discovery 81 gold placer
diggings at CaSsiac, British Columbia. AZ
these plccers could he reached only 10y way
Of the StickCcu river. all the supplies for
the miners who tlocked there from Cariboo
and California had 10 pass through Wran-
gel. Light. dTait steamboats, were sent up
from Victoria 80 ply upon the river. aud 1t
was no unusual sight 90 see two or three
ocean steamers and ~ many river steam
boats in Wrangel harbor, di,chargiag and
leading cargo. The winter climate a, Cas-
siac being very severe, and tae snow and
ice interfering with mining and viii the
transportation Of supplies up the river,
hundreds Of miners came down and WIN
tered at WraGgd. A large rillngc OF cheap
and shabby houses soon grew up. and in
fbc winters OF 1876. 1877. and 1873 Nranccl
could boast OF a white population o. 800 10
LOCO men. After those years the production
Of the Cassiac placcrs diminished, the
miners left the country, aud with their cX-
odus departed the C.ushrOol prosperity Of
Fort Wrangel. The shabby houses grow
more shabby. and are now rottins to pieces;
while the white resident population has
dwindled down 10 twcn'y-threc men AL
i've women, including missionaries. 4
sow-mill Is now BEING erected at WrlnGel,
-nd ono, and perhaps two, fsh-packng
houses are preparing for work. 1t Is upon
these industries, coupled with moderate
Indian trade, that the citizens OF Wr",,,el
must hereafter depend .yr a livelihood.
BY iar The r.iost important and promising
O. All tne settlements in Alaska is the min
inc camp OF Harrisburg or Juinean. Gold
was found there in 1880, ana camp was
rcon made up OF miners fI0m Sitka, Wran-
gel, Cassac, aud other places. Placer
dicgings were occupied and worked, aud
TO the present time have Welded profitable
but not extrayagant returns. Quartz
claims were located and recorded, but Tor
lack Of capital in the camp, and the disin-
clination Of outsiders TO invest money In
the Territory in the absence 81 ell legal
protection 10 their property, nothing has
been done toward developing these
claims. The quaTtz-claims, placer-diggings,
and town are upon the mainland. Directly
opposite, across a deep channel 800 yards
wide, lies Douglas island, 10 which pro-
spectors who arrived at Harrisburg too late
10 locate claims upon the mainland turned
their attention; With the result Of locating
and partly opening up one Of the most pro-
missing mining districts that has ever been
discovered on the Pacific slope. Now that
assurance Is given that life and property in
Alaska will hereafter be protected, rapid
development OF the mines on Douglas island
aud on the mainland will begin. At the
present writing the camp at Harrisburg
numbers 800 TO $50 sturdy men, with few