Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-03
TRUTH ABOUT ALASKA.
The Actual Condition of the New Ter
ritory Faithfully Reported.

Of the government for appointment
TO the offices created by the Alaska
bill was to be expected To people in
the Eastern States, Alaska is terra IN
cOqnita, and if not literally a land
OVERLOOKING with milk and honey, it
is in Imagination a region in which
GREAT fortunes are TO be made after the
manner and methods Of the Alaska
Commercial Company. The establish
ment of q much-needed provisional
Territorial Government for Alaska is
undoubtedly directing much attention
to the Territory. A few observations
upon the actual condition and re.
sources of southern Alaska, and the
probable effect of the new Legislation
in It's favor, may perhaps be Hseful
Although the powers of the govern
ment extend over the whole of the
vast Territory of Alaska, and over
thousands of square miles which have
been trodded by the foot of a white
man, their immediate application is
practically limited to the district of
southern Alaska, which includes a
strip of the main land thirty miles
wide, beginning at the parallel of
"a 40 north latitude and following
the trend Of the coast line to 60 80
and to the 14lst meridian of west
longitude. This strip of territory is
of little known value except at one
point, namely, at the mining district
Of Harrisburg, Juneau, or TaKou, as
it Is indifferently called, where is stu
ated the only white settlement on the
mainland of the southeastern Alaska.
Between this 80 miles of mainland
and the Pacific Ocean, and following
the coast line northerly and westward,
lie the numerous lands of the Alex
ander Archipelago, with which, their
surrounding waters, arc the most val
liable of our possessions in southwest
ern Alaska. The largest of the 1, 100
islands of the archipelago are Prince
OF Wales, BarRof, Kon, Admiralty,
Kupreanof, Reyilla, G.gedo, Chica-
gof, and Etolln. They are all sur
rounded and indented by navigable
waters, which literally TEEN with
food fish-hallbut, salmon cod, and
herring being found in almost fabu
lous abundance, and in the greatest
perfection.
The island is covered with a dense
growth of timber, principally yellow
cedar and asuperior quality OF spruce,
which occasionally grow TO dimen
sions of sufficient size to be worked
into valuable lumber Trees that are
worth telling for the mill are, how
ever, exceptional, and those who be
lieve that in the forests of the Alas
kan islands we have a grand reserve
of timber to be drawn upon when the
forests Of Washington territory are
exhausted will be grievously disap
ointed. Three fourths OF the timber
of the Alaskan forests is worthless,
except for fuel. The soil upon the
rocky mountain slopes is very thin,
and the largest islands are simply
mountains, rising sheer up from the
island seas. with but few and small
areas or fiat or valley land on the
margin of the bays and rivers. tits no
unusual sight to see patches, cover
ing scores of acres, Of dead trees up
rooted and Frustrated by the wind,
while mile after mile of standing
trees, which have run up to 80 and 40
feet in height, and dead for lack of
nourishment, mar the beauty of the
mountain scenery as one sails past
it.
The white settlements in southeast
eastern Alaska are few in number and
scaHt IN residents. Sitka, formerly
the capital of Russian America, and
the headquarters of the Russian-Amer-
lean Fur companyis continued as the
American capital of the territory,
though it is inconveniently situated
upon the western shore of Baronotf-
the western island of the archipelago
on harbor open to the swells Of the
Pacific Ocean. 1t has no resources nor
industries within or near the town. 1t
is off the inland route of trade and
travel, and subsists solely upon gov
eminent support in the shape OF q
United States ship of war; which is
usually found at anchor in the harbor
When a naval commander, in pursuit
of his plain and obvious duty to visit
other settlements in Alaska, departs
with his ship from the harbor at Sit
ka, howl of Indignation and rem0n-
STRANGE is heard from the traders and
saloon keepers, and the old decayIng
town falls back into a season of dull
ness and inactivity, compared with
which deserted mining camp in Cal
ifornia is a gay and lively residence.
Sitka still has among its citizens few
old Russian pensioners, who drag out
a purposeless existence, having no oc-
cupation and but a paltry pittance
upon which to support their useless
lives. 1t has a Russian church, VITA
an officiating priest supported by the
Russian government, and three or four
respectable but needy Russian fami-
Lies, and cosmopolitan collection of
twenty-five white Inconsistencies,
saloon keepers and traders-and nine
white women.
The next best known town IS Fort
Wrangle. on Etolin Island, at the
mouth of the Suckeen, the principal
river Of Southeastern Alaska. Wran-
gel has grown up, eliminated, and
fallen into decay since the purchase
of the territory, IN 1867, when com
4 II tot al