The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-12-04
ruETERRIToRY OF ALASKA
,..o+or DoIph, of Oregon, Returns from
recent Visit and TelsH His Experience.

..o+or Dolph, of Oregon, Returns from
"pocent visit and Tells His Experience.
Senator Dolph, of Oregon, made a
+rin along the Alaska coast to and
nortb of Sitka, and says: II was
nsoro IMPRESSED with the village than
n n;tb the country itself. The trip was
wiJSnI;ohtful one, indeed. Persons who
%oye Travelled extensively in Europe
nvnressed the opinionthat 1t was one
"a F+be most picturesque end enjoyable
tr;ns in the world. The journey is
unapde bv ocean steamship from Port
land, The steamer makes one trip
orerv month. BY taking the Northern
pocifc railroad to Puget Sound, that
Is rom Portland to Port Townsend,
one avoids an ocean voyage, as mccain
take the steamer there, and it's route
thereafter is entirely by inland chan
neIs, except crossing Queen Charlotte
Sonnd, the passage of which is only
o6out three hours long, 1t is only
SOnthern Alaska that is visited by
tourists. The scenery is grand through
ont the entire voyage. Mountains
frequently rise abruptly from the wa
tpr7s edge, covered with timber and
vprdure to their SUBMITS. Not the
least interesting of sights are the gla-
ciers. The steamer during the summer
usually goes into Glacier Bay, at the
head OF which five large glaciers reach
down to the water, continually throw
inc off icebergs. .
"Mv impressions of the value OF
Alaska we're confirmed by what Isaw
and learned. | believe, owing to the
numerous inland channels, islands and
treat rivers that the fishing interests
0f the Pacific Northwest will exceed in
MAGNITUDE and value the fishing in
terests of the North Atlantic coast
whenever there is O. sufficient market
for good fishes to cause their develop
ment. Goldfish, salmon, herring and
balibut are abundant. Goldfish are
being caught at q few places for mar
ket. A. several points salmon are
being .ckled. Recently there has been
established a number of salmon can.
neries. Owing to the low price OF
salmon and expense of Transportation
the canneries have not been in opera
ton this season. | have no doubt
but Alaska possesses great mineral re-
sources. Mines of copper, iron and
coal have been discovered, as we'll az
lodges ofgold and silver-bearing quarts.
There are also placer mines of both
metals.
1.-THE value of the seal fisheries are
generally known. The Government
has leased to a California company
the small islands of st. Paul and St.
George, for $50 900 q year, and 81
81 1.2 for each seal killed, the priv
lege of killing 100,0 600 seals annually,
making $317. 500 per annum revenue
from those islands alone. The value
OF the timber of Alaska, / believe, has
been overestimated. The Alaska cedar
is q very valuable timber, and will be
in great demand some day for furni-
ture and finishing lumber, but dfear it
will only be found in limited quanti-
ties. The whole country, as ! Judge it
from Southern Alaska, iscovered with
less valuable varieties of pine. / do
not think Alaska will aver become an
agricultural country, not SO much on
account of the GOODNESS of the winters,
for it is asserted that the weather at
Sitka during winter months is very
little colder than Washington City,
but on account Of the cool wet sum-
mer season. In fact, but a very small
portion of the Territory has suitable
soil for agriculture if the climate were
suitable. However, vegetables, in
Guiding cabbages, beets, turnips and
potatoes, seem to thrive in Southern
Alaska, and it is said some kinds oil
grain have been raised on Cook'siInlet,
north0f Sitka, and some parts of the
main land. saw strawberries at Sit
ka in. Jaly, but they were not numer
ous."