Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-13
THE TERRITORY Is so LARGE

THE TERRITORY Is SO LARGE
and transportation overland so near
impossible that the work seems al
most without end. Owing TO the pc
culiar nature of the soil, the work Of
a surveyor will be very troublesome
indeed and ia some places almost
Impossible. TIE ground is entirely
covered with thick moss and fallen
underbrush, thus forming a dense
coating over the entire surface. and
the constant rain keeps it in condi
ton very little better than swamp,
so that even on side hills walking is
very tedious indeed, and the use Of
horses or oxen impossible. After
leaving the coast but little level coun~
try can be found, for throughout the
entire territory the mountains shoot
up at every point, and give such
rugged appearance to the country
that nothing but the gold fever seems
to tempt white people to penetrate TO
any great distance.
Several exploring parties will soon
start into the interior for the purpose
of reaching the head waters of the
Yukon river and prospecting along
the valley of the great river, where it
has been reported that good placer
mines have been found. An army
exploring party left here March Is
for Nuchek, at the mouth of Copper
liver, with the intention of ascending
that river to its source, and then
crossing over to the
HEAD WATERS OF THE TOUNENoH,
branch Of the Yukon, and following
down that river and the Yukon to its
mouth. The party consisted of Lieut..
H. T. Allen, U. S. A; T. W. Ticket,
United States signal corps, and
Scrgt Robertson, q. S. A. They ex-
pect to return in about two years.
Within about three month the
great Treadwell mine on Douglas is<
land will be put in operation, as the
120-stsmp mills will be ready for use
by that time, and the result of their
first work will be looked forward to
with great interest. The placer mines
of the territory can not be worked be-
fore May on account Of the snow on
the mountain sides, thus leaving but
a short season before the rains and
SHOWS IN the fall.
Contrary to the generally accepted
opinion, the climate here is very mild,
when the latitude is taken into con
sideration, and doubtless many people
will be surprised to learn that the
coolest weather at Sitka this winter
was Is degrees Fahrenheit above zero.
This of course only applies to the belt
of country near the coast, where the
effect of ocean currents can be felt.
This mild temperature is OF benefit to
those keeping cattle or any kind of
animals, for it is not necessary to feed
them for more than three months of
each year, thus opening a new and
important business for Alaska, es-
pecially as fine hay can be secured IN
large quantities on some OF the large
! islands near the coast. The great
trouble in the cattle business would be
the rain, which falls znost of the time,
thus preventing tao drying Of hay.
The rain fall during the year ending
Jan. 1, 1885, was 10 inches. This is
not as great as at many other places,
| sut the rain is SO constant that a place
could scarcely be found where there
sre more rainy days during the year.
This constant rain is a great draw.
back, for it prevents the proper de-
veIopement OF fishing Industries. and
is q great stumbling stone for all en-
terprises.