The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-04-18
Interesting DETAILS about Alaska.
From the Neso York Times.
SIZE OF THE TERRITORY.


Interesting Details about Alaska.
From the Neso York Times.
SIZE OF THE TERRITORY.
Although the territory of Alaska meas
ures 400 miles one way, and 2200 the
other. and its furthest island is as far west
of San Francisco as that city is west of
Bath in Maine, few persons have any clear
idea of the country and its people. Within
the 400 miles between its northern and
southern boundaries there is chance for a
great range of climate, and while the north
ern part of the mainland lies within the
Arctic circle and is wrapped in the snow
and ice of polar regions, Southern Alaska
reioices in a climate that in winter is not
as severe as that of Maryland or Kentucky.
The isothermal lines make strange curves
on the Pacific coast, and influenced by the
warm Japan stream or Kure-Sino, mild
temperate climate is given to the shores and
archipelago of Southeastern Alaska. As
In California, temperature and climate de-
pend more upon the distance from the sea-
coast than upon distance from the equator,
and Sitka summers are quite as windy and
foggy, but hardly cooler than those of San
Francisco. Sitka itself lies in the same
latitude as Aberdeen, Scotland, and in all
the islands south of it there is much the
same climate, accompanied by the cores
ponding ocean current as prevails on the
west coast of Ireland. By the records of
the Russian Observatory, maintained here
for fifty years, the thermometer fell to zero
only three times during that period. The
reports of the commanders Of United States
ships during the past four years confirm
this climatic marvel, and show many other
strange things in meteorology.
Scientists have visited these shores and
studied the botany, the geology, the con-
chology, the ethnology, and marine life,
but not one island Of this great archipelago
of HOO islands has not yet been crossed or
explored. More is known of the Seal
Islands Of the Pribylof group than Of all
the rest of Alaska, yet the Seal Islands are
two specks of barren rock and soil not two
miles square either of them, and they lie In
Behring's Sea, 400 miles from the Aleutian
Islands, or the nearest mainland, and are
distant 1900 miles from Sitka. The Seal
Islands were declared Government reserva
ton in 1870 and leased for a term of 20 years
10 the Alaska Commercial Company, of
San Francisco, which pays an annual rental
of S50,O00 and tax of 81 each upon the
100000 seaskins allowed to be taken every
year. The rent of the small seal islands
alone has paid more than fair interest
on the purchase money.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESOURCES.
Deserted and neglected as the whole
Territory has been during these years,
few farsighted men have been slowly help
ingtoward the development of Southeastern
Alaska For more than five years Goodall;
Perkins & Co., Of San Francisco, have had
the contracts for carrying the monthly
mails to the different settlements in the
archipelago. The steamer leaves either
San Francisco or Portland on the LIST OF
each month, and makes the round trip to
Sitka and intermediate stations and back
in four weeks As the business Of canning
salmon reached greater and greater proper
lions on the Columbia river, Salmon pros |
pectors" visited the northern coast, and
finding that the salmon ran in greater num-
bers and were in finer quality the further
north they went, canneries and packing |
houses have been established at various
points in this archipelago. 1t is difficult
to obtain the exact figures or full accounts
from all these establishments, some of them
shipping by the mail steamers, and few
of the larger canneries sending by their own
sehooners direct to San Francisco. In I
1888, which was the first year for all but
two Of the canneries, the shipments from
seven establishments amounted to 1S45
barrels and 400 half barrels Of sailed salmon,
and 1874 cases of canned salmon.
At the canneries few skilled Chinese are
employed for the work requiring dizziness
and accuracy, but otherwise the natives are
relied upon, and the Indians, both men and
women, are steady, Woodworking force.
The profits of salmon canning and packing
are greatly increased here, for the reason
that labor is cheap, the fish come in greater
numbers than they can handle, and as no
land can be bought or franchises sold, the
fish spectators put their buildings where
they please without fear of tax collectors,
land owners, or timber agents.
The Northwest Trading Company of
Portland was organized some three years
ago with small capital. 1t has lately in
creased its stock, and now has six stations
in this part of the Territory. They do
general trading business, and the Indians
exchange their furs for civilized goods at
these stores. At Pyramid Harbor the
Company has a salmon callnery in addition
to its stores, and at Killisnoo large factory
for making herring oil and drying Goldfish.
Killisnoo was first established as whale
fishery, but that industry was abandoned
when it was found that herring was the
more profitable fish. The oil works are
managed by men who have had charge of
menhaden fisheries in the East, and last
year SO, 900 gallons were shipped below as
the result Of the first seasons work. The
herring season is from the end of August
to January, and during the summer the
fine, delicate cod of this coast is dried and
packed at the rate of 1000 and 5000 cases
q season.
THE FUR TRADE.
The fur trade does not reach such large
proportions Aere as one nlShCeAPeco, ueeI,
bear, fox, and marten being the chief pelts,
and hair seal and few sea otter forming but
small part of the annual consignments.
Black, cinnamon, and grizzly bears are
found on all these islands, and on the main
land, but even the finest skins are spoiled
for use as rugs or ornamental trophies by
the Indians cutting off the noses in accor-
dance with some old superstition. Fine
black bear skins can be bought for from So
to SIG, although in trading for goods in
the stores the Indians really get much less
than those prices. Red, cross, and silver
foxes are trapped by the thousands, and
range in prices from 81 upward. The In
dams have learned the luxury of coats and
robes made Of small squirrel skins sewed