Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-30
A VISIT TO ALASKA.
A Washington Boys Impressions of the
Country.

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A VISIT TO ALASKA.
A Washington Boys Impressions of the
Country.
AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF IT'S PEOPLE,
CUSTOMS, CLIMATE, VEGETATION, RESOURCES
AND PROSPECTS,.
"Won't you tell me something about Alaskan
asked a STAR reporter OF Mr.. John j. CHECKER
ing, who recently returned from a visit to tina
country.
"We spent few delightful weeks there
among the mountains, fiords, glaciers and Med
iterraneans and Siwash OF our polar posses.
sions." was the reply.
In answer to suggestion of the reporter that
he must have experienced some cold weather
he said: "Weli, now it's queer; almost every
man who has spoken to me of our summers
trip mas asked that question. Very few people
seem to know that the coast climate of south.
eastern Alaska is much warmer than the cor
responding coast of the Atlantic; that the Japan
current sweeps across the Pacific and warns
up those shores till the average winter temper
ature OF Sitha Is higher than that OF Washing
tOn But 1t can and does rain in Sitka. And
1T very Interesting to see il rain; big, black
ciouds no thunder; no premonitory gusts OF
wind; the sky is always tuil OF pretty white,
heecy clouds, and you stand taking with a
friend and remarking on the delicious sun.
shine, brilliant blue OF the sky and vivid green's
rain comes down In drops as big as marbles,
and the whole landscape turns d dull gray; one
OF those white, t1eecy clouds has sauntered
across the lace OF the sun, and for hour or
two 1T pOurs as Ii the liz WAS off the everiastin'
teapot. This is summer weather; in the win
ter they say 1t pours all the lime. Very little
snow; but ii inches OF rain the water-sOaked
officials at Fort IongasS registered the only
year Iney kept a record. Oar own rainfall
here In Washington is, believe, about forty
one inches.'
.rIpy
ING COUNTRY.
How about the vegetation?" asked THE
STAR man.
'Tne vegetation is simply marvellous. Such
living green as clothes the mountains must be
seen to be appreciated. Tne growth OF timber is
enormous and while mucn oi il is the Ore son
piue, which doesn't rank Very high as lumber,
there are enormous tracts OF the yellow cedar,
which Is the great snip-buiiding wood of the
Pacific coast. Grain can't he raised there with
proilt--too much wet weather. Some yegeta-
DleS and root products thrive, but you can
write down Alaska emphat.caiiy as not u iarm-
,hs couht {: IN sictofid, which mas practic;iily
Tue SAME Climate as southeastern Alaska, we
measured stalks OF the common 'Dsake' or
sweet iern.' which boys smoke in New Eng
land, fourteen ieet high, and ordinary alder
bushes, which l used 10 cut Ior fish poles in
Maine, thirty X inches in circumference. Yet
many people, lhcudlhs sooCiy n.mbcr vi our
national legislators, say: Nothing grows liz
AtasKa.'
FISH, MINERALS AND FURS.
Her main resources, besides her woods, are
her fish, Minerals and furs. The fisheries
seem inexhau tat ole; cod, salmon, herring and
other fish peculiar TO the Pacific coast fairly
swarm IN the waters. In the spawning season
ole can Wade into the mouth vi brook and
literally kick tne salmon ashore. These wiiu
rinefn nsii, however, wont take the fly, and
IL Is very :i55iavdting 10 see the water fairly
alive with iiiein and yet iiuu yourself absolutely
Unable 10 set d rise. Many people ask ii saw
much OF the seal fisheries, evidently falling to
InDrSClltt a ~ IN
Alaska ana not Understanding that can
sail north along the coast from washington
Territory 1,5OU miles ana still not come villain
2JUU miles III tne Priuyloi Islands, where all
the seal fishing Is zone. But southeastern
Alaska nas .urs i'll abundance, and black, griA-
ziy and silver or st. Elias bear Red and silver
gray IoX, beaver, MINK, Oiack Won anu squirrel
skins are aouudaut. Don't deceive yourself,
however, with tne idea that you are to gct great
bargains rom tue Indians; Tie noble SiWash
has his eye teeth pronounceoiy cut. Ask the
captain Ut your steamer the best place in
AiIsha w pui sAins and Ae Will Tell you Port
land, Oregon.'
THE MINES AND STONE QuARRIES
are at present an Unknown quantity, with the
exception oil some placers at juneau aud u few
otner places, and the finely developed Tread
well mine ut Douglass Island. THUS is, be-
iteve, Lhe biggest 'crusner' in the world-a 12O
stamp mil. he mine is owned by Mr. rre;,,l-
we'll, VINO discovered Ii, enator jones and some
san francisco capitalists. No one knows what
IL is paying, but some estimate AS hisu as &c.
phareis 10 great advantage, anu Mr. TreadWeii
showed me u pile vi gfoeni9h yellow dirt IN one
corner OF me yard walsh ne SAM by actual as
SJ4,UUO worth OF gold bricks ia the steamer
viii Us.
QUEER CUSTOMS OF THE INDIANS
One queer thing about those Ihlinkit Indians
is that they cut OF the noses OF all the uears
they kill offering 10 the deity OF the chase,
In the whole length and breadth of southern
a a :. Sk NJ ~, q
on. A little German tanner in Sitka showed
me a room half iull of black, 81. Elias and
grizzly skins, aud every one was minus the
NOSE. THIS, OF course, materially lowers the
value OF the pelt"
THE WHITE POPULATION.
"Has Alaska much of a white population"
asked the reporter.
EYES," was the reply, "there are some 1000
white people there now, Americans and Rus
sian hall-ureeds, and there will be many
more whene er it becomes possible to acquire
any title to property there. Under the exist
ing state OF Things no man can acquire q Litie
10 10 OF ground Or stick OF timber The only
claim that can be taken up Is a mining claim.
WHAT lew laws they have are very inperfectly
enforced, and II has been shameiuily mis-
governed country. ! think that fact struck
every visitor there more forclDy than any
thing else. Look at the eighLy-three China-
men whom we took on board at Fort WrangeIl.
aiter they had been fired out OF the Tread
smacks, 40 in one and 4s In the other, ana
X
eleven days ip reaching Wrangell. some of
them had not had an opportunity to lie down
once in coming the whole distance, and SUCH
swollen ankles and knees and sucn AFFECT
misery you never saw. YET the ring-Ieaders of
this movement were prominent saioOn-keepers
and gamblers OF Juneau, who boldly walked
the streets and detied arrest. TIE United states
deputy marshal was unwilling Or AFRAID 70 is
sue any warrants lnlany Juneau people said he
'beionyed 10 the gang, and although the gov
ernOr and district attorney came over from
Sitka nothing was done about II. AS the Sitka
paper put it: The enemies OF Alaska In Con-
gress know nothing about the country, and un-
fortunately her friends in the national capital
statements of our enemies Some letters come
now addressed 10 tue .UniLed States consul at
SitKa' aud tue AlaSkans did not enjoy having
of tue most prominent members of the
House state ut Lhe last session OF Congress that
practically there were no white people and no
white children in tue territory"
THE NATIVES AND THE SCENERY.
ssWhat Of the native population" asked the
reporter.
"The Indians, or Siwash, as they are all
called, are & race with fine heads and splendid
chests and arms; their legs are undesel0ped
and weak, owing to their boat lie; their walk
work, aud The Treadweii mine Is now worked
entirely with Cnitkat Indi NJ. The scenery OF
Alaska is superb, SURPRISING anything else In
the world; 5000 glaciers between $50 and 6Oo,
switzerland; tlousands Of waterfalls. even
surpasAipg the streams Of the Yosemite veiley
La neigbt; dords which would take In d0zens Of
tue Norway &rtt9le; mountain peake-but Une
must visit the place 70 appreciate IL lAt me
recommend II 70 you for . summertng."