Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-11-10
THE ALASKAN TRIP.


,utna,er Trip to the Northern Terri
tory.
Sitting in his quiet little Office, DIR.
S. R. Haven spent nearly two hours in
relating The incidents of recent trip
to Alaska and giving glowing descrip
tons of what he declares to be the most
picturesque scenery in the world. DR..
Haven has been an extensive traveller.
He has visited all the important points
upon the Norwegian and Greenland
coasts, besides having been all through
the tropic regions. The Alaskan trip,
as made by the regular line of steam
ers, is not, as it is advertised, trip to
the land of the midnight sun. The
farthest point north reached by the
steamer is nine degrees south of pos
sible midnight sun and is four degrees
south of the point of departure for the
"trip along the Norway coast. Alaska
is simply mass Of islands made up of
mountains, rocks and glaciers. During
June and July one can be very com
Portable VIC ing an ordinary heavy
overcoat, and in those months there is
no positive darkness-the twilight or
cleaning of Scotland prevailing through
the night DR.. Haven was one of
party which included Chief Justice
Waite, Bishop Warren, of Denver, ex-
Governor Hoadly, of Ohio, and other
prominent people. Among the points
visited was Juneau, q village of two
hundred inhabitants, situated on Doug
las Island, about twelve hours journey
by steamer from Sitka, the Alaskan
capital. At Juneau is the famous
Treadwell gold mine, owned and OPP
Grated by a company at the head of
which is Senator Jones, Of Nevada. It
is claimed, and DIR. Haven thinks justly
so, that this mine is the richest gold
mine in the world. They have 120-
stamp mill in operation. For some
time the company had in its employ
eighty-seven Cinnamon. Early last
summer man named McCaffrey, who
was the leader of the riots against the
Chinese at Seattle arrived at Juneau,
and at once began to excite the people,
against The Chinese He finally sue
ceeded in getting together mob of
aboutseventyf five men-chiefy broken
down prospectors and gamblers-and
they at once proceeded to eject the
Cinnamon from che country. They pro-
cured two small open yachts of decent
carrying capacity of ten persons each,
crowded the Cinnamon aboard, and
started them off for Wrangel, twenty
five days journey without other provis-
ions than raw rice. The Alaskan In
dian, DR.. Haven says, is a much superior
creature to the Indian of the Western
States and Territories. They are full
bearded men and work willingly at
heavy labor. They possess many of the
elements of the civilized man, the first
and chief of which is their love for
money; second, their recognition of the
obligation of contract. and thirdly,
their love for their women. The un-
written but rigidly observed law of the
Alaskan Indians is that every thing he
owns is the property of his wife. He
can not give or sell any thing he may
own without his wife's consent. While
the American Indian compels his wom-
en- to do ali the work and support him
In idleness the Alaskan Indian works
himself and his women do not lift
Hand to any thing unless they choose.
q The great Muir glacier, which was
visited by the party. 1t is larger than
ell the glaciers Of Europe rolled TO-
gether. It is some $50 feet thick. from
10 to Is miles wide. and extends back
for 85 miles, where it meets the Mount
St. Elias glacier, which is still larger.
Eleven miles of this glacier has fallen
off since it was dicovered by Van
couver. While DR.. Haven was hard
by great blocks of ice larger
than the Board of Trade building would
slough off the face of the glacier every
few minutes. These dropping pieces
are the icebergs of the Pacific. That
Alaska will ever become an agricul-
tural country in this day and genera
ton is not believed by DR.. Haven. The
climate is not nearly SO mild as in Nor
way, where he has seen fine growth OF
cereals and other vegetation ten de-
grees farther north than the limit OF
vegetable growth in Alaska. AS a
country full of magnificent picturesque
scenery it is not equaled by any in the
world, and is easily and comfortably
accessible The round trip can be
made in fine style from Chicago, in
GLIDING visit to the Y Yellowstone park,
for about $500. 1t is not generally
known that the equi-distant point
longitudinally between the eastern
boundary of Maine and the western
boundary of Alaska is San Francisco.
But such is the fact, and the Alaskan
laughs at the idea of calling Denver OF
Salt Lake Western cities. Chicago
NeOs.