Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-07-05

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This can be done quicker than the other,
for the farthest of the Aleutian islands,
which form the selvage 10 our purchase Of
Alaska from the Russian government, are
only reached by sailing vessels and at long
intervals.
That San Francisco is east Of the terrific
rial centre Of the United States, longitude
nally, seems incredible but it is, indeed
farther west from that city to the extreme
western island of Alaska (Attu) than it is
east to the coast Of Maine, by several hun
dred miles This fact, together with the
! infrequeut visits 10 some of the islands 10y
vessels of any sort may account for the
statement made by the Hon. Mr. Dawson
! in his report to the United States commits
soner Of education at Washington, only
two years ago, that there are American
citizens who have never heard prayer for
the President Of the United States, or Of
| the Fourth of July, or of the name Of the
capital Of the nation are taught to pray
| for the emperor Of Russia, celebrate his
birthday, aud commemorate the victories
Of ancient Greece This, however is only
II fair offset for some Of our older eastern
states, where many of the "uuterrilied'
| still regularly vote for Andrew jackson.
OF course, this lack Of information AS to
''the powers that lbs" will speedily become
rectified 50 soon as the Alaskans begin to
read The PhpniN faithfully. The writer
| first read in your columns Of the recent ap-
! e 10 uatk tynyarunr 'pl
| Lyman f. Knapp, from Vermont, and OF
the date Of his departure from Middehury
! for Alaska This was in San Francisco,
where papers hal been forwarded 10 our
| party aud in looking over there the list Of
passengers for Alaska per steamer Geo.
| ". Elder" on which We we're going up, the
names of Gov. Knapp aud family appeared.
! They came aboard the steamer at Victoria,
| Il. G., on our way up from Puget Sound
park. had not met the governor since
| 1862, when he brought into camp at Brat
tleburo company of soldiers enlisted in
Windham county for service in the 10th
| Vermont regiment. Through my cnnnec
tion at that time with the office of Adiutant
General Washburn of Vermont, | came to
know Capt. Knapp, and We have renewed
acquaintance very pleasantly out here, in
IA ten days voyage up TO his new post of
service.
The voyage from Puget Sound to Alaska
is not easily described, as it compares with
no other unless it he the one along the coast
Of Norway. This We are told by fellow
passengers here who have also made the
Norway trip, and they proclaim the superb
urity of the Alaskan scenery Imagine the
state Of Vermont partially submerged, so as
~ allow large steamer to make her way
along the valleys between her high noun
tains, wooded down To the waters edge
and you will have the best impression | can
| give Of this trip. The water is salt, and
the tide Gibbs and flows but in sailing IA
thousand miles no more than three hours
exposure 10 seasickness is incurred, and
that at one or two points where openings
| from the Pacific ocean admit the waves if
there is any disturbance outside.
The statement has recently been made i'll
the newspapers, that, as on the domain of
| Queen Victoria the sun never sets so now
on the United States it never sets. The
sun does everlastingly hang around these
parts at this time Of the year Staid, old
fashioned people have 10 90 To bed by the
clock and not by the sun. It's hard ON to
ten o'clock here before sundown, and twi-
| light lasts all night Indeed, at Chilcat
which is up in about the same latitude AS
the lower end of Greenland, ordinary print
ing can be read ON deck all night I'm
doubtedly the sun is up on the borders of
Maine before its last rays are lost to the
dwellers in the western islands Of Alaska.
But what a country for rain We saw "A
scare crow in dooryard at Juneau, dress
ed in an oil cloth overcoat and with tar
paulin hat on. Anybody could see the pro
priety of this, for it rains almost every
day, and frequently for many entire days
together The warmer winds from off the
Pacific, charged with moisture from evapo-
ration, here come in contact with the high,
cold peaks Of Alaska, and the moisture is
precipitated in the form of rain However,
the inhabitants pay no attention to rain,
| but keep at their out door occupations in
| spite Of it. \ compensation for the rain
| which the vapors of the Pacific furnish is
| found in the warm currents flowing over to
this coast from Japan, modifying the eli
mate in the same manner that the Gulf
stream of the Atlantic does where it touch
rs the shores of Ireland An amazing fact
is, that ON all this coast, even up 10 Sitka,
the mercury rarely goes down 10 the freez-
ing point, and very little snow falls TO re
main any considerable time. This, how
ever, is only true ON the coast, the climate
in the interior being very severe. Indeed,
the blzzards which visit us in the East dur
ing the winter are manufactured in this
section.
In these mountains, back from the coast,
immense glaciers are formed, and seem to
he seeking way down to the sea. Some
Of these are in full sight of the steamer at
different points, aud passengers are landed
ON one of the largest Of them for climb
over its icy surface while the steamer re
plenishes its refrigerators with great blocks
of ice cut from the icebergs which fall OIL
the glacier into the water, In appearance,
|
between two mountains-a mountain of ice
itself wasting away at the seward end,
but constantly renewing its bulk up in the
higher attitudes of frost and ice.
The inhabitants of Alaska, native Indians
and whites, are settled along the coast and
to say that the interior settlers are "as
thick as a thousand cattle on ten thousand
hills" would he an OveT-statement, for they
are not. In fact there are no methods of
travelling here except by water ways no
means of support except mining or fishing ;
and this latter industry includes canning,
which has developed into very large in
terest. 1t is impossible to get away from
the coast, unless for adventures and ON
foot and even this is accompanied with
great peril and hardship. A mountain road
Just completed, back four miles from Juneau
to mine, is referred to by the local news
paper as the longest road in Alaska. 1t
will thus be seen that agriculture is mo
where" in all this great extent of country.
Gov Knapp presides over much the larg-
est single section of our country, territori-
ally, now under any similar official The
citizens here give him a warm reception,
and it may be safely predicted that under
his rule everything that makes for the good
of Alaska, or promotes her material inter
| ests, will be carefully fOstered.