The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-02
2 SUPI

fesst TIE Trees have reached 70 NAM
moth sac. and have fallen only hy
the weight OF years. enrichsnx the
ground by their sie~Assng substance,
and giving place TO another similar
growth. which in its f1rn has -FOUR
ishesl ard passed SWAY TnsS pruess
has heen goins on perhaps for tssce
y, 90 years. The past history OF Al
A>ks = a blank To the nineteenth CEN
/ fury. Some ii these islands he with
IN quarter OF mite of each other.
on either side of ssae ships course. and
yet the water = Tar too deep Ia admit
OF ancisorlng. the peaks rising abruptly
from unknown depths. = The p.iu-
cifal island group OF the coast is
known a. the Alexander archip~lago.
IN honor of the car OF Russia. and il
composed OF oyer 100 islands The
virgin soil Of those islands said Mr..
Bolsoa, were il 80 he cleared ard
drained, xonl3 be rich aeyond calcu-
lasion, while the climate is such as 10
warrant the growth and ripening Of
any vegetation which VIII thrive on
the Atlantic coast north of Chesa-
pesse hay.
The aboyigirseS are more intesss-
gentand thrifty race than our Western
Indian tribes fney are entirely self
supporting. ard cheerfaliy enter into
engagements 10 work regularly for the
whites. realizing the benefit OF wages
and industrious habits. They are
employed in the fish-cai.ning factories,
the men catching the salmon and the
women cutting them up and packing
them, under the direction OF the
whites. They also work in the gold
mines, and are good laborers. Inside
OF the native houses Mr.. Balloa
found many hideous carvings
representing impossible animals
and strange figures, the utensils
OF domestic use being also
carved with strange objects. The
women wear silver bracelets pounded
cut OF American dollars. and very
ingeniousiy carved with birds, beasts
and fishes. In spite of all the efforts
OF the missionaries. these Alaskans
are slaves To the most debasing super
sutions. The ceremonies and de-
bauches which follow their funerals
are deplorable. Cremation is their
fayorite mode of disposing OF the dead.
The aborigines. as is the case with all
savage races, are gradually fading
ing numbers of the whites.
Here Mr.. Ballou mildly suggested
the query whether he was not rather
giving himself away. Il propose.
said he, ITO write book on these
matters, and perhaps | have said
enough for the present. But | must
wealth of Alaska.
III texsr t.,x, a
in the territory that tits not question
where 10 find them, but as to which
Will best pay 10 open and 10 work.
The Treadweli mine on Douglass
island has the largest gold quartz
crushing mill in the world, running
2io stamps day and night. This mill,
it Is estimated, viii send $1,000. 600
worth OF pure gold TO the mint at San
Francisco during the present year,
and IL has been successfully worked NJ
about this rate for nearly three years.
The mine is owned by less than
dozen veay rich men of san Francisco
and elsewhere. and consists of noun
tain of gold-bearing quartz, which
could not be exhausted at the present
of the mill in a hundred
years. There is no shafting or timber
ing required: every shovelful of the
rocky hill is passed through the mill
as i, is blasted from the mountain
side. This is but one OF the mines;
dozens are being opened at different
points. The marvel is said Mr..
Ballou. las to what can be done with
so much OF the precious metal.
Mr.. Bailou will remain At his resi-
dence, the Brunswick, for the ne>t
few weeks, devoting himself 10 the
preparation of his Lock. whose APP
pearance will be one OF the most i'm
portant literary and sociological events
IN this decade. Alaska has great
future, and its development will
mari another era in the his tory of
civilization