The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-02
AFFAIRS AT ALASKA.
A Revelation Concerning the Gil
mate OF that Country.
AHEAD OF MONTANA OR DAKOTA,
The Advantages it Offers to Settlers-Tbe Fish
cries and characterization Needed
From Congress.

WASHINGTON, Jan. "a Special cores
pondence of THE HERALD. az intend to
i've and die IN Alaska, and do not solicit
any sympathy for my lot.''
80 said the Hon. Minor RI. Bruce no1,,
IN Washington as representative of the
business men of Alaska, and millions of
capital, to demand of Congress immediate
and proper legislation for that territory.
is 1t fact that you are organizing a
colony?"
1T is not, nor do L know how this i'm
preston has gotten out, unless nv mission
mas been COMPOUNDED with the interests of
Bruce colony in Nebraska, founded by nv
father eighteen years ago, which is
To-day one of the most popuIous
and prosperous in the state
am here simply as a delegate of the
Alaska Pioneer Business association to
urge upon Congress legislation for a lone
neglected territory While l am not come
down from that north country to boom it.
10 organize colony nor even to encourage
emigration, do feel like publicly proclaim
Ing my personal satisfaction and publishing
my enlarged views of that splendid terri
tory. wish also to express my amazement
at the ignorance found in the states CON
corning this new wonderland which has be
longed to US for over twenty years.,
AND you think white men can live in
that country!"
DO think white men can live thereof
SAID Mr.. Bruce, rather disdainful of re-
portorlal intelligence. "When once the
people comprehend what Alaska is, the
boundless possibilities of mines and fish
cries, the resources of her timber. agricul
tural and grazing lands, when thew once
realize the warmth and uniformity of tenn
perature, you will see an exodus unlike
anything IN the history of western emigra
tion.n
but you cannot expect much attention
from the government uE til there is at least
a corporaIs guard Of white men in the ter
ritory.'
The corporaPs guard, as you term it,
numbers about seven thousand, and notn-
ING put the lack OF proper and just legisla-
tlon prevents that population from doub
ling inside Of two years. There are capital
lists, farmers and stock raisers from the
ard, blizzard-swept plains of Nebraska,
Kansas and the Dakotas who would gladly
abandon the prospect of slow starvation for
the certainty of a living.''
What is the nature Of the bill forrnu
lated?'
The bill which has passed the Senate
committee and has been favorably reported
TO the Senate, provides that land can be
taken either oy citizens or corporations in
tracts OF 100 acres, az s.. % per acre. It.ip-
cludes also 81 request for modification of
timber laws. Alaska is now gov
erned by the laws of Oregon, which, con
Slder1ng the essential differences OF climate
ana area and of resources, are wholly in
adequate for the settlement and
development of the territory. So
long as a man cannot pre-
ampt q homestead, nor buy foot of
ana except under the expensive mining
avs, there can be no settlement nor i'm
orovement. Under the present law there
;an be no expectation of the abundant tim
DER nor manufacture of the same in the
territory. In short, we want Alaska to be
accorded the privileges granted other west |
srn territories, and those conditions which
will invite capitalists and guarantees home
% poor men. When it is possible to take
Up 100 acres of land at 81 so an acre. Won
VIII hear no more of the corporal's |
yuar5s.''
Can anything except seal and olubber-
eating natives survive the winters?''
'rhe fallacies concerning Alaskan eli
nate and temperatures said Mr. Bruce,
are universal and cherished in the states
With remafkable determination. NV state
nents concerning the comparatively mild
emperature, have been met with incredu-
lty by the very people who display the
'reatest ignorance by their out of the-way
Questions. Now in reality, Alaska is very
much warmer than Dakota or Montana,
md not subject to their hi Oh winds, sand
forms and billiards, and IL is very much
nore agreeable than Oregon, where the
ontinual cold rains make life unendurab,e.
he only serious drawback to the Alaskan
innate is the frequency of rain but unlike
oregon the rains are warm and the atmos-
here is moist; it is also balmy and health
III. The winters will average about zero,
nd eight or ten below is the very rare ex-
option, not the rule. Whereas everybody
nows that the Dakotas and Montana play
ranks with the mercury in midwinter all
ne way from sixty above to forty six and
orty- seven below.''
You will recollect, of course,n contin
ed Mr.. Bruce, ''that | now speak of that
ortion of Alaska with which am familiar
nd that reported upon by reliable explor-
rs and hunters. From Fort Wrangle to
'itka and from Sitka to the Great Glacier
ay, have personally examined the
ountry and observed climatic conditions
"Then the rigOrs of climate have been
Enormously, bu. not Intentionally: the
Innate OF Alaska is undoubtedly under
Ding great changes-take for instance
'ancouvsr's charts, largely used to-day in
eports and likely to affect the would-be
ettler. Vancouver refers to the entrance
Glacier bay. now navigable for forty
lilies, as an ice field, while l have talked
nth several of the native Indians who
alm that within their memory the solid
'e came down fifteen miles further than il
0eS now, and all about this Vicinity are the