The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-02
Col. Broadwater Tells Something
About His Recent Trip to tho
Far North.
A Journey which to be Fully APP
preciated Must be Person
ally Enjoyed.
Alaska il . Better Country Than the
People Believe-A Scheme for Col
onizing-Superb Scenery.

from his Alaskan trip the endeavors of tn.
reporters to have an extended talk with him
about it have proven futile. Not that the
colonel has refused. but the accumulation
of business requiring his personal atten-
tion has prevented catching him when un-
occupied. Yesterday afternoon, however,
he had a breathing spell. and in answer to
the request to tell something about his
journey, he said:
~ left Helena one week ahead Of the time
necessary to take the steamer, ON my trip
to Alaska, with the object of looking over
the western coast. l spent a day each in
Spokane, Tacoma, Portland and Seattle,
and while l have nothing in the way of dis.
paragement to say of our neighbors on the
west, l will say that Helena and Montana
do not suffer by comparison. In
fact. I came to the conclusion that
our people ought to be we'll satisfied, not
withstanding the fact that times are some-
what dull with us. We sailed from Seattle
on the steamer "Queen," July s. visiting sill
the principal points of interest in Alaska,
and of the two hundred and nineteen tour
lists on the boat. without an exception,
every one was delighted with their trip.
The Queen is commanded by the veteran
Capt. Carroll, who is as popular a sailing
master as ever ran a steamship. He is not
only always alert in looking out for the
safety of his passengers, bat he seems to
take a personal interest in every one, and
sees that each passenger enjoys the trip.
He knows everything about that country
tions propounded.' What do YOU think
the future OF, Alaska will be? was asked.
I'm my opinion it is a much better country
than it generally has credit for being; and
while l do not wishto be understood for one
moment, as saying that it will ever be an
agricultural county, I do think that it has
some merits to offer a certain class of home
seekers. First, the climate, from the best
of Information ! can get, is very much mis-
understood. l WAS told by parties | had no
reason to doubt, at Wrangle, Sitka and
Juno, that in the last five years the ther-
mometer had not been lower than six de-
grees above zero. OF course you under
Evidently from the masses of snow and
glaciers one sees on the mountain tops, the
winter that high up must be pretty cold.
Puget sound is one of the most beautiful
bodies Of water in the world; broken up by
islands and main line heavily timbered.
varieties of the fnny tribe, almost beyond
belief. While the whole country seems to
stand pretty much on end there are a great
many small points extending out into the
water. where from one or two up to ten
acres of land could be put under %cultiva-
tion. Judging from the character of the
soil n what l saw with my own eyes of
tho way in which potatoes, cabbage, lettuce,
oauliflewer and, in fact, all garden truck
grows, l am satisfied that the product
would be very large: So between the fish
in the water. vegetables and superabund-
ance OF wood for fuel, | should say that it
would be a Garden of Eden to a great many
of thep people in the old world. especially
the Swedes, Norwegians and other nation
alities where the country is too denssly
populated and too poor to sustain life.
In the aggregate of the country I saw,
it would be capable of supporting a large
population of that class of people. I do
not think any of them would become very
wealthy, but they would have a good home,
with about as little manual labor as falls to
the average person in that sphere of life. l
think it would be a wise thing on the part
of our government to take some steps to
locate a few colonies at the places men
toned, with the object of testing its FEAST
bllity. / am sure it would result favora-
bly,
What about the scenery?"
ut is grand beyond description. In this
connection it may be added that Montana
will receive a benefit from that country of
WHICH i presume lew nave thought. l am
satisfied that in q very short time The Alas
kan trip will be ono of the most popular in
the world. The travel to and from must,
naturally. largely pass through Montana,
and will be the source of acquainting a
great many people with our state who
otherwise never would visit US. In short,
the Yellowstone and the Alaskan trip makes
one OF the grandest and most delightful
trips of the world. l can earnestly recon-
mend it to any one, and will only conclude
by saving that, having seen it, one will
never forget it,"