The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-26
sh,inlknrn II Alaska.

There Is no occasion for alarm over tho
present tendencies Of Muir Glacier. The
mighty ice river will long continue To
be one III tho most powerful inducements
tempting tourists to Alaska. The fact re-
,nnius. however. that Muir Glaciers co!os-
sal proportions are becoming slightly i'm
paired. Tho giant among Alaskan lee
streams. affrighted perlaps by The invasion
q! tourists. is ia full retreat. In four years
the grcnt leo front has rccedcd more than
three ifths of u mile. Having travelled
many hundreds 81 miles to stand in the
presence W Muir Glacier. tourists would
not mind another fraction Of II mile or SO:
but. sad l., relate. The Ice front itself is be-
coming somnwhnt less imposing. Tho wall
last ysar was about go feet high, but when
hIr. WRIaHr measured it IN 1856 it was 4Os
feet above tho inlet.
As the urea OF tho big Ice river Is csti-
mated at $50 sI,nro miles. 1t ia evident that
there is n good deal Of it still left for the de-
location Of visitors. 1t will be n long time
hcforo an Ice lcddler can dump Muir Glac-
Tor into his wagon: and perhaps the giant
will have n period OF refrigeration and will
advance again over his deserted path with
RS lofty a front as ever; but ut present.
while the mighty mass advances seven feet
= day. the retreat more than balances the
forward movement.
~Shrinkase Is also apparent In an artificial
Aspect Of Alaska that has been OF consld-
erable interest to tourists. The totem
pole. telling its owners gcuealogy in carv-
ings OF fearful. ana wonderful device. Is
falling into a decline. As the natives abb
Sorb aoIfe clement, Of civilization the
totem pole decays. Last years tourists
really felt aggricved when they found that
tho grotesque totems at Wrangel were
rapidly thinning out. that tho survivors
were all afflicted with dry rot. and that
none OF the neglected embiems was likely to
weather the storms OF many more winters.
The totems Of Alaska are doomed. and con-
noisseurs will soon find the supply Of
cioico specimens exhausted.
Then thorO is an objectionable shrinkngs
In the mining statistics Of Alaska. which do
not show the actual contribution to tho
gold supply with which the Territory
should no credited. The story enlivens tho
otherwise dry details OF the latest census
returns. Tho collector OF facts informs us
that the industrious miner OF Alaska has
the habit OF shouldering his bag OF gold
dust and departing for Victoria. Portland.
or San francisco. to blow in" the fruit OF
his labors. The wealth thus distributed
goes to swell thu official IMMORAL returns OF
British Columbia. Oregon. or California,
and thus Alaskn q drspoiIod that the repu-
tatlou OF other communities may DO On
hauced. The dcspairing census man says
1t Is impossible accurately to compute the
present gold product OF the Territory.
In most ways. however. there Is no shrink
age about Alaska. Sho is coming to the
front as q very desirable possession. The
vvifylng influence Uf American life and
energy Is hers. tho same influence that will
glvo impetus and impulse tn every human
interest In the lands north OF us. when once
Our flag floats over them to the topiaost
edge of the continent.