Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-23
ufE n ALASKA.


A JorRxAL reporter met gentleman
Friday who has lived in Alaska about fous
years and recently returned from thss Il,
country. He vas in that portion Of Alaska
known A. the interior and located on the
Yukon river. The point where he wa
stopping Is about 200 miles from the coast
and some 100 from the mouth Of the
Yukon river. Mail reaches this point once
year and is then considered q great treat
and well 1t might be.
Upon being asked how cold he had found
IL in, his northern climate he remarked
SIXTY below was the coidest I expert
enesd- The principal occupation among
the white inhabitants il mining. The In
dams in Alaska are much winter than those
we nnd in Maine and are well built but moi,
industrious and a. q general rule are very
poor and often in destitute condition.
They are not handy workmen with their
knives and therefore do not have any
marketable wares. They live chiefly upon
fsh and game, which consists Of white fish
and salmon In the fish line and Chiefly carl
bou meat in the game linz. Carbon are
quite plenty in the interior. In the SUM-
msr white fish ami saline Gan he procured
in the lakes and rivers. ia Aiasks aaite
thiekly settled" asked the report r. well
no, it is thialy settled in comparison TO the
extent Of the country" Tie salmon fishing
10 quite an industry, bg, numbering does not
command attention because Of the .tunted
growth. The best lumber material i. found
only along the river bars and then not in
any great quantities or of particularly good
quality. The climate Is quite as steady
generally ss one wouH naturally expect ac-
cording to the season he might be there and
latitude Of this country. 10 GUNNER the
nights are quite cool. At the place where
this gentleman was the people live Ia log
cabins which are hewn OUT of
rough timber and not 1T specimens
Of architecture by any means. The sum
mer season begins about the first of June
and ends in September, that is it thsws out
abou, the first of June and freezes up cold
in September. During the time this gen
tleman WAS in Alaska there was not any
heavy snow storms. He did not see over
three feet of snow while there. which is a
peculiar circumstance it may seem, but the
weather is so cold during the winter
season that frost often falls so thick
" that it seems like snow. In the short sum
mer period there is considerable rain. The
climate is more healthy than would be gen.
orally supposed. To get living in this
distant part of America is often difficult
and hard work only brings but little. There
are not any very great industries which
require large numbers of men, that is 4
considerable mining done ard fishing Is one
of the leadidg occupations. In the interior
where this gentleman was there are not
any domestic animals. The cause of this
is largely due to the cold and scarcity of
food which horses or cows would require,
especially during the winter season which
is exceptionally lengthy. The only vege-
table that can be raised is turnip and these
are not Of luxuriant growth. The game
consists Of bear, lynx, martin, beaver,
wolves. and fox. These animals are quite
plenty and the fur industry is quite lucra-
tive occupation and fairly paying one.
on what ls known as the Lower Yukon
river the barrelling of goose eggs for winter
consumption is line of work which is
quite prominent. Goose meat is dried IN the
same manner as yenson and used for food
10 winter. Many of the people live on these
egg. and dried goose meat during the entire
winter seasou. On the coast near where
this gentleman took the steamer for the in
terror is the town of juneau, situated on a
side hill and directly under several huge
mountains The situation of the town is
very striking and one will readily notice the
peculiarly of its location. This place is
the headquarters for fitting out parties for
the interior. Mail reaches this place twice
a month Seventy miles north of the town
of juneau is the town of St. Michaels, the
heaiqusrters of the Anne rican Fur Co. This
place is reached by ocean steamer. The
soil is quite black and not fertile to any
great extent and is very rocky. The length
Of days in winter are from $50 A. NJ TO
> 30 T.. VI. which means from daylight till
dark Ia the summer you can see to read
new spaper at midnight without lamp.
From June till August this gentleman did
not need any light. Near the town of
juneau is Douglass island upon which
i. located the great Tresdwell stamping
mill where ore is ground up and the gold,
silver and other marketable material pro-
cured from IL. In this mill are 2io stamps
which crush 700 tons of ore every q hours
There are $50 men employed in this estao-
lshn,ent. As yet this country Is unde-
veloped and without doubt many new it,
dustries will be established before long
which will bring the country iato promi-
nences.