Arizona weekly citizen., 1895-09-28
ALASKA'S ICY MOUNTS.
An InhOspitable Cline for the
 Poverty Stricken Tourist.
Gold Is There, but Death Lurks on Glacial Heights and
 Messy Plains.
(S. F. Post.)

F.. H. Ovens, a well-known residen
 or this city, returned on the Wallt
 Walla from Alaska, where he has beer
 engaged in opening up some valuable
 mines near Sitka. During the pas
 summer he has had quite an experience
 as aa explorer in theso Northern climes
 and judging from his conversation ht
 has had enough in this line to last hin
 for some time to come.
 "Poor men should be warned to stay
 away from Alaska" he said. Ut is not
 country for them by any means. The hardships that even those who are well provided for must endure are indes cribable, for when I can vouch by my
 own personal experiences. I have just
 returned from journey which took me
 over 1000 miles north of Sltka, and I
 can say without danger of violating the
 truth that a more inhospitable country does not exist or earth.
 "The country is impenetrable outside of the immediate vicinity of any town. The forests are 8 thicket into which it will take hours to penetrate fifty feet, owing to windfalIs and undergrowth. At one time 1t took me four hours 10 get out of windfall caused by one of those violent storms which periodically sweep the Territory. You see before you what looks like a nice bank of moss; you tread upon it and find yourself up to the neck, an under-stratum of ice hay Ing given wey. Wet and shIverIEg with cold you proceed on your miserable way to meet with another experience of the kind, or an insuEmountable barrier in the woods. forcing you to retrace your steps in an unpleasant humor.
 ''Then there are glaciers, which can only be clim bed at the risk of life or limb. Covered with snow, deep Assures exist at irregular intervals. To plunge into one of these by chance means horrible death for tho unsuspecting traveller. 1 was told of one instance where party of fifteen was swallowed up as completely ae the earth did Dath6n and A birsm. Tbe snow drifted over the temporary formed chasm, covering all indications of the catast- IOpue, dIQ Jus uuIudIhSU tOlIO Ol tue victims with white pail.
 GA we'll equipped party with guides can alone travel wiih safety in these dangerous wilds. No poor man can ex- pect to prospect in them without riskiEg his life. There are now SG0 or more men on Cooks inlet and Turnagain re gior, and If 300 of them get out even tually alive and we'll it Will surprise me- The country round about this locality may be all 1t is cracked up to he, if you ever get into it, but that is where the rub comes into get there. Some moose are to be had in the way of game, but hunting ia labor of the hardest a3d most unproiitsble kind, owing to natural conditions to which 1 tave already re- ferred."
 MT. Owens speaks very favorably about the mining prospects in the terri tory, and shows place: gold of fine quality. He is about to open up some quartz lodges near Sitka, and also some gravel deposits favorably located. He warns the impoverished miner and proe- pector, however, that neither the coun- try nor the climate are suitable for them if they value their comfort, if not their lives.