The Portland daily press., 1896-11-28
LIVE MASTODONS.
Credible Witnesses Say They Can Be
Found in Alaska.
ONE OF THE WONDERS OF A MOST
WONDERFUL COUNTRY.

Two of the Mnmmoths Recently Killed
by Indians-Other Marvels of Our
Strange Northern Country-A Talk
With a Long Time Resident There.
''When the late Secretary Seward pur-s
chased the big slice of North Amer lea
now known as the Territory of Alaska
from the Russian government he was the
but of great deal of newspaper ohaff. "
This was the preliminary observation
of Colonel Cola f. Fowler, late of the
Alaskan Fur and Commercial company,
in conversation with Philadelphia In
quirer reporter, about that marvellous
strip of Uncle Sam 3 territory, which is
just beginning to attract the attention
of capitalists as good Fl cid for invest
ment. Colonel Fowler is stopping tenn
porariIy in Philadelphia with friends.
He is en- route to his old home near Bos
ton, from which he has been absent for
the past quarter of century, more than
half of that time having been spent in
Alaska.
ALASKA is country of paradoxes,"
continued the Colonel "During the
past fourteen years, up to two months
ago. when resigned, and started back
to visit my old home, I have had my
headquarters at Kodiac, which is the
most northern station occupied by agentR
OF our company. Our headquarters are
In San Francisco, but we have trading
stations all over Secretary Stewards
purchase. AS yet Alaska is almost a
terra inoogpita. The country Immediate
~ surrounding some of the principal
rivers like the Yukon, Snake and
Stlckeer has been explored, and few
miles inland from the coast line, but
the great interior il almost unknown.
What we have learned of it is surprise,
and prompted me to say that it is a
country of paradoxes.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
"You who live here in the states look
upon it as land of perpetual ice and
snow, and yet you would be astonished
If told you that grew the past sum-
mer in my garden at Kodiao abundant
crops of radishes, lettucs, carrots, onions
cauliflowe1s, cabbage, peas, turnips,
potatoes. beets, parsnips, and celery.
Within five miles of this garden is one
of the largest glaciers in Alaska and
between the fertile coast slip and the in
tsrior is reared along the entire sea
boundary continuous mountain of
perpetual ice and snow
During your long residence in Alaska
what was the most wonderful thing you
saw or beard?' asked the reporter.
The. Colonel smiled at this question,
and after moments thought said |:
1.-TWO years ago left Kodiao on trip
to the head waters of the Snake River,
where our travelling agents had estab-
lished trading station at an Innuit
village. The chief OF this family Of In
nuits was named To-le-ti-ma, and to
him was well recomme nded. He re-
ceived me Hospitality, and l at once began
negotiations for the purchase of big
lot of fossil ivory which his tribe had
cached near the village. The lot
weighed several thousand pounds, and
was composed of the principal and in
ferior tusks of the mammoth, the re-
mains of thousands of which gigantic
animals are to be found in tie beds Of
interior Alaska water courses. l sub
jeoted tbe ivory to a rigid inspection,
and upon two Of the largest tusks l dis
eovessd old blood stains and SEINE shreds
of partly decemposed fish.
A DROvE OF MONSTERS.
''I questioned To-le-ti ma, and he as
sured me that less than three months
before party Of his young men han en-
eountered drove of the living monsters