Evening star., 1896-03-17
TRIP TO ALASKA.
The Third of the National Geographic
SOciety's Lectures ON That Subject.

SOciety's Lectures ON That Subject.
The third in the course of lectures. de-
scr.bing a trip from St. Paul, Mimi, to
Alaska. under the auspices of the National
Geographic Society. was delivered at
Metzerott Hall yesterday afternoon. and.
despite the very unfavorable weather pre-
vailing, Mr.. James Fletcher of Ottawa,
Canada, was listened to by a very large au-
dience. Mr.. Fletcher conducted the party
from the Canadian National Park to the
Pacific. He was introduced by President
Gardiner G. Hubbard of the society. and
his lecture was exceedingly interesting.
Next Monday afternoon Lieut. A. p. Nib
lack u. s. N. will take the party from
Puget Sound to Sitka, Alaska.
MIR. Fletcher first described the great
plains. which are traversed In reaching the
mountains. disabusing the mind of his au-
dience that they generally brown
and scared appearing waste. On the con-
trary, he remarked that these plains have
an indescribable charm about them at all
times. especially when they seem to be one
immense field Of waving grain. They are
at other times seen as a sea of grass and
gorgeous flowers some of the grasses grow
ing shoulder high, and in the flowers being
seen many of the common garden flowers
growing in 1uXuriant wildneSS ard beauty
One of the most beautiful of the flowers
he thought, is the Arkansas rose. But
many other roses are to be seen, and
among the most striking flowers are the
tlazng star, the orange lily. the golden
aster. many acres being covered at a time
by single variety. The trees found in the
mountains were also described by Mr.
Fletcher. and in one of the fallen giants of
the forest, he remarked. that after the
burning Of Vancouver some years ago the
city council held their meetings for a while
The Vancouver woods. by the way are of
almost tropical luXuriance, he said. and
ferns are found growing there twenty or
more feet high. In the mountains the sum-
mer is short, the season lasting about three
months. and in that time innumerable but
terfiies live their short lives. Clouds of
them may be seen at times blown across
wastes of snow and ice. down chasms
thousands of feet from which they make
their way back. The rugged beauty and
grandeur Of the Rocky mountains were
graphically pictured, and referring to the
scented woods of the Selk:rk mountains,
Mr.. Fletcher explained that it came from
flower, which by itself gave forth an odor
not unlike that emitted by a little animal
OF decided unpOpularity. Speaking of the
mountain forests, he mentioned the fact
that fires are yearly deSpoiling them. The
Canadian government sought to preserve
as much as possible the beauty of these
forests and mountain tracts by inclosins
them in national parks. The salmon fish
cries on the Fraser river were described.
some idea of their almost inexhaustibility
being given by the lecturer, when he stat
ed that in single day 100000 salmon are
taken.
Like the preceding lectures. Mr.. Fletch-
erS was illustrated by a large number of
In concluding his lecture. he advised every
one who contemplated such a trip to take
1t during the summer. of course, but not
later than the 1St of August, if possible.