The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-30
A FAIR STATEMENT.
o. g. Attorney B. 4 Bennett On
AIaska's Future.
COOK INLET AND the YUKON.


Burton z. Bennett. Tinted states dis
srfcf attorney for Alaska a7d who was
formerly . well known resilient OF Seattle.
arrived On the steamer Wiiiapa from Ju-
reaa TUESDAY morning. In AT interview
with post-Hnseiiigeacsr reporter ysster-
day be said:
pia<xsasf with prospects Of q late season.
II is already month behind time. and
that means a good deal In country 20
dependent on sts mining resources Alas
ka IL now having it's big boom and every
boat COMES IN loaded with people for the
Cook Inlet or Yukon countries. The re-
parts that Alaska Is oys.run with people
without money ard who carnct find work
Is entirely false. OF course there may be
instances where men without money have
been unaaie to hnd work. as VIII happen
In any country II IL also untrue that
there are constant robosriess During the
past month there has not been one case
Of robbery or breach Of the peace.
Alaska IN pre-emireutly a mining coun-
try. and no person should 20 there with
she idea Of depending on anything else.
unless II be in some business which natu-
rally follows mining. That Alaska h full
Of gold there is no question. because It can
be found everywhere In greater or less
quantities. But SE account Of the short
ness Of the seaxyr. the large amount OF
rainfall and the mountainous character Of
the country. II II hard to prospect and
mines are found slowly hundred years
from now men will be prospecting and
finding mines there the same as to-day.
a person who has never been TO Alaska
has 40 idea " the dim enities and hard
ships OF a trip into the Yukon. and only
the strongest and hardest Of young men
should undertake It. a man ought to
have af least $50 before he contemplafes
ecsng into fhs Yukon. OF course. the more
he has the better. The first season he can
hope to do but very little. because Ms
length IT. not more than four months. and
then comes the long winter in which he
can DO nothing or practically nothing. As
provisions are very high there hts store
OF money will y very much needed. By
the second season he will have gotten ae-
Quainfed with the country Snd the people.
II may be that In the second season he
will not ind anything. and then comes an
other eight months of enforced fdieness.
By the third season he Is prepared 10 do
his effective prospecting. and IL he has
struck nothing during the first and second
seasons, he ought to by the third.
'sWhen Mt last he Is fortunate enough
20 locate a claim u Is quite probable he
would stay there from one TO two years
longer. so as TO receive the full reward o.
his iabors. 30 II can be seen that no man
shauld venture Into the Yukon country
unless. he II prepared to stay from three
10 1--WE years. Men who only intend going
IN In the spring and coming on, In the fall
ought never 10 make this trip. because
tho probabilities are tina, they will only
he out their money and time and be sub
Sect to great hardzhips as we'll.
''Do you mean TO say. Mr. Bennett, that
no work If done In the wintery'
mo. for if n man has already n good
claim he generally spends some time In
the winter In thawing out and looscnin-
NJ the ground so as 10 he able 20 get the
Eofd out early In the spring. Some p,'o--
pecting Is done In this way "a well.
I'm regard to the Cook inle. country,
gold was discovered there years ago by
The Russians: long before the transfer of
Alaska FROM Russia to this country. But
as the Russians were after furs wholly.
they nevc. paid particular attention TO
gold discoveries. In fact. those Russians
who settled IN that country and remained
there went Into farming and parsnc that
vocation to this day. You must remem-
her that the Cook inlet country Is vastly
different country from Southeastern Alas
ka or the Yukon.
Cook Inlet has Its regular seasons with
q winter something such as you will find
IN the Eastern states. and In summer
sometimes -four months OF almost perpet-
ual sunshine. There are also vast tracts
OF prairie land which is only waiting for
the piow ans the sowe- to bring forth
abundant crops in.the fail The Russians
who have settled there have. for Alaska,
good farms. They make their own hay.
raise their own vegetables. and have
horses cows. pigs and chickens. the same
as do the farmers OF the Mississippi val
ley. Around the inlet are a number OF
Russian Greek churches. having priests
sent from Russia. As you probably know
Tie Russian government appropriates
something like sTsnn a year. II rcmem-
hgr Ia fh. ,.f h..
eat churches and schools In Alaska. OF
course thc further you get up the inlet
the colder !, becomes. and towards the
mountains tho thermometer falls 10 20 de-
erees and even 30 degrees below zero In
the winter time
This year VIII prove conclnsigely
whether Cook inlet Is rich mining coun-
try or not Last season saw several
miners when they returned and all with
whom talked had taken out more or iess
Ioii. II was those who returned early ir
the season who found nothing and gave
The country a black eye. EVERY body who
fs acquainted with mining country
know tina, hardly two out of ten make a
successful strike and this proportion holds
tr3e In nearly all kinds OF business. NV
idea Is that there viii be some rich
placer mines found there A great many
people have the idea taat this is going 20
10 the best part OF Alaska. that here VIII
that a pass VIII be discovered from Cock
Inlet leading into the Yukon. which viii
make that country easy Of access and do
away with the diffcait ,auTrey over the
pass above ryes and down the Yukon
river 10 the gold feiis"
Now. can't YOU ten something about
politics IN Alaska"
''oh. wen, eSeryboiy knows that as far
a. am personally concerned I am now out
OF politics. n Is :rse however thar Az,
Republicans are tak.nE great Interest In
The epproschinS Convention which elects
dciesttrs - the national convention al s.
Louis The different candidates are max
INK not ncht UNitei States Commits
siotcr Kelly. % WranEei. Is bending ali his
energies 10 DC enc u the delegates. Al Ja-
neaM HoS. 9. $. johnson hge Un,te,.
States attorney. aad = :. Rrzckett Ate
deputy collector Of customs. are marshal
Tag their forces Tor the FRAY At sitka
J. G. Brady. late United States commits
elonef az that place ana Edward he Grar
The pioneer merchant also desire th5S
honor. Hon. Thomas : Newell head a,
the Newell Ga.d Mining CsYnrzuv. A. ia.
nrau. Is candidate. ho - at present in
Washiugtcr CITY. sent thor, As a eei.g,,g
Nv the c.t.sras 0f soGioekstsrn Alaska "a
&c. eill taFSsssa ccugress allowing Alaska
delegates the same as other territories
Who the two Seccessfgl tnra viii b. - 4.
OF course inapossihls Ter M 70 say. All ar.
ga9e men Aai would crest.;ahlv r~ar,sr,,
I've party az 81 Louis Georsn " MI
mater. sha was for - long rro:r,i 80, !,
Pennsylvania politics ard who "a --,.>s.
nissd As an sstute politician srrsvra IN
Jcuc1a ca the las. Toneka. and 1; ia IA.