The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-30
ST. MICHAEL HARB0R.
The Important Part IL Plays i'm Get
ting supplies Up the Yukon River
Frozen Over Haff the Year.

Special Dispatch TO The PeSf-inteillEsncer.
A curSo-y glance at St Michaeis harhor
tells why the question of getting supplies
up the Yukon is a serious enc to over
come even were the other conditions par
tally favorable.
ST Michaels hsrhor is but hetle more
than a crescent on the shores q Norton
sound II Is neither deep ner well pro-
tected The post itself IS on an Island
about Eve by eighteen miles. shaped
something like an ink spot and separated
from the main land BY a narrow slough.
The hills OF the mainland are some four
or FIVE miles back from the shore 70 the
south Al the other points the tundra -
broken only by rolling hills which are
harfiy mere than large mounds
The steamer Portland drawing about
q feet. anchored fully a mile and haN
of from the town and none 81 the YES
seis lie in nearer than half mile from
the Alaska Commercial Company =
wharf
St Mlchaels is a clustering village OF
some ~ or more small houses ard is
nearly wholly given over 20 fnc Interests
OF the Alaska Commercial Company
Scattered huts and Fsauimaux dwellings
make up the rest of Hs entirety.
Half a mile further on is Fort Get
There headquarters for the NORTH Amer
team Transportation e. Trading Company
there" qulte rapidly.
The island is undoubtedly % volcanic
origin, II being nothing more than Fo{-
canEc rock anf tuGdra. entireiy ireeless
and even st this season dreary looking
Tundra Is the Russian name Tor TIE
moss and peat which covers the rock
Sol there IS none. The tundra may vary
np 20 two feet IN depth. hgt heiew this
II Is frozen solid at all times q the year
Imagine agriculture where the plough
rasiie turn up fce ard frozen mass a.
from eight inches down beneath the sur
face In spite of this the grass is almost
knee deep ard bright coiored Wild flowers
arc luxurious in their growth and Profu-
sian Truuraarable ss.sif n0nds bfcak
fhe surface flied wfth water which sGepa
through the moss and which is neither
psIatahle nor good II appears 20 - iFn-
u~egnatea wifh aikaH. Al the water used
bv the Alaska Commercial Company =
post = brought from ne mainland -
boat That AZ FoTt Get There is Hi'srcd
from the ponds.
The frat settlement here vas made bT
the Russians IN 1876 AZ the tire ~ the
purchase Of Alaska this fort ard post
were a part - tn~ transfer about 500 90
hsfnx paid for fh@ buildings zns fortlf-
cations The Vuifes States rnuxt have
lst their Interest 60 ~ csfagit zs ROW
all that f. eft IS s-ail f3ark hoass ard
raff a G0x8E Sinai cannon 6fk2 Nf@A
tnese are part ard parcel ~ the Aiafka
Commercial Companvs nest Our lore
government ofsclal Capt Ervin Auoers.
deputy collector ~ c1stOf9s has hfa of
Zee Ga q dwelling rented fgom the Aiaska
Commercial Company
- Nscnaels - - miles norfh - t1s pass
hy waich IRE steamers enter fss river
and TIE river proper b. 80 wiies farther
On the exgent o. its eelta, lSxssi miles.
tefrE second 20 uene zu the w0r.1
After The steamship reaches 81 MI
cnae3s tie question q eetrinE .ts cargo
sshore ard Up tne river commence 81
real earnest Everythlng h&F % be light
ersa sroTa fre boat - the wareneases
which. wfth the present facilities. ia te-
6iaGs and sxssperst2ag. 4 sraaN iauneh
ard two scoNR a. n~NseuE reEreeeHt 'he
Ne~th American Transport atleB s. Tr7d~
fnw Corn nany+a 1u.#s Tnia hrweFer. i8
now practically certified as wien the ar-
rival q ere next steamers thgre VIII h=s
ample lizhtsFsE@ facili1lss
LlzhtsraE@ fs aIsa s8at9ef % 80 cor
dstsons q srs weasne-- IRE wfna fire.
uuaHffy blows here a. terrific rate. A.
the tlrne this IS he5nR written frA Wirt
Is sweeFgrr throgEn IRE ray ~ fuzzy -
rnaes an rour ard dlsenargi-E cargo uu-
e@r zaeh conditions - 81 fzsrosslsli3tT
W~nNn the rfger See rnerE are ia fSey
take on cargo stor Esl4s tae ship = a3ea
expeAsses matters
H=y.ns been Ic&1s6, the river steamer