Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-09-18

q x.s>as Ma. on Pss~>~r Exp~ss>ses N
Alaska


III. juneau. Dodge City. Kan, Who
vas the founder Of the City OF juneau,
Alaska. in an interview gave some inn
portan. information regarding the
Klondike gold fields He said: II
cannot see the reason for al Using
travel by the Yukon River route.
OF $500 miles or more from
juneau 10 the Klondike gold fields.
when there il a shorter route, perhaps
more difficult. which - over the Chill
koot Pass, reducing the distance to
900 miles FROM juneau
Indians. both men and women, are
employed in making the ascent OF the
pass. They carry goods on their
hacks from the head Of Linn Channel
% the nearest point where You strike
the Yukon River. q distance Of about
seventy i've miles. and charge so 10
+ $40 hundred pounds. Two weeks
are required to make the trip. An
Indian Will carry 100 pounds besides
his own clothing and provisions,
weighing thirty pounds OF more.
Mules and horses are no good IN this
mountain climbing.
Alaska il country full ~ disap-
pointments People Who 80 there
have no idea 81 the many discomforss-
The country Il covered with moss,
vine that contains prickles "a sharp "a
the quills Of a porcupinc. with barbed
points These get into the flesh and
stick deep. The barbs break a. you
pull them out and n portion remains
in the hesh. The only Why 20 get
them out il 70 dig them ont The
bricks make a sore. They are about
l. 70 , inches long. and there II ex-
> cruciating pain when you pull them
e from your iesh.
! "Alaskaisa country on edge. Il - 40
mountainous. The basins are mainly
= filed with ice. The weather Is always
- extreme. Where there ~ 40 ice there
I il moss and DEVILS club. the latter be-
in- vine that winds around every
thing II can clutch. Persons walking
I. become entwined IN "A network Of moss
:. and DEVILS club. and passage ~ TX
Z tramelv difficult. But there ~ grca
store OF precious minerals IN Alask'
II. behind these barriers.
- II helped - lay ont the town o
! Juneau in iSSi. 1 have been Their
t. three times. the last time IN 1855. Nj.
\ cousin, Joseph Juneau, discovers
gold there IN company with a ma
-, named Harris. The place was for
M time called Harrisburg. but afterwar
= the name was changed 10 juneau
a. There was no law in the country theI
!, and We adopted the Washington Iel
ritorial civil law and the United STATE
mineral laws. One feature Of the la
Ga was that the Chinese were 70 be e
eA cludel. and that law holds good
ia juneau to-day.
~ Along the sen coast Alaska pr
ne sents grand and picturesque Vie
'u' from an ocean steamer. It's scene
IN surpaases any mountainous scenery
the world lee 10y acres ~ constant
-ou tumbling into the sea. making a No
IN like an earthquake and endanseri
ain vessels. Mount Crehon n three mi
igh high, and stands IA pyramid for
an with towers above towers, like G
II ~ steeples IN the distance. lee Il
uld not stick - the sides Of these mo-
tain peaks, but slides into the va
avs IN great avalanches.
de- Alaska Il a rich country fron M
,hy. points Of view. IL ia rich IN miner
a OF but not much vegStation survi'
,nts though portions of the territory :
On "A extensive and valuable forests.
tive a country Of vast extremes, but Il
con- vet prove 70 be the richest posses
evi- of the United States, though all OF
terrors Of the country have not |
tina ] overlraWn.