The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-25
THE WONDERSOF ALASKA
PARTIAL DIGEST OF A BOOK JUST
ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
Yukon Dwarfs the Mississippi-Re-
markabIe Results of Agriculture
Amid Arctic surroundings.

tain 1873 pages and a map. The great de-
mand for reliable information about the
territory is the inspiration for the work,
which will appear as a publication of the
Bureau of American Republics. Almost
every department and bureau of the gov
eminent has been drawn upon for the ma
terial. Reports and narratives of a score
of agents and other representatives of the
government, who have been sent to Alaska
on a variety of missions, are the sources
from which the volume has been compiled
chapter only on the Yukon region con-
tains this entertaining description by Ivan
Petroff:
The people of the United States will not
be quick to realize that the volume of wa
ter in an Alaskan river is greater than that
discharged by the mighty Mississippi but
it is entirely within the bounds of honest
statement to say that the Yukon river, the
vast deltoid mouth of which opens into
Norton sound of Behring sea, discharges
every hour one-third more water than the
Father of Waters There is room for some
very important measurements in this con-
nection, which l hope will soon be made
Entering the mouth, or, rather, any one
of the mouths, of this large river, we are
impressed first by the exceeding shallow
varying in depth from two to three faith
oms; and, second, by the mournful, desc
late appearance of the country itself which
is scarcely above the level of the tide, and
which is covered by a monotonous cloak
of scrubby willows and rank grasses The
banks, wherever they are lifted above the
reddish current, are continually undermined
and washed away by the flood and so sud-
fa re-
times that traders and natives have barely
escaped with their lives.
For 100 miles up, through an intricate
labyrinth of tides, blind and misleading
channels, sloughs and swamps, we pass
through the same dreary, desolate region
until the higher ground is first reached at
Kusilvak, and until the bluffs at Andrews
ky and at Chatinakh give evidence of the
fact that ali the land in Alaska is not under
water. 1t is watered, however, here, there
and everywhere, and impresses one with
the idea of a vast inland sea, which i'm
preston holds good even as far up the
river as 700 or 800 miles, where there are
many points, even far in the Interior at
which this river spans a breadth of twenty
miles from shore to shore.
VAST TERRITORY DRAINED
LAS we advance towards it's source we
are not surprised, when We view the char
acter of the country through which it
rolls, at the vast quantity OF water in it's
channel. 1t would seem as though the
land itself drained by the river on either
side within Alaska We're a sponge, into
which all rain and moisture from the heaV-
ems and melting snow are absorbed, never
finding their release by evaporation, but
conserved to drain, by myriads and myraids
OF rivulets, the great watery highway of the
Yukon.
Il noticed a striking evidence of the pc
cuIlar nOnconductlVe properties of the lun-
ora MOSES, or SWale, last summer In pass
ing through many of the thousand and one
lakes and rVuletS peculiar to that re-
g1on, where the ice had bound up the
mass and oVerhanging water growth at the
edges of the lakes In the breaking up and
thaWlng out of summer that ice failed to
melt, and the renewed growth of the season
of vegetation, reaching out in turn from
this icy border, will again prevent the
thawing, and so until swallow pools and
flats are changed into fixed masses of ice
hidden from view"
The Kuskokwim is the second largest
river in Alaska. The headwaters of the
kuskokWim have thus far been untouched
by the explorer or trader. We have the
statements of natives to the effect that the
upper huSkokWim river flows SIuggishly
through vast plateau or valley, the cur
rent acquiring it's impetus only a short dis
lance above the village OF NapaimlIte
From this point down to the trading station
or kaImakoVsky and to the southern end
or the portage route between this river
and the Yukon the banks are high and
gravelly, and chains of mountains seem to
run parallel with its course on either side
This section of the Kuskokwim valley is
but thinly populated, though apparently
the natural advantages are far greater
than on the corresponding section of the
Yukon. The soil is of better quality, and
Is sufficiently drained to permit of a luxu-
rant growth of forest trees, shrubs and
herbs. Such indications of minerals as have
been found here are the most promising of
those of any portion of Western Alaska, con-
ssting of well-defined veins of cinnabar
anthony and silver-bearing quartz.
Game and fur-bearing animals do not
abound in this section of the river valley
as it IS an old hunting ground, and has
been drained by constant traffic for more
than half a century: The principal business
of the traders at Kalma<ovsky is derived
from the almost unknown headwaters of
the river Beaver, marten and OK are still
plentiful
The people Of the lower Kuskokwim live
from the abundant supplies of salmon. Over
four thousand people lay in the winter sup
ply for themselves and for their dogs during
few months of summer. The fish is dried
in wasteful manner, and with better
methods, four times the number could be
provided for. This section of the country
teens with population. The estuary of the
river is capacious and the tides have a sur
prising velocity and an enormous rise and
fall.
LARGE TIMBER AREA.
The timber of Alaska extends over a
much larger area than a great many sur
mise. 1t clothes the steep hills and noun
tain sides and chokes up the valleys of the
Alexander archipelago and the contiguous
mainlands. 1t stretches, less dense, but
still abundant, along that inhospitable
reach of territory which extends from the
head Of Cross sound to the Kenai PENN
sula, where reaching down to the westward
ard southwestward as far as the eastern
half of Kadiak island, and thence across
Shelikof strait, 1t is found on the main
land and on the peninsula bordering on
the same latitude; but it is confined to the
interior opposite Kadiak, not coming down
to the coast as far eastward as Cape
Douglas
Here, however it impinges on the coast
or Cook inlet. reaching down to the shores
and extending around to the Kenai PENN
sula- From the interior of the peninsula
above referred to the timber line over the
whole of the interior of the great area of
line at varying distances of from 100 to $50
miles from the Seaboard until that section
of Alaska north of the Yukon mouth is
reached. where a portion of the coast of
Norton sound is directly bOrdered by tim
Der as far north as Cape Denbigh. From
this point to the eastward and north
eastward line may be drawn just above
the Yukon and its immediate tributaries
as the northern limit of timber of any con-
siderable extent.
The trees are mostly evergreen, the
spruce family prepOnderating to an over
Whelming extent. Boards of the spruce are
not adapted for any finishing work, in
building or cabinet ware or indeed in
the influence of slight degrees of heat, it
swells, eXuding minute globules of gum or