The San Francisco call., 1897-08-15
Alvin Scale of the Hopkins
Knowles Expedition and
His Discoveries.
ARCTIC REGION RICH IN ALL
KINDS OF METAL.
The Stanford University Student
Tells of His Finds In the
Far North.

PACIFIC GROVE, CAL, Aug. 14.-The
frozen north with its wonderful and ever
changing panorama of welrdness and
beauty, its long summer Of constant light
and brilliant color and its contrasting g
long winter of almost unbroken night, its
AIlurements of untold wealth yet I'M
obtained and its frghtful suggestions OF
death from cold or starvation, is a sub
iect just now filing the public mind to
the exclusion of all else. A person who
has ever been into this icy Ell Dorado
finds himself little above ordinary hu-
manity, for he has seen and he knows
what every one else is trying to learn
what life in Alaska actually is
Last year Alvin Scale and Norman
schotield were sent out by Stanford Uni
versity on what is known as the Hopkins
Knowles Arctic expedition to study the
birds and fish OF the Arctic regions and to
collect specimens OF the more rare species
for the university. Besides being the
source of great advantage to its members
and to the college from scientific stand
point this expedition was the means Of
giving Scale and Schofield very accurate
knowledge of the climatic and other con-
ditions of the Territory OF Alaska, its peo-
pie and their customs. Much of this in.
formation CLEANED, by the way, is of espe-
cial interest in the present state OF Klon-
dixie excitement.
At one time while seining for fish speci-
mems in large river a bout 100 miles north
of the Yukon they discovered what they
thought to be gold deposits, but being more
the minerals beside it they paid but COM
paratively little attention to the evidences
about them. Now that the Yukon GOLD
deposits are proving so rich these men re-
gret that they did not make at least @
cursory examination, for the specimens
picked up give evidence of a considera BILE
quantity OF metal.
Alaska as a country is marvelously big
and beautiful whether the southern or
northern portion be taken into con-
sideration," said Scale. 1.-THE luxurious
vegetation OF the short sum mer in South
ern Alaska, its tall grass and ferns,
its lovely Wild flowers and delicious ber-
ries make it a veritable fairyland standing
in striking contrast to Arctic Alaska,
which is one weird waste of barrenness
ice and snow that the never-setting sun
invests with grandeur at times awesome.
i 10 DtdullSS VI Lu0 miuUlRuL sun IA We
often been written of ard described, but
only those who nave actually seen it can
form any conception of its appearance,
and when to this is added the brilliant
and electrical snap and crackle of the
northern aurora borealis, the scene is
simply wonderful. The whole air and
earth and sky seem charged with it, and
you feel it even to your finger tips.
''As far north as Herschel Island many
hna will re fO ha md dr1ri,
the summer, growing even TO the edge OF
the snow on sunny hillsides. These Arctic
flowers are delicate of tint and structure
and comparatively few of them are
fragrant l brought back a considerable
collection OF them gathered from all the
places at which the ship touched.
The great mum bers of birds and fish to
be found in those regions is at the least
amazing, and when one thinks of acres of
water covered with sea birds and fish so
abundant that some seasons they may be
dipped up in hand nets by persons on
shore; and of golden plover, snipe, white
fish. salmon, salmon trout and other cpl
curean delicacfes in the Arctic, and add
to this an Unlimited supply of gold which
is there for the taking, there seems little
wonder that So many people are rushing
madly to this land OF wonders and wealth.
The other side of the picture is not so
alluring, however, for even in the short
open season navigation Of the seas and
streams is difficult and ofte entimes danger
ous because of icepacks and reefs. The
almost constant rain and dense fogs,
caused by the melting ice and snow, make
travelling by either land or water very
slow. In winter there is absoiutelv moth :
Ing to be done but 10 tie up to the ice and
wait until the packs begin TO break and
clear away. This Iylng-up to tie ice is
a peculiarly of Arctic navigation. On
account OF the difficulty of getting through
the ice the ship is allowed regular
nightly rest, and Is always made fast to
some stationary ice to remain during the
short twilight period which is here called
night Sometimes there is grinding and
crushing sound caused by tue huge ice
blocks moving against each other, which
is rather disturbing during these nightly
rests.
Some OF the seine fishing carried on
by the Hopkins Knowles expedition was
done in the Port Clarence vicinity, and it
was here that the mineral signs were seen
by us. A large river, deep enough to float
a warship. but as yet without name,
forms The outlet TO a lake of considera bl e
size, about twenty miles inland, and
empties into the sound known as Grant
lev Harbor, where Captain kellet. in the
ship Plover, wintered in 1851. while on
the first SIR John Franklin relief expedl-
LlOn. UraDIley harDOT III lIS turn enters
Port Clarence Bay. This bav is notable
because the United States Government
reindeer station is situated on its northern
shore.
'.The reindeer venture has passed the
stage of an experiment now and the
station and its attendant village of cibe-
rian Lamps seems permanentlnstitution
The river is known to the whalers as
The Narrows.' and we being the first men
other than the whalers wanted to give it
the name of Stanford River in honor
of the expedition. Along the banks
OF this stream evidences OF bell
metal and silver and signs of gold de-
posits were visible, and / brought some
specimens OF quartz home. l have never
had this examined bv an expert. AS
these mineral discoveries were given SO
little attention by us and not looked into
beyond the mere passing note of them
do not like 10 give definite opinion re-
garding the possi Utilities of rich gold de.