Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-05

keeping them from being developed 1t is
very likely that the find of Mike the Big
Swede" will lead to further discoveries
and to great rush to that region.
Within three days after the arrival of
the Dora several parties had been formed
Who sailed on her for Cook Inlet They
were in all respects better equipped than
any parties 1 saw going to the Klondike
they vii winter at Sunrise City, on or near
ne Sooshitnee river. There are many
hings which make prospecting in the Cook
inlet country easier and better than in the
Yukon country, principal among which are
It's easy accessibility and the comparative
mtldness of the winters. Should I fall a
victim to the gold fever, which has not yet
happened, l am quite sure that would go
TO Cook Inlet and not to the Klondike, or
anywhere in the Yukon country. At Sitka
they look for a great rush to the west
ward In the spring, and the merchants are
already making preparations to meet the
expected demand for supplies.
Something About Sitka.
The normal population of Stka consists
OF about 500 whites and 1,1OO Thlingit In
dams; but at this time many of the whites
are away, either prospecting. trading or
packing at the passes, and the majority of
the Indians are away. some fishing, but the
greater number packing at Dyea and Ska
quay. And when an Indian goes off in his
canoe he takes his whole family-souaw
pappooses. dogs and all, so Indian Town at
Sltka presents an almost deserted appear
ance
Sitka Is almost entirely neglected by
tourists, very much to their loss for not
only Is II a quaint, curious old place, but its
surrounding scenery Is most beautiful
me excursion steamer stays at Sitka never
longer than six hours, and the mail steam
er eighteen; and if the tourist has a
chance to take a walk to Indian river and
make hurried visit to the museum and
the Graeco-Russian Cathedral Church he
Is satisfied.
But Sitka Is deserving of at least a
weeks stay. 1t is built at the foot of a
range or beautiful. snow-capped hills, of
which Mt. Versbovia, $500 feet high. is
the tallest. From the foot of the village
stretches away a most beautiful harbor.
dotted with hundreds of rocky green-coy-
ereu islands, on one of which, about twelve
mics to the north and west, looms I'D Mt.
Eogecomb, an extinct volcano About
tnree-quarters of a mile from Sitka to The
soutn, and reached by a most beautiful fir
s 5i and turf-bordered road, is In
dlan river. full of falls and rapids. its
Danks clad in vegetation almost tropjcal
IN us luxuriance. In all directions here
are Trips. the principal ones being TO the
not springs, Silver bay and Edgecorab.
winch are replete with the most glorious
scenes. ~ H'o"
me Greek Church, maintained BY the
S1dr OF the Russias, is we'll worth half a
uay Visit 1t Is literally filled with hand
some and valuable paintings by French
Italian and Russian artists. and rare gold
ana silver works of art all presented by the
i'.i government, royal family and no.
oihty' when the church was erected There
Is a most exquisite Madonna and child nv
a RUSSIAN artist, for which one of the Van
derplits offered the church $4,000 It was
our good fortune to be shown through the
cnurch by Mr.. George Kostrometinoff. a
member OF the church, the official intern-a
Ter and most courteous gentleman He
10 ny the way, son of one of the early
~ s supgovernors. Most OF the houses
III Sltka are of logs. weather-boarded and
many are handsome, roomy and all ccn,-
Portable. Indian Town is off to Itself and
CONSISTS OF long row of well-buiIt log and
iIahie nousess strung along the waters
Guse. me Ihilngit Indians IRE peaceful
INDUSTRIOUS, frugal and fairly well civilized
Game Abundant.
Haine OF all sorts is exceedingly abund-
ant ana the Indians frequently bring in
from dozen to twenty deer and long
strings Of geese, ducks, grouse and ntar.
misan in day. The summers are verv de-
lightful. About half the DAYS are rainv-
but not the sort of rain that wets cne-.na
me sunshiny days are gioriously perfect
Magnificent vegetables are raised here Int
no gram The winters are not more severe
e.tn ~ w ashlnston Last winter the low
est range of the thermometer was II de-
srees above zero. There were two cold
spells, one in November, one in March. and
tne remainder of the winter was balmy. All
~
iefeht from my former ideas that l have
1nought 1t would interest readers of The
star These conditions are due to the
Japan current, and of course do not prevail
inland. 'O. ~ Oil
Taken all in all Sitka Is far from hcins a
dlsagreeable place to live; and is an ideal
summer resort, especially for sportsmen-
poth OF gun and rod.
Changed Conditions Mt Skaruax.
Reluctantly bidding farewell to sitka we
are back here at Skaguay amid far differ
ent scenes Skaguay is very different from
what it was when 1 closed nv last letter
Inc saw mill, of which l spoke as being in
process of erection. has been running full
plast' and as timber is plentiful and near at
hand much lumber has been turned out
and frame buildings have taken the Mace of
ndny OF the tents. Besides this several
American and English ships have been here
anu nave brought several thousand addi-
.iohai hlondlkers, more than thousand
horses and many hundreds of tons of pro-
visions. The Willamette alone brought up
on her last trip from Seattle, 800 men and
600 horses.
After landing here the first thing to at
tract our attention was the total made
quacy or the force at the command Of the
coilector OF customs to cope with the smue-
giers, or even to properly inspect one-haif
the goods coming in from foreign ports
Of course the introduction of whisky is the
principal object of the smugglers' art
Liquors may not be introduced at all into
Alaska without a special permit from the
collector of customs. and may not be sold
10 Indians. nor to any one else except for
medical and scientific purposes and by IL
eense OF the governor. But for all that
whisky is so plentiful in Dyea and Skaguay
that all of the score or more saloons are
Wen supplied, and it is drug on the mar
ket. The collector has seized large
amount, but more has gone through. in
sugar barrels. flour barrels nail kegs. as
hardware and even dry goods.
IN ADDITION to this a vast deal of proyi-
sions from Victoria and other foreign ports
mas gone In without paying duty. The
usual method followed in getting through
foreign goods is to pretend that they are
meant to go through into Canadian terri
tory. and on this pretense they are sealed
and permitted to be landed Once on land
and mile from the water these goods are
safely beyond the reach of Uncle Sans
limited force, and are opened and disposed
of right in Dyea and Skaguay. A number
or horses from Victoria, now being used on
the trails. were struggled In In this manner
the pretense being that they were for the
Canadian mounted police and for use In
Canadian territory.
Dyea ms u SUPPORT of Entry.
1t is believed here that the Washington