The Meeker herald., 1897-08-07
New Pointers About Alaska.

Muir, the California writer and natura-
list. Mr.. Muir says:
The climate of all that portion Of the
coast that is pathed by the Japan cur
rent. extending from the southern
boundary of the territory northward and
westward to the island of Atoo. a dis
tance OF nearly $500 miles, is remarkably
bland, and free from extremes Of heat
and cold throughout the year. 1t is
rainy, however; but the rain is OF good
quality, gentle in It's fall, filing the
fountains of the streams, and keeping
tho wssse4lAnd aseUa md fruftfrr, wnYI5
anything more delightful than the shin
ing weather after the rain-the great,
round sundays of June, July and Aug
ust-can hardly be found elsewhere.
An Alaska midsummer day Is day
without night. In the extreme northern
portion of the territory the sun does not
set for weeks, and even as far south at
Sitka and Fort Wrangcl it sinks only q
few degrees below horizon, so that the
rosy colors of the evening blend with
those of the morning, leaving no gap of
darkness between. Nevertheless. the
full day opens slowly. At midnight,
from the middle point between the
cleaning and the dawn, a low arc of
light is seen stealingalong the horizon,
with grad ual increase of height and span
and intensity OF tone, accompanied
usually by red clouds, which make a
striking advertisement of the SUMS pro-
gress long before he appears above the
mountain tops.
For several hours after sunrise every
thing in the landscape seems dull and
uncommunicative. The clouds fade,
the islands and the mountains, with
ruffs of mIsts about them, cast ill-defned
shadows, and the whole armament
changes to pale pearl-gray with inst a
trace of purple III it. But toward noon
there is q glorious awakening. The cool
haziness of the air vanishes, and the
richer sun beams, pouring from on high,
make all the bays and channels shine.
Brightly now play the round-topped rip
pies about the edges of the islands, and
over many a plume-shaped streak be-
tween them, where the water is stirred
by some passing breeze.
On the mountains Of the mainland.
and in the high walled tlords that fringe
the coast. still finer is the work of the
sunshine. The broad white b0soms of
the glaciers glow like. silver, and their
crystal fronts, and the multitude of ice-
bergs that linger about them, drifting.
swirling, turning their myraid angles to
the sun, are kindled into perfect blaze
of irised light. The warm air throbs
and waves, and makes itself as life
giving, energizing ocean embracing all
the earth. Filled with ozone, our pulses
bound, and we are warmed and quick
ened into sympathy with everything,
taken back into the heart Of nature,
whence we came.
We feel the life and motion about us,
and the universal beauty; the tides
marching back and forth with weariless
industry, laying the beautiful shores,
and swaying the purple pulse Of the
broad meadows of the sea where the
fishes are fed; the wild streams in rows
white with waterfalls, ever in bloom
and ever in song. spreading their
branches over q thousand mountains; !;
the vast forests feeding on the drench-
ing sunbeams, every cell in whirl Of
enjoyment; misty flocks Of insects stir
ring all the air the wild sheep and goats
on the grassy ridges above the woods,
bears in the berry tanales, mink and
beaver and otter far on many q river
and lake; Indians and sdyenturers pur-
suing their lonely ways; birds tending
their young-everywhere, everywhere,
beauty and life, and glad, rejoicing ac-
tion.
Through the afternoon all the way
down to the west the air seems to thick
en- and become soft, without losing its
Hneness. The breeze dies away, and
everything settles into deep conscious
repose. Then comes the sunset with its
purple and gold-not a narrow arch of
color, but oftentimes filling more than
half the sky. The horizontal clouds that
usually bar the horizon are fired on the