Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-08
AGRICULTURE IN ALASKA
Investigation Made Of the Conditions by d..
Walter Il. Evans.
Feasibility of Establishing Expert
mental StatiOns-Dr. Evans Views
of the Gold Fields.

mission there was to investigate as to the
feasibility Of having agricultural expert
mental stations there, a special order hav-
ing been issued to this effect by a pro-
vision of Congress. While DIR. Evans is
not ready just yet to make his report in
regard to the stations, it Is believed he will
not render favorable decision In that re-
spect. The conditions were all right in
many Of the sections he visited for the sta
tons. but. on account of the situation of
the country itself, it is believed he will not
report favorably.
Though DIR. Evans did not visit the Klon-
dixie region, extending his Investigations to
the coast from Unalaska to Sitka, a dis
lance of about 1900 miles. and about $50
miles in the interior, he learned much on
his visit about the gold fields of the coun-
Inlet, where he visited. In all the coast
region he Travelled about $500 miles.
Not Many Prospectors.
DR.. Evans left here June 1, went to Sc
attic. thence to Sitka. On his return trip
he left September 6. He said to a Star
reporter:
Il was at Chilkat pass in July. 1 did
not see many persons then starting into
the klondike regions. On my return, go
ing up Lynn canal, l passed many boats
containing parties of prospectors. I heard
from many persons coming out that there
were not enough provisions for the people
gong in. The two passes, Skaguay and
Dyea, l heard discussed frequently.
Skaguay was reported the best, as
horses and stock could go through it. In
this way provisions could be packed
through. In Dyea pass there is an incline
of about 40 degrees. over which the animals
cannot go. Therefore Skaguay was deemed
better, but it was far from being as easy
as expected.
he loo 7
were 5000 people and 5000 horses mired in
Skaguay.
From what 1 learned about the gold
fields, l am convinced that the richness is
by no means confined to the Klondike
regions. 1 saw many evidences of quartz
and placer mining elsewhere. Cooks Inlet,
about $50 miles from the ocean, is fairly
rich section. 1t is estimated by Mr..
Wheeler of Sunrise City, near the head of
Cooks Inlet, that about $500, 600 was taken
out last year by about three hundred men.
The mining there is done by the sluice box.
Inc miners can wash with the water they
get nVe months in the year. A large portion
of the Cooks Inlet gold has in the future
to be gotten out by hydraulic power.
know three young f, -ows who go from
Seattle every year, l believe, and work in
that region five months, and bring out
about 1,SOO apiece"
God of Unusual Richness,
DR.. Evans showed The Star reporter sew
had been given him by one of the miners
at Cooks Inlet. The largest was about as
large as the end Of the little finger They
came from Six-Mile and Lynx creeks, and
We're obtained by the suice-box method
Ihey We're worn smooth, evidently in being
brought down to where they were found,
by water. DR.. Evans stated that he saw
one miner have a nugget worth $50. The
gold was imbedded in quartz about the size
OF small hen egg. He saw one nugget
worth W., of nearly solid gold. When
thrown on hard surface, he stated, IL
rang like a gold coin.
There was a boom in Cooks Inlet q
year ago." DR.. Evans stated. people did
not succeed as well as they expected, and
left. 1t happens that in the mining region
II person In one claim is making IS or $40
day and another in one adjoining is MAX
ing only S.. the latter will become dis
contented and leave. This seems to be the
rule in mining regions. Cooks Inlet Is
about 80 miles from Sitka, running from
the Pacific ocean $50 miles. There is a
regular steamboat line from Sitka there
from April to the end of October. One of
the companies in Cooks Inlet was clearing
up. when l was there with twenty men,
about 500 day. There is no hydraulic
n lining done there. as yet though believe
some companies are organizing for it. /
believe If a young man goes there and is q
hustler and will attend to his business he
will do fairly well. though he must not ex-
the Klondike. The quartz mining will fol-
low later
Views of Vegetation.
81 was surprised to find that a large
number of things are grown in the section
Of Alaska which 1 visited, and 1 am GER
tain a number of other things could be
grown If interest would be taken in this
respect. People do not seem to wish to
bother with agricultural pursuits. They
are willing to pay s25 a ton for hay, when
they might raise it there themselves. 1t
has to be obtained from San Francisco or
Puget sound.
II found large number of native ber-
ries growing in the part of the country
visited. These comprised blueberries red
raspberries. cranberries and Strawberries
The latter have the finest flavor for the
wild variety I ever tasted.
II found that southeast Alaska is very
thickly timbered. In the interior and south
western section grass grows luxuriantly.
Most of the timber is spruce.
There is generally mistaken idea in re-
gard TO the climate of the southern coast
Of Alaska. The popular idea is that 1t is
very frigid The coolest it gets in the coast
region Is only 10 or ~ degrees below zero
The coolest 1 ever heard a report of there
vas 13. degrees below zero. The annual
temperature Is not much colder than 1t is
here. OF course this is only the coast re-
gion, where the Japanese current washes
and warns things by its tropical heat. 1t
Seldont gets down TO zero IN that region.
Fish and game are pretty plentiful
There are two syndicates engaged In the
salmon canning industry, and they have
their seines all through the waters
Sailors Prone to Desert.
DR.. Evans stated that the man-of- war
Concord, which was in the Alaskan waters
while he was there, had over thirty men
desert to go to the Klondike. The captain
of the Albatross. cutter, postponed going
to Juneau until the winter season set in
being afraid that when he reached there
his men would desert and he would have
the necessity of working the boat down
again with little or no aid. He reasoned
that IL it was too cold to cross the passes
the men would not leave.
DR.. Evans brought back several speci-
mems of grasses and other evidences of
growth in the section he visited. 1t was
learned that he did not consider there was
enough organization in Alaska to form the
experimental stations just yet, and difficult
ties would be encountered in this respect
from its being territory. At the same
time he was convinced that agriculture In
the section visited can be carried on much
more generally and with much better re-
suits than is supposed. His trip was q