The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-01


"a halIbut- n euElns and eeAplnG u
cod and salmon has assumed large proper,
lions, though this enterprise enters Into
direct and sharp composition with the can
neries of the Columbia River and Puget
Sound, which h ave the advantage OF closer
proximity to market and more reliable
transportation facilities.
There 1 fleet of San Francisco vessels
probably forty of them. engaged in fishing
on the bank Off Kadiak and the Shumagfn
Islands, While at Killisnoo the northwestern
Trading Company is curing large numbers
OF cod and have works for rendering OIL
from the herring which swarm In the
waters OF Chatham Strait
Alaska has q gold mine in its timber.
There are immense forests OF spruce, hem
lock, red cedar, yellow cedar, elder anu
other woods, much OF Which is or ex-
cellent quality for economic purposes and
considerable of it readily accessible and
easily transported to mill and market
There are ais ample mill facilities for its
manufacture into lumber. But while the
forests, after the gold fields and the fisher
les, constitute the most conspicuous feature
of the country, and while these forests are
filled with timber of the finest quality, a
large proportion of the lumber used la
Alaska IN brought in from other 1urisdic-
tions and prices are regulated by the
market prices in Washington and oregon
adding thereto tremendous freight bills.
John II. Kinkead, the first governor OF
the District of Alaska appointed by the
President of the United States, foresaw
the magnificense of the new domain
The act organizing the District OF Alaska
was approved May II. 1854, and Gov.
Kinkead, I'm company with the other civil
Officers appointed for the district, reach
ed Alaska on September A, 1884. On the
9th OF September, after the usual gov
ernor's salute" Lieut.. Commander Henry
Z. Nichols, commanding the Z. s. s. Pinta
and the naval forces Of the district for
nlally reiinquished all civil authority which
had heen exercised by the United States
Navy since 1867. Gov. Kinkead had not
been many days IN the district before he
wrote to the President on the subject OF
the ninerairesources OF Alaska. He thought
that the Importance Of the mining industry
In Alaska was not understood In the United
States He gave 1t as his opinion that the
mining industry would soon lead all others
in Alaska
He said: ''In the vicinity of Juneau, on
Douglas Island. extensive reduction works
are nearing completion: one company hav-
ing expended nearly or quite 100000
i'm preparing for work Their mine has
already teen explored sufficiently to
insure large returns for many years IL
is not probable that this locality is the
oHly paying depository of gold bearing
quartz. In the vicinity OF Sitka and in
the region of Prince Williams Sound and
Cooks Inlet, as well as in many other
places In the ChIlkat River country, the
promises for the future are good. The
geological formation and the general Char
acteristics or most OF the islands In the
archipelago and the Contiguous mainland
ate apparently the same. The Presence
OF ores in this district is not a new dis
oovery. But the industry has langushed
and has been almost abandoned for the
reason that the only title to the property
of the miner recognized was that OF force,
not always. no, still frequently enough
To discourage exploration.
The difficulties attending the success
full prosecution of this industry are great
High and precipitous mountains, denseiy
covered with timber and chaparrel. fallen
and decaying trees. the earth covered Wi
mos and vegetation 10 the depth of on Q or
two feet, seem almost to forbid the pro-
gress OF the prospector. To compensate for
this, however. there is unlimited water
power and an abundance OF fuel existing
almost everywhere, and within easy access
from the mining districts by any class of
ocean shipping. The great interior, though
having plenty OF timber for all practical
purposes, ia rnucn better adapted to III. ming
and exploration than the coast region