The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-23

mighty oceanic waterways sheltered on
the Pacific side by numerous mountain
islands. deep enough and Of a capacity TO
accommodate all the marine Of the earth,
and room 20 spare for much more. on
these waters light river craft may ride,
/ and these sheltered passages" afford pro-
lection, better IN fact than river. as there
is no current to contend with. Now. what
is most imperatively needed and what
must pTecede any possible development Of
Alaska worthy OF the name, is one or more
railroads IN from the coast az least TO such
waters as are or may be made navigabIe.
to connect with the interior. IL the mer-
camille interests OF Seattle had combined
and put goo into an Improvement OF the
Dyea trail in the summer of 1897, the
money would all have been returned with
100 per cent. added. and l. 900 per cent. to
be added in 1885. Who that understands
the condition of things can doubt this for
an Instant This would have swollen the
tide OF business as nothing else could have
done. for. as the case stands yet. Alaskan
development is simply physical impossi-
bility.
This would have been the way 10 lad
vertise Seattle" and would have been more
potent than any resolutions that any
chamber Of commerce could enact, and IL
would have been advertising OF the most
effective kind. lavish alike in benefits 10
both advertiser and patron.
While this is the key. the chances are
that our Canadian brethren. with a keener
grasp, VIII be ready first 10 bid for the
carrying OF this trade, and once the tide
has set their way il may be hard to
change it.
I do not consider that the Yukon river
viii ever cut much OF a figure in the de-
velopment of Alaska. Like the Missouri,
II is not only a geological misfit but so
far as the United States are concerned. the
river is headed the wrong way. If Alaska
still belonged 10 Russia and development
had to come from Kamschatka and ST.
IBERIA. its position would be right enough.
bat 1t is wrong end to for US. Access to
it involves the crossing Of two turbulent
seas the North Pacific and Boring sea.
10 a far northern point, then in a horse
shoe route up south. over a rapid current
and shallow bed that at the best has but
little more than four months per year of
miserable navigation.
The poetic "Hokeen' may sing its
praises. but geographically the Yukon is a
nOndescript. geologically it Is a miscar-
riage, and commercially it is a false pre-
tense. When we are compelled TO say ''up
south" there is something abnormal in
the expression There was a time far
back prior TO the last change in our
globes polarity. and when the present
Arctic ocean was a semi-tropical sea. wnen
the semicircle Of Asiatic and North Amer
lean northward flowing rivers might have
been of mighty commercial consequence
had man then been on hand 20 utilize
them. As the situation now IS, the eight
great rivers discharging into the Polar
sea and representing the drainage OF
large per cent. of the earth's land surface
are all barred from becoming factors Of
any consequence in the worlds commercial
economy.
/ do not think that the Improvement Of
IL aF fg al .
cable as the rapid current and the fire.
Quent shadows would soon undo all i'm
provement The distance from the Pacific
coast states to Dawson City via St MI
chael Is too great snd the reioading or
cargo on light draft river steamers. to
be literally dragged over the numerous
bars IS too expensive. with the other OBJ
iections mentioned. 10 admit Of this water
way becoming an important agent IN
building up Alaska.
II seems to me that all the cable and
trarnway schemes. while better than moth
ing do not rise 10 the level OF what IS de-
handed These schemes SAVIOR too much
az the un-American bits" that one hears
so often mentioned on the CONSTRUCTING
that rises up TO the dignity OF dollars.
These schemes can only rub the irritation
they cannot relieve x.
Omen "A proper read to Lake Bennett, inn
prove few points Of the waterway. so
mat nat Do43N nay Eo GOWN III SALttNt anu
Ioo. 000 persons will certainly go INTO the
northern country in 1S9S. At the very low
est their outfits would average 500 each,
or 0oo0 COO, ] am putting the estimates
couservatively. but IS this not matter
deserving the earnest attention OF the
coast states. and especially Of Seattle7
What IL the total should reach hearer $50
0000o0? l do not believe there is on the
earth Al the present time surer field for
good investment. whore benefits can be as
" ely difuSed than in this field that now
pertains 10 better communication with Al
asEa. It is the step that from the very
nature ~ things must precede all else to
make development AZ all possible Il does
not laok 20 me as II the coas; states. 70
which the Importance Of this matter can
rot be stated in terms too Stroug. are
sr2spins the peculiar situation.
II. MEDIC