Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-08-26
THE TRUTH ABOUT ALASKA.

lnDreau says 6nmeWnero IHhL no
biographies are genuine; that they
tell ua who mans parents were:
when and where he was born and died
somo OF the things he did; much of
what no appeared TO be; but very little
OF what he wns. So of history IN
general--iU ia like mass OF tangled
cords and threads sometimes the his
torian is able to trnce up and untanglo
few of the larger strands; the rest is
hopelessly lost.
1t has been said Of Alaska that il ia
a country without q history, except
geological history; and yet the I'M
written history Of Alaska may
the presence of man on the Ameri-
can continent; undoubtedly does con
tain much of the struggles, wars.
already IN possession when this country
first became known TO the civilized
world
What we are wont to call the
"disrovery' of Alaska was made by a
Russian explorer named Behrlng, who,
commanding two small sailing vessels,
started out from Petropaulovsky, Kan.
chatka, on June 9TH, l74l A storm
soon separated the Two vessels, and
Behring's, helpless 10 the storm anu
fog. drifted on the coast of Alaska, 90
July 18th, l7ll. Tho Russians were
quick to appreciate and follow up the
discovery; and in the course of few
years, Russian fur traders we're scat
tered oil along the coast. In 1893 the
Russian American Go. was chartered,
and practically took possession Ut the
country, spending enoromus sums In
constructing and maintaining trading
posts and settlements; experimenting
in the agricultural possibilities of the
country; developing fisheries and mines
of coal and gold; and even establish
lug, and for time maintaining, a
shipyard for building vessels of large
size. At first the Russian American
Go. paid enormous dividends which,
| however, ahrank-smaler and smaller
| from year to year. As tho time for
the expiration of the company charter
approached, number of American
capitalists ATTEMPTED TO obtain a sim.
| lar concession from the Russian govern.
meEt; but an opportune proposal on
| the part Of the United States govern.
ment to purchase this territory. was
accepted; and. in October, 1867 on
tho payment of ST. 200, ono, Alaska be-
came the property Of the United States.
| 1t was whispered in ST. Petersburg
that this sum was entirely consumed in
settling up the affairs of the defunct
| Russian American Co. and that, so
| far as the Russian government was con
cerneh. it practically gave away this
| 800, QUO square miles Of territory. 1t
was hard to realize the extent of this
little known country. Attoo, called
the extreme western town, which ia
or can he located in North America, "
is 3, 900 miles west of San Francisco :
from here to the eastern boundary of
Alaska is more than 1000 miles; and
the actual geographical centre of the
United States, Alaska included, is
located 40 miles out in the Pacific
Ocean, about opposte the mouth Of
the Columbia River. Alaska's 5l2, 900
square miles of territory sustained, in
1850, only 81, 600 inhabitants, More
than half of these were Eskimo; about
| 1000 whites ard creoes the descend
ants of Russians and lndiausl tine re.
mainder, lndians of various tribes.
One who has travelled much in this
country has said OF it,:
''Tbe bewildering IGentations and
endless length Of the coast. the thou.
| SINUS VI iGlAUih uuu lhlrlsi NHt
numerous volcanoes and towering
peaks, and tile nlazs Of large and
small rivers, make n comparison of
Alaska, 10 any other respect than that
OF mere superficial area, wholly futile
when brought into contrast with the
rest Of the North American continent y
Conflicting accounts OF Alaska's eli.
mate make it uihcuit to arrive at the
truth, but this is simply another in.
stance OF two sides to the shield, "
for Alaska is large enough to have n
variety Of climates At Sitka, for ex.
ample, it is never very cold, never very
warm. Ice more than live inches in
thickness is rarely formed on fresh
water ponds, and in 1874 the lowest
point reached by tine thermometer was
IL degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall il
So inches, and they have about LOG fair
days in the yuar, the balance being
rainy, snowy, or foggy Ia midsummer
Is hours sunshine ana SIX Of twilight
make un the day.
The average summer temperature in
the Alentian islands is 80 degrees
average winter temperature, 30 degruea
ani the Thermometer never falls below
zero at tho Hoa level Moisture, rather
than cold, chRraGteTIzos Tho climate oil
the Aloutian lalnuds. ut IL a region
so gioamy,' says IL. \. Elliott, $50
pitileE8ly beaten by wind and waves,
by sleet, rain and persistent fog, That
the good Bishop Neuipuinor, when he
first came among tha natives Of the
AoutIan Islands, ordered tho cur.
ricuium Of hell 70 be omitted from the
church hreyary, saying that these
people mad enough OF it here ON earth. z
In the interior however, worry diff.
ferent conditions prevail. IT 10 drirr,
hut colder. When we remember that
in the i[londiko region, in the winter
time, the sun only Tiaos Il few degraps
above tho horizon for about four hours
daily, and is then frequently entirely
obscurud 10y clouds, We can readily DO
irve the stories recently published oil
tho gloomy length and terrihlo severity
OF the winters along the YUKON.
Alphabetically, the outlook for Alaska
is not very encouraging. 10 the more
temperate nurii0nB there il but little
arabie soil. and the short Rummers auC
excessive moisture prevent the rineninl
Of cropa or tho drying of hay. A alaska +
forest, though extensive, are not Of ex
trpme value as timber; for trees o.
large ai&e are said to lie the exception.
In the past, Aiaska's printipa
wealth has lern 10 furs. in the future
it will probahly consist Of tho product.
of her mines and fisheries.
The huhs!an explorers mnde to them,
two important discoveries. the sea
otter ard the Pribiof lslande, tn,
summer home of the fur eeala.
Enormous numbers of ottar skins
wera secured: and, although the