The times., 1897-08-01
Ind halisos. rhe curing and. canning Of

and haIibut. The curing and canning OF
cod and salmon has assumed large propor-
tions, though this enterprise enters into
direct and sharp competition with the can
nerles of the Columbia River and Puget
Sound, which have the advantage of closer
proximity to market and more reliable
transportation Facilities.
There s a fleet of San Francisco vessels,
probably forty OF them, engaged In fishing
on the banks Off Kadiak and the Shumagin
Islands, while at Kiliisnoo 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 Cha than Strait
Alaska has a gold mine in its timber
There are immense forests OF spruce hem
lock, red cedar, yellow cedar, elder and
other woods, much of Which is of ex-
cellent quality for economic purposes and
considerable of it readily accessible and
easil y transported to mill and market
There are also 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,
Alaska is brought in from other jurisdie-
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 niagnifieense of the new domain.
The act organizing the District OF Alaska
Kinkead in company with the other civil
Officers appointed for the district, reach
ed Alaska On September A, 1884. On the
10TH OF September, after the usual gov
ernor's salute" Lieut.. Commander Henry
E. Nichols, commanding the u. 5. s. Pinta
and the naval forces of the district for
nlaliy relinquished 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 enineralresources of Alaska. He thought
that the Importance OF the mining industry
IN Alaska w as 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 $500, 900
in preparing for work Their mine has
already been explored sufficiently to
insure large returns for many years 1t
is not probable that this locality is the
only paying depository of gold bearing
quartz. In the vicinity OF SiIka and in
the region of Prince Williams Sound and
Cooks Inlet, well as in many other
places In the Chikat River country, the
promises for the future are good. The
geological formation and the general Char
acteristics OF most OF the islands In the
archipelago and the Contiguous manila
ale apparently the same The presence
OF ores in this district is not a new dis
covery But the industry has languished
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. hui still frequently enough
to discourage exploration.
The difficulties attending the success
ful prosecutio OF this industry are great
High and preci ipitOus mountains, deDseiy
Covered with timber and chaparrel, fallen
and deeaying trees, the earth covered wi th
moss and vegetation 70 the depth of on or
two feat, seem almost to forbid the pro-
sreSs 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, is nucn better adapted to M ming
and exploration than the coast region