The times., 1897-12-20
SOCIAL NEEDS Of ALASKA
I)r. Sheldon Jackson Talks of
His Experience.
GARDENS ON THE ROOFTOPS
Argonauts should Have Wives TO In
nuence Them for Good -Govern-
ment Indifferent Till Gold w is
Found White People There Who
Are Old Residents.

Dr. Sheldon jackson, who as United
States Commissioned o Education in
Alaska mas had unlimited opportunities
10 study the growth and changes OF that
country during recent years, and particu-
IarIy during tile Kiondike rush, lecturcd IN
the .'Yikon III the Church Of the coyen
ant at !! o'ci, ck yesterday afternoon,
riacEson was presented by Rev. Teunis
s HanIiu, who said that the speaker
needed no introduction, being one of the
most Familiar and honored persons in tn"
Presby byterian church. DIR. Jackson was
first known in the early day as the bishop
OF the entire Rocky Mountain region, and
through lis perseverance, the church was
carried from the Missouri westwardinto the
Rockies.
Ia his Introductory remarks the speaker
said that wEeu he started for Alaska last
spring tie gold fields were almost un-
heard of in the northwest, when he re-
turned several months ago almost every
village tad Klondike saloon, hotel or
store The kloudikc country ~ III cana
dian elritory, but the name has become so
general that the word Klondike is almost
synonymous with Alaska.
The first gold mines, however. we're
found on the American side, at what is
known as Forty Mile Creek. Then came
the tilings of find farther up the Yukon
River. and the villa ce OF Circle City sprang
into existence like mushroom The
town is made up OF % d ca bins, and IA log
onera House was recently built at Il cost
of S30.oa0. One Of the pecullar!ties of
The place is the wa Y in which Vegeta abies
are grown on patches ON the roofs of the
houses. The gardens are laid out ia
this illi eqIeut way So that the heat OF
the il terror of tie houses may keep the
earth warm and in condition for ttle
growth of vegeta blcs.
DR.. sheldon aid that everything in the
origina KloudiEe land is taken up, Slt the
rich gold land in Ala ska WAS to be hal
| almost everywhere along the Yukon. Every
prospected stream has turned out gold,
AMI T., rea is So great tina those who
60 there in nine or ten years time VIII
have lust a good chance as those who
go next spring.
The safest route is by way OF ST.
Mchaels, from which place the journey
is made by river stca mer ] z 90 miles up
| the Yukon to Dawson, The journc "a keS
three weeks. night and day travel.
The icctloc> not leave ST Michael harLor
| uutis JuIf - hat Route is practically closed
for the inter.
The rlajoriiy CT miners take the more
| difficult, but shorter route, through Chill
coot Pass. by 81 ay of byea and skaguay tits
| an cxcet dinghy dangerous one in winter.
Capt. Re ,os the War Department Corps,
has beer trying to locate third route
| running from Cook * Island, direct TO the
! center OF The country.
Tie possibilities of a large rush TO the
| gold fields next summer. DIR. Jackson said,
| were very great. He thought that 100000
! people WOULD start for the kiondikc during
| the next year. He had received information
| 10 the effect that 1,T00 men III far away
| Australia had made a deposit with a Ger
| tain steamship company to secure passage
| 10 Alaska in The spring, and shipleads OF
| uineis y ere coming from Africa, Japan ana
| elsewhere.
Continuing, Di. Jacksongavean an interesting
| rcSuntc o: .ciSSicu work in Alaska, and told
| of The need of more men and money Tor
| each denutuii alton to carry on the work.
| The Prc>i,ytcrisns, he said. started the first
| missions, in the year 1877, near Sitki-
| seven ve:,rs tiefore any other denolHin alton
entered the field.
As tht result OF a conference heldiu New
| York hy >aid that the different denonina
| tionS wcre assigned TO different parts uf
| the codrtTr. The Presbyterians were
| given the southeast section the Ba ;Sts
| u.a de Coos : Island center tie Mc'fio
| diStS went TO the .ileutian Islands, and
| tie sci tEwest"rn part, the Mora iars
| the npr thea stern valleys, the Swsd'sh n
| Evangelical Union had two postss in the
| i'ahrtng Sea and the congregational Church
| Sounded a mission on he Rehring straits.
| cnt to Alaska, and Congress had not
manifested any interest i'll tie region antil
| 81 600 600 III gold dust was found
In conclusion Or. Jackson advised every
| man who thought OF turning argonaut to
take his wife with hirn to the mining ranp.
He said; "A IL central Alaska has a frozen
subSoil that never thaws out. When
the miner comes out of the shaft in the
evening he is stiff with rheumatism. He
then passes the evening away in the "a loon
where there is Il warm fire and a lively
crowd. If the wives would go along and
have a warm supper and n cheerful fire
awaiting the weary husband the men would
have better environment anu wo I'D rot
| have tc pass their time in tie saloon.
| Cultivated women from homes Of re
| fincment iii England have gone to northern
| Alaska and have remained there with THAR
| husbands and have been there forty years
| IN some instances