The evening times., 1899-01-14
WEALTH BURIED IN
THE SOIL OF ALASKA
~
Natures Treasure Chests Be-
yOnd Reach at Present.
Railroad Extension and Competition
Needed TO Develop 1t.
Mountains TeeminG With Precious
Minerals. Yet beyond the Range
of Human Attainment.

rich but undeveloped territory owned by
this Government in the far Northwest. The
greater part of attention has been paid to
the mineral wealth of the country, and ex-
haustive articles have been written, so that
there remains comparatively little 10 be
said on this score unless il is that the half
has never been told and that the mineral
resources of this vast territory have barely
been touched.
There are large portions OF the country
especially the mountainous districts
where civilized man has never been. Ii is
doubtful whether the Indians have ever
penetrated some of these rough rugged re-
gions The possibilities are very great.
The veins OF minerals from which the par
ticles are washed by the rains and removed
by the glaciers. eventually finding their
way into the streams. of which something
In already known. have never been discov-
cred. and il is thought by all who are con-
yersant with mining that when these veins
are found the amount of gold and other
minerals whicl lies concealed there viii be
astonishing. Some experienced miners
even 90 so far as 20 say that when Alaska
is fully opened up the production of gold,
silver, copper, coal and other minerals Will
exceed by FAR the production Of any other
the regions bordering on the klondike
fields valuable veins Of gold bearing
quartz have been discovered which if To-
Gated anywhere in the United States where
the means OF communication are good
would pay immensely.
But in Alaska AT the present time the
transportation facilities are eyczeding.y
poor and the cost OF moving mining ma
chiuery and maintaining il after il is
placed in position is enormous. so Cnor-
nous. i'm fact. as TO largely consume the
profits. The cost OF fuel for operating
quartz mining machinery IN the part of
Alaska in which the god quartz Eas been
found is very burdeEso.ne. and. indeed
fuel is almost unobtain8ble. IN - are
coal fields there but owing to the inacces-
stability Of the country men with capital
have never undertaken extensive opa. a
tions for getting il out. As soon as rail
roads are built IL is question Cf but
2 short time when the coal fields vii b
opened up and the products of the mines
NIlI be shipped TO various parts CT Ala ka.
This viii have al immediate and decisive
effect. The quartz mines viii be op-n d
up as ij viii then be pGofJab e u o-crate
Them. Every branch of industry viii be
benefited. The freight rates undoubtad y
viii be eXorbiIant al first from the lack
Of competition. but as the country deyel-
opes more railroads viii be bui t resu L
ing in lowering Of carrying rates.
There are many who claim that the in
land and more northern portions of Alas
h viii never be develop d. bi-J those who
have seen The progress OF The couluies OF
northern Europe. Norway. Sweden AMI
the dependencies cf Russia are firmly
convinced that as soon as : hIaska is more
thoroughly explored and the possibi tiles
OF The country more generally Te- o EniZed
there viii be a great influx OF inning Is
from the United States and from Euro
peau ana Asiatic countries The . most
unparalleled development Of Siberia and
northern Russia both countries being as
cold the interior OF A!askl since the
building Of The Trans Siberian Railroad.
shows the wonderful poss biiities of this
almost boundless country under The Arc
tic Circle.
Agriculture in Alaska can probably never
be made source Of great wealth 10 the
country. While the grains and vegetables
peculiar 10 northern countries thrive there,
the season OF growth is SO short that many
plants VIII not mature sufficiently to yield
largely. The most OF the farming Is con-
fined tC the coast, in The vicinity OF Sitka
and Juneau. where the greater part OF ne
coast population is settled. The amount OF
land available for farming purposes is
small. there being only narrow strip of
level land extending along the coast. This
strip extends back from the sea probably
not more than a mile in the widest places.
The mountains in this part of Alaska eX-
tend down very close to the coast along its
entire extent and rise almost perpendicu-
larly. They are very rugged. so that II is
impossible TO till the soil except on The
level stretches close to the water Even
here the farming is very limited. being
confined to the raising of vegetables.
These grow in some cases 10 phenomenal
sizes. The peas especially are exceedingly
fine, and grow 10 a size twice as large as
the peas grown in this country. Other
vegetables thrive wonderfully well but on
account of the limited amount of ground
which can be used for gardening purposes
the cultivation of vegetables has never
been undertaken on extensive scale.
There is also a lack of a market large
enough TO warrant any great outlay in
fitting out and cultivating farms.
The climate of the interior is severe but
on the coast it is milder and there is an alb
sence of the severe cold weather which is
found in many parts of the United States.
The southern parts of Alaska are on a
line with Labrador, but on account of the
Japanese Ocean current which passes
along the coast the temperature is much
milder than that ice-bound portion of the
Dominion of Canada. The atmosphere is
very moist and land and water in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the coast is nearly al
ways covered with dense fog Rainy
falls during the summer on an average OF
five days out Of seven. II is undoubtedly
due to this extreme moisture of the at
mosphere that the grip is so prevalent in
Alaska. Nearly everyone who goes there
is affected by IL. IL is said by tourists
who have spent any length of time there
that they are attacked by the grip usual
ly in the second year of their sojourn.
The disease as il appears there is much
like that which Washington is now expe-
riencing. but il is more severe. However
II does not. q general thing in the
case of the white man. attack the same
person twice. Within the past twenty
years the disease has played havoc with
the Indian population and il is estimated
that at least half of the native population
have died during that time from its ef-
fects. The prevalence of the disease with
IN recent years cannot be accounted for in
any satisfactory way. Ii seems 10 be the
opinion Of physicians who have taken up
their residence in the country that with
the coming Of civilization the Indians
have acquired the vices of the white man
10 such an extent that they have greatly
weakened their power 10 resist the raw
ages Of the disease 1t has been within
the past twenty years that Immigrants
from The United States have settled there
In large numbers
Those familiar with the course of tbe
olsease say that should the effects he as
fatal IN the next twenty years as thev have
been in the past twenty the entire Indian
population viii be wiped out The fatal
effects Of the malady are due undoubtedly
in great measure 10 the lack of proper
medicines and nursing. There is no lack
OF medical attendance but its character
might be questioned by man whose rea-
son is not bound hand and foot by sCper-
sfition. The Indians there as well az in