The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-23
Congressman Jones Describes Its
Condition and Needs.
WANT SCHOOLS AND COURTS.
sheldon JacksOn's Mtsnana4eneat.
~ Alleged by the People-But
One Judge for Territory oae-
fourth the Sise Of the United
states - People Intelligent AM
Loyal-Congression Liquidation.

IN Seattle on sunday on the lily o1 Ao-
peka. He reports having had q most de-
iightful trip. enjoying every moment or Z
and acquiring much information that will
be valuable to him in discussing Alaskan
needs in the coming session OF congress.
Among these latter he cites. as OF most
immediate Importance. the establishment
OF more court facilities and an improve
ment on the present school system. AS 10
the boundary question and its proposed
arbitration he says there is nothing. In his
opinion, 10 arbitrate. as the United States
has a title TO the controverted territory
that was never in dispute until the recent
attempted eucroachments made by the Ca
madam government.
In an interview given to the Post-Inteili-
gencer yesterday, Mr.. Jones described his
visit and the impressions he gathered rom
It
II boarded the City Of Topeka on the
evening OF August at Tacoma upon
voyage to Alaska for the purpose Of as
certain,ng as much as possible OF the con-
d,tions and needs of the country and peo-
pie. From what had read thought had
pretty fair idea OF the country. but |
must say that 1 had hardly the faiatest
conception of ii or of the route there one
must take the trip in order 70 get any idea
whatever Of the extent OF our expansion
OF 1851
ing a distance OF LAS niles. and barely
out OF sight OF land. and but short time
more than a mile from land on one side
or the other. We went up veritaoie
Salt river" touching the main ocean
time only, and was reliably informed that
from Sitka we could continue our inland
sea voyage for more than thousand
miles. AS we steamed along through this
wonderland I asked myself Shall we not
return this magnificent country to Russia!
Has not the whole expansive course OF our
nation been one grand mistake? Yes said
l. for the other fellow
I'VE stopped at Wrangel, place of
about 500 white people: Ketchikan. with
about 100; Juneau. with about 1000: Doug
las City. with about $500: Skagway. with
about 1000; Killisnoo. with about Is, and
S.tka, with about 500. These estimates do
not melt e the natives, who equal. X they
do not outnumber. the whites. The native
Indians dress very much like the whites
and are said to be most excellent workers
The squaws control the purses and their
liege lords must account FOR every penny
spent. not bad policy to be put in force
among many OF our own people. We also
passed several Indian Villages which are
nothing Ike Indian villages In this coun-
try. You cannot tell them from town OF
the whites. They have modern houses
well constructed. painted and wearing an
air OF thrift that would be a credit to al
most any town Of a similar size among the
whites The Indian portions OF the white
settlements, however. are not Of such
high order and are most vile smelling
spots.
THE principal Industries Of Alaska are
mining, fishing and lumber. their impor-
lance being in the order named. There Is
but little agricultural land. The hills and
mountains 10 certain height are thtckly
covered with spruce and hemlock. and
that when the timber gets a certain growth
II dies from lack OF nourishment. From
all could learn the timber IS OF but little
value. except. possibly. for fuel. do
not think IL will ever amount to anything
as lumber.
Fishing and Mining Industries.
The fishing industry Is already OF con-
siderable proportions. There are many
canneries between here and Sitka. and I
am told that there are fwenfy-sour from
there on to Gnalaska. At kcfchikan we
stopped for two or three hours. ard several
of us went ashore. The Ketchikan creek
enpties into the bay at this point. About
thirty rods above the mouth OF the falls,
and from the mouth to these falls the river
Is literally packed with salmon going 10
their spawning grounds. Some OF US caught
salmon with our hands. while others tied
hook 10 a string and. throwing IL OUT in
the stream. pulled il In and hooked them
in this way, They were thick that we
had no trouble hooking them. They catch
from q. 900 to so"0o al a single haul Of the
seine. or as one lady understood It, in a
sieve There Is also good haiinu. fishing
at this point. One was caught from the
wharf the evening before We arrived weigh
ing 80 pounds AT kiliisnoo there Is an
oil and suano factory. The Gil and guano
are made from herring that are caught in
large quantities IN that vicinity. good
days catch is coo barrels Of fish, or about
100 tons. from which seventy 10 eighty
!s shipped 10 Honolulu. The same company
also manufactures all Of It's own barrels
in connection with the oil factory. Its
annual output IL from 1000 Il, $500 barrels
OF oil The fishing Industry is but I'm IT'S
infancy. and bids fair to assume immense
proportions. Most Of the capital invested
is from California. and most Of the labor
employed in the large plants in Chinese.
The great resource OF Alaska Is mining,
and only the future viii tell what this
will he. There II every Indication. at pres
ert that tbs will he the greatest Mining
field the world has ever known I. Is an
immense country. being one-f fourth the size
81 the United States proper and prospect
ing has just begun. Quartz and placer
prospects are being found almost every
where. Prince Of wales island bids fair
70 be a perfect Eidoraio. Many good
choImondeiay sound. and several mining
plants have been taken In there lately.
Fine ore has been found near wrangei
and ketehiksn. A. Juneau several mines
are already In operation besides 'he great
Treaixell mine A tunnel has been sunk
in the mountain AZ the soa. 81 whleh Ju-
nesa IS located, and there IS every ss5iica-
sion Of rich ore About four miles above
juneau hyaranIsc mining II being carried
on and IL Il said that there Ia enough in
sight to run for about twenty-five years
~ ~ atr1 SARg fN3f stfFrs - enough ore IN
sight az the Treadweil 10 run them TWEEN
ty-ssve years. II Is also claimed that there
are very rich quartz prospects near Skax-
way. Making due allowances for sxtrzya-
CANT claims there IS xoo8 ground for the
belief that this territory n destined 10 be
the great mining feia @, rhe FIXTURE
Jackson and the Schools.
'"Tns people =. Alaska are lyrical
Americans They are not atTensurers
though some may be- OF co.rse. sus ,-ev
represent that class that has always been
the forsrunnsr - 3evelopmsn. TAey are
free hearted or@n-han5ss. xfieaxake
honest ard generous r@ovis determined ~
secure fortune in ths~ heretofore ar
krozn region They are ever ready "a ex-
,sy, A helpfrg Aars 20 those less Fortunate
thar themselves. and nary NJ gnforrl.ns.e
has sa2r~Ss their heU-ty- They are as ten
der 10 women me knights % cid ana "a
rhtv1irous in sses- natures wazhsnrfnr-
lars s~sas 30 r-eSsonsnste. pxreps arnrrr
TIE Office holding class wAo are largely
crexoniars-
-An are intensity PATRIOTS and ioys, 10
eur aovssnuAnk In tia kAcA AZ treafMsat