The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-10

The party Ief. shs Northern Pacific
wharf on the steamer City OF Seattle At
10 o'clock on the evening Of August IL.
accompanied by about 10 other cisizens
and twenty people from various parts OF
che Union. There were on board just
enough persons 10 comfortably MI the
steamer without resort to cots and other
announcement expcdients IT may here BE-
said that the policy pursued In this re-
opecf was adopted In the dining room and
In all departments Of the ship, and thAt
chs policy was vigorously maintained TO
che end. resulting In personal Equipments
and comforts far beyond those OF the or
dinary passenger on the ordinary trip.
From beginning TO end the company was
favored with fair weather. During the
thirteen days' absence there were on two
occasions Hight sprfnkies, ~ times when
they caused no trouble. and the aggregate
rainfai not exceeding q tenth Of an inch.
With these trifing exceptions the weather
was clear. warm and beautiful. obviAfsng
ali need for rubbers. umbrellas and over
coa.A- In fact. II waa jus; such weather
~ II usually experienced ~ the same sea-
eon Of the year on Puget sound, and was
az nearly perfect az one could desire.
To many OF VI Alaska was new couD-
try. We had read Of II, heard OF II. and
talked Of II. We had believed In II. also,
and had praised ard recommended H. sin.
without seeing. II WAS impossible TO realise
that II was 30 extensive 40 grand. 50 val
liable. and In many respects 20 much like
home. A. said Lsfore. the weather found
WAS like our own best. The people met
were In hundreds Of cases our own fellow
townsmen and townswornen OF former
days. and they, In common with oil. wore
att!red Just an the people of our own city
and state were and are attiret--the women
In their attractive shir, waists. the men In
4.ssaf s1.n ax,ttn asstN MT
Their wharves and warehouses are like
our own: their business houses Nike those
in the new towns OF any part Of the coun-
try, and their dwellings neat and modern
In every respect. Their buildings have
In the past been Of wood. either log or
frame. but from this time on resort TO
masonry win be more and more common.
The two first stone buildings are now In
course q construction, ana others viii no
doubt speedily follow. Going beyond Alas
ka, report came 10 us Of the erection u
brick buildings Ia the city OF Dawson. the
grea, town Of the Klcndike.
u u "
MYTH steamers plying back and forth
w ~ fne ~ any on the Coast: with
railroad trains TO the interior once or twice
q day: with wagon roads In many dIrec-
tions. with graveied and planked Streets:
with sidewalks. churches and hospitals:
WITH WeIi-FtbGktu stVfrS, kpbg UstStSs 0dby
newspapers. coxy cottages, electric lights.
museums. parks. Chambers Of Commerce.
ana numerous other signs % advanced
civilization and with remunera.ise en-
pioyment for all who desire. the ideas OF
the visitors concerning Alaska underwent
radical changes. and its value an a pos
session OF the United states Increased with
them 100 per cent, every day The deep
mud Of the streets and the snow In the
her tad sx. th.Ss "A go
see, nor did they md the people wrapped
In furs. with the thickess OF clothing and
the NEST unhappy OF facial expressions.
All was seasonable. bright. cheerful. pros
porous and good Hundreds 90 people were
found living in tents IN the fsty-n.nth snd
a,xtsesh degrees OF latitude, and apparent
~ fixed there and In that way for oil
winter. The climatic conditions OF Alaska
are similar TO those Of Europe. where IN
like far northern attitudes ars built the
great cities OF Glasgow. Stockholm and
ST. Petersburg
The timber along the shores does not
appear 90 be either large or fne, though
the land generally IL dsnsely covered with
Il. A closer inspection develops much tina,
4 Good in the timber lire. Al Eescn!kan
the woods are dense ana trees three and
four fee. In diameter are numerous AZ
Wrangel was raft 90 saw legs many OF
which were forty and nfsy feet long ana
three ard fur feet through the average
contents ~ ,te legs being about 40 feet
beard measure eheh. All along the eeast
piles were found atty and sixty ssvt long
and eigh,sen lnehes In diameter. Many
Indian canoe. weee seen eve feet across
which must have been made from logs
nearly SIX feet IN diameter, the canoes
having n length OF forty feet There Is
sone Isr and acme red cedar. bat she
timber is nrsrripaiiy allow cedar and
spruce. and there ~ untold billions ~ feet
OF IL;
The eldeFheFry tie salmon berry. the
crab srpie. the devils walking stick and
come ether varieties Of vegetable growth
that are common on Puget sound arc no
less common there Net much eror. IA.
evidently been made in the way ~ cult
VAT On as fruits sta vegetables - sae lower
ATTITUDES hut what orer. has been male
has been generally successful. Things are
about a rforth later sccre than here apt
the season Is svissntis shorter We iaund
the red and black cprrant fusf ripe. aa4
ais, the red raspberry. the ssotasoex wers
IN blossom. lettuce was ~ FIRE "a ever aas
seen. and sas sasase Ct celery. ;uSnsp- and
other garden sfuT. \ fsw sce~sesrries
and frui; trees wsre sauus and iSckva well
The rzsgssrry yGnes IN wfABg~i aGi S'fka
"A v,ens stessi six feet high. aud tse Der
yfss we're immense ia ssss, As well as e.
reissnt ~ quality. Pea vines we're she~a
IN she government: gardens rrara seven 20
ten feet In ienSth There were also re.
oats and harley. all laaksns well Al lu-
neaa. Ssagwsy ard ether rlse.s were pan
SITES reprses. nsstnYts1ns he hxAranssA
ara mary -ners flowers xIi3 flowers ~.~e
fesna sserswhesS There acre people IA
the party who eaa remember sa~H IN the
gardens Of Puget sound there Wa 70
greater variety ana 10 finer v@GzsA ,i0a
than IL today "a BE found n the gardens
Of Southeastern Alaska.
" - q
THE nwrasers - iAss coszsnsstss were
i much Impressed with the asstag ac..
abilities % Alaska. In places tie waters
were alive WITH c&a. yxtaesa assy sairacss.
porpossee weSs seen. ard Also waslws x
IL well krcwn that tas hsrssrR arad Aa}s-
las Of Alaska excel beta "a quantity ara
quality saoss Of any osAsr part 0s tas Pa
canc The asaeytes are Developing ali stong
tue cc.s:. The oaay ere called al was