The National tribune., 1900-10-11
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

Gen. A. w. Greely, Chief Signal Off
Ger, U. S. A., has just returned from
Alaska, where he went early in August
in search of health and to be present at
the laying Of the military cable from st.
Michaels to Nome. He entered Alaska
by way of the White Pass, visited Daw-
son and all the military. posts of
the Yukon Valley. He reports work
on the military telegraph line progressing
very satisfactorily. This line when COM
pleted will be over 400 miles in length,
and will connect all the posts of the Yu-
kon with headquarters at st. Michaels,
and through the Canadian lines being
built from Quesnelle will afford direct tel
egraphic communication with the United
States. The work is in charge Of the Sig
nal Corps, and will be done entirely by
the Army. The entire system will not be
completed until next Summer, but it is
expected that Fort Egbert, one of the
most important posts, W. be connected
with Dawson this month. The cable from
st. Michaels to Nome will not be COM
pieted this Winter. Gen. Greely waited
at ST. Michaels two weeks for the cable
steamer that he might be present when
the work commenced. A start was made
Sept. II, but the Captain ran the steamer
aground on a rocky reef four miles off
st. Mchaels, and the work had to be
abandoned for the Winter. When Gen.
Greely left the contractor was endeayor-
ing to secure another vessel, and 1t was
hoped he would be able to lay the branch
cable from St. Michaels to Unalaklik, in
surfing ~telegraphic communication with
Yukon Valley this Winter. The pecuniaIy
loss falls entirely on the contractor, but
the Army will be embarrassed this Win
ter for lack Of communication with Nome.
These lines are constructed primarily for
the Army, but Gen. Greely says that
when completed they will be thrown open
to the commercial interests Of the cOun-
try.
Gen. Greely while in Alaska had good
opportunity to note the resources of the
Territory. He says:
The country is very rich, but it is not
a poor mans country. The season is very
short and machinery is necessary for eco
nomical working of the mining property,
placing it practically out Of the reach OF
the poor man. l was inclined to think
the Nome placer digginss were limited un-
til l visited them and talked with hun
dreds of the miners, and was surprised
to find them extensive beyond all expec-
tations. The mining laws are very de-
fective and result in an enormous amount
of litigation, which is one of the most seri-
GUS drawbacks to the development Of the
Nome country. Occasionally one finds a
man working a claim primitively, who is
making $50 to $50 per day, but they are
the exception rather than the rule. Thou
sands of men go into the country with
only limited means and are quickly
stranded. No man has any business there
unless he has provisions for two years
and some money to fall back on. / have
been familiar with mining camps for 33s
years, but in them ] have never seen such
bodies of law-abiding, energetic, intelli-
gent men as those at Nome. Shooting af-
fairs are very rare occurrences, murder
still more rare. me of the astonishing
things at Nome is the luxurious manner
in which a majority of the people live.
Delicacies Of every kind are consumed in
large quantities.; fresh meats, turkeys,
fresh eggs and fruits are abundant, and
while prices are high they are not and
never have been nearly as high as at Daw-
son. The koyukuk River region has been
prospected quite extensively during the
last year, and promises to yield enormous
quantities of gold. The Koyukuk is a
branch of the Yukon, flowing from the
north, and while it is navigable for small
steamers for a distance of perhaps 200
miles, the reaching Of the placer diggings
is long and dangerous journey. Alaska
may be said to be just beginning to be
gold producing. 1t offers great fortunes,
but it is a country in which the majority
will fail, and / would not encourage any
man to go there. Some strike it rich !;
thousands come out paupers."
The Misses Long, Helen and Margaret,
daughters of Secretary of Navy John d.