The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-11-23
Alaskan Letter.
CARMICHAEL.
SEATTLE, WASH Nov. IL.


EDITOR OwOssO TIMES:
Dear Sir: have received several
letters during the past week from
Owosso friends asking me to give them
good description of Alaska as seen by
me during my summers visit to that
territory. If you will allow me the
space in the columns of you paper, I
will endeavor to write q general letter
which may be of interest to inquiring
friends and to others.
You have undoubtedly heard from
time to time of few of my actions and
have sort of an abridged idea of what
l have been doing since 1 left Owosso in
March, yet think can safely say that
you can not possibly understand from
the letters written home by me, what
pleasures l have enjoyed, what hard
ships l have undergone, or what beauti-
full things in nature have SEEN.
Alaska is much different from what
most people of the eastern states think
it to be. Most people who have not
visited the territory carry the idea that
tits one of the coolest and most un.
pleasant countries imaginable, that ice
and snow covers the land both summer
and winter, that the territory is full of
White and Chilcoot passes. But this is
not so. During the four months which
l spent there l saw no snow and but a
very little ice. The weather during the
last OF June and all of July was as
warm and pleasant as is the month of
June in Michigan. The winter months
are OF course, long and severe and for
greater part of it darkness envelopes
the land. The country surrounding
Nome is a comparatively easy country
to travel over. There is an abundance
OF grass, which on the tundra and in
the creek and river bottoms grows
| luxuriantly. This statement will be a
revelation to many of your readers who
picture the country as one great ice
box with here and there a sprinkling of
gold. Mr.. Barnard, who has made
Typographical survey of this section of
Alaska, says that gold is pretty widely
distributed throughout this section.
How generally this is true will, of
course, not be known until the report
of the geological survey, which has
been in the field all summer, has been
made to the department at Washington
and that report has been issued to-
gether with maps of the section sur
veyed.
An erroneous report has been cir
culated in the states that Nome is not
we'll provided for and that people are
bound to suffer from hunger and the
cold before the long winter is brought
to close. This is partially false
creation of someone's mind as there is
an abundance of everything possible to
think of, with the exception, perhaps,
of coal and hay. Coal was selling be-
fore l left for S76 ton, and some
dealers fortunate enough to have a
stock on hand, were asking 800. Hay
was twice as high and the real shortage
will probable be on that article
Opinion is divided as to whether Nome
has coal enough to supply her needs
for the winter or not, some claiming
that most of the consumers had their
winters supply stored away, but it is
certain there were no really large
stocks, and doubt if many people will
be able to get coal al all before winter
is over. The price Is sure to be high
and it would not be surprising IL it
went to $3.50 ton. This coal and hay
shortage is owing to the severe storms
of September, which swept away most
of the supply. and the large companies
failed to renew as much as would
be naturally expected. The Chas. D..
Lane company alone lost about 2, 400
sacks, during the storm of Sept. 10,
which they had piled up for winters
use. On the morning of Sept. 18th, j
went to the beach and picked up about
750 pounds of hard coal which readily
sold at $50 ton. ;,
LII there are no CONGREGATIONS there
will be plenty of eatables. both necessi
ties and luxuries as most of the people
have their winters food In their cabins,
and the stores are simply loaded to
overlooking and there are many who
have brought in stocks independent OF
the large companies. II Nome is as for
tunate in the future as to fires as It has
been In the past, the spring of 1901 will
see enough food on hand to keep quite
} regiment Of people through the sum
mer. However, there is great danger
of fire visiting the camp this winter
The rapid building of the past summer
together with the entire absence Of
building regulations, has resulted in
the existence of hundreds of fire trar
buildings of the most dangerous sort
and nothing short of divine provid ence
will prevent many of the places there
from being reduced to ashes. 1t Is from
the 6re.king that Nome's real danger
lies.