The Saint Paul globe., 1900-12-11
MINES IN TIE FAR NORTH
COL. RAY ON MINING DEVELOP
MENTs AND POSSIBILITIES
OF ALASKA
LIES TOLD BY FUR COMPANIES
AS Well ais Mining Wealth, Alaska
Possesses Vast Tracts OF Fertile
Land-PoOr Men Should
Stay Away.

The Minnesota Historical society was
calleo TO order last night in it's roms
at the capitol by it's venerable president.
ex-Gov.F Ramsey, to listen to an address
py COL L. II. Ray, commander at Fort
smelling, on the subject, "Historv of the
Mining Development of North Alaska
ana the Starvation Year,
Col. Ray spent five years in the north
ern DOMAIN IN military service His first
TRIP was made in 1881 He remained
there until 1883. In 1887 he was again
sent up by the government to inspect
Northern Alaska as to its mining facili-
ueS. He returned to this country and
maze his last trip in 1859. The object of
ms last Journey was to establish the
three forts. Fcrt Egbert, Fort Gibbons
ana the post at Cape Nome. During this
.l9 pehIoo ne was commander of the depart
ment of Northern Alaska.
Col. Rays address dealt largely with
the thrilling experiences encountered dur
ing the hateful year of 1887, known as
starvation year. The camp which he
ana his three troops of soldiers occupied
was known by the same name. Great
olH1culty and danger were experienced
curing TINS year of hardship in subduing
the lhdlans IN their raids upon the camps
and suppressing lawlessness among the
whites ''---01ie '4ie
COL Ray stated, in the course of hts
remarks, that he doubted if there was
any part of the world so grossly mis-
represented as Alaska. He stated that
tii1s Is largely due to the strenuous eff
Ioics put forth by conniving fur COM
PahleS TO suppress the truth about the
country, in order to protect and build I'D
tnelr own business by placing the out
sIoe World under false impressions as TO
the true state of affairs
regarding this country much of it. he
SAID, is OF the most valuable sort The
valley OF the Yukon is of this kind TT is
densely covered with timber suitable for
all domestic purposes, and the arabic
sou is most fertile and prolific. He told
OF one agr1cultur1st who raised 1,400
oushels Of potatoes on four acres of
ground, and said that excellent harley
crops are harvested there in August.
lie observed that 10 better country is to
be found In the Middle West of the Unit
ca states: Col Ray said as to the fu-
lure OF this valley of che Yukon, great
things may reasonably be expected. r.
is one OF the most valuable possessions
the United States has, and when it's nat
ural resources are properly DEVELOPED
vast wealth will flow from it,
Regarding the mining interests of the
country the speaker said that he doubted
Il thefe were more than twenty-five
claims outside of Nome that are paving
today. He said that at Dawson during
the neat OF the gold fever he was ap-
pointed to go there and make a. list of
those claims that were in a lucrative
condition, and out of 1900 locations he
found but l20 that were actually yield
ing a prohtable income. All these claims
referred to are placer claims There
are numerous good claims there. he
said, the isolation of which is the only
obstacle to their becoming paving prom
critics. Food and other necessaries can
not be taken back there profitably.
NO gold is ever found on the imme-
date banks of the Yukon, said Col Ray.
and that found along the shore at Nome
is at great intervals and the quanti-
ty is not so great but that in a short
time it will be exhausted. He said that
in the. northern part Of the peninsula
there is great deal Of the precious
metal, which can be profitably mined
when horses and machinery can be tax
en- there, but not until this can be done.
In short, the speaker declared, the min
ing proposition in that section of the
frigid strip of country, was no cheerful
one for the poor man. 1t requires a
reserve fund to carry on the work.
The most distant point of his expIora-
tons led Col. Ray as far as Circle City,
and from there ten days ride-a measure
of distance-he established the famous
Starvation Camp
Col. Rays address was most instruc-
tive one, and the society rendered him
a unanimous vote Of thanks when he
had finished. It also made a formal
request that he present to the society a
written statement of his experiences
while In Alaska, in the government serv-
ice, to be retained as a record for the
society. He promised to grant the re-
quest.
At the meeting tributes were paid to
deceased members. John D. Ludden de-
livered a brief eulogy on the late John
c. Wise, a life member, whose recent
demise occurred at his home in Man
kato. Judge Flandrau and Henry l..
Moss paid worthy tributes to the late
Senator Davis, speaking with feeling of
the valuable services he had rendered
the state and nation.
A resolution was adopted favoring the
purchase of a portrait of the late states
man to be hung in the rooms of the So
ciety.
Resolutions were also adopted urging
the securing of portraits of some of the
earliest missionaries, of both Catholic
and Protestant faiths, whose work had
endeared them to this section of Mime
sofa.
The report of the secretary showed
that during the month of November 500
volumes have been contributed to the
society.