The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-20

theirs viii be the first route available
for steamers to St Michael and
Cape Nome, While the Yukon is
IL a slow, hard and costly winter route
TO the sea, it is delightful ore
in summer Getting on the steamer at
Seattle one IL carried to Skagway through
a thousand miles of inland sea The waters
are generally placid, the vessels good, the
scenery grand. more magnificent and
enjoyable trip Is not to be had anywhere
on the American continent. The cars take
one from Skagway over the famous White
pass to beautiful Lake Bennett. and from
the latter the river steamers carry the
passenger to his journeys end through an
Arctic country OF much sublimity, with
reasonable pleasure and comfort. lt Is a
great trip, and has become exceedingly
popular on the Pacific coast The 5000
miles of travel on this route is more cost
ly than the all-ocean route TO ST. Michael
or Cape Nome, btu II person can afford
il. 1t is well worth the taking. on the
ocean the ftrst-class fares are about 800.
the second-class about SIS by the Yukon
river the cost would be several times
greater, depending somewhat on the sea-
son, the competition and the state of
trade.
on THE FAST VOYAGE.
The ocean route, to which reference
has been made is by steamships adver-
tised in the Post-Intelligencer from Seat
tie, going out of the Strait OF Fuea,
thence northwest Loo or l.s0o miles TO
Dutch harbor. an important stopping
place on one of the Aleutian islands in
latitude "a and longitude l66 degrees
There is a fine wharf and quite town.
There has been considerable shpbuilding
ln-tAe past, while many steamers there
get supplies Of coal. Government vessels
make 1t headquarters for operations In
Boring sea, From Dutch harhor ii Is
500 or 900 miles TO st. Michael or Nome
Al st. Michael passengers transfer from
the ocean-going craft to the river steam
ers for the trip up the Yukon, and from
the river boats to the ocean ships st
Michael Is an island, the settlements up
on which are chiefly those of the large
transportation companies operating In the
waters OF the North Pacific. Nome il "a
new town rs miles northwest OF ST Mi
chael, which gets its name from a cape
near which the town is built In its Vi
entity and at Cape York sim further
to the northwest, are located the beach
placer gold mines that have been SO ex-
citing the people for the last year. owing
10 their far northern latitude. near the
18th degree. the winters are long, and the
settlements are shut in by ice most OF
the year. st. Michael Is accessible bv
ship from about the middle OF June 10
the LIST Of October. II Is claimed that
Nome can be reached both earlier and
later, and that the shipping season there
IS nearly or quite half the calendar year.
Vessels are certainly advertised 10 leave
in April for Nome and the numerous
craft now advertising are marked to be
gone on their first trip either that month
or the month following. This fssttdes The
belief that Nome Is IN earlier omen mort
Than st. Michael. for the 10Th OF June
has in the past been about the .aHirE
day for the fast passenger steamships
from this city 10 that place.
An ALL-AMERICAN ROUTE.
While tho route last ref srr,d 20 and
the Skagway-Y Yukon route are tho uopu-
lar ways TO BerinE sea, they are by no
means the only ones The Couper river
has long been talked o. and IN the ag-
gregRte several hundred men have here
tofore taken II on their way 20 the mid
die and lower Yukon, II is an au-Amer-
lean route, which is in itself an advan-
taEo. Tor By reason Of that fac is avoid
cd 80 trouble with customs officials. and
International regulations Thc war de-
partmcnt Tor several years has been a.
plutinE tho Copper river route, and Cant
AbcrCroUble, who has been Ia charge
"t the work, rs reported as praisinz 70
9uite high'y- u is said Go be available
FOR rd-road purposes Until however.
the vas is made more easy taan ga rrcv.
ent, it is net 4kely that many VIII choose
u Tor their trips 90 BegiHa sea. The disc
lance IS loss by Copper river and TananA
than by Dawson, Copper. lead. silver and
gold are reported along the Copper liver
route. though mining hitherto has not
been extensive ur profitable there peo-
pie ear set 30 Copper river an the year
the Alaska F-lt coast not being frozen
50 hard and ught ss Bering sea. Already
this month mcu and machinery have gone
10 Copper river 90 engage IN Hydraulic
mining, Another route taken also BY
few men during the present month. IS hy
way " Cook inlet. Bristol bav and Kus-
kokvim river Men in small numbers
have used ihis route heretofore but It4
advantages ara SO few ana the har3shlps
so many 20 make II unlikely 10 interfere
seriously with the other routes described.
EASY MINING.
What there is az Cape Nome and Alaska
20 induce man 70 go there is IN a gen
eral way, OF course the quest Ton gold
( Tho developments of the las, few -'.lrs
have made II one the great gold rrlduc-
Ing regions Of the world There is quartz
~ well as placer sold. The quartz seek