Amador ledger., 1900-05-04
A LETTER FROM ALASKA.
DR.. c. h. Gibbons Writes the Ledger
From Juneau
JUNEAU, Alaska. April 20, 1900.

Dear LEDGER:
l wrote you last from Seattle just
before the steamer sailed 1t was inter-
esting to watch the hurry and confusion
OF getting ready to sail, especially the
loading of 80 sheep and seventy-two
fat cattle. The sheep gave no trouble,
as one was pulled down the gangway by
the horns and the rest all followed, but
the cattle were frightened by the lights,
the crowd and the general strangeness
oI the situation, and stampeded through
the warehouse and it was only by the
vehement and wholesale profanity of
the drivers and deck hands that finally
they were safely housed on board. We
retired before the ship sailed and when
we awoke the ship had crossed Puget
Sound, called at Port Townsend and
Victoria, and was In the Gulf of Georgia.
Our boat, the steamship Getty of
Seattle, is the finest vessel on these
waters. Her state-rooms are large, her
table excellent and the officers court
eous gentlemen. We had 1874 passen-
ger besides the live stock and large
amount of freight. About 10 O'Clock
we reached Vancouver, the rival of
Victoria, these two towns being the
chief cities of British Columbia. Hav-
ing two hours to stay we went ashore
to see the place. There are a great
many elegant buildings and fue business
blocks and the general air of thriving
city. We were surprised to notice
several blocks not built upon, but de-
voted entirely to storing nursery stock.
On looking more closely. however, we
discovered that the supposed trees and
plants were nothing but sprouts grow
ing luxuriantly around stumps of lately
cut trees. Soon the 10 minute whistle
sounded and in short time we were
out of the harbOr aud steaming north
ward. This is an ideal trip for grand
and beautiful scenery. On either side
the shores deeply indented with bays
and narrow gOrges, are covered with
pine, spruce and hemlock from the
waters edge to the tops of the mount
aims which rise abruptly several thous-
and feet and still wear their winter caps
of snow. Little islands from a few feet
to several miles in extent, are common
and are covered like the shores. The
water is delicate green and the swell
of the ocean is not noticeable here.
Wednesday night, however, while
crossing the open channel north of Van
couver Island we were treated to a
rock-a-bye that was anything hut pleas
ant. The Seattle is a vessel of light
draft and rolls in very unpleasant
manner in heavy swell. We were
past the disagreeable place in few
hours and suffered no Inconvenience
from seasickness. Thursday was day
of wierd enchantment, ever pressing
northward through the narrow straits
where the solitude is almost oppressive.
One or two Indian villages and steam
Oh SOAhS oOuoh "OiO ebO OHiy us vi
human life seen from the ship. Friday
morning before day break we stopped
at Ketchican, new mining town.
After lunch the captain invited five of
US into the pilot house while passing
Wrangle Narrows. This is the most
dangerous part of the trip. Many cap
tains will not attempt the passage ex-
cept at high water. The tide was now
at the low point, but our captain was
brave and knew his work, and did not
wish to injure his record for quick trips.
In many places the channel was hardly
twice the vessels width and very
crooked. The rocky shores gave evil
dence of what might lie just beneath
the surface of the water. 1t was new
and exciting experience. Four strong
men held the wheel and the rest of us
held our breath. The captain watched
the channel, giving his orders in a low,
distinct tone that was instantly repeated
by the chief helmsman, and the wheel
whirled rapidly around, now this way,
now that, as the great ship turned,
balanced, courtesied, swung right and
left with the stately grace of belle in
a quadrille. Twenty-Five miles of this
thrilling experience and we again came
into the open sound where we had our
first view of glaciers and icebergs. The
Alaskan cedar is now added to the for
estry list.
At II o'clock we landed at Juneau in
driving snow storm.
Yours as ever,
G. II. G.