The Republican., 1900-08-30
IN ALASKA.
Present Conditions in Uncle Sans IcebOx
Rush for Wealth Still Continues.
From the Wheeling News

OuIhSu lTOLu d JOuI vi Aldshd, GdlheO
very Interestingly of that territory
today. "The steamships have nearly
doubled their carrying capacity
said DR.. Burdats, "by removing the
old hunks and having three in place
of two hunks in a state room, and
while they are quite crowded they
are partly relieved by permitting the
use of the cabin at night for hunks,
and from 25 to 40 miners are usually
stored away there each night. The
travel on the steamship line to Alaska
is growing rapidly, and is now enor-
nous. The steamer on which | sailed
had an iron hull and the ice seemed
to have no effect on it though we had
plenty of opportunity to find out.
She steamed Is miles through very
heavy ice, with immense icebergs on
every side of us, and went within
seven miles of Muer glacier. This is
the glacier which was shattered by
the earthquake in that section last
year. The scene among these icebergs
was wonderful and impressive beyond
description
Here the doctor exhibited large
lot of snap shots taken with the ever
ready camera, which now accompan-
les all Americans travelling in strange
lands. One of them was of an iceberg
seven thousand feet in height. Mrs.
Burdats landed on the iceberg with
party, the rest of whom went far up
on the sides of the berg with the use
of spears and climbing hooks such as
are employed for this purpose. All
had to be dressed in heavy furs as
the temperature was 25 degrees below
zero.
''The amount OF freight carried on
these steamships" said DR.. Burdats,
would surprise one. On our vessel
was about 1000 tons of freight. This
consisted of 1000 tons of railroad iron,
25 horses, a large number of cattle,
5000 live chickens, and rest princi-
pally in clothing, provisions and such
other things as are useful in that al
most barren land. By this do not
mean to say that it is without vege-
tation, for it is covered with timber
but food articles are very scarce there
! saw in Alaska one potato patch
which was about fifty feet square.
This was the property of an old In
dian squaw, who took great pains
with it, but the potatoes looked sickly
just the same. While vegetable food
is scarce there, however, there is con-
siderable animal food, such as is usu-
ally found in the arctic regions.
AT Skagway you go by rail for 110
miles to Dawson City. Skagway was
formerly city of $4,000 inhabitants,
but since the Cape Nome find this
like all other towns of Alaska has
been deserted for that region, and
there are now out of the $4,000 not
more than $500 remaining there.
Living there is very reasonable in
comparison to Dawson City not being
more than one third as expensive.
From this city to Dawson the freight
charges over the railroad for the 40
miles is 6 cents a pound and 20 cents
a mile for passengers.
1.-THE brakeman on the road is also
the conductor. He is paid So day
and all expenses. He told me that
one car of freight recently had to pay
$4,000 in charges, and said there was
hardly day that the freight ON one
of the cars hauled over the line would
not amout to from 81, 200 to 1900.
This line has all the business it can
attend to.
There are a great many gold claims
now being worked about Dawson,
and they pay well, from $40 to $50
per ton. A great deal of gold is
brought down ON the steamers in the
rough at the miners risk, they pre-
ferring this to paying the bank there
ten per cent discount for money.
When this reaches Seattle they take
it to the assay office, where it costs
them about of one per cent, differ
ence, about the cost of purifying it.
81 saw no coal there, but there is
vast quantities of timber. 1t is near
ly all pine, but lacking the resin,
which makes it seem to lay and
shoulder. 1t makes very hot fire,
however, though it will not ignite SO
quickly or blaze up like pine from
this country.
"As to the number of people who
go there to make a fortune and go
broke, 1 do not think that this has
been exaggerated. There are several
reasons for this. One is that they
hold on too long, hoping to make a
strike, and are too extravagant while
waiting. In place of making money
in the usual way many of them at
tempt to buck the tiger, and the con-
sequence is their cash goes more rap
idly than it otherwise would. Most
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