Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-26
GROWTH OF ALASKA.
A BUSINESS MAN WRITES OF HIS OBJ
SERVATlONS OF ITS PROGRESS.

White Pass Railroad and Terminal-Te1-
egraph and Mail Facilities - Work OF
Rev. Mr.. Chapman of Middiebury.
Prof. Ii. NJ. Seely of Mlddlebury is in
receipt of an interesting letter from N.
V. Hendricks of Weare, Alaska, agent of
the North American Transportation and
Trading company. 1t Is dated Jan. IS,
1901, and consequently contains the
freshest of information regarding the
wonderful material progress of that
country. In passing, we may recall that
two of Mr.. Hendricks's sons are now in
school in Middebury. In the course of
the letter Mr.. Hendricks says:
To one who watches events in Alaska
with such interest as yourself, many
things of note have happened the past
year. | think perhaps the greatest
factor, although it benefits mainly the
Canadian side, is the White Pass railroad.
How rapidly that was pushed along |
think it is bound to revolutionize business
in this country. 1t has done so already
rs far as travelling is concerned; and
although the different lines of steamers
on the Yukon ran about to their full
capacity in freight last summer, of
which the most went to Dawson, | look
for much less freight to be carried across
the line by steamers next summer. TO
give you an idea of the way things go
with rush when | arrived at the ter
minal of the White Pass road white
Horse) about June 26, on my way in
from Seattle, there was a congestion of
freight it seemed would not be disposed
of the entire summer. Goods of most all
kinds and descriptions were stacked up
along the river front for about one
quarter of a mile and about 20 feet high
and 40 to 60 feet deep. No shed or cover
of any kind over them (Which luckily at
that season of year was not needed).
| came on down river and returned to
White Horse 30 days later. Where the
freight was stacked on the bank was
warehouse 800 feet long, the water front
built up with piling and good dock
with slips the full length of the ware
house, which latter was empty and they
were transferring the freight direct from
the cars through the warehouse to the
steamers.
OF course business on this side the line is
growing continually, and the grea
feature at present is the telegraph line.
The construction of this was begun last
summer by the military. They have
built from Unalaklik on the portage
towards the river about 20 miles, from
KaltOg towards Unalaklik about % miles,
and from kaltog up river almost to the
mouth Of Konyukuk river and partially
constructed from here down river 80
miles. The cable between st. Michael and
Nome was laid last summer and was in
good working order when | left st.
Michael Nov. %. Some parties took the
contract of laying the cable and turning
it over to the government completed.
They had just started In laying it when
their vessel drifted onto reef and was
wrecked. On some claim of salvage the
Alaska Commercial Co. got hold of the
cable and loaded it on one OF their big
barges and laid it with their steamer
Sadie. So they have the present owner
ship of it and are operating 1t.
And then there is the Improvement in
our mail service. Nearly all of last
winter the service was only once a
Now we have semi monthly
mails the entire year, and during the
month of December, January, February
and March we have weekly mail from
Skagway to ST. Michael and Nome. Four
years ago when one travelled on the
river it was necessary to have ones sled
supplied with from two TO seven days
provisions and depend on making camps
now one can travel almost the entire
tn xxthft l.,
every night.
All these things tend to lessen the
hardships of the country; but there is
one thing we miss greatly and which is
slow of improvement: that is "homes."
Still don't know but they are increas
ing more in proportion than the increase
in the number of people coming into the
country. One thing that will greatly
help the establishing of homes is the
provision in the new Alaska laws that
fifty per cent. of the revenue collected
shall go for school purposes. 1t should
not be long under this until we have free
schools in all the settlements. think
many will then bring in their families
and surely they would not be justified in
bringing their children here now and de-
priving them for any great length of
time of those things which are of such
great value to their future welfare and
happiness.
was at Anvik last fall for short
time. Mr.. Chapman was in good health,
but had had a very hard summers work.
An epidemic spread through nearly the
whole of the native population of the
country. The death rate was something
dreadful. Entire villages became ex-
tinct. The militia was sent out with
food, clothing and medicine; also to
bury the dead. AT some of the fishing
|eamps all would die but one or two and
they would desert the camp, leaving
great racks of fish to spoil and go to
waste. They laid by very little fish for
the winter. | feared they would have a
hard time till next summer, but the
small game (rabbits and grouse), and
| fresh fish in the river seem to be very