The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1901-04-19

/ Alexander archtnsiaeo consists OF
100 islands. several OF which nro
more than loo miles tn length The
mountains In Alaska are the highest
iu the United States. 81. Elias. To-
san ana Mckinley running their
diaaR heights upwards from lf.ooo o.
2Aeaa feet. The Yukon river and It's
tributaries are uaNiKnhlv Ter aaeo
miles. The United states bought
the Whole ~ the great country
from Russia i'm tS61 Tor s., goa e0o
which VAS the largest pure haae of
real estate .u the history OF the
world Tho prise amounted L. onB
about : cents Ter acre. The eoun-
try thus purchased has already paid
for itself many times over.
Rapid Paopllng Of wilderness.
The population 81 Alaska. accord
ms 10 the United States census bull
letiu 81 March =. vas g sos OF
this So $50 belong in the northern dis
triet. tak.ug iu Meme. So. Michael
Point Hope. GoIoVin bay. Tanaua.
Rampant. Circle. Eagle city. IN fact
the valley ~ the Yukon and all
north 81 u. The southern district.
numbering S3041. embraces all
Southeast Alaska aud an the re-
maiuder ~ the Alaskan territory.
Including the Alaskan peninsula and
chain 81 Alcutlan Islands. In iss0
the population Of Alaska vas oniy
s.. Az Ia 1890 Il wan Htitl less. az
se.9s2 SO that the present popula-
ton OF e1sy3 shows that there are
noW nearly two persons In the terri
tory In enc in lisa. The four urlu-
clpal towns lu the territory had
their population given as follows.
Nome lass. SkaKWny IlT. juneau
1854. sitka 1875. st. Michael So The
population ~ the British Yukon ter
r.torY Is proba bis as great as that
~ Alaska. haW son, In the kluu-
dixie region. - the largest city 81 the
great northw esttfn gold country. Il
probably has - 90 inha bltamts
though IL ~ merely a distributing
point for outside mining camps.
Uuftl the discovery % gold In the
kiondtke there we're practically no
white people In Alaska. save a few
fur traders. missionaries and gov
eminent employees. The whole IN
terror country vas practically con-
sidered forbidden ground on account
Of the Ice ana the high mountains.
Except for the fur trade ard the
seal and salmon fisheries. the region
seemed a valueless barren tract 81
ice and snow. The WY a country
~ remote anf a few years ago np-
parnutly Inaccessible. IL now being
rapidly populated. has an interest
both phenomenal and romantic.
Romantic Growth Of ps~son.
Take Dawson. for instance. the
capital u the Eloudlke region.
which four years ago wns nti an un-
Inhabited wilderness. frhe first elgi-
gems - the town reached the place
three years ago after the incredible
haFIshIns o. travel through the
chileeot and White passsa. 81 over
the longer and more dangerous trail
from Edmonton. A large proportion
% those who sought TO get where
Dawson now IN. persisted In the at
tempt Until the railroad was hullt
through the White Pass In tsas the
city II Dawson WIS tn remote Iaola-
tiou from the civilized world sup
plies could with extreme difficulty
be brought there. Dawson. there
fore. owed It's sueEessfil origin prob
ably more than any other city iu
the world O. AuEi1-saKon grit and
hardIhuod 70 nov has warehouses.
banks. hotels hospitals. theatera
churches. schools and newspapers.
IL ls becoming n city % substantial
homes. Two years ago the water
front ~ the city was lined with
badly built boats on which thous-
nnds 81 people rad fioated down
from THE White Horse rapids 4
large proportion ~ these camped
either on their boats or in tents on
the t0wusite and made the place
look more Ike a tented army field
than a city To-day there are few
tents and nearly all the people are
building permanent residences N
they have not already done so There
are now in Dawson nearly 5000 F0-
men. or nearly one-nfth 81 the pop
uiation. quite a large proportion be-
Ing wives ~ men who have come
here to make this their home. The
city e. laid out in rectangular shape
into town lots Some ~ these town
lots are being sold as high as 80 900
each. The streets are S. feet wide
The best buildings are occupied by
saloons and gambling houses. which
are excessively patrouized. az ia the
case I'm an mining ceuters Never
theIeaa the city - rapidly taking on
AL the decencies Of n city IN the
States
luxurious Home life
The climate At Dawson fa plea mt