The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-20


as do all others who interest them
expansion.
THEY PRETENDED.
Nearly forty years ago, when Sew
ard, then secretary of state, paid ST.
2OO,00t to Russia for the barren waste
or laAd called Alaska. those same ex-
pansionists (and their forefathers)
raised their voices in protest against
Sewards policy, but those who have
been fortunate enough to live to the
present time are, dare say, very
much astonished to see this vast. wild
glacier change and develop into the
great country that ii is at the present
time. And you ask, what wrought this
great change? To this there can be
put one answer-to the American love
or adventure and exploration.
What Daniel Boone was to Ken
lucky and Missouri, and Davy Crockett
and the Bowies We're to Texas and the
great West, Clark, Mcdonald and
Mayo are to Alaska. They hardy pio-
neers of Montana and Washington,
became. as all such men do in the
justice of their fellow settlers and
boldly struck out farther into the
great Northwest. In time, other bold
adventurers followed these tried and
experienced men and established the
first settlements of note i'm the wild
regions of Alaska.
Cooks Inlet, small bay ON the
south coast Of Alaska, about six hun
dred miles from the then fishing and
fur-trading post Of Vancouver, Il. c.,
and St. Michacls Island, lying at the
mouth of the mighty Yukon river,
were the first permanent settlements
established in the country. Clark set
tied at ST. Michaers Island. depending
upon tramp whalers for his supplies,
and Mcdonald AMI Mayo went into
the interior after having settled Cook 4
Inlet. These intrepid men little knew
that in time to come the vast, un-
settled region they were then eXplor-
ing would be one of the fore
most possessions of the foremost ma
tion in the world. AS the territory
gradually developed the American in
terest deepened also, and the territory
gradually acquired IN approximate
population of two thousand souls.
STEAMERS BEGAN TO PLY.
\ few years later the first steam
boat and trading company's stations
were established along the Yukon, and
steamers began to ply upon the river
trailing with the Indians and carry
ing supplies into the country. Their
HEADQUARTERS We're DIT St. Michaers
Island, a small, barren Island in the
Behring Sea about sixty miles from
the mouth of the Yukon. The sup
plies We're transported to the island
by ocean steamer from the United
States and there transferred to the
river steamers.
This state of affairs continued until
tho years 1897 and 1898. when n great
gold rush was mad, into TIE country.
Places where none but the foot ri the
Indian had ever stepped gold in i'm
mcnse quantities was found, thous-
ands and thousands OF dollars worth
of gold was found in the small creeks
and eulchcs feeding the upper Yukon.
The greatest strikes Ware made at
Eagle City, Circle City and Rampant,
all of which We're previous to this,
small trading posts and Steamboat
stations along the Yukon. \ large
amount of gold was taken from the
bed Of the Klondiko river, a small
tributary of the Yukon, lying in tho
Dominion Of Canada. about thirty-fivc
miles east of the now famous city
of Dawson, IL modern city. Which owes
it's existence to the immense quantities
of gold found in that section of the
country.
The Alaskan and Canadian bound
airy dispute is of long standing, and
very well krown. Some OF the oldest
settlers OF tho country claim that the
original Russian line extended far be-
yond the klondike, which, If true,
would make us pcssessorS OF that
rich gold belt. Others claim that the
present boundary line is the correct
one, and we have all of the country
that we are entitled to. This is, how
ever, an international matter. and will
be settled in time.