The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-11
.LEEDY ON vALDES
Kansas Ex-Governor Writes of
Climatic Conditions.
Mercury Seldom Falls Lower
Than 15 Below Zero.
HEAVY FALL OF SNOW.
Does Not Leave Ground Until.
May or June.
How the Children Enjoy Dog
Sleigh Teams.
HEAVY FALL OF SNOW.
valdes. Alaska, Jan. q, 1902.

1
| Alaska, with the reports of great cop
| per and other mineral deposits, coupled
with the Introduction of bills in con-
gress granting lands in aid of railroads.
| is causing people all over the United
| States to inquire what kind of a coun-
| try this is to live in, and as the tine OF
| year approaches when they will consid-
| er the advisability of coming TO Alaska,
! perhaps the observations of one who
| has spent the greater part of a year
| here might be of interest As much has
been written about mineral deposits,
| timber resources and fisheries, this let
| ter will deal with the climate, health
| and the small details of life which in
| the long run seem to be just as I'M
| portant.
The thermometer rose to So degrees
| last July, and is reported to have
| reached so degrees two years ago. II
went down to Is degrees below zero on
the fifth day of January, and this Is
| reported to be as cold as it has been
since white men began to live here IN
1898. 1t is very equable here, with no
sudden changes in temperature. The
freedom from sudden changes and from
extremes of heat and cold is due to very
high and steep mountains on the north
and the ocean tempered by the Jaran
current on the south. The worst fea-
ture of the weather is the enormous
rain and snowfall; but as this comes
mainly in the night it does not inter-
fere with outdoor pursuits as much AIS
might be supposed.
This is not a paradise for doctors
There are few places where there is as
little sickness as here 1t might be
thought that this is because no one
comes here but people of strong phys
ique and in the prime of life, but this is
not true. People of three score years
are here and in this town there are
many children who put in as much time
out of doors in any climate. Good
health is attributed to the purity of the
a iT absence
malarial diseases.
The prOSpectorS who winter here all
have dog teams for use in the Interior
away from the government road, where
horses cannot go, and as they do not
put them into use until the middle of
February, they are very glad to have
the boys and girls use them for sleigh
riding to keep them in training and
give them exercise. Thus it happens
that every boy and girl in town has a
dog team to use nearly all winter free
of trouble and. expense. One lad has
had the use of a dog team consisting
of five dogs all winter, and as the gov
eminent road over the mountains is
kept open by teams hauling material
for the telegraph line and supplies for
the road houses, he can go far into
the mountains as he cares to, and as
the snow falls every few days, the road
is in fine condition. There has hardly
been a day since the snow first fell,
the third day of November, that he has
not had a sleigh ride, and when he
Santa Claus is not in it with him.
Looking over the school record is
found among other things that Hilda
Hici<nala, a girl of only years of age,
who lives across the glacier stream fully !
half mile from the school house, had !
not missed a day since school COM
menced last September. These details
are given to show that this is not
hyperborean country where people are
housed up the greater part of the time. !
Today the thermometer is so degrees
al F1d fRrS l1-a a Orl
all over town The greatest drawback
to this part of Alaska is the great ac-
emulation of snow, so that while we !
have spring weather reasonably early !
the SNOW is so deep that one cannot go
off of the broken road or trail without |
snowshoes, and it takes long time for |
it to melt away. Last year it was the |
first of June. though it sometimes gets |
off by the middle of May, but when the |
snow is gone we have summer at once.
North of the mountains the fall of snow |
and rain is about one-third what it is |
n=re and with less cloudy wea Their and |
more sunshine, so that they have a |
longer summer and warmer than here, |
with greater extremes of heat and cold /
In the valley of the Copper River it |
gets as cold as 60 degrees below zero |
and as high as 100 degrees above. They |
have snow on the ground about six |
months in the year, while we have |
seven. Yet one hundred miles south of |
here at the entrance of Prince Williams |
Sound it scarcely SHOWS at all. There is /
no agriculture here to speak of, though |
some hardy vegetables, such as pota- |
toes, cabbage, turnips and celery can |
be raised here, but it is too cold and |
damp for such things as tomatoes and |
beans. In the valleys of the Copper |
River end its tributaries all kinds of |
vegetables that will mature in the |
length of season that they have can be |
grown. Wheat, barley, oats and rye |
have time to mature there and do well. |
Every one who goes into that country,
however seems to get so excited over /
the gold and copper that there is very /
little done outside of mining. What we |
need most in this country is that the |
homestead law be changed so that $50 |
acres may be taken instead of so. as it |
is now, and railroad and wagon road |
built through the mountains to the in |
terror. j. w. LEEDY.