Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-03-26
A TRIP TO DAWSON.
Scenery Beautiful-Hardships of Travel
Are hincs of the Past.

Scenery Notwithstanding of Travel
Are Things OF the Past.
1t is matter of surprise to me that
SO few people travel through our north
west territory for pleasure and sight
seeing. The scenery is beautiful AMI
the hardships of travel are things of
the past. The old-timers like to re-
late their experience over the trails,
with their dog sleds, and their trips
on the Yukon, on rafts and in canoes,
their solitary tramps over the noun,
tains, in search of gold, with scanty
provisions and how they were at
times in peril from the Indians, but
oftener from the weather. The rail
road over the mountains and the
steamboats, on the river have changed
all this and have provided in its place
the usual comforts of travel.
The coast range of mountains is in
view of the steamers that ply along
the Alaska shore to Skagway. The
hills are green with pines and cotton
woods and an occasional cateract may
be seen foaming down some steep
hillside, while above it lies the glacier
that feeds it. At this season of the
year, Aug. 80, there are a number Of
small icebergs near Juneau, and they
are as treacherous as they are beauti-
full. Of light translucent blue color
they rise 20 to 80 feet out of the
water and look like islands of glass.
They are not easily discernible at
night and the face of the ill-starred
islander awaits a vessel colliding with
one Of them.
For miles from the mainland of
Alaska the sea is full of islands, large
and small, covered with a luxuriant
vegetation. The sea in the inland pas
sage between Seattle and Skagway is
aS: smooth as glass, except in a very
few places, like Queen Charlotte
Sound. Indeed it Is somewhat like the
inland sea of Japan, which travellers
are so delighted to visit and tell about,
but it is all on larger scale and with
the human life of it. In places OF
titled fields in terraces on the hill
sides and the evidences everywhere OF
crowded life, in Alaska and the great
Northwest territory one is impressed
with the vast solitude. Thousands OF
miles are uninhabited except by few
tribes of Indians, some salman fishers
and prospectors for gold.
Skagway is not as busy a town as
1t was in '99. Some copper claims
have been located between there and
White Horse. but if they ever gave
any promise that they would become
mines they have not yet fulfilled it.
My Norwegian friend, with a smile
that was "childlike and bland" told
me that he had sold couple OF them,
but did not think much Of them.
But if there are no mines between
Skagway and White Horse there is
scenery to gladden. the heart of an
artist, and the railroad between these
points is a triumph Of engineering
skill. 1t winds around the granite
cliffs On a grade of 4 percent IN
places, and through the car windows
can be seen far below the track over
which the train has circled. An ascent
of between 1000 and 5000 feet is made
from Skagway to Lake Bennett. From
there tho train runs along the lake
side and the banks of the Yukon to
White Horse. The length Of the rail
road IS 100 miles. The current in the
Yukon river is swift; it runs about six
miles an hour, SO the distance down
the river from White Horse to Daw'
son, 450 miles. is made quickly. The
best river boats make it in between
80 and 40 hours.-Mlnes and Min
erals.