Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
HEARD


lying on the southeast coast of Alaska.
| These islands, mountainous in character.
| extend along the coast for about 260 miles,
| and from the shore to their outer limits
| is about sixty miles. 1t is a fact that prac-
| tically every foot of soil is covered with
| dense vegetable life, trees Of mammoth
l size growing abundantly from the coast
clear up the mountain sides to an elevation
| of 1000 or $500 feet. Practically ali of the
valuable timber of Alaska is concentrated
| in this group Of islands, and has been but
little cut.
People generally have misconceptien Of
| climatic conditions in Alaska. especially
| the southeastern panhandle. 1t is a mat
| ter Of record that on the Alexander archf-
| peago there is an annual rainfall Of eighty
inches, much Of the moisture descending in
| the form of gentle mist, keeping the soil
constantly damp. The warm Japan current
| runs in close by, moderating the temperar
| ture Snow is practically unknown, yet a
few miles In on the mainland the winters
are severe There the effects Of the Japan
current are but little felt. The forests of
| the archipelago were recently studied by
| an officer Of the Navy Department sent for
that purpose. He reported that only the
spruce and hemlock reach the proportions
l have given you, although yellow cedar,
a most valuable wood, often reaches
diameter of three to four feet The smaller
trees are the alder, cottonwood, poplar,
maple. willow and red cedar. No doubt
when the timber supply Of the United
States becomes depleted, it certainly
will at the present rate of cutting. the vir-
gin forests of Alaska will make a valuable
contribution to the nations supply. The
President was fortunate in reserving this
rich spot before its presence became known
to timber spectators and before the hand
| Of man worked devastation throughout its
length and breadth
* X X x X
There are numerous and divers ways of
administering justice" said Washington
| lawyer who had just returned from vaca-
| ton in the mountains of western Virginia.
"Over in Rappahannock county is mag
istrate who is noted among his friends for
his good nature. The business Of his court
| is not sufficient for him to maintain an Of
flee. He has keen conception of what Is
right, and at the same time he has to take
| care Of the work about his farm.
Zone Of his neighbors was arrested for an
! infraction of the statutes and was brought
| before the magistrate. The magistrate was
| engaged in milking a cow when the officer
/ and his charge arrived.
what is the complaint" the magistrate
| asked as the strains of bovine liquid made
| music against the sides of the pail.
Your honor said the officer, he was
found intoxicated.
"'Two-fifty and COSTS the magistrate re-
| piled and there cessation Of the flow
| of milk. The constable collected the fine
and costs. and after the COW was success
| fully 'pailed' the money was turned over
| to the magistrate.
Justice and simplicity go hand in hand
| over in Rappahannock county" the lawyer
| added.
| X X *
Curious things happen in the register of
| the treasury's Office as well elsewhere in
| the department" said an official of the bond
| department of the treasury. Speaking Of
| crank letters, 1 may mention the most an
noying crank or rascal in the country. For
many years, at intervals, we receive
package through one of the express COM
panieS billed as containing $4,000 of United
States bonds. On opening the package we
find nothing but pieces of old papers care
| fully put together. Not single scrap of
| that gives the name of the man or anything
about him. All that we know Is that he
sends the packages from different parts of
the country each time. Another funny thing
| is that the package is invariably sent col
| lect. The United States never pays express
| charges on package Of this kind, and of
| course, the express companies lose their
transportation charges. 1t is a wonder that
| the agents at the other end accept the pack
| age under such conditions We are unde-
| cided whether the sender is a crank or
| criminal. l believe that he is a criminal
| and that his game is to send the package
| and obtain the usual paper from the ex-
press company. which Is a receipt for a
| package said to contain $4,000 in bonds
| With this receipt the fellow goes out and
| who is easily imposed upon. BY the time
| the lender begins to inquire about his money
| the borrower has gone out of town to make
| some alleged heavy investment and will re-
| turn in a few days. Naturally he never
| goes back