The Alaska prospector., 1902-02-13


 and it's growth was greatly retarded by these false reports. The popu- lation dwindled away to mere handful. But these few had un- bounded faith in the town and adjacent country. Several parties remained in the interior during Il. e wintea of '9S. Others went in again in the spring of '99. They worked day and night. In all kinds of weather, and suffered from cold and hunger. They prospected far and wide, stopping at no dan gers, overcoming almost insur- mountable difficulties, and at last their efforts were rewarded by the discovery of the rich diggings on Slate creek, Miller gulch and the Chesna river. Later the great ledges of copper were discov cred in the Chittyna and Kotsina country.
 Valdez commenced to take on new life. A few of the 9Sers re- turned and many new people came into the country and our town com menced to build up and improve.
 Today we have almost a new town. Many of the old landmarks of '9S have disappeared. In their places have been erected fine build ings and good homes. From the camp of tents in '9S and the vU- lage of log houses in 1900 we now have little cosmopolitan city with large buildings and business houses, churches, lodges, clubs, free reading room and library, a city govern ment, chamber of commerce, good stores with large stocks of mer- chandise, good hotel accomodations and many of the conveniences of d modern up-to-date town. A tele- phone system will soon be in op- eration, q franchise for an electric light plant has been applied for and wharf is being built.
 LOCATION.
 Valdez is located at the head of Valdez bay, an arm of Prince Will liam Sound, and is the most north ern port on the Pacific coast that is open to navigation the entire year. It is 400 miles north of Sitka and 1886 miles from Seattle, with which city it is connected by three regular lines of steamers. A steamer also runs between this place and Juneau, Sitka and Un- alaska once month, making four regular lines of steamers that come into this port each month, and dur ing the summer season there are other boats that stop here, making communication between this place and the States and other parts of Alaska quite easy and satisfactory.
 These steamers all carry mail, thus giving us four regular mails each month. Aside from this We have a mail twice month from the Yukon, coming over the all American route.
 The site for this town is a good one, and the early settlers showed their good judgment by coming to this point on the bay to establish a town. Other town sites have been laid out, and many influential par ties have endeavored to start oppo- sition towns by decrying Valdez, but they have utterly failed, for while Valdez has grown, improved and prospered, these other towns are only on paper, with no prospect of ever being anything else.
 OUR CLIMATE.
 The climate at Valdez is certainly excellent considering its situation. The winters are not extremely cold and the summers are simply delightful. Sickness is almost un- known, everyone is healthy, and the children are robust and happy. Nearly every day in the winter they can be seen out with their dog sleds riding all about the town, with never any fear of the cold, but on the contrary enioyingit. The pub lie school has never missed being in session day on account of the
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