The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-22

If the members of the six surveying par,
ties who located the route are to be believed
every mile of the way Is rich in gold, cop
per, coal. timber or agricultural possiDilltles.
There are deposits of gold quartz on henla
peninsula which only await transportation
facilities to be abundantly productive Al
Inlet, placer gold has given remuneratiye
employment to several hundred miners
since 1890. For years the Indians OF the
river have SH to the he
rtaries and in the bars of the stream: White
prospectors and government exploring partles
streams near the base of Mount Mckinley,
the highest volcanic peak on the American
| continent.
vious reports that the foothills OF Mount
Mckinley constitute one of the richest ana
most extensive mineral regions IN the Wori rig.
! It's drawback so far has been the dttlculty
| of reaching 1t.
THE RICH MKINLEY DISTRICT.
There seems to be no doubt that as soon
as railroad reaches the Mt. Mckinley DIS
trict thousands Of prospectors will swarm
over it. Crossing beyond the Alaska range
into the valley of the Tanana the route enters
another district at present out OF reach
of large numbers, but known for three e.s
iimitless quantities.. Many camps are now
established on the Tanana.
From the Tanara river tho Alaska Central
cuts across the peninsula BY the junction Of Of
the Yukon and Tanana. This peninsula Is
rich with placer gold. Baker creek, Big
Manook and Little Manook and almost every
gold producers Of great Importance and yet
the explorations there have been Insignificant
compared with the boundless territory. yet to
be prospecled. AS showing the possibilities
of this district former Governor McGraw OF
the state of Washington declares that he
owns placer claim I'M on the the Little t Manoos
koTs OF S1 GOAL I't A NJ II TMBER
Recent explorations have brought to light
immense deposits of coal, most of which Ia
: hitunlinous. Coal groupings are abundant
on Cook Inlet and all thru the Sushitna
valley.
One bed which has been discovered eighty
three miles above the mouth of the Sushitna,
is sixteen feet thick. bed of superior
quality has lately been discovered on Chick
Central's route, above the head of Cook Inlet
few. miles above the Rampant there are
( extensive beds of semi anthracite coal. -,
Stories which are told OF the timber. re-
I sources of this section of ALASKA show then
I to be similar to those of Washington. Above
e e1a ana CEDAR almost Identical Will
western Washington and Oregon. The noun
tains are covered with this timber to an al
lAitude of 5000 feet and the timber belt sex
} tends inland up the Sushitna valley ant
I across to the Tanana for. 300 miles.
q Inland the timber dtminishes; in size. bu
the smallest OF it is larger than Is beinl
I sawed by The mills in Michigan, Wisconsin
and Minnesota. J,... H..
q Chief Engineer Anderson Is authority TO
g the statement that many of the spruce tree
: around Resurrection Bay are three. four an
) five feet in diameter The timber growth
) very dense and the cedar is Of a variet
Z which takes very beautiful polish, rivalin
I IN Incidentally, it might be stated that til
( highest elevation along the route betwee
{ the bay and Cook Inlet is GAO feet. with
& distance of fifteen miles to overcome 1t.
{ From Cook Inlet to the divide, betwee
! the Sushitna and the Tanana, the distanc
) is 200 miles up valley 100 miles wide, q
) densely covered with timber as wester
} Washington and with a gradual ascent thu
makes a very light grade.
Z / Accustomed as9peoplc are to thinking
Alaska as the land Of snow and ice, 1T
( difficult to picture this valley as possessn
{ climate as delightful as that of Scotlar
{ and Denmark.
& Such is the case, however, for the china
! of Resurrection Bay and the sushitna vale
} Is modified by the Japanese current exact
} as that OF Scotland and Denmark is modifit
by the Gulf stream. The warm W1n'
from the Pacific ocean blow up the bros
valley of the Sushitna and spread to
: tributaries everywhere between the Aasl
range of mountains the west aud Mou
l., St. Elias on the east The temperature
~ i the lower Sushitna rarely gets below ger
tn and for weeks at time in the winter
a IS to IS degrees above zero. The SUNNI
climate is said to be delightful, being III