Amador ledger., 1903-02-27
LETTER FROM ALASKA.

DOUGLAS, ALASKA, Feb. 3. 1903.
Neglected but not forgotten Led gcr:-
am spending the wintor on DOUG
las Island, and am one of the surgeons
oil the Treadwell mines, The plant en-
ploys an average of eight hundred men,
and OF course accidents are not rare.
We have hospital here and another
IN Juneau, which is two miles away, on
the opposite side of Gastiueaux Chan
mel, A ferry makes eight trips daily.
The Treadwell Company is still TAX
ing out immense quantities of ore.
Keeping its eight hundred and forty
stamps busy most of the time. 1t is
also developing the lodges in the noun
talns on the Juneau side, and prepar-
ing to erect stamp mills next season.
throughout southeastern Alaska.
extensive work is going on at Ketchi-
can, Sumdum, Berner's Bay, Seward
City, Rodman's Bay. Yankee Cove.
and other places. The oil-fields and
coal deposits are attracting much at
tention, and the whole country from
here to the Kenai Peninsula is beino
prospected, and much development
work will be done the coming summer.
An all-American railroad to the Yukon
Is one great need of Alaska, and sew
eral projects have been started. At
present 1t seems most probable that the
road will be built from Valdez, up the
Copper River valley, by the new
Chestochina placer diggings, across the
Ianana to Eagle City. This would
open up an entirely new region, and
cause great development, both of min
ing and agriculture. There is plenty
OF rich placer ground on the Tanana.
but as 1t costs dollar and quarter a
pound to get supplies there from Circle
City, there can be but little done with
out cheaper transportation. Valdez
has an open harbor all the year round,
and the distance from there to the
Tanana by rail is only three hundred
miles. Besides the gold and the cop-
per there are millions of acres of rich
land that will be occupied when made
accessible.
The climate here is milder than in
Skagway. Only twice this winter has
the mercury been down to zero. but
the rain and snow are almost constant.
Douglas was settled in the early
eighties, and owes its existence to the
Treadwell mines. About twenty-five
hundred people live here, having drift
ed from all over the earth. Americans.
Slavcnians, Firms, and Scandinavians
forming the majority, but have seen
representatives of nearly every country
except China; no Chinese being allowed
here. The Films and Swedes USUALLY
have their families with them, but
there is only one Slavonian woman on
the island. She is the wife of a miner.
There are six churches, Greek, Cath
ollc, Roman Catholic. Congregational.
EplscOpalian, Methodist and Frlenus.
The latter have an Indian Mission.
hOIO dIO SONOIdl mere.
The men work in the mines, and some
of them have very comfortable homes.
The past year has seen quite build
ing boom in Douglas. Besides a great
many pretty cottages there has been
erected fine three-story schoolhouse,
a church. three-stOry apartment
block with thirty rooms, and an Odd
Fellows building having two stores on
the ground floor and lodge rooms
whore meet the l. o. o. F., the F. &
A. NJ. the K. o. p, the Eagles, and
the A. B. (Ancient Brotherhood II
should explain that the I. o. o. F.
comprises the Rebekahs, the Sub
ordinate Lodge and the Encampment.
There is social club called ''The
Ancient Order of Deacons, that meets
in another place. Douglas also has
NatatOrium containing fine swimming