The San Francisco call., 1904-08-15
ALASKA'S GOLD
IN ABUNDANCE
Bishop Hamilton Tells of
Wealth of the Country
and It's Spiritual Progress
SEES BIG OPPORTUNITY
Lays Cornerstone of Church
to Be Districts Second
Finest Sacred Edifice

Bishop Hamilton of the Methodist
Episcopal Church has returned from
Alaska, where he went six weeks ago.
He brings back a large fund of infor-
nation regarding it's resources, with
buoyant spirits in the anticipation or
the country being a great field for
spiritual and industrial labor, ana
praise for those statesmen who were
farseeing enough to judge of the fu-
ture value of the country to the Uni
ted States.
This was Bishop Hamiltons first Of
fetal visit-indeed, the first official
visit OF any Methodist Bishop to that
territory. The purpose of the trip to
Alaska was to. organize the district as
a mission and to attend the first annual
meeting of all the Methodist churches
in the district. Bishop Hamilton met
the ministers and lay representatives
of the Alaskan churches at Juneau
from June IA to Is.
The churches that were represented
at the Juneau conference are estab-
lished at Ketchikan, Dolomi, Juneau,
Douglas, Skagway and in several min
ing camps. During the conference the
Bishop laid the cornerstone Of the
first Methodist church in Juneau, which
is the capital of the district. The
church, which will be named the Metro
politan Methodist Church, will be the
largest and most imposing edifice of
any denomination in the district ex-
cept the Russian church at Sitka.
More than one-half of the money for
the building was given by the people
in Alaska The church will be dedi
Gated by November and will be abso-
lutely free from debt. Many hundreds
were present at the laying of the cor
nerstone, and much interest as well
as local pride was shown by people of
all denominations, and OF no denoml-
nation, in the new building.
The new church occupies prom
inent corner on one of the main streets,
directly opposite the site selected for
the capitol. The cost of the building
will be about $4,000. 1t is said that
such a building, as eligibly located in
San Francisco would cost more money.
Bishop Hamilton visited all the prom
inent settlements in Southeastern
Alaska and from Skagway went over
the summit by the Yukon and White
Pass Railway toward the Klondike
country. He visited Governor Brady,
the Federal district officers, met Bishop
Rowe of the Episcopal Church and
prominent clergymen of the Russian
and Roman Catholic churches, as well
the district.
At the close of the conference Bishop
Hamilton reappointed the pastors to
their several churches and arranged for
new missions in Seward City. Nome
and Fairbanks, in the Tanana country,
which is the newest gold mining center,
and where there are now reported to be
about 10000 persons.
In speaking of the prospects of the
country, Bishop Hamilton said last
evening:
1 was greatly surprised and encouraged with
the possibilities of Alaska, and / satisfied
that the purchase one of the greatest
investments the National Government has ever
made. Instead of naples waste of tree
less islands and frozen mountains 1 found a
country where great populations can be more
neonIe now reside both in this country and in
Europe The climate in Southern Alaska is
better than that of the Dakotas or even Iowa.
Ten millions of people are found on the
eastern continent above the same parallel of
latitude which forms the southern boundary
of Alaska The people of Norway and Sweden
and even Scotland could find more comfortable
homes in Alaska and a far more resourceful
country.
Already large Investments are being made
in many paying industries In addition to the
great discoveries Of gold. silver and copper,
tin. platinum coal and oil are found in great
abundance One vein Of coal thirty feet in
thickness has been discovered in Southern
Alaska. near Kayak
There is one gold plant Douglas Island
at the worlds Fair in St Louis representing
$50, 600 0oO taken from that mine, and dur
discovered at Seward City. The Alaskan pa
pers represented that this would prove one
Of the most wonderful mines in the world.
The fisheries OF the district yielded last
year more than $4,000 O0O and the seal in
dustry and fur trade alone have repaid many
times over the money the United States paid
Russia for the country. The timber is simply
inexhaustible. predict great possibilities
for the land.