Amador ledger., 1906-06-22
Travels in
Alaska.
by DR.. G. Ii. Gibbons.

BY DR.. g. H.Gibbons.
After several years of tst1enuou!
life'' in the interior, 1 welcomed
sojourn in Seward as a release from
the hardships of long trips on foot
Shortly after my arrival the U. s.
marshal and district attorney asked
me to go to Sunrise with them, about
ninety miles north of here, to give
expert testimony in a murder case
We left Seward before daylight in the
caboose uf construction train, and
in little less than two hours aIight.
ed at a tie camp on Mile 81. Here we
had good breakfast, IN tent where
tables were set for about seventy men
three times a day. Leaving the rail
road we &C hit the trail''-seven of us.
First across the creek on a log, then
up steep hill, and for eight miles
through heavy forest, sometimes de-
scending but usually climbing along
the path of an old glacier, with snow
capped peaks on either hand. Above
the tim ber line the trail sklrted the
shore of two lakes, each about a mile
across. We were now at the summit
OF Kenai peninsula on the watershed
between Cooks inlet and Resurrec-
tion bay. The scenery has the rugged,
rocky grandeur peculiar to the coast
of southern Alaska, but is not so i'm
mense as that further east. From the
northward frequent roar as of heavy
artillery told where the railway pio
neers we're shifting the lodges with
dynamite to open the way to the won
ders and riches of the interior.
Now we went down a canon, follow
ing dizzy and dangerous trail, often
along ledges hundreds of feet above
the boiling, roaring creek, and much
greater distance below the gIistening
Kenai peaks. Sixteen miles and five
hours from the railroad we stopped at
an unoccupied cabin to rest and have
lunch of coffee. meat and bread.
Our district attorney, age 30, weight
220 ponnds. new arrival in Alaska,
had expressed his fears the previous
evening that | could not stand the
trip. My " innings' came when we
we're again on the way, for our legal
light began to fail, and the nine miles
we travelled that afternoon were a de-
cided weariness to his flesh, although
he was Yale man and claimed to be
an athlete.
We passed the night in another
empty cabin. Its one small bed we
awarded to the invalid, while the rest
of US enjoyed the soft side of the
spruce floor. Next morning our law
twister declared he was unable to rise
and should wait there until a horse
could be sent for him. | massaged his
stiffened muscles until he agreed to
try it once more. We only came six
niles that forenoon to a road house,
where we got an excellent meal. An
Indian going to town had taken a mes
sage to send horse to this place for
the cripple. The rest of US followed
the very good trail down the valley,
which is from one to two miles wide,
passing several fine farms, where hay
and vegetables are raised in abund
dance. Ten miles brought ms to Sun
rise-one of the Oldest mining towns
in Alaskan time for supper. The
disciple of Blackstone arrived on
horseback about midnight. AS this is
high class paper, will not venture
to describe his language or condition.
Last summer the best mine near
Sunrise produced over $50 a day to
each man employed. We had good
meals and beds. The trial kept US a
week, but enjoyed the experience.
Some twenty families are at Sunrise
also U. S. Commissioner, two large
mercantile esta ablishments, two hotels,
two saloons, and pack train of twen.
ty-two horses to carry supplies tc
the miners. Sunrise is on the south
ern shore of Turnagain arm, which i.
part of Cooks inlet. Small steam
ers carry supplies from Seldovia about
seven months in the year to half {
dozen small towns along the inlet ano
arm.
The main object of interest here l!
the tide, which is the highest in NORTH
America, except the bay of Fundy
The highest is 81 feet, the average
p about 45. l went down the lagoon
to the shore twice to see the It'd,
come in. Miles down the arm whit,
line could be seen approaching at tn
rate of some eight miles an hour
, AS it came nearer, this line proved t,
be nearly perpendicular wall o
, water, about six feet high. This j
+ called the bore, and sweeps by wit
roar like Mag ara. After this tn
, rise is gradual, and in six hours tn
a water is forty feet higher than at 10y
tide. The ebbing OF course is gradual
Many drownings have occurred b
, small boats being overturned by th
, "bore." The reason given for thi
+ high tide is that the ocean pours int