New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-21
ALASKA.
It's Many Charms Described By an
Enthusiast

Alaska THE GREAT COUNTRY p Ella
Macmillan Company.
In 1867. when Seward negotiated the purchase
Of Alaska, there were few Americans who could
perceive his wisdom in the matter He was
not surprised on the contrary, while he was
convinced that the Importance OF the measure
would ultimately be recognized ne was equally
sure that it would take the people genera
ton to come round 10 MS way of thinking How
well they have come round is SHARPLY suggested
by tie whole drift of Mrs Higginson's Interest
ing book The Alaska she describes is obvious
" not the barren worthless. God-forsaken re
gion" which 1t vas assumed TO be by Stewards
critics II is a beautiful and fruitful country
the exploitation Of whose resources has enlisted
The energies Of thousands. and whose future
might be said 70 promise almost anything. This
author Is peculiarly well fitted for her task.
Young country needs cheerful historian. Mrs.
Hfgginson's spirits never flag She writes in
formally. describing what she has seen upon
her exhaustive travels and taking the salient
events 81 the past in her stride. From begin
ming to END she Is Jpborne by 2 sheer delight
in the Alaskan landscape and eager SYN
pathy for all those who have marked It with
the signs OF human activity The spell %
Alaska she says falls upon every lover o.
beauty who has vovaged along those far North
of the North Pacific Ocean breaking splendid
upon them: Or who has drifted down the nightv
rivers Of the interior which flow. bell-toned and
lonely 10 the sea" Something Of this spell has
been transferred 10 her pages,
She IS especially happy in her treatment o.
those earlier developments which go 10 make
the more picturesque passages ii Alaskan his
tor She sketches them with keen sense o.
their human and dramatic interest, portraytnE
the famous Baranof. for example. with capita
vtvacity This eighteenth century Russian lived
at Sitka an amazing life. governing the imperial
colonies with violent power recalling an even
rder age Though he was Jealous of his dig
nitv as a high servant OF the Gar his rule wa
distinguished b. kind OF barbaric wildness
His rotations we're weIlnigh immeasurabIe. ana
no one who had dealings with him could refuse
10 share them with irnpunity. A contemporary
trader has left story Of d young Russian naval
officer who once eudeavored 10 keep sober -
Raranoffs table He vas forced 10 drink and
under the influence Of the liquor. ne lost his
temper and vitupersred mis- host For this
abuse OF What Bar&nof considered his mag
nifcent hospitality ne was given seVenty-ni7-
lashes when he was quite sober enough TO ap-
preciate them Baranoff made money for him
self and his master. but the Alaska NJ that time
vas still not imagined 10 be anything like The
orsze that II has since become. Mrs. Higgin-
eor7 noting that secret reasons have been sus-
rAcrad for the sale Of the country. gives US this
reminder Of the actual conditions which deter
mined il.
The ONLY revenue thar Russia derived from the
-OIoufeS was through the rich fur trade suo
when after baI anon ; aeao-,, 80 - o|71,rr[
vast mineral wealth being unsuspecteo. riisslS
that might be Of immediate profit 10 herself toI
$500 COO Russia cleeTIullE. hecal-Ss
--fafT ted one of
and beautiful countries Of the world-lJs valleys
per ana taicklv veined with coal. its waters alive
with fish and fur bearing animals. IS scs.. .s[
United States
or the prosperity OF Alaska after its treasures
had once become kuovn. Mrs. HiggiUsOu gives
an account which is the more readable because
# Is not confined to dry statistics. Systematically
arranged She treats of the great mining dis
coveries as she reaches the different scenes
connected with them. recording these episodes
in a narrative enIivened by observations On the
life Of the people concerned. II is plain tina
she is an iieaI traveller. taking the rough anc
smooth rs either comes. and extracting humor
from discoruforts as she gains poetic emotion
from the landscape or the sea Her notes or
the natives do not pretend TO scientific
thoritv. but they show that her reading has
been TO good purpose. All the phases Of her
rich subject are duly touched upon. She turns
from mines and hsh hatcheries to Alaskan
basketry or flowers. She VIII draw the physiog
nor1v OF Nome or Dawson city. she will let
You know that there are no snakes in Alaska
Constantly too. she pauses in her description
Of the things that We're always there To sketch
the types Of to-day ana to tell odd or pathetic
little stories OF missionaries. prospectors or
mere human driftwood The book is freely H.
Illustrated with halftones from good photographs
It ought TO serve. Far better than any solemn
historical work. 10 give the reader q true ana
stimulating idea Of what Alaska is Ike