The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-09-10

usnAtu8 ~ VINO O0k1As1y ~ ID Q0AU0 OV
ident that copper ore il almost inex
haustible and that high quality coal n,
already been found in quantities ex
ceeding that Of the coal in the states
II this is true, which it apparently is
it can be readily seen that in the neal
~futur. Alaska is bound to become one
Of the richest states in the Union.
While at Cordova we met 4. ". Exum
. native of Yazoo County, Miss, who il
connected with the stores department,
Of the Copper River Ry.; also John L
Gattis, son OF Mrs. d. B. Lott, residing
near Greenwood, who is connected with
the publication of the Daily Alaskan;
we also met W. H. She faer, q former
citizen of Scranton, at juneau, who j.
city editor OF the Daily Record at that
place. Each of these gentlemen seem
ed to be prospecting, they were spec
tally pleased to see us and made ouI
visit very pleasant.
ENJOYABLE STOP AT SEWARD. ,
Quite a number Of the editors, by
special invitation, stopped at Seward
until the Northwestern" completed
her trip to Port Graham l.. At Seward
the people were exceptionally hospit-
able. They showered us with excurs-
ions, balls and luncheons galore and
each We'd with the other in making our
stay pleasant and agreeable. In port
here were G. e. Perkins, son-in-law OF
J..P. Morgan, with a party Of friends
WHO had chartered and partially re-
built the "Yucatan" for the trip. Sew
ard has It's daily paper and other ev-
licences of faith in the future. It also
has q railroad. the Alsska Central,
which has crossed the divide and is be-
ing extended to the Mataunska coal
fields and Fairbanks. We were taken
fifty or sixty miles over it and had q
picnic lunch in q little valley with q
u SO warm that we almost fancied We
were back At home. This road not only
passes close to the base of a large gla-
cier but it actually cuts through two
little ones, where our party got out Of
the cars and engaged in snow-balling
for several minutes. Rich quartz dis
coveries are also being made just back
Seward, and the vast coal fields,
which will be developed by the COM
of the railroad, guarantees q
prosperous future for Seward. At Sow
ard we met some splendid gentlenen,
among the number being Mr.. H1wkins,
a leading banker and mer Giant, and
Mr.. Frank Watson, a wealthy GOAL and
gold mine owner. Both are native Vir-
g%inians, and we ape under special OBJ
legations for the royal and whole souled
entertainment and many courtesies
shown us. Among other things they
gave a dozen of us a sumptuous dinner
party and q 25-mile midnight excursion
On a gasoline car over the Alaska Ceu=
trail Railway, giving us the novel and
superb view Of the spow-cevered noun
tains and beautiful rivers and lakes ca
route. We bad to wear heavy over
,oats on this trip and arrived back to
Seward at $3.50 a. M, just as the sun was
Here the sun sets at about 10
m. and rises at about $3.50 a. m. The
registered from IS to so
legress above zero at that season OF
The year.
PORT GRAHAM, END OF TRIP. ]
Port Graham, the end Of the "North- |
trip, is On Cook Inlet and .
thousand miles west of juneau. In fact
t is only 100 miles east of Honolulu. |
The Russians maintained q penal COL
my there, the convicts operating a
,oal mine. Indians had come t get |
supplies of coal, also to catch and dry |
On q little island by itself is
Mt. Augustine, an active volcano. The !
Jun set like a ball of fire at ESQ. Late
June the day is twenty hours long
md in mid-winter but four hours. Al
Inc aurora borealis was another great
light.
THE RETURN TRIP BEGINS,
The Columbia Glacier was visited on
The return, also Ellamar, where there
q a valuable copper mine, and where
he salmon run was so great the Wis
tors caught ten-pound fish with their
lands. A few Of our party here had an
while the steamer was at
he dock, to reach by launch the home
II some natives from the westward, who
lad built a little village OF two or three
hundred souls. Here was q Greek
church with a priest only lately ar
lived from Russia. The interior of a
ireek church differs from other churches
n many ways, the altar being in view
'nly during services, at the other
being covered with a curtain. 1t
9 in a sacristy or room containing the
'obes of the priest and all other par
for celebrating mass. No
woman Is allowed to enter this room.
A GOOD TINE AT VALDEZ.
Valdez was again visited and a longer
top made. It's people were wild in ef-
orts to entertain, and Of course as at
'ther places there was q dance. It has
IL that Cordova and Seward have ex-
,ept > railroad, and the United States
is partially compessating