The Alaska citizen., 1910-08-22

lie attempt was made to explore the interior. In 1869. Captain C. W. Raymond. |. < Army was sent up inc Yukon to determine the approx innate position of the international boundary and thus settle the con nicting interests of American and British traders. The results of the expedition wee published in the form of report giving data in re- gard to natives and fur trade, and accompanied by a map of the lower Yukon which was an improvement on that of the telegraph survey. in asmuch as it included several points whose latitude Raymond had fixed by astronomic observation.
 The names of a small group of pioneer traders who some time in the early seventies entered the Yukon basin via the Hudson Bay Company route from the Mackenzie are known throughout Alaska. Conspicuous among these were Jack McQuesten, Arthur Harpe~. Fred Mayo. Fred Hart, Joe Ladue and Frank Dens- more These men made many haz- ardous journeys without any of the aids of the modern explorer, depend ent simply on their own resources. They left but few records of these journeys. but we know that Harper visited the White and Panama. Me Questcn the KOyukuk, and Frank Densmore the Kuskokwim; and the knowledge obtained by them entirely through their own efforts or through their intercourse with the natives was later in part embodied in maps of Alaska and in part preserved by word of mouth. and when the pros pectors descended the Yukon, in the eighties. it proved of great assist ancc to them.
 Gold was reported on the Yukon as early as the telegraph survey of 1867. but does not seem to have been found in workable quantities for many yeras later. Just when the first systematic prospecting was done is somewhat uncertain but il is known that some time between 1873 and 1H7S George Holt made his way inland over the Chilkoot Pass and descended the LeWcs river By some reports he is said to have de scCndcd the river as far as Fort Yu- kon at this time. It seems certain. however, whatever the date of his journey, that this was the first sys- tematic attempt at prospecting on the Yukon
 The Chilkoot Indians. fearing that their lucrative trade with the inter for natives would be interfered with, were strongly opposed to allowing white men to cross the coast noun tains. by their trading route over the Chilkoot Pass. Through the interven- ton of Captain Beardslee. who com handed the United States Steamer Jamestown, this opposition was al length withdrawn. and in 1SSO a par ty of 1G miners, under the leader ship of Edward Bean, crossed the Chilkoot Pass and descended the Lewes as far as the Teslin. These were followed by others who in the next few years travcrsed the entire length of the LeWes and the Yu- kon. It was not, however, until 1SS5 and 1886 that important finds of gold was found.
 In 1879 Mr John Muir and Rev. $. Hall Young visited Muir Glacier and explored Glacier Bay. They were the first white men to examine the bay, though it had been seen in 1877 by Lieut.. C. s. A Wood. while making some explorations in the FairWeather mountains in company with some native hunters Muir's published descriptions of the won ders of Alaskan scenery drew much public notice and led iii later years to the development of a fayorite tourist route through Southeastern Alaska
 The most notable contribution to the knowledge of the geography and resources of Alaska was made by Ivan Petrol. an agent of the Tenth Census, who had long been a resi- dent of the territory He spent two years in travelling along the coast and on the lower Yukon and Kus- kokwim, his familiarity with the na- tive tribes and the Russian inhabi- tantS enabling him to obtain much valuable data regarding regions not visited by him. His results and those of the several other experi- enced men who were employed in this work were compiled by Pe- trof in an admirable report and pub hshed by the Census Office His gen eral map of Alaska which accom- panied this report, though largely based on the statements of natives and traders, was remarkably accurate in delineating the general features of the geOgraDhy He seems tO have