The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-04
HANDBOOK OF ALASKA.


AiaskO: an Empire IN tho MasinE BY 10 John ~; j.
Underwood With humorous Limitations. an1
Map. Published e. Decd. Mead and COM
PAM. New York.
This 4. = nnc large volume, profuscly
Illustrated. In which the author steers
clear uf the political auJ conaet a''ot
wrangles that have hesn so aIilicliSe 70
Alaska AN. confines himself To the max
Ing of a good reliable and attractive
handbook OF TINT great country v az
holds that Alaska Is a country tn1t VIE VIE
shortly occupy, prominent pASe ~ ,am, IN
pubilc eye: that within the past lew
wears II has added 500. 0GV 10 the
worlds supply nj gold. ana the coal ana
coppcr :riueS. at present undeNniopeo;
VIII far exceed in value the gold output
Mr.. Underwood shows us here VIVA.
Alaska "a. what lts attractions are. "ha'
IT. wealth consists or and ~ makes an
optimistiv estimate as 10 Alaska luture.
He praises tho sturdy pioneers who have
been developing that region under great
discouragements for so many years
This book, as fairy stated, rs no CRY
recital OF facts and figures. but grip
ping story of the last American West.
written by one vino Is OF This last west
4 part" His illness to write this hand :
nook was gathered during an almost
continuous residence of fourteen years IN
Alaska and the Yukon Territory. lie
therefore has the facts az easy command;
and being Il trained newspaper man ana
magazine writer he knows now TO make
the facts tcii.
He gives an accoun, Of his frs, trip to
Aiaska. OF the leading scenes en- route
OF the arrival al ketchikon. ana o! cN-
plorati lions and expeditions in various dl-
rcctions. En- route. there is a hne ac-
count OF Metlakahtle and Wransell. with
the great work done ior the natives ny
Father Duncan. The different points OF
contact with the coast are given. the
srea; mining and other industries that
are developed and developing are fully
noted. and the general trade OF that
region is well explained. The wealth OF
the sea in fish. In walrus, In seals. and
Of the packing Industry form hne cnap-
ters OF Alaskan development.
The mines, OF course, ARE the great and
steady cvuters OF industry. but the rail-
road building and The opening OF the
copper regions are also the subjects oil
most interesting descriptions. The In
PRODUCTION OF the reindeer has been the
great thing for Alaslta. and IS likely TO
proVe IN time OF equal value with the
great seal heyls that are so fully de-
scribcd horein. The Indispensable dog.
the dog races. the reindeer races. the
hunting adventures and sporting oppor-
recognition herein There are chapters
devoted to the past, the expeditions OF
discovery. the Russian occupation. the
English explorers the American occupa--
tion, and the systematic opening up OF
The country. SO far as opening up has
.oeen permitted, are ali fully detailed
herein.
The work OF ;he L. s. Geological Sur
vey is given important recognition Ia
this book, and DR.. Brooks's researches on
behalf Of this survey are held to be the
one reliable medium in the discovery OF
Iurifcrous gravel" The final chapter is
an account Of Alaska In short para
graphs"
The illustrations are very nurnerous
ana very nnc, and as a whole the book is
scription and appreciation that We have
seen