The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1914-05-04

the right kind of men in Alaska
now than ever before. and | believe
that there is no other place in the
United States where men can do as
we'll as they can here"
This is the sentiment Of one of
| Alaska's oldest pioneers, w NJ Nc
Phee, who came to this Territory
in 1886. Mr. McPhee has made and
| lost money in every district of AL
aska, and it is probable that there is
no man in Fairbanks who has a bet
| ter idea of conditions throughout
the Territory than he. For him
there is no other land like this, and
here he expects to end his days.
Mr.. McPhee was born in Nova
Scotia, in 1850 His objection to the
place of his birth is that it is too
cold there, and he thinks that if the
people of Nova Scotia knew how
much better is the climate OF Alaska
| than that of Nova Scotia. they would
prefer this Territory.
Before coming to Alaska Mr. Nc
| Phee spent many years In the west
ern part Of the United States, where
| he had many interesting experiences
! Finally somebody aroused his inter
est in Alaska, and he went to Jun
eau, where he and Slim Jim" VIM
built an opera house. After two
| years spent in Juneau, he went to
until 1891, when he returned to
| Juneau
| On returning to Juneau someone
| interested Mr. McPhee in South Afri-
ca, and he was on the verge of 60
| ing there when something came up
to change his plans and he returned
to Forty-Mile. where he remained
until 1896. Then the longing to re-
turn to the Outside mastered him,
and he went, but only for the win
ter, for the Alaska country was
dearer to him than anywhere. and
he could not remain away.
Returning north again Mr.. McPhee
went to Dawson, where he remained
until 1900. when he went to Nome,
taking with him a freighting out
fit. 1t was a long, hard mushing
10, %
| hardship that confronted the pion-
eer travellers in those days, but Mr..
McPhee modestly objects to telling
of his adventures in detail.
After two years of varied exper-
fences in Nome Mr.. McPhee fell a
victim to a promotion scheme, which
included the construction of a rail
road from Valdez to Interior Alaska.
The plan was much like the present
railroad undertaking by the govern
ment, and Mr. McPhee and others
We're induced to believe in its sue
cess.
Mr. McPhee did not take part in
the railroad promotion scheme. but
he was induced to build wharf in
Valdez to be used by the proposed
railroad. The enterprise proved a
failure and Mr. McPhee left Valdez
in 1904 to come to Fairbanks.
THE trouble at that time seemed
10 hn nnhnHV knnu
where the town was going to be
at Fairbanks or Chena,' he explain
ed, land ! was not willing to take
any more chances. SO after spend
ing few months in Fairbanks
went Outside, but soon came back,
and in 1905 put up a good building
here in Fairbanks
The building erected by Mr. Nc
Phee was on the property he still
owns, on the corner Of First avenue
and Lacy street. There was a good
income from the property at that
time, and the investment promised
to be excellent. but the following
year, in 1906, in the fire that de-
stroyed much of Fairbanks, it was
burned to the ground.
Mr. McPhee was coming in over
the trail from Valdez when he was
told of the fire that destroyed his
property. He hurried home and at
once began to make arrangements
again for the erection of a new
building. The second building was
we'll under way when it. too, was
destroyed by fire
Had Mr.. McPhee had less conf.
dence in the future OF Fairbanks,
he would have stopped right there,
but he was still confident of success.
and he erected the building that now
covers the property.
In talking of his long experiences
in Alaska Mr.. McPhee declares that
the four years he spent in Alaska
in the early times without having
tasted a vegetable impressed them
selves on him more than anything
else. The people who complain of