The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-08-13

channel was cut through the range and
now most Of the water is drained out
through the mountain az Rampant.
Spruce. cottonwood, bi5ch and poplar
timber cover half the area now dried
up. Great herds of moose live in these
flats. the cows swimming 10 the islands
to raise their young unmOlosted by the
wolves.
At Fort Yukon during the month Of
June the sun never sets. We were
there on July % on cur return trip.
Then the sun was sinking out of sight
at IL p. m. and was rising again at
] 80 a. m. Even at midnight one could
see as well as we can here on an ordin-
arv cloudy day. No lights were used
in the postotfice or stores throughout
the night. Our boat made q landing
at Rampant. a mining town across the
Yukon river. Near tie town is the
government experiment farm, about
100 acres In crops. The grain was knee
high, potatoes were In bloom and al
falfs and clover nearly ready to cut.
There were many flowers around their
bungalows and buildings The green
of the farm was greatly IN contrast
with the barren country surrounding it,.
> At Fort Yukon we left the Yukon
and travelled up the lauana river to
Fairbanks, $50 miles away. The con-
stantly changing mountain scenery and
river flats are very interesting. Many
Indians we're seen fishing along the
river The Noble King salmon were
running. Most of the Redmen were
using fish wheels, gill nets and seines.
However, some of them still cling 20
their old methods, using their birch
bark canoes. With a small piece of
fish net, two feet wide and three feet
long, sticks on each to keep the net in
shape, the Indian heads down stream,
and when he meets a salmon he dips
him up, lifts him into the birch bark
canoe and hits him on the head to keep
him quiet. AS the water is very milky
the fish cannot see what they are run
ming into, and are easily caught, most
of them running close to the surface.
The Indians are experts at handling
their canoes and lifting these big fish
from the water. The fish often weigh
as much as 60 pounds, and an inexperi.
enced man would upset the canoe every
time.
Up the river $50 miles we came tC
the Hot Springs, where summer hoteI
and bath houses have been constructed.
1t is quite a noted place. A large farm
is conducted there. Last season they
raised lao tons of potatoes and 80 tons
of cabbage. A field Of corn, higher
than a man head. was well cared out
and hay and grain were excellent.
Not far away is Sullivan Creek min
ing camp. Here they are placer min
ing for tin, which is taken out in the
same manner used for placer gold
They have found a ledge in the hills
from which the float tin comes, but
have never worked it sufficiently Il
make an estimate of the quantity.
left piece of this placer tin a
Laraway's jewelry store. 1t is tn,
only tin ore, so far as know, found il
Alaska, except at Tin City, on the Ber
lug Sea, where they claim there i!
enough to supply the United States.
We arrived at Fairbanks June &c
AS we had stopped at Dawson a day
our actual travelling time was II day.
from Portland. A large crowd wal
waiting for the boat to land. Tht
greetings and hospitality with whicl
they met US made US feel that we hat
not been forgotten. AS | went VI
Front street passed grocery store
exhibiting vegetables and fruits. Wish
ing to see how they compared with oil
times inquired prices. Potatoes wer,
selling three pounds for 25 cents or S
a sack ; onions three pounds for so cent
or Sl5 per sack; cucumbers were S
cents each. asked if the large Gu
cumbers were the same. "NU," re
piled the store keeper, "we sell then
for 81 foot" Some of them wer
28 inches long. Apples and orange
were dollar dozen. The cost OF liv
ing has not changed and everything i
about as high as it was five years ago
Twenty-Five cents is the smalles
change used Meals cost SO cents, 4
cents and 81. Beds are 81 and up
Wages are S5 and board; $3.50 and So
where the man boards himself. Will
many men are working, a good man,
are idle.
1t is estimated that the camp viii
produce eight or nine million dollars il
gold this season, about half as much a
it formerly yielded.
| attended the Fourth of July cele
bration at Fairbanks. 1t lasted thre
days and nights. Indeed, they did no
stop for night, but continued until the.
had run down, like clocks. II was es
timated that there were between sever
and eight thousand people there.
grandstand was built on Main street
were most of the races and game
were held. Boat races were held OF
the river.
(Another Alaska article by MIR. Jone
will appear in an early issue of th'
Glacier !