The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-09

j.
herds which range over the tundra,
and live upon the flesh OF these ami
mails and upon fish. They build low
shacks, which are partly excavations,
and partly made of bits OF drdftwocd.
Throughout the winter, navigation
of the Kuskokwim is. Of course, inn
possible, and the little population OF
1.-The region Il. absolutely cut of from
the outside world. From carly June
Ito late Coctober, however; small
boats ply UP and down the river. and
usually one vessel from Seattle
breaches the mouth with merchandise
and supplies for the traders. There
Is always more cargo offered for this
vessel than il is able to carry.
Although travel by water Is impos-
! sibie in winter, that is the only sea-
son when the great tnndras may be
crossed. During the summer, they
are covered with lakes and marshes,
and are literally impossible. In the
winter all OF this surface water Is
frozen, the land Is covered with deep
snow, and the dog teams Of the Es-
kimos and traders make the trip from
!, the river to the mountains with great
speed.
These mountains are known to con-
tain rich gold deposits; but so great Is
the difficulty of getting the precious
metal out, and the expense OF taking
supplies into the wilderness, that q
man cannot make more than day
wages at the placer deposits, In addi-
ton to these surface deposits, there
are great quartz veins of low grade
lore, requiring machinery for their de-
lvelopment, which, OF course, have not
yet been touched
Gold, however, Is not the only, or
even the most important metal OF the
Kuskokwim region. In the vicinity
OF Bethel, quite near the river, there
are great deposits OF cinnabar, which
is the principal ore from which mer-
curry Is extracted. Because OF their
proximity to the great waterway, it|
Is probable that these deposits will be
the first to undergo commercial de-
yelopment.
The most Immediately asset OF the
Kuskokwim country, and the one
which will probably first be exploited,
is its salmon fisheries. Every spring
the great schools of salmon run up
the Kuskokwim to spawn. Captain
'Iukens and his party saw them in
great numbers in July, the fish FREE
|quently leaping clear OF the water.
The Eskimos pa rolled the banks with.
spear and dip net. taking puny toll
from the TANKS of the great finny
army. Most of this immense food
supply. however, is wasted, for the
salmon dies Immediately after spawn
ing. The exact extent Of the salmon
runs in the Kuskokwim is not known,
but there is every reason to believe
that 1t is great enough to justify COM
mercial development.
AT the present time agriculture Is
practically unknown in this region:
but 1T is by no means certain that the
Kuskokwim country is wholly untitled
for agriculture. Hardy northern
wheats are being raised upon this
Yukon, on land which Is very similay
to that of the Kuskokwi1n, and a little
farther north.
The herding Of reindeer by the Es-
KINDS is the nearest approach to an
industry which the region can at pres
ent claim. The natives sell the ami
mails to traders and others. The sur
vey party subsisted largely on REIN
deer flesh, buying the animals for
So apiece.
This sketch Of one Alaskan valley
gives an idea of the undeveloped
wealth of that great region. Beyond
doubt, the mines and fisheries OF the
Kuslsokwim will one day see great
commercial development: but the first
step in that development is transpor-
tation. The Alaskan railway is years
in the future. Furthermore, 1t will
never take the place Of cheap and
unlimited water-bornc commerce. The
first step in opening the wealth Of
Alaska is to chart the rivers and har-
bors, and establish regular steamer
lines conencting them with the north
ern ports Of the United States This is
| the work OF the Coast and Geodftic
Survey. Already, since the opening Of
the Kuskokwim has been announced,
company has been formed in Seattle
10 operate q. line OF steamers from
that city TO the settlements upon the
upper Kuskokwim