Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-07-06
FROM SEATTLE
To ktTCH|KAH
JOURNEY OF col MILES THROUGH
VALLEYS FILLED WITP SEA
WATER MOUNTAINS
CLOTHED IN SNOW
.BARABOO EDITOR
NOW IN ALASKA
The Thousand Miles of Scenery From
Seattle to Skasway Ever Changes
Vet All Is Picturesque

We left Seattle for Alaska ON the
evening of Flag Day. A little before
i9 o'clock the gong sounded and all
visitors were invited to go on shore.
When the boats leave Seattle there
are always many friends who come
to see other friends start on their
trip and this is a pleasant feature Of
ones journey.
The freight and passenger business
for the north has become so great
that many boat lines are now in COM
petition for the business. These lines
operate from three gateways to Alas
ka-Seattle, Vancouver and Prince
Rupert. Seattle gets the bulk Of the
business, the exports and imports in
/ 1913 amounting to about $2S, 1000, 900.
All American boats ply from Seattle,
while the Canadian boats harbor at
Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Each
of the above cities is the terminus of
one of more transcontinental railways
and all are growing richer on account
OF this northland trade. Victoria, Ia
coma and other cities strive for soma
lof the desired business, but the
amount they get is mere bagatelle.
| Expenses Of the Trip
, Some of the boats operate during
all or nearly all of the year, the ex-
lcursion trips not being made until
June, and continuing during the 7 IT
weather. We selected the City OF Sc
attic on it's initial summer trip. The
fare on boats of this class is from $50
to $75 for the best accommodations.
The fare on the Vancouver boats iB
less and on the Prince Rupert crafts
considerably less, largely on account
of the distance. Vancouver is about
100 miles north of Seattle, and Prince
Rupert is more than 500 miles north
of Vancouver. The boats from the
two Canadian ports do not go to Sit
ka and other places, making their
running time considerably shorter. Al
though one may save SIS on ticket
by taking a Canadian boat, the seen
| cry is correspondingly less. The
price of the passage includes meals
! and berth, the maximum time covered
being about eleven or twelve days.
, The Size of Alaska
/ Not many realize the vast extent
covered by Alaska. More than ten
| states like Wisconsin could be carved
; out of the only territory possessed by
1.-THE United States. The area of Alas
ka is 590,884 square miles, one-fifth
of the United States, or an expanse
greater than Norway, Sweden, Fin
land, England, Scotland and Ireland
! If Alaska were placed in the United
States, the main body would lie be-
tween the Canadian line and the
southern boundary of Kansas and Mis-
souri,, while the southwest arm or pan
handle, would extend from southern
Illinois to the Atlantic coast of South
Carolina and the peninsula and the
Aleutian islands to the southwest
would extend to southern California.
In other words in a journey from the
| Atlantic to the west, San Francisco
! would be half way to the western ex-
| tremity Of Uncle Sans possessions,
llongitudinally speaking.
The distance from Seattle to Skag-
way by boat is about 1000 miles, or
about the same as from Chicago to
! New York.
Origin of the Name
The word Alaska is the English cor
ruption OF the native "Al-ay-ek-sa," ;"
probably meaning "The great land, -
or "Mainland'' The Russians called
| it Alashka.
I One hundred and seventy-five years
ago Alaska was not known except to
the Indians. In 1741 Vitus Bering and
other Russians visited the country,
laid claim to the land for the Car,
who retained possession until 1867,
when the United States made the pur-
chase for $7,2O0,00O, a wise and fortu-
mate DEAL
Incidents of the Voyage
AS the boat slips out of the dock at
ISeattle, myriad lights twinkle in the
distance. Seattle is built on a long
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