The Glasgow courier., 1916-09-29

Friend Joe:-
Having promised number of my
friends that would write them about
my experience and trip to Alaska, and
not being where l can write each of
them personally, l trust that you will
allow space in the Courier for same.
Leaving Seattle on July 18th,
halcyon calm brooded on Puget Sound
and the Gulf of Georgia, eastward,
southwark, northward and westward,
until the clear sky and stainless silver
water met the clear bounds of both
veiled by guazy vapor, suggesting in
trinity from which undisturbed, the
eye may rove over one of the strang-
est, yet fairest portions of America,
hundreds of square miles of beautiful
sound and gulf scenes. A great length
Of gray plateau wall, but indented
with exquisite inlets half surrounded
by the empowering monarchs of the
forest, the Douglas fir, three hundred
miles of pastural uplands and fertile
valleys, dotted thickly with fruit or
chards and dairy farms. From the
lofty hurricane deck of the steamer
Admiral Watson, l could see pale blue
columns of ascending smoke from
thousand chimneys, and see thousands
of figures moving about in peace and
happiness, never dreaming of what a
land they possess.
"On entering Queen Charlotte Sound
the first surprise to attract our at
tention was that placid sea, for a
great distance covered with blood. To
the horror Of all on board even to the
captain and crew, supposing that a
japanese warship had captured and
sunk one of our steamers from the
north loaded with passengers and gold
from Alaska and The Yukon, but to
our happy surprise, when we rounded
Cape Scott we witnessed fierce bat
tie between about one half dozen sword
| fish and a monstrous whale. The
great leviathan of the deep, was about
/ ready to collapse, SO they stopped the
steamer One Of the crew, being an
old whaler, took in the situation and
fired an explosive bullet, hit him in the
eye, and he collapsed Immediately.
They towed him into Hardy Bay
beached him and left the old whaler
to take care of him and the price
was 143 barrels of sperm oil and $50
pounds of whale-bone
"Next we arrived at ketchikan, the
city Of fishermen and Alaska's largest
canneries. We saw in one cannery
$4,000 Stockeye Salmon piled on the
floor and 100000 cans of salmon, ready
to be cased.
"Our next point of interest was
Juneau, the capital city of Alaska
There is an atmosphere of intelligence
and refinement accompanied by pros
perity which makes visit among such
surroundings make one feel as if they
were in a gently rocking boat, float.
ing down a tranquil stream. Here
about 5000 miners are employed with
in radius of five miles, working some
Of the largest and best dividend pay
ing gold mines in the wcHld.
"After five days of delightful trav.
ell, l stopped at the beautiful city OF
Cordova, one of the new cities OF
southern Alaska, only seven years old
and has made remarkable progress
Fine graded streets have succeeded
muddy ones, new business blocks have
taken the place of old log structures
and visible objects, show the progress
! i've spirit of the Alaskan.
"Taking the Copper River ant
Northwestern train for a distance OF
191 miles, through billowy hills ane
golden vallies of the winding Copper
River to the picturesque town of Nc
Carthy, situated in the center of thu
richest mineral district in Alaska
within four miles of the famous Ken
necolt Bonanza Copper Mines, wher'
300 men send out over $2,OOO,OO'
worth of copper ore each month. Will
three other mines within radius O
ten miles developing and getting read,
to ship ore, Mccarthy is sure to b.
/ the Butte of Alaska.
. "Now, regarding climate Wha
E can compare with the present wealth
. er, here in the midst of the majesti
+ mountain crests of snow glittering il
y the sparkling air of the MONDAY SUI
. and carressed by the golden food a
\ the long day ends. In the languag
of service, will say:
"The summer no sweeter was ever,
The greyling aleap in the river,
The big-horn asleep in the hill.
The SunShinv woods all athril1