The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-11-07
ARCH IN ALASKA
1T is A GREAT COUNTRY AND
COMING FAST
Former Stanford Boy Writes of His
Recent Trip to Uncle Sans
Northern Possession

I
Arch A. Mckinney, formerly of
Stanford, who wrote so interestingly
an account of his trip through the
west for the l. j. snort time ago,
has furnished this paper with an arti-
Gle on his recent visit to Alaska,
which is highly interesting and enter
tanning as we'll as instructive. Mr.. Nc
Kinney writes of his trip to the far
north, as follows:
Burton Holmes, the traveller ex-
pressed it we'll when he said: The
Yosemite Valley is beautiful. The
Yellowstone Park is wonderful. The
Canyon of Colorado is colossal. Alas
ka is all of these" l will quote fur
Their from Mr.. J. w. Prichett, of
the Cordora Daily Times, of Cordora,
who told me, in part, "The curtain
is just beginning to rise in Alaska
and the eyes of the world are at last
beginning to look on in wonderment.
AS everyone in Alaska knows, the
country has suffered in consequence
of the misconception of people in
general on the outside However,
the past three years have seen the
dissemination of much reliabel in
formation which has somewhat mod
flied the ice box" illusions. Nation
al sympathy has been won, and Alas
ka is at last receiving real considera-
ton from the government. 1t is a
pleasure to have travel stained tour
lists tell US that we have the grandest
scenery in the world-that they
have visited Switzerland and Norway,
and that our mountains, glaciers and
the scenery generally, rise by way of
comparison like cathedral spires over
village hut, and that Alaska is des-
tined to become the greatest summer
resort in America, If not IN the
world"
| found all of this to be true, also
that the mineral resources of the
territory have only as yet been
scratched, while the agricultural
possibilities are yet to be unfolded.
Consider for moment the amazing
comparison of purchase and present
yield. Purchased from Russia in 1867
for $1,000, 000-present value of an
nual production approximately $50
it's natural resources, since the pur-
chase, very nearly reaches total Of
$590,000,000.
| IL 10 dUOuI OHS llIIH CuS Size VI
the United States and the present
known fields of coal alone are as
extensive as the entire state of
Pennsylvania.
The annual gold production yields
approximately 100000, while the
annual production of the fisheries
are approximately s25,OOO,OOO. This
will give you a better idea of what
f,,+ To- lr
really comes into its own, especially
is 100000 square miles of arabic
land and the present population does
not exceed $4,000.
My trip was one of pleasure
throughout, every moment filled with
amazing science beauties, afforded
by views of snow capped mountains,
glaciers, ice bergs, mountain lakes,
etc, all of this with the sun ''a shinin"
and beautiful flowers blooming all
about and the mercury, in the Their
momenter plying between 80 and 60
degrees.
We left San Francisco, June 14th
on S. S. Queen" arriving at Seattle
one day late, account of rough wea-
:. Their and heavy fogs, one of the boats
: Steamer Bear-going on the rocks
off Northern California coast, just
one and one-half miles from us. All
passengers were taken off and five
were drowned when one of the life
boats capsized Sailed from Seattle
P. NJ, June 9th. All of the first
,, night and next morning was spent
passing Vancouver Island, from then
, through the next night and day the
vessel still traversed the wonderful
: water courses of British Columbia
, and later crossed the boundary line
of British Columbia, Canada and
Alaska, U. S. A. Our first stop was
Ketchikan, the first American port
of entry in Alaska, headquarters for
the Prince of Wales Island, nearby
and thriving city of 2,5G0 popula-
ton, one of the largest fishing points
, on the South East coast and the cen
;, ter of the halibut fishing industry
: Just back of the town is Ketchikar
2 Creek with it's pretty waterfalls. II
is here, during the spawning season
: from July to September, the salmon
e swim up stream and leap the Falls
/ | to reach the shallow water above
: This is an unusual and wonderful
e sight as the current is swift and the
J.. Falls many feet in height. Continu
ing up the creek and into the gorge
is a beautiful walk for three miles
up the mountain trail with Big LAX,
}. at the summit, beautiful stretch O.
water with hot spring in it's center
e This walk beggars description, a
,. does the climb of 5000 feet up snow
capped Deer mountain adjoining. /
Il is from here Ketchikan gets it's wa
' ter supply of melted snow. Here
located the first Indian village, wher
the squaws may be seen wearing tn
pretty baskets, moccasins and sue
. things to be sold to tourists. Yo
. will also see many Totem Poles, cary
/ ed by the Indians, in many and var
ed fantastic shapes.
The baseball lark OF KetchiI a
is quite unusual, being under abou
eight feet of water when the tide
in but when the tide recedes tn
youngsters may cavort on a dry an
sandy diamond Proceeding north W
threaded our way through Wrange
Narrows with it's many colorfr