Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-20
TERRITORY OF YUKON
GOOD FARMING SECTION
commissioner George Black. In In.
tcrview, Tells About His
DOmlniOns.
DAWSON is CHIEF PLACE.
loads Said to BE Better Than Those
Of Alaska-Summers Declared as
Warm AZ Those OF Southern Cam
asla
~, FRANK e.. CARPENTER.


refer to George Black. the commission
er of the yukon Territory. His do
niniona begin within thirty miles of the
Pacific ocean and they extend TO the
Arctic. They are q thousand miles
long. and In places 300 miles wide.
They comprise almos, as much land
as either Germany or France. and al
together are equal to onc-third of
Alaska The country is separated from
Alaska by the international boundary.
which crosses the Yukon River about
90 miles from la wson, where this let
ter /. written.
Dawson is tho chief town OF the
territory. II is the scat Of government
and the headquarters OF the mounted
police Here the Judges hold court.
aud here is the residence OF the COM
miss ioncr, who lives in state on tho
east bank of the YUKON. The govern
mo- Mt house is large yellow, frame
building with ii great porch at the
front upheld by massive square
Columns. There is a beautiful lawn
n front OF i, and wide beds OF Dansics
inc tho WALK that leads To the en-
rance In H., rear are gardens filled
" summer. with the mos; delicious
Vegetables grown in the Yukon. and
connected with them nre the hothouses
hat supply tho tomatoes and cucum-
beers on the commissioners table.
Tho government house is the social
,ourt OF the territory. The commits
.!oner cn,er,ains great deal His
wife is an American woman, the daugh-
ter OF George NJ. Munger. formerly OF
'hlcago and now Of Los Angeles. Mrs
Black IL we'll known in our social
circles. She made her debut in wash
inEton during the administration OF
president Cleveland. and was often
'ntcrtained at the White House. She
s beautiful woman with social abil
.ty that fits her TO be tho first lady
RI the Yukon. She and the commits
s!oner are good companions and good
friNcrs. They go out camping together
End take long tours through the wiids.
where tho gun and fishing rod supply
most Of tho food
The commissioner knows his terri
tory He came 10 the Yukon as a
younE man ~ Tho time of the gold
rush. He vas born in New Brunswick.
and had 1ust begun the practice OF
law Their" when tho stampede OF the
f(londlkn occurred He came 20 mine
gold, hut after q time left the dig
gines ana hung out his shngle as a
lawycr in Dawson. He did yell nj
The law and was soon elected a mem
Der of tho Yukon legislative council
When tho present party came in he
was chosen by the premier TO be com
missioner Of the Yukon. and has held
that office from then until now
SUMMERS ARE SAID
no DE- PLEASANT
~ was in the commissioners office
~ the administration building thar
chatted with Governor Black about his
dominions Yukon is so close TO our
territory. and its resources and other
characteristics are so much the same
That il might he called Canadian
Alaska Therefore. the most of wba,
Mr.. Black says may be considered
true for our country as we'll
There was q box OF red seraniu,ns
in one OF the windows. some wild roses
in another and. a howl OF blac,, nan.
sizes. each AZ big around as a tumbIer.
on the commissioners desk referrc;.
10 these flowers aud smoke Of the won
|dcr!ul vegetation which now covers the
country. saying how different IL ia
from what l had expected to find in
The cold lands Of the arctic. The com
missioner said:
our summers are as warm and
as tnOse OF SOUthern Canada.
The only difference is in length of the
season. and that does not affect growth
SO much as many suppose Plants live
upon light, and we have about one
third more light than you have In
1.-The same length OF summer. BY the
middle OF May darkness practically
leaves US. and we havo 100 or more
days when we can read our newspapers
out in tho open at midnight Your
dawn in the States begins abou,
o'clock in the morning and the light
lasts until o'clock in the evening
The sun works for you only sixteen
hours OF the day. He works for us
almost twenty four. In the summer
we have light all day and all night
Growth begins In April. when the GRO
cuses come up through the snow. We
plant our gardens by tho middle OF
May, and by the latter part Of June
have vegetables to eat. Our chief sum
mer month Is July. although tho frosts
do not come until the middle of Sep
TENDER. After that we have Indian
.,,,,.n,or ona ~. ,r,- - 49,.