The Alaska daily empire., 1919-08-26
Great Stretches of Sea in Southeastern Alaska are Likened to the PrairieS
 of the West
AN INTERESTING TRIP
Member of Empire Staff Gives Impressions of a Weeks Trip to the
 Hot Springs

weeks visit to the Goddard Hot interesting, no matter how often one may make the trip and whether the trip is made for pleasure, recreation health or business At the Hot Springs almost any season of the year may be met people from differ ent parts of Alaska, and not infre quently from the outside.
 Improvements continually are be ing made to the place. Dr. Goddard recently received an electric light plant which will be installed at once He has petitioned the Territorial Road Commissioner to make an ex animation for a proposed road from the springs, distance of twelve miles to Sandy Cove, which is with in four miles of Sitka, and would give boats an entirely inside passage for the six miles to the end of the road He says there are inc stretches along the route which would be opened to settlement for homesteads.
 One thing which the trip impresses on any observer is that the great potential wealth of Alaska, present and future. is the fisheries. Tho great stretches of waters and count less bays. and inlets are veritablc treasure storehouses. Some of the larger bays may be likened to the immense prairies of the middle west. even greater in extent, ready to bt ''farmed' and developed with more diversified crops" in the many vari cities of fish than the real farm crops which were developed from tho prairies and which built up grea communities. The many wooded is' ands, from a few miles in extent to the size of some of the smalle" states. though, taken altogether. small in comparison to the extent of water, are also sources of wealth for mineral and other industries, yet th' total wealth they will produce is but drop in the bucket compared with the treasure of fish that may be "farmed" from the waters.
 Let the fact be emphasized that mining-and mineral indications may be found on practically all of the
 islands, with producing mines in several instances, and many others in the first stages of development is of secondary consideration to the fish industry The communities which soonest realize this fact and cater to the fishing industry will reap the larger rewards.
 The day is coming when not alone salmon of certain grades will be sought but when salteries, canneries, cold storage plants and other plants will make use of the numberless vari- cities of food fish for the market Tn place of the large salmon canneries will be great many smaller and individual industries making their living from food fish and shell fish Juneau, by making herself more of supply center, will need dockage in time reaching from below the City wharf out along WiliOughby avenue, for the great fleet of boats that will be seeking accommodations. Tie great wilderness of waters, contain ing many bays where a boat has ever scarcely rippled the sur. face, will be brought under 'in tensive cultivation" and when prop erly conserved, will produce sure crops. seeking the markets of the world
 From the time the Estebeth leaves Juneau until it reaches its destina- tion at Sitka and connects with the boat to Hot Springs. the voyageur's interest is engaged In the first place probably few such crews were ever gathered together than is found on the Estebeth Every member is an old timer and can cook. run an engine, steer the boat, or take the position from captain to heck hand, or hand out pun with the pas sengers.
 There is no discipline in the sense that is usually maintained on board boat, yet there is an understanding