The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-04-18
BILL MPHEE AN OPTIMIST AT EIGHTY

One of the picturesque characters in the history
ptu: Alaskas Interior is Bill McPhee He came
North in 1886, at the age of As. He is over 80 now
For ten years he prospeced and mined in various
sections OF the Territory. Then he made fortune
Dawson, and lost It while trying to make more
money. When Fairbanks discovered he
young man. as he measures age, of 60. He made
another modest fortune but fires took away ,00C
and he had to begin all again decade ago when
he had reached the allotted three-score- ten. II
spite of all his experience because of it, he is Still
an optimist regarding the Territory The Fairbanks
News-Mner contains the following account of al
interview with the grzzed old veteran whose friends
scattered all Alaska and the North ant
wherever Alaskans and Klondikers live:
Through S0-year-old eyes. now dimmed,
w. II. McPhee, prospector in Alaska for the
past thirty-sx, at the Northern Hotel un-
folded vision of the future for the country
to which he gave the best years of his life.
On the slopes of Mt Mckinley he
great mining camps; along the coasts, fleets
of vessels laden with the treasures he knows
lie below, the surface of the workedover
placer claims; in the Interior big cities
filled with smelters, factories and motion pic
ture playhouses.
THE treasure chest is about be OPP
ened,' he said. I've waited half my life for
this time. Now I'm old, my eyes have gone
back and III never be part of the
Alaska of the near future. The railroad will
do it. Twenty live years ago. because l was
young and strong, | made record coming
out-thirty-hv five days polling up the river from
Dawson This time rode cushions from
Fairbanks to Seward in four days. The time
will soon be cut in half.
= Il went to Alaska for the first time
thirty-fye years ago last June The first ten
years wandered and prospected. In the fall
OF SO went to Juneau and in the spring
...# of '88 into the Yukon country. My partner
and just went arockng along Forty-mile
~, creek on the bars, later going into the
guches We struck anything big
Then Dawson came big in 90 and we made
some money.
I'm 1900 thought / a chance
cleanup and my partner whose name was
Hamilton. brought up mules from Cali
fornia intending to do freighting to Nome
In the winter we couldn't get feed and had
TO shoot the mules. In 1904 went ito Fair
- banks and have been there since | lost
100000 in two fires and lost another bunch
OF money when built wharf at Valdez
believing the railroad would there.
One year ago made my last prospect
ing trip in the district 100 miles west of
the new railroad. l found quantity OF
81 800 roek-no limit to il. Ii will take the
railroad to open it up. Eureka. in the heart
OF the new country, will be one of the great
mining camps of the world some day. On the
slopes OF Mount Mckinley will be camp after
camp. not of the placer mining variety, but
permanent mines that will go deeper and
deeper Tor years and years TO come.
Il was born fifty years soon. It's the
young who is needed in Alaska
Amy young man who leaves his white collar
behind and makes up his mind to rustic has
"a great future before him. Alaska will come
into her shortly now. The ground has
not been scratched. The young woman who
takes her place by the side of her husband