The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1922-03-29

49, " AS0N Yuan >" sNS
Land Of the Midnight Sun.
According to the original plans, the presidential
party will go by special train to the Pacific coast,
probably ~alighting at San Francisco. Seattle will
be a port of call. Thence the route will be through
the Inner Passage and on to Alaska. Presumably
Juneau, the territorial capital, will be visited. Ac-
cess to the government railroad. now practically
completed. can be had either at Seward, it's south
ern terminus, or at Anchorage. on Cook Inlet. The
road runs from Seward straight north to Fair
banks, about 400 miles. Mayfower, the presiden-
tial yacht, is likely to be sent through the Panama
canal to be Of service somewhere along the coast.
A wonderful vacation trip, worth the while even
of the President of the United States of America
And the President is known to be a lover of the
beautiful and majestic in nature and a loyal friend
of our national parks and Of such scenic enter
prises as the National Park-to-Park highway. In
cidentally an effort is being made to get the Presi-
dent to visit on this trip one or more of the nation
al parks and the proposed presidents Forest
on the North Rim Of the Grand canyon.
In Alaska-"The Frozen North we used to
call 1.-THE President will have a chance to see
various things that are far out Of the ordinary.
There isn't space here to catalogue them. but here
are a few that any man would be glad to see:
At Ketchikan a stream plunges through the Gen.
ter of the town. And in the stream is a salmon-run
where millions of salmon are to be seen making
Incredible leaps to ascend the rapids.
Juneau is the Alaskan capital. There the Presi-
ucul Gail lake al autOIuODIe ana Drive IL miles
right to the edge of Mendenhall glacier. It'll be
summer weather. He can pick flowers by the
way. He'll see vegetable gardens, strawberry beds
and wheat fields surrounded by giant forests and
Overtopped by peaks white with everlasting snow.
OF course the President will strike somewhere
the Yukon-one Of the great rivers of the world
and grandly scenic for the greater part of it's $500
miles.
The President Is likely to run across a big herd
Of reindeer anywhere from Point Barrow to the
Alaskan peninsula. There are now about 225, 700
of these 'Camels Of the Frozen North" One Of
these days we are likely to be eating reindeer meat
instead of beef; several thousand carcasses are
to be shipped in from Nome this year.
The seal roOkeries on the Pribilof islands should
be worth seeing; there were $50. 718 Of these curl
Gus animals according to the seal census OF 1920,
and they are increasing, although Uncle Sam takes
more than 5000 skins a year.
It is to be hoped that the President visits the
new Katmai National mOnument-"The Valley OF
Ten Thousand Smokes" Katmai volcano on the
Alaskan peninsula blew its head Oft during three
days I'm June Of 1912. covering all Alaska with q
thick coating Of dust. The explosion left 4 crater
$500 feet deep and eight miles around. with . lake
at the bottom. Close by Is Z valley several miles
long. from which are shooting up thousands Of
steam Jets. some Of them q thousand feet high.
1t is a sample of earth in the making. Some day
these steam jets may cool OF enough to become
geysers, like those of the Yellowstone. In the
meantime, cooking is easy in Katmai.
IL the President travels on the government rail-
road to the gap In the steel he will have a glorious
view OF Mount Mckinley, one Of the great noun
tains Of the world and the central feature of the
2.20O square miles Of Mount Mckinley National
park. 1t rises 10000 feet above sen level and Is
most impressive. It Is a wonderful preserve OF
Alaskan wild game-caribou. bighorn moose, deer
and bear-which live and breed there In Immense
numbers. At present this park is inaccessible. but
tho UOvornmQnf railroad will fnuch tho nou o0ae
boundary line established by a recent act OF con-
gress. Then there will be q rush Of tourtsts-very
few of whom will reach Mount McKinley's glacier
covered summit.
So Alaska has the makings Of 4 mighty interest.
Ing vacation trip for the President and his party.
But don't get the idea that the Presidents trip
II wholly and solely q vacation pleasure trip. For
the truth IL that It IL q combination Of pleasure
and business; Il It breaks hfty-dfty. the pleasure
angle Is In luck. For Alaska Il one Of the admin
istratiOn's problems" And the President . re-
ported TO think the ALASKAN problem important
on0,,~h u warrant Arst.hnnd inAormnf1na.s