The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-10-08
CAPT. LESHER RETURNS FROM
 LONG JOURNEY
Trip Extends Down Yukon Into Interior and
 Along Coast

Capt. R. B. Lesher, in charge of Salvation Army activities in Ju- neau, has returned from a religious visitation trip that took him down the Yukon River as far as Tanana, then to Fairbanks in the Interior and from there. to the coastal cities between Anchorage and this city. Usually this journey in the inter- est of the Salvation Army is made annually by some officer from the Army's divisional headquarters at Wrangell, but this year Capt. Lesh- CT was detailed to make the trip.
 T left Juneau July g." said Capt. Lesher, going first to Haine5, Skagway, Carcross. I then crossed over the lakes to Atlin. Atlin is perhaps one of the best situated towns in the North, as few persons were allowed to go there this spring by immigration authorities. I saw 17-ounce nugget taken out of Ruby Creek in the Atlin area.
 Getting Good Returns
 "The Norde brothers are using the old fashioned California shoot- CTS in their ground-sluicing on Wright Creek, in Atlin, and were getting good returns from their work
 "Whitehorse seemed almost on a par with other years. I found al- most all the old timers along the Yukon River either prospecting new ground or shipping old ground. Some of them are doing real well, especially around Stewart, Forty mile and White River.
 q went up Stewart River to Mayo by freight truck and then went from Mayo to Wernecke Hill, the site of the big mining activity in the district. I understand they shipped 50,000 tons of silver ore this year, though not running to capacity on account of the low price of silver. When I returned to Stewart, I found I would have a five-day wait for a boat, so ] secured skiff, and drifted down to Dawson, 72 miles, in II 1a hours Dawson dredges are doing well this year. I visited Barney West, whc paid the supreme penalty of his life on the scaffold September 28 Ovad McMillion went with inc from Dawson to Panama in a TOW boat. This method of travel made it possible to stop at all small villages. We made wonderful time and were fortunate enough tC navigate the Yukon Flats without any mishaps. found great num- Der of tourists enjoying the Circle Tour to Fairbanks over the Steese Highway.
 Trappers Out on Lines
 We were rather late at Fort Yukon to meet many persons as most trappers had returned tc their trap lines to prepare fo1 winter work. We were entertained there by MT. and Mrs. c. Holm former residents of Juneau. I was pleased to find so many residents had large gardens this year along the river, which will provide them with most of their living, with wild meat.
 "Tanana to Nenana was made on the steamboat Jacobs, and from Nenana to Fairbanks I travelled by the Alaska Railroad.
 Fairbanks seemed like a city after the villages I had visited. I can visualize the Panama Valley in the Fairbanks district and the Matanuska Valley, north of An chorage, all dotted with farms at a not too distant date. I have never seen anything that would compare with the growth of plant life in those districts.
 Blind Child Reads Braille
 "At Panama I saw several chil- dren formerly of Juneau. I was especially pleased to find one of our former Sunday School children who is blind, but can now read Braille quite rapidly under the di- rection of Melba Call, commonl. known as the Helen Keller of the