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IIBB^TsaESSSas • ••• M ..V t?*» ••;• "i' '£br* e*- 'V- •; ^ >{ a* srt ;,., SJ , % . •¥ . .c- .* 4>?V>b'7 Dotted With Forested Mountain*. Alaska's Famed Inside PV i t, K •• |< > * * » 1*4!t * N^¥Mli8cfe v *1§it T KJU*D*»L*rf The S. S. Aleution on which the editors traveled on their visit to Alaska, calls sheltered seas on y most of its trip. So intricate and winding are the narrow channels of the Inside Passage that It f seems as though you were sailing upon some beautiful lake located high in a mountain range. • tfi/iTi-"'.n ••' ! •)" • • • *' . - . "-- ' : ™~ "• Winters Are Cold At Nome Center of Gold Rush inthe Late Nineties is Now a Quiet Town of Only 1,200 People *f CHAS. F, BENICH Last week I told my readers that I would close my story of Alaska this week with a brief description of some of the towns which we did not visit, together with brief mention of some of the other facts concerning Alaska. The things I am going to write about this week, as already explained, are not such as were seen by our party, but the facts are copied from reliable authorities, in order-to round out my picture of Alaska in a more complete manner. To illustrate, I have been asked many times about Nome--well, I can only answer that we did not visit Nome and at once my questioner looks at me strangely as much as to say: "How could you omit Nome from the dtiM you visited?" I have heard Nome referred to ever since I have heard anything about Alaska, and it is only natural th»t people should wonder why we did not visit Nome as well as Fairbanks, Skagway, Sitka and other Alaskan towns whose names are familiar to as all. The answer is, of course, very simple as soon as r explain where are air familiar names denoting the gold rush days of. forty or more years ago. The first two are towns in Alaska, the latter is a district, not in Alaska, but in the Yukon territory of Canada and Dawson is its principal city. While Fairbanks lies somewhat near the center of Alaska, Nome lies on the far western coast, fully five or six hundred miles west of Fairbanks. •Nome is on the Bering sea, which connects the North Pacific ocean with the Arctic ocean. Nome can be reached by steamer from Seward or by airplane from Fairbanks, but tourists do not visit Nome because it is too far distant for what it has to attract t^iem. • The climate is quite * severe, although the short summers are almost continuous sunlight and flowers' and vegetables, the latter for local consumption, are grown abundantly. Nome was a gold rush town of the late nineties. It sprang up as a "mushroom" town and in 1899 when the gold rush came hundreds, yes, thousands of people wintered there in tents with the thermometer ranging from 20 to 40 degrees below zero. It was placer mining then done on the simple scale of the individualist. Nome is located, far to the western 1 Today large companies operate coiht, and perhaps a thousand miles through hydraulic dredging. $4,000,- by water beyond Seward, the farthest 1000 iu gold is taken out of the aispoint west we traveled by boat. For my facts about Nome and other matters I may discuss in this story I am referring particularly to a descriptive booklet (prepared by Lester O. Henderson, called "Alaska-- Its Scenic Features, -Geography, History, and Government," first published in 1928, but now in its third revision and seventh printing. Hie author was for twelve years a Commissioner of Education in the territory and has learned to know the land and its people. The booklet Is an authority on Alaska and all th&t refers to Alaska. Mwie Gold Sash To Home, Fairbanks and the Klondike trict around Nome annually. Reindeer are plentiful around the Nome district, where they are protected and many people, whites and natives, are employed in their care. A general superintendent of reindeers for all Alaska has his headquarters at Nome. f Like Other Towns The government of Nome is Just like that of any other city, although the population is far below what it formerly was. A disastrous fire in 1934 destroyed most of the town's old landmade, but the city was promptly reon a more substantial basis, e in all Alaska coast towns there^Vj-e huge fisheries and canning activities at 'Nome. While I was in Juneau, drafting around the city, I saw an airplane rise from the local airport and speeding westward was soon out of sight. .Noting my interest, a local citizen told me that the plane was headed for Nome, carrying as a passenger a fisherman returning to the fisheries at Nome after spending the winter at Juneau. I assumed that he meant an official of one of the Nome canneries, but he said, "No, just an ordinary fisherman. If the season is favorable be will make between two and three thousand dollars, not less than two thousand, and when things free2£ up by October he« will fly back to Juneau for the winter." It should be explained that fishing on a commercial basis is done by seining and through traps. The boats go to their favorite fishing beds, where they remain until they have a capacity load perhaps two to three or four days. The fishermen are paid by the amount of their haul In poundage. * * This Juneau citizen did not speak well of the winters at Nome. "Nobody stays there in winter, it's too d cold. Even God goes 'out on the last boat," was his comment. Notwithstanding that Nome is now what they caii a "ghost:: town of its former self, it is the principal pity and center of business activity for most of the west half of Alaska, an area of thousands of square miles. Government officials are located there who administer the affairs of all of N o r t h w e s t e r n A l a s k a . T h e y a r e housed in modern fireproof buildings. There is a daily newspaper, bank, movie, and ft fall quota of shops and refreshment parlors, a hospital with modern equipment, doctor, dentist, and three churches. 1 should also mention steam heated and electric lighted public school^ including a four year accredited high school, a good library sad gymnasium. The natiw children which means mostly "•'* "•"'vr'f * saw Air View of Ketchikan, One of . l i t ATTORNEY AT LAW - OFFICE HOURS ^ f;::; : Tuesdays and Friday Smf»M The above aerial view showai. the heart of Ketchikan southerly of Alaska's important cities, which the Sentinel editor visited both on the going trip and again returning. This is the city where I said that a portion of the downtown streets are built on piles over the water. Note the log booms for the saw mill. Lumbering is an important industry. FRED 0. MILLER, M. D. in EYB; BAB, NOSE and THROAT will he to Dr. A. L Ffcbehlfeh's Green & Efan McHeory Every Wednesday from 2 to 4:30 G L A S S E S F I T T E D The picture on the left is the S. 8. Aleutian with an Alaskan mountain in the background. " Indians, have their own schools conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The city has all of the modern improvements common in American cities generally. Mountain Peaks and Volcaaees Although I have made mention of the snow-capped mountains of Alaska many times, I feel that I should more fully cover this subject. There are six ranges of mountains in Alaska and it is almost impossible to look in any direction from any point we visited without looking at a mountain, either near-by or more distant. I will not name these six mountain ranges, but they vary in length from two hundred to fifteen hundred miles. Some of the most impressive mountain peaks in the world are found in these mountain ranges. There are eleven peaks higher than Mt. Whitney (14,522), the highest elevation in the United States proper, while more than a score of peaks tower between this elevation and 10,000 feet spring which spread Its ashes for several hundred miles around. Outside of the Aleutian islands and Alaska peninsula there are three volcanoes, all in the south-eastern panhandle. One is near Sitka and two in the Wrangell vicinity. None ar§ active, although one is occasionally wreathed in smoke. Katmai National Monument The eruption of Mount Katmai in June, 1912, brought to the attention of the world one of the most remarkable regions on the earth's surface. The eruption itself was one of the most remarkable in history, in violence and amount of material erupted. Only the fact that the surrounding district is sparsely settled saved it from being a major calamity in loss of Hf« and property. The whole top of the mountain was blown off by this eruption, leaving a crater about 3 miles across. The volcano is now quiet, and a lake cf mUlky blue water a mile long has above sen level. Hundred* *»£ peaks IIormea m lDe craier, Traveling In Sheltered Seas i Alaska's famed Inside Passage is dotted with forested islands, really mountain peaks jutting out above the water, and is fenced by towering mountains, some EO tall they are forever crowned with snow. The S. S. Aleutian, convention ship of the National Editorial Association in June, 1939, actually sailed through mountain canyons in Alaska. This scene is of rugged Lynn canal, leading U> the famous gold jrush city of Skagway. exceeding 5,060 feet can be seen while journeying along the coast. In summer these mountains up to a certain height are decked with leafy vendnre, with patches of snow in the shadows for contrast, while in winter the snow line descends to the ocean front. Alaska mountains attain their majestic appearance not only by virtue of their physical contour, but also because they do aot have their inception on a high plateau, as fn-the case of many of the high mountain peaks of the world. In other words, the mountain mass, no matter what its height, rises front near sea level. This is one reason for the grandeur of Mount McKinley (native name Denali (Home of the Sun), whose snow capped summit towers 20,310 feet above sea level, and 18,000 feet above the tableland which supports its base. Mt. Everest, the highest mountain on earth, has* an elevation of 29,002 feet above sea level, but it rises from a tableland or plateau hay ing an average elevation of 1S.000 feet above sea level. ' Alaskan Yoleaaees There are between SO and 80 vol canoes in Southeastern Alaska, mostly along the Alaska peninsula and Aleu tian islands. Many of these volcanoes are continuously active. It 1b claimed that Alaska has the most active belt of volcanoes on the globe. One of these volcanoes, Bogoslof. has the distinction of being one of the most remarkable volcanoes in the world. This island volcanoe has been called the "Jack-in-the-Box of the Sea." It suddenly appeared, thrust up from unknown depths In 1796. A second island appeared above the surface of the waters in 18S3, a third in 1906, and a fourth in 1907. The last two were blown up the same year and their places taken by two others in 1909. • I needn't tell my readers that neither I nor any of our party visited close to these volcanoes on our trip. My readers will remember stories in the daily newspapers about the eruptions of one of the volcanoes last In the region of Mt. Katmai there has been explored what has been named ine "Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes." The writer remembers very well the most interesting pictures and reports which appeared years ago in the Geographic Magazine of this re-j gion which was thoroughly explored by scientists sent for that purpose by the National Geographic Society. This region extends about 15 miles in length and 9 miles at its greatest width, and throughout the ground is broken open and millions of fumaroles emit steam, gases and clouds of smoke. Sometimes a jet of steam is thrown a thousand feet high. In places the ground is too hot to walk on, and in others you may make camp and cook your meals over a steaming Crack outside your tent. In 1918 this whole district of 1600 square miles was created into a national park, while In 1931 the park area was increased to 4,000 square miles. In addition to its volcanic at tractions the district contains mock magnificent mountain tind lake seen ery, with water fowl, and fish abundant, and also the Alaska brown bear, which is the largest and most ferocious of wild animals. It is claimed Luai neither the lion nor the tiger, but the brown bear is the "King or Beasts." A. P. Freund Co. Excavating Contractor Tracking, Hydraulic and Crane Service --Road Buildinfr-- TeL 204-M McBNaury, HI Horses Wanted I B U Y OM aad Disabled Horses. ---- P»j from $5 to $14. -- ° ARTHUR W. WERRBACK -Phoae 444 385 Hayward Street Woodstock, IU. Mountains of lee Called Glaciers Columbia Glacier, located in Southwestern Alaska, between Cordova and Valdes, largest glacier in the world visited by ocean-going steamers, was a high point of interest on the editors cruise to Alaska in June, 1939. V& INSURANCE EARL T WALSH ReU&ble Companies tfhea jm need in--rtnae el any * er «« Pries Bldg. McHearj KNOT TO MM I have eMsnta whe have to lead m Irst Mortgages, on real aetata aad ethers wfeewaat te Hkrew wtmmf eta retfi esiate. it to> tst--tod either wsy, I will k |M to te& It ever with yon. Joseph H. Sites WuHbBBBK National Bhah mtk 4 8. MGatfa--nee SStt,, WW----fhcsggssnn,, IE TEL. ftAJESmC US Telephone No. 300 •toM * letharapttgw" !••••--• at--ito far ai classes nepwly to the beet teipsaiwi. t«ST MeHSNKY • - .ILLINOIS High Praise Thft monument erected in honor of the explorer, Robert Scott,-and his companions at Capetown, bears the following lines from his diary: "Had we lived I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale." - He Blew First The late Capt. Bernard J. Hoppe Of the Boston Police department is» said U/ have been the first officer to use a whistle as a traffic signal. The system of having a fixed* time for traffic to move in each direction and a certain time for pedestrians to cross the street is also credited to Captain Hoppe who originated many methods of solving traffic problems. Mistake About Finland Commonest mistake about Finland is that, because it is a northern country, it must be cold. Actually, it is as warm as the south of England or northern France. The sun is as warm--and there is more of it because the days are longer. t One Way Oit j The "clean up, paint up" cam- ; paign held in Winnipeg, Canada, in | preparation for the visit of their , majesties, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, resulted in 240 men leaving the ranks of relief recipients, city officials reported. - S. H. Freund & Son CONTRACTOR* AND BUILD i5RS Phone 56-W McHenry Oar Experience is at Year Service in Building Your Wants Charlie's Repair Shop Northeast corner of State Bridge -- Gkarlee Street. itors Repaired iee and Fenders v Straightened - fHjn Painting Track Lettering Tnrnitare Upholstering CHARLES RIETESEL BUT, W/TM TKAF&C S / UTAM-UMJEO THHSE OAVS, WE SURE HAVE TO J~UMR4^^3pMH TO COME OUT AHEAD WMRNMIMM KMfT A OOMP Ajnr AH Kinds ef I N 8 U R A N C • Plated with the sssat reliable V>ODGF*S COUAJTQY TJ&FFA WAS A CTNCH * Co« pastes * J I L FOR US H£AFS, 0A(FK IU TH' OLD OAVS - -- to aad talc it seer fh-- HeHeary 8 PETER X-Bay DR. L. B. MURPHY V . ^ " c J . A- ; ' ' • " \ ' '