And this reminds me that I am almost neglecting a reference to Alaska's
vast resources in forests, metals, furs, and fish. There are 300,000,000
of acres densely wooded with spruce, red and yellow cedar, Oregon pine,
hemlock, fir, and other useful varieties of timber. Canoes are made from
single trees, sixty feet long, with eight-feet beams.
Gold, silver, lead, iron, coal, and copper are encountered in various
localities. Though but little prospected or developed, Alaska is now
yielding gold at the rate of about $2,000,000 per year. There is a
respectable area of island and mainland country well adapted to
stock-raising, and the production of many cereals and vegetables. The
climate of much of the coast country is milder than that of Colorado, and
stock can feed on the pastures the year round.
But, if Alaska had no mines, forests, or agriculture, its seal and salmon
fisheries would remain alone an immense commercial property. The salmon
are found in almost any part of these northern waters where fresh water
comes in, as they always seek those streams in the spawning season. There
are different varieties that come at stated periods and are caught in
fabulous numbers, sometimes running solid ten feet deep, and often
retarding steamers when a school of them is overtaken. At Idaho Inlet Mr.
Van Gasken brought up a seine for the Ancon tourists containing 350 salmon
for packing. At nearly every port the steamer landed there was either one
or more canning or salt-packing establishments for salmon. Of these,
11,500,000 pounds were marketed last year.
Besides the salmon there is the halibut, black and white cod, rock cod,
herring, sturgeon, and many other fish, while the waters are whipped by
porpoises and whales in large numbers all along the way. Governor
Swineford estimates the products of the Alaska fisheries last year at
$3,000,000.