ENCHANTING ALASKA;
STORIES OF THE NORTH
Bert Smith, Home from Alaska, Tells
the Reporter of the Wondrous Beauty of His Country
               (By Merze Marvin)
Albert Smith is back from Alaska for a ten days' visit with his father, Benj. Smith, and his brothers and .sisters, and old time friends. For those who are interested has had a big fund of thoroughly interesting information about this northern country. A favored few have been fortunate enough to get a glimpse of a host or truly wonderful kodak views of the enchanting Alaska scenery. But since all the home folks may not have the privilege, the writer has begged the opportunity to tell the Sentinel-Post readers what Alaska looks like to our fellow townsman of former years. Bert Smith has an interesting manner of telling his story, too. Seems as if you could lean back comfortably in your chair and imagine yourself whisked away on a magic carpet and—presto! you are set down in the middle of this big, big, beautiful country of which he tells.
Most of us are shamefully ignorant of Alaska. When we think of Alaska we think of a ragged splotch of yellow up on the northwest corner of the map and perhaps conjure up a picture of a wild, desolate country just next to the jumping off place, with a few scattered towns inhabited for the most part by a rough and reckless lot of hard livers. But when Bert Smith tells of Alaska, and shows his pictures, all these ideas have to be made over, or better still, swept out entirely to make room for a brand new set. For instance, did you imagine that there are no trees, no flowers, no vegetables there? Wrong. All these grow in great profusion in the fertile valleys during the summer season. Neither is all travel accomplished by means of dogs and sledges or reindeer. Four horse teams are used on the established stage lines.

Fairbanks, the home of Bert Smith and George Coleman, is located almost exactly in the center of Alaska.
If you wished to go there, and encountered no storms, no accidents or, delays, and missed no connections,
you might reach Fairbanks in twenty days, by the winter route. You would go by boat through the Inland
sea from Seattle to Valdez. From Valdez to Chitla, a distance of 110 miles, you would go by the Copper
River Northwestern railroad. At Chitla, where the railroad ends, you would take the stage for the remaining 400 miles journey to Fairbanks. Jim Rockafellow, also a Shenandoah boy, has charge of the stage line at
this place.    The stages resemble a bob sled, with seats running crosswise, and are drawn by four horses. The journey from Valdez  to Fairbanks by this route occupies twelve days if conditions are favorable. In the summer time you may take your choice of two other routes. The Skagway route takes you from Skagway, in the Yukon country, 125 miles over the mountains, over the White Pass Summit, to White Horse, the terminus of the frail.   Thence you go by river steamer down the Yukon and up the Tanana rivers to Fairbanks. The  other route  enters  Alaska at Nome on the northwest coast, and proceeds, by river boat up the Yukon and the  Tanana.     The trip costs about $125 from Seattle. Though railroads are, few and travel, still difficult in Alaska, it is the height of luxury compared to the transportation facilities of thirteen years ago, when these Shenandoah boys first went into that country. Then the traveler had to do everything for himself, even to the cutting of the trees and making of boards.

Then the travel was altogether by dogs and sledges. The boys took several dogs with them from Shenandoah for this purpose the demand for dogs in Alaska being many times the supply. The pictures taken at the time of their entrance to Alaska thirteen years ago are especially interesting, showing the difficulties and experiences encountered.  These pictures were developed at night after the day's work was completed, by means of retiring under a heavy blanket with a red light and the developing apparatus.

Fairbanks has a population of about 6,000 and is probably the largest city of the north country.   Dawson and Nome , are the next largest. Fairbanks is the commercial center and supply house for the Alaskan interior.   It is, as all Alaskan cities, preeminently a mining center. Mines and mining, mining and .mines—that has been the secret of Alaska's growth up to the present time. Yet there are many other resources of which the public is just beginning to be aware. Timber, furs and along the coast the fisheries are a source of income not to be ignored. Martin, mink, lynx, white fox, beaver and carribou skins are valuable assets of the interior. In the summer time vegetables may be raised for home consumption but not sufficient for commerce. They raise radishes, lettuce, turnips, cabbages, onions and celery which the Alaskans claim, cannot be beaten anywhere.

To be sure it gets cold in Alaska. Forty degrees below zero is an average winter temperature, although it has gone as low as 78 degrees below during the time our Shenandoah boys have been in the north.   In the summer time the thermometer sometimes goes as high at 85 and 90. The constant summer sunshine on the valleys fertile with the melted snows brings forth a rich and verdant vegetation in the short summer season. Flowers grow in perfect profusion about the little log cabins. Vivid wild roses are abundant and wild berries, raspberries and blueberries, may be had for the search. The trees are the tall, stately spruce and the birch.

The houses are of logs, and some of them very cozy and very well furnished indeed. There are churches and two hospitals in Fairbanks, and a few small missions have been established out in the settlements, where the Indians and Esquimaux are taught the ways of civilization. Living expenses in Alaska are about double ours. Salaries are correspondingly higher.

Alaskan towns support their base ball teams and the residents applaud the national pastime as heartily as any southern fan. And just fancy, you fans, how you would like to attend a base ball game played by the light of the midnight sun! This midnight game of ball is an annual event in Fairbanks, occurring every June 21st. Curling is a very popular game in Alaska. It is a Scottish game and resembles somewhat a bowling game upon the ice. A large eliptical stone is used in place of the ball, and will slide 137 feet on the ice.

All who have visited that country admit that Alaskan scenery is the most superbly beautiful that they have ever seen. The wild, rugged mountains hidden underneath the everlasting snows surpass the southern Rockies in grandeur, and when lighted by the northern sun present a gorgeous spectacle that can never be forgotten. More and more tourists visit Alaska eachyear, and never fail to return to the states enthusiastically proclaiming it the most glorious trip they have ever experienced. Many go by boat from Seattle to Skagway and visit the famous Muir glacier, take a look at Sitka, and go back by return boat. Still others spend a longer time and make a trip into the interior. They are amply repaid in rich experiences and the memories of superlative scenery for the added time and expense. The specially ambitious ones may include a trip to Mt. McKinley, "20,000 feet high, which is plainly visible from Fairbanks though 300 miles away. A trip on the Yukon is very much worth while. If rises in the Yukon district at the continental divide just 28 miles from the Inland sea and flows north and west to the Bering sea. It is navigable for 2,000 miles and is supposed to be equal to the Amazon in size. The Tanana river, on which Fairbanks is located, is navigable 900 miles.

Now, of the Shenandoah boys in Alaska. George Coleman is manager for the Northern Commercial company, the best position in the country. Bert Smith is manager of the big machine shops at Fairbanks. Charles Burkhard has a good position in the Dawson country. Jim Rockafellow has charge of the stage lines at Chitla. Fred Hill is in business at Hot Springs, 75 miles from Fairbanks. Otto Windhorst, who used to be connected with the Shenandoah National bank, is located in the Iditarod country, southwest of Fairbanks.