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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1889)
WEST SHORE. DOUGLAS ISLAND, ALASKA. AS long an gold remain the basin of money nyntcniH Y the interest f nationn will (filter around regions ' where the " rtyal metal " iH ol)taineil. Alaska's mineral wealth wan first to lie recognized, and no doiiht tliin will continue to In her most itnMirtant re source. Douglas City, on the iHland whence nhe de riven her name, in the (voter of the mining industry for Southeastern Alaska. Douglas iHland in uUut twenty mileH in length hy eight at the Hinl of it greatest dimensions. It ex tends from northwest to notithcunt, and in sheltered on its southwest coast ly Admiralty inland, one of the argent of the Alexandrian group. (iastineau channel, a deep, narrow strait, varying in width from one to three milcH, KcparntcH it from the mainland and fur Mullen good mail way and harbor for the regular line of nteamern plying Utwecn Port Townnend and Sitka. while the " ill omened" raven, the shrill spoken king't fisher, the lazy sea gull, and, in their season, great num. here of geese and ducks, comprise the feathered in habitants. Mountain streams, fed by melting Btuiws, swell to considerable creeks as they dash down the steep de. clivity into tho sea, and have furrowed great gulliet and yawning chasms. During the Bunmicr season great numbers of hump-back and and dog-mouth nal moil ascend the mouths of these creeks to spawn. At times the water from bank to bank is one mass of writhing, struggling fish, leaping falls, shooting rapid, hurrying up stream and returning to the salt water with the falling of the tide. It is in these shallow waters that the Indian, armed with a long pole on the end of which is a sharpened hook, secures his winter supply, which he smokes over a hemlock fire until dry. Considering the high latitude Douglas island hail very mild climate. The greatest extremes of winter AN AUr.lt A VAKKKI-nALKiN RKRKIKN I0R iAI.lt. Alaska in the land f t..,,,y turvey." and Douglas and summer are zero and seventy almve. Thin ton- inland ,n a typical ,v of Alanka. Km, the shore j erature of course gMws rapidly colder at greater alti- he land risen o.n.tantly until it rcehen the high back- tude than at the sea level, lilaeiers exist both alve Uiie. . ridge rnnmng through i.n center, at an alti- : and Mow the island, on the mainland, and it Una tude two thouMnd five hundred (M. Kx.ending uncommon sight during the summer season for the in- a.... half way up tlnn nlop, are ,enne fr,,N f ,,, j ti(,( o n , rf m and l,mWk xuurrt wh small. tm l- M n,s ; them. Douglas City docs not receive as much rainfall co .red w, h the annual a.vumulationn of n,n. hold- i an Sitka. Situated on the eastern side of snoweapH thicketnof ald. r and "devil n club" red, their arms I currents a'X UUM 7!"' ''t M'1 M Tl"' Hiring ouartz lies along the eastern riJr luZl rlT'f i f,Vtfr,,", th" '.outcropping aliout four humM rien, cranN-rrie I lild curra u rn, " : f 7" fB .,n ' hundr.1 by f.ftn n h, bnmh to th, fort, and prnvide ,h, na lZ w h 1 ' n ' 'V'" UbM ?T (-ionoffruit an ,1, I,no .dv.! n " ,no " i ""J " s Nest. Ready Ui. S1uir,l,gn,u,,d .,,. im, , ' C -1 Mexican iterally cover the man of l? at, ""Iiix-auiuiul. , The om, however, is of very low grade, awaying