FROM ALASKA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 3

FROM ALASKA.

NEW ZEALANDER IN A STRANCE LAND. ' TWO MONTHS' DAYLIGHT. It is only now and then that we hear from Alaska—the land that was-a few years held to be a veritable El Dorado j a rich gold-bearing belt; another Coolgardio op California; and to those who could stand the rigour of its' winter fortune was assured. Many thousands ventured' to the half-frozen north to try a bout with Fortune, and, needless to say, many regretted having made the drift, finding little recompense for the. hardships suffered and tbe heavy expense incurred. Crpod alluvial gold has been found in. Nome, Fairbanks, ou the Ididerocl, and other places, and here and there is a patch of IoW-grado quartz, but there was never the gold to justify a world's rush. Mr. George Baird,' formerly of Masterton, wlia has been absent from New Zealand for thirteen years, has returned, after living six years on' the Klondike, and the last seveu at Fairbanks, in Alaska." Ho talks-of 300-mile waiks as Wellington folk do a stroll down Lambton Quay, awl' had become so used to distance tramps. that he was Ealfmclined to walk to Masterton instead of taking the train, but tho-licsi i'A.not agree with.him so well as the hard, dry cold of Alaska. Mr. Baird says that Dawson City, on the Klondike, long since reached.the top of its prosperity, and as the mines were getting" played out, it.was only a matter.of time when the place would shrink. It was still pretty remote from the.world. There was only thirty, miles of railway, 110 miles'could be travelled by river,, bc-tw-cen Skagway and White Horse, then there was another 400 miles to.be traversed over a-fine snow trail in (the winter and by trail and-river, in the summer. As it is seven years since: Mr. Baird was at Dawson City, lie cannot spoak with first-hand knowledge'-of its' present condition, but his information goes to show that the place as a'goldlield is pretty well played out; Fairbanks, Mr., Baird "explained, was an alluvial mining town with-a-popula-tion of about 5000, situated about 500 miles back from, the coast, in the lieart of the Alaskan'territory. The climate is cold, but it is a dry, bracing cold that one soon hardens' to' arid enjoys— a much better cold than is exnerioneed on the Canadian plains roun'd-Winni-peg, for instance. One disadvantage was that the cold practically closed up the port for sis or seven months of the year, which cut off Fairbanks from the outside world except for the threo mails per week which camo.over tho ice-trail from Valdeeze. ■ A.limit is placed on this' mail. It must not wcio;h more than 16001b.—tho limit that can be drawn with anything like comfort by the horse-drawn sledges over 'the ice and snow trails. Still, they-were not so badly off—they had quite sixhou'rs' daylight on tho shortest day in Fairbanks, and the longest-'day'"lasted for two months. It was broad daylight from May-1 until July L, and it did not matter when you went 1 to bed. Fairbanks ■ was quito a.decent,, law-abiding lttlo place. It was lit with electric Ug.it, steam generated-from furnaces that burnt birch-wood only. There were two daily and two weekly papers, and the town boasted a-I telephone system. . Mr. Baird mentioned ■ incidentally that though The Dominion had teen' established since lie left New Zealand it was by no means a:stranger to him, as many copies had reached him in frozen Fairbanks. Bound va'bout 'Faifb'a'hks''.thep mining was nearly all sluicing," but thire -were quartz .claims at Valdeeze and on the Ididerod River (a tributary, of the Onoko). about 500 miles to tho north.west of Fairbanks. There had been a big rush to the Ididerod last, summer, but it was terribly overdone. A great' many who had just enough to reach that or spmc other field were stranded, as there was little or no'work offering. The' Government was trying to boom the country for farming, but it would never do for that. . Tho ground was productive enough in the short summer.' months, and readily grew all kinds of vegetables, but these were only grown round Fairbanks to , supply the local demands—a'.farmer would'bo entirely dependent on; .the..life;of -a :goldficld, and .that.was ..hardly., good -enough. The ■ natives .of tho country.wero Tiot 'numerous. They were, something between tho North American Indian.and the Esquimaux, and were popularly called "Siwashes." ' Mr. Baird intends to return to Alaska next March. .