Contributed
In the year 1741, the Russians began running cheap excursions across
the unknown Pacific ocean to what is now known as Alaska. However that
country really began to advance along about 1S67, when a man by the name
of Seward, aided by the eloquence of Sumner, purchased for the United States
the Territory of Alaska. Then came the day when the Russians were to
withdraw from their colonies.
When gold was first discovered in the mountains in 1S9<, Alaska became
the stamping grounds for gold diggers of all nationalities from the United
States. Millions of dollars of nuggets alone were taken from those hills and
streams, but the only people to amass a fortune were the bartenders and bar
maids. . 1
Those who remained after the gold was gone are called souidoughs.
The “tourists’' are the people who came to see Alaska and went awaj. The
“cheechakos” are the tourists who forgot to say goodbye and stayed, and if
they live long enough will become sourdoughs. Today wre see that Alaska
was discovered by the Russians, fought for by the natives, settled by the
Yankees, owned by the sourdoughs, run by the Scandinavians, and support
ed by the tourists.
The imports of Alaska include everything to eat and wear as well as hops,
malt and raisins. It’s exports are fish and unexcelled “home brew."
Alaska leads the world in roadhouses, diversity of beautiful scenery, won
derful press agents, climate, Ford owners and local jealousies. There are
many beautiful women in Alaska but they come from somewhere else to
teach the young sourdoughs.
With the sourdough in the interior and the cheechako on the coast and
the tourists all over the country, Alaska has had a wonderful growth, in fact
it grew so fast that they had to divide it in two parts, the Interior and the
Coast and place a few’ mountain ranges between the two to keep them from
fighting. The sourdough capitol is Fairbanks, and the cheechako capitol is
Seward.
Seward is bounded on the north by the Arctic, on the west by the Pacific,
on the south by Canada and on the top by Heaven in the daytime, at night
it has no limit. The Seward highway and the Seattle police department are
the two crookedest things in the world. One of the greatest assets of Sewr
ard. altho it is never mentioned by its inhabitants is its climate. There are
two kinds of climate—perfect and unusual. On Saturdays and Sundays it
is reverently spoken of as the “City of Seward” and on all other days just
as “Seward.”
Owing to the fact that all Sewardites are either rich or hopelessly
broke, it is a great city for amusements. All those that can afford it be
long to the Athletic club, all others go to the “old swimming hole.”
Oh. but you love Alaska, love it as only a cheechako can love it. You
love it’s lakes and rills, its mountains and hills, its valleys and seashores,
but most of all you love its soil—those lots you have in Seward. You have an
attachment for those lots that you will never lose, that is, it does not look
as tho you ever would. The sourdough who sold them to you said that you
could sell them sometime at a profit, but he was a poor prophet, for if you
notice your deed reads “To Have and to Hold.”
But the dream of your life time became true when you settled down in
your little bungalow, on your own little ranch and there in the golden sun
light and silvery moonlight of Alaska, dream the hours away, seeiing visions
of other places and other times, and where can you find more to recall such
visions than on an Alaska ranch ?
You wake in the morning to the music of a Connecticut alarm clock,
you button your Boston garters into your Paris socks. Put on your Lynn
shoes and Danbury hat and you are up for the day. You sit down to your
Grand Rapids table and eat your Quaker oats and Hawaiian pineapple and
then you go out and put your Concord harness on your Missouri mule, and
plow up a couple of acres covered by Washington mortgages. At noon you
dine on Carstens hams smoked in Tacoma, cooked in Seattle lard on a De
troit stove. Then as twilight falls, you fill up your “Pride of Detroit” with
California gasoline and dash out to Kenai lake, watch the little fish do the
shimmy, then drive back to the Grill and while sitting there smoking a
Boston cigar, you listen to a Seattle orchestra brought in by the S. S. Yukon.
Then you order a dish of Seattle ice cream or perhaps a Mexican tamale.
After that you go home, put on your China silk pajamas, crawl in between
your Fall river sheets and fight all night wuth the mosquitoes, the ONLY
NATIVE product of the whole darn ranch.
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1 SWIMMING—TENNIS |
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3 .3
i 5
Lawing’s Tourist Camp and Summer Resort
Twenty-three miles from Seward on Beautiful Lake Kenai. Fine fishing
and hunting in season; mountain climbing. Russian River, the fishermen's
paradise reached easily from here by a 24-mile boat trip down the lake and a
three-mile hike. Parties met at Seward highway by speedy motorboat and
whisked across to the comfortable resort in a jiffy. See Nellie Neal's famous
variety of game trophies. Reached by rail, motor and water.
RATES $5.00 PER DAY
Seward to Russian River in Six Hours
If you are considering a fishing or sight seeing trip to famous Russian riv
er, the best trout stream in the world, bar none, don't walk the eight miles
from Cooper's Landing to the river, but ride in “Bob" Gehlings auto. For
special arrangements phone long-distance to Lawings tourist resort on Lake
Kenai.
Automobiles for Hire Day and Night
Large comfortable cars and careful drivers. Phone Madison 66, Main
81; Night Phones, call Adams 114 or Main 118. AL DAVIS.
Mount McKinley National Park
ATTENTION TOURISTS
In arranging itinerary over Alaska Railroad, do not fail to provide stop over
in McKinley National Park—Mountain, scenery and wild life unexcelled in
the world.
Savage River Camp accommodations first class. Enquire any agent, Alaska
Railroad, “McKinley Park Route” or McKinley Park Transportation Com
pany, McKinley Park, Alaska.
What to Do While in Seward
Climb Mount Marathon; take an auto ride over the Seward-Kenai highway,
a beautiful 18-mile scenic drive; go fishing in many of the nearby streams;
take a motor boat ride down to one of the fox islands; take a swim in Ham
man lake; visit the Jesse Lee Home, the San Juan Fishing & Packing Com
pany, or the Standard Oil plant; see the reindeer near the depot or the live
moose in another part of the city; drop in the stores, look around and make
yourself acquainted; new show every night, dancing at Odd Fellows hall.
By all means do not overlook the Lost Lake trail to Paradise Valley. Just
a short distance out of Seward and a scenic hike unsurpassed on the globe.
This trail is maintained by the Forestry department. From up Spruce Creek
a gorgeous view of the Harding “Neve” Ice-Cap is obtained.
Cooper’s Landing on Russian River Trail
Comfortable accomodations and good meals at reasonable rates at Cooper's
Landing at the lower end of Lake Kenai, the entrance to the famous Russian
riyer trout stream and Skilak lake region. Fishing and hunting unexcelled. » »
A scenic trip unsurpassed. Located six hours from Seward. Address Chas.
. Lean, Prop., Riddiford P. 0., or phone Lawing for boat connection.