We want to tell the young folks how great a mistake these sort ofreasoners labored under, and how we came to be the fortunate buyers ofthis vast stretch of land.
Many years ago a party of American explorers conceived the idea ofestablishing a telegraph between our country and Asia, and they went toAlaska for this purpose. Fancy their surprise when they saw what theyhad supposed was a desert waste, producing the largest pine and cedartrees in the whole world, and the most extensive seal-fisheries, withhere and there a town, with {321}its churches and buildings. They atonce saw how rich it was in natural advantages, and they becamevery anxious that our government should confer with Russia as to itspurchase. They presented good reasons for this desire to Congress, andSecretary Seward saw at once what an acquisition it would be to us, inmany ways. So in March, 1867, the treaty between our country andRussia looking to its sale was ratified. It had at that time a nativepopulation of 60,000, and since we have come into possession of it,the United States Commissioner of Education has started schools andappointed teachers to care for the education of the young. There are nowtwenty-four of these schools in the different settlements, two of themin Sitka and a manual training school has been organized here also,where they receive instruction in the various trades. This school mustbe very popular, for it has a large attendance for a small city likeSitka, it numbering over 200 pupils on its list.
The chief city, or capital, is Sitka, very romantically situated onthe shore, while high mountains rise behind it, forming a beautifulbackground for the streets and dwellings. It is an old-fashioned, quietplace, when compared with bustling American towns, but it boasts alively weekly paper, and the Russo-Greek church has a good edificethere, showing that the religious education of its people has not beenforgotten. The harbor is very beautiful, being deep, and affording safeshelter for vessels.
The purchase of this territory has extended our northern boundary fromthe 49th to the 71st parallel, and added to our growth westward by sixtydegrees of longitude. It can boast of the highest mountain in America,Mt. St. Elias, which rises 14,000 feet above the sea. The magnificentYukon river runs through the territory, and steamers of light draft cansail on its waters for 1,500 miles. We have gained 600,000 square miles,and this vast area really cost our government the trifling sum of twocents an acre, the sum paid Russia being $7,200,000. It would requirethirteen of our States to equal its extent. As a writer joviallyremarked, "It is a gilt-edged real estate investment."
The {322}climate is quite endurable. The winters in the northern portionare excessively severe, but on the southwest coast it is warmer at thatseason than either Maine or Dakota.
The salmon are very plentiful, as well as mackerel, cod and herring.The streams are full of them. The salmon rival those of the Columbiaand Fraser rivers, and immense canneries are daily in operation in thesummer, preparing them for the markets of the world. The Chinese do thiswork principally, and they are brought up from San Francisco for thispurpose and taken back there in the Fall. Fish are mostly caught in fishtraps and nets, but the natives spear them.
The largest stamp-mill on this continent for reducing gold-bearingquartz is in operation near the town of Juneau.
Agriculture does not flourish on account of the shortness of thesummers. Gardening on a small scale goes on, and plenty can be raisedfor home use. The region so long remaining almost unknown, has suddenlybecome the desired bourne for men and women of all classes. It hasalways been known that its mineral resources were fine, and gold hasbeen found there in small quantities, but the hardships endured ingetting it from the soil were too great in proportion to the amount,but a new impetus to the labors of the gold seeker has been given by thediscovery of the precious metal in such large quantities that thousandshave rushed to this field eager to dig for the yellow ore. Steamers areleaving Pacific ports weekly, laden with those who are willing to bravethe terrors of the Chilkoot Pass. If the tales are true, it is surelya land of' untold riches, as the entire region is gold-bearing, andfor some years to come, that metal will be found by some, in payingquantities. One authority, Dr. Becker, states that the beach sand allalong the Alaskan coast contains enormous quantities of gold. But eventhough there was not an ounce of it in the whole territory, Alaska haspaid back to our commerce its price several times over.
CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION.
|The {323}United States, now in the midst of prosperity concluded tohold one of the most notable fairs any land has ever enjoyed. The firstone was held in commemoration of the one hundredth birthday of ournation, and was projected on broad lines, and carried out in the samemanner. It was opened May 10, 1876, and continued 159 days. It was ageneral invitation to all the world to bring their productions to ourshores for admiration and instruction, and caused a unity and sympathybetween the severed parts of our country such as no other event couldhave succeeded in doing. People flocked to Philadelphia from every land,and the North and South met in a friendly rivalry as to which sectionshould be most fully represented. Over 61,000 visitors attended eachday of the Fair, and at the close of the Fair the receipts were, inadmissions, concessions and royalties, in round numbers, $4,307,749.75.
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It had been the desire of many patriotic people for ten years to make ashowing of our resources, and to invite, as it were, the whole worldto see us at home. The hope had never met with favor, but by repeatedrepresentations as to the importance of the idea, the people of theUnited States were at last {324}aroused, and worked so faithfully andrapidly to carry it out, as to surprise the world.
President Grant, on behalf of the United States, asked the nations totake part in our rejoicing, and they responded promptly, by sendingcommissioners to attend to the details. Congress appropriated largesums, and all the States entered into the undertaking with heartygood-will.
City governments and private individuals also contributed freely. Asite was chosen, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, one of the most charminglocations which could have been found. Five large buildings wereconstructed, covering an area of twenty acres.
Each State erected a building, as did many foreign nations, within whichto exhibit the products and manufactures of that particular State.
The exposition was opened by President Grant, with Dom Pedro, Emperorof Brazil, and his empress, by his side. Theodore Thomas' orchestrafurnished the music, playing eighteen airs at the opening, the last ofwhich, Hail Columbia, met with tumultuous applause. A cantata came next,a prayer by Bishop Simpson, and a hymn followed written by Whittier, theQuaker poet. General Hawley presented the buildings and their contentsto the President, who accepted them in a few words, announcing that theexhibition was open. The two ponderous Corliss engines which were to putthe whole machinery going, were set in motion by the President and theEmperor.
The exhibition was formally closed November 10, 1876, after a season ofunexampled prosperity, in the simplest manner. Addresses were made byGeneral Hawley and several others, the entire audience sang "America,"and President Grant declared the International Exhibition closed. Butit had taught foreign powers a lesson of respect for our republic, andcaused wider intercourse between the Old World and the New.
EDISON, THE GENIUS OF THE AGE.
|To-day the old system of illumination is giving way to the splendors ofelectric glow. With man's progress came the much needed {325}question ofartificial light.
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Electric lights not only adorn the streets of our cities, but grace ourparlors, furnishing a stronger, a cleaner and more healthful light thanany other known. {326}To Thomas A. Edison, who was born in Milan, Ohio,in 1847, belongs the glory of bringing electricity for lighting purposesto a successful basis.
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Other scientists before him had experimented, {327}but to Edisonremained the work of removing the final difficulties. Electricity isto-day furnishing the motive power for street cars, railroads, engines,etc., and it is predicted that before the dawn of a new centurymore wonderful still will be the achievements of this untutored andrema
rkable man.
With no less possibilities in scientific research comes the Kinetoscope,his latest invention, which by a thousand instantaneous pictures oneis enabled to see the lifelike motions of "a child at play," "a distantbattle," or the varied scenes of a "County Fair."
CHICAGO FIRE.
|The terror which fire excites exceeds all other causes for fear. It isa subtle power that the average person cannot cope with. Its exhibitionsare so terrible, so changeable, and so unmanageable, that it temporarilyunnerves or unbalances the calmest brain. Great conflagrations haveraged in many lands, and in all ages, doing exceeding great damage,but it is yet to be recorded that a fire ever swept over so wide aterritory, and swallowed up so large an amount of wealth and products,sacrificing so much life as did the great Chicago Fire.
The history of the prominent events of the times would be incompletewere not the attention of the boys and girls of to-day directed to anoccurrence so startling as to arouse the sympathies of the entire world.
The fire started on the night of October 8, 1871. The previous summerhad been especially dry and hot, and was prolific of fires, many citiesand towns having suffered in this respect, and the lumber districtsof Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the forests of New York State,having been visited by the destroying element. Many causes have beenassigned for this fire, but its origin will probably remain foreverunknown. It burned with unabated fierceness for two days, andthree-fourths of the city were literally reduced to ashes.
On the evening of Saturday, the 7th, a fire had broken out in {328}aportion of the West Division of the city, and consumed property to thevalue of a million of dollars. This was thought a terrible fire, and washeralded in all the Sabbath morning papers; thousands visited the spoton that day, and commented on and shuddered at the loss. Little did theyapprehend that the same evening, Sunday, October 8, a fire would takeplace which would do the most deadly work, ruining business, licking uphomes and property, destroying human life, and almost wiping out a wholecity, whose prosperity and energy had become famous.
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Nothing escaped. Private homes, public buildings, churches, banks,theaters, the postoffice, courthouse, newspaper edifices, hotels,{329}all fell before it, and not until General Sheridan ordered theblowing up of buildings, was its progress stayed.
At half-past three in the morning, while a strong southwest wind wasblowing, the anxious citizens were informed that the North Side wasattacked by the fire fiend, and one of the first victims to its wrathwas the engine house of the waterworks, thus cutting off the supply ofwater for use in fighting the flames, and driving the terrified peopleto despair. From here it leaped northward, taking in the elevators onthe river banks, with their millions of bushels of grain, setting fireto vessels lying at anchor, then to the cemetery nearest the city, andto the beautiful park known as Lincoln, in short, to every conceivableobject which could furnish food for the monster of destruction.
The tramp of hundreds of people fleeing from the fire, the shrieks ofterror, the noise of the engines, the hoarse shouts and calls of thosewho searched in vain for their dear ones separated from them in the madchase for life, the thunderous fall of stately structures, the roaring,crackling, howling flames, made a wild scene that Pandemonium wassilence compared with. The fire burned the North Side until there was notrace of a building left standing save one, the residence of Mahlon D.Ogden, which stood in a large plat of ground, entirely detached. Onthe site of this house has since been erected a fine building of stone,devoted to a public library, and called the Newberry. The northern citylimits and the lake were the only barriers to the further encroachmentsof the fire.
Blazing brands were seen sailing through the air, and, falling insome spot as yet untouched, they would kindle a new fire. The heat wasintense, the very air one breathed almost scorched the throat. One vastsea of flame melted marble and stone till it crumbled and fell. But oh,blessed relief! The thousands who camped out on the prairie that nightwelcomed the torrents of rain that fell, even though it chilled themthrough. People went nearly mad with terror on that dreadful night.Robbers and thieves were busy plying their trade, taking everythingthey could {330}carry away. Some of these perished with their ill-gottengains. The lake was a welcome refuge, and hundreds waded out as far intoits waters as they dared, to escape the heat that lay behind them. Itwas said that many were drowned through their temerity.
The 10th of October rose upon a waste, whose dwellers were clothedin the apathy of despair. For eight days after the fire, the city waswithout water, and the dread of a second outbreak hung like a pall overthem. The city came under military rule, citizens patroled the streets,and every stranger was looked upon with suspicion, lest he be anincendiary. General Sheridan, by virtue of the fact that he wascommander of the Military Division of the Missouri, took charge of thecity, to protect it from the thieves and incendiaries who were atwork. He ordered two companies of regulars from Omaha, three fromFort Leavenworth, and one from Fort Scott, here. General Halleck alsofurnished him with four companies from Kentucky.
A hundred men were put to work on the engines of the waterworks, and ina week the mains were filled by pumping water into them from the river.Some sickness resulted from drinking this water. But eight days' laborresulted in forcing water from the pure lake into the pipes, and oncemore Chicago could drink its fill. Meanwhile peddlers had dipped waterfrom the lake and sold it from house to house at a shilling a pail.Mayor R. B. Mason, on the 10th, forbade any fires kindled for cooking,and "cold victuals," and in many cases no victuals at all, for a day orso, until the Relief Committee could distribute the stores pouring intothe desolated city, were the order of the day.
And then the great heart of the world beat with noble generosity.From every city, and town, and village, and from foreign lands, thebeneficent gifts flowed in, and food and clothing. From New York,Boston, Cincinnati, St. Louis, London, England, and all over the world,generous contributions of money were poured into Chicago, to feed thestarving--not the "starving poor," but the starving people, for allwere made beggars by the {331}calamity. Banks were destroyed, local fireinsurance companies were wiped out of existence, and for months our faircity was kept alive by the noble and unstinted liberality of the world.
The loss in property was over $290,000,000, at the lowest estimate. Howmany lives were laid down no statistics have ever been positively given,as there was such a large floating population, of whom no account couldbe made, but accepting the lowest computation, at least 250 peopleperished on that fearful night, and over 100,000 were left homeless, andwithout a shelter.
A writer, speaking of the great loss of the fire of 1871 says that$1,000,000 of property was consumed every five minutes, and 125 acres ofbuildings every hour.
THE TELEPHONE AND PHONOGRAPH.
|No invention of modern times equals in interest the Telephone. It hasremained for an American to solve the problem of communicationbetween persons at a distance from each other. Scientists, by means ofelectricity and sound, have devised an apparatus for transmitting thevoice to a distance of hundreds of miles. To Alexander Graham Bell, ofMassachusetts, and to Elisha P. Gray, of Chicago, is due the honor oforiginating this wonderful invention.
Closely following the telephone is the Phonograph, an invention based onthe same principle of science, but brought about by different means. Thephonograph is made to talk and sing, thus enabling one to read by theear instead of the eye.
THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD.
|Fly for your lives! The dam is going!" Such was the warning theinhabitants of the towns received from the lips of a man who rode madlythrough the valley, warning every one he saw, on that sad afternoon ofMay 31, 1889. It was five in the afternoon. The people were beginning tothink of leaving their {332}work and going to their peaceful homes, whenthis dread news broke upon their ears. They could not credit it, and asthey heard the news, they looked doubtingly at each other. To most ofthem, it seemed impossible. The dam was away up in the mountains, onprivate grounds, and few had ev
er seen it or dreamed how vast it was.Besides, they reasoned, it had broken once or twice before, and no greatharm was done. All these causes served to lull their fears. But evenwhen they were warned, it was too late, so impetuous was its course.Nothing could have stayed the mad waters in their descent into thedoomed valley.
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The Johnstown flood followed a long rain storm in the Alleghanies--astorm of several days' duration. All the rivers running east wereswollen, and the immense dam of the huge Conemaugh valley burst with athunderous report. The reservoir was a large one, four miles long by onebroad, and over seventy feet deep. This vast body of water swept a wavetwenty feet high at the rate of twenty miles an hour, right down into{333}the narrow and deep valley, where were eight villages boasting apopulation of 58,000. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the largest of the townsin the valley, lay at the junction of Stony Creek and the Conemaughriver, and had extensive iron works, banks, and many business houses.This and all the villages were swept out of being in two hours, so rapidand vehement was the coming of the torrent. Thousands were drowned, andnearly two thousand people were burned to death by means of a mass ofwreckage which was caught and held at a new bridge near the town. Thehouses were all made of wood, timber had floated down the current andstacked up, and hundreds of trees were piled up at this bridge for aspace of sixty acres. It is presumed that some furnaces set fire to thismass, and the poor creatures whose helpless forms had been entangled inthe debris, met an awful death by fire. There was no chance for escape;the raging torrent was ready to engulf them, while the fierce flameswere eager to lap up all that the waters spared.