The old tourist trip from Seattle through the inside passage to Skagway and return, with its side trips to Muir and Taku Glaciers, never loses its charm. After crossing Queen Charlotte Sound one is never out of sight of towering snowcapped mountains, glaciers, and roaring water courses. It is from this aspect of Alaska that the popular idea is formed. The highest mountains in North America and the greatest of glaciers are seen on every hand.

A trip now becoming popular is the one from Seattle to Cook Inlet and return. Steamers leave Seattle on a regular six-day schedule. The total length of the trip without stop-over is about fifteen days. On this trip practically all the wonders of the regular tourist trip are seen, with the addition of all to be seen on the trip farther westward. Mount St. Elias, 18,024 feet high, Mount Fairweather, Mount Hubbard are all in sight for hours. Anything under 12,000 feet is spoken of as a foothill.

After leaving Skagway the first port of call is Cordova on Orca Inlet, or Prince William Sound, the terminus of the Copper River & Northwestern Railway, running from Cordova to Kennecott, 196 miles away, where the great Bonanza and Jumbo copper mines are located. Steamers usually stop at Cordova from 3 to 6 hours, allowing ample time to visit the bridge at Mile 53 spanning the Copper River between two active glaciers, the Miles and Childs Glaciers. To accommodate tourists the railroad company, on request, will run a gas car to the bridge.

Valdez, the next port of call, is a prosperous little community at the head of Valdez Arm. It is the headquarters of the third judicial district. It is the headquarters for several prosperous mining companies, and the terminus of the military road extending to Fairbanks. Fort Liscum is only a few miles away.

Between Valdez and Seward stops are usually made at Ellamar, Golden, and La Touche, mining towns located on islands of Prince William Sound.

Seward, the coast terminus of the Government railroad, lies at the head of Resurrection Bay. The townsite is one of the most beautiful in Alaska. From the dock the harbor seems absolutely landlocked.

The trip out over the railroad is well worth taking, and by the spring of 1916 active railroad construction may be seen around Turnagain Arm, working toward Anchorage.

Almost all steamers now, after leaving Seward, follow around the foot of Kenai Peninsula and up Cook Inlet to Anchorage at the head of deep-water navigation on Knik Arm.

Anchorage has been selected as a base for all railroad construction toward the interior. From Anchorage northward is the scene of practically all of the new railroad construction. The road is completed as far as Matanuska Junction, and within another year will be extended into the coal fields.

A trip of present interest is from Seattle to Skagway, thence over the White Pass and Yukon route, 112 miles, to Whitehorse, at the head of the Yukon River navigation, where a connection is made with river steamers belonging to the same company, thence down the river to Dawson, in the Klondike mining district of the Yukon territory. From Dawson the trip can be made all the way down the Yukon River to St. Michael and Nome, connecting with the ocean steamer for Seattle via the outside passage, or a trip can be arranged up the Tanana River from its confluence with the Yukon to Fairbanks, in the great Fairbanks placer district. From Fairbanks the return trip can be made back over the same route, or down the river to St. Michael, or by automobile to Chitina, on the Copper River & Northwestern Railroad, and from thence to Cordova, connecting with ocean steamers for Seattle. This latter trip gives

the tourist the best general idea of the country in its many phases-oceans, rivers, railroads, mountains, wagon roads, volcanoes, placer and lode mines, and fisheries are all part of the passing show. The trip can be made in a month's time, but six weeks is recommended to allow for little side trips of interest.

Depending upon the traveler's interest, a trip with new impressions can be easily arranged. Mining, fisheries, reindeer raising, and lately agriculture, are the industries to be observed, and for scenery. unmarred by the hand of man Alaska is unsurpassed.

Information regarding the various trips can be obtained from the Seattle offices of the steamship companies listed on p. 38.

TELEGRAPH AND CABLE LINES.

Telegraph and cable lines and a radiotelegraph system are constructed and operated by the War Department. The War Department system is available for commercial use. The military cable line has its southern terminus at Seattle, Wash., where connection is made with the commercial telegraph companies. The telegraph, cable, and radio stations maintained by the War Department are located at the following points:

Telegraph offices on the Alaska military telegraph and cable system.

The Navy Department maintains and operates radio stations at the following points in Alaska: Sitka, Cordova, Dutch Harbor, St. Paul, and St. George. These radio stations communicate with one another and may be used for transmitting messages from point to point in Alaska or to ships in Alaskan waters. In the event of interruption to the War Department cable between Sitka and Cordova, or between any points which can be reached by the naval radio stations, the traffic, both commercial and official, is handled by these stations.

A complete list of radio stations in Alaska is given below:

Land radio stations, alphabetically by names of stations.1

Corrected to Dec. 1, 1915. This list includes Government, commercial, special, and all other land stations except special and restricted and general amateur.

X=No regular hours; Marconi Co.- Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America.

[Roman indicates normal wave length; italic indicates wave length for special purposes.]

1 From Radio Stations of the United States, published by the Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce, and sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.,

for 15 cents.

29 a. m. to 9 p. m. during season of navigation only.

POSTAL SERVICE.

The domestic rates of postage and conditions apply to matter mailed at any point in Alaska to any other point in that Territory, or in the United States. or its possessions, with the following exceptions:

The rate of 12 cents for each pound or fraction of a pound is chargeable on parcels of fourth-class or domestic parcel-post matter weighing more than 4

ounces (except books, seeds, bulbs, and plants weighing 8 ounces or less) when mailed between any two points in Alaska or between any point in Alaska and any point in the United States. On parcels of books, seeds, bulbs, and plants weighing 8 ounces or less the rate is 1 cent for each 2 ounces or fraction thereof, and the rate on all other parcels of fourth-class matter not exceeding 4 ounces in weight is 1 cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce.

The rate of postage on gold coin, gold bullion, and gold dust offered for mailing between any two points in Alaska or between any point in Alaska and any point in the United States or its possessions shall be 2 cents an ounce or fraction thereof, regardless of distance. Such gold coin, gold bullion, or gold dust shall be inclosed in sealed packages not exceeding 11 pounds in weight and sent by registered mail.

All mails for Alaska are dispatched from Seattle, Wash. During the season of navigation all classes of mail are forwarded. During the winter season (from about October 1 to June 1), on account of the difficulty of transportation, the dispatch of mail for Alaska, except for offices on the southern coast, is limited, preference being given, first, to letters in their usual and ordinary form and postal cards; second, to single newspapers and magazines addressed to public libraries, newspaper publishers, and to individuals. Books, catalogues, newspapers, and periodicals sent to dealers for purposes of trade or otherwise, and merchandise (parcel-post matter), can not be forwarded to interior offices during the winter season. But, as an exception to the foregoing, when the weight limit of mail for dispatch will permit, packages of seeds, not exceeding 1 pound per package, and articles of merchandise, not exceeding a few ounces each, as the proper officers of the service have reason to believe contain articles of urgent necessity, such as eyeglasses, medicines, etc., for individual use, but not intended primarily for trade, may be included in the mails for dispatch.

Post Offices in Alaska.

[Corrected to Dec. 1, 1915. *-Money-order offices. * International money-order office. R indicates mail restricted during winter months as explained in preceding paragraph. Letters at right (NW., N., etc.) indicate position of post office in Territory according to the following subdivisions, which are adopted arbitrarily for convenience in reference:

NW. West of longitude 161° and north of latitude 66°.

N. West of longitude 147°, north of latitude 66°, east of longitude 161°.

NE. East of longitude 147° and north of latitude 66°.

E. South of latitude 66°, east of longitude 147°, north of latitude 61°.

C. South of latitude 66°, east of longitude 161°, north of latitude 61°, and west
of longitude 147°.

W. South of latitude 66°, west of longitude 161°, and north of latitude 61°.
SW. South of latitude 61° and west of longitude 161°.

S. South of latitude 61°, east of longitude 161°, and west of longitude 147°.
SE. South of latitude 61° and east of longitude 147°.]

The Revenue-Cutter Service, forebear of the existing Coast Guard, has been intimately connected with and very instrumental in the development of the Territory of Alaska since its purchase from Russia in 1867. Its cutters assisted to explore the enormous coast line and make preliminary surveys of its harbors and approaches long before this Territory became a commercial asset to the United States. It carried law and order into remote parts of the new acquisition before any other branch of the Federal Government had established control of its inhabitants. It has given transportation and succor to the hardy pioneers who have blazed the way to reach the mineral, fishery, and animal resources of the Territory. Many of the earlier prospectors owe their very lives to the timely aid given them by revenue cutters.

The introduction of Siberian reindeer into northern Alaska and on the Aleutian Islands was accomplished by the Coast Guard under the supervision of the Bureau of Education, and these animals are to-day one of the main reliances of the northern natives for food, clothing, and transportation.

The Coast Guard is charged with enforcing the international treaty relating to the seal and sea-otter herds, the fisheries regulations, and the game laws throughout the Territory.

For many years the cutters have been, and to a certain extent even at this time are, the only means of communication to the remote part of the territory