Alaska, Land Of Gold And Glacier. (Cover Title)

F. I. WHITNEY

Publication: Great Northern Railway, 1896, St Paul & Chicago

First edition. 7 1/4" x 5 1/4" oblong color, pictorial stiff wrappers, 55 [1] pp., frontispiece [large folding map of the Muir Glacier], "a preliminary thought," illustrated, plates, maps [5 in color showing Alaska in sections, 2 in color to the Gold Fields, 1 showing the route of the Great Northern Railway lines in the Continental U. S. A., and 1 map of Alaska], affixed to the inside rear cover is a large color map of the Great Northern Railway lines in Alaska, advertisements. The front cover has portraits of Charles Sumner and W. H. Seward. First edition of this very scarce and early Alaska land promotion from the Great Northern Railway touting the beauty and economic potential of Alaska, after travelers and homesteaders took the newly completed Great Northern Railway from St. Paul, MN to Seattle, WA and beyond. Illustrated with photo illustrations and color maps, this land promotional by Whitney maps out the steamship routes, sights to be seen, along with the wonders on Sitka, the Native Americans and artifacts at Fort Wrangell, whaling, and the potential of booming gold mines in the Yukon, featured in an included 1896 “Alaska Gold Fields on Upper Yukon River” map. Photographs show the mining activities at Miller Creek, Forty Mile Post, Circle City, and the Juneau & Treadwell mines. Also detailed are the comfortable passenger steamships, hunting and fishing opportunities along the Great Northern Railway route, mining, lumbering, and with an open invitation as follows: “Wanted: bright, intelligent, industrious, wide-awake men, with progressive ideas, and blessed with clever wives, to go West and grow up with the country. . . .” Covers lightly soiled, small stamp on verso of front cover, else a very good copy of an interesting booklet. From the library of former California State Librarian, Gary Kurutz.

Inventory Number: 53148