ALASKA EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 307 



in the place, and the people have begun to build large and ornate 

 churches. The town has good hotels, good restaurants, good stores 

 for all kinds of merchandise, and is settling up with an enterprising 

 class of people. It is not a costly place to live for the accommodation 

 afforded. The traveler can perhaps live cheaper here than in any 

 other place in Alaska. The writer has eaten an excellent meal at a 

 public restaurant for 35 cents. The town is built on a gravel flat which 

 extends back for 4 miles and there terminates in the Valdez Glacier. 

 I present a view of the town herewith (PL XIX, fig. 1), taken from a 

 boat in the harbor. In this view the glacier seems very near, but, as 

 noted, it is 4 miles distant. 



Five miles from Valdez, on the shore of the bay, in a pretty little 

 nook under the mountain, the Government has built an army post, 

 which has been named Fort Liscum. With its stables, warehouses, 

 barracks, and officers' quarters, all laid out in streets, the fort appears 

 almost like a small town in itself. The buildings are unpretentious, 

 but have a substantial appearence, and everything has an air of super- 

 lative neatness which is characteristic of all Government posts. 



NOTES ON THE COPPER RIVER COUNTRY, BY MAJ. W. R. 



ABERCROMBIE. 



Maj. W. R. Abercrombie (then Capt., Second United States Infan- 

 try) has been in charge of the construction of the military road which 

 is now building between Valdez and Eagle. As noted in the forego- 

 ing, this road has already been completed as far as the Tanana River, 

 a distance of 265 miles from Valdez. The Major has spent three 

 years in the Copper River country, and is, of course, thoroughly 

 familiar with all its characteristics. He is of the opinion that it 

 affords excellent opportunities for farming. In fact, he has done 

 some quite successful experimenting. He has raised good gardens, 

 both at Valdez and in the interior. The following letter explains the 

 situation briefly: 



Trans-Alaskan Military Road, 

 Fort Liscum, Alaska, November 20, 1901. 

 Sir: I sent you by steamer Neieport, care of Captain Moore, a sample of Finnish 

 black oats grown in the Copper River Valley at Copper Center from the seed sent 

 me by you last spring. The wheat matured, but was trampled down by my beef 

 cattle. All the vegetables grew and matured. The inclosed photograph will give 

 you an idea of the garden, which was on new ground burnt off last May. 

 Very respectfully, 

 (Signed) W. R. Abercrombie, 



Major, Thirtieth Infantry. 

 Prof. C. C. Georgeson, 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, Sitka, Alaska. 



At my request the Major has kindly sent me the following as an 

 expression of his views on the agricultural possibilities of the region 

 through which he has been operating: 



