This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1909. Not illustrated. Excerpt:CHAPTER XXVII TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION Probably there is no practical phase of Alaska that is so little known as that of transportation in and out of the Territory, whether it be of mail or telegram, of. passenger or freight. As illustrative of the ignorance regarding these matters may be mentioned an experience of the writer as he was about to visit Seward Peninsula. An official of high rank, looking over a map of Alaska, broached the point of what would be seen in passing through Valdez en route to Nome. He was astonished to be told that at Valdez one was a thousand miles farther from Nome than when he left Seattle. STEAMSHIP LINES The principal ocean steamships in the Alaskan trade are those of the long established Pacific Coast Company, of the vigorous Alaskan Steamship Company, and a foreign line, the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company. Service is frequent, reasonably rapid, and disasters are rare. The Pacific Coast Company plies fortnightly during winter, and weekly during summer, between Seattle and Skagway. It also runs during June, July, and August an excursion steamer to the glaciers and other points, taking only first-class round-trip passengers for the eleven-day voyage. It operates tri-monthly steamships to Nome in summer-June to September. The Alaskan Company has a weekly service between Seattle and Skagway in summer, and a twelve-day service in winter. It sends in summer a boat to Nome about every ten days. Its fleet of twelve steamships is most busily engaged in its weekly service to Prince William Sound-the voyage to Cordova taking five days, to Valdez six days, and to Seward a week. The Canadian service to Skagway usually starts from Vancouver, and there are about three boats per month in summer. ROUTES OF TRAVEL There is but one st.