ANOTHER SUMMER THE YELLOWSTONE PARK and ALASKA BY CHARLES J. GILLIS Printed for Private Distribution COPYRIGHT, 1893, BY CHARLES J. GILLIS. Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York The more I think of it, the more I find this conclusion impressed upon me, that the greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to _see_ something and tell what it saw in a plain way.--RUSKIN. With the Compliments of the Author. PREFACE. In the spring of 1892, a party was made up for a trip to Alaska. The different members thereof were to cross the continent by such routes as they pleased, and meet at Portland, Oregon, on the second of July. This plan was followed, and all the party boarded the steamer _Queen_ at Tacoma, prepared for the journey of a thousand miles up the coast of Alaska. Some account of this, and also of an excursion to the Yellowstone Park, made on the way westward, is given in the following pages. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.--THE START FOR ALASKA, II.--ON THE WAY TO THE YELLOWSTONE, III.--YELLOWSTONE PARK, IV.--THE GEYSERS AND PAINT POT, V.--THE UPPER GEYSER BASIN, VI.--THE GRAND CANYON, AND THE FALLS OF THE YELLOWSTONE, VII.--DOWN THE COLUMBIA RIVER TO PORTLAND, VIII.--TACOMA AND SEATTLE, IX.--ON BOARD THE "QUEEN" FROM TACOMA TO VICTORIA, X.--ALASKA, XI.--THE MUIR GLACIER, XII.--SITKA, XIII.--AN ACCIDENT TO THE "QUEEN," XIV.--ICY BAY, TREADWELL, AND JUNEAU, XV.--THE RETURN VOYAGE, AND SOME STORIES TOLD ON THE WAY, XVI.--ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC, XVII.--BANFF SPRINGS, XVIII.--CONCLUSION, THE YELLOWSTONE PARK AND ALASKA. CHAPTER I. THE START FOR ALASKA. Our long trip to Alaska and return, nine thousand miles in all, commenced on June 17, 1892, at the Grand Central Station, New York. Arriving at Chicago the next afternoon, we obtained a good view of the great exposition buildings from our car windows as we passed along the lake front. Shortly afterward we were dumped down at the wretched sheds of the Michigan Central Railroad. It rained very heavily, and ourselves and hand baggage were somewhat wet passing a short distance to a carriage. We soon crossed the Chicago River to the Northwestern Depot, boarded the train, which left at 11 P.M., and arrived at the beautiful modern city of St. Paul at 1 P.M. the next day. The Hotel Ryan was found to be very comfortable, and everything in and around the city is bright and cheerful. Great business activity, and immense and costly buildings are especially noticeable.