The New Student's Reference Work/Yukon Territory, Can.

Yukon (yo͞o′kŏn) Territory, Can., the most important part of northern Canada at present. It extends from the northern boundary of British Columbia to the Arctic Ocean and from the Rocky Mountains to Alaska, U. S. A. It is about 650 miles from north to south by 550 in greatest breadth from east to west. Although it does not touch the Pacific, its southern boundary is only 30 miles from tidewater. A railway of 110 miles connects at Skagway, the head of tidewater in Alaska, with White Horse at the head of steamboat navigation on Yukon River. This is navigable for large steamers from White Horse through Yukon Territory and Alaska to Bering Sea, a distance of 1,630 miles. Yukon is important because of the gold discoveries on Klondike River in 1897. There had been gold-mining on a small scale on Stewart and Forty Mile Rivers, but in 1897 remarkably rich discoveries were made in two streams flowing into the Klondike, a tributary of the Yukon, and in some adjacent streams. The stampede which followed was one of the most remarkable the world has known. Since that time over $100,000,000 in gold have been taken out, and investments of many millions are now being made in the expectation of taking out one hundred million dollars more in the next few years. There are placer-mines in active operation in widely separated portions of the territory, and silver, copper, quartz and coal mines as well. Dawson, the capital, is on the Yukon at the mouth of the Klondike. Although Yukon is only a few miles south of the Arctic circle, the climate in summer is very pleasant, and hardy vegetables, as turnips and cabbages grow very well. Below the surface the ground in the northern part of the territory is always frozen, but the surface is not frozen from April to October inclusive. Population 8,000.