The Saber and Scroll
the appearance of the town so visitors would leave with a favorable impression of Skagway . 36 The previously mentioned bridge over the Skagway River was rebuilt in 1915 , largely by the efforts of the Club to make the necessary contacts and approve the contracts and plans . In addition , the Club took up preparations for Alaska ’ s semi-centenary celebration in 1917 in Ketchikan . 37
The preparations for the Alaskan semi-centenary were not well covered in The Daily Alaskan . The Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce printed a four-page advertisement with travel options to promote to Alaska on its fiftieth anniversary . A Mr . Person was “ on a tour of Alaska to learn the wishes of the Alaskans as to the observance in 1917 of the fiftieth anniversary of the acquisition of Alaska , so that the Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce can plan a campaign of publicity and boost .” 38 The two tours offered for the fiftieth anniversary were the Grand Tour and the Coast Tour . The Grand Tour covered all Southeast Alaska and the rest of coastal Alaska including Nome and the Yukon Interior , “ requiring fifty days , party limited to 100 .” 39 The Coast Tour covered “ southeast and south coasts as far west as Cook Inlet , requiring 21 days for the round trip , party limited to 240 , including those making the grand tour .” 40 Skagway is mentioned only briefly , as are the other destinations of the respective tours , and travelers will make the round trip to Summit Pass on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad . 41 The promotion or announcement of visitors from this tour is absent from The Daily
Alaskan in 1917 . The Seattle Chamber of Commerce continued its efforts to promote tourism to Alaska in general through “ its tourist booklet for national distribution and it prominently features Alaska excursions .” 42
To facilitate longer visits to Skagway , the Club sent letters to the major shipping companies that served the town — Pacific Coast Steamship Company , Canadian Pacific Steamship Company , and Alaska Steamship Company . A general response from the vice-president of the Alaska Steamship Company stated that the matter would be given consideration . A more lengthy and detailed response from C . D . Duncan , passenger traffic manager , of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company , explained their decision-making process and their effort to facilitate lengthy stopovers in Alaska . “ Throughout 1914 and 1915 our excursion tickets to Alaska have carried stopover privileges … The matter of lay-over time allowed our steamers … are arranged to meet ride conditions and various port calls enroute .” 43 In a later edition , a letter from E . C . Ward of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company was reproduced concerning the amendment of ships scheduled to allow for longer stopover times . “ I will write you later … after we have had an opportunity of considering our schedule for the next season .” 44 The Canadian Pacific Railroad response was somewhat similar to the Pacific Coast Steamship Company ’ s response in that “ careful consideration with a view to meeting your wishes and at the same time serving the convenience of the tourists visiting Alaska ” 45 and it was
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