The national Republican., 1867-12-24
ALASKA.


The Boston Journal has graphic and racy cor
respondent In Alaska, who 10 there for the pur-
pose of furnishing that paper with such reliable
information as he can collect and eollate for the
columns of that leading New England journal.
Ills first letter is dated at sitka, Nov. o. and is
replete with much important and Instructive in
tellgence respecting this recent purchase.
AS our readers know, we have favored the
treaty which conveys to the United States these
provinces formerly belonging to Russia and we
think that we cannot do our readers and the
public generally better service than to lay be-
fore them In our columns some Of the facts and
incidents stated by this writer, which go to show
the geography, the condition OF the people, and
the resources Of that far-off land.
ofthc extent OF this Territory this cores pond
cnt says;
at lies between the i3oth and the lssth degrees
Of western longitude, and lying with the shores
Of the Frozen ocean on the north and the Pacific
the south, is that broad Of territory newly
mated by the name OF Alaska. II il by far the
most northern portion Of our national domain.
Its area in square miles is not definitely known.
sumner thinks Ills about SO, 900. He is more
nearly correct, though II may be 1000 more, or
gives CORE correct idea I Of its topoSrapSy There
arc rivers as large as the Hudson and Susque-
hanna, and islands Of greater area than the state
on our schooLroom maps"
This writer further says; F." Alaska consists OF
nearly square body Of land with two arms, one
extending to the southeast and the other to the
southwest. In miles, the main body is COO from
north to south, and $50 from east to west"
It would appear, from what this writer tells
US, that by this purchase we have acquired a
large number of islands, SO that now we have
more sca-girt territory than any other countr,
except Great Britain. There arc not less thar
four hundred islands, most of which are very
considerable In extent, none Of them less thar
one thousand acres. Eleven of these have area
larger than Rhode Island, and ave larger thar
Delaware.
The correspondent then goes on to show
the longitudinal condition to which our Ameri
can Republic has attained by this purchase. II,
says:
Between Eastport (Naine) and Cane Flat
terry, our previous longitudinal extremes, tn,
distance is 81 degrees-a difference In time of
hours and IS minutes. But the "transfer" o
from the eastern Boundary Of Maine, in the S7ti
degree OF longitude, to the island Of Attoo, II
longitude lso-showins difference OF time be
"When to-day at noon the robust Aroostool
farmer sits down to his Yankee repast OF baket
beans and pork, the most western inhabitant
of the American Republic will be buried In sleel
on the beach of little harbor of the island o
AZ AttGomthe ash :till winning In the bay whcl
They are as yet unconscious OF the fact that tn
are Included among the Universal Yankee Ma
ton"
The population Of sItka Is not large. Tn
Russian population Is about 3t4; the Creoles
thalf-breeds,) 55s; the Indians about 1000. Tn
town has been built about sixty years, and owe
its origin to the sea otter, the most valuable o
fur-bearing animals.
The town at present is not Of much account q
place Of residence, or as a mart OF trade an,
business except far II Is used as a fur depot
Sitka appears to be the general storing place 70
all the furs sent In from some twenty-nine differ
ent outposts. The amount of furs now In stor
there amount to ts50OOo. We quote furthe
from this correspondent as follows. II woui
ready there: - -
ty stissn Is ase Sfss
earliest footsteps OF civilizAtion-the bronze
faced hoosier, the ubiquitous down-caster, an
the inevitable jew. A California 'forty-ninel
prospective corner lots Of Sitka. In 1850 h
could have made himself a millionaire had h
known enough to have invested his dust anon
the sand hills of San Francisco. Now he Intend
reach, lie has an uhdoubtins faith that I IN N te a
people. A Vermonter is among these fortun,
seekers, who Is more wary. The metropolis {
main land about Cooks Inlet, where The sun
mer climate is dry, the soil arabic. and the beI
fishing grounds contiguous.
among
soldiers OF fortune found two professioni
onice seekers-one an old politician who too
his first lessons In New York city, had lost cast
in California, and who, II was whispered, ha
come up here for the purpose OF getting the o.
portunity to draw mLsdge between Alaska an
w Washington. That Of itself will be quite a piul
TO say nothing of the honor of being the n n
Delegate from the new Territory In the Nationl
Congress.
"The other aspirant for the same position W.
native OF the Bay State for some years pas
has been Washoe speculator, and Is now abo,
to try his luck In this hyperborean region. Son
say he has pile to aid In furthering his aspir
tions at any rate he was freely dispensir
drinks among the crowd. II toccurred to me thi
both he and his rival had entered the field tc
early, and that the man who would gain Ii
coveted position had not yet been named"
As this writer penetrates further into Il
country he will develop the situation Of Il
nd,and the people and resources as he advance
In the meantime, we have to say, that we see
cause to object to the annexation OF this teri
tory to Uncle Sans domain but, on the co
trAry, believe the purchase to have been vii
one.