Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-07-11
Our Farther West.--The Seal Islands or
AlaskaSeward's Purchase
Profitable. ftt ks1ft
LINCOLN. Neb.. Nav, 1872,
by PROF. J. D. BUTLER.

N LINCOLN, Ne5., May. 1872.
About four-fifths ofthc population
of Nebraska, so far as not born in
the State, nor of foreign birth, origi
mated in the six States lying in its
latitude, and between it and the sea
board, namely: Iowa, Illinois, Indi-
ana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New
York. We have here a curious H.
lustration how much more easily
men change Their longitude than
latitude.
Another illustration of the same
fact strikes me when | contrast the
passengers l meet on railroads run
ming north and south with those on
lines running east and west There
is but little local travel on latitudi-
nal roads, willie on longitudinal
routes through passengers, and even
cosmopolitan voyagers arc many.
On the Burlington route, which is
longitudinal, and in the main on the
parallel OF New York city, / have
met the catafalGue of Gen. Thomas,
the Boston excursionists pushing in
one spe ecial tram, and the California
teachers in another, without change
of cars from ocean to ocean. have
travelled with the Japanese embassy
and several parties of Japanese stu
dents, as well as with Chinese oper-
atives, and Europeans from all parts
of South America and the East In
lies; bnt on my last ride from the
Mississippi, chance threw into my
way wavfarer from the utmost
corner of the world, or rather of our
Uest. This was
CAPT. CHARLES BRYANT,
From st Georges Island. But where
is that ? was one OF my first ques
tions-since while ever learning we
are never able TO come to the knowl
edge Of geography. uis answer was
that his home was AS lar west OF Or
egon as Oregon is west OF Maine
on the farthest island OF the. Aleu-.
tian group, and III latitude 81 de-
grees.
lie is United States revenue Of
fcer, has been stationed there four
years for collecting the royalty due
the Government on seals, and to see
to i. that no more of those precious
fur bearers than is expedient are
killed.
Seals may be said to have their fl
vorlie lairs, or .procreant cradles,
nowhere except on Captain Bryant
island and ST. Paais a little north OF
it. They aresthere as tame as sheep
and are the one thing needtal I o the
habitants. Their flesh is tood-not
much inferior to beef; their blubbei
furnishes not only oil and butter, bu'
fuel their SKINS afford bedding
clothing and boa.s. rs well as roof:
and weather-boarding for houses
No trees grow on the islands,-drlt'
wood, waits from the ocean anc
Asia, furnish. the sole supply OF lnm
Der.
The royalty paid the government
last year by the fur compan!
amounted to more than a quarter Q
a million dollars, and as the seals arr
rapidly increasing, will soon yiel(
more than six per cent. interest OF
the seven millions paid for Alaska.
Though Captain Bryant has beer
but few years at his present station
yet as master OF a ship, he has bee
exploring all parts Of the Pacifi
more than thirty years. He believe
in the early annexation of the Sand
| wich Islands, and that the produce o
our. central States, like Nebraska
will be ere long sent over the west
ern waters in exchange for tropica
productions, and that our far Yves
will manufacture its IRON and woo'
into fabrics to supply the denan'
which Japan and countless islands 9
the Pacific, now emerging from bai
barism. will yearly make with NOR
and more urgency.
Contact with an actual explorer G
so many out OF the way places, mad
me feel as if had discovered ne,
America. only regret that m
friends could not all share my exp,
rienee, and that having beth hand
. Itull of new truth, can at most ope
only my llttle finger. May | NEE
Captain Bryant again when he sha
next pass over the Burlington route
to spend his winter in New Bedfor,
The royal plate at Windsor, r,whic|
is kept in tolerably sized roo,
and adjoining closet, i valued