, 1875-01-04

WASHINGTON. u, e.. Jan 3.-IIenry ". Eli
ott, Preciai Agent OF tho Treasury Department,
]'as submitted to the Secretary Of the Tseayurv
Liz report unon tho condition anil tn,por:a1lc: Of
tho fur t,ade III the Tosritnry Of Ala.ka. tho
'aunts and labila uf the teAI, tic preaeryat1o.4
and extension Of the fisheries az Eonrco uf rev.
en,le to tla United States. with like information
Respecting the fur-beuri,lg ani,Ea's of A1aExa
generally, tho statistics Of Lo fur sraIe, and the
condition OF tho people or nEtivca, especially
tbotn up6n whom tfIe succcsaf1tf prosecution OF
the tiHl!erica End fur trade IL fletentlent.
1hc iifEt tncasnro HuHgohtc1 ly tle ,nvcstiqa-
tion of 3f. Elliott this aeatnn waH ono Of cai,.e
aud refotm IN tho present ahaao~T G,ycrnmen.
of tile Terrttory. II was not lutendcd to waste
htne and money A. matters are nov CONDUCTED
when the sa'na annual expenditure would give
prompt and effective furervisinn on tue part or
the Oorernnent over iss n9w saalT neglected in
tefests in the Territory. Tnia IDistaEo In tor
Government as 1t now e1istH in Alaska Ia not
attributable to anv other cause than that OF TIM
universal and special ignorance prevailing in the
United States at tie time Of tile tranA:er. in re-
gard to tic form Of government needed, and
bincc then no one seems to hGyo taFon eng in-
tolligent or active interest in tho nstter. Tlls
pecuniarv value Of tllt fur-Reat interests of tho
Government renders It highly important that tho
Treasury Depaltment, now iutIusted with its
care and ruCcrrision, Ehculd poe6ets definite
aud authoritative Information as to The prorcr
management fer Its tclpetuation in it's original
integrity q: leass. AIR. Elliott calls attention
e*pccialfy 70 the accompanying report upon tho
subject which cmbodles the results OF three ae2-
eonB OF clofc personal observation and resoarc.
on tho gruEnd. with maps nud illustrations. III
connection with the condition at the natives OF
tho Tetntors, tn whom tue successful proaecu-
lion o{ the lur II Ade il dependent he Ias been
led into 4 vetv careful study Of tho history
md hnbIts Of tha eca-otter ID tt,is country. to
tue successful hunting Of which between foar
and tive Thousand Chr1ttian Alcntians mud
hodiakefs look 10: means Of livelihood. Since
tbs transfer Of tue Territory f,ca5n4 formerly
prescribed. have been introduced among tile
otterhnntets. Thl-, in combination with the
kfoness rivalry Of opposition tra1erd, maktH it
only 1uosti'n Of q very short titno at which
these valuable and interesting animals shall b,
maav Chtietianzed natives are Totally dependent
for oil the co1nftr.s aud Danv even tS lbe pec.
cssties u semi-c.vllized Life, lie 1e,nedv Tor
this. MrEIliott fa.s. is very ainple hnd effect
i've one. and he discutaeE it u:!lcr the head Of
tile eea-o.tcr and its hunters.
Tho report thows that Mr. Elliott hns given
the Yukon. AleutiAn. and Sitkan heLtiulls close
attentGp, lcavirg tile fuller examination ot !n-
kodak. Cooks Ipiet and Copper I.iyer dlat,iv.s
to tiie futule; and that he has, IN connection
with Lieut.. Washburn Mar7iard, Uaited States
Navy. his aBHocia:e during the art season. CAFE
fnll' reaIrsnycd the area and pcsitrn Of the
breed; ug-grounds Of Tho fur-feal cn tho Prybil"r
Islands. iher surveyed it. Matthews Iplara.
which is contiguous, and was Entirely unknown
and uhinhabittd, IN orJer to settle tbs question
80 frequently asked. aud to whicE. no
definite reply could he given, whether or
not it was suitable CrourI for fu1-seaIs to tag1
upon and breed ehuuld there animals ever bo-
come dissatisfied with their plcseut locality aud
be has coiO}llea from Fusslan and other author-
stlra 1ac!s ano etnthtlcs eb 10 the extent Of tho
fur tfade IN tho early daTa of the Ter,isors.so
to conrate With the CONDITION Of tlis business ut
present, Ga LIE obtained |: from, traders md
agents Ii the country generally. Tbs remarkable
Increase in tho catch Of fur-baarinE animafs Hiilco
the change OF onnershin Of tue country il most
striking but Ia in perfect harmony with tho
strong contrast between tho INDECENT nake-ahift
management Of tho Rnssieu-Ameti:an Fur Com
psny IN tho latter time aud thai Of Cur energetic
economical traders.
The extgavagsnt statements which hare been
made in regard to thu revenues ct this Territory,
whcb. il true. wt'uld either rove ..s titness Ter
tho future rcceprcn Of b:ghI;-cly1zed popu-
laton. OF show it 10 be y land of utter icsoln-
ton, and tic $T.D)o, ,oo0 Eurchaso.monev = total
loss to the General Goserument, Aayc caused
Mr. Elliott to paw gre,t attention to the subject
and in biz report 10 has euoeavored to give q
colciso description Of Tho agricultural character
Of tue Territory aB hc LAS eeeu it. Tllis. lie
eoyn, might be truthfuily summed up IN
saying tiat the1e arc mors a~res ot better
lnnd now living wlldeinesa and jungle in
btGbt Of the cat-w1uaows OF tho Penn
sslsania Railroad while crossing the Allie
Enan,es. than can he found IL all Alsska;
this Pcnusr}vanin land, tn tlo heart Of ono OF
our oldeet and most thick!v populated States,
viii remain as 1t now H. rl,oap aud und1bturbcd
Tor IN Indefinite time. in spite Of ils close rrox-
imily to the homes Vi millions Of energetic aud
enterprisiuE men. 1t ID no: difficult to estimate
the va!ue of the Alssks acres, remote as they
are aud barred out by most Nsagreenbe eea-
coast climate, leaving out altogether tho great
West and vast agricultural reEinns of British
America. But theu. directly to tue contrary, 1t
would be wrong to hint by this statement, ir,1o
az it is, thas tile country il worthless for in
tue Seal islands aIoua t:.o Government pos
sesses property which wond NOT rouain In ths
market many days unEold were 1t offered for
seyon millions, and from which tho annual
reycnue le uoubIy euf!cont to meet iii ezpen-
dtnrea for tho l'roror government Of the vtlole
Territory II the matter were CORRECTLY nltuetel,"
Moreover. beyond a few outcropa OF tertiary
coal, aud small leads near sitka OF gold mud
silver, WITH rerottHtcf bntiyo copper in situ
Territory far as Mr.. Elliott could Learn, but he
has roaFon to think that it will develop into
some value, The value and probable vieIl OF the
cod banks Of Alaska have been greatly overratod,
but he thinks 1t may be reasonably auticiI h,ed
that the SUCCESS attending the canning OF cal
mon on the Columbia ltyer will atinilato tho
p plosccuiou Of this Industry .. ti,e mouths OF nil
tho hrge streams aid rivers Of the Territory. 1t
Ia safe to asset, Ae remarks, that TO othor al
most unknown section Of the world was syor
brought into notice suddenly abons which more
ten, bReed quite entirely upon tho whinls and
cnrEces Of the authors, than about Alaaka aud,
therefore, u vii 10 sirT1iein8 II tho truth in
regard to the Territory does not frequently como
Into conflict With many ertonsoua popular oriu-
ions.