Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-02-16
NEW SERIES--V0L. II, NO. I.

Tho newspaper correspondents went
away and the land relapsed into III
ancient silence. The Alcuts staid. Sc
we have now population in that re-
gion which numbers about thirty
thousand. At Fort Wrangell, n sort ol
halfway station, where supplies are
furnished TO miners bound for the dig
gipgs in British Columbia, there is a
small settlement. At Sitlsa there Is Il
garrison of about two hundred men.
Outside OF these there are
NOT FIFTY WHITE PEoPLEI IN THE WHOLE
REGION.
And the coast line of Alaska is four
thousand miles long Congress is ask.
cd to provide government Of some
sort for these isolated forty-fve white
people. Heretofore the aborigines
have had no occasion TO complain that
the world Is governed too much.
Under the simple rule of the Russian
American Fur Company they were
employed to hunt seals, sea-ottor and
other animals and were fed and cared
for as kindly as they cared for their
own dogs. They hunted, ate, drank
and slept unvcxed by any knowledge
whatever of the world outside the fog
that shut them in. All they ask now
is that they may be let alone. They
like whisky, to obtain which they will
sell all they have and all they can steal.
For the fuel for long and hot debauch
they will 60 half naked all winter
Their new government has wisely and
paternally prohibited the sale ofardent
spirits in the district. But the whisky
business is rs demoralizing TO the
whites OF Alaska as it is elsewhere.
The fluid FIRE is smuggled in and sold
to the aborigines. Wcare left to infer
that of the forty-fve white people in
the region major portion are engaged
in the whisky trade. If there were no
natives there would be no whisky
dealers, and if there were no whisky
dealers there would be no white folks
worth mentioning. This proposition
seems conclusive. 1t may be added
that if we could get rid of the abort
gines we could shut up the territory,
hang up the key in the Treasury De-
partment and
ADVERTISE ALASKA TO LET.
Unhappily the tide of emigration
seems to be coming from Asia to
America. Otherwise one might coax
the Alaskans westward across the
narrow strait that separates the two
continents. 1t is believed that the in
habitants of that distant portion of our
Rnpublic originated in Asia. 1t would
be fitting, though not at all in keeping
with historical precedents, for these
descendants Of the Arean race TO re-
visit the birthplace of their progenitors
if they can find it. So long as they
remain on this side Of the globe, where
there is obviously no special use for
them, they arc undesirable tenants,
whose places we do not, however, see
any prospect of filling hereafter. The
attempt to induce colony of Iceland
ers TO settle in Alaska has come to
nothing. The shrewed strangers were
not so euamored OF fog, frost and snow
that they must needs 90 the North
Pacific to findit. Wisconsin, Minnesota
and Washington Territory were equal
ly attractive and far moro accessible
There are not Americans enough in
the region to man the offices, provided
Alaska should be gifted with a civil
government of any sort. 1t can not
be reached by land without travelling
over foreign territory, and when il is
reached the intended cmigrant immedi-
ately returns horribly disguised. The
revenue from the lessees of the furseal
grounds is considerable. Bnt we can
not afford to spend this in governing
tho forty-five white men; and the
natives are hardly fit for any govern
ment. If they would only go away
we might close out the concern.-Neic
York Times.