, 1876-12-30

FoRT WRANGEL, ALASKA, !
December 10, 1876. /


of the l2th ult. came daily to hand, find.
lug me well and glad to know you like
to spare few minutes occasionally,
from the press Of business, to communi'
cate with old friends. | have noted
from the STAR that your time seemed to
he pretty fully occupied by active bust.
ness, hence | have forcbore writing as
often as in the days of Nore-particular
ly as the STAR always brings testimony
rs to your health and soundness of mind
| can tell you little news from Wmngel,
as dull times is the order of the day
The miners from Cassiar, b. c., were gen.
orally low spirited when they came down
this fall the diggings did no' prove as
good as was anticipated, ind there was
more men in the district than could find
employment The prospcctors of the
Tarco Country, returned without any
favorable results, and other parties of
prospectors have achieved nothing better.
Wrangel has certainly been growing
hamlet the past year, and now has a
white population of near three hundred,
a large part Of whom pass the mining
season in Cassar The military estab.
lishment has experienced change,
Last month Captain S. P. Jocelyn, com
manding Co. B, 2lst Infantry, took pas
sage for Fort Stevens, Oregon, having
been relieved here by Captain Z, A. Ban.
croft, commanding Co. A, 4th Artillery.
Captain Jocelyn had been in command
moe than Year, and considering the
absence of all riNl law, and that all mat
.ers requirin% the interference of law
were genca3iy referred to him, | be.
lieve few mrl could have maintained
such genera aood order, and wholesome
regard for fair dealing as we have expe-
ricnced here since my advent And Cap.
tain Bancroft bids fair to be equally as
successful, and has ut once won a favor,
able reputation from all whom he has
come in contact
The Indian population here is quite
large and composed Of representatives.
of all tribes from the Columbia river to
Behring's Straits. And they are sadly in
need OF some worker among them, in
the cause Ot civilization. The British
Columbia Indians have the advantages
of missionaries and schools, while in
Alaska, not a Sirgle attempt has been
made to elevate the natives, until last
summer some Fort Simpson B. c., Indi.
ans, working ut Wrangel instituted
series Of meetings for religious worship,
which have been kept up, and now large
numbers are interested, and arc anxious
to learn to read and write, and to turn
from the evils Of their ways, and | think
some assistance ought to lie rendered
them by the Christian philanthrophisls
who donate SO literally to spread the
gospel in China, Fiji and those other
outlandish places, while in our own coun.
try "the heather in his blindness bows
downto wood and stone" The Rev. Mr.
Crosby from Fort Simpson, has done
noble act in coming here this fall and
aiding in starting fund for the purpose
of ultimately building a school and
church edifice, and procuring a teacher
and preacher. l am very much in favor
of the former, and shall not object to the
latter. A moral teacher could find a
wide field of labor and hard harvest to
reap among the white population Of
Alaska. to say nothing OF the Siwashes.
BY the way, | sent a package of STARS
to an old schoolmate, away down East,
who has just graduated from college,
seemed desirous OF seeking home on
Pacific slope. invited him to closely
scan the STAR as one of the truest papers
representing one Of tho most desirable
portions OF the coast, and advised him to
communicate with you for reliable infor-
nation.
Our winter 80 far has been moist but
not cold. But little snow has fallen in
our immediate vicinity, but the noun
tains show an abundance. The steamer
is in sight returning from Sitka and l
must say az TeDotr.
j. s. BRowN.
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A rnnilun lnlr anil 70 hnr litkln