Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-06
NJ. DC
Affairs in Alaska.
REPORT OF COMMANDER BEARDsLEH-rHR IN
DIANS-THE wH1TBS-"HOO-TCHE-NOO" THE
CURSE OF THE COUNTRY.

Affairs in Alaska.
REPORT OF COMMANDER BBARDsLEB-THR IN
DIANs-THE wHITEs-"HO0-TCHE-Noo" THE
CURSE OF THE COUNTRY.
secretary Thompson has received an interest,"
ing report from Commander L. A. Beardslee
commanding the Jamestown, stationed at Sit
ka. Alaska. Commander Beardslee says:
'SThe condition Of Indian affairs, as bearing
upon those Of the whites is this: Abreast our
ship, five hundred yards distant, there IS q
deserted village OF perhaps fifty or sixty log
cabins. Inhabited, at present, by about one
hundred squaws and children, and about fifty
OLDER males, who. through age, or 1nffrmlty, or
lack OF energy, have not gone with the greater
number OF their fellows, in pursuit Of food and
fur.
About one hundred Indians are employed at
the Gunnery about six miles from here, and I
have gang OF about twenty employed in erect
Ing beacons, &C, it being necessary. to employ
the rocky island for days at q time, and could
not be performed by our own men without
great detriment to their health. The Indians
work well and cheaply. We have built one
stone beacon at cost OF less than one hundred
dollars, which In the eastern states would have
cost five times the amount.
ANTICIPATION OF TROUBLE IN THE FALL,
There is absolutely no danger to the settle
ment at the present time. In the fall, when
the hunters and fishermen return there will be-
Their return will be celebrated by series Of
"pot a,latches," tremendous drunk,l which
will culminate, unless precautions are taken to
keep them under control, in very probable
assault upon the settlement, as the grudge
excited by the events of last winter is, as yet,
cause for anticipation Of trouble. l do not
believe that, unintlamed by drink, the Indians
would assault the whites but they ,ciN be crazy
with rum.
COMMUNITY WITHOUT CIVIL LAW.
Left as this community is, without a vesttge
OF civil law or authority, its position so unde-
termined, that to consider it either as or as not
Indian territory VIII involve the risk OF serious
error: 1t is deprived OF the moral force that it
would have, did not the Indians consider that It
has been abandoned by its natural protec-
tors. A great evil arising from this state OF
affairs Is that while the introduction Of even
gallon Of good OF 1rdna liquor Is
GUS liquor can be and Is made In great quanti-
ties is permitted to be imported by the ton.
The first and only step by which Alaska can
ever be saved or developed will be the enac-
tiOn by Congress OF law which shall place the
importation of Daolasses and coarse sugar under
such restrictions that the manufacture from it
OF
.'Hoo-TcHE- -Noo'
can be stopped. BY the request OF the collec-
tor, and IN pursuance OF an arrangement OF his,
with my predecessor, Capt. Brown, last month
detailed an officer and men to assist the collec-
tor In the prevention OF smuggling OF liquor
from the mail service have since had time to
weigh the subject, and this time decline to so
doing was not acting lawfully, feel that it is
simply ridiculous to take strong measures to
stop little whisky and protect at the same
time tons OF molasses, gallon OF which will do
as much harm as bunch of the former.
THR WHITES OF s1rKA
may be divided into three classes, namely,
very few respectable people worth saving: q
larger number OF Russians and half breeds,
poor, miserable, ar lazy, poverty stricken crea
take much trouble about were it not for our
pledge to Russia; and few unprincipled white
men, mostly discharged soldiers or deserters,
scheme, however nefarious. Belonging to all
three OF these classes are certain :naturalized
American" merchants. mostly Jews, who sell
same time that they thus inctte danger and in
capacitate their protectors, call loudest for
protection" OF those who signed the "peti-
tion to the President" two at least are OF this
class, and others suspect. This Is
A GRAND FIELD FOR MISSIONARY LABOR,
nundredS OF half-breed children and Indians
and quite number OF Americans are growing
up without any education or chance OF obtain
Brady, Presbyterian clergyman, now here as
mining engineer. and OF the officers, who have
formed choir. l have organized a Sunday
school and church service, and have services
neurological and botanical resources and am
making collections OF fishes. animals, plants,
birds &c.
RAID ON ALASKA MOONsHINERs,
Illicit d1stilleries. had but awaited sufficient
provocation. A murder In the white.settlement
and continued drunken row, ending in a big
fight, which had to send an armed party to
suppress In the Indian village furnished me
with cause. The result of our raid was the de-
struction OF capture OF three stills and large
quantity OF material and liquor In the houses Of
discharged soldiers, and Of thi eight Stills,
one hundred and fifty gallons of liquor and as
much mash among the lndia2s. On the 9th
called meeting Of the citizens and ably assisted
by the deputy collector, DR.. Dulaney, and by
Mr.. John Brady, have, hope, started public
opinion which will result In the formation Of a
local government, with police regulations suf-
hcient to restrain disorder and regulate, II not
check, the traffic In liquor.
GOOD CLIMATE,
The health OF the ships company is good.
The climate is not damp. We have had more
pleasant than unpleasant weather, and there
Is never fog which penetrates apartments.
our books, clothes. guns, &C, are kept perfectly
free from mold None of us are subjected to
neuralgia or rheumatism; while it is raining
wet clothes hung under the awning will dry.
tICE-PRESTnFNT xvftI