, 1879-02-11

| ------~------.
ALASKA.
| Stories Told bY n Government Tnspeotor-
Tho yntIvcb-T},e CltmRt~-A Mig River
| Ntrh Observation-Disclosures Hovern-
| fnent.
| Warrington Fnn.
| Although It Is now morc than ten years ttnce
| thc Russian Government decided TO this country,
for t!e consideration Of t7,o00 600. that portion
nt Its icrritnry in America known as Alaska.
set hut little 10 known u the possession thus
| nraurrd BY Tue United States. When, there
fore, Tie fost met Mai. William Goure.neur
Norris. Of California, IN the Libby Of tl.r Ebhtt
| lloutc yr-terdnY, the reporter found an or
rortunIty ot cnlchtcning the public that WAS
| not 10 be lost.
"you visited Alaska In Al official casactty, did
you nott' auoth the i'osi.
"yrs, sir: went there under directions from
Secretary Sherman to ins psct the c,latorns dis
tricts located there. hare Just returned, nnd
| submit report 10 Congress tomorrow
"Can Jou not tell tho l'ost something of that
country, its people. climate. Resources, etc. ~
Eafl our young man In bis tnuss aeGuctirc nlatl-
ncr.
III shall be verr glad to-" was thc reply. "1n
the first place, rou must know that Immediately
after the purchase Gen. Lureil II. Rousseau
went to receive the territory with large body
OF troops 10 naval vrsscls. alter which 1t was
garrttoned by several companies ut pnsts &c.
lcctcu by Gen. liH1leek. These posts wers
marked out by ten. Eialteck at his military
headquarters IN San Franrfsen bJ merely look
ing at a mnp Of Aiaska, without tour of ex-
ploratIon having been made. Ttils fact IA not
generally known. As tie result Of this the
posts werc located at points tlIat were either
to,a,iy Inaccessible or difficult to rcach mil
where 1t was expensive to sapp'y tile troups
with garrison stores. Subsequently, all tllcsc
posts were abandoned by order Of tho War De-
partrurnt except two. viz: Stka a1Hl Fort
w,uu.cl, on Wsangels Island, aml thu Govern
.nent ot the Territory waa lnutly turned oser to
thr Treasury Department"
"What was dune tllcn!"
"'fhe government wns placed Ia the hands OF
| the Collector Of CustnHla nIu Ills ueputies who
| were occasionally visited By revenue cutter.
but ttrac deputies being onlY authorized b!
law to COLLECT revenue. alnI having no extended
n,ycrs. whatever government u,er hayc r1er-
rIst.tI has teru nsur,cl. This r. hut little at
tue hest, and us result there IL no Royernlilen:
"what ktud of urople, MAJOR, are the na.
| ttrck:''
| "Thcy are 1n1!aus Of two classes. The first Is
| the coast savage, uln lives In Villages a,l sub.
sistt ou s Of his own catching, asnt is partially
civilized frun, Intercourse with the whites. liz
ulsu tsuarB with The tribes nf thr interior nll,l
With the whites. ln this trading business he II
Of a bargain. Their villages huye been several
| times DESTROYED Ly Bsi,Isll niHt American Euu-
tnats, All this has taught 9l'cM severe lesson:
III fact, The trus way to Eorcru thcH would
he IL xecp gunboat continually cruising a!0pE
ecoa+t."
.'Arc they easily Covcrned'''
t'Thtre IS no trouble" was the reply. "to be
experienced from them except whcu they are
ft,x,tt tN1t
what they might d. Ftc troops could only
pretend to keep onlrr Immediately adJ'inlng Tile
posts, and for thts reason were Withdrawn a.
being Of no servtcc."
"Wao are the second class Of penplcl"
"1'faey are The Interior tribes. Of whom little
| is knuwn. rlcy will allow III white nun to crl-
ter their domain, md only trade with The coast
Indians. Their country Is parttfoned off los
in fnct perfect tasages. Botil classes Of lnlitans
| utr more III MI Asatic typs than ollr red H,en
OF the plains, an.l clearly show their Tartar
"What Is the CLIMATE of Alaska, Majorr'
"'rlm Temperature os Southeastern Alaska IL
no colder than ut the muuth of tho Columbfa
nter. Oregon, ND tt!rse drerccs M warmer than
which tlows frum JapaI,, known as the Japanesu
gulf stream. Snow Is very sarclr seen In tle
sircats Of Sttka, though In the winter t!nIa tho
mountains In the vicinity are covered. The
in Washington. The oam pncrs nf tue alt Is far
tnosc to b, feared than lt'r roId. 'rI!cac re-
nlnsks, however, An not apply I" The entire
country wssi u ihe AeHs!an l'lapas' which Is
"Ilas Alaska any riverpi'' inquired the Post.
Yes, sir, the rrflM1pnl une hc.ny The Yukon,
which flows through Ccnttal Ala.ka. niiti elIrtlc*
I.,E to tic eastward towards tsriti4h Cnlulnbs4,
from which Iluws in,,ltH,erablr slsca!ns."
!" How large is tile fukonW
I'll has never hcrn thoroughly surveyed, but
1r4st u$Ss1t 1
is believed to By larger than tlIt Mlsstss,npi or
The +A1,,azun. II Is fruzcn up in shc winter tnic
AMI It's brcaklMg up Ia spring Is grand 4lti
terrific s'gl't. The debris, drittwt,,d md tin
her which Is carried down At each frrstet Ia. "
tho forre nf the current, aratcl oat to ite
.Aicuttnn Islands, where II serves the natives nj
!lrs.wool. IL Is tic nnly kinl they Use. a. M
tsrca grow on thesc islAu.tkf'
! what are the FeSulrcrs Of AthRkat"
lin tfsr rst place. Alaska IL full uf coal. II
cau be foitml eropp.taR out everywhere. but Il
clnnat oe utilized. hctausn there IA Az 1nurt Ut
It In Washington Tcrrltnrt which t. nearer Cut
purpt,se* h found neur Nanalmu, hu: anthracite
cDal Is known to rxt#s. IT. dcvrln!'nIrnt will
proye furtune tu suInetsly. Nd We hare io an.
tlirlctn Goa, on The laelt!c p!tDt-"
- DO o!l,rr minerals l!,o,1ul:'
"YrA; gold. silver, Ero',, copper, mil platinum
have also been found in tlay!ng quan'Ities, but
uolu vi tie mnes paye ever teen pr,spectrd ur
dcvcloned. owing to The dangers "lrs miners
are subjected tu III making cxplur4tiuEs. IN
Tho Cassir District, however, which Ia Britisi,
Colun,hta, uni which In ann'iatly Wished By
thu m!uea have ylclitt lnllIlIhs u! tinI'.lrs Vt
surfare gold. Recently numerous r.cI ticia,sit.
hayo been discovered IN part VI tllc ltrtltory
! which Is now IN tIspu1s between thu Enltrd
Stalcs and TREAT Britaln. A Joint cnnltaitst.ll
hna agreed upon prorsiuna! linz, nlIeh .lusc
| acquainted With The lacts VI the cuse knnw IL
ir unjust tuwarIs ths country. The question.
ts All itn,,oEiant uns, and tltr lives nf MAnY vi
~ fnQf fnt
1t should l,e settled at Unrn. or It inaY involve
! buth vuun,rt In serious difficulties"
''Do not tle natives make u,c Ut tl,cso
Mctals!"
"Oh, yrs; the Indians wear ornaments OF
goi4 n,d Atatc that gold exists, hut ntc very ret
tcent a. tt its lo:atl1y. 1t must. huwrycr. fn,