National Republican., 1880-03-16

mcnts of Chilean, K'awal, Silver Buy or Port
at all of which there are white residents and
in two of them quito number And
If lie really gives 1890 rs the entire In.
dian population no is certainly much below
the correct estimate for it Is well known that
thoro are mere than that number within 100
miles of Sitka On pages twcnty-tllrco aud
twcnty-four of tho pamphlet of testimony
taken by tho Scnaie sub Committee on Alaska
will DO found somo carefully prepared tables
of Mr.. Ivan PotroiI, gentleman of that init.
mate personal knowledge of tho whole Terri.
tory, which the writer Alaska" thinks so
essential, and very guarded iu his statements.
ltc concludes thus: eve have total Of
| members Of the Russian church Of 5000, with
out counting tho mission on the Yukon river,
and some settlements on Norton sound from
which We have noreturns.' Now, Mr.. PETROL
takos and credits Captain Bailcy's report in
his returns-in fact, they arc based on it--and
1t will be secn that my estimate Is correct, even
without the two settlements just mentioned
and tho four previously mentioned. and the
increase at Stka and Wrangol since May, 1879
am not required tn "gainsay" Captain
Bniley's report in order to show that thorc are
5000 civilized people in Alaska. And
let mo say here, since It, Is custo.
mary to sneak slghtngly Of tho creolca
and Alcuts, that their chnra cter is en-.
tlrcly misunderstood. Many designated ere.
olos in the population tables Rre apparently
pure white, and among Them refined and odu.
Gated families, that have furnished wives Ia
our military and naval officers and scientific
explorers. The assertion that those people
now absolutely wi bout any form of law for
their protection, have no Interest in" n hill
which proposes to give them a law, Is too pre-.
posterOuS tor argument.
The writer has further charged that "at.
tempt Ito give the impression " that these
5000 are tho people who pay into the Treasury
the annual revenue of $4,000. Yet here is
my exact language. In speaking of tho shame
that The expense of u Territorial government
should nc pleaded as an excuse for denying
these people tho necessary laws, / say "cs-
pcclnlly since tho Territory pays an annual
income of S3l7 800 into the Treasury, aud all
taxes and licenses that might greatly add to
it omitted" Who hns attempted TO create u
false impression, Mr.. WrilGr-you or II
regret. Mr.. Editor, that you did not
consider the communication of Alaska" OF
such character ns to entitle me to know his
namc from you. Not that desired it for my
information. oh, no! There is but ono man
who would or could write such an article, aud
| recOgniza him, Enthusiastically, as the same
swift witness who has always been found
ready, for reasons best known to himself TO
come to the front to obstruct the course of JUS
tce to Alaska when IL seemed moving that
way. But 1t wonld have been more manly for
him to have sgucd his own proper name, as it
wonld have relieved me- knowing rs | do tho
Estimation iu which his efforts are held, from
the duty of noticing this one. At least he
might have signed himself anti.AlaslSu, and
not used the name of the Territory undor which
to stab her. But | trnst / have shown that his
plausibility Is hypocritical, and that his plain
Misrepresentation of my purpose sufficiently
attest his own. Very truly,
NJ. d. BALL,
Collector of Customs for Alaska.
MARCH IA 1880