, 1880-03-18
THURSDAY, MARCH Is, 1850,
LET ALASKA l0eK UP.


sury Of $3,200.O00, there was great
outcry against such reckless sq"an'
dering of the public moneys II was
declared thar we had paid an enor'
nous price for 5So,1o7 square miles
of icebsrgs, dirty troglodytes ana
polar bears, 1t was denounced as
foolish, useless and unavailable pur'
chase,---a perpetual monument Of
"Seward's folly; on ice." Little
more than three years later however,
the interesting, elaborate and ex
baustivs book of Lieut.. William ii.
Dali entitled ALASKA and Its he
sources" for the first time gave to
the American public the means ol
forming correct judgment in refer
ence TO the true value of this last
addition to our already immense ter
ritory. The recent achievement OF
the brave Finlander, Nordsnskjold,
seems to US to open up afresh the
question of the possible outcome OF
our Alaska purchase. Should it
prove an established fact that safe
and practicable passage has at length
been found by which communication
can be kept up between Europe and
Asia on the one side, and America
on the other, the commerce carried
on by this northeast route must OF
necessity pass along by the shore
Of our newly acquired territory. 'Phe
requirements of traffic will create
not only deposits Of merchandise at
either end OF the voyage, but also
enterpots Of trade at suitable inter.
mediate stages. The resources of
our Alaska possessions must be evil
IDENTIFY drawH upon to supply the
medium Of exchanges between our
more favored Pacific shores on the
south, and the far northern regions
Of Europe and Asia. Ha"hors of
refuge, ort,repair,and revie ualling
would be in demand, where vessels
passing into the novel experiences
OF Artic navigation might find sup
plies Of such stores, and Of such pc
cuIiar appliances as are specially
adapted for voyaging in those hyper
borean regions. With the growth
OF commerce comes the influx of pop.
ulation. When Alaska came under
the jurisdiction of the United States
there were about 10000 souls in the
territory, of whom not more than
1900 were entitled to be called civ
ilized. The Aleuts, however, who
comprise an important element in
the aboriginal population, are found
to be docile and capable of rapidly
imbibing the ideas and of acquiring
the habits of higher races. Under
the Russian government they had
taken some steps in civilization. tits
a pity that our government has not
felt called upon to prosecute the good
work. There is no wall defined gov
ernment there. There are no civil.
izing agencies Of any considerable
Importance. There are no schools.
With the increase Of population,
would follow schools, etc. Alaska
is far more promising country than
was Maine or Massachusetts, when
first our puritan kindred set foot
upon those inhospitable and forbid.
ding shores. To denounce it as a
cold country is to scandalize it with
q partial lie. On the coast the ther.
mometer has never been known to
fali below zero. "Icebergs are un.
known in Alaska, from Dixon's en-.
trance to Behring's straits, and no
polar bear ever came wilhin a ;hous.
and miles of Sitka." There 90 two
tictlons at one blow. 1t is an i'm.
menss store house of commerce. fish
timber and fur. 1t is drained by
multitude Of rivers of which the Yu.
kon is sea like in its vast volume and
wide expanse Of waters. Ii annears