Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-04
Alaska.

Commander Glass, of the United States sloop-of-war Jamestown, which was for a period on the Alaska station, has given the San Francisco Alta some interesting information in relation to that country. He says:
 I find that the climate of Sitka and Alaska Is very little known down here. It is a very mild climate with a very equable temperature. The lowest tenn perature at Sitka last winter was only about 20 degrees below the freezing point, and that only occurred on two days. The average temperature for De- cember, January and February, the cold months, was about fl degrees. We have had Q great deal of rain and snow, but out of eighteen months of which an of- ficer of the Jamestown kept record, there were only some twenty-five days In which there was continuous rain or snow. The mildness of the climate Is due to the influence of the Japanese warm current that strikes the coast. During the months of July, August and September 1t Is one of the most beauti- ful countries for the tourist to visit. Those wonderful inland passages and bays furnish some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and the climate during those three months IS delightful. I have never seen scenery to equal 1t. The Inland Sea 0f Japan is not eompar able with 1t.
 Since the acquisition of the country from Russia in 1867, no government has ever been organized for the Territory Of Alaska. Until 1874 its affairs were man. aged by the War Department, Alaska being included in the Military Division of the Pacific. In the summer of 1871 the troops were withdrawn entirely, and there succeeded time, until the threat ened outbreak of the Indians, when there was DO protection for the white residents of the Territory. Early in 1871 the Navy Department sent the Alaska LID there, and she was followed by the Jamestown, and since this time the Ter ritory has been under the control of the Navy Department. This control, how ever, was exerted simply over the h. dians, the Jamestown having been sent to Alaska to protect the white residents from the threatened troubles with the Indians. As soon as those quartz mines were discovered, in October, quite large immigration set Tn, largely from British Columbia, and a district was formed. A great many disputes occur red, and many cases were accompanied with violence and blows. Believing there was to be considerable trouble there, on the second of May an order was published in the Territory, stating that as there was no legally constituted ! government, the naval authority would have to"be reorganized and that It would | be used for the protection of the | lives and property of citizens and the maintenance of order. That order of mine was sustained by the Government | and is now in force, the WacEusett hav- | ipg relieved the Jamestown on thls coast There Is q strong feeling III the | Territory in favor of asking Congress to | provide some sort of Government or
 ganization for the Territory. A COnven- | ton has been held, and 1t IS proposed to elect one of the citizens a delegate to ! go to Washington and urge the estab- : lshment of a Territorial form of Gov ernment Every one in the Territory IS
 earnestly in favor of 1t and they are
 willing to accept a Territorial orgamza- | tion that will give some guarantee to ! life and property and provide some le- | gally constituted courts to try cases
 brought before them, thing a naval au- | thOrity can't do."
 "There are no courts whatever in the | Territory. The only court that would
 attempt jurisdiction in any case IS the | United States District Court of Oregon
 or Washington Territory. As l said be-
 fore, the naval authority has been used
 simply to preserve good order. No at-
 tempt has been made by the naval au-
 thorities to settle any claims or do any | thing more than maintain good order
 and prevent acts of violence either to
 persons or property, and that will proba- | bly, be the situation of the Territory un- | til Congress takes some action