Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-03-16
Smelling an Alaska Village.

Smelling an Alaska Village.
Major Morris. the Customs Collector
of Sitka, recently visited San Francisco |
and gave the following accounts of the |
late Smelling of the Indian village by the |
revenue cutter Corwiu:
s.On October 90 Captain Vanderbilt, |
Of the Northwest Trading Company. |
came to Sitka in the company's tue |
Eayorite, and informed Commander |
Merriman that the Indians at the fish |
ing station had taken possession of the |
settlement and had taken two white |
men prisoners. This portion of the
story has been correctly published. /
attended the conference between Com
nander Merriman and the Captain. and
also took care OF the latter's wife and
children. anderbilt asked for assist
anee, and as the Adams was too large a
ship to pass into the lagoon, l suggest
ed that the Corwin take her place, and
that / would cooperate. Lieutenant
Healy. of the Corwin, conceded with
me as TO the propriety of using the yes
sci for that purpose. and he also offered
his services. The arrangements were
perfected about sundoun. Early on the
following morning the Fayorite started
back, with about eighty sailors and ma
rines on board and Calling gun,
under the immediate commune of
Lieutenant Bartlett, and steamed
for Peril Straits. Three hours la
ter the Corwin followed. with
Commander Merriman and an addition
al force. l went along IS an invited
guest. We overhau,ed the Favorite
and the large launch of the Adams.
which had been surveying in Peril
Straits, expecting to reach KalisnooI
that day. 1t blew so heavily that the
smaller vessel could not cross Chatham
Straits, and the fleet came 20 anchor in
Lindenberger harbor. Early the next
morning the Favorite and the launch
were ordered to take the lead and steam
up the lagoon to the fishing station,
where the property of the Northwest
Trading Company had been captured
and the men imprisoned, the Corwin
proceeding slowly in the river. AS we
steamed up we observed number of
white flags tluttering from stats on the
Indian houses. which is always custom
airy after they have committed some
outrage and gun bolt heay@ in sight.
We gathered up or drove back Sll the
canoes i'll the lagoon, getting together
about fifty. All the vessels steamed up
and came up abreast of the station.
when the two white prisoners were re-
leased, and not before, having been in
custody all the time since the accident
occurred.
1.-The prisoners reported Immediately
on board the Corwin. In about an hour
large party of the Ind rs, supposed
to be ringieadeTs, were sent on board
the Corwin by our marines and exam
med by Commander Merriman. Several
of them were identif> d rs being promi-
nent in the capture by the prisoners,
and these were sent down below and
put in irons. The two principal chiefs
came ON board also dressed in uni
forms and protested that they had no
hand whatever in the proceedings
statement which we found to be true.
Commander Merriman then informed
the Indians that this method of de.
handing co npensati. n tor an accident
from white men could no longer be toll
Grated in Alaska; in t they had taken
the law in their own hands, captured
valuable property impris ned two white
men and threatened them with death;
that the Government would not toll
SIalO ny Ii IiCllOhy lIldO llC IiIItl
told them that before q; he went
up to Sitka, and further informed
them that all grievances caused by white
trade would be adjusted by himself; that
he had forbidden them ever again to at
tempt to enforce this ransom business;
that instead of paying the fine of two
hundred blankets, under penalty of TAX
ing the lives of white men, he would
impose upon them fine of four hum
bred blankets, and would give them I'M
til noon the following day to deliver
them. This was all explained to them
by a half-breed interpreter in the pres
ence of the two chiefs. The Indians
thought this q game of bluff, as has
been the case heretofore. They made
no attempt to bring the blankets until
the following morning, when a few
worthless ones were delivered. A blank
ct is valued at four dollars. that being
the price set years since. Finding that
they did not intend to pay, Merriman
ordered them to remove all the women
and children and to vacate the village,
as he intended to shell and burn it, as
he had threatened to do if they did not
comply.
t.During the previous night the In
dans had removed all their blankets
and canoes to places of safety. About
two o. clock the vessels steamed through
Chatham Straits, opposite the village.
shelled and destroyed it, save the two
houses of the principal chiefs, who re-
main on board the Corwin. In my
opinion this was the only course that
Commander Mcrriman could pursue
under the circumstances. Matters had
arrived at such crisis in that country
that it was absolutely necessary to in
tiict condign punishment. All this was
done without the loss of a single life.
The Indians are well treated in Alaska
because they are needed. They can earn
from one dollar to $3.50 day. OF
course it was great hardship upon the
thousand people who inhabited that par
ticular village to have their houses de.
stroy ed at the beginning of the winter,
but they have sufficient material on hand
to rebuild them. You must remember
that the trading company lest about
5000 by the sto y age of fishing oi era
lions. | know nothing of tickets. Ii
the Indians had any they carried them
on their persons. Their currency con-
sists of blankets valued at four dollars
each, and these they had ample oppor-
tunity 10 sare.