Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-03


boast of white population of 500 to
liUo0 men. After those years the
production of the Cassiac placers di-
unfinished, the miners left the country.
and with their exodus departed the
mushroom prosperity of Fort Wran-
gel The shabby houses grew more
shabby, and are now rotting 10 pieces.
while the white resident population
has dwindled down to twenty-three
men and five women, including mis-
slonarleS. A saw mill is now being
erected at Wrangel, and one and per-
haps two fish packing houses are pre-
pairing for work. 1t is upon these in
dustrles, coupled with a moderate In
dian trade, that the citizens of Wran-
gel must hereafter depend for live
! lihood.
BJ far the most important and
promising of all the settlements 10
Alaska Is the mining camp of Harris
burg or Juinean. Gold was found
there in 1860, and a camp was soon
made up of miners from Sitka,
Wrangel, Cassac, and other places.
Placer digglngs were occupied and
worked, and to the present time have
| yielded profitable butnot extravagant
returns. Qartz claims were located
and recorded but for lack of capital in
the camp and the disinclination of
outsiders to invest money in the ter
rtory in the absence of all legal pro-
lection to their property, nothing has
been done toward developing these
claims. The quartz claims, placer
/ siSglngs, and town are on the MAIN
land. Directly opposite across a deep
channel 300 yards wide, lies Douglass
island, to which prospectors who ar
rived at Harrisburg too late to locate
claims upon the mainland turned
their attention, with the result OF
locating and partially opening up one
OF the most promising mining districts
that has ever been discovered on the
Pacific slope. Now that assurance is
given that life and property IN Alaska
will hereafter be protected, rapid
/ development of the mines ON
/ Douglas Island and on the mainland
will begin At the present writing
the camp at Harrisburg numbers 300
/ to $50 study men, with few laggards
or drunkards among chem. Within
another year these hundreds will rise
into thousands of workers.
The Northwest Trading company,
an Oregon corporation, has trading
stores at Howkan, ON Prince Of Wales
Island, at Sltka, Harrisburg, and
Chilcat. II has also large factory
at Killasnoo, eighty miles from Sitka,
for trying out whale, herring, and
doglish oil, and making fish guano.
1t has also an extensive and complete
salmon cannery at Chilcat. The Kin
ney Company of Astoria has large
salmon cannery at Chilcat and an
other near Cape Fox, the southern
point of Alaska. A few miles north
of the last named cannery San Fran
cisco company has taken possession of
an excellent location, and is about
erecting scannery. All these can
neries are new enterprises. At
Klawack, on Prince of Wales Island,
Session, Crocker q Co., Of San Fran
cisco have a cannery and saw mill.
which have been in successful opera
ton for several years, yielding profit
able returns.
The Indians of the Alexander
Archipelago and the adjoining main
land bear all the marks of Asiatic
origin When first visited by white
traders they were treacherous and
piratlcal, attacking the trading YES
sells, and when successful ruthlessly
numbering the crews; Many Of their
outrages were summarily and rigor-
ously avenged by British gunboats
stationed on the coast of British Col
umbia to keep the Indians quiet. and
as the thirty-mile strip OF Alaska
mainlsnd was leased by the Russian
Company to the Hudson Bay Com
pany, the fear of king Georges gun
| boats had a salutary influence anon
the Indians of Wrangel and Takon.
These Indians are intensely covetous.
Plumber was undoubtedly the incen-
tive which impelled their murderous
attack upon the trading vessels that
visited the coast in the early years of
this country.
The settlement of Fort Wrangel
and the discovery Of gold at Cassiac
quickly changed the relations Of the
Indians to the whites by gratifying to
a large extent the Indians ruling pas
sion, avarice. A brisk trade was open
ed upon the Stickeen, by which the
Indian owners of canoes pro6ted
/ largely until the advent Of river
steamboats, cut down the rates of
transportation The trading stores at
Wrangel increased in number. and
the Indians benefited by Inc competi-
ton for their trade; they soon learned
that the presence Of the white man
was an advantage to the Indian, and
the two races are now In perfect amiUy,
The Alaska Indians will yield will
/ ing obedience to laws fairly and Just
( ~ administered
The Alaska act provides for the APP
pointment of a Governor, who Is to
reside at Sitka. He is to perform
generally such acts as appertain TO the
Office Of Governor Of a Territory, SO
far as the same may be applicable
/ thereto. He shall be, ex ofIicio, Com
mander-in-chief of the militia. He is
/ from time to time TO inquire into the
operations of the Alaska Seal and Fur